Got long hair? Lucky you! A long mane adds a touch of glamour and romance to any look. However, keeping your long hair luscious, smooth, and healthy is a lot of upkeep. Make things easier on yourself. Follow our tips for taking care of long hair!
Get Your Hair Cut Regularly
If you love keeping your hair long and want to continue to grow it out, get a trim every eight to 12 weeks. Regular trims take care of split ends and breakage and boost hair growth. Trimming your hair removes any scraggly, dry damaged pieces and leaves the hair looking shinier, smoother, and healthier overall.
Use the Correct Brush
To prevent damage and keep your hair detangled, you need to choose the right hairbrush. Choose something with natural fibers (like a boar bristle brush) or a Wet Brush to do the job. Natural fibers help minimize friction when brushing, preventing knots and minimizing breakage. A Wet Brush or detangling brush does a great job of pulling through tangles without putting stress on the hair.
Keep Your Hair Hydrated
For long hair that looks and feels great, you need to keep it hydrated. Hair masks, leave-in conditioners, and oil-based products are worth investing in. Long hair that is dry looks damaged and unhealthy. When your hair is well-moisturized it will look fuller, shinier, and smoother. Even if you don’t frequently use heat styling tools or chemically treat your hair, it’s important to give those strands the hydration they need.
Protect Those Strands from Heat
Love that curling iron? You need to protect your long hair from the heat, whether it’s all natural or partially extensions. The most obvious step for protecting your hair is using a heat protectant. This product creates a barrier between your hair and the styling tool, which seals in moisture and prevents frizz. If you’ve got fine hair, use a lower temperature setting on your styling tools. For thicker hair, you can turn up the heat a little more. Heat protectant or not, to prevent damage you should make sure that you aren’t using heat on your hair every single day.
Dry Your Hair With the Right Towel
Did you know your hair is at its most delicate when it’s wet? Using a normal towel can actually cause damage to your wet hair because the fabric is too rough. Standard towels are also not great at absorbing water, so when you blow dry your hair you have to turn the heat higher to fully dry it. Microfiber and bamboo towels are absorbent, gentle, and lightweight options that will dry your hair without causing breakage. They’re also much easier to balance on top of your head than a normal, hefty bath towel!
Buy Some Detangler
If you’ve got long hair (natural, weave, or extensions) then you know much it gets tangled. Use a detangler spray to keep those tangles at bay and prevent breakage. Not only do detangling products get rid of knots and snarls, they often also work as leave-in conditioners and UV-protectants. For smooth, tangle-free hair that you can easily run your fingers through, buy yourself a good detangling spray.
Master These Tips
Is learning to care for and style long hair something you’re interested in? We can teach you all the tips, tricks, and techniques at The Salon Professional Academy (TSPA), St. Louis! Contact us today to learn more about our cosmetology program or schedule a tour with us.
