Long hair or hair in general has always been a very normal topic among my lady friends & family. Questions like, “How do I get my hair to grow?” “ How did you fix your hair today” “How often do you wash your hair?” “What hairspray do you use?” And the biggie from Walmart strangers… 😂 “when did you last cut your hair?” are all very common questions.

My guess is, I’m not the only one exchanging these questions with my friends. So today, I wanted to briefly hit on this topic of how to manage long hair and other questions. I invite you to come along, at the end, I would love to hear some of your hair suggestions in the comments below!

How to manage long hair

Do you ever struggle with how to manage long hair? long hair is a blessing from the Lord, but managing it can have its obstacles at times. That’s why it’s great to take in all the knowledge you can from friends and other sources . It’s amazing what the right shampoo or habit can do for your hair! One little change could literally change your weekly struggle.

Common struggles associated with long hair

First, let’s list a few common struggles and questions associated with long hair, then we will go on with tips to deal with these topics.

• Dry & oily hair
• Hair growth
• Unhealthy hair
• Dealing with tangles

I would say the most common questions I hear all revolve around these 4 topics. These 4 topics are what I want to focus on today as we discuss how to manage long hair and other questions.

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Dealing with dry or oily hair

Oily hair

First of all, if you wash your hair everyday or just once a month, and that is working perfect for you, then keep at it!!

Every one of our hair is different. God has made us unique and so is our hair. You may find someone with similar hair type that can give you tons of tips and tricks but when it comes down to it, you still have to define the details for yourself and what’s best for you and your hair.

If what you are doing is not working, try something new!

For those who are younger (preteen/teen) it is natural for you to have oily hair. This is part of puberty. If you need to wash your hair nearly everyday as a young lady, do not fret, this may very well change as you approach later in womanhood.

In the meantime, there are a few tricks you can do to help.

1. Wash your hair less

https://www.functionofbeauty.com/blog/new/oily-hair-treatment/ explains it like this …

“Here’s what happens: You wake up with an oily scalp, so you wash your hair to fix it. In the process, though, you strip your hair of its natural sebum. Your body’s response is to replace it with more oil, which can sometimes lead to an overproduction of sebum. The result is a never-ending cycle that leaves you with nothing but oily hair.”

This seems so contradictory but washing your hair a little less may help! It may also take a little time for your hair to adjust so be patient. That doesn’t mean you will join the once a week club just yet, but test going one day longer at a time and see if it helps!

2. Consider your shampoo & conditioner

Sometimes changing your shampoo brand can change the oiliness of your hair!

Switching shampoos or conditioners to ones specifically made for dry hair or products that contain natural oils such as Coconut oil.

Also, if you have oily hair, make sure you are conditioning your ends only, or at least half way down your hair. Never condition your scalp if you fight oily hair.

Lastly, make sure you are running all the shampoo & conditioners out of your hair well. Leftover products can result in a oily like texture to your hair and can be mistaken as “oily hair”

Once your hair is washed, dry, and untangled, try your best to keep your hands out of it and brush it less often to keep from spreading unnecessary oils from your scalp through your hair.

Dry hair

1. Wash your hair less

On the other hand, if you deal with dry hair, as contradictory as it may sound, washing your hair less can also benefit you by allowing the natural oils to get deep into your hair and nourish it.

2. Change products & condition

As mentioned before, sometimes changing your shampoo brand can change the oiliness of your hair!

Try using a shampoo made for dry hair, or at least one that includes ingredients such as natural oils for nourishment. Also, make sure you are purchasing a good hydrating conditioner and use it liberally and regularly!

3. Add oil treatments

In addition to your wash routine, you can add over the counter oil treatments or homemade oil treatments. (100% coconut oil & a plastic shower cap can do wonders!)

4. Brush your hair

Lastly, after your hair is washed & untangled, practice running a brush through it to help distribute the oils from your scalp through the hair.

Fighting with hair growth

I couldn’t write a post about how to manage long hair without addressing the big question of “why won’t my hair grow?”

To the Rupunzels of the world, this question doesn’t make much sense, but to some of us, hair growth is a real issue.

Before we move on, I want to state a forgotten fact. And that is that long hair in the biblical term is “as long as it will grow” or “to it’s fullest extent”. Scripture will tell us that Long hair is a woman’s glory that God Himself hath given to her.

With that fact in mind, when you allow your hair to grow to its fullest extent, in God’s eyes, you indeed have long hair! If your hair is to it’s fullest extent, don’t let the length of other ladies’ hair discourage you or make you feel inadequate or less beautiful.

With that said, I wrote an entire post on the hair growth process, that you can link to here or at the end of this post. Understanding the hair growth process and what can disrupt it may really help you understand why your hair may not be growing fast as you would like and likewise, give you ideas to better improve the health of your hair.

Unhealthy hair

If you read my post on the hair growth process then you realize that many factors can indirectly effect the growth process of your hair . In the same manner, many of these same things can effect the health of your hair.

If you are struggling with healthy hair, I suggest to take a look at your lifestyle and overall health first. Ask yourself questions like this….

• Am I expecting?
• Am I lacking vitamins?
• Am I dehydrated ?
• Have I recently came through a tough illness this year?

As explained in the “hair growth process” answers to questions like these, may lead you to the reasons for your healthy hair.

Another factor of unhealthy hair

Another factor of unhealthy hair can be the direct care process of our hair.

When I notice hair breakage, thinning, dullness etc. I like to consider anything I may be doing different to my hair care process. If nothing has changes, I consider everything else about my hair care process just to make sure I am not causing the state of my unhealthy hair directly.

Some things to consider and ask yourself about the direct care of your hair are…

• How is my hair products affecting my hair
• How harsh are the combs or brushes I am using?
• Am I using too much heat on my hair?
• Do I wear my hair in a certain style to often, causing worn spots or breakage?
• Am I using hair products best for my type of hair?

I hope the answers to these questions lead you to a solution to unhealthy hair or help you prevent it in the future!

Dealing with tangles

Tangled hair is the worst! Here a just few tips to deal with tangles.

• Use conditioner!
• Comb out tangled hair AFTER you wash and condition your hair
• Comb hair while wet with a “shower” wide tooth comb or with your fingers before combing out the fine tangles
• Try “picking” your hair from the bottom up (in small sections) instead of brushing or combing downward.
• Use a spray detangler or conditioner for in between combs.
• Sleep with hair braided or clipped on top of head to prevent night tangles
• Sleep with silk pillow case to help with night tangles
• Comb hair everyday if possible for easily tangled hair
• Stay away from strong hair sprays and gels (mousse is a lighter option.)
• Prevent hair from dryness using conditioner and oils (dry hair encourages tangling)

I hope this post has given you some tips on how to manage your long hair!

Don’t forget to check out my post on the Hair Growth Process!

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