Your hair grows a measly half an inch every month. Even without other growth-stagnating factors, it’s no walk in the park cultivating long locks. Thankfully, whether you’re recovering from bangs that didn’t work out the way you’d hoped or pining for endless tresses before your wedding day, Matthieu Séguier, expert hair stylist for Kérastase, has some tricks up his sleeve to enable you to edge closer to the lengthy strands you crave.
Why won’t your hair grow?
The answer is short: split ends, the nemesis of long hair. This pesky by-product of damaged tresses is what you can unwillingly thank for seeing minimal progress after desperately abstaining from haircuts for several months. Unfortunately, they can also cause your strands to break off.
“At some point or another, all strands form a breaking point which looks like a small white tip. This is where the strand starts splitting,” Séguier explains. “Once you spot them, it’s important that you snip them off as soon as possible in order to prevent them from worsening.”
There are also several preventative measures that you can take, which are detailed below.
Condition your strands.
“The most important step to take if you’re trying to prevent breakage is to keep your hair sufficiently moisturized and conditioned. Doing this will prolong the time it takes for split ends to appear, as your strands will be strengthened,” Séguier says. “This rings particularly true to [textured hair]. In fact, this hair type rarely grows long as the tight curls are much more fragile and break easily.”
If you suffer from brittle locks, it is important to use an intensely nourishing treatment such as Mizani 25 Miracle Milk on your hair in order to help prevent split ends. Formulated for all hair types, this leave-in conditioner provides an astounding 25 benefits for your tresses.
Protect as well as color.
Frequent coloring means that your hair is regularly subjected to oxidation. It is important to use a protective additive in your hair coloring treatment, in order to help maintain the strength of your tresses in the face of the discoloration process.
No more roughhousing.
Weight for weight, human hair may be strong, but it’s not resilient enough to totally handle the daily aggressions that many of us expose our strands to. Excessive brushing—notably when hair is wet—can create split ends. The same goes for towel drying, too, so try providing your locks with some respite by allowing them to dry naturally from time to time.To help your strands to bounce back in the face of wear and tear, try the Matrix FiberStrong range for fragile hair.
Kick those bad hair habits and set yourself on the long-awaited path to long, luscious locks. It may not happen overnight, but persevere and your patience will be rewarded!
