How to Have Long, Healthy Hair!

A lot of you may have wanted to try something different and some of you probably got a bad haircut, but you all have one thing in common. YOU WANT LONG HAIR.

First things first, to have long hair, your current hair needs to be healthy. If you're a monthly bleach and tone with above shoulder length hair and its breaking off, it's not going to appear to be growing very fast at all. If your hair is constantly breaking, it's getting shorter and shorter.

Number 2: Don't wait too long before trims if you have split ends. The longer you wait, the higher the split ends will travel up your hair and break. When your split ends have traveled up, you need to cut off more length to get rid of it all.

Number 3: ALWAYS use a heat protectant when blow drying, straightening, or curling your hair. Heat burns your hair, causing damage.

Number 4: Use professional products/Shampoo/Conditioner. Drug store shampoos contain cheap waxes, detergents and fillers that build up on the hair over time, preventing the hair to "breathe" and also weighing it down so you have no body. Shampooing less frequently is also a plus in growing healthy, long hair. Constantly stripping the hair of its natural oil dries out the hair and also makes your scalp think it needs to produce more oil, and this is why most people say they get greasy one day after shampooing. If you already have this issue, using a dry shampoo or baby powder at the roots will solve this problem. Remember to condition after every shampoo from midshaft to ends to replenish lost moisture from shampooing.

Number 5: Hair masks and deep conditioners. Get a deep conditioner once a month from the salon. Salon's use top of the line products that may contain plant or animal proteins that "deep conditioners" you can buy from the drug store do not contain. Your stylist can determine whether your hair needs moisture or protein to suit your individual hair needs. At home every 1-2 weeks, you should be using a hair mask. A hair mask is similar to a deep conditioner, but one that you can perform at home. It keeps your hair healthy and soft and prevents split ends! After shampooing, apply your choice of hair mask to your towel dried hair. Put a disposable processing cap (you can buy a package of a lot for a few dollars at Sally's) on and let it sit for anywhere from 10 minutes to a couple hours (while you clean the house, do chores) to over night. Rinse with lukewarm water. A great hair mask to try is "Its a 10" Miracle Hair Mask or Moroccan Oil Hair Mask (this one is a bit pricier than the first).

Number 6: Healthy diet/Vitamins. Eating a healthy, balanced diet will benefit your hair a lot. Taking biotin improves hair, skin, AND nails. Fish oil helps with shiny hair and glowy skin, and a multivitamin or a prenatal may promote more (thicker) hair growth. It is true that prenatals can make your hair grow faster and folic acid is to blame. Folic acid aids in cell generation (new follicles for thicker hair) and growth.

Tips: Don't use rubberbands (hair ties that are meant for hair are fine). If you have massive tangles, start at the bottom and work your way up with a wide toothed comb (use a leave in conditioner like "Its a 10" Miracle Leave-In if your hair is VERY tangled). Don't vigorously brush or comb wet hair. It will result in breakage.

Good luck!