Long Hair Don't Care

The fact of the matter is, Long Hair needs a lot of care! I have a long history of abusing my hair in just about every way possible, yet I have always expected it to grow long and luscious.  Needless to say that wasn't going to happen without some serious tender loving care. After many trials and tribulations I have found some great tricks and tips that have my hair growing longer and healthier than ever. So I thought I'd share with all of you.

Lets start at the root of it... SCALP HEALTH:

Your scalp health is essential to grow a magnificent mane.  My suggestion is to use a Head & Shoulders shampoo for a deep clean and scalp treatment.  Even if you don't have dandruff or scalp issues, it is a fabulous way to maintain scalp health, which will help stimulate hair growth and prevent any future scalp issues.  I had the chance to speak to the actual scientists that are behind the scenes at P&G and they suggest that everyone use the shampoo and conditioner at least twice a week.  The active ingredient Pyrithione Zinc (PTZ) is the key to the effectiveness,  it is in every formula of Head & Shoulders. There are many options to chose from, some fight frizz, some volumize, but all of them will give you that great deep clean that your scalp needs to produce healthy shiny locks. An extra bonus is that they smell fantastic too, whenever I use it I get compliments on how fresh my hair smells!

If you have a very dry scalp and are looking for additional treatment to add on after you wash, try out Rene Furterer Intense Nutrition Oil for very dry scalp and hair.

 CONDITIONING TREATMENTS:

Every girl with long hair or chemically treated hair must indulge their hair in a deep conditioning treatment at least once a week. Depending on how damaged your hair is will depend on how often you need to treat it.  I do a deep treatment once a week but always leave my regular conditioner on extra long while showering to get the maximum effect from it. When I do my deep conditioning I like to leave it in for as long as possible. But since time is often limited, I try to kill to birds with one stone and do it while I work out. I just slather it on, put it back in a braid then when I'm all done I just rinse it out in the shower.

Here are the treatments that I recommend.  My trusty hair color expert/ friend Shakira Silverman suggested some of these and I have come across some with my own research.

Kerastase Chronologiste Caviar Treatment 

This one comes with a hefty price tag, $145 for 10 treatments worth. But it has been known to heal even the most damaged locks; one stylist I spoke to said that if you use this on a regular basis you never have to get a trim.

 Buy it Here

Oribe Signature Moisture Masque

This one is $59 for a nice sized jar. 

 It can be used daily if you have thick hair or weekly as a treatment for everyone else.

Buy it Here

Davines Nourishing Miracle Treatments

These Davines products are a great options for those of you that prefer something natural. The Keratin Miracle is fantastic but difficult to find for home use, it comes in a giant bottle that is meant for salons. So I suggest finding a salon near you that offers this treatment. The Vegetarian Miracle is a great one for at home, it is also the most affordable of the bunch, I found it HERE for $25.09

BRUSHING w/o BREAKING:

All this work will be for nothing if you just tear into your hair with improper brushing.  So I suggest using a detangler and quality brushes.  After you shower and towel dry your hair (blot don't rub), you will want to spritz a detangler in your hair before you comb it out. My personal favorite is:

7SECONDS by UNITE

This guy is pretty self explanatory in that it detangles your hair in 7 seconds. But it doesn't stop there, it also acts as a UV and Thermal protector. It's also great for color treated hair, it locks in your color and protects it from fading.

Buy it Here

After you have spritzed, you should use the best comb & brush money can buy. These brushes have been around forever and are a staple in the kits of top stylists globally.

MASON PEARSON

Buy Them Here At Barneys

The comb is best for detangling wet hair, the detangling brush (white one) is best for detangling dry hair, and the popular mixture brush is best for smoothing out dry hair.  It's also great for evenly distributing the oils from your scalp to your ends which is another important technique to maintaining long hair health.

Well there you go, I hope you are treat that lovely mane of yours with the respect it deserves.  Trust me it will be worth the trouble and investment and everyone will take notice of your shiny smooth tresses.