I, much like everyone else, I’m sure, spent my Thanksgiving break overeating, watching football and uncomfortably mingling with distant relatives whom I haven’t seen since exiting the womb. However, what always makes their invasive comments about my love life and college plans somewhat tolerable is the fact that they shower me with compliments regarding my long hair every time I see them. Maybe they’re just being nice, maybe their glaucoma is kicking in or maybe my hair care methods actually work; who knows? Nonetheless, I thought I’d share my two cent’s worth.

1. The longer you leave your conditioner in, the better. Regularly conditioning will keep hair silky smooth. However, if  you don’t wash it out completely, you’ll look greasier than a Happy Meal.

2. Moroccan Argan oil is a miracle worker. If you have naturally frizzy hair, apply Argan oil to damp hair. Be careful not to overdue it around your roots though or, again, you’ll end up with that greasy Happy Meal look.

Number three: Coconut oil is clutch. If your hair is super dry and you have split ends, apply copious amounts of coconut oil to your ends overnight. I recommend twisting hair up in a bun and leaving a towel on your pillow to avoid waking up an oily mess. Caution: only use this method if you know for sure that you’ll have plenty of time in the morning to take a shower and wash the oil out. Otherwise, your hair will literally resemble a dirty mop all day long.

Number four: Use detangling spray like it’s your job. Nothing makes my heart hurt more than the awful snapping sound that comes from brushing too hard. This will also reduce those irritating little baby hairs that fall out of your ponytail.

Number five: Brush your hair like it’s not your job, meaning rarely. If you utilize conditioner and detangler, you won’t need to. Overbrushing can cause flat hair, fallout and poodle-like shedding.

Number six: Learn to love your natural hair. The more often you decide to go all-natural, the faster your hair will grow longer and stronger. Straight hair doesn’t always mean cute hair; there’s no shame in a little bed head appreciation. If putting the heating tools down is a real struggle, try sleeping with braids or a bun to wake up with natural looking beach waves.

Number seven: When your hair dyes, your hair dies. For those of you who love to color your hair often, what you may or may not realize is that you’re making your hair weaker and thinner. When it comes to the appearance of unsightly roots, you’ll just have to grin and bear it for a few months in the name of healthy hair.

Number eight: Take your vitamins. Hair, skin and nail supplements are sometimes the only option if you really have trouble growing out your hair.

Number nine: Don’t shampoo every day. There is actually evidence which shows that over washing can dry hair out, leaving it susceptible to damage. Try leaving hair up in a bun during showers and only shampooing every other day.  Between showers, use dry shampoo on roots to keep hair looking fresh.

Number ten: Last, but certainly least, cut your losses and cut your hair. Professionals suggest getting a trim every six months. However, I suggest this only as a last resort considering I just provided nine solid alternative methods to grow hair longer, stronger and healthier.