My Hair Care Routine - How I grew out my hair & all my tips and tricks for awesome hair

Hey everyone~! I've been growing out my hair for quite some time now, but I suppose the most rapid hair growth has been in the last year which is why I've decided to write a post on how to successfully grow out your hair. I'm not saying that I have miracle tips to make your hair just shoot out of your scalp, but I think I have found some helpful little things that would benefit all you fellas trying to grow your hair out!

 Photo to show you the length of my hair (note I was at a hotel and sending a shameless selfie to a friend so looking a bit silly I know..)

1. RESIST THE HEAT
Now this probably among the number one things you can do to let your hair grow and I'm sure everyone knows this, but hey, the more times you hear it, the better it'll sink in. Supposedly it takes hearing something 7 times for someone to actually remember it. So I'll repeat myself, don't use heat!!! I used to straighten my hair basically everyday my freshman year of high school because I liked the nice straight look and hate the little waves or creases I might have from the night's sleep. However, with the constant straightening and the 2hrs a day, 6 times a week in the pool.. my hair health was definitely taking a toll. So what did I do? I found ways to avoid getting creases in my hair and learned to love the slight kinks in my hair. How did I do this might you ask? Well, it took some time and practice, and not all these ways made my hair perfectly straight the next morning, but they definitely did help me avoid the heat so try them out until you find the one that works for you (everyone has different hair~!).
[NOTE: Always sleep with your hair dry or else you will DEF have kinks in your hair the next morning!!]

How to go to bed and wake up with nice untangled hair:

1. Sleep with your face up, back lying all the way flat on the bed and part your hair down the middle putting equal amounts of hair on both sides. 
2. Using the same sleep position, you can also put all your hair on one side - both this and the above way work for me though I prefer to put my hair all on one side. If you toss and turn a lot during your sleep/neither of these two ways work for you, try the next option.
3. Use the same sleep position (which by the way, you should sleep with your face up all the time to avoid the hair oils/dirt that might be embedded in your pillow case. Plus it's supposed to give you a face lift!) and tie your hair (loosely to avoid hairband kinks) into two low pigtails. This is great if you move around a lot in your sleep.
4. If you don't mind small waves, two loose braids on either side of your head are great options for untangled and still decently straight hair. You'll most likely end up with some nice beachy waves which can look great if that's what you're going for. Adjust the looseness or tightness of the braids to your liking~
5. For those of you ladies with naturally beautiful locks, there is a video on Youtube that I saw where the girl wrapped her wet-damp hair around her head and bobby pinned it down every 2 inches and it gave her REALLY straight hair the next day! Click here for the link to the video!

Hopefully one of these ways works for you, but even if they don't, the best ways to avoid heat are to find heat-free styles. Ponytails, high or low buns, and braids (and there are SO many possible braided hairstyles) are just among the possibilities that you can use to avoid the heat. And don't forget, let your hair air dry when possible - this was a pretty easy thing for me to do since I never needed to blow dry my hair as it dries pretty quickly. Try to not shower too late at night so that your hair has enough time to dry and always gently pat/squeeze the towel around your hair to remove excess water instead of vigorously ruffling it dry. This prevents breakage and speeds up the natural drying process. If you absolutely MUST use heat, spray on a heat protectant and blow dry on the cool setting. To be honest, as my hair started to grow out, I think the weight of my hair just pulled itself down and made it straighter which made it even easier for me to avoid using heat! Not to mention, I've found the perfect way to curl my hair without heat (took some time and practice) and I might upload a short picture tutorial on how I do it! It's really simple :)

