THE PATH TO LONG, SEXY HAIR

Nothing is sexier than a full head of gorgeous, healthy hair whether long, medium or short. Thick, shiny, healthy hair guarantees instant confidence and keeps the dreaded "bad hair day" at bay. For those interested in donning longer locks, the road to long, beautiful hair isn't as rough as you may think. In reality, the hardest part is your own interference. Most often, if you leave your hair alone, and allow it to do what it does best--grow-- then it will do just that. So, actually, attaining healthy, long hair is more about self-control then anything else.

Steps to long, healthy hair

Get rid of dry, damaged hair. You may hate to read this but, grin and bear it, because it's time to do the dirty work. Split ends and ravaged hair can NEVER be corrected. Get that? NEVER. So, the longer you hold on to those scraggily ends, the more breakage that will occur. Your ends will continue to split before completely falling out of your head. How do you know you have split ends? Hold your ends up to the light, and look for strands that have a "Y" shape at the end. Another tell-tale sign is excess shedding. If you comb your hair and find short ends broken off in the sink or on the floor, then you absolutely need to cut it off. Invest in sharp styling shears, and cut to where the healthy hair begins.
Ditch the chemicals. Nothing damages hair more than harsh chemicals such as permanent hair dyes, perms, relaxers, drying gels and alcohol-based hair sprays. Do your hair a favor, and give it some much-needed air. Harsh chemicals dry hair out leaving it brittle and susceptible to breakage.
Resist the urge to overheat. Heat, much like chemicals, can actually burn hair causing severe dryness and breakage. Reduce the usage of heat appliances by air drying your hair before blow drying. Try alternative curling products such as Curl Formers, which spiral curl hair without heat. If you absolutely need to use heat, try ceramic curling and flat irons, which evenly distribute heat and conserve natural hair oils.
Un-beweave it. For the ride or die hair weavers out there, this one may be a toughie. But the reality is that extensions and hair weaves tug and pull at the natural hair line. Even worse, sew-in weaves prevent oxygen from getting to the scalp, which can also inhibit hair growth. Other styles such as tight braids and snug ponytails can also lead to breakage along the hairline. Let the hair flow and hang freely.
Replace your pillow. Cotton pillows can wear away hair and soak up essential hair oils. Use satin pillows to keep hair moisturized.
Read the labels. Research your hair products opting for products with natural ingredients. Avoid drying agents such as alcohol, which can lead to damage and breakage. Look for ingredients such as shea butter, jojoba oil, argan oil, neem oil and olive oil. Remember the ingredients listed first are the ones that most make up the product. Therefore, if you find that the "good" ingredients are listed last after alcohols and other damaging chemicals, then do not use the product.
NEVER use rubber bands. These often convenient hair ties can rip hair from the root and lead to breakage. Opt for safer hair accessories such as Goody's Ouchless Elastics.
Gently comb hair. Dragging a comb through tangled hair can rip, break and tear hair. This is especially true when hair is wet as it is in a weakened state. Avoid combing wet hair at all if possible. Instead, comb when dry by gently working from ends to root.