Do you wish your hair would grow faster?  Do you get sick of the waiting around?  Don't you just want it to grow like 6 inches over night?  Yes, Yes, and YES!
I've been trying to grow my hair out ever since about 9th grade.  Whenever I feel like it might have grown, I have to get a trim to get rid of the split ends.  Then I've practically trimmed off everything that I've worked so hard to grow.  My hair never seemed to get below my shoulders.  This sparks hopelessness and frustration.
However, in the past year and a half, since I've been to college, my hair has grown dramatically, and I've created a list of tips to achieve this dramatic growth.
1. Have a goal.  Have a freckle or some other check point for you to compare your hair length to.  It will help you see how far you have gotten and how much further you have to go.  My goal is for my hair to reach below my boobs.
2. Skip Shampooo. Since I have curly hair, I cannot use shampoo often because it will dry out my hair and make the ends break off.  I usually only use conditioner when I wash my hair.  Also, I never wash the conditioner out.  The only time I use shampoo is before I blow dry and straighten it- you want to get rid of any product build up.
3. Use a deep conditioning treatment 1x a week.  I use a leave-in oil treatment or Aussie 3 Minute Miracle.  I leave it in overnight, and it works!!!
4. Wash your hair every other day.  Hair is weakest and most prone to breakage when it's wet.  Every other day, put it up or wrap it in a towel while you shower.  I noticed that it was much healthier after just 1 week.
5. If you're going to use a hair gel... always make sure that you put conditioner on your ends first (for curly hair).  Let the conditioner almost dry before you put gel in your hair.  Once hair gel dries, it prevents any moisture from reaching your hair, leaving it dry, brittle, and prone to breakage over time.  If you put conditioner  on the ends first, it will lock in the moisture.
6. Never use super hot water. Hot water increases breakage.  Turn down the temp before you wash your hair.  It's worth the goosebumps.
7. Trim only when necessary.  If you wear your hair straight, split ends will be more noticeable, and you may need a trim more often.  However, with curly hair, I can get away with getting a trim, or dusting, once every 3 months.  This is necessary because I'm not in Minnesota often, and the only hair stylist I trust is Shayla from Rocco Altobelli in Minnetonka.  She is amazing!
8. Minimize the use of hot tools.  They fry your hair and make the ends break off.  If you want to straighten your hair, skip the blow drying and let it air dry overnight with hair ties banded around the length of a pony tail it to keep it straight.  Eliminating the blow dryer will also make the strands smoother when straight (if you're a curly girl).  When using a flat iron, don't hold it in one spot for too long, move quickly and smoothly. Going over one piece of hair 2 times quickly is better than 1 time slowly.
9. Biotin.  This is my newest trick.  Go to Target and buy a bottle of Biotin supplement pills for only about $1.75 for a month's supply.  They are proven to make your hair and nails grow long, healthy, and fast.  My hair stylist, Shayla, has seen this do wonders on her clients.  For such a small price, it's worth a try.