Oh my gosh you guys! I finally have a hair appointment scheduled for July! I honestly think that it’s been about a year since I had my hair touched by a professional. To say that it’s been too long is an understatement.
I normally get my color touched up two or three times a year but at this point, we might as well call this blog Northwest Brunette because my grow out is almost reaching my ears. That all being said, my hair is actually in pretty good condition. Sure the ends could use a trim to even them up and my roots are totally grown out but overall, my hair is actually really healthy.
It doesn’t seem to take much to have healthy hair. You mainly have to leave it alone to do its own thing. But if you want some more details about how to leave it alone but still have your hair look marginally presentable (aka my standards these days), I’m breaking down everything I do with my hair below.
Keep reading to see how I’ve managed to go a year without visiting the salon while still maintaining long healthy hair.
8 Tips for Long Healthy Hair
Ok, first I wanted to share a little bit about my hair type. Sure it’s long but it’s also quite thin and very fine. Like Teddy has thicker hair than I do. The length just masks that fact a little bit. I realize that different hair types and textures require different care but if you have thin or fine hair, these are definitely for you!
air dry as much as possible
I try to air dry my hair as much as possible. This is so easy in the summertime and even more so right now while people are working from home. If my hair is drying too frizzy for my liking or my cowlicks are going insane, I’ll just blow-dry the top layer or the section around my face.
Use hot tools sparingly (or never)
After air drying, you also have to minimize the hot tools. At this point, I’ll only use hot tools on my hair if I have an event (lol. Remember those?) Most days, I either embrace my natural texture or I’ll wear some sort of braid or low bun. Why these two styles? Because after you wear either a braid or low bun, you’ll end up with waves in your hair. That gives you a great base for second-day hair. Which brings me to my next trick…
Don’t wash your hair every day
I don’t wash my hair every day. I try to go at least every other day between washes. I’ll go longer than that if I can manage it around my workouts. And to accomplish this, I use dry shampoo. I feel like every woman in my age group already knows about the glory that is dry shampoo so I won’t go into it. My drugstore favorite is Batiste. My high-end favorite is Moroccan Oil. I’m also really interested to try the Pantene foam dry shampoo. I’ve heard good things about it.
Pantene Intensive Rescue treatment once a week
If you aren’t using these, start now! They are $4 for a box of three and will leave your hair feeling smooth, silky, and soft after the first use. I love them even more than my old standby, Oleplex, because you don’t have to let it sit in your hair. Just shampoo and condition like normal, then put this intensive treatment in, comb it through, and you’re all set to rise it out. I have an entire in-depth review of these that you can read here.
Use a clarifying shampoo once a week
With the dry shampoo and deep conditioning treatments, it’s smart to use a clarifying shampoo about once a week. I generally will use the clarifying shampoo the same day I use the Panete Intensive Rescue treatment. I actually use Andrew’s clarifying shampoo and it works alright. I have also like the Neutrogena one in the past.
Trim off split ends as I see them
I trim off my own split ends as I see them. I haven’t been as good about this lately because I don’t have good haircutting scissors at home. It’s not a full trim like you’d get at the hair salon. I just find each individual split end and snip it off. You can watch this video if you are a visual learner like me.
Use a wet brush
I have been a huge fan of the Wet Brush for years now. I find that it helps me comb through my extremely tangle-prone hair without too much damage. The bristles on a Wet brush are really flexible so it doesn’t pull on your hair as you comb it.
Side note: If you have really tangly hair-like me, comb your hair working from the bottom moving upwards. It allows you to work through small knots versus one gigantic one. Also, I haven’t been using any leave-in products lately but when I do, it’s generally It’s A 10. That plus the Wet brush and technique combo makes my tangly hair easier to comb through without breakage.
Sleep with your hair in a braid
I know a lot of people like to sleep with their hair in a topknot but I’ve found that it actually causes more breakage for me. I prefer to sleep with my hair in a really loose braid instead. The bonus of wearing a braid to bed is that you’ll wake up with some wave in your hair. That being said, whenever I do sleep with my hair in a bun (either low or high), I always use a soft scrunchie to help minimize breakage.
How have you been taking care of your hair through the quarantine? Extra TLC? No need for heat tools? Or are you doing your full hair and makeup to fill time? Let me know! Until next time – Ana Luiza
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