How to Take Care of Long Hair

How to Take Care of Long Hair: 4 Tips to Give Clients

Long, healthy hair can be seen on glossy magazine covers, in head-turning shampoo commercials and swaying down the world’s hottest runways. It’s the goal for so many clients, but what does it really take to keep lengthy locks looking so good? It’s probably unsurprising that a great hair care routine for long hair involves the use of at least a few professional hair care products, but it’s also about damage protection, thoughtful styling and more. Here are a few tips stylists can share with their clients about caring for long hair.

1. Brush Well, Brush Often: Long hair is prone to tangles, and tangled hair leads to breakage. Clients with long hair can avoid unnecessary damage by giving their hair a good brushing whenever they have time, but especially at the beginning and end of each day. For touch-ups, clients can carry a travel-size brush in their bag or leave one in their car so they’re never caught without one!

Brushing the hair also stimulates the scalp, which promotes healthy and even hair growth. When the bristles of a hairbrush are passed along the scalp through the ends of the hair repeatedly, the scalp’s natural oils are distributed more evenly, creating balance and making oil less noticeable overall. In short, a hairbrush can do a lot for the healthy appearance for long hair. Stylists should recommend good combs, brushes and other helpful salon tools for their long-haired clients.

2. Masque Up: While incorporating a professional conditioner into their hair routine for regular use is important, clients should also utilize the nourishing power of more concentrated conditioning options like hair masques and leave-in treatments once or twice a week. Some stylists might choose to recommend a strengthening treatment for at home use that repairs damage and reduces breakage, while others might vouch for strictly hydrating options for ultra healthy-looking locks. It’s important to identify the client’s needs and make a recommendation based on what needs immediate attention.

3. Minimize Heat: When it comes to keeping long hair smooth, soft and damage-free, it’s best to keep things as natural as possible. Nourishing and repairing hair products can certainly help a lot, but long hair truly thrives when blow dryer and hot tool use is kept to a minimum. When consulting with a client about keeping their hair long and strong, stylists should definitely advise against excessive use of heat on their hair. When using thermal styling tools on the hair, clients should use protective products and consider saving this type of styling for special occasions.

4. Get Loose: There is so much about a good hair care routine for long hair that focuses on the middle and end sections of the hair, and for good reason. These are often the most visible areas of the hair, so it’s important to keep the ends looking healthy and the mid-region looking smooth and tangle-free.

When it comes to the upper region of the hair closer to the roots, clients can save themselves from a lot of breakage and thinning by ditching their hair elastics whenever possible. Pulling the hair up into a tight bun or ponytail can also cause damage and thinning around the hairline. Instead, stylists should recommend using a soft headband or loosely pulling the hair back into a claw clip when necessary. This will help minimize breakage and allow long hair to appear full and healthy!