2. GIVE YOUR HAIR SOME LOVE
What do I mean by this? Simple! Just treat your hair like your baby. Now that includes not putting heat on it every day, but also deep conditioning it, using hair masks, and being gentle with your hair (I'll explain what I mean in a bit!). Deep conditioners should be used once a week SUPPOSEDLY, but when my hair was at its worst, I used my deep conditioners 2-3 times a week! Of course I wasn't slathering them on my scalp - that probably would have given me a giant oil head - instead, I focused the conditioners mostly on the scalp. Not to mention that I also didn't shampoo my ends. Because the ends of your hair are always the driest, don't scrunch all your hair up and lather ALL of it when you're shampooing. The best way to do it is to only put the shampoo product on the roots of your hair, lather GENTLY - meaning use your fingers, not your nails, and gently massage the shampoo into your hair, and then rinse it out letting the shampoo foam/suds seep down over your ends as the water washes it down. I'm not sure where I learned to do this, but I thought it was basic common sense until my sister told me she didn't do this (and her hair wasn't in the best condition!). So if you haven't been shampooing your hair this way, START DOING IT! You won't regret it :)

Now, I have used a good share of conditioners&deep conditioners from Dove, Organix, Loreal, Etude House, Herbal Essences, Aussie, Clear, and many others so I think I can confidently say I know which ones are better than others. Note there is a difference as deep conditioners aren't meant to be used every day, but who says you can't find an amazing nourishing daily conditioner? ;) Keep in mind that everyone has different hair types though so what works for me may not work as well for your hair - but nonetheless, I do think the conditioners that I will recommend are AMAZING and have worked for all my friends who have tried them. Plus none of them are too ridiculously expensive so it can't hurt to try them out, right~?

1. Organix Hydrating Macadamia Oil Conditioner - This is one of my FAVORITE conditioners, hands down no questions about it! I've heard it's comparable to the "Macadamia Natural Oil" brand products which are WAY more expensive, but honestly, I just love this conditioner. It doesn't feel incredibly thick, but it makes my hair SO smooth, soft, and shiny after I use it. Plus, it doesn't make my hair too oily or weigh it down. Love love LOVE it! I haven't tried the deep conditioner from this line, but I'm sure it's just as good (though I like to stick to this daily conditioner version so I don't have to worry about waiting super long for the conditioner to sink into my hair and what not! Ain't nobody got time fo dat! ;P) 
2. Clear Damage & Color Repair Conditioner - Another one of my favorites (now that I think of it, if I'm recommending these, they must all be a favorite right?). The first few times I used this, I didn't know you were supposed to put it on your scalp, so I only put it on the ends of my hair and blech! Did NOT like it at all. I didn't feel like it was moisturizing my hair at all! Then half a year later, my friend told me the whole focus of the line was "nourishing the scalp for healthier hair" and that you were supposed to put the conditioner on your scalp! I was totally mind-blown and decided to give it a shot. Used it and put the conditioner on my scalp and BAM, it was amazing. It made my hair feel so incredibly soft and silky and wow. This brand is pretty new (well newer then most other brands I mean haha) but definitely go check it out. There's always deals at Target or coupons in the mail so look out for those! 
3. Herbal Essences Hydralicious Reconditioning - I absolutely love this line from Herbal Essences. I don't say conditioner for this line because I usually buy this in a two pack where it comes with the shampoo and conditioner and I love both of them. The shampoo lathers nicely and I do feel like it actually does something for my hair (usually I'm really whatever about shampoos because they all seem the same... unless it's a hotel shampoo that doesn't lather at all - yuck!), but the conditioner.. I can't say enough good things about it. It's definitely a thicker consistency, but it doesn't weigh down my hair and a little bit really goes a long way. My hair just drinks in the moisture and I love how nice my  hair feels afterwards. I used this conditioner a LOT when I was swimming loads and it did wonders for my hair.
4. Dove Nourishing Oil Care Treatment Mask - I actually picked this deep conditioner up in Vietnam when I went there for a volunteer trip because the conditioner I had brought was running out and I just needed something to keep my hair healthy for those 3+ weeks. Little did I know I had bought one of the best deep conditioners I have ever tried. It comes in a tub like most deep conditioners and has a nice thick consistency so it doesn't like fall off your hand when you're scooping it out of the container. I actually could use this for multiple days in a row, though it was a bit annoying to have to wait the 5ish minutes (or more if you feel like it) that deep conditioners ask for, but it really does nourish and treat your hair. I would definitely say this is better than the Loreal deep conditioners and the Aussie 3-minute miracle treatment that everyone seems to love.

