Long hair is something that comes with patience but nurturing and caring for that long hair also comes hand in hand as you achieve the length you are hoping for. After dedicating so much time to growing out your hair, you most certainly want to do everything you can to keep it that way! We’ve compiled the best tips for taking care of long hair below.
Best Long Hair Care Practices
On average, the hair on your head grows about half an inch every month, or about 6 inches per year. This slow-paced process can be optimized if you are actively practicing good hair habits. While other factors include your age, ethnicity, and specific hair type, you can expect slow but steady growth with good hair care.
1. Ditch the Harsh Chemicals
To take care of long hair, avoid using a shampoo with harsh chemicals like sulfates. In the long run, these products can end up damaging your hair by drying out your long hair. Instead, you may opt for more natural shampoos with gentler ingredients such as apple cider vinegar or tea tree oil. If your hair is naturally thin, but still long, you may notice that it is very easy for your roots to appear oiler than other hair types. This is because your scalp is always producing a certain amount of natural oils, and due to the nature of your fine-textured hair, it is easier for oil to be transferred throughout your strands.
Due to this amplified look of greasy hair, you may feel inclined to wash your hair every day. Washing your long hair too often can actually cause your body to produce even more oil and strip your hair of its moisture at the ends. When you are in the shower, apply shampoo only to your roots, massage throughout your scalp with a scalp brush or your fingers, and rinse out with cooler water.
As a side note, conditioner is heavy in its nature, so it is meant to be applied to your ends only. Consider applying a deep moisturizing hair mask at least once (or even twice) a week to ensure you are giving your ends the TLC they need. When caring for long hair, it is very important to keep your ends tangle-free and well-nourished.
2. Use Low Heat Settings on Long Hair
While you should, as a general rule, avoid using hot tools (blow drying and straightening/curling) on your hair too often, if you must do so, utilize a lower heat setting to avoid frying your ends, as they’re already the most brittle hair area. Make sure to use a heat protectant generously throughout as well; it is a way to protect your hair shaft from blunt heat and damage.
3. Pick the Right Hairbrush for Long Hair
Did you know different hairbrushes suit different hair types? Those with longer hair should look for a brush that has flexible bristles, to avoid pulling on your hair and minimizing breakage. Common brushes that work well with long hair are wet brushes or boar bristle brushes. Maintaining long hair involves detangling, so you need a brush that will minimize friction when you are pulling the brush through your hair. The natural fibers in a boar bristle brush and the bendy bristles in a wet brush help to detangle without putting excess stress on the hair.
4. Care for Long Hair by Opting for Claw Clips
As compared to hair ties or headbands, claw clips are definitely a more gentle option for your hair when applied carefully. For people with long or thinning hair, you should be a bit more cautious with how you handle that long hair every day. A tight, slicked-back pony or a tooth-comb headband can definitely contribute to hair thinning, as your scalp and hairline is being pulled back. Long hair can get caught on hair ties and end up ripping out strands if you are not careful. If you are suffering from hair loss or would like to avoid pulling on long hair, consider using a claw clip over other hair accessories.
5. Long Hair Care Maintenance: Trim Your Ends
Consider getting a small trim on your ends every three months or so. While this may seem counteractive against long hair, a slight trim can actually help to remove split ends or any other signs of damage. Your hair is oldest at the ends - which means that is where it can be the driest and most damaged. To avoid split ends affecting your entire hair shaft, you should trim them off before they become a bigger issue.
Long Hair Care Forums
If you're interested in conversing with others who are interested, passionate, or otherwise open about taking care of long hair, you may want to visit a long hair care forum, such as Reddit, which has multiple groups (e.g. r/longhair) dedicated to the topic.
Conclusion
Maintaining long hair can take a bit more effort, but the results can be very worthwhile. Sporting a long, luscious head of hair is a testament to how well you care for it! We hope you keep in mind the tips above to properly care for your long hair. If you are looking for help in hair growth in general, we can help.
At Revela, we dedicate our time and use of technology to help find and optimize new ingredient(s) to help with growing hair – something we dare say that no other company is currently doing. If your hair is long, but thinning, try our Hair Revival Serum, which harnesses the power of ProCelinyl to reawaken dormant follicles and revive your hair to its former glory through sustained hair follicle health.
