How to Care for Long Hair

The way your hair looks can make or break your appearance completely. One has to admit that the elegant look of shiny, thick long hair is spectacular. Long hair is a symbol of femininity and beauty. Practically all women, at some point in their lives, want to grow their hair really long. But long hair is also prone to breakage, fly aways, frizzies, split ends, dull hair, and early hair loss. As a result, though long hair looks fantastic, care for long hair is extremely demanding and challenging. Here are a few tips to help you maintain your long hair.

• Wash your hair: Wash your hair lightly but thoroughly few times a week. Allow the natural oils on the scalp to condition the hair naturally. Washing it everyday can make hair dry, stripping hairs of its natural oils. Always remember to detangle your hair before washing it. This makes it easier to dry and style.

• Shampoo: Use a top quality shampoo that is specifically designed for your type of long hair. Apply it only on your scalp and massage it down to the ends of your long hair. Applying it on the entire length of your hair will strip it of its most needed natural oils.

• Conditioner: Conditioner is important because it smoothes out tangles in your hair. To keep hair from looking too greasy, use a lightweight conditioner. And be sure to deep condition once a month to avoid dry hair. Rub additional conditioner into the tips of your hair to prevent split-end damage.

• Comb: Choose a top quality hairbrush with natural bristles and wide toothed comb to detangle your long hair. Comb your hair from roots to tips with it only when it's wet. Make sure the ends are completely tangle free without pulling on the ends to make them so. Avoid back combing your hair with a fine-tooth comb. Always clean your comb once a week as dirty brushes make dirty long hair. To wash your comb, soak it for 5 minutes in warm water and shampoo, rinse and let it dry overnight.

• Hair dryer: Try to avoid hair dryers as much as possible. But if you must, then keep it on a cool setting and avoid pulling long hair while you dry it. With the blow drier, concentrate on the middle and ends of your hair first.

• Styling products: Avoid the use of hot air blow dryers, curling and straightening irons, and the harsh chemicals as much as possible. If you must color, use non peroxide color or 100% natural henna colors. Natural products work well with long hair like jojaba oil, aloe vera, and coconut oil.

• Diet: Hair needs a proper diet to maintain its color and charm. Proper nutritious meals along with vitamin and mineral supplements are a key factor for healthy hair. The important vitamins are A, B1, B12 and C. Remember eat well, and drink plenty of water.

• Trim regularly: Trim your long hair every 5-6 weeks to remove split ends. Split ends should be trimmed off as early as possible because they cannot mended, and can weaken hair and make it look messy.

• Protect it: Protect your hair from the sun and the elements by wearing hats and scarves. Minimize excessive exposure to sun, salt water, chlorine, sweat, or other elements.

Secrets on taking care of long hair include some basics that are simple to achieve. Above tips will help you manage hair of any length. Hair is an ornament of beauty, so take care of it!