The Art of brushing your hair

Have you watched movies starring a woman sitting at her vanity, brushing her hair? It's usually a neutral scene, but the reason this alluring-style scene is included in so many movies is because the ritual of hair brushing is one of the ultimate ways in which a woman cares for herself. 

While we sing the praises of our beloved flat irons, hair dryers, and curling irons, the powers of a hair brush are tenfold - they are the unsung heroes of healthy scalp and hair. Healthy hair starts at the roots, where circulation feeds growth, and new growth leads to positive change. Consider hair brushing your mechanical cleansing, bringing healthy blood flow to your scalp without stripping oils which nourish your hair. 

Benefits of hair brushing:

1. Brushing distributes natural oils to lubricate your scalp and hair, resulting in healthy, shiny hair.

2. Removes loose hair

3. Brushing stimulates the capillaries, increasing circulation.

4. Daily brushing revs up hormone and oil producing glands, which keep the pores of your scalp (and hair) open, allowing them to breathe and retain their natural oils.

The art of brushing your hair

When it comes to combing through the hair, it is all about how you approach it. Always start from the ends and work your way up the hair shaft, ideally starting at the back of your head beneath the nape of your neck, then up through the sides of the crown of your head, and repeat on the sides from ends to roots. 

Show your hair some extra love by using the right brushes for different times of the day and for different purposes. Need some guidance? Here are our favorite brushes:

Mason Pearson Hairbrush

Mason Pearson hairbrushes have been loved by generations, a British design icon that still out performs its rivals.

The famous orange pad fills with air through a small hole in the tip of the brush, giving the hairbrush a luxurious soft cushion. The high quality boar bristle ensures beautiful results and longevity of use.

Wet Brush

This do-it-all brush detangles both wet and dry hair, and it also works amazingly on every texture, whether your strands are ultra-thick or ultra-thin. Thanks to the brand's signature Intelliflex bristles, tangles dissolve with ease, and the brush is also designed to expertly navigate around extensions. Bonus: It also comes in plenty of pretty color options.

R+ Co Round Brush

R+Co Creative Garren describes this round brush perfectly: "I designed this set of brushes for R+Co so that you can achieve the perfect blow dry. I believe that a great blow dry starts with having great brushes. While ceramic, metal and nylon round brushes can damage the hair; our round brushes are made with natural boar bristles, an ergonomic handle to lessen blow dry fatigue and a handcrafted wooden core that will leave the hair smooth and shiny."

How to grow long, healthy hair

Growing long and healthy hair sounds easy, right? For many of us, it is not all that simple. Whether you are having trouble growing out baby hairs, you cut your hair too short, or you have overly processed hair, the good news is that there are ways to boost your hair growth and health. It all comes down to how you’re treating your hair. Just as you would treat your body in certain ways to enhance your body’s health, hair is the same. 

Hair by Noelle at ash salon.

Here are our tips to grow long and healthy locks:

• Take a look at your diet and supplements. We’re not here to dive in to this topic, however if you have an inkling that you’re not getting or absorbing all the nutrients possible to achieve strong and long hair, talk to your doctor about the possibilities. Beauty is built from the inside out!

• Use a satin or silk pillowcase. Have you ever gone to bed with the perfect blowout, but then you wake up in the morning with a frizzy head of hair? This could be due to sleeping on a cotton pillowcase. Cotton has larger, rougher fibers than silk and satin, which causes hair strands to get caught in the fabric as you toss and turn overnight. Using a silk or satin pillowcase will ease the friction of your hair (and your skin) which leads to smoother hair in the morning and leads to healthier, longer hair in the future.

• Avoid Excessive heat styling. Blow drying, straightening, and curling your hair excessively can be a major culprit to damaged strands. Consider giving your hair a little vacation from the heat, whether that means letting your hair air dry before curling as opposed to blow drying, or rock your natural wave in between heat styling days.

• Brush your hair correctly. Always brush starting from the ends and work your way up to the root. Doing the opposite makes your tangles worse, causing breakage to your hair. 

• Get regular trims.The more often you get a trim, the better. The best rule of thumb is to get a hair trim every 6-8 weeks  to dust off split ends. As your split ends are trimmed, your hair will grow long and healthy sans frizzy, split ends. Bonus of going more often for trims: less hair will be cut!

Hair by Noelle at ash salon.

As you can see, there are many ways to help grow your hair. It may take some time, but it will be worth it! Being patient is key, and try to focus on putting more effort and love into caring for your hair on a daily basis.  Hair typically grows about 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch each month, so expect to see slow but steady growth.  

Hair by Noelle at ash salon.

Shades of red

Are you thinking about going red? Maybe you were a redhead as a child, or maybe you admire the head-turning color. Red hair is a high impact color and it captures attention instantly. While it might be a big change, it continues to be a classic and beautiful hair color choice for many. To help you decide on the right red hue, here is some inspiration for your next visit to the salon for scarlet strands.

The bright copper color in these inspiration photos is vivid! Bright copper is a great choice if you have fair skin with green, blue, or hazel eyes. 

Image via Pinterest

Image via Pinterest

Image via Pinterest

Hair by Noelle.

Bright copper color complements her hazel eye color and fair skin - a stand out shade!

Hair by Noelle.

This medium ginger red hair color is spicy but it’s also a natural-looking red on the spectrum. It’s elegant and sophisticated and is beautiful on people with any warm or neutral skin tone with any eye color. 

What shade of red is your pick?