Maybe growing long hair is one of your goals this year. Now you can have <a href="http://www.ilovebundlebox.com/shop/long/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">long hair </a>anytime you want it with a great install, but what if you want to grow your own? What can you do to get the long, healthy tresses you’ve always wanted? If you’ve neglected your hair or haven’t been as gentle to it as you possibly can, you can turn those bad habits around and start practicing the right ones instead. Try these 5 habits for long, healthy hair.

<strong>Massage your scalp</strong>: Hair may be dead, but your scalp is living, and that’s why it’s so important to keep it healthy. A healthy scalp equals healthy hair growth. Besides, regular cleansing to take away all build-up and old products, you can give yourself regular scalp massages to stimulate your hair follicles and improve circulation. Just use the balls of your fingers, and rub your scalp in a circular motion for as little as a few minutes several times per week.

<strong>Be careful with heat</strong>: Too much heat can really kill your hair. It can make your tresses dry and brittle and lead to major cuts. Avoid heat as much as you can, but if you have to pull out your flat or <a href="http://www.ilovebundlebox.com/shop/product/829696369" target="_blank" rel="noopener">curling iron</a>, always use a heat protectant and use the lowest temperature you need.

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<strong>Trim dry ends</strong>: As your hair grows, your ends, which may have been around for years, get older. Even with the most pampering routine, you’ll need a trim at some point. If your ends already feel dry and crunchy, do your hair a favor and get rid of them! Visit your go-to stylist or, if you think you can handle it on your own, trim it yourself. SistaWithRealHair shows you how easy it is to trim your ends at home.

<strong>Protect your ends</strong>: Once your ends are in good shape, keep them that way by protecting them as much as possible. This means putting them up when you can. Buns, braids, twists, wigs, and extensions are all great ways to keep your ends away from the elements.

<strong>Moisturize as needed</strong>: We don’t all need to moisturize every day, so stick to a schedule that works for you. Maybe you need to just baby your ends every night, or your hair does fine with once-a-week attention. The trick is to find a routine that works for<em> your hair</em> and then follow it.