My sister Rachel and I are OBSESSED with having long hair.
We haven’t always had long hair and I haven’t always been able to keep it long (sometimes hairstylists think you mean 8 inches when you say 2) or in Rachel’s case you break up with your high school boyfriend and think that means you want a bob. At any rate we have become masters at the art of growing it.
Today I wish to share that art and tell you EVERY SINGLE trick I know, so this is LONG but don’t get overwhelmed, just pick a few of the ones that you think will work for you and go from there!
Biotin & Fish Oil:
Long hair starts at the root.
{get it here}
Tangle Teaser
I understand that this brush looks pretty weird, but it’s INCREDIBLE! The whole theory behind it is that it doesn’t rip and pull out your hair it softly “teases” the tangles out. I have a lot of fine hair so it tangles up really easy…in fact my nick name growing up was snare hair. Which was rude…but…well deserved.
{get it here}
Wen
The first time I saw this stuff was at my boyfriend’s house ( I dislike the word fiance, I feel like I am trying to sound fancy…or french when I use it). Anyway he told me it was a cleansing conditioner and the first thing I though of was
So I didn’t think twice about it until I found myself glued in front of the Wen infomercial months later. Um, if Alyssa Milano says it’s magical than it must be.
It’s a sulfate free shampoo, meaning it doesn’t strip your hair and dry it out like regular shampoo. Which is great because you can have the best of both worlds. Clean and healthy hair. I ordered it and I have only been using it for a few weeks so I am not sure how long it will be before I want to throw a sulfated shampoo in the mix but after this long my hair still feels clean and soft and so healthy. Oh yeah, and it’s pricey but since it basically replaced everything else I use (conditioner, deep conditioner & shampoo) it’s totally saving me money!
{get it here}
Stimulate your Scalp.
It’s like a work out for your scalp.
Massage it in the shower, don’t be shy. Get in there and loosen up your scalp.
100 strokes a night with the hair brush, focusing on the scalp not only feels lovely, it stimulates hair growth!
Never ask a Barber if you need a haircut.
Trimming isn’t always winning.
I grew up with the myth that trimming makes your hair grow faster. Your hair is dead so the idea that trimming it’s ends will inspire it’s roots to put the growing in the high gear is pretty silly. I think the logic behind the idea is that if your hair is SO UNHEALTHY at the ends that it is splitting and breaking off it won’t be getting longer.
The problem is your hair grows about a 1/2″ a month so if you are getting a trim say ever 6 weeks you are probably cutting off everything you just grew. So my thought is: wouldn’t it be better to keep your hair as healthy as possible and then skip the trim? It might be excessive but I usually go 8 months between trims. Sometimes more. Usually more. This is probably the most useful and most controversial piece of hair growing advice I have for you.
The key is the keeping-it-healthy part so here are some ways to do that:
Flat Iron Fanatics BEWARE!
Flat irons scare the begeeses outta me. It’s like a miniature torture chamber for your hair! You really should use these as little as possible. I know for those of you with really curly/frizzy hair that is A LOT to ask but look deep into your soul and ask yourself “do you want perfectly straight hair today or long healthy hair tomorrow?” This applies to curling irons as well. Less is more.
If and when you MUST use one here are a couple tips on maximizing the heat and minimizing the damage:
1. Use a heat protectant
2. Run a comb down right in front of the iron so the hair is all laying the same direction
3. Iron small enough pieces that you only need to go over it ONCE.
Air Dry
If I wanted to invent a machine that’s purpose was to create split ends it would probably look a lot like a blow dryer. Lucky for us embracing your natural hair texture is pretty stylish right now. The key to a good air dry is this little formula I got from my lash girl (who is also a fantastic hairstylist) Latisha:
1. Brush your hair before you hop in the shower and again once you have your conditioner in.
2. Lightly towel dry and apply some hair silker to you hair while very lightly running your fingers through it. (no more brushing once you are out of the shower)
3. Leave it the heck alone! If you shower at night put a towel on your pillow and go to bed. If it’s during the day (and this might take practice) DO NOT TOUCH IT. That means: don’t scrunch it, twist it, twirl it, brush it, or fluff it. Hands free until it’s COMPLETELY dry. Then if you want to throw a few curls around your face go ahead. You will be amazed at what a difference it makes.
