We all have good hair days and bad hair days, right? Whether you’re a man or a woman, there is not a single person who wakes up every day and enjoys absolute obedience from their crowning glory atop their head. I’ve learned to really enjoy my great hair days. I’ve also learned there are ways you can actually increase the seemingly elusive instances where your hair actually does what you want it to. Especially for those of us that let our hair grow long.

It is really tough to keep long hair healthy looking. The reasons are many, but keeping it looking shiny, bouncy and smooth can be really challenging, especially when it goes beyond the shoulders. That being said, although these tips and tricks are geared toward those that find keeping long hair healthy looking is challenging, these guidelines really apply to any length of hair.  

The great news is you really can increase the number of days your hair looks and feels fantastically healthy, radiant, well-shaped, full bodied and perfectly richly colored. Today we’re going to talk about a couple of tips to help your hair look great every day.

Wash Every Other Day

One thing I’ve learned over the years is you can only get away with not washing and conditioning your hair but once every 4-5 days if you have a very specific hair and scalp type. The longer most people go between washes, the more dandruff tends to appear, the more greys seemingly become more visible, and the less conditioner does its job.

Conditioners wear off the hair after roughly 2 days. Conditioners do the important jobs of increasing color vibrance, keeping frizz tamped down, and holding your hair in a more orderly and well-formed shape. The longer you go between washes, the more this breaks down. Related: Why Does My Hair Start to Look Bad Between Washes?

Do Your Own Micro-Trims

Buy yourself a good little pair of barber’s shears. You can purchase a decent pair for under $20 and the dividend payoff will be more than worth the small investment. These little snippers come in quite handy when you can’t get to the salon to get your regular haircuts and trims as often as you’d like. Giving yourself micro-trims about once a month really helps prevent breakage and helps keep the ends of your hair fresh. If your hair grows super fast, you can even increase these micro trims to once every 2-3 weeks. It all depends on how your hair grows.

The longer you go between professional cuts and trims, the more your hair begins to thin out on the ends. Not only is this a bad look, but it also contributes to breakage since the hair is programmed to only grow so long before it becomes fragile and skinny. It also takes away from the natural volume at the crown that gives hair its shape.

Most people have a “set point” for their hair length – meaning their hair will only grow so long without thinning or breaking off. Think of it as the “set point” for weight – many believe there is a set point for our weight that we aren’t meant to be above or below – it’s just what your chemical and genetic makeup naturally gravitates toward.

Use a Color Enhancer Periodically

We talked more at length about these hair color enhancers just a bit ago on our blog. What is a color enhancer product? Basically it’s a product you can apply once a week or whenever you start to notice you need a color boost. It deposits more color into the hair shaft, but it is not a permanent color.

This is great for when you are between hair coloring services, or when your hair needs a warming up or intensifying. I use one periodically when I start to notice my highlights are looking washed out or too faded. It really helps enrich the color, make it a warmer tone, and most of them also leave the hair with a really nice sheen that tends to fade when coloring or highlighting services fade.

If there were an "anti-aging hair care product" this sector of hair care products would be it. 

These color enhancers are also great for aging hair too because unfortunately as we age, our hair not only greys, it also tends to fade in actual color and depth of tone as well. So not only do these color depositors help bring back your color, they also help the hair to look more alive – more “youthful” again if you will.

Take a Good Hair Growth Supplement

If you don’t already take one, look into a good hair growth and hair health supplement. The best one in my opinion is anything that contains high levels of silica. Silica is very effective at helping you grow longer, stronger hair over time. It really helps maintain the youthful shine and vitality that makes hair look so healthy.

A good silica supplement is also very cost effective. Horsetail is an herb that has tons of silica content, and you can find it for roughly $6-$8 per bottle. Very reasonable price for something that helps maintain a healthy, strong head of hair that also grows faster. It also adds lots of strength and integrity for the nails. Of course, anything that’s good for the nails and hair is also excellent for your skin.

Deep Condition Once Every 2 Weeks

Make sure you give your hair a deep, hydrating conditioning about once every 2 weeks. Whether this means a hot oil treatment, an intensive hair mask treatment, or any other types of intensive treatment of your choice, it’s important to give your hair TLC and especially deeply hydrating and protective treatment every so often.

As we age, our hair loses elasticity and it becomes more difficult to keep it “quenched” as well. It dries out and becomes much more prone to breakage and protein loss. Coconut oil has actually been found to help with the hair’s protein loss, and this is why it is one of the active ingredients in our Deep Hydration Hair Conditioner.

Deep conditioning helps maintain integrity and elasticity, delivering an extra “shot” of therapy to keep the hair strong and vibrantly healthy. It’s a must for consistently healthy, well-behaved hair.