Rapunzel, Rapunzel, Let Down Your Hair: Hair Care

Long hair. It takes forever to grow it and then keeping it long and healthy can be tough. Especially if you want to color, straighten, curl, and enjoy it! I am kind of a hair fanatic. I love long hair in any color as long as it looks healthy and clean. I have spent 22 years figuring out how to control and take care of my hair and let me tell you, I have learned a lot. Just like anything else in life, getting fabulous results requires time and effort. People tell me all of the time how "lucky" I am to have long hair. Luck has absolutely nothing to do with it. Taking care of it is the key.

When I was in seventh grade I decided to cut my hair to my shoulders and do that little "flip-out" style. (Que the hideous middle school awkward phase picture)

After that I started trying to grow my hair back out. Back then I didn't have the hair tricks that I have now so it took a good five years to get my long tresses back.

Ever since that expedition I have tried to take good care of my hair and I will share with you what I have learned.

Now, if you are reading this in hopes to grow your hair out I will say this once, do not abuse your hair. If you want your hair to look gorgeous you have to baby it a little. I learned this lesson the hard way on the road of hard-knocks, I call: over-processing.  Freshman year of college I decided I wanted every single strand of my hair to be platinum. I decided to go about this by letting my roommate bleach my hair every three weeks for a while. Now, this was a dark time in my hair life that I have trouble talking about, but I will suffer for your benefit by recounting the story. ;) As you can imagine, soon my hair felt like straw and every morning I had to wrestle it with product and a straightener to make it look as though every thing was fine. (Of course it kept getting worse) I will end this story by letting you know that I did see the light and correct my hair-abusive ways.

Now that the over-processing warning is out of the way, lets get started.

1. Use GOOD shampoo and conditioner.
This is important because the soap that you use to wash your hair will dry out and damage your hair if you use cheap products. There is an old saying, "You get what you pay for" its true. You don't need to go overboard but you do need to invest a little more than a Walmart shampoo into your lovely tresses. If you have noticed more than one hair dresser using a specific brand of shampoo and conditioner, chances are that brand is a good one. My favorites are Redken and Matrix. There are tons of other fabulous brands but these are two of my favorites for the price. (Of course I would die for Kevin Murphy but my hubby might kill me ;) (I included the link in case you also want to drool over it. Haha) Redken has a special place in my heart because the product is like a spa day for your hair and the smell is to die for. They have a shampoo and conditioner called 'All Soft' that leaves my hair silky and smooth throughout the day.

You can count on Redken when it comes to any product you are after, I would vouch for their quality in a second. Redken knows what they are doing when it comes to hair products. They have this anti-snap solution that your can put on your damp hair to keep it from breaking while you are combing it. I LOVE it. You seriously have to try it (sorry, I warned you I'm a hair fanatic... I'll take a couple deep breaths).

I have used Matrix Shampoo and Conditioner for years and I love it also. There are multiple kinds but my favorite is Matrix: Sleek Look it moisturizes my hair and leaves it soft without being heavy. It also smells great without being over powering. You can consult any hair dresser about this brand, many use it. It is a salon level product without costing a fortune. You can get the HUGE bottles, the shampoo and conditioner each containing a liter of product and they last forever. For example, I used mine for 8 months straight before they ran out last time.

2. No over-washing.
If you have colored your hair at all and/or have long hair, you should not be washing your hair everyday. Ka-peesh? When you wash your hair with shampoo you are stripping the oil off of the strands. This oil was produced by your scalp in order to protect and keep your hair healthy. It doesn't make sense to quickly remove your natural oils every chance you get. I understand you don't want to look like a grease ball. You don't have to. Start slow by washing your hair the first day and doing a hair style that keeps the front pieces off of your face. Then, braid your hair at night or tie it back loosely so that it doesn't collect your face oils. The next day put it up or style it back somehow. You won't even miss your hair wash for the day. Just put your hair on your head that morning and jump in the shower to wash your body and shave. (that's what I do!) I shower everyday, I simply don't wash my hair every time I shower. Once your scalp starts catching on, it will stop producing as much oil (it was trying to compensate for your over-washing) and this will allow you to go longer periods without washing and still look fresh! I only wash my hair every three days and sometimes I can still wear my hair down on the third day!!! Just be patient.

