self-made beauty entrepreneurs. Because ever since
there’s been long hair, there have been people willing
to do anything to get it, genetics be damned.
“Everyone has a maximum length that their hair
will grow,” says Anabel Kingsley, a trichologist who
studies hair behavior at the Philip Kingsley hair-
and-scalp clinic in London. Hair grows half an inch
per month on average, says Kingsley—if
you’re lucky. And if you’re not, a plethora
of new wellness aids promise to coax
your growth cycle into exceeding its
limitations. While celebrities such as Reese
Witherspoon and Miley Cyrus continue to
swear by Viviscal, the Scandinavian dietary
supplement with a proprietary marine-
protein complex, the stress-regulating
Indian herb ashwagandha is on heavy
rotation in both Nutrafol—the popular
pills currently appearing on Instagram feeds—and
Moon Juice’s new SuperHair daily capsules. The L.A.
wellness juggernaut’s latest cult ingestible purports to
promote stronger, thicker hair “from the inside out,”
“Someone
with long hair
believes in
herself. She is
confident in
who she is”
In Olivia Wilde’s
directorial debut,
Booksmart, overbearing Molly
(Beanie Feldstein) and self-
conscious Amy (Kaitlyn Dever)
are two best friends living a
highly regimented life, forgoing
high school shenanigans for
advanced-placement exams and
rigorous extracurriculars. And
it’s worked, kind of, earning them
entry to Ivy League colleges—and
a less-than-sparkling reputation
among their peers. “I would
make passionate sex to Molly
Davidson,” a laid-back skater
says to a couple of his friends.
“I’d just put a bag over her
personality.” Molly overhears and
lets them have it, informing them
that while they were messing
around, she was grinding her way
toward Yale. But here’s the twist:
The three popular kids have elite
futures, too—Yale, Stanford, and
Google. And so begins Molly and
Amy’s final high school hurrah.
The subsequent romp through
three unpredictable parties,
several exceedingly awkward Lyft
rides, and requisite odd-couple
romances is the smart teen
movie that Generation Z, the
most diverse in history, deserves.
“What did I leave behind?
No friends or children,” says
Katherine Newbury (Emma
Thompson), the witheringly wry
talk-show host in Late Night,
who’s applied a single-minded
energy to her career. “You didn’t
want them,” her husband (John
Lithgow) responds. “You wanted
excellence, which almost no
one gets in their lifetime.” The
excellence for which Katherine
sacrificed more pedestrian
satisfactions, however, now
registers on-air as elitist. After
28 years and many Emmys,
the network is replacing her.
She’s smart but stale, known for
bringing on “boring old broads.”
And she’s entirely out of touch
with her writing staff, which, it
turns out, is all white bros. But
she’s even more out of touch
with her wider audience. Cue
Molly Patel (Mindy Kaling)—the
Indian diversity hire. Molly is
determined to keep Katherine
on air, persuading her to unleash
her strongest opinions and
embrace her distinct views: “Iam
a 56-year-old Englishwoman who
has never given birth or seen
a superhero film,” she tells her
staff. “Write to that.”
—FRANCESCA MARI
MOVIES
says Moon Juice founder Amanda Chantal Bacon with a
flip of her own impressively long mane.
“We know that what you put in your body is important
for overall health, and thicker and longer hair is a sign
of health,” confirms Doris Day, M.D., a New York City
dermatologist, who says 30 percent of her patients come
in for hair loss– or hair thinning–related issues. But Day
is quick to point out that most supplement
brands that have the resources to conduct
clinical trials don’t go through the “rigor”
that is required by the FDA. “[These reported
results] are not based on hard science,” she
cautions of claims from brands touting the
hair-lengthening benefits of their products.
“Right now I say to patients, ‘You could try
this, and it could help you, and you’ll know
within six months.’ ”
And time may be all you need anyway. In
the few minutes it took you to read this article, your hair
grew .00005787 inches. So sit back and let it do its thing;
either you’ll achieve Crystal Gayle status or the trend will
move on.—e mi ly s p i va k
Cost Benefit
In two new dramedies, fast friends lean in
and discover what really matters.
SHOULDER TO SHOULDER
KAITLYN DEVER AND BEANIE
FELDSTEIN, PHOTOGRAPHED BY
ONE OF THEIR COSTARS,
ACTRESS DIANA SILVERS.
VLIFE
58 JUNE 2019 VOGUE.COM
