A Long Story

Caring for your long locks...

Growing long, beautiful and healthy hair is not a difficult process. It's more of a question of what you shouldn't do rather than what you should.

From Samson's long hair to Rapunzel's...to many people growing hair is something legendary but guess what it is not fairy tale at all!

Most of my life I've had long hair and let me tell you loving long locks and keeping it healthy is not that difficult after all. The following are hair care tips which I've found handy in keeping my long locks healthy for years now.

* Snip, snip! This is something I've learned the hard way I thought (like most people) that to grow one's hair means not cutting it cutting off. I was so wrong. If you want beautiful long hair, trim it for about half an inch once a month or within 2-3 months the most. That prevents you from growing split ends. Remember damaged hair doesn't grow, it breaks.

* You are what you eat! (So if you hair.) I have said this many times here...feeding your body what it needs to keep everything in working order helps us to have beautiful skin and hair.

Keep hydrated by drinking 8 - 10 glasses of water every day. Water will nourish the entire body from toes to the tips of our hair - one of the very best ways to take care of dry hair.

Following a healthy diet and a daily multi-vitamin to get good-for-your-hair trace minerals like Magnesium and Zinc will do wonders. Good diet especially with foods rich in essential omega-3 fatty acids, like salmon, tuna, flax seed oil and nuts are major building blocks of healthy hair, skin and nails. The hair (which is really 98 percent protein itself) needs protein to stay healthy; which we can easily supply by eating organic meats, nuts and seeds. Eggs and egg whites provide vitamin B12 and potatoes, bananas and oatmeal give us melanin-helper vitamin B6 which will give hair color a natural boost. Eliminating some food products, like wheat products, can also help fight and prevent scalp issues.

* Say no to harsh chemicals. This not only refers to hair dyes and other hair products used for styling but shampoos as well. Some hair shampoos contain sodium laureth sulfate, a harsh chemical used in dish detergents that is often added its lathering properties. This will strip and dry you hair.

One lesson I learned from my Mom is not to shampoo too frequently. I used to shampoo everyday as I don't feel like I've showered completely without washing my hair. Now I try to just do it every other day.

* Condition your hair! I use natural conditioner applied to my hair regularly in the shower. I try focusing on hair from my ear lobes down to the hair tips. I also use intensive conditioning treatment twice a month (or you can have your weekly, depending on your hair’s needs) and let it moisturize while covered with plastic wrap or a towel to retain heat for 10 - 15 minutes before rinsing in the shower.

The clue is the more you exposed your hair to harsh elements like heat and chemicals for styling, the more you need to condition and moisturize it.

* Invest on a good hair comb and brush. Yes...both! Quality hair brushes not only last years longer but will treat your delicate tresses properly, even with the most tangled hair. And use a wide tooth comb to detangle your strands. Avoid hair brushes with hard bulbs at the end, they’ll do more bad than good for your hair. Detangle hair from the tip to the root, focusing on a section at a time until you reach the scalp. Be gentle when detangling, pulling down on your hair too hard will cause breakage.

* Avoid having your hair tightly braided or even in having it in tight ponytail specially during sleep. The stress can cause breakage and/or hair loss.

* Don't rub your hair dry with a towel, instead blot the water out of your hair, when you rub, it'll cause hair to tangle.

* I also use silk pillow case. Using a satin or silk pillowcase where your hair will make it so that hair will slide across the pillowcase without getting caught. When I travel i either put my hair up in a ponytail on the top of my head with a scrunchie or specially treated band (that prevents breakage) or wrapped it with silk scarf.

* Brushing the hair is important because it spreads the the hair oils out across the length of our hair. Use long strokes starting from the roots of your hair when brushing and stroke your hand over your hair after you are done brushing to get rid of static.

And lastly be vigilant and watch out for your hair safety. With all of the potentially damaging elements around, taking a few simple steps to keep your scalp and hair out of harm’s way will pay off long-term. Before going swimming in a chlorinated swimming pool, wet your hair completely with tap water so your hair will soak up that water instead of the pool water. If you cannot pre-wet your hair, wear a swimming cap and wash your hair with shampoo immediately after. Before stepping into the pool be sure that your hair is not up in a rubber band to minimize breakage and hair damage. When outside on a sunny day, wear a hat as much as possible to protect your hair and delicate scalp from burning.

So that's it...my not so Wordless Wednesday entry for this Monday! LOL