If longer locks are on your list for 2012, you’re in good company: Hollywood It Girls like Emma Watson, Carey Mulligan and Ginnifer Goodwin have been growing out their short cuts, too. But there’s more to the process than skipping trims and hoping for the best. We asked the experts to help us come up with a game plan for growing hair longer ASAP, and for dealing with the in-between stages.

“Are you looking for a good in-between style during the grow out phase or getting to long hair in the shortest time?” says Rodney Cutler, Redken Brand Ambassador and owner of Cutler Salons, who styles Emma Watson’s hair. “Generally, my suggestion is keep it looking good on the way.” If you’re starting from a pixie, “First, I would grow the length at the nape,” Rodney advises. “As it steers towards the mullet family, that’s when it’s time to grow the top out and eliminate some length at the neck. This will edge you towards a disheveled bob,” he says. And from there, it’s a relatively quick ride to shoulder-length territory.

On average, hair grows half an inch a month, says Elizabeth Cunnane Phillips, a trichologist at the Philip Kingsley Trichological Centre in New York - but that rate varies with genetics. Even if you wanted to, you might never be able to achieve butt-length locks. The reason? Your hair follicles are programmed to grow for a set period of time - between two and five years - before they stop growing and eventually fall out. "If you see somebody with hair to their ankles or to their backside," she says, "it's not that they're doing something different or magic or special, it's just that their hair cycle is a longer cycle of growth phase." 

The good news? You can make sure your hair is growing to its optimal length, whatever that is. Elizabeth recommends a general health approach to her clients. That means consuming enough calories, eating a diet rich in B12, zinc and iron, managing stress and committing to regular health checkups. Avoid excessive brushing and heat styling that damage the hair (“if the temperature is burning the back of your hand, it’s probably burning your hair”). And care for the hair and the scalp with an intensive deep conditioning treatment to head off damage and a scalp mask, such as Philip Kingsley Scalp Mask ($7). “Good hair starts with a healthy scalp,” Elizabeth says.

“I think the biggest misinformation that people have is that when you’re growing out your hair it means don’t cut it,” says Adrian De Berardinis, hair stylist and founder of NYC’s De Berardinis Salon. “Get regular baby trims, small trims, to keep the ends healthy. If you just let it go, your ends will split and it will start to carry up through the rest of your hair. Don’t let it go for six months; be on a regular schedule.” Conditioning products are your allies in the fight against split ends, Adrian says. “Give your hair the moisture that it needs so it’s not drying out and [becoming] vulnerable” to breakage.

Try as you might to avoid the in-between stage, your hair will inevitably reach a point where it looks funny. The solution? Accessories. “Pins and bands are a casual and easy way to keep hair that is an awkward length out of your face,” says stylist Alex Polillo, whose clients include Katie Holmes, Hailee Steinfeld and Rose Byrne. “Learning how to French braid is also a helpful tool when growing out bangs.”

“Color can actually help accentuate the cut you are trying to get to,” Rodney Cutler says. “For example, coloring Emma Watson’s hair a darker, rich brown color created a more polished effect and camouflaged the layers.” If you’d rather grow out your permanent color along with your haircut, “Find someone in your area that specializes in balayage (hair painting),” advises Alex Polillo. Painted highlights can help bridge the transition between lightened ends and your natural roots.

“There’s a definite evolution of bangs,” says Adrian De Berardinis, who recommends transitioning into a side-swept look as hair grows out. “Bangs can tend to be very heavy and carry a lot of weight, so as they grow out you’ll want to go see your stylist,” who can use thinning shears, point-cutting or other techniques to break up blunt fringe. “When it starts to get so long that it’s not a bang anymore, the way to basically erase them is to have your stylist blend [them] into your layers around the face.”

Are you stuck with a two-textured look until you cut it all off? Not necessarily, says Alex Polillo. “If it is a Brazilian treatment or a light Japanese, it can loosen up after a little time. Using beach sprays or curl cremes can help get a little texture back into the hair as well.” Unfortunately, getting rid of extra-strength treatments is tougher. “A heavy Japanese straightening or lye relaxer will be bone straight until the hair is cut off,” Alex says. In that case, a brand new crop might be your best bet. At least you’ll know how to grow it out, right?