Long hair requires a lot of maintenance and being a busy mom of three doesn’t leave a lot of time for hair care. But along the way I figured out a few secrets to growing long, healthy hair so I figured it was time to write a blog post about it!
I’ve always liked wearing my hair long but I must confess that being a mom with limited time for myself used to make me feel like it wasn’t possible. Plus, in my 30s the cycle of being pregnant, not pregnant, and pregnant again, really did a number on my hair. It was always full and healthy while I was pregnant but in between pregnancies, when the hormones went away, so did my good hair. I was left with a headful of thin, brittle hair. I was seriously concerned about getting bare spots because I was losing so much hair as the pregnancy hormones left my body.
I spent a lot of time on the internet researching ways to improve the condition of my hair so I could grow it long . After over a year trying out what I learned, I feel like I’ve made a great deal of progress and I’m still improving on my results. Here’s what I learned about growing long hair.
OTS Blouse (I’m wearing a small for extra length) | Western Style Belt (only $28) | Distressed Light Wash Denim (only $30)
Vitamins and Supplements Will Make Your Hair Stronger
I take a biotin supplement daily to help my hair (and nails) grow longer and stronger. I know it works because within just a few weeks I noticed a big change in my nails. Before, my nails would get dry, brittle, and break but now they just keep growing long. I have to trim them to prevent my nails from getting too long so I can continue to type on my laptop and iPhone! That’s a nice problem to have. It’s harder to quantify my hair growth in quite the same way but I can say it is not breaking as easily as it once did now that I take a biotin supplement.
Wash Your Hair Less Often. Dry Shampoo Is Your New Best Friend
Washing my hair less frequently has made a huge difference in the health of my hair. Plus it significantly cuts down on my getting ready time. I use dry shampoo in between shampoos. This is my favorite. I just spray my hair each morning with dry shampoo and brush it through. I know some of you may find this gross. But if you ask any hairdresser they will tell you that you do not need to wash your hair every day and you shouldn’t. But like many of you, I used to. And the result was that my naturally curly hair was often overdry, brittle, and frizzy. Interestingly, on the rare occasion when I did not wash my hair I would receive complements about how good it looked that day. That should have given me a clue.
Use Shampoo and Conditioner With A Heat Protectant
Not too long ago I discovered heat protectants and I haven’t looked back ever since. I apply a heat protectant to my hair when it is still wet after shampoo and conditioning. If you are someone that blow dries or curls your hair a lot this is a must have. Heat protectants do exactly what they sound like they do — they protect your hair from the damage caused by too much styling with hot tools.
Minimize Blow Drying — Air Drying Your Hair Prevents Breakage
I’ve started air drying my hair almost exclusively. When it is time to wash my hair, I do it in the evening. I towel it dry with a hair turban like this one that soaks up a lot of the moisture. Usually within an hour it is mostly dry. If I’m short on time, (which is usually the case), I clip it up and sleep on it overnight. The next morning I straighten it with a blowdryer and round brush so it’s smooth and flat, but because it is mostly dry I don’t need to do a lot. I really try to minimize the time with a blow dryer to prevent damaging my hair.
Receive Regular Trims
As much as I don’t want to cut my hair when I am growing it long, I realize it’s a necessity. When the ends of your hair are fuzzy it means it’s time for a trim. It’s so important because split ends that are not trimmed off can continue up the length of the hair shaft. If you don’t catch them early, you’ll wind up losing more length than if you just trimmed a little bit regularly.
OTS Blouse available at Scout & Molly’s Reston (I’m wearing an XS)
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