Trying to Grow Out Your Hair? Read This First

If you’ve ever experienced acute, sudden hair envy at a particularly stunning shot of Miranda Kerr/Gisele Bundchen/Blake Lively/any other celeb’s long, flowing Botticelli-esque waves and vowed never to cut your hair off again, you’ll know growing it out is a looooong process.

But there is maintenance is involved; you can’t just leave it to grow and hope for the best. Your overall goal? “The best thing to do is try to keep the ends healthy but cut less frequently,” says Diana Conte of Sally Hershberger Salon.

A few more secrets for all hair types:

• ADD TO YOUR ARSENAL: Take a vitamin to speed up the growing: Biotin can work, or — many a hairstylist's secret weapon — prenatal vitamins.

Try: Vitafusion Extra Strength Biotin Gummies, $10.69, Amazon

• KEEP YOUR HAIR MOISTURIZED: "Use conditioning treatments or masques once a week, and always put product on your ends before blowing out or using an iron," Conte says. "That way, the heat can burn the product off your hair rather than sucking the moisture out.”

Try: Macademia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque, $17.49, Amazon

Conte has a few more tips for specific hair types:

• FINE HAIR: “If you have really fine hair that breaks easily, it is best to cut more often so it stays healthy while growing.”

• DYED HAIR: If you regularly color your hair, it’s doubly important to amp up your conditioning during this period to maintain hydration.

• BLOND HAIR: “If you highlight and notice breakage from the bleach then it might be best to try and do it less frequently to give your hair time to recover as it grows."

Onward, then, to the waves, braids, and updos of your dreams. Get it.