Long Hair Washing Tips

One of the most common causes of long hair damage and breakage is related to excessive or improper washing or lack of proper conditioning.

1. Always detangle strands with a "long hair friendly" brush, comb or fingers before wetting or washing hair.

2. Detangle hair from ends to roots working with small sections at a time. Take your time and do not yank, pull or force the comb, brush or fingers through tangled strands.

3. Pre-treat dry, damaged or other challenged hair before applying water and/or shampoo products.

Note: Use a great pre-treatment oil such as jojoba or HairTopia Beautiful Hair Oil (BHO - my own private formula) which is chock full of long hair healthy essential oils and secret flower essence ingredients in a pure jojoba base.

Massage Beautiful Hair Oil or similar oil based products into the ends and dry sections. Apply a few drops to fingertips and massage into the scalp to stimulate natural oils.

4. When possible it is best to cleanse long hair in the shower rather than in the bathtub (where hair can absorb soap & other water scum) or a sink where hair can become more easily tangled in the drain.

5. Always cleanse with lukewarm NOT hot water.

One option is to use clean plastic bottles (empty Evian or similar bottles) pre-filled with lukewarm water. Douse dry hair completely with lukewarm water before applying shampoo formula.

Long hair experts have discovered that it is best to start with lots of water and some shower heads may not get strands wet enough before applying shampoo formulas which can dry out delicate long tresses.

Note: If you adore hot showers or baths, wrap dry strands in a thick terry cloth style turban to keep steam and heat out while you enjoy your hot soak.

6. Consider extending cleansing/shampoo periods so that hair is only washed only once or twice a week.

7. Experiment with alternate cleansing formulas such as:

• Conditioner/Shampoo/Conditioner Formula (CSC)

• Diluted Shampoo/Conditioner Formulas (DS/C)

• Conditioner Only Wash (COW)

• Water Only Cleanse/Leave-in Conditioner (WO/C)

8. Never apply shampoo, diluted shampoo or conditioners directly to the hair or the scalp.

Either apply shampoo to the palms of the hands and mix with water before drizzling onto wet scalp and strands or pour diluted formulations over the top of the head and as the suds flow down the ends, pat carefully into the tresses.

9. Massage scalp with the pads of your fingertips. Avoid scratching scalp which can cause long range problems.

10. Always work any lather or suds down the length of the strands as gently as possible.

11. Never pile wet hair on top of head as this will cause breakage.

12. Deep condition tresses on an "as-needed basis". Deep conditioning treatments should be focused on the middle and ends of the hair with the roots being excluded from direct product application.

13. Concentrate conditioner on hair from ear lobes down to the ends.

14. Rotate shampoo and conditioning products utilized for cleansing depending on seasons and overall behavior of your hair.

As an example, during hot summer months hair may need more moisture while in the Fall hair may need less moisture. Let your hair and how it behaves be your ultimate guide.

15. When possible, buy trial sizes of hair care products to experiment with on your own tresses. Always remember that what works on some hair types, textures and conditions will not necessarily work on others.

16. Rinse hair completely.

Consider the plastic bottle trick to make sure hair is dowsed well. Hair experts report that dry tresses and scalps are often the result of hair that has not been properly rinsed.

17. Always finish with a cool/cold water rinse to close the cuticle and help add natural shine.

To avoid blasting your body with a freezing spray, fill the handy clean plastic container with cool/cold water and then lean over at a 45 degree angle and pour hair from roots to ends. This prevents water from making contact with your body.

I have read sarcastic comments regarding this suggestion. I personally have done it for years with great results. However, it may not work for all. Remember, choose the tips that work best for you.