How to grow long hair: what men should change first

Men growing their hair out should rethink the routine that suited their short cut, according to a Beardbrand guide by Mike Lawson. Drawing on two attempts at longer hair, Lawson argues that understanding its natural behaviour matters more than trying to force it into a particular look.

The useful distinction is between growing hair and keeping the length you grow. Products cannot turn an ordinary growth cycle into express delivery, but gentler handling and appropriate conditioning can reduce breakage. Some of the guide’s broader claims about washing and ingredients, however, need separating from its author’s personal experience.

What happened

Lawson’s account describes a familiar growing-out problem: he wanted straight, flowing hair, but his own developed waves and volume. Attempts to control it with products and straightening ended in frustration and a haircut. His second attempt worked better, he writes, once he stopped treating his natural texture as something to correct.

That is a useful starting point for choosing a target hairstyle. A photograph shows somebody else’s curl pattern, density and styling, not a guaranteed destination for your own hair. Take reference pictures to a barber, but ask which elements are realistic: the length, the outline, the parting or the way it sits around the face.

The timescale also deserves honesty. Beardbrand puts average growth at roughly half an inch a month; a sensible general guide is around 1cm monthly, with individual variation. Getting from a short cut to shoulder length generally takes more than a year, and the starting length makes a substantial difference.

Curls complicate that visual judgement because the strand bends rather than hanging straight down. Hair can gain length without appearing to move much closer to your shoulders. Assess it in its usual dry state when deciding on a style, rather than assuming its stretched length is how it will look day to day.

There is also a commercial context: Beardbrand sells grooming products and recommends its own range in the piece. Lawson’s experience is useful first-person advice, but it is not a comparative product test or evidence that a particular purchase is necessary.

The background

Learn what your hair actually needs

Three characteristics help explain why identical routines produce different results. Curl pattern describes the shape of the strand; strand thickness distinguishes fine hair from medium or coarse hair; density describes how closely hairs are packed across the scalp. You can have fine strands and plenty of them, or coarse strands with lower density.

The numbered hair-typing system referenced by Beardbrand groups hair broadly into straight, wavy, curly and coily categories. It can provide useful vocabulary, but it is not a complete care prescription. Different patterns can appear on the same head, while colouring, heat damage and scalp condition also affect what works.

Growth takes place in the follicle beneath the skin. The visible shaft is keratinised material, so trimming its end cannot speed up activity at the root. A trim can remove split or weathered ends and improve the outline, but every centimetre cut away is length you will need to grow again.

Separate scalp cleaning from conditioning

Shampoo primarily cleans the scalp and removes oil, dirt and product residue. Conditioner helps lubricate the lengths, reducing friction and making detangling easier. An oily scalp and dry ends can exist together; treating the entire head as either greasy or dry can leave one problem unresolved.

Lawson describes using conditioner daily and shampoo roughly every three or four days. That is his routine, not a timetable everyone should copy. Fine hair, regular exercise, heavy styling products or a scalp condition may call for different washing frequencies. Daily shampooing is not inherently wrong if your scalp needs it and tolerates the formulation.

Conditioner washing, often called co-washing, suits some people, but ordinary conditioner is not necessarily an effective cleanser. Purpose-made cleansing conditioners differ too. If roots feel coated or the scalp becomes uncomfortable, reassess the routine rather than extending the gap between shampoos on principle.

For dry lengths, a leave-in conditioner can provide slip without being rinsed away. Rich balms may feel heavier, particularly on fine hair. Our guide to using beard balm beyond your beard considers that crossover; use a product suited to the job rather than assuming all conditioning products are interchangeable.