My hair timeline:

Day1 (Washed and Air Dried)                          

Day 2 (Waved)

Day 3 (Brushed Out) 

Day 3 (Ponytail)    

I promise I only washed my hair on the first day in these photos!!!

3. Wash correctly.
If you have long hair you do not need to shampoo the ends of it. Unless you went on a muddy four-wheeler ride or just came back from a camp fire, your ends will get plenty of shampoo from you rinsing the shampoo from your scalp. Apply ample shampoo to all areas of your head until your whole head is lathered and then rinse. Now give your ends a drink of water (so to speak) by putting plenty of conditioner on them. I also condition the strands by my face that get the most heat from straightening, etc. because they get a little dry. The hair that you didn't shampoo should get conditioner. The top of your head does not need conditioner. It gets enough oil and moisture naturally from the scalp.

Maybe this will help:

Front                 Back 

4. Wrestle those snarls in the shower.
Once you have your conditioner on the correct area of your hair, comb it through with a wide toothed comb.

This is important because it gets the conditioner to all of the strands and also keeps you from combing your hair after you get out of the shower.

(Beautiful make-up free picture... haha)

Dragging a comb through your hair after getting out of the shower will result in a lot of breakage. You know what I mean, you have heard the strand snapping, nobody wants that. If you insist on combing through after you get out, I suggest using an ant-snap product to increase the elasticity of the strands.

5. Avoid the heat.
Avoid using straighteners, curling irons, crimpers, and ESPECIALLY blow dryers as much as possible. I consider my blow dryer to be an emergency tool. It only comes out of the drawer if my hair is wet and I have to be at church in 45 minutes. Try to wash your hair at a point in the day and week when you can let it air dry. Blow dryers are split-end makers. They love to split the strands of your hair and torture the moisture right out of them. If you are straightening your hair or curling it for the day, make sure you use a heat protectant first. Spray your ends really good and give the length of your hair a quick shot too. Be sure to cover the areas you are going to apply the most heat to. (This usually includes the strands around your face) I don't get too carried away with brands on this particular issue but I am using Chi Iron Guard and I really like it. I looked over the beauty supplies at Ross and found it for $10 so you can't beat that. Plus this stuff lasts forever.

6. Be cautious about chlorine.
Skip this section if swimming in chlorinated pools isn't a regular occurrence in your life. I had another learning experience when it comes to this topic. I was in a lifeguard course on campus that lasted all semester long. I thought that washing my hair after I got out of the pool was removing the chlorine from it. Wrong. If your hair is dry when you hop in the pool your hair strands are going to soak up that water, chlorine and all, when they get wet. Simply washing your hair after-wards, won't get the amount that your hair soaked up out. So try to get your hair wet with chlorine-free water before hoping in. This will keep your hair from soaking in the chlorine. Also, if you are a regular swimmer, be sure to use a chlorine-removing shampoo after swimming each time. I have a Paul Mitchell Shampoo Three which removes impurities including chlorine from my hair. Like I said, if you aren't a regular swimmer don't panic about this, but if you are, this is a must.

7. Give your hair a rest.
Embrace your natural texture. Find ways that you enjoy your hair without manipulating it too much with heat. Also, at night when your ready to get some rest, give your hair a rest too. I braid my hair loosely along my back at night so that it won't break as I move my head around on my pillow and so that it doesn't collect face oils. I also put a little Moroccan oil on the ends so that they stay hydrated.

This stuff lasts forever (as you can tell by my beat-up bottle) 

and it works wonders on dry and damaged hair.

Although looks aren't everything, it feels good to be happy with something as obvious as your hair. This is why I am glad to share what I have learned over the years with you. I have lots of tricks when it comes to styling it also, so leave a comment if you would be interested in any hair styling posts. Also, I am considering a skin care or make-up post, so let me know what you think!! Thanks for reading. :)