Growing Super Long and Healthy Hair FAQs

 

I recently asked you guys on Instagram to leave me any haircare related questions you have. I've compiled the 12 most recurring ones from the post and included some from the Q&A's I've done in the past. If your question wasn't answered, please feel free to drop it in the comments and I'll get back to you as soon as I can!

How do you sleep with your hair?

I sleep with my hair in a loose bun on the top of my head. I tie it up with a silk hair band and sleep on a silk pillowcase. Sleeping on silk has been an absolute game-changer for me: I get split ends less frequently, my hair is remarkably smoother, and I always wake up with no frizz or kinks in my hair. If you're aiming to grow super long and healthy hair, I highly recommend sleeping with silk!

I also suggest investing the time and money into finding the right silk products for your hair type. I’ve tried $15 pillowcases from Amazon all the way to $500 luxury pillowcases. I’ve found the ones ranging between $80 - $150 are the best value.

My ends are damaged but I hate trimming them because I want to have super long and healthy hair like yours. How often do you trim your hair?

I know it's hard trimming off the length you've worked so hard for, but ignoring your damaged ends will actually do much more harm than good. Your ends will quickly split higher and higher up the strand. Eventually, you’ll have to cut off than you would have if you had just trimmed it when you noticed they were splitting!

I trim my hair every 6-8 weeks or whenever I feel like my ends are becoming dry and brittle. I honestly look forward to it each time because my ends feel so much thicker and healthier immediately after. Trimming sacrifices some length now so you can have amazingly long and healthy hair in the long run :)

How do you manage split ends? My hair isn't nearly as long as yours yet and I'm overwhelmed with how many I get!

I manage my split ends in many ways but I'll only list the most important points here otherwise this post will never end haha. The key to managing split ends is prevention. I always make sure my hair is cut with very sharp scissors. Blunt scissors will create a rough and jagged cut which will lead to new split ends much faster. Generally, cutting your hair straight across is the healthiest style to prevent them from returning too quickly.

I also treat my hair for moisture every week and apply a protein treatment once a month to strengthen the ends. Protein treatments are a must if you plan to grow super long and healthy hair. Keep in mind that you won’t be able to prevent split ends completely. Once they do start to appear, you should trim them before they climb up further.

Is Alterna still your favourite haircare line?

Yup! It’s not the perfect brand as their products contain synthetic fragrances (I prefer unscented or natural) but the styling results I get from their products are incredible. I've written a review for their Caviar Recovery line which is my absolute favourite from them. They are my go-to when I need a good hair day for a special event or shooting.

Ultimately, my favourite hair care products are the ones I make at home. Making them myself allows me to exclude ingredients that aren't good for hair and include higher concentrations of hair-loving ingredients. This way I can have something that is 100% compatible with my hair and usually can't be found on the market. For me, it's all about finding a balance between using high-performance products that give me perfectly-styled hair, and using natural products that make my hair strong and healthy.

What are your favourite oils?

My favourite oils for pre-wash treatments are olive and coconut. They’re easily accessible and adequately hydrate your strands and scalp before shampooing. Their price makes them perfect for maintaining super long and healthy hair without breaking the bank too! Keep in mind that coconut oil isn't compatible for all hair types.

My favourite post-wash oil is avocado as it’s very light and hydrating and won't weigh your hair down. I love emu oil for applying to the scalp. It's non-comedogenic and has anti-inflammatory properties which promote a healthy scalp. These are just my favourites. I use many more to target different haircare problems too which I can share at a later point if you're interested!

What are your favourite homemade hair masks using household ingredients? 

In all honesty, I don’t like making masks using household ingredients. I used to make them back in highschool with egg yolks, milk, olive oil and honey. However, the effects wouldn’t last very long and I also found applying food to my hair quite unpleasant, with some exceptions! I personally prefer making home-made hair masks using botanicals and science-backed ingredients that are proven to be beneficial to hair.

How do you curl your hair?

If I have time, I curl my hair using no-heat rollers. If I don’t have time, I’ll curl my hair using the BaBylissPRO Porcelain Ceramic Spring Curling Iron.

What shampoo and conditioner can you recommend for volume?

The best shampoo and conditioner I’ve used for volume is Rahua Voluminous Shampoo and Voluminous Conditioner - leaves my hair feeling super silky and light!

How do you keep your hair so silky, shiny and frizz free?

Silicones! They get a bad rap these days but I can't live without them! Silicones coat your hair to seal in moisture and protect it from environmental pollutants. They also help to tame frizz and leave your hair feeling super silky. The silkiness prevents your hair from knotting up throughout the day which further prevents damage and breakage.

The reason why there is negativity surrounding silicones is because they don't easily wash out with water, resulting in buildup. The buildup prevents your hair from soaking up nutrients from your conditioner or hair care treatments, and as a result, your hair becomes a dry and brittle over time.

However, this can be avoided if you oil your hair pre-wash which is something you should be doing regularly anyway. This not only removes the silicones but treats your hair as well. You just need to put in the extra effort to remove the silicones properly and you'll gain so much in return! I recommend it for everyone looking to grow super long and healthy hair and isnt afraid to put in the extra effort for it.

Have you always had thick hair? If not, what did you do to to get healthy thick hair?

My hair hasn’t always been thick as thick as it is right now but I’ve worked hard on getting it to grow thicker over the years. Eating more protein and taking supplements have made the most difference. I also noticed when I did scalp massages every other day for two months, my roots grew out thicker than usual. Growing thicker hair always starts from within the body. My roots are ridiculously thick now and I’m excited for it to keep growing out this thick!

I don't do any heat styling, or blow drying and let it dry naturally and I still have split ends. I oil every time before shampooing to boost the moisture and apply a hair mask after shampooing. Where am I possibly going wrong with this??

Love your dedication to growing super long and healthy hair!

Hmm, how long does your hair take to dry naturally? Contrary to what many people believe, drying your hair naturally can actually be more damaging than blow drying. Prolonged exposure to water makes the hair cuticle swell which weakens its structure over time. Because air drying your hair can take a long time (mine takes over an hour), your hair is exposed to more damage than it needs to be. I suggest blow-drying your hair on the no-heat setting or walking around to dry your hair to speed up the process. Do NOT brush it or sleep with it when it’s wet. Also, try to wear your hair up in the bathtub, at the beach or in the pool.

What is your hair care routine?

I get asked this question so often but I always find it difficult to answer concisely because the answer is so much more than just the products I use. I always end up going on a thousand tangents when I try to answer it haha.

The problem is that I don't fully agree with some the information that the haircare and beauty industries try to make consumers believe so I feel like I can’t share my routine without first sharing my philosophy for haircare and explaining what each step of my routine accomplishes.

I've decided the best way to share this with you is to put together the ultimate PDF haircare guide. This way I can include everything I know about hair and teach you how to create your own routine based on the effective techniques I've learned over the last decade of successfully growing super long and healthy hair.

I can address everything including all the do’s and dont’s, the pros and cons, all the how-tos and myths and facts. I'll also include my product recommendations and recipes based on your specific hair type, lifestyle and budget. Additionally, I'll show you how to source everything as cost-effectively as possible, and share all the things I’ve learned through my own experiments that I haven’t found online or in research yet. Basically: all of my secrets!

If you're now inspired to also start your long hair journey, make sure to grab my free hair growth log template to keep track of your progress. Get it here

If you want to dive deeper into my hair care secrets and learn how to save money while growing your longest and strongest hair yet. Check out The Hair Growth Lab to find out more!