I have had long hair for most of my life. The few times that I allowed my parents to cut my hair, I hated it, mainly because I just don’t look good with short hair. Also, I personally think long hair is easier to deal with than short hair. Short hair tends to need to be styled in some way which can mean extra expense with styling products, whereas long hair you can pretty much just wash, brush and go. I often use barrettes or bands to keep my hair styled and out of my face which I find easier than having to dry it, and then using gel or other goop on it to keep it in the style I want.
However, there are a number of things you need to do to maintain a long hair style and keep it healthy. These days most girls aren’t taught anything about how to take care of long hair, and I frequently see them with it all bundled up into knots or pulled into tight pony tails neither of which is the best way to handle long hair.
So, what do you need to do to take care of long hair and have it look it’s best?
1. Get up a little earlier in the morning and let your hair air dry rather than using a blow dryer. Heat will dry out and damage your long hair faster than just about anything else. So, avoid the hair dryer and you will protect your long hair from split ends, and other damage.
2. Don’t brush your hair when it is wet, use a wide toothed comb. Brushing your hair when it is wet is sure to create split ends and damage, so instead very carefully pull a comb with big teeth through your hair and untangle it that way. You can brush it once it has air dried.
3. Don’t wash your hair every day. The truth is you do not need to wash your hair daily. This strips your hair of its natural oils and dries it out, further causing split ends to your hair and making it look ragged rather than smooth and beautiful. Instead wash your hair every other day or every two days. Your hair might seem a little oilier than you like, but you will also notice it looks healthier and has more shine.
4. Use a boar bristle brush. This type of brush is great at massaging your scalp, and it also distributes natural oils throughout your hair thus helping to keep both your scalp and your hair healthier. If you have thick or curly hair boar bristles might be a little too soft for you. If this is the case try a brush with a combination of boar and nylon bristles which should solve this problem.
5. Drink water. Your hair is part of you, and just as drinking water is good for your skin and body, so is it good for your hair. It will help it to remain shiny, healthy, and not have split ends.
6. Eat a diet rich in Zinc, Iron, and B vitamins all of which are crucial for optimal hair growth. Since you want your long hair to be healthy, this is one way to help it remain so, and to also help it to grow longer.
7. Trim your hair. The timing on this varies as to what is best. If you color, trim, use relaxants on your hair, or are prone to split ends, then every 8 weeks is best. You only have to trim ½ an inch off, but this will help your hair to grow and to stay healthy. If your hair is very healthy, you can go up to four months without trimming it.
8. Do a protein treatment once a month. You can either go to a salon to do this, or do one at home. There are several possibilities that you can buy in your local grocery store. VO5 creates one that is very nice. You can also use mayonnaise believe it or not, if you don’t want to buy a protein treatment. It takes about 3 tablespoons for hair that is medium length. Coat the mayonnaise all over your hair but concentrate on the ends, then cover it with a shower cap for fifteen to thirty minutes. Oh, and rinse it out with cool water because if it is warm or hot you will have a hard time getting it out of your hair. Then you can wash and condition your hair afterwards.
9. If you have curly hair moisture is critical to keeping your hair healthy. One thing that you can do to optimize healthy hair if you have curls is to put conditioner on your dry hair and then put on a shower cap. Leave it on for a couple of hours and then rinse it out. This is a great way to help maintain the moisture in your long curly hair.
10. Go easy on your long hair. Tight ponytails, braids, and hair bands can lead to further split ends, breakage, and other damage to your long hair, they can even lead to hair loss. So be careful, use braids and ponytails sparingly and keep them loose rather than tight, your hair will thank you for it.
I’m still convinced long hair is easier to take care of, and let’s face it, you can get away with using way fewer hair products than people with short styles! So, if you follow these easy tips you will have long, luscious, and beautiful hair.
