Long Hair Care

 I have long hair. When down and out of the braid I keep it in, it nearly hits my waist. I quite literally have it up or in a braid almost all week, with the exception of when I wash it. Today I have found some nifty tips on what to do with super long hair. 

Photo by The Freckled Fox

In the general sense, thick long hair is great to have, yet takes work to take care of. I love my hair being long and it makes different hairstyles possible. I only wash it once a week and have my husband braid it (because he's so good at making the braid last) to keep it from tangling. Even then it tangles after five or so days of being up. I sleep in this braid, for reference. (If I'm not supposed to do that, well, too bad. I work in foodservice. It makes it easier to wear a hairnet.)

I did some research on how we're supposed to care for long hair. This is everything that I found. 

General Care

When you brush your hair go from the bottom to the top, working your way up. It doesn't rip out hair nearly as much. Also, finding a brush that gets through your hair with minimal pulling is key. Quite frankly, my hair is so thick that I brush out my hair before a shower to make sure I don't have to detangle while my hair is wet. I may brush the conditioner through the hair, but by then there aren't tangles left to brush out. I have a paddle brush for my hair. 

If you use heat, get a protective spray before you do. Heat can do a lot of damage to your hair, especially when heat is used when your hair is damp or wet (don't do this). It's worth protecting your hair from heat. I think you can kill your hair with heat. 

Washing your hair is good, but not every single day. Don't overwash your natural oils out of your hair. They recommend 2 to 3 times a week. Speaking of how to wash your hair, shampoo only goes on your scalp. Conditioner is for the length of your hair. Rinse with cool water for less tangles and breakage. 

Sleep with it in a messy bun or a loose braid to prevent tangles. Sleeping with hair down will cause massive tangles (and I should know). You're also supposed to brush it out consistently. I kind of fail at that, but only because I keep it back and out of my face all the time. The research I found suggested braids for long hair. I did that right, at least.

Detangling is best done gently. For me, it takes a while. It was suggested that you distract yourself with music or audiobooks and do it, which means you don't yank your hair. Don't be afraid to use your fingers to detangle slowly. Wide-tooth comb from bottom to top. Do this before a shower or you'll find they are worse. 

 Simple Hairstyles

Photo by
love hairstyles

Keeping your hair out of your face is a struggle. You can't keep it down all the time. I found some cute styles that don't take forever to do. We're busy people and have places to be. I especially sleep in. Thus I stick to my braid. 

Bobby pins (the ones for thick hair) are great for pinning it out of your eyes. Pull it half-up using them or just pull back your bangs with them so you can see without brushing them away. 

You can literally dress up a ponytail with a bandana, ribbon, or colorful cloth wrapped around it. Add a flower and you achieve the same thing. Braids can get fancy with added ribbon, cloth, and clips (flowers or otherwise), so don't think too hard. A bow also looks cute with braids and ponytails. Buns and clips, ribbons, and scarves are cute, too. 

You can take a large clip and make it a ponytail or half-up (I suggest Lila Rose clips for thick hair). I discovered that you can create a bun by using one of those premade bun shapers. All you have to do is pull a ponytail through it, take a hair tie and secure the hair around it, then tuck in ends. I used to take a claw clip and use it to attach the bottom of my ponytail against my head (only now my hair is too heavy). 

Fancy braids like fishtail braiding are easy and look fantastic, professional even. I did that all the time for theatre - but never did I leave this one in for more than one day. 

Easiest one yet, flip your part and create more volume on one side than the other. Cute, nice, and even elegant. Just brush it out, in case of tangles. 

The Freckled Fox has some simple, bohemian hairstyles that I like, especially for long hair. They also don't take forever and a day. The bohemian side braid is my favorite. 

Sources:

https://www.luxyhair.com/blogs/hair-blog

30 Quick and Easy Hairstyles for Long Hair (byrdie.com)