I’ve always been a longhaired person. At least that’s how I would define myself. As a kid I was proud of the fact that my hair was so long I could tuck it into my jeans. I loved my hair, it was my security blanket and I felt I would have died if anyone cut it. What I didn’t realize, well into my teens, was that it wasn’t just long. It was scraggly, sun bleached, old, dead, stringy, shapeless, and the bottom half was hanging on for dear life. Even the fact that my father owned a hair salon didn’t change my mind. I’m sure; knowing what I know as a cutting specialist now, the stylists there must have been dying to give me a much-needed cut. I wouldn’t even get trims for fear of loosing my precious beauty blanket atop my head. A weekly ritual in my house growing up was to sit in a chair and have my frustrated mother spray Johnson & Johnson ‘No More Tangles’ into the depth of my rat’s nest. Here she would take on the painstaking task of detangling huge knots, which accumulated from tons of split ends, locking together, and creating massive snarls.
So what are some of the causes of unhealthy long hair? Not brushing, not getting regular trims, cheap shampoo, twisting and twirling hair, over processing, too much sun, excessive use of ponytail holders, and within the last decade, the over use of flat irons!
When hair grows out of your head it ceases to be alive. It’s dead hair, but the hair closer to the scalp, the main source of nutrients, is considered virgin hair. This hair hasn’t had a chance to be damaged by the elements. There is no splitting in this region. It stays lubricated with sebum, the oil secreted from the sebaceous glands on 
the scalp. Its purpose is to keep the hair soft, supple and lubricated. Unfortunately, in today’s society, it’s stripped by the constant over shampooing of hair. This is usually from the fear of looking or feeling unclean. The ironic thing is that the more you shampoo your hair the more oily it becomes. Almost 90% of my clients over shampoo their hair. Shampooing everyday would be considered excessive, at least for long hair. When I suggest it is not only damaging to the hair, but also making it extremely difficult to style, the excuse is always the same thing, “I have to shampoo my hair everyday because it’s so oily.” or “If I don’t, it gets too oily.”
So what are these clients to do? They are right in theory that if they don’t shampoo their hair everyday it will appear greasy, however that is only as long as they are stuck in this cycle. And that’s exactly what it is. When the scalp is shampooed everyday, you are stripping it of its essential oil. So what happens? Your sebaceous glands say ‘oh no! We need to produce more sebum/oil right away!’ The only way to break this cycle is by letting your hair re-balance itself. This means that for the first week; shampoo your hair only every other day. It may seem hard in the beginning, but I assure you your scalp will adjust. Something that can help in the beginning is using a dry shampoo. Bumble and Bumble Hair Powder is a great product that can be sprayed on the hair, soaking up any unwanted oil. The added benefit is that it doubles as a great styling product providing the hair with extra lift and light separation.
If you work out or sweat you can always just rinse your scalp with water. The whole head of hair doesn’t need to be shampooed. The oil or sweat in your hair is nothing to be afraid of. In fact it can act as one of the greatest styling and conditioning products around. We need to get out of the mindset that it’s gross not to shampoo our entire heads of hair everyday. It’s not as if we are working out in the coalmines. It wasn’t until recently that women became obsessed with shampooing their hair everyday. In old movies or even television shows as late as the 1980’s, you could hear girls say they had to stay in for the night to shampoo their hair. Look at hair in any magazine. This hair wasn’t freshly shampooed and then put in front of a camera. In many cases they ask the models not to shampoo their hair, because clean hair is too difficult to work with. Products and tools are used to mimic what our hair may do if it wasn’t just shampooed. The term ‘bed head’ came from that sexy, tousled hair that looks lived in, slept on, natural, and organic. Even if your style is sleek and smooth, it will look and react much better with what is referred to as ‘second day hair.’
Here are two simple tips for keeping your long hair healthy and beautiful:
- Getting regular trims every two months or so will not only help keep split ends at bay, it will keep the shape that you left the salon with. This is also a chance to check in with your stylist, aka, your professional hair doctor. They can carefully assess the condition of your hair and make some suggestions in your hair care regimen. How can getting regular trims keep your hair long? Because split ends grow higher and higher up the hair shaft, leaving the ends weak, skinny and lacking in integrity. The perimeter of your hair then looks thin and scraggly. It’s all about preventative maintenance. It’s less traumatic to have a smaller amount of hair trimmed on a more regular basis than a lot at one sitting.
- Make sure you use a decent shampoo and conditioner. My favorite recommendation to clients is PureOlogy Essential Repair. I suggest you use the shampoo, conditioner, and weekly mask in that line. Many grocery store shampoos are filled with damaging sulphates and are harsh enough to be compared with dish soap.
Written by Mercedes Mancillas, Stylist at Urban Betty Salon
