My hair is 4 feet 1 inch long – my method to stop split ends doesn’t lose any length
A SIMPLE trick for getting rid of split ends at home helped one woman grow her hair down to her knees.
Zelda revealed how she maintains her striking 4.5-foot locks.
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Zelda (@ZeldasLongHair) has over 46,000 subscribers on YouTube, where she shares ASMR content about her.
The 23-year-old from Savannah, Georgia, went viral on the video platform when she revealed how she grew her locks so long.
Speaking to The US Sun, she opened up about the challenges of maintaining her hair.
NO SPLIT END
Zelda has received more than 10 million views on a YouTube video showing the moment she gets a “big chop” in August 2023.
Despite only having an inch trimmed, she said it was a “huge, terrifying event” as she had not trimmed more than an inch in more than seven years.
“It will probably be another six years before I cut another couple of inches,” she said.
“Instead of the usual big bangs, I’m in favor of everyone using the search and destroy method.
“I spend about 10 minutes a few days a week examining my hair for split ends or damage, and I cut the hair off at a healthy point.
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“This way, the damage is removed without affecting the healthy hairs nearby.
“It takes a lot longer, but it saves my height.”
NATURAL BEAUTY
Zelda says she’s been wearing her hair in protective styles, like a low ponytail or a side braid, since high school.
She also avoids using harsh chemicals like hair dye or bleach on her locks.
“As a teenager I definitely thought about dyeing my hair and doing more with it, but my strict parents discouraged me from doing so,” she said.
“Seven years later, I think it was for the best.
“I estimate the ends of my hair to be about 10 years old. They have been kept in good condition by avoiding chemical treatments or coloring.”
When I have to bend down to pick something up off the floor, half of my hair turns into a broom.
Zelda said the women in her family are genetically blessed with “thick, healthy” hair, but she is the first to have hair that is longer than her tailbone.
“Especially on my mother’s side, her hair is noticeably thick, but it gets dyed and trimmed regularly,” she said.
“I’m the first one to have such long hair.”
STYLE SECRETS
Zelda received a flood of comments and stares for having long hair while studying in Japan.
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She said that as a foreigner she “stood out like a sore thumb,” but in America her hair doesn’t get as much attention.
“But when someone does say something, about half the time it’s a short, simple comment like, ‘You have long hair,’” she said.
“The other half consists of one of the following 4 questions: ‘How did you grow it?
“‘Why did you let it grow so long? How long does it take to wash it? How often do you wash it?’
“I always try to patiently answer their questions, but it can get repetitive.”
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She said she hides her long locks when she goes grocery shopping, or she protects them with a wide headband.
She said her hair down to her knees got in the way when she bent down to pick something up off the floor because her hair “became a broom.”
“If I want to do yoga, I have to make sure the floor is clean before I start,” she said.
“But over time I’ve learned tricks to quickly keep my hair out of the way.
“One of my favorites is to wrap my braid loosely around my neck.
“Put the ends in the braided chain and it will stay in for about five minutes. Enough time to do some cleaning or yoga.”
Zelda says she styles her hair with a wide headband when she doesn’t want to leave it down for long periods of time.
“When I sleep, I always wear a hat. It helps keep my hair neat and in bed,” she said.
“I discuss all of these topics and more in my upcoming book: The Ultimate Guidebook to Growing Long, Healthy Hair.”
Physical and digital copies of Zelda’s book will be available for purchase later this month through Amazon.
She will notify her subscribers on YouTube and followers on Instagram once it is officially published.
“My book covers all the most common questions I get, like my washing tips and tricks, hair care products and tools, cutting your own hair, and science-backed methods to make your hair grow faster,” she said.
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