Learn How to Grow Long Hair and Keep it Healthy



Learn How to Grow Long Hair and Keep it Healthy | |

|[pic] |Growing long, beautiful and healthy hair is not an extremely difficult |

|[click above] |process. It does not require a multitude of salon hair products, |

| |handfuls of expensive vitamins, nor any sort of sacrifice to the long |

| |hair gods. What it does take is common sense, dedication, and a lot of |

| |patience. Indeed, growing long hair is actually more a question of what |

| |you shouldn't do rather than what you should! |

| | |

| |If you make the commitment to closely follow the twenty steps below, not|

| |only will you grow long hair but your hair will be in beautiful |

| |condition throughout the process. |

|This guide was written specifically for the person who wants to grow extremely long hair - waist, hip, knee-length or even longer, but it will|

|benefit anyone who is seeking longer locks. Keeping hair in excellent condition at extreme lengths takes more caution and conscious effort |

|than may be necessary if you intend to keep your hair shorter... at mid-back length, for example. If your goal is to encourage healthy hair |

|growth but not to the extreme, then certain modifications may be made to a few of the steps below and still maintain successful results. If |

|you use common sense and don't allow damage to occur, you know you're doing the right thing to promote healthy hair at any length. |

| |

|It is also important to keep in mind that just about everyone has a "terminal length" which is the longest your hair will grow based on the |

|active growth period of your hair follicles (the growth cycle of individual hair follicles turns on and off as determined by your genetics). |

|Nothing here can help you alter your genetically predetermined terminal length. That being said, you'd be surprised how incredibly often what |

|was thought to be terminal length turns out to be nothing more than hair too damaged to continue to grow... an easily resolved issue! |

| |

|Hair loss, extreme dryness or any sudden change in your hair's condition may be due to a medical condition, often thyroid issues. If you are |

|experiencing any of these symptoms, it is imperative that you seek advice from a qualified medical practitioner rather than from this guide. |

|That being said, you might want to check out our disclaimer below. |

| |

|I make a few hair product suggestions in these guidelines and you will find many more products in the Amazon widget at the left below, which |

|we have tried and loved or that come very highly recommended from other long hair lovers. This is by no means an all-inclusive selection but |

|it's important that you pay attention to how your hair reacts to the products you use, and to find those that will work best for you and your |

|hair type. |

| |

|For the sake of comparison with your own hair, at the time of the writing of the first edition of this guide my hair was 33" long, very |

|straight, fine (pertaining to the thickness of each hair), reasonably thick (pertaining to the thickness of my hair as a whole) and had no |

|gray (that's changed... I'm hoping for a streak!). Please feel free to experiment and tweak the below steps to best suit your own hair type |

|and growth goals. |

| |

|1. The first step to growing long, beautiful hair is by far the most important. It is absolutely non negotiable for anyone who wants healthy |

|hair at any length, but it is also by far the hardest step you will have to follow. In order to have long healthy hair you absolutely have to |

|start with healthy hair. You must cut off every inch that is considerably damaged. If you are going for extreme length, from that point on you|

|will have to treat your hair like delicate, antique lace at all times. Remember, once your hair is at your waist the ends can be as many as |

|six years old. Your hair will go through a lot of trauma in six years no matter how careful you are with it. Because there is absolutely no |

|way to repair damaged hair, you *must* start out with healthy hair to have healthy hair when it's long, there's no way around it. If your hair|

|is not very damaged up the entire shaft, you may start with a very healthy trim and then continue to trim monthly to maintain your length |

|until all the damage is gone; however, keep in mind that if the amount of damage does not continue to decrease using this method, you didn't |

|remove enough of the damaged hair to begin with and another healthy trim is in order. You'll save precious time by removing as much damage as |

|possible from the very beginning and immediately implementing the steps that follow to your now beautifully healthy hair! |

| |

|Remember, long damaged hair is never as pretty as shorter healthy hair, and because healthy hair needs to be trimmed less often and doesn't |

|break as easily, the result is much faster growth overall. I learned this step the hard way and wasted ten years trying to grow damaged hair I|

|refused to cut... hair that started literally growing like a weed when I finally bit the bullet, did the dirty deed and stopped doing all the |

|horrible nasties that initially resulted in the damage. Duh. Learn from my pain. |

| |

|2. Always trim your hair often. Damage to your hair will move up from the ends and the only way to stop the damage in its tracks is to remove |

|it as soon as it happens. Trim hair a half inch every month or so (the average rate of hair growth) if you are maintaining your length. If you|

