Long hair home care tips that your hairdresser would recommend to you to help you keep your long hair healthy and in great condition.
I am sure that most people are guilty of being a little lazy when it comes to their home hair care regime.
Without a thought your hair will be pulled back into a tight pony tail or a brush yanked through from roots to tips. Just like we did when we were younger and had healthy virgin hair (hair that has never been chemically treated)
Having been a hairdresser for many years I am aware that a lot of people don’t always realize how easily damaged and fragile their hair is
The first step in long hair home hair care is to be aware that some of the little things that you have been doing automatically for years are not to your hairs advantage.
Long Hair Home Care Tip 1.
Do You Pull Your Hair Into A Ponytail?
When you have shoulder or longer hair and the weather gets hot and your neck feels sticky. Or you work out every day before or after work. The easiest way to cool off or control your hair is to pull it back into a ponytail.
Be aware that due to habit and without realizing it most times that you will pull your hair into the ponytail. You will place it in the same position on your head and your hair band will also grip your hair in the same usual place.
The problem being that over time this can cause your hair to break especially so if you happen to have highly lightened your hair.
Be it with highlights or an all-over global color highly lightened hair has to be treated with great care. In the salon I have quite often seen short hair on the crown area of clients. Due to the hair being constantly worn in a ponytail.
If you are in the habit of pulling your long hair back into a tight ponytail most of the time maybe it’s time to think again.
Because this can cause what is known as traction alopecia a hair loss which can be caused by pulling hair to tight. You can notice this especially on the finer hairs at the front of your scalp.
Make sure that your ponytail won’t don’t damage your long hair firstly by never tying your hair back when it is wet. Secondly by varying its location between a high and lower ponytail when you tie your hair back.
And if your ponytail feels tight. For your hair it is definitely too tight so just shake it so as to loosen your hair a little.
Long Hair Home Care Tip 2.
You Pay A Lot For Your Hair At The Salon But Economize On You Home Care Products.
After spending a lot of money at your salon to get the hair style or color you want. You look at trying to cut costs by shopping for your long hair home care products at the cheap drug store.
To keep your hair tip top at home especially if you have chemically treated your hair. Do try and make the investment in some professional hair products.
I know that they are a tad more expensive than your drugstore products. But that is because the ingredients are more concentrated with no added fillers.
Professional hair care products do use higher grade ingredients and generally contain vitamins, oils and minerals that are nourishing to your hair.
I agree some discount stores and supermarkets do sell professional name products cheaper.
In fact sometimes cheaper than your than your local hair salon can purchace from the professional hair company. Let alone price the product to retail.
But how does this happen.
Big retailers often get their products from a distributor or middle man. Meaning that the retailer often has no way of finding out exactly how or where the distributor got the products.
Professional hair product makers do not sell to distributors. Which means that there is a good chance that those cheaper products in your local discount store are counterfeit, tampered with or black-market products.
If you want to be sure about the quality of the professional product you buy. Purchase from your regular hair salon.
Long Hair Home Care Tip 3.
Only Brush Through Your Hair When It’s Dry.
An important part of your long hair home care should be to always brush through your hair when it is dry using of a boar bristle brush. So that you remove any tangles before you step into the shower to wash your hair.
Because when your hair is wet it becomes very fragile.
Using a hair brush on your long hair when it is in a fragile state can be very damaging.
Just the action of pulling your hair brush through any tangles in your wet hair will lead to your hairs snapping like a rubber band.
For your long hair home hair care regime only use a large toothed comb or a Wet brush. When detangling your wet hair after a shower.
Working in the salon I will always use and do highly recommend the use of the Wet brush.
Due to the aspect that the bristles are fine, flexible and widely spaced. Ensuring a pain free de tangling of your hair without any pulling or tugging.
Long Hair Home Care Tip 4.
Do You Wash Your Hair Every Day?
Now if you happen to have an oily scalp and oily hair yes you will need to.
Otherwise every two to three days depending on your hair type would be ideal.
But the more often you shampoo your hair the more likely you are to remove the natural oils needed to protect your hair and scalp. As well as also exposing your hair to more heat drying.
That is if you do blow-dry or straighten your hair after each hair wash.
Your hair type will also make a difference as to your long hair home hair care shampoo regime.
If your hair is curly you can generally go without washing your hair for longer than someone with straight hair. As curly hair tends to be generally drier than 
straight hair.
Although there is no steadfast rule to the question “how often should you wash your hair” but a clean scalp is the secret to healthy hair.
So here is my rough guide to a hair shampooing frequency.
If your long hair is dry shampoo your hair twice a week using a sulfate free shampoo. Pick one that has a high concentration of moisturizers.
With long hair that is fine and oily you will need to shampoo every day. But do use a shampoo that is extra mild.
Or you can maybe prolong this a day with the use of a dry shampoo.
For normal long hair that is neither dry or oily you can look at washing whenever is needed. Say 2 to 3 times a week.
And as a last note never forget to apply your favorite hair conditioner especially towards the lower half of your hair length.
Long Hair Home Care Tip 5.
Mask Your Long Hair As You Would Your Face.
Just like your skin your hair needs to be hydrated to revitalize, repair and for protection.
Masking your face to hydrate and protect your skin is probably something you do weekly without even thinking about it.
Yet when it comes to masking their hair a lot of people say that they don’t have time.
And only start to use a mask when they realize that their hair is in an extremely damaged state.
The funny thing is that your hair and skin are made up of the same product which is keratin.
The only difference being that your skin keratin is soft whilst the keratin in your hair has hardened.
The ends of your long hair are always more delicate and brittle than the hair nearer your scalp.
Which is why the longer your hair the more prone it is to split ends.
Which is not surprising being that the ends of your hair have been around for four years or even longer.
Putting up with affects of your diet the changes in weather and the chemicals in your tap water just to name a few of the factors that do affect your hair.
Mask Your Hair On A Weekly Basis
Think of it as a high-powered conditioner.
That used on a weekly basis can make a big difference to your hairs shine and strength. Because the mask will help to protect and moisturize your long hair.
Shop for a mask specific to your hair type. Be it colored, dry, damaged or fragile as some hair masks are heavier than others.
If you mask your hair and find that it feels greasy afterwards. It is a good indication that you have used a mask that was too heavy for your hair type.
Be careful also on how much you use because with quality products today a little goes a long way.
Looking for more long hair care tips you may find this helpful if long hair is your dream.
Thank you for taking the time to read what I write.
