A SIMPLE trick for getting rid of split ends at home has helped one woman grow knee-length hair.
Zelda revealed how she manages her eye-catching tresses that measure a staggering 4.5 feet long.
Zelda (@ZeldasLongHair) has garnered over 46,000 subscribers on YouTube, where she shares hair-related ASMR content.
The 23-year-old from Savannah, GA, went viral on the video-sharing platform when she revealed how she grew her locks so long.
Speaking to The U.S. Sun, she revealed the challenges of maintaining her hair.
Zelda racked up over 10 million views on a YouTube Short showing the moment that she got a “big chop” in August 2023.
Despite trimming just 3cm, she said it was a “big, scary deal” as she hadn’t trimmed off more than a centimeter in over seven years.
“It will probably be another six years until I trim another few centimeters again,” she said.
“Instead of getting regular big chops, I’m an advocate for everybody to use the search-and-destroy method instead.
“I spend about 10 minutes a couple of days each week to search my hair for any split ends or damage, and I trim off the hair at a healthy point.
“This way, the damage gets cut off without sacrificing the nearby healthy strands.
“It takes a lot longer, but it saves my length.”
Zelda said she’s worn her hair in protective hairstyles such as a low ponytail or side braid since she was in middle school.
She’s also avoided putting harsh chemicals such as dye or bleach in her tresses.
“I certainly thought about coloring my hair and doing more with it as a teenager, but my strict parents would prevent me from such things,” she said.
“Seven years later, I think it was for the best.
“I estimate that the ends of my hair are around 10 years old, which have been kept in good condition thanks to avoiding such chemical treatments or colorings.”
If I need to bend down to pick something up from the floor then half of my hair would become a broom.
Zelda said the women in her family are genetically blessed with “thick, healthy” hair, but she’s the first to grow their strands past tailbone length.
“Especially on my mom’s side, their hair is noticeably thick but regularly colored and trimmed,” she said.
“I’m the first to grow such long hair.”
Zelda was bombarded with comments and stared at for having long hair while studying abroad in Japan.
She said as a foreigner she “stuck out like a sore thumb,” however in America, her tresses don’t get as much attention.
“But when someone does speak up, it will be a short, simple comment like ‘Your hair is so long’ about half of the time,” she said.
“The other half will be one of the following 4 questions: ‘How did you grow it?
“‘Why did you grow it so long? How long does it take to wash? How often do you wash it?’
“I always try to patiently answer their questions, but it can get repetitive.”
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She revealed that she hides her lengthy locks when going grocery shopping or protects them with a wide headband.
She said having knee-length tresses used to get in the way when she bent down to pick something up from the floor as her hair would “become a broom.”
“If I’m trying to do yoga, I need to make sure the floor is clean before starting,” she said.
“But over time, I’ve learned tricks for how to quickly keep my hair out of the way.
“One of my favorites being to lightly wrap my braid around my neck.
“Tuck the ends into the braid necklace, and it will stay put for about five minutes. Just enough time to do some cleaning or yoga.”
Zelda said she styles her hair with a wide headband if she needs it to stay out of the way for a long time.
“When sleeping, I always wear a bonnet which helps keep my hair neat and contained in bed,” she said.
“I talk about 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 to purchase from Amazon later this month.
She will notify her subscribers on YouTube and followers on Instagram once it’s officially published.
“My book covers all of the most common questions I receive, such as my washing tips & tricks, haircare tools, and products, trimming your own hair, and scientifically supported methods to make your hair grow faster,” she said.
