I've been letting my hair grow for a little over a year. It's getting fairly long and almost long enough to have a tiny ponytail. I'm not sure why, but my hair always seems to need to get really long before I can do a pony. Maybe I have a goofy head shape? I do have a large head. Maybe my hair has to grow extra long before it can wrap around my supersized head? I am convinced that has to be the reason.
By the way, my bangs are actually a few inches below my eyes. I'm not sure what I was thinking when I brushed them to the side like this - it's weird. Then again, I have bang issues.
I'm finding out that I need trims every two months to stop split ends. This means cutting off at least a half inch out of every two months of growth. It makes the growing go so s l o w l y. (I've also stopped using Peter Lamas Chinese Herbs products for the time being and I am definitely noticing slower hair growth.) Because of coloring my hair so often when it was shorter, and staying red, a color that always needs to be refreshed, my already dry hair appears to be really delicate.
I asked my stylist and a few other pros to give me some tips on how to avoid damaging my already delicate strands so I can prevent needing such extreme trims in the future (although honestly, I think of my hair as being more whiny then delicate. Why can't my hair just suck it up and deal?). Here's what I learned.
1. Don't wash your hair as often. This will help keep your color fresher longer and may help extend the time between visits (and will cause less damage to your hairs).
2. Use a serious conditioning mask on your hair (mid-shaft down) once per week to help strengthen and condition my hair. I'm loving Morrocanoil's Intense Hydrating Mask. A little goes a long way, as it melts like butter into hair when you apply it in the shower. It's seriously good stuff.
3. Use a detangler before combing out wet hair. I'm already using an oil comb, but I'll take all of the extra help I can get. I am digging Leonor Greyl's Lait Luminescence Bi-Phase detangling milk. This spray makes your hair super soft and makes tearing at tangles a thing of the past. Use this sparingly, though. It's very hydrating and a little goes a long way.
4. Let you hair dry naturally as much as you can before styling. The less heat damage, the better. And don't forget, piling hair on top of your head and covering with a towel can lead to more hair snarls than it's worth.
5. Before you heat style, be sure to use a heat protection spray. I tried a few drug store brands and didn't really see a difference (although Tressemme was ok). However, I do really like Condition Naturelle by Leonor Greyl. My hair is so incredibly soft when I use this, it's amazing. It also adds a teeny bit of hold and shine.
6. Be careful of jewelry. I recently noticed one of my favorite rings constantly had hair stuck in it. Running my hand through my hair was causing some serious breakage. It's too hard for me not to subconsciously do that, so for now, the ring is going back into the jewelry box.
7. Stay away from flannel or coarse pillow cases. Delicate hair can get stressed out (I told you it's whiny!) when you smoosh it into a surface that doesn't have much "slip". No satin pillow case? Try wrapping your hair in a silk scarf at night to protect your hair. And if you want to keep it straight, carefully wrap it around your head, secure it with bobby pins and cover with a scarf.
I purchased MorrocanOil. Leonor Greyl was sent for review. Neither test on animals. Photos by moi, except for MorrocanOil, which is courtesy of them.
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