Long Hair Care: Caring for Hair As It Grows Longer

Let's address the issue of time: Longer hair is older hair, which means fragile hair. Even with proper care, older hair is usually more delicate than newly grown hair that is closer to the scalp and therefore, much stronger. It's been repeatedly exposed to a variety of different things over time, such as sun, wind, extreme outdoor temperatures and depending on your hair care technique, dyes, heat, etc.

If your aim is to grow your hair long, you have probably already done a tiny bit of research on how to retain hair length by stopping breakage. You have learned that caring for longer hair requires more time AND more product. When I say "more product" I am not referring to the number of products you use, but to the amount of product you will require, now that you have more hair.

Another important thing to keep in mind is the natural occurrence of shedding. Human hair grows in distinct phases: the growth (anagen) phase lasts anywhere from three to ten years. In the second (catagen) phase, which lasts about months, the hair does not grow at all. At the finish of that phase, the hair enters the final (telogen) phase of its cycle. At the finish of a hair's cycle, a new hair pushes the out of the follicle and the cycle begins again.

Longer hair can get tangled basically, so it must be gently detangled to prevent tearing and breakage. The amount of time it takes to detangle your hair depends on your hair type and length. The curlier your hair, the more time it will take to detangle. It is best to set aside time to carefully detangle your hair prior to shampooing. In case you rush through the technique, you will cause more tangles and breakage. Trying to detangle hair in the coursework of or after shampooing will lead to more tangles that are difficult to loosen.

Healthy hair, no matter what type, grows about ½ - ¾ inch each month. In case you have difficulty growing your hair past shoulder length, chances are it is breaking off due to friction caused by clothing. This happens when the tips/ends of the hair repeatedly rub back and forth on clothing, break off and leave behind split and frayed ends. One time you cease this breakage, you will notice longer hair lengths.

The hairs on your head are in a different phases at different times. Some hairs are growing, some hairs are stagnant while others have reached the finish of their cycle and are shed. The average person sheds about 100 hairs per day.