HOW TO TRULY CARE FOR LONG HAIR
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 salon clients over shampoo their hair. Shampooing everyday would be considered excessive, at least for long hair.
So what are these clients to do? They are right in theory that if they don’t shampoo their hair everyday it will appear oily, 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 be assured 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. 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 professional shampoo and conditioner. Our favorite recommendation to clients is PureOlogy Essential Repair.
