Although the bob haircut has become a beauty reference, I had enough and decided to let my hair grow.
It seems that recently the trending haircut is the bob, and from one day to the next, Instagram is full of influencers who put their baroque bobs behind their ears while leaving their Pilates class, turning short hair into an element of almost aspirational beauty.
Far from being immune to the most tenacious of trends, I wore my hair short for years, convinced that it was the best way to keep my unruly mane in check (or at least somewhere in that region).
But what happens when you get bored of the bob haircut ? When you suddenly crave the practicality of a ponytail or start to long for the carefreeness of a bun? That’s the situation I found myself in a few months ago: deep in hair ennui and starting to hate my supposedly low-maintenance bob .
This routine led me to a change of scenery, but not before consulting some experts on the best way to overcome what I knew was coming: the uncomfortable hair growth phase. “It is essential to cut your hair regularly ,” says hairdresser . Even if you’re eager to put your hair up as soon as possible? “I advise all my clients to get their hair cut every five or six weeks, and I am even more insistent with those who want to achieve long, thick hair,” explains hairdresser. “It also prevents annoying split ends and dryness.”
Once chastened, I asked her if there was anything else I could do to speed up the entire process: “Ultimately, long, healthy hair is the positive result of a well-groomed scalp and a good hair care regimen” , which suggests stimulating hair follicles to promote growth.
“Ensuring that the pH of the scalp is balanced is the first step, which can be achieved by regularly using a gentle moisturizing shampoo and combining it with professional scalp treatments.” She applies a natural clay-based treatment to her clients that exfoliates dead skin and provides deep, nourishing hydration.
As for the changes that can be made at home, he states that it is even more important to use products that protect from heat during hair growth or, better yet, reduce the use of heat appliances .
I write this having emerged (relatively) unscathed from this period of personal growth, and I’m ready to embrace summer with my shoulder-length hair . In addition to researching supplements that help hair growth , I asked women in the sector with long, beautiful hair for advice: “I would say don’t wash it too much,” which a well known hair specialist told me, “invest in a good conditioner and, personally, I never dye it (unless to hide gray hair).”
Hoppen also stocks up on alligator clips to keep her hair up while she sleeps , and she always chooses sulfate-free shampoos. Sometimes, before going out, she applies a little hair perfume: “It seems that hair absorbs odors better when it is longer.” Her golden rule? Keratin treatments every six months: “It is a radical change to keep hair soft and in good condition.”
Model and photographer, for her part, warns against excessive styling: “At home I only dry my hair naturally , often on the bike! But sometimes I style my hair with hair cream or a little gel to give it body and waves. “What I like most is sleeping with a long twisted braid and undoing it in the morning, Rapunzel style,” she adds.
Some people opts for regular haircuts,… but Hoppen confesses that they avoids scissors for months: “Even when you have long hair it is just as painful to see how a few centimeters go away,” they says. “I don’t know why, but you feel like Samson when they cut your hair !”