|are actively growing your hair, trim it a half inch every three or four months. In between trims it is beneficial to sit in bright light and |

|snip any splits off the ends of individual hairs with a good pair of hair cutting scissors that you explain to the men in your house are |

|absolutely not to be used for anything else, especially prying off bottle caps when they can't find the bottle opener, which is of course in |

|the drawer where it belongs if they'd just look. I digress. If you are persistent with this method, regular trims may be able to be postponed |

|even longer. If your hair begins to show damage, it is important to trim it more often! Damaged hair doesn't grow, it breaks, and damage will |

|only increase with time. |

| |

|3. If you don't have someone you trust implicitly to trim your hair for you, find a salon that caters to long hair, has a long hair |

|specialist, or at least be sure to glare at your stylist as menacingly as you can while you clearly explain your hair-growth goals before |

|letting her come at you with scissors. It also helps to ask the stylist to show you exactly their perception of the amount of hair you want |

|trimmed by showing you what they think is the same distance from the end of their comb. I am convinced stylists are taught a completely |

|different measuring system from the rest of the world, and not once have I ever had a stylist show me an accurate half inch on her first try. |

|Not once. It also helps to remember, it is not in the best interest of most salons or stylists if you rarely make visits to their salon, which|

|is definitely a conflict of interest! If your hair is short and styled, you are always there spending money for maintenance. If your stylist |

|tries to convince you that your long, healthy hair should be cut, run screaming from the salon immediately! Make sure that anyone whose advice|

|you consider, be it a stylist, friend or family member, has only the best interest of YOUR acknowledged hair growth goals in mind. Otherwise |

|smile politely and ignore every word they say. You absolutely are not too old, too thin, too short, too gray, too anything to have long hair. |

| |

|4. Avoid using any heated appliances whenever possible. No blow drying, no curling irons, no hot rollers, and especially no flat irons or |

|crimpers! If you absolutely must blow dry do so minimally, and contrary to popular belief, it is best to let your hair dry naturally for as |

|long as possible and use the blow dryer just to finish it off at the end if you must. If you must use hot rollers, use flocked or soft |

|rollers, not spiked plastic rollers. If you insist on using curling irons, flat irons or crimpers on a daily basis, really long healthy hair |

|isn't in your future. If you do use heat on your hair, be sure to use a product that will help protect your hair from it and keep in mind that|

|every time you apply that heat you are likely to cause some damage. |

| |

|5. Don't use any harsh chemicals on your hair. Definitely no perms and no peroxide! If you must color, use non peroxide color, henna[pic] (but|

|not if you have very dry hair... henna tends to be drying but does help to "plump up" fine hair), or even use our hair care recipes to make |

|your own organic hair color and products. Hair dye with low peroxide is more tolerable, but using these products again and again will |

|eventually affect the health of your hair, it is unavoidable. No perming or straightening ever for any reason. These chemicals actually break |

|down the structure of your hair and completely rebuild it... no other chemicals meant to be applied to hair are more damaging. Don't do it. |

| |

|6. Avoid chlorine and saltwater. If you go swimming in either, shampoo your hair as soon as possible after exposure. If you are blonde, you |

|may want to consider using a shampoo specially formulated to remove the green tinge that can come from exposing your hair to chlorine. If you |

|swim very often, invest in a good bathing cap (and to be really kind to your hair, apply deep conditioner and take advantage of the body heat |

|that will be generated while you're wearing it). If you spend a lot of time in the sun, use a conditioner that provides SPF protection against|

|the sun's rays, or cover your hair with a tightly-woven hat or scarf. |

| |

|7. Be *extremely* careful of what kind of hair jewelry you use. Never use metal barrettes (the "French" style) and absolutely NEVER use |

|rubberbands, they will tear your hair when you try to remove them. Avoid anything that has sharp or rough edges, such as plastic combs with |

|rough seams or hair claws with metal hinges. Never put anything in your hair that attaches with Velcro or springs. If you take anything out of|

|your hair and a significant amount of hair comes out with it, don't ever put it back in your hair. Scrunchies are very hair-safe, and several |

|can be used if your hair is very long. Need I mention the most fabulous, elegant, stunningly beautiful hair accessories of ALL TIME? [begin: |

|shameless self promotion] LongLocks HairSticks of course! [end: shameless self promotion] |

|8. Never put your hair in any kind of style that will put undue stress on the individual hairs... no |[pic][pic] |

