Long hair is so revered in our modern society that over one-third of women make hair extensions part of their regular beauty treatments. But what if you want—or have the real thing? While you can consider yourself lucky, the trade-off is that you’ll need to give your longer locks some extra TLC so that they stay healthy and pretty.
Wearing longer hair means adding a few extra minutes to your daily routine and keeping it protected. Here’s everything you need to know about long hair care for a shining crown of glory that would make even Rapunzel jealous.
Go Easy With Shampooing
It’s possible to overcleanse your hair and that can lead to a dry, itchy scalp and flyaway strands from the lack of moisture. Try not to shampoo your hair everyday. Every other day or even waiting a few days in between cleaning should be manageable.
If your hair gets oily in between shampoos, use a dry shampoo to take some of the extra shine away. Brushing your natural oils through your hair is good for it and helps keep it soft and healthy.
Treat your hair to a deep conditioning treatment every so often to help keep it silky and smooth.
Be Gentle With Brushing and Combing
You’ll want to brush your long hair every day to make sure there are no tangles in it. Start at the bottom first to gently detect any knots to be worked out.
Avoid brushing your hair when it’s wet, unless you buy a special brush designed to dentangle wet hair. Use a wide-toothed comb and spritz a little leave-in conditioner or detangler onto the hair after towel drying it.
You can also prevent tangles by sleeping on a silk pillowcase.
Avoid Heat and the Sun
Heat can damage any length hair. Try to minimize your use of hair dryers, smoothing irons, and curlers. If they have adjustable temperature settings, select one that isn’t too hot.
Whenever possible, give your hair a break from the heat by letting it air dry. You’ll also want to protect it from the sun’s damaging rays by wearing a hat or using hair products that contain ingredients that shield your strands from the UV rays.
Keep It Away From Moving Parts
If you work in a job where you’re near machinery—or even if you use appliances with moving parts at home such as tabletop stand mixers—you’ll want to keep your hair tied back so it doesn’t get caught in anything. Sure, the chances of this happening are rare but there are women who leaned over a bowl only to get their hair tangled in a beater.
if you’re doing any kind of car maintenance or DIY work around the house, it’s better to stay safe than sorry and make sure your hair is out of the way and away from your face.
Get Regular Trims
Long hair is prone to split ends and breakage, so you’ll want to receive regular trims to keep it looking even and healthy. Of course, if you don’t have the patience for maintaining long hair you can always give in to tape-in extensions, which are great if you need a quick long hair fix for a few hours.
Remember These Long Hair Care Tips
Having long hair that always looks lustrous requires some extra time in your daily beauty routine, but it’s totally worth it. If you’re ready to rock longer locks, keep these long hair care tips in mind.
For more tips on achieving the hairstyle of your dreams, visit our Beauty section.
