Longer Hair

TIPS FOR GROWING OUT YOUR HAIR

If you’re looking for some tips for growing out your hair, here are some great options to help you along the way. Growing your hair out comes down to pure science. After that, it is quite simple. No worries, you don’t need to resort to pricey extensions to get those long, luxurious locks.

Eat Protein

One of the first tips for growing your hair out is eating plenty of protein. Your hair is basically made of protein, so skimping in this department slows down collagen production, which can actually stunt the growth of your hair. Eat at least 20-30 grams per meal. You may even lose a little weight since protein satisfies you more than fat or carbs.  Fish, eggs, organic chicken, raw protein powder, organic Greek yogurt, nuts and seeds are some great protein sources. Depending on your diet, choose the ones that work for you.

Take Biotin

Biotin is a great supplement if you want long and healthy hair. Biotin is also great for your skin and nails. Biotin is a B vitamin, so your body can’t get too much of it and will excrete the excess itself. Biotin is found in foods like eggs, fish, nuts and seeds. I like supplements that are extra strength, such as 5000 mcg.  Biotin strengthens the hair and helps it grow since it aids in collagen production, preventing the breakdown of proteins.

 Avoid Excessive Heat

Put away all those hair tools for awhile, give yourself and your hair a break. If you’re brave, let your hair air dry instead of using your blow dryer. Anything you can do to reduce heat, tugging, and overly brushing your hair will help it grow faster.

 Leafy Greens

Leafy greens are not just great for your body, but they are also great for your hair. Leafy greens are rich in iron, folate, Vitamin E and some B vitamins. Some like spinach are also a great source of protein. Leafy greens nourish your cells on a deep level and keep you beautiful in all areas.

 Nuts and Seeds

Nuts and seeds like almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds and hemp seeds are also excellent for your hair. These foods are rich in three key nutrients that your hair needs for growth and strength, including zinc, selenium and B vitamins. Their healthy fats also help your hair stay moist to prevent breakage.

Coconut Oil

Put about a nickel size of coconut oil on your hands and rub them together. Then, comb through your hair, mainly on the ends of your hair and in the back after drying it to seal in moisture. I don’t recommend putting it at the scalp if you’ve already washed your hair since it might make it look oily. You can also use it as a hair mask and wash it out if you want. By not washing it out, the oil has time to set in and really do its thing.

Avoid Sugar

Sugar, along with alcohol and too much caffeine, are horrible for your hair. These three things break down collagen at alarming rates and can increase acne, hair breakage, and pretty much make you unhealthy overall. They also lead to mood swings, which promote stress. When you are stressed, collagen immediately breaks down in your body faster than any other time. Anything you can do to de-stress is also recommended, like yoga, walking or spending time with friends.

 Commit 

By far, one of the biggest things that us girls do when we are growing our hair out is get bored. We want a new style and so we change it, and typically chop it off. If you want long hair, you've got to commit to not cutting it completely off and just getting regular trims! 

 Don't Shampoo Everyday

If you are one of those people that shampoo your hair every single day and you are trying to grow your hair out, stop! Shampooing your hair every single day is actually going to take away all of those beautiful natural oils that you've built there. Give your hair a schedule and shampoo it every other day.

Tie Your Hair up

Tying your hair up is another great way that a lot of people don't think about when they are growing out their hair! Tying up your hair causes a better flow of oxygen to the outside of your hair and stimulates the follicles!

 Argon Oil

Argon oil isn't exactly a treatment, it's something that you can leave in and it's fantastic for your hair, and helps grow it out! Just a bit on the ends, a bit through it twice or three times a week and you'll love your new long hair!

Deep Condition Treatment

When you are trying to grow your hair out, the health of your hair is very, very important to take care of your hair, so you've got to make sure that you are deep conditioning too! Remember the coconut oil? You can use that or your favorite conditioner!

Massage Scalp

Stimulating the hair follicles is most important, so giving yourself an awesome scalp massage is huge! Just twice or three times a week, fifteen minutes or so and you'll see huge results!

 

Over Processed Hair

 CARING FOR OVER-PROCESSED HAIR

Caring for over-processed hair is important, especially if you want to get those lovely locks back into shape. It takes time and effort, but it can be done.  Here's how to care for over-processed hair and making it look healthy, shiny, and vibrant again.

STOP WHAT YOU’RE DOING

When you’re first caring for over-processed hair, you have to ditch some of your hair habits. If you spend a lot of time coloring or bleaching your hair yourself, you’ll just keep damaging your already over-processed tresses. Make sure you have a professional working with you to make those strands healthy again. Try to step away from your blow dryer and your flat iron as well. If you simply have to use your tools, be smart about it: cool settings on the dryer and keep the straightening to a minimum.

DITCH THE SULFATES

Make sure none of your hair care products have sulfates in them. Your shampoo definitely shouldn't  but check your conditioner and your styling products as well. Sulfates dry out your hair horribly, so if you keep using sulfate-based products, you’ll also keep doing damage.

