7 Secrets To Grow Long Hair From A Hairdressers Daughter
Growing up my father owned a hair salon. As a child, I spent some summer afternoons hanging out around the salon. I enjoyed being there so much that I thought I would like to become a hairdresser myself one day. Becoming a hairdresser wasn’t in the cards for me. However, like any good pupil would, I learned some things along the way. Here are some of the tips I learned growing up as the daughter of a hairdresser.
For the best and most personalized advice, always speak to a hair care professional, your hairdresser or dermatologist(in some cases). It would irresponsible of me to say that these tips work for ALL hair types as I, myself, am not a hairdresser nor do I have all hair types on my head. In terms of hair types, my hair falls between type 2B and type 2C. The individual strands are fine, but there are many of them. My hair tangles easily and takes a long time to dry. At its top layer, it’s more type 2B because the waves are looser. In the underneath layers, it’s more like type 2C. The underneath part has tighter waves, appearing like they’ve been crimped with a hair crimping tool. When I go an extended period of time without the use of heat tools, my entire head is type 2C.
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1. Cut Your Losses
You should be getting maintenance trims at least every 2-3 months to keep the splitting ends at bay. If possible, try to get a little touch up even sooner than every 2 months. Your hair is already dead, but with all the heating tools and etc, we develop split ends that don’t look so great. In this picture, you can clearly tell that my ends are looking rough. If you’re like me, you don’t like to lose length, but don’t go too long between cuts. When you don’t get maintenance haircuts regularly, you have to cut off more hair than you would if you’d kept up with regular haircuts. The reason being that your split ends have more time to travel up the hair shaft, causing this dry and raggedy look that you can see me sporting in this picture. Currently, I’m over 5 months passed due for a new haircut and when I do go to the salon to get a cut, my hairdresser will have to cut off at least 4 inches.
2. Let Your hair down
Wearing your hair in high ponies and top knots is cute and fun, but be weary of sporting these tight updos too often as they can cause traction alopecia. A quick google search will help you determine whether or not you’re suffering from this condition; but to be sure, consult a professional. I wear my hair down most days and while I enjoy having it grace my shoulders, like a blanket, it’s not practical for all situations. On interviews or during workouts, I try to pull it back into a loose french braid, fishtail braid or just a plain braided low pony. I find that low ponytails work just as well as braids for working out. On the contrary, if I workout in a high pony tail, I can feel the hair ripping out at the root when I do rigorous exercise. It’s not just the height of the hairstyle, but also the tightness. Pulling hair back too tightly, despite the height, can be damaging to the root. When you can, let it down.
A not-so-fun fact: I was starting to experience hair loss around my temporal lobes. Afraid of what it might mean, I scheduled a visit to my dermatologists office. I was prescribed a hair growth solution to apply to the areas at night. It was also suggested that I use Viviscal, an over the counter hair growth pill. I used it for some time and had satisfactory results. I stopped taking it because the hair in my temporal areas has noticeably filled in. Aside from possible side effects listed, its only con is that it can’t pinpoint specific areas in which to stimulate the hair growth; for example, the hair growth on your legs and underarms is stimulated too. This means more time spent removing hair in areas where it might be unwanted.
3. Embrace Your Natural Color
I know that this is easier said than done, especially when some of us are only dyeing our hair to get it back to the natural color we once had, but hear me out. I have never dyed my hair. Throughout grade school and college I was certainly tempted to, but there are many upsides to going au natural for as long as you can. Consider natural color changing options, like getting some sun at the beach or on a hike outdoors. Some hair types can lighten naturally with the right amount of sun exposure. Does that sound like your hair type? I found that sea water and sun light lightens mine. Unfortunately, I don’t have any tips for getting it to darken naturally. Believe it or not, you probably look beautiful with your natural color!
4. Be Kind to your hair
Next time you brush your hair, completely clean the brush before using it, leaving it free of any hair strands. Then, brush your hair with it. Once finished, have a look at the brush. Is there a lot of hair now in that brush? If so, you’re being too rough! When you brush your hair, imagine you’re brushing a child’s hair. Would you rip their hair? Probably not. So, why are you being so rough with your own hair? Cleaning out your brush beforehand is a great way to gauge how you’re treating your hair while brushing. If you have stubborn knots, wet your hair and spray it with a detangling treatment first. You can also hold the hair above where the knots are located and brush out only the knots. This helps prevent ripping out hair from its’ root. Be careful with your hair while using curling irons, blow dryers, flat irons, and round brushed too. When used too abrasively or in a hurry, hair strands can get tangled in them and rip out.
5. Give heat a break
I love the look of straight hair, probably because I don’t have it naturally. However, too much of anything can be bad for your hair. The heat takes a toll and can dry out your hair. Let it air dry every now and then. During quarantine, my hair has gotten so long that I don’t have the will to use hot tools on it every day. My arm muscles aren’t strong enough(LOL). After the shower, I like to take a turban and twist my hair up into it for at least 30 minutes. After an hour maximum, I remove the turban and my hair is still damp, but not soaked, so I let it air dry the rest of the way. I noticed that when I do this, my hair is softer and less frizzy. Wow, writing about this really makes me miss getting my hair done. Getting your hair washed at a hair salon is so relaxing.
6. lay off the product
One thing my dad never did when he did my hair was load it up with sprays, mouses, or serums. He used shampoo and conditioner, maybe some detangle or leave-in conditioner. If I was having a special event, like prom, he would use hair spray. He always told me that it wasn’t good to use too many products. A product he never felt the need to warn me about was hair oil. I use Argan oil on my hair ends. I use it at mid shaft and below, but never on the roots. I like OGX, Oribe, and Moroccan Oil the best.
7. Give it a good wash
Sometimes, in the shower we get a little lazy. Take the time to scrub your scalp. Get all the impurities from the day off of it, especially if you use a lot of product. Using lukewarm water, massage your scalp for a good amount of time to make sure it’s clean before you put on the conditioner. Get behind the ears and the back of your head, near the neck. Too often we focus just on the top of the head. You don’t want product build up. You don’t need a scalp brush to do this. Your fingers can be a lot more gentle than a plastic scalp brush. Make sure you thoroughly wash out the conditioner you put on after shampooing, especially if you’ve placed it at the roots. When you’re done, rinse it with some cold water.
I hope this post has inspired you to up your hair care game, armed with some new knowledge! I know that right now most of us are staying home. It’s the perfect time to allow your hair to reset, giving it a break from our usual hair routines and styling. I can tell my hair appreciates the time away from heating tools because it’s softer and my waves have started to come back on the top of my head and around my face. Ironically, most of the people who know me say that they prefer the look of my natural hair(wavy) as opposed to when I straighten it. I’m making it a goal of mine to limit the use of heating tools down to 1-2 times per week or as necessary.
Despite the advice listed above, I’m aware that dyeing and styling our hair makes some of us really happy. So, if there’s something in this list that I’ve advised against, but that brings you joy, understand that these are not the only factors that contribute to healthy hair. Always follow your hairdressers advice and do what makes you happy. Live life to your standard of “its fullest”. Do you have any tips to add? Let me know in the comments below.
Stay healthy!
xo,
City & Chic
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