Long hair is only truly
beautiful when it is in good condition, that is with no breakage,
split ends or flyaway strands. There is no quick fix to getting
good conditioned hair but we can prevent it from getting out of
shape or improve the condition by following some of these great
tips:
- Avoid bed hair and tangles with a silk pillow case, simple, sexy and affective.
- When you get up in the morning,
instead of reaching straight for the brush, try raking your
fingers through your hair to gently remove tangles first.
- Always use a natural bristle brush
with a wooden base. Long smooth strokes work best followed by
stroking your hand over the hair to eliminate static.
- Long hair needs more than just
conditioner. We recommend a once-a-week treatment
to maintain optimum health. You can apply it more often but
hair will only accept so much and the rest will go down the
plughole (and out of your pocket).
- Apply all conditioners and treatments
to the lengths and ends of your hair where they are needed rather
than directly to the scalp.
- Always brush your hair
before shampooing and comb it when wet or, better still, with
the conditioner in it. Go here for more tips on
detangling
techniques.
- Heat applied to the hair in the
form of dryer or roller will cause damage over a period of time,
so it is best to heat dry as little as possible. Always
check that your dryer is not too hot as we tend to love our
faithful old dryer as it dries so quickly, often because the
thermostat has gone and it is reaching an excessive heat level.
The thermostat always goes before your dryer blows up! A red
element is often a sign, but you generally know when it is hotter
than it used to be!
- If you like to use heated rollers,
tongs, flat irons or crimpers on your hair, save them for those
special occasions and don't be tempted to use them more than
once a week. When you do use them, also make sure you have used
a
thermal
protector or
product containing one to prevent heat damage.
- When hitting the beach or swimming,
always use a leve-in product
to protect your hair the way you use sunscreen to protect your
skin.
- When sleeping, try putting your
hair up in a 'scrunchie' or covered band
on the top of your head. This will help prevent breakage if
you are a restless sleeper. Silk pillowcases will also help
if you are a particularly restless.
Check out our
tips on
ponytails,
and
plaits
,
for excellent long hair management".
How often
should you cut long hair?
- If growing your hair further,
trim every 12 weeks. Spilt
ends
are your biggest enemy, once they start, your hair will get
shorter by the day as they break off. Long hair is only really
beautiful when in good condition and split ends will really
detract from your look.
- If growing out layers cut every
8 weeks.
- For general maintenance cut every
6 to 8 weeks.
- For styles check out the
long
hair gallery.
- Choose a hairdresser who also
has long hair. They will understand the "I don't want too much
off" syndrome.
Thinking about cutting off your
Long Hair?
- If you are thinking of going for
a short look and are not 100% sure, always have your haircut
to shoulder length first. This will get you used to the idea
without too great a shock.
- But, if you have a definite idea
of what you want, go all the way because by only going half
the way you may not like the result (because it's not what you
were after) then give up and begin to re-grow straight away.
- Click on
haircuts
to suit your face shape
to get an idea of what is more likely to suit you.
Final
Word:
It
is a hairdressers biggest joke that those of you with long hair
often sit in their chair and ask for a complete change, but don't
want to loose any length. This is often a contradiction in terms
and loosing no length at all means no real change. So if you are
serious about a change then you have to leave yourself open to
loosing some length or you could try a new colour, perm or straightening. Remember consultations are free and that
getting some ideas is always a good idea.
© VirtualHairCare
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