Walking the streets of New York like a radiant Lord Savior from a Land of Milk and Gucci, Jared Leto displayed a lid of real luster, and one that should be the template for any man looking to grow long hair.
It shined! It flowed! It's perfectly maintained! Because while the disco emperor-turned-messiah makes it look easy, the act of growing your hair isn't so straight-forward.
First of all, it isn't an excuse to eschew the services of a barber. A regular trim - once every two to three months, say - keeps hair in good shape, avoiding split ends. Damaged hair is not healthy hair, and unhealthy hair does not grow.
Focus on the top, too. It takes time to achieve added length here, and so keeping the back and sides short will ensure a tidy, respectable crop as opposed to dishevelled university lecturer. Swelling sides will outpace any noticeable gains felt elsewhere.
Then, it's conditioning yourself - both with the stuff you put on your hair, and what you put in your body. Look out for a concoction suited to your hair type, and focus on the ends: this will keep everything smooth and glossy and shiny. Factor in your diet, too. Foods packed with protein and biotin (two nutrients that may well stimulate hair growth) are preferential, with eggs, berries, spinach and fatty fish but four hair-approved ingredients.
And now, you wait. Peak hair growth takes time - lots of it if genetics aren't on your side, either. But patience is a virtue. After around 20 months and an arduous haircare regime, you'll be looking like a Game Of Thrones star. Not the grizzled, diseased sort, either. Now climb that horse and score a L'Oréal billboard, pronto.
This story originally appeared on Esquire.co.uk. Minor edits have been made by the Esquiremag.ph editors.
