I’ve been getting a lot of questions about my hair lately, so I thought I would do a little post about how I care for my hair and the process of growing it out over the years.
About two years ago I made a commitment to growing out my hair. I’ve always had medium-length hair and wanted long hair but was never able to get over them hump of mid-length hair. There have been about a thousand times in the last two years that I’ve been tempted to cut it (hello, postpartum hair loss!) but I made my husband hold me to my hair growth goals, which was good for warding off impulse chopping.
Care //
I wash my hair about 3 times/week, even less if I can make it a few more days between washings. Washing my hair less has been key to keeping it healthy. I usually blow dry it with a round brush the first day, then curl it the second day and put it up the third day which helps stretch the time between washes.
Although I used to hate getting my hair trimmed, I’ve acknowledged the fact that trims are a necessary part of growing out your hair in a healthy way, so I get it trimmed about four times a year. I ask for a “dusting” to make sure that my stylist doesn’t take too much length off.
Hair Care Products //
Shampoo ::
Living Proof Full Shampoo rotated with Head and Shoulders Dry Scalp Care (postpartum itchy scalp about did me in!)
Conditioner ::
Beautycounter Kidscounter Conditioner (the best for long hair!) rotated with Living Proof Full Conditioner
Post-Shower Products ::
Moroccan Oil on the ends of my hair after showering.
Beautycounter’s Sea Salt Style Spray when my hair is about 1/2 to 3/4 dry for volume.
Color //
After a very horrible experience in college with too-blonde hair, I came around to the idea that natural is better and looks better on me than platinum blonde ever will. I do a full-foil highlight every other time, alternating with a partial highlight. I color my hair every 10 weeks or so, sometimes more sometimes less, but usually not more than 12 weeks between appointments or things start to look a little funny.
My stylist does a mix of highlights and lowlights which match my natural color. Doing this helps my hair outgrowth not be as noticeable and looks more natural/blended than if I just did highlights. I might be wrong, but I think she also focuses more highlights around my face than in the back of my hair.
I think that’s it! My routine is super low maintenance, and with summer approaching I’m hoping to air dry my hair more frequently and use the blowdryer less. Once in a while I also do a hair mask and/or deep conditioner while I’m in the bath, and I try not to over-use any styling tools, running them lightly over my hair at a lower heat setting.
Madison