How to grow your hair as long as Angelina Jolie's

Today's featured celeb is Angelina Jolie. She's gone from a short, inky-black crop, to a long silky, sexy mane. Click here to see a photo gallery of her hairstyles.

If you're growing out your hair, the fastest way to get there is to put off cutting your hair for as long as possible. This requires that your hair is in the best condition possible--split ends must be cut off. It's the only way to "repair" them.

Here's what every long-haired girl knows:

1. Shampoo your hair only once or twice a week. Shampoo is one of the most drying things you can do to your hair. If you exercise heavily every day and really feel the need to wash daily, try just rinsing and lightly conditioning your hair--once or twice a week you can still use shampoo.

2. Don't use heated appliances. OK, I know that some of you are in withdrawals already at the mere suggestion of parting with your beloved straightening iron. But one must make some sacrifices if one is to get what one wants! Blowdryers, curling irons, hot rollers and flatirons all damage the hair. If you must use them, limit your use of these offenders to once or twice a week. Meanwhile learn the joys of velcro rollers. You can buy really huge ones that will give you sleek hair and body. Or you can use smaller rollers that will give you those fluffy curls and waves you love, the ones that bounce off your shoulders when you walk down the street. Some setting lotion and a couple of hours hanging out in rollers while you watch "Desperate Housewives" or "Project Runway" will give you glorious hair. And the setting lasts longer than heat-styled hair anyway.

You can also use fabric-covered elastics to pull hair back into a chic tail or up into a sexy, loose loop or bun. Be creative--isn't that why you want long hair in the first place?

3. Don't overprocess. If you highlight your hair heavily, it's trickier than usual to grow it out. Talk with your colorist about the options to maintaining your color while you're growing out your hair. For instance, you don't have to get the full head of highlights every salon visit in order to maintain your look. You can have just the crown and hair around the face highlighted.

4. Use a moisturizing shampoo.

5. Deep condition once or twice a week. A detangler can also help prevent breakage.

6. Comb and brush gently. If your mother didn't already teach you this one, I will: comb your hair from the bottom up. Start at the ends and gently, using a wide-toothed comb (never a rat-tail comb), comb in small increments, working your way slowly up the hair shaft. If you comb from the scalp down, tangles get bigger and bigger as you go. By the time you get to the end of your hair shaft, you've got an enormous tangle that involves several strands of precious hair. This causes breakage that can be really severe over time. Make it easier by using a conditioner. You can also use a spray-on detangler just after rinsing or shampooing.

7. Be patient and get trims when it's really necessary. Hair that's riddled with split ends won't appear to be growing. As the split ends break off and continue to work their way up the hair shaft, your hair will actually seem to be getting shorter and thinner. Not what you're after! The first step to growing out your hair may in fact be to cut off an inch in order to get rid of weak, overprocessed ends.