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.

Benefits of using a dry shampoo

Not too long ago, dry shampoo was a one size fits all product, but now there is a dry shampoo for everyone. With the popularity of the effortless look and recognition that overwashing isn’t so great for your hair, brands are offering formulas with a variety of benefits. 

Before we go any further, let’s talk about what dry shampoo does: it is any product that refreshes your hair without water. Dry shampoos can soak up oil, add texture, volume, and create the appearance of clean hair. Benefits of using a dry shampoo:

Saves time

Clean hair in a minute? Yes, please! Using dry shampoo in the morning or after a workout can give you voluminous hair in a minute flat to give you extra time for exercise, sleeping in, or whatever your heart desires.

Extends your blowout

Whether you go to get a blowout or you did it yourself, it looks damn good...and extending it as long as possible is ideal. To keep your blowout looking fresh for days, use a silk or satin scrunchie when you sleep with your hair in a bun. When you shower, wear a shower cap and follow with dry shampoo at the roots.

Slows down color fade

There’s nothing quite like fresh color, whether you’ve got a vivid hue or a bright blonde. But one of the quickest ways that color can fade is via frequent shampooing. Swapping out your (wet) shampoos with dry shampoo will help stretch the life of your hair color. 

Not sure which Dry Shampoo is right for you? Here are a few we recommend to…

Remove buildup: R+Co’s SPIRITUALIZED Dry Shampoo

Transcend lifeless hair with SPIRITUALIZED. This dry shampoo mist has a revolutionary micellar formula with suspended cleansing powder that leaves hair and scalp feeling exceptionally clean.

Revive post-workout hair: R+Co’s SKYLINE

Get on top of the world with SKYLINE, a dry shampoo powder that will dramatically refresh and elevate. Leaves an intensely clean feel.

Add volume and texture: R+Co’s Death Valley

Liven it up with Death Valley, the quickest way to get volume and body into your hair. This dry shampoo absorbs extra oil and adds texture for an untamed look.

Wondering about the best way to use dry shampoo?  Spray the Dry Shampoo of your choice onto your roots from 8-10 inches away. Comb through your hair and then style as usual. 

Come in and visit us to pick up any R+Co dry shampoo!

How to choose the best shade of blonde

Are you thinking of going blonde? Or maybe switching the tone of your blonde hair? Deciding between the different blonde tones is something to consider when you go lighter. How? Here’s how to choose the perfect blonde hue for you: 

1. ID the tone of your complexion by checking your wrists. If your veins are blue or purple, you are most likely cool-toned. If your veins are green, you are most likely warm-toned. If you’re in between, you are most likely neutral-toned. 

2.  Match yourself with a celeb. When you're looking for A-list color inspiration, try to pick out those with similar skin and eye coloring to your own. This process will give you an idea of how a color and/or tone will look on you. 

3. Take into account the depth of your eye color – how much of a contrast do you want? Soft, multi-tonal shades complement lighter eye colors, whereas deeper, richer blondes flatter a darker eye color. 

4. Think about maintenance – an all over platinum blonde needs regular trips to the salon whereas a more ombre or rooty blonde look is far more low maintenance. 

The shades:

Cool Blonde

Shades include: platinum, ice, silver, ash, sand, beige, champagne

Who it's best suited for: Cool blonde shades are gorgeous on those with porcelain skin and those with red or pink undertones since those icy hues tend to neutralize redness. Those with blue or gray eyes look great with cool, ashy blonde tones too. 

Warm Blonde:

Shades include: gold, caramel, amber, honey, butterscotch

Who it's best suited for: If you have fair skin with cool undertones, warm tones like buttery blonde look beautiful because they neutralize blue and purple in the skin. Warmer tones also look radiant on people with olive and deeper skin tones.

Of course not all rules need to be followed, so go with whatever tone or shade that makes YOU feel best!