We all want to be able to grow the most beautiful head of long silky hair. However, those beautiful long tresses do not come without thorough attention and care. Anyone with super long hair that says they don’t do anything with it is a liar. Quite a bit goes into growing lovely long hair and keeping it that way.
I used to have hair to my chin, and it has taken me three years to get it to its long lustrous self that it is now. A lot of time, products, and self-care went into getting it to the lengths it is now. Today, I will tell you all the tips and tricks I used to care for my long hair to get it to this point and keep it there.
Get Regular Trims
Cutting your hair may seem counter-intuitive if you want to keep your locks as long as possible, but you can lose a lot of length by skipping trims. Hair always gets split ends eventually due to environmental factors, regular brushing, coloring, and other things. If you don’t cut off the split ends, they will start breaking off faster than your hair can grow.
Trimming a half inch every two to three months should be plenty to keep your hair happy and healthy. Plus, hair grows a half-inch monthly, so you’ll still gain length even with the trims.
Use Products That Help with Tangles and Moisture
One of the biggest reasons for breakage in long hair is tangles and a lack of moisture. Long hair is always drier than shorter hair because there is too much length for your natural oils to slide down before dissipating or shampooing. Dry hair will lead to tangles and split ends.
Using a moisturizing conditioner, a weekly hair mask, and a leave-in conditioner are all great ways to keep your long hair tangle free and moisturized. I also recommend using a good dry shampoo, like Batiste, so you can go longer in between washes and let your natural oils set in as long as possible. Another great tip is to brush your hair from the bottom of your hair up, so you don’t rip through too many tangles.
Choose Colors That Are Less Damaging
I think we all know that color services can damage your hair over time. The best way to keep your hair long and healthy while coloring is to choose colors requiring less maintenance and touch-ups. Some great colors to try on long hair are ombre hair color, balayage, teasy lights, and peek-a-boos.
Braid Your Hair At Night
You wouldn’t believe how much damage can happen to long hair while you’re sleeping. From it getting stuck under things and yanking it to tangles galore from the twisting and turning. The best way to avoid any broken ends is to braid your hair at not and finish it off with a scrunchy.
Give Yourself Regular Scalp Massages
Your hair grows from the scalp. Duh? So one of the best things you can do to make your hair grow longer and healthier is to take care of the thing it is growing out of. Giving yourself a scalp massage with a silicone scalp massager and hair oils once a week can significantly improve its growth.
Take Your Vitamins
You wouldn’t believe how much what you eat can affect your hair, skin, and nails. After all, half of the stuff inside your hair, skin, and nail cells are vitamins, minerals, and proteins. Eating a well-balanced diet and taking multivitamins can drastically change how much hair falls out daily, how thick it grows in, and how moisturized it stays.
Use Less Heat
Hot tools are the second worst thing for your hair behind hair color. Any heat that is applied to your hair opens your hair’s cuticle. Repeated opening of your cuticle makes your hair more porous. Highly porous hair can’t retain moisture, becomes limp and lifeless, and eventually breaks.
The best way to avoid this damage is to avoid the heat altogether, but we all know that’s not always possible. Make sure you use a good heat protectant whenever you blow dry, straighten, or curl your hair.
Use Clips and Scrunchies Instead of Hair Ties
If you like to wear their hair up a lot, make sure you use a large clip or silk scrunchy instead of those hair ties with the rubber band. Every time you pull your hair back into a tight ponytail, those hair ties restrict each strand’s movement and press on them, creating a sort of hair noose. This causes the hair to stretch and eventually break.
Clips and scrunchies take the pressure off your hair and give it more freedom to move. I like to twist my hair up into a claw clip or do a low knot with a cute scrunchie around it.
Final Thoughts
Taking care of your long hair can seem like a nuance, but it eventually becomes part of your routine and can be quite relaxing and healthy for you. I now love my weekly pampering sessions of a scalp massage, a thorough wash, sitting with a mask on, and braiding my hair before bed.
On top of all that, I get so many compliments on how my long hair is so pretty and looks effortless. Pff. Little do they know, but it’s so rewarding.