CONDITION X 3

Conditioning is the key to treating your over-processed hair. You have to condition with a rinse-out conditioner when you bathe or shower, but that’s just the beginning. Use a leave-in conditioner a few times a week, and give your hair deep conditioning treatments once a week. It seems like a lot of work but you’ll quickly see and feel improvements.

ADD EXTRA PROTEIN

Dry, damaged, over-processed hair needs protein. During your weekly hair care regimen, make sure you add a protein treatment into the mix. Check out our Joico K-Pak line. When you apply it, you have to make sure you get full coverage and then leave it in for 15 minutes or so. If your hair has gotten really weak, this should strengthen it.

BEAT THE HEAT

Stay away from the heat! At the very least, stop blow drying your hair for a while. Even if you can only manage to do it a few times a week, towel dry your hair, then let it air dry the rest of the way. Change up your routine if it helps, and start showering at night instead of in the morning. If you have to straighten your hair, either look for no heat methodsm or keep your flat iron on a much lower setting.

TRIM YOUR SPLITS

Make sure you go get your split ends trimmed on a regular basis, every 6-8 weeks. You might have to do it more than once in a relatively short amount of time, but you’ll be glad to get rid of the damage. Don't wait month's at a time, especially if you're trying to grow your hair out.  Remember keeping up with your trims helps you grow your hair out faster. If you have ton's of split ends they will just keep splitting and it will take forever to see good results for length.

PROTECTION AND PREVENTION

When your hair is over-processed, you have to be vigilant. If you’re out and about, even on a cloudy day, protect your hair from the sun in any way you can. You should also use protective products, just make sure they’re incredibly gentle. We have a great variety of heat protective styling products. Ask your hair professional when at your next salon visit.

how TO STRENGTHEN YOUR HAIR

We all want strong, shiny, healthy hair, but unfortunately the stresses and strains of daily modern life tend to make it difficult. A busy schedule often mean our locks don't get the attention they deserve. Between the outdoors and the indoors, our hair tends to become neglected, weak, fragile and brittle. If your strands are feeling a little on the worse side, and you’d like to see their natural shine restored, these helpful tips will help guide you in the right direction.

PROTEIN 

It is important to understand that weak hair needs special attention. If yours is feeling a little brittle and lifeless, you’ll need to get yourself a specially designed set of shampoo and conditioner. Opt for something that is protein enriched: this will help your hair to rebuild it's strength you long for. We offer a great variety of shampoo's and conditioners at the salon. Ask about our Joico k-pak line to get you started!

MOISTURe

Dull, fragile hair is often left looking lifeless because it is dehydrated. Very dry hair is prone to breakage in ways that healthy, nourished locks are not, and so it’s important that you give yours the moisture that it needs. Apply an intense conditioning hair mask about once every week, or twice in times of real hair crisis, and consider a leave in re-hydrating treatment as well.

less heat

Beware of taking very hot showers. Exposing your locks to high temperatures can actually contribute to weakening. Make sure your water temperature is sitting somewhere around the pleasantly warm mark, and never let it go all the way up to scalding hot. We also encourage less heat when you use your blow dryer  if you have a medium setting use that before the high heat, or just simply air dry your hair.

diet

Your diet is such an important factor when it comes to re-conditioning weak and lifeless hair. Make sure you are getting all the correct vitamins and minerals by adding a multivitamin to your daily diet regime, or by increasing your intake of foods rich in protein and iron, and those full of calcium as well.

PROTECT

Curling irons, blow dryers and ceramic hair straighteners have become tools in our everyday beauty arsenals, and, as we know by now, they also contribute significantly to weakening our locks. In order to avoid dehydration and the breakage that results from it, it is crucial that you apply a defensive product before you get on with using the heat from one of those tools. This will help to seal in moisture, and will guard against the weakening effect of exposure to high temperatures as well.

GET RID OF SPLIT ENDS

Split ends occur when hair is especially dry and fragile at the tips and they pose a real threat to the rest of your locks as well. Split ends can ‘grow’ up the length of the hair, so that eventually almost the entire strand is cut in two. It goes without saying that this contributes significantly to weakening, and so, in order to keep your locks strong, it’s important that you trim about every six weeks or so.

DETANGLER

While this is perhaps not so much a means by which to strengthen hair as a strategy to avoid excessive breakage, it is very important to consider. Especially if your hair is a little on the fragile side, you don’t want to be dragging a brush or comb through them; instead, get yourself a good quality detangling spray and use it to help you to brush without breakage.

SPF

We often forget that our hair, when it is exposed to UV rays, suffers significantly from sun damage. In order to protect your locks from this kind of inevitable wear and tear, it’s a good idea to invest in an SPF enriched product for your hair.

We offer a great 4 step conditions treatment at the salon as well! Call 330-733-0700 to set up your appointment today, before the heat from your house sucks all the moisture away from your strands.