|tiny braids, no extremely tight coils. If you pull all or some of your hair into a braid or a ponytail |[Click above] |

|to create your hairstyle, make sure it isn't pulled tight enough to put stress on the roots of your | |

|hair. Pulling hair tight repeatedly commonly results in bald patches! If you go after the long hair | |

|"quick fix" and put extensions in your hair, be forewarned that your own hair will likely be | |

|significantly more damaged when they are removed than it was to begin with. Also, if you choose to | |

|style your hair in locs[pic] or dreads[pic], please consider it to be a permanent change. While the | |

|dreads themselves will remain healthy (in fact, many find this a great way to grow otherwise | |

|"ungrowable" hair), they unfortunately almost always have to be cut off to be removed and the hair | |

|involved usually cannot be "undreaded." | |

|9. Avoid extreme diets. If your body isn't getting enough nutrition, neither is your hair. Even if you try to avoid fat, it's essential that|

|you don't completely eliminate all fat from your diet. Your hair (and body) will surely suffer for it. If you tend to restrict calories then|

|be sure to take a multivitamin (any comprehensive one will do) to make sure both your body and your hair get the daily nourishment they |

|need. |

| |

|10. Be *extremely* gentle with your hair when it is wet. Don't rub your hair vigorously with a towel, gently squeeze the towel down the |

|length of your hair. Turbie Twists[pic] are a great alternative to twisting your hair in a standard towel (I can get all my hip-length hair |

|into one, but just barely). NEVER brush your hair when it's wet, this is when your hair is at its most delicate. In fact, it is best to |

|avoid brushing your hair under most circumstances, a wide-tooth comb is almost always a better choice and is a must to smooth wet hair. I |

|have probably tried a hundred combs but now I use only the Mebco Tortoise Shower Detangler[pic] on my hair, wet or dry. I have five them |

|scattered all over the house. Of course, I only know where one actually is. |

|[pic][pic] |11. Be very careful with what you choose to style your hair. When you do use a |

|[click above] |brush, use only a natural boar bristle brush[pic], which are useful in distributing|

| |sebum (your hair's natural protective oils) to the ends of your hair and to remove |

| |loose hairs. If your hair is so thick that a boar bristle brush won't penetrate, |

| |there are several smooth wood brushes on the market that will be kind to your hair.|

| |Using a wide-tooth comb is far less damaging but it is important to choose a comb |

| |that is molded or has smooth seams (use a bit of sand paper to smooth rough seams |

| |if necessary). Comb your hair often throughout the day to detangle it. Work in |

| |small sections, always starting close to the ends, combing down in long, smooth |

| |strokes until all tangles are removed, and then starting the next set of strokes |

| |higher on the same section of hair. Knots are very hard on your hair and it's best |

| |to avoid them at all costs. Tiny knots that absolutely cannot be removed by any |

| |other means should be cut from your hair, not torn. Also, avoid back combing or |

| |"teasing" your hair with a fine-tooth comb. This lifts and tears the cuticle, |

| |destroying even the healthiest of hair in a very short period of time. |

| |

|12. Comb your hair to ensure all knots have been removed before shampooing. After the knots have been removed, use a boar bristle brush to |

|remove loose hairs, which will also cut down on knotting during shampooing (not to mention keeping your shower drain clean and your plumber |

|at bay). Try to teach your husband to do the same. Good luck. |

| |

|13. Let your hair get dirty once in awhile. That's right... permission to be lazy, what more could you ask for? Don't shampoo, spend the |

|entire weekend in bed drinking Moet, eating chocolate covered strawberries and watching Out of Africa[pic] for the umpteenth time (live |

|vicariously through Meryl Streep by rewinding a few times to watch Robert Redford wash her hair while reciting poetry), all while those |

|wonderful natural conditioning oils work their magic. Don't forget the boar bristle brush before shampooing to distribute those oils and for|

|heaven's sake don't forget not to answer the door before shampooing for any reason! Well, unless of course you are expecting Bob to drop by.|

|One can dream, no? |

| |

|14. Don't pile your hair on your head when you wash it, that's just asking for knots. Apply shampoo only to the roots and wash your scalp, |

|then work the shampoo to the ends. You may find adding a bit of water to your shampoo or very quickly ducking under the shower spray after |

|initially applying it to your hair will increase lathering significantly, making it easier to work the soap to the ends of your tresses. |

|When you apply conditioner, work it through to the ends of your hair, smoothing and detangling gently with your fingers as you go. Continue |

