Although long hair may seem simple in terms of style, it’s anything but low maintenance. As many of us know, it requires extra attention to keep it looking its best. If you wear your hair long, then you have to dedicate plenty of time and care to making sure that it’s healthy. If it loses its sheen and becomes dull and lifeless, or turns dry and brittle through lack of a proper routine, then not only will it feel uncomfortable, but it’ll also be instantly noticeable.
Brushing out
Long hair requires lots of brushing. Sometimes, this can be a pleasure, but at other times, it can be a bit of a pain. Using the right brush is one of the ways that you can make brushing your long hair easier and more beneficial. A natural-fiber brush will help to reduce friction, while a wet brush will bend around knots and tangles, reducing the risk of your hair breaking.
Choose a high-quality brush that suits your hair type, and brush your hair with it regularly in order to keep your mane smooth and silky.
Treatments
A range of scientific products are available from Viabrance and other specialist haircare companies that can help to protect and rejuvenate long hair. Natural oils can also be used to hydrate your hair and protect it from heat. Consider applying a simple moisturizing treatment once a week, using oils high in vitamin E, such as olive or avocado oil. Visit Vimeo for more from Viabrance on how to look after your hair using specially formulated Viabrance haircare products.
Washing and drying
When washing your hair, it’s tempting to try to apply shampoo all over, and with very long hair, this can be wasteful and even counterproductive. Over-shampooing your hair can strip away the natural essential oils, and in fact you only really need to shampoo your scalp. Massage it gently in so as to invigorate the scalp and encourage the circulation. This will tackle the build-up of unhealthy oils that cause your hair to look and feel greasy and weighed down.
After rinsing, you can use conditioner along the full length of your hair as this moisturizes and strengthens your locks. Comb your hair through before rinsing this off as this is the easiest time to remove knots and tangles, when the conditioner will help to smooth your comb’s path.
Dry your hair with a smooth fabric such as a wrap or an old t-shirt, rather than a traditional towel. Long hair can become tangled in the threads of a towel and break off, leading to fraying and split ends. If you do use a towel, you can reduce the risk of this happening by rubbing your hair gently in the direction that it grows in, rather than scrunching it all up as many of us do.
Ideally, you should let your hair dry naturally, but with long hair, this can be messy and take forever. Wrapping it in a t-shirt will squeeze out and soak up excess moisture without leading to the damage or fraying that a vigorous toweling can cause. If you really feel the need to use a hairdryer, hold it at a safe distance from your hair: two to three inches is ideal. Point the dryer downwards so that you’re drying from above rather than straight on.
Regular care
With long hair, it’s often necessary to tie it back. This might be something you do when you go to work or just when you feel like a change. Plastic scrunchie-style bands are the best as these don’t tug at your hair’s roots or subject it to undue stress as other methods can.
Have your hair cut about every two months, even though you’re keeping it long. This is just a trim to remove split ends and perform essential maintenance. You can snip off half an inch each time without losing any real length as your hair will grow by more than this amount before your next visit.
Remember that more than with other hairstyles, long hair reflects your overall state of health. Late nights, a poor diet, stress and dehydration will all show in your hair. It should also go without saying that smoking is a bad idea: not only will it affect the health of your hair, making it seem lank and lifeless, but also the smell of smoke will stay in your hair for days afterwards.
Long hair is a great look, but it requires plenty of care. Give your hair the attention it needs, however, and the rewards are more than worth it.