Hi, I am penning down some hair care habits from my own routine. These have worked for me and you might like to incorporate a few into yours. I believe these will help you feel motivated to kick start your hair growth journey, taking one step at a time.
What are long haired women doing different?
I made this blog post since there are countless articles/video content on hair growth online that talks about which herbs grow hair etc - but not many that covers the LONG HAIR basics. The basics that you can follow, mostly without even involving a product. The basics that do not cost you a fortune, but your time and passion for your hair. It's not all genetics, so do not give up please. I will write a separate post on this soon.
These are from my own routine and they worked out for me over the years of my experience as an hair care enthusiast. They worked for numerous of my clientele.
Before reading..
Please know you do not have to follow everything at once, but follow as many as you can and build them into your habits slowly rather than imposing themselves on you.
Hair care is self care. ♡
Every action you take is a vote for the person you wish to become. We think we need to change our results, but the results are not the problem. What we really need to change are the systems that cause those results.
- Atomic Habits by James Clear
- keep your scalp clean.
- keep your hair free from tangles.
- scalp health = foundation of your long hair goals.
- a healthy scalp wouldn't flake, crust, itch or sore.
- frequent tangling leads to breakage and density loss.
- consistent deep oiling heals the driest of scalps.
- study oiling methods to reduce mechanical damage by 90%
- dilute your shampoo every time. focus on the scalp.
- go easy on the lengths. do not shampoo lengths often.
- oil at least twice a week to retain your scalp & hair health.
- avoid frequent haircuts, no matter how tempting the trend is.
- do not go months without trimming. (you will lose length to splits)
- do micro trims once in 1-2 months to thicken up your hemline.
- choose the right scissors. a sharp one. (to prevent split ends)
- slightly oil your ends soon after trimming.
- try to keep the style & hemline classic.
- most long hair women maintain a straight/slightly U hemline
- feather, step or layer cuts make your ends highly damage-prone.
- don't do harsh hair experiments. respect your hair & its texture.
- always use organic, unprocessed oils. preferably edible grade.
- do not play with essential oils. do not burn your scalp.
- oils do not trigger dandruff. The right oils heal the scalp & retain length.
- pre-poo consistently. I like to leave mine 1-2 hours, sometimes overnight.
- don't be afraid to leave the oil overnight. (it does wonders in softening!)
- oil your hair even if it's just a minute before a shampoo.
- but never, ever shampoo unoiled (unprotected) hair.
- don't pile up wet hair over your scalp after conditioning.
- the conditioner residue can trigger dandruff/SD in some.
- don't wring your hair with a rough towel. use soft fabric or nothing.
- finger comb gently to remove tangles when the conditioner is on.
- air dry soon after hair wash - the hydrogen bonds set in.
- invest in silk or satin scrunchies & pillow cases.
- change your pillow cases frequently to avoid scalp infections.
- keep your hair in protective styles/braids. preferably loose.
- limit ponytails (as heavier your hair gets) or do them rarely.
- keep your comb wide toothed, clean & hygienic.
- detangle at least once every day. I detangle twice.
- switch to soft water for washing hair if you have access.
- do the last rinse (every-time) with drinking water, if you cannot.
- increase your protein intake and track your shed rate post that.
- if you notice an unusual shed rate, get a blood work done first.
- vitamin D3, B12 deficiency & thyroid imbalance are common culprits.
- supplement with food or capsules, only after consulting your doc.
- protect your hair from sunlight. carry a scarf with you.
- look for coppery discoloration in hair. (could be hard water)
- wear protective styles/braids if you need serious length retention.
- never sleep with wet hair. air dry under a fan.
- the longer my hair grew, the earlier I started washing it. rarely at night.
- don't use sealing oils on dry hair. research on oils if doubtful.
- source your oils from a very trusted source. or stick to edible oils.
- herbs when used in the right ratio/combinations, does miracles.
- wash your hair with plain water if you get wet in rain.
- saturate hair well with oil & wear a cap before swimming.
- be extremely gentle with your hair while detangling
- if your scalp is dehydrated, seal in with 6 drops of oil post wash.
- tolerate dirty/tangled hair only if you're too sick. do not make it a habit.
- my curly hair clients use our infusion for SOTC. to achieve a gloss.
- if your hair is curly, learn curly hair care basics, do not straighten it.
- if you're too stubborn on rebonding your hair, learn proper hair care first.
- rebonding hair and not investing on hair care = crunchy hair + hair loss.
- start clicking a photograph of your hair on a wash day. EVERY MONTH.
to be continued...
P.S: At this moment, I am consumed on my pinterest inspired DIY projects for setting up my office space. Once it is complete, I will come back to write the rest of this blog post. Please visit again. Meanwhile, you can send me your length progress and make me happy. Email me at lanceekcv@gmail.com or whatsapp +919043857295. I love receiving your hair growth updates.
Thank you 😊