7 tips for long shiny hair

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How cool is this wall behind me? Detroit has some of the most beautiful art and architecture I’ve ever seen. It has a certain je ne sais quoi. Over the last couple of years, I have really come to appreciate art, its really a beautiful thing you see; as I get older, I realize life is in so many ways, like art. We’re wonderfully and uniquely made. We all have a different story to tell. In life its important to slow down, pause and enjoy the art that life brings to us in our every day lives. Lets be honest, life can be filled with a lot of good, things we can’t make sense of, and nonsense too. We have to find balance. By taking a step back, a deep breath and realizing all of the beautiful things in front of us.

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Some questions I commonly get asked are what I use for styling and growing long shiny hair. After years of trial and error I finally discovered what works best for me. I think the biggest thing I’ve learned is preventing breakage or split ends and encouraging hair growth. Some of these you may already know.

1. Take a multi vitamin containing biotin and vitamin E. I take the multi because you’re getting everything, all in one. Instead of purchasing each one separate.

2. Try not to apply heat often. I noticed when I blow dried, straightened, curled, or even colored my hair often; I had more split ends and my hair wasn’t as shiny. I think the heat causes the most damage. In the summer time its a lot easier to avoid using it because hair tends to frizz in humidity anyway. When your hair is overly damaged it can be dull, lack luster, look frizzy and overall very difficult to style. Even with my hair as long and heavy as it is, I can still keep in a wave or curl for hours without much product. I think that has a lot to do with the health of your hair.

3. Wash your hair less. I wash my hair every 2 to 3 days. You can use dry shampoo in between washings. Your hair needs the natural oils to grow. If it’s too dry from washing it everyday, your roots can’t get the nutrients it needs. Pay close attention to dandruff. That’s a tale-tell sign your scalp is too dry. If you don’t wash it enough that can also backfire and cause too much oil to accumulate leaving you with oily hair. It’s finding your perfect balance that is key.

3. I go to bed with wet hair and let it air dry by morning. Before I go to bed, I use a shining serum and leave-in conditioner. I run my fingers through it concentrating on the ends. I use a wide-tooth comb to carefully and gently comb through the tangles. If it isn’t tangled I’ll skip the combing and wait until morning when it’s dry to comb through. Some of my favorite leave-in conditioner sprays are made by the Moroccan oil brand. My sister-in-law mentioned wet-brushes are great for wet hair and tangles. So if you must brush, invest in a good wet brush.

4. When I get all dressed up I love the loose waves that add volume to your hair. I use leave-in rollers or a styling wand depending on how I feel that day.

5. If I get lazy and don’t want to put much effort into my hair the next day. I’ll just braid my wet hair the night before. In the morning, I’ll remove the braids and spray some sea-salt wave mist for beachy tousled waves.

6. Get in the habit of using heat protectant. I try to use a heat protectant whenever I apply heat to my hair to reduce damage.

7. Massage your scalp. Messaging improves blood flow and promotes new hair growth. You can do this while doing a deep conditioning treatment. Or even in the shower when you wash your hair.