It is no secret that everyone envies the girls with long, beautiful hair. Have you ever wondered why you can’t have long and shiny strands like that too? Maybe it’s not because you weren’t born with perfect hair. Maybe you’re the problem. Your hair is only as good as the way you treat it. Here are 7 tips on how to get those movie star type of locks.
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1. Limit your heat
Using heat on the daily is definitely not a healthy habit for your hair. Hair is as delicate as fabric and should be treated as so. According to the Magazine of the Asphalt Institute, asphalt is laid at 275 to 320 degrees Fahrenheit. Now does that temperature sound okay to be using on your hair with straighteners and curling irons? Definitely not. If that hot of a temperature is being used to melt and pave asphalt, you should not be doing it to your delicate hair. Limiting blow drying is important too. Try to use less heat on your hair and let it go natural. Natural hair is beautiful hair.
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2. Use heat styling products
Okay, so if you do happen to use heat on your precious hair, make sure to use heat styling products. Yes, that’s right. The beauty industry created products specifically for protection against heat styling. They have products to prime for a blow dry as well as products to spray in before curling or straightening. My personal favorite product is the Redken Iron Shape 11. I spray this on before curling or straightening my hair and then comb it through. It can be purchased at ULTA or CVS.
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3. Try to not to color or highlight too much
I absolutely love getting my hair colored and highlighted. It is one of my favorite things. However, it is not good to do this too often. Although you leave the salon looking refreshed with silky and shiny hair, you have still just let harsh chemicals process on your hair for thirty minutes to an hour. Try to limit the number of times you do this. There are many hair colors and highlighting trends that help us to do so while still looking good. Ask your stylist about ombré and balayage the next time you are in the chair. These techniques allow you to let your roots grow out and look natural when doing it. Also, after color and highlights, make sure to use conditioning treatments to help strengthen the now weakened hair. This leads me to the next one…
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4. Conditioner, conditioner, conditioner
Conditioning your hair is very important in the routine of hair care. It should be used after every shampoo to nourish your hair, making it silky and smooth. Using at home deep conditioning treatments would benefit your hair even more. They can be purchased at hair salons or drug stores. Apply it to your hair after a shampoo and leave it on for 5 to 7 minutes while you are shaving your legs or contemplating life. A great one, if you don’t mind the cost, is Pureology Hydrate Superfood Treatment and can be found at ULTA.
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5. Don’t wash your hair too much, don’t wash your hair too little
Washing your hair too much could be drying it out. It is not good to wash it every day because it strips it of the natural oils. With that being said, it is also not good to not wash your hair enough. We get a lot of dirt and oils from the world around us which could cause damage as well. It is important to find a healthy balance of washing your hair every 2 to 3 days. Purchasing a dry shampoo is essential for those days that you don’t wash it. I would recommend Batiste which can be purchased at Target or CVS.
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6. Wear your hair down
Ponytails and buns are a factor that damage hair. Pulling your hair up and tying it together with a hairband can cause breakage. Hair bands are not your friend. Wearing it down allows for it to be free and won’t cause breakage and flyaways like wearing it up does. However, if you must wear your hair up, go for a low braid instead of that high ponytail. It allows your hair to be down but also out of your face. There are many different types of braids and styles that you can find on Pinterest or Youtube.
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7. Get your haircut
One of the biggest misconceptions about growing out hair is that you shouldn’t get your haircut. This is absolutely wrong and anyone who tells you this doesn’t know what they’re talking about. Hair is prone to split ends due to our daily abuse of it. If you let your hair grow and never get a trim, your split ends will split further and further up your hair. Not only will your hair look unhealthy and frizzy, but you will also need to get more hair cut off than intended when you actually get a cut so that you can get rid of those split ends. Now wouldn’t it be better to just get some trims every few months so that this doesn’t happen? I think so.
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Be kind to your hair and you’ll be getting loads of compliments on your gorgeous and healthy mane in no time at all!
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