When my fiance proposed to me in August 2020, it was one of those beautiful, sunshine-filled days. We celebrated with champagne, and we spent a week at the beach, savoring the start of a new chapter in our relationship. Fast forward to now, and we have been married for seven months—and we are expecting our first baby (a girl!) in March.
Among the many aspects of wedding planning (booking a florist, selecting a photographer, choosing a venue), there is a whole list of to-dos just for brides. And one of the biggest things for me was ensuring I felt beautiful on our June 5th wedding date.
While gel nails and a spray tan can help me ‘fake’ a few things about my appearance, I wasn’t up for getting hair extensions. Instead, I wanted to breathe new life (and length!) into my locks. I wanted my hair to be the healthiest and shine its brightest in my wedding day photos, and hopefully, have a little more bounce. Typically, I keep my hair relatively short, right past my shoulders. However, since I planned to wear a simple, soft romantic curl style with my veil, I was hoping for my hair to be a little longer.
As I researched the best ways to improve the texture and vitality of my hair, I came across Redken Extreme Length Shampoo and Conditioner With Biotin. This unique duo is meant to battle breakage and split ends, allowing damaged hair to grow stronger throughout the grow-out process. I’ve always been a fan of Redken products since they tend to be silky and moisturizing, leaving my hair feeling amazing, so I figured, why not give it a shot?
What I found—as you’ll see from my wedding photos—was this stuff works. It helped tame my typically frizzy hair and come the big day, I had a few additional inches to work with. Now, as I prepare for motherhood, I wanted to give an additional layer of support to my tresses with the new Redken Extreme Length Triple Action Mask. This lightweight yet potent formula locks in durability and captures shine.
Keep scrolling to learn more about how my experience using these products went, along with some need-to-know info about Redken’s Extreme Length line.
What Does the Redken Extreme Length Line Do for hair
Can a shampoo and conditioner really make your hair grow faster? And more luxuriously? Well, yes and no. The best way to think about it is through a fitness analogy. When you first start lifting weights, you start with a lighter load. Then, as you build endurance and strength, your muscles can handle heavier sets. The same is true when you give your hair the ingredients it needs to be supported and vibrant.
Redken’s Extreme Length Shampoo not only cleanses through sweat, grime and buildup, but it also fortifies the hair with the brand’s Length Care Complex. So what does this bad boy do? Formulated with biotin, it gives strength to your locks, reducing split ends and damage. This is super important because distressed hair tends to look frizzy and unhealthy while it’s going through the grow-out phase. Treating hair to this strengthening complex results in shiny, soft locks. Then, the Redken Extreme Length Conditioner and Redken Extreme Anti-Snap Hair Treatment add moisture, all while detangling and strengthening strands.
How I Used Redken Extreme Length To Prep My Hair For My Wedding Day
Truth be told, I’m pretty low-maintenance when it comes to my hair routine. I’ve been lucky to have pretty manageable hair that’s easy to style and, as I like to say, ‘obedient.’ What I mean is if I want it curly, it stays curly. If I want it straight, it stays straight. The only exception is length. I’ve wanted it to be longer, but it tends to become frazzled and dry as it grows out.
To begin the process, I swapped out my normal shampoo and conditioner. Then, two to three times a week (or about every other day), I washed and conditioned my hair with Redken’s Extreme Length Shampoo and Conditioner system. Afterward, I towel dried my hair and sprayed it with a bit of the Redken Extreme Anti-Snap Hair Treatment before styling as normal: blow-drying with a hair dryer brush.
Within two weeks of this ritual, I started to see a difference in the texture of my hair. It was silky and smooth, and my split ends were less noticeable. Within a month, I was really impressed! The products seemed to support healthy hair growth, and my hair wasn’t frizzy. With both the shampoo and the conditioner, I was surprised that a little bit (about a dime size) went a long way. I could thoroughly wash and condition my hair with very little product at all.
The same was true with the anti-snap hair treatment: it was a thick product, but it didn’t leave my hair feeling oily. I also discovered an excellent hack for the leave-in conditioner! Though spraying directly onto the strands was effective, I preferred to spray into one palm, rub my hands together, and then run it through my hair. It was more even this way and left my hair shiner.
At my wedding, my hair was bouncy, natural yet healthy-looking, and definitely longer than I typically keep it. I felt beautiful.
Bottom line? I feel more confident in my hair, and my wedding photos were picture-perfect thanks to this healthier glow. Not to mention: My honeymoon photos in The Maldives. (I packed the Anti-Snap to keep my strands strong post-beach and pool, too!)
How I Maintained My New Length After My Wedding
There were four weeks between our wedding and honeymoon. And much to my great surprise, my husband and I found out we were expecting our first baby four hours before boarding the flight for our honeymoon. It was a shock, to say the very least, and it has turned our life upside down ever since. It also made me really want to stick to my haircare routine since so much about my body was changing.
I’ve kept up with Redken Extreme Length Shampoo and Conditioner, as well as the anti-snap treatment. However, I was recently introduced to the Redken Extreme Length Triple Action Mask, and it’s been a much-welcomed addition to my ritual.
This five-minute mask offers a plethora of benefits to your hair and scalp, reducing split ends, and adding strength and hydration. It also incorporates all of the powerful ingredients from the Redken Extreme length collection, including biotin, niacinamide, and castor oil, giving bounce without added weight. As someone who uses her shower time as a self-care experience, I also appreciate how the mask encourages me to go a little slower. (And in truth, everything is at a snail pace when you’re heavily pregnant!) After using my Redken Extreme Length shampoo and conditioner, I apply a nickel-size layer of the Redken Extreme Length Triple Action Mask, let it sit for three to five minutes, and then rinse out. The result is silky, soft, and gorgeous hair that looks effortless.
The complete Redken Extreme Length system takes the guesswork out of achieving the hair I desire—and it smells pretty great, too. Whether you’re planning your wedding, prepping for the next chapter of family planning, or simply want to look your best, you can’t go wrong.
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