Caring for long hair can take a lot of time and effort. Life with long hair isn’t all tossing your locks in a slight breeze, supermodel style. Just washing and drying your hair can be a time consuming task!
Breakage can be a big problem with long hair. Here are some tips to reduce breakage:
- Don’t sleep with your hair in a tight braid or in a ponytail. That might help keep the tangles down, but it can put some serious stress on your hair.
- Any time your hair is in a ponytail or braided, make sure it isn’t too tight.
- Try to use hair accessories that will prevent breakage — like cloth scrunchies and other special products. Avoid metal clips and other hair accessories that will catch and snap your long hair.
- Use a pick or a wide-tooth comb instead of a brush. Brushes can stretch and stress your hair, causing breakages. Even your fingers are better than a brush.
- Don’t pull your hair! Yanking those tangles is only going to break your hair. Start towards the crown of the head and work your way carefully down to the ends.
- If you toss and turn in your sleep, try a satin or silk pillowcase instead of cotton. Hair can catch and snap on cotton pillowcases but will slide over satin or silk. You can also wear a scarf over your hair when you sleep, or put your hair up into a loose ponytail with a soft scrunchie or other hair accessory that reduces breakage.
Other long hair care tips:
- Trim your hair every three months or so (every twelve weeks) if you are trying to grow your hair longer — this will help keep split ends under control.
- Trim your hair every six to eight weeks if you are trying to maintain your length.
- Blot your hair dry with a towel, rather than rub vigorously. Rubbing can cause some serious tangles.
- Brush your hair daily, using long strokes to spread hair oils from the scalp down the length of the hair.