|smoothing your hair as you rinse. This will make combing your wet hair much easier and less likely to tear. |

| |

|15. If you wash your hair often or have very dry hair, you may want to consider using only conditioner to wash it on occasion. If your hair |

|isn't very dirty the conditioner will easily rinse away surface contaminants while allowing you to avoid daily use of the harsher solvents |

|found in shampoo. |

|[pic][pic][pic|16. Rinse your hair in as cold water as you can stand. Not only will this make the cuticle lay flat and less likely to snag | |

|] |and break, but by the same token you'll get the added benefit of very shiny hair that's easier to comb wet. Yes, you will | |

| |get used to doing this, even in the shower, and it is wonderfully invigorating for your whole bod, not just your hair. I | |

| |know, I know... I couldn't convince Hubby either, but it's true, I swear! Trust me. | |

| | | |

| |17. If your hair is especially coarse, extremely curly, you didn't heed my stern advice in Step 1 and your hair is damaged | |

| |(do NOT make me come over there) or if it is prone to damage easily, you may want to consider using a leave-in conditioner | |

| |in addition to a regular rinse-out conditioner (I highly recommend Infusium 23 Leave-In Treatment[pic], but there are many | |

| |good ones out there). In some cases, leave-in conditioners may replace rinse-out conditioners altogether. | |

|18. Become familiar with the ingredients in your styling products. Once you know what affects your hair positively or detrimentally, you |

|will be able to effectively choose products that contain ingredients that are best for your hair type. For instance, some people find that |

|their hair does not respond well to silicone (found in most "smoothing" or "anti frizz" products and many conditioning shampoos), if used |

|over a long period of time. Any ingredient that ends with the suffix "cone" in the ingredient list is usually a silicone derivative and |

|should be avoided by those sensitive to it (I am not decrying products containing silicone, only stating an example... I regularly use some |

|products that contain small amounts of silicone with no ill effects on my own hair). Products that nourish your hair with natural |

|ingredients that are available at most health food stores are excellent alternatives to the chemical-laden lines sold in salons. I can |

|personally recommend Nature's Gate hair products, [pic]which are very affordable and there is a huge variety from which to choose. My |

|personal fav is their their Herbal Hair Conditioner which I've used on and off for more than 30 years... egads, how did that happen?! |

|Anyway, no matter whether you choose to go low- or high-end, what is most important is to use whatever works best for your hair, not what is|

|necessarily the hottest trendy product nor for that matter, the cheapest thing you can find. Also, it helps to clarify your hair as often as|

|needed by rinsing with a mixture of cider vinegar and water or using a clarifying shampoo to remove build-up of product in your hair and |

|avoid the damage to the cuticle this can cause if left unchecked. While everyone should clarify regularly, this step is absolutely essential|

|of you use products that contain silicone. I have to admit that I am very addicted to Aveda Shampure Shampoo[pic] for clarifying, which is |

|also very reasonably priced (especially for an Aveda product), and smells absolutely divine. Do keep in mind that this is one step to |

|growing long, healthy hair in which finding what works for you from experience rather than falling victim to a marketing ploy is the way to |

|go. While an influx of exciting new products on the market really can strengthen your hair and make it less prone to damage and breaking, |

|remember that nothing can actually repair damaged hair no matter what it says on the package. |

| |

|19. Deep condition your hair at least monthly, even if it's in good shape this will help keep it that way. If your hair is dry or damaged, |

|deep condition weekly. Hot oil treatments are a good alternative for very dry hair or for extra conditioning (but be forewarned, to some |

|extent hot oil treatments will lift any non permanent color you've added). You might want to try washing and applying conditioner at night, |

|wearing a shower cap to bed, and rinsing in the morning for a really intense conditioning treatment as well. A word to the wise... |

|conditioning nights have been conclusively proven to be detrimental to romantic evenings with the significant other. Use this information to|

|your own best advantage based on the current status of your relationship. |

| |

|20. Lessen the friction on your hair whenever possible. Don't sleep with your hair loose or if you must, use a satin pillowcase. If your |

|hair is very long and prone to getting caught in car windows, seat belts, doors, or even under your butt when you sit down, it's important |

|to remember that all these things can cause damage to your precious locks. Wear your hair braided or in an updo hairstyle (did I already |

|mention LongLocks HairSticks?) whenever possible to avoid daily wear and tear. And we all know, no matter what promises hair product |

|manufacturers claim, the ONLY way to fix damaged hair is to CUT IT OFF... perish the thought! |

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