Get long hair fast. Part 2
How can I grow my hair longer and faster??? That is one of the most frequently asked questions i get into my mailbox! So about time to write an article on it. Growing long hair fast is as easy as 1,2,3 with my 3-step approach. It is all about the combination of 3 powerful building steps that go back to my 3-step system I describe in my book “The complete guide to healthy hair. A 3-step program to heal your hair.” (TIP: you can download a free sample copy if you subscribe to my newsletter!)
In part 2 on this topic I proceed with the second building block: your hair care routine: washing, conditioning and drying. I see so many women grow very long hair but their hair looks so dry and damaged that a haircut would be the best thing to do… I know from experience how difficult it is to grow long hair that looks good enough tos way around. Long hair requires extra good care. These are my thoughts on getting and especially keeping rapunzel-long hair.
Skip a wash and wash it right.Washing your hair too often (like every day) and using hot water on top of that will definitely dry out your hair and make it brittle. This can cause your hair to break, and as result will not exactly help you to get your hair growing long, thick and shiny. So what can you do? I always advice that you wash your hair no more than 3 times a week, ideally 2 times and use the coldest water that you can handle. Although too cold during the washing process will not be helpful to get out all the grease and dirt, so go for lukewarm…
- At first, if washing your hair less often makes it look a little greasy you can use brushing and dry shampoo as your healthy hair allies. First make use of the “grease” (called sebum) by brushing at least a 100 times to make use of the natural conditioning powers of this natural conditioner to nourish your hair. You can only do this with a very high quality hairbrush like from Delphin & Emerence. Then after those 100 strokes apply some high quality dry shampoo to the roots of your hair, let it work in for 1 minute and brush out (I love Moroccanoil and Klorane). Your scalp will get used to washing less and will start to produce less oil and if you hang in there things will balance out. It is the same with overwashing your face: it will result in more grease and pimples since your skin (scalp) screams moisture!!!
- Finish up your bi-weekly wash with a cold water rinse or a cold herbal rinse like I mention in my book “The complete guide to healthy hair”. (get a free sample here)
Be gentle on wet hair. Do you have the habit to towel dry your hair by rubbing it roughly, then brush it out with a comb (aaaaah!!!! Absolute horror!!), and blow it dry? Then I really must warn you that you’re breaking your hair! It won’t even get get a chance to grow long and strong, because you’re handling it the wrong way while it’s wet. If you wear an expensive wool sweater then you gently wash it and lay it flat to dry without stretching the delicate fibers to avoid stretching. Apply the same routine to your hair. Gently pat it dry with a towel and let it air dry.
- Don’t comb your hair while it’s wet. When hair is wet its fibers soak up moisture making them elastic, so when you comb you overstretch those delicate fibers resulting in damaged hair. If you need to detangle it, use your fingers or the only hairbrush I trust on my hair: the detangling brush from Delphin & Emerence which have been designed using a unique process which makes those brushes way more gentle but at the same time super effective to detangle with only a few strokes. (on wet hair I use the Mistletoe version, although dense curls and African-American need the Blackthorn model)
- Don’t blow dry your hair to often. Use it for that special occasion. Blow drying really does cause damage in the form of breakage, dry strands, frizz and split ends. Result: you’ll have to cut off those damaged parts since they will be irreversibly damaged: and then you’ll have to start all over again when you want that long, long Rapunzel hair.
Come back for some more tips in part 3 where I’ll tell you that your shampoo and conditioner might be the cause of your dry, brittle and dull hair. Follow my blog for more…
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