How to Keep Your Long Locks Healthy

How to Keep Your Long Locks Healthy
Love your long hair by giving it loving care!

You love your long hair, right? Long hair needs special care to stay shiny, free of split ends and strong in the wake of any hairstyle! While long well cared for hair is often envied by others, almost nothing looks worse than long, unkempt hair that is crying out for some attention.

Get A Trim
Although many with long hair loathe the thought, frequent trims are the most important aspect of keeping long hair in the best possible condition. If you are in a growing phase, trim half an inch about every three months. If you already have long hair and want to keep the same length, a trim every four to six weeks is ideal to keep split ends at bay and keep your hairs style in tip top shape.

Stay Away From Chemicals

Chemical treatments are not recommended for long hair, as it is already quite fragile. Any bleach or strong perm solutions stand to weaken the hair shaft and set you up for fuzzy long hair – a fashion faux pas any day of the week. If you want to color your hair use natural henna or semi permanent hair color that contains no peroxide. This type of color only deposits and does not lift color, so it is not damaging to the hair. If you insist on bleach highlights or a perm, it is imperative that you deep condition your hair once a week with a quality product. Organic hair products are great for long hair in general and particularly good for deep conditioning. I apply deep conditioner and wear it to bed (yes, it’s very romantic – not) rinsing it out in my morning shower. Leaving the product on overnight really gives it a chance to sink it and do it’s good work for your tresses. If you must, you can wear a shower cap to bed to prevent any pillow case damage. I just comb mine through my hair and put in a headband. I wash my pillowcase the next day – no big deal.

Don’t Overheat Your Hair!

Long hair really does not take so well to heated appliances such as blow dryers, flat irons and scorching hot curling irons. It’s best to leave hairstyles that require these heated appliances to special occasions. Long hair is technically old hair, and it does not want to be oven baked any more than young hair does! Any time you can let your hair air dry, you are doing yourself and your hair a great favor.

Eat A Healthy DietYour diet really does affect the health of your hair so take heed with ‘you are what you eat’. Eating a lot of sugar, salt and animal fats is bad for you and for your hair. Drinking lots of water and taking a daily multi vitamin (especially if you don’t eat adequate fruits and vegetables…it’s better to get your vitamins from foods but a supplement is a good back up plan) will nourish your body therefore nourishing your hair as well.

It’s taken time and patience to grow the long hair you’ve always wanted, so invest the time and money in a regime to keep it looking its very best. Good hair habits quickly become second nature when you reap the rewards of a glossy, radiantly healthy mane that gets compliments on a daily basis. Long hair can be luxurious, vital, head turning hair - but it doesn’t happen by accident. Treat your long hair with special care and you will find yourself smiling when you look in the mirror


Laura Miller writes about beauty, health, wellness and fashion and enjoys being on the cutting edge of what’s new in all of those areas.


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