How to get Long Hair | Blogmas Day 21

4 sleeps until Santa!

As many of you may have seen, I have REALLY long hair - and it's still not as long as I'd like it to be! My hair is my pride and joy and the day it passed my waist really was a great one. Now, I'm not claiming to be an expert with these tips; these are just steps that I have taken to keep my luscious long locks and to keep them healthy.

 I've always been told that you should cut your hair every six weeks, I haven't  really listened to this rule as I never really have the time, however I find that keeping an eye on the ends of my hair is the best tell-tale to when I need my hair cut. Split ends are never wanted. I do everything I can to prevent split ends in my hair and quite honestly it does prove difficult. Making sure not to concentrate heat or too much pressure on the ends of your hair is key, I don't use heat on my hair to style it, so this is very helpful, but when blow-drying, I tend to stay away and stick to just the main body of my hair and the roots. Keeping the ends of your hair healthy is the best way to keep length to it - the less damage, the less you'll need to have cut off when the time comes. I mostly find that leaving the ends of my hair to dry naturally is much better, even when towel drying, the ends could be damaged. They're delicate and this is definitely something to remember when lusting after your long locks.

Washing your hair every other day / every coulple of days can be seen (by some small minded people) as dirty and un-hygenic. This is completely the opposite! I make a habit of NOT washing my hair. Using shampoo and conditioner removes all of the natural oils from your roots and this is the worst thing for you if you are wanting to grow your hair. These oils are the oils that help your hair to grow and you shouldn't think twice about letting them do their job. I wash my hair every other day usually, I use shampoo and conditioner and leave the conditioner in my hair for around five minutes to fully condition it. On the days where I don't wash my hair, I spray in the tiniest amount of dry shampoo and shove it up into a topknot. However, once in said topknot, if it looks good enough and i'm not doing anything too fancy, it can usually end up staying on my head for a good few more days, with just a few extra pins shoved in to help it live longer!

Another tip that I heard somewhere and now use on a daily basis is to mix up your hair products - In other words, don't use the same shampoo and conditioner every time you wash your hair. For this, I have two sets of them at all times and alternate every time I wash my hair. I then buy two completely different sets the next time I'm purchasing. This way, your hair doesn't get used to the products and can still be washed fully. Using your one type of shampoo and conditioner on your hair every time you wash it can be a bad thing because your hair can get used to it - it will 'fight back' as I like to call it and won't work on your hair. In the past this has happened to me and over use with one shampoo and conditioner set has left my hair oilier than before I washed sometimes. Never good. My favourite shampoo and conditioners are by John Frieda, now usually this is where I would specify the series, but honestly - apart from the Blonde series - they all work amazingly on my hair! I also love the Aussie 3 minute leave in conditioner, I use this just on the ends of my hair and leave in for 5-10 minutes. I find that the longer you leave it in, the softer my hair is. I've also heard that the 'New' shampoo bar from Lush is really good for encouraging hair growth so shall definitely test this out soon!

If you have any tips for long hair, let me know in the comments below! 

xox

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