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The LongLocks Top Ten Tips for Healthy Hair at Any Length |
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Below you will find a quick list of our favorite top ten tips that will help to ensure your hair will, be you man, woman or child, remain healthy and beautiful at any length from an inch or two, to your shoulders and beyond. Follow these easy tips and you will have shiny, healthy hair in no time, and more importantly, be able to keep it that way! If you have very long hair growing goals in mind, have trouble growing your hair, or your hair won't grow at all, be sure to read our award-winning detailed plan for very long healthy tresses, the LongLocks Ultimate Guide to Growing Long Hair, to learn all about how to achieve and maintain the healthiest locks you can possibly have, even at extreme lengths. |
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1. Because there is no way to permanently repair damaged hair no matter what any hair product box says, if your existing hair is more than a few inches long, not healthy and/or you intend to grow it longer, get a good trim so you are starting out with hair in the best possible condition. 2. Have your hair trimmed regularly by someone you trust implicitly, or trim it yourself using a good pair of hair cutting shears  , even if you are anxious for it to grow. This is especially important if you use any hair products that contain harsh chemicals, such as peroxide. When damage occurs, it causes the hair cuticle to lift and the hair shaft to split. This damage will move up the hair shaft and weaken it if you don't stop it in its tracks, causing breakage and effectively working directly against your goal of healthy hair or growth.3. Condition, condition, condition! Use a good daily conditioner on your hair every time you wash it no matter what its length, and if your hair is more than a few inches long, deep condition it at least once a month (you may want to try the decadently luxurious hair care products from JustNatural). Not only will this help to smooth your hair and make it look beautiful, deep conditioners  return lost moisture to your hair and make the cuticle lay flat, which will result in less damage in the long run. If your hair is very damaged or frizzy you may want to consider also using a good leave-in conditioner , or try the recently very popular method of conditioner-only shampooing . This seems to work especially well for curly gurls.If you have longer hair goals in mind, or if you use hair color or apply a lot of friction to your hair when you style it, using a shampoo that is made specifically to strengthen your hair will also go a long way to keeping it in excellent condition between trims. |
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4. Be especially gentle with your hair when it is wet, and always use a wide-toothed comb on wet hair, never, ever a brush. Wet hair has no elasticity and will snap very easily if it is stretched. We are all familiar with that chill-inducing sound of hair snapping when you rip a tiny knot out of a lock of wet hair. Your goal, should you choose to accept it, is to avoid ever hearing that sound again!5. Avoid ever putting anything in your hair that will cause damage to remove (like Velcro or rubberbands, for instance). |
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6. Treat your hair delicately. The longer your hair is or you intend it to be, the more important this is. Your hair's current length, your growth goals and how often you have it cut or trimmed will determine what you can get away with doing. For instance, because you are continually cutting off any potential damage to maintain your style, if your hair is short (no more than a few inches long), you can easily get away with extremes, such as going blonde using the double-process method (a harsh process that involves using peroxide to completely lift a naturally dark hair color before adding a new blond color), or backcombing (teasing) your hair into a trendy spiky 'do. On the other hand, if your hair is currently shoulder length or longer, or longer hair is your ultimate goal, it becomes more important to avoid damaging hair styling methods and caustic chemicals. In this case if you are determined to change the color of your hair, try highlighting or low lighting to keep the damage to a minimum, and only touch-up roots , never hair that has already been processed. Both high lighting and low lighting are great ways to grow out color processed hair while keeping the hair color change as minimal as possible. If this is your goal, it is definitely best to let your hair stylist tackle the job for you. |
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7. Never, ever just rip a knot out of your hair. Doing this is sure to result in hair breakage and splitting. Learn how to gently remove knots from your hair and avoid them in the first place with our Ultimate Guide to Removing Knots and Tangles From Hair. 8. Avoid hairstyles that will pull and put stress on your hair and scalp such as a tightly-pulled ponytail, tiny braids or hair extensions. This is especially important for men who tend to always keep their long hair in a ponytail. If you pull your hair tightly, especially if you put stress on the same roots day after day, you can actually cause hair loss! |
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9. If your hair is shoulder length or longer, try to keep heat away from it whenever possible. Save hair dryers, hot rollers, curling irons and especially flat irons for special occassions only, and even then use hair appliances like the ones I've linked that are specifically made to keep hair damage at a minimum. When you are in a position that you must use one of these appliances, be sure to use a product specifically designed to protect your hair from the damage you are inflicting upon it. Don't let hair appliance manufacturers convince you that you can use their heated appliances without doing any damage to your hair; remember, if heat wasn't very damaging, there would be no need for the hundreds of products available specifically made with the intention of protecting your hair from it!10. Always try to avoid putting friction on your hair as much as possible. Friction both weakens your hair and raises the hair cuticle, which makes it very susceptible to damage. When you expose your hair to friction it essentially causes wear to your hair just like it does to the knees of your old jeans, the seat of your favorite leather chair or your heels when you break in a new killer pair of Italian leather pumps. An excellent means of avoiding friction is to use a good wide-toothed comb instead of a brush whenever possible. If you do find you have to use a brush on occassion, you'll definitely want to use a really good natural boar bristle brush  , as the sharp texture of nylon bristles can be extremely damaging to your hair. If you have come to the conclusion that your hair is very important to you and you are ready to make an investment in an excellent brush (Mason Pearson is considered to be the best of the best), and are willing to take good care of it, there is no reason it won't last your entire lifetime and your hair will be eternally grateful. Other methods for avoiding unnecessary friction include:- Using a satin pillow case |
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to avoid causing friction on your hair while you sleep (and this has the added advantage of helping to preserve your hair style).| As you can see, it really is easy to keep your hair in great condition with just a little awareness of what your tresses are subjected to on a daily basis and how you can avoid damage in the first place. Follow these steps and you will quicky have a head of hair gorgeous enough to be envious of, no matter what its length! | ||
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© Copyright 2002-2013 by Susan Maxwell Schmidt, all rights reserved. |
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