Growing Out the Crown: What Actually Makes Hair Longer Before the Big Reveal

Every stage mom and pageant coach has a theory about hair growth, and it usually starts with the wash schedule. Dermatologists and stylists say the truth is less dramatic than the folklore: some habits genuinely support longer, healthier strands, and others are just ritual. Wash frequency, it turns out, is one of the more debated variables experts weigh in on when asked what helps and what doesn't. For anyone counting down the months to a title walk or a red carpet, that distinction is worth knowing before the extensions come out.

With reporting from Vogue.