Sunday 7 February 2016

H A I R G R O W I N G T I P S: The hair rules I stick to


Once upon a time (3 1/2 - 4 years ago) I had my hair cut, right up to my collar bone. I actually cried. I hated it. First thing I did was invest in a brand new set of hair extensions so I could hide the trauma. Seems I did this successfully, because no one remembers my short hair phase. Unfortunately I do have the photos to prove it.
From then I refused to have my hair cut and I was adamant to get it longer. Sooner the better. I tried all kinds of things from horse shampoo - for actual horses, to hair, skin and nail supplements. Obviously it didn't make much difference, so I took a slightly different approach. Ive written a list of all the things that I do now without even thinking about. You can put the most expensive, highest rated product on your hair but if you aren't REALLY looking after it then I'm sorry to say you're wasting your sweet, sweet time.


The Progress ...

BEFORE- 3 & 1/2 years ago


AFTER - 2 weeks ago



1) Shampoo your roots only. 
No I don't mean just wet and wash your roots, wet the whole of your hair but rub your shampoo only into your roots. Give yourself a head massage while your at it. When you wash the shampoo out of the top of your hair, it will be enough to swill out the excess oil and products in the lengths of your hair too, without causing dry, over washed split ends. 


2) Do not brush your hair while its wet. 
This is criminal. Treat your hair like wet tissue. It's extra fragile when it's wet you'll just snap it making your hair frizzy, thin and short. 


3) Invest in a hair turban. 
People that jump out the shower grab and towel and frantically rub their hair are just asking for trouble. Just shave your hair off now. You're ruining it! Give it a squeeze with your towel to get the excess water out, then wrap it in a hair turban. By the time you've dried your body and moisturised your hair will be drip free. 


4) Blow dry on cold. 
Personally, I try not to blow dry my hair at all. Letting it dry naturally is so much better. However, if you really have to, if you're in a rush, use the coolest setting on your dryer. It will take a bit longer but 'Rome wasn't built in a day'. 


5)  Avoid heat. 
Everyone knows by now that hot hair styling tools are bad news. They burn and dry out hair. I do use them, it's almost impossible to quit but I try to keep my hair heat free at least 3 days a week and when I do use them I always use heat spray to protect it. 


6) Invest in a tangle teaser. 
Nothing hurts me more then when I see someone brushing their hair with a paddle brush and I can literally hear the strands snapping. A tangle teaser is an easy way to avoid that unnecessary snapping and I always brush from the bottom up. If you brush from the top all the way down you'll push your knots to the bottom and your hair will snap at the ends. 


7) Avoid hair dye. 
I used to dye my hair so often, box dyes & at the hair dressers, my hair was so dry. It's basically killing your hair. You wouldn't put hair dye on your face so why are you putting it on your scalp? Not only is it drying out your precious locks, you're effecting the growth of your hair at the roots. Stop stop stop.
 I very ungraciously let my bright blonde hair dye grow out and 3 years later I've got about 3 inches of it left... But my hair is healthier and it grows faster, so I think I'm winning. 


8) Get a silky bed hat. 
I got one of these for about £2 brand new on eBay. When you're in bed fidgeting around, you know you'll wake up with a nest-head that you'll desperately try to brush out in time for work. This will cause endless amounts of split ends & you want to avoid getting split ends at all costs. Plus, if you sleep in a bed hat you can style your hair the night before, wake up with it still neat and have an extra half hour lie in. Ladies, this is a winner. 


9) Avoid product build up. 
When you use loads of products, synthetic shampoos, hair gels, sprays, conditioners etc. Your hair gets clogged with all of the residue left over and you can't wash it out with shampoo because the silicone in shampoo is just adding to it! So ... Get in the kitchen and grab the baking/bicarbonate soda, a dessert spoon should be enough. Wet your hair and use the soda as a shampoo. Once you're done your hair will feel horrible but that's fine. When you normally wash your hair and it feels silky when you rinse it out, that's just the silicone coating to make you a satisfied customer. To make your hair feel normal again after the soda, use a natural conditioner and leave it in for 10 minutes. I'd recommend doing this no more than every 6 months, you don't want to strip your natural oils. 


10) Invest in an intense conditioner. 
Once a week, I'll lather my hair with Hair Candy, my favourite hair treatment. I'll put my bed hat on and go to bed then wash it out in the morning. This conditioner is my
Favourite because it helps your hair repair as it is protein based. Hair is made out of protein so make sure you  eat lots of meat and use Hair Candy weekly to give your locks a special treat. 



I hope these tips help! It's always good to take progress photos or at least be aware of how long your hair is getting. You can't get long hair in a week so give it time and patience. Having the ends trimmed off every 12 weeks at most is plenty when you're growing your hair. If you look after your super swishy soft hair the less you'll need to pay for a hair cut- Another bonus!

Don't waste all of your £ on growth products, just use your noggin and look after what you were given! 
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2 comments

  1. These tips are great. I'm getting sewn in extensions in a week and I need all the tips I can get in treating my hair well.

    Thanks xo

    Katie | www.JustKatiee.com XX

    ReplyDelete
  2. No problem! I hope they help.I love extensions. I still wear them sometimes to make my hair thicker. X

    ReplyDelete

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