Care Routine for Long Hair
Having long hair means having a million different ways of things that you can do with it – braid it, create a ponytail, create pigtails, create a full or half-up do, curl it, straighten it, and so on. However, just like how great power comes with great responsibility, long hair also comes with care routine that needs to be maintained. Here are our recommendations for taking care of long hair so it stays smooth, silky, and healthy:
1) Use a deeply hydrating treatment at least once every two weeks.
In addition to using moisturizer when you wash your hair, long hair can also benefit from a deeply having hydrating treatment applied regularly. Hydrating treatments for hair usually consist of oil-based products that contain vitamin E. The most commonly used oils are avocado oil or olive oil. There are many products out there with these ingredients, but you can also use a DIY approach. To do this, gently warm the oil in a pan on low heat, and apply it to your hair. Wrap your hair in a warm towel for 20 to 40 minutes, and then wash it out. The heated oil allows it to be more easily absorbed into the hair, boosting its effective hydrating qualities such as replenishing any lost moisture. This treatment is especially important in the winter, as the weather tends to be drier. Another DIY solution is to create a coconut honey mask for your hair.
2) Use a heat protectant.
This one is well known, especially for those who regularly use a flat iron or hair curler. However, it’s an easy-to-forget and frequently skipped step, especially if you’re rushing to get ready in the morning or before an evening out. The effects can be cumulative, so be sure to allocate enough time to properly apply a heat protectant before using a flat iron, hair curler, or applying any heat to your hair.
A heat protectant works by forming a protective barrier as it wraps the hair shaft, preventing damage and ensuring that your hair appears sleek and frizz-free. Besides commercially available heat protectant products sold in salons, retailers, and online stores, there are also natural heat protectant oils that you can use. These include argan oil, coconut oil, grape seed oil, avocado oil, and shea butter – to name a few.
3) Use the right hair brush.
A natural fiber brush (such as the boar bristle brush) or a wet brush should be long hair’s best friend. With long hair, you want to minimize any breakage and prevent hair splits by using the correct hair brush. Using a natural fiber brush can help to minimize friction when brushing. Less friction means that the hair doesn’t get caught on any knots, leaving the hair smooth and silky without pulling out hair strands. A wet brush can also help accomplish this, as the bristles bend around any tangles, putting less stress on the hair.
When the hair is wet, use only a wide-tooth comb. Brushing when the hair is damp can cause damage as it stretches the strands, instead of separating them. A wide-tooth comb helps to lessen this damage.
4) Brush from the bottom up.
Instead of going from the top down, start at the ends of the hair and work your way up. This is to minimize the amount of pressure put on the roots and minimize damage.
5) Use hair bands and hair clips that do not pull at the root.
Scrunchies are not only popular because they are stylish, but also because they are root-friendly. Scrunchies and hair bands that are the plastic coil type do not pull hair at the root. This keeps the hair strands strong and resilient. The opposite is true if you tie your hair using regular elastic rubber bands. How many times have you had to resort to using one of those rubber bands when you don’t have an actual hair tie around, only to find that it hurts a bit when you pull it out? The same principle goes with hair clips. The best hair clips that do not pull at the root include: