Long Hair Tips: Maintain Long Hair Naturally

Looking for long hair tips? You’ve come to the right place. There is a simple truth when it comes to caring for long hair. Long hair needs proper maintenance. Take time to look after it and you’ll be rewarded with hair that looks and feels great, plus it can be healthy too.  We’ve been working with hair for more years than we care to remember and whilst long hair requires more maintenance, it’s worth putting the time in to get the swishy, shiny hair you’ve always wanted. Build a good long hair care routine and once you get into the rhythm of a weekly routine, you’ll find it’s easy to maintain.

So, without further ado, here are our top long hair tips to get your long hair in the best condition.

Long Hair Tips

Get it Trimmed Regularly

Yes, you have long hair. No, this doesn’t mean that you only need to visit the hairdresser once a year. Long hair needs regular trims to prevent split ends, which can make hair look frizzy and become weak and brittle. Visit your hairdresser about every 6-8 weeks for a trim. Regular trims will rejuvenate your hair and keep the style looking sharp.

We’ve written a piece on split ends which is worth taking a look at. Long hair is more prone to split ends so you may want to do some further reading if this is a concern for you. The reason split ends are particularly problematic for long hair is that, if left unchecked, split ends can ride up the hair shaft. Find our expert tips for tackling split ends in our blog, How to Get Rid of Split Ends and Prevent their Return.

Wash and Condition Long Hair Regularly

We know (and sympathise) that washing long hair can add precious time to your already crammed mornings, but regular shampooing and conditioning is essential to keep long hair looking healthy and shiny. Greasy long hair attracts dirt and without regular cleansing and conditioning hair can become seriously dull. Maintain your shine with good quality hair products that look after the health of your hair. That way you can make the most of your tresses, as you swing those lovely long locks.

Give your Hair a Treat

Indulge in deep conditioner and you will reap the rewards with hair that is hydrated and healthy to its very core. It will be the best use of 10 minutes and you get to sit back and relax; what’s not to love? We are huge fans of deep conditioning and it’s one our most important long hair tips. We’ve written plenty about hair masks and deep conditioners so here are a couple of articles if you’d like to find out more.

Say NO to Dry Hair with a Moisturising Hair Mask. Find out why pro vitamin b5, glycerin and cetearyl alcohol are the ingredients that your hair is crying out for.

Got questions about deep conditioners? We answer your questions in our blog, Deep Hair Conditioner, Your Questions Answered for everything you need to know about deep conditioning.

Choose the Right Hairbrush

It can be tempting to rake a brush through your hair then dash out the door. Our advice? Don’t. Rough brushing is the fastest way to break your hair and since you’ve spent so long growing those lovely locks, take some time for gentle brushing. Choose the right brush for your hair. If you have long, straight hair, try the Paddle Brush. With padding at the back and shorter bristles, they are gentle on long lengths of hair. The bristles are the same size so it will prevent tangling and this brush is great for increasing shine. For long, wavy hair the round brush is the best choice.

Give Heat the Cold Shoulder

With so much hair to blow-dry or style with heated appliances, it stands to reason that you are going to be applying harsh heat to your hair for a longer time. To minimise heat damage, turn down the heat on your hairdryer and at least once a week, let your hair air-dry and give your heated stylers the cold shoulder. Try not to over-dry your hair. If you are not sure if you are over-drying your hair, time how long you dry your hair for on a normal day. The next day reduce that time by 1 minute and see what difference it makes to your hair. You can keep doing this every day until you find the right amount of drying time for your hair. Chances are, by going through this process you’ll find your hair needs less drying time than you think.

We recommend Styling Mist for Glossy Finish when blow-drying your hair. You can give damp hair 2-3 spritzes of Glossy Mist before you blow-dry your hair. It contains sugar beet to help hair retain moisture and combat the dry effects of blow-drying hair. Plus it contains pro vitamin b5 to condition hair along with tiny bubbles of argan oil and keratin that temporarily seal split ends. It leaves hair with a seriously shiny finish.

Long Hair Tips: Your Questions, Answered

How do you condition long hair?

When conditioning long hair, it’s good to treat it like your most delicate item of clothing. We are talking that beautiful silk dress or that soft cashmere sweater that you love to pair with your favourite jeans. Hair is a delicate natural fabric and gentle is the watchword when caring for your hair.

Follow these simple steps when conditioning long hair.

1. After shampooing and rinsing, gently squeeze the excess water out of your hair. A microfibre towel is a good choice here. The smooth surface of the fabric will protect the hair shaft and prevent damage to the hair.
2. One excess water has been removed from the hair, its time to get to work with the conditioner. Start by applying a small amount of conditioner into the palm of your hands and rub the conditioner between your palms. This will warm up the product and help to ensure you get an even spread of conditioner on your hair.
3. Start at the ends of your hair and working your way up. Gently feed the conditioner into the ends of your hair and move towards the mid-lengths. If you need more conditioner, simply add more. Layering product in this way is a good way of ensuring you don’t overload the hair with excess conditioner.
4. Leave your conditioner on for longer. This is not one of those essential long hair tips, but leaving your conditioner on for a couple of minutes will give hair an extra boost. Our natural conditioning ingredients are designed to feed the hair and give it the moisture it craves. So whilst not essential, leaving the conditioner on for a little longer is definitely beneficial.
5. Rinse the conditioner from the hair using warm water. Avoid washing your hair in high temperatures. Heat in any form, whether it’s from the tap or the hairdryer can be drying for hair. So simply avoid excessive heat.
6. Once rinsed, its time to reach out for your microfibre towel again. Gently blot the water out of the hair, being careful not to rub. Start at the ends and gently work you way up the hair. You are ready to go, style as normal.

How do you maintain long hair naturally?

Follow our long hair tips for the best way to maintain long hair naturally.

1. Get rid of split ends with regular trims.
2. Shampoo and condition hair regularly with good quality products.
3. Treat long hair to a weekly deep condition to maintain moisture.
4. Choose the right hairbrush. A paddle brush for long, straight hair or a round brush for long hair with waves.
5. Reduce the amount of heat you apply to hair and choose styling products that condition the hair.

Is long hair healthy?

Long hair can be healthy. However it is more prone than shorter hair to become dry and, as we’ve said above, it can be prone to split ends, becoming brittle and even breakage. This can absolutely be avoided with the right hair care routine. Follow our long hair tips above to develop your own routine of looking after your long hair.

How do you take care of long thick hair?

If your long hair is thick or coarse, chances are the biggest challenge is preventing it from becoming dry. That’s because thick and coarse hair types are more prone to becoming dry. So, that means your focus should be on adding moisture at every opportunity.

1. Every time you shampoo your hair, follow with a good quality moisturising conditioner.
2. Leave the conditioner in for longer if you can. Let thick hair soak up the nourishing ingredients before you rinse.
3. Shampoo and condition hair regularly. Long, thick hair needs plenty of moisture so regular conditioning with a quality product is key.
4. Choose a microfibre towel to gently blot water our of your hair after rinsing. This helps to avoid roughing up the cuticle and damaging the hair.
5. Choose styling products that add moisture to the hair. This is a great opportunity to add moisture to the hair and helps with preventing heat damage.
6. Use a weekly deep conditioner to add extra moisture to long, thick hair. If the hair is excessively dry you can use Restore and Shine Hair Masque twice a week for a couple of weeks and then revert back to once a week.
7. Avoid overbrushing the hair and if the hair is curly, there is no need to brush. You can get rid of tangles, after washing, by gently feeding your conditioner into the ends and mid-lengths of the hair using your fingers.
8. To add moisture to long, thick hair in between washes, try mixing a little bit of Hydrate and Shine Conditioner with some water. Then work up in between your hands and feed and smooth into the hair.