I grew up with a younger sister and two cousins who all had the most beautiful, thick, long hair. Meanwhile, my own was wispy and fine, prone to breakage and never seemed to grow past a certain length – that length being my shoulders at a push. My hair has been on quite a journey. Throughout my teens, I used straighteners and curling wands excessively, regularly and without any form of heat protection. I used cheap, nasty hair extensions and backcombed my own hair within an inch of its life. I remember my mum, who is an incredibly talented professional hairdresser, begging me to bin them. But obviously at 16,…