Maintaining Beautiful Long Hair

The thought of caring for long hair has long been the cause of headaches for many people. It sounds much harder than it can be. If you get to know your hair and the products you use on it, you will be able to protect it from unnecessary damage. Here are a few easy tips for healthy long hair:

• Stimulating. Blood flow to the hair follicles leads to healthier hair. When you wash your hair use your fingertips to stimulate your scalp by rubbing it to increase the blood flow. You can also do this while brushing your hair by brushing your scalp too. Another way to stimulate you scalp is to slide your fingers into your hair at the roots and gently pull. A healthy blood flow will not only mean stronger hair but less dandruff as well.
• Washing. When you are washing your hair you want to apply the shampoo only to the roots and scalp. After working that into a lather rinse your hair. The shampoo will run through the end, this is usually enough cleansing for the lower part of your hair. If you feel you need a little more than that you can work the lather through the ends. This is to keep your ends from drying out too much. Shampooing too often dries out the hair so give your hair a rest and go a day without washing it. This will allow the natural oils to permeate your hair and moisturize it.
• Conditioning. Conditioner should be applied to the lower part of your hair, work it through the ends. It is not necessary to apply it to the roots. You can use just conditioner some days in lieu of shampooing and conditioning. Occasionally a deep conditioning treatment can be used to treat specific hair issues. You will find these in drugstores located with the other conditioners. Try to learn a little about what ingredients are in your shampoos and conditioners. The knowledge will help you choose better products.
• Styling. When it comes to brushing your hair it is best not to use a brush but a wide toothed comb to get knots out. They do much less damage than a brush. If you like brushes however, try using a boar bristle brush. These are not as hard on your hair as other brushes and will help to distribute oils more evenly. Trimming your hair every couple of months promotes healthier and longer hair. Heat styling products like curling irons, straighteners, and blow-dryers can do extensive damage if used too much. They weaken your hair leading to more breakage than is natural. Curlers are a great way to get a cute style with minimal damage to your hair.

Healthy hair grows faster and longer than damaged hair. Care for your long hair properly and you will see a difference in health and length.