Hair love doesn't just stop with conditioners though. You gotta give it after-shower care too! Yea I'm telling you, your hair needs lots of love. As I mentioned before, ALWAYS use a heat protectant when you're going to be heat styling or even blow drying. You have to make sure that the heat protectant has completely absorbed into your hair and that your hair isn't damp because using heat on wet hair increases the damage by ten folds (okay well maybe not that much but a lot!). You should also be using some sort of leave-in product such as Biosilk's Silk Therapy or Chi Silk Infusion. Both are on the pricier range, but work WONDERS for your hair. They really help to smooth your hair, add shine, and REALLY strengthen and nourish your hair. Plus they keep away split ends! I got the Biosilk Silk Therapy at Target in a value pack that came with the shampoo and conditioner (though I didn't particularly enjoy either) which made it way cheaper and it helped my hair SO much. I still haven't ran out (you get a pretty large amount in a full size bottle) since I only use about 1/3 of a dime amount and run it through the lower half of my hair. Avoid your scalp area as this CAN make your hair oily. There are also lots of leave-in products that you can apply to add body/volume/style to your hair such as the Organix Coconut Leave-in Mousse while also nourishing your hair. I actually have this and I pumped some into a spray bottle and added water so I also use it as a leave-in mist when my hair looks like it needs some extra moisture (it also works great as a detangler haha :D).

Besides all the products you can use to love your hair, keep in mind you have to be gentle with your hair. That means don't subject it to constant heat, don't put it in tight ponytails or braids (ie. corn rows - these can really pull at your hair and cause lots of breakage), brush your hair GENTLY - don't mow through knots!, and dry your hair with care. When you're brushing your hair (something I actually don't need to do too often for some reason - lucky me!), if you come across a knot, hold your hair gently and in small but firm strokes, slowly detangle the knot with your brush. Detangler sprays come extra handy during times like these. You can use a leave-in sort of spray like I mentioned before or use the Suave Double Dutch Apple Detangling Spray (my absolute favorite, well the only one I've ever tried, and I've used it since I was a little kid. It smells freaking AMAZING!). Also, do NOT brush your hair when its wet! Your hair is most vulnerable when it's wet (you'll notice that if you brush your hair wet, more hairs come out than when it's dry) and if you're trying to grow out your hair, you definitely don't want to be yanking out any long locks. As I said before, gently towel dry your hair by pressing your hair in between your towel and gently patting. I used to go all-out crazy ruffle mode with the towel which worked to get out the extra water in my hair but it definitely caused breakage!

3. GO AU NATUREL
I love to say that word "Au naturel" and I absolutely love to butcher the pronunciation and pronounce it as "Ah-yooh nat-cher-ral". Yes I know that's wrong and yes I love to emphasize how wrong I say it. It just sounds cooler that way ;) But either way, this last tip just means go natural! Embrace your natural hair and skip the styling. Let your hair just flow down when possible and let it grow! I know people say you're supposed to get a trim every 3 months or whatever but I say FOOZ-WAZZLES to that! No way, I refused to get my hair cut and I haven't gotten it cut or trim in over 2 years now. I trim my own bangs and cut off the occasional split end (surprisingly I haven't had many!), but I was, and still am, totally against letting anyone but myself touch my hair. If you have a ton of split ends then yea you might want to go to a hairdresser and get a trim, but go to one you know and trust to listen to what you say and only cut off the least amount possible to get rid of the split ends. You can also just trim your own hair like I do, if you're comfortable with that! Not only should you avoid cutting your hair, don't dye or highlight your hair either! This can cause serious damage to your hair and loads of split ends can result. You don't need those kinds of chemicals in your hair! Now I probably shouldn't be talking since I have had my fair share of hair dying, but take it from me, dying your hair can really damage it. Especially if you're going lighter and bleaching it.. you are NOT going to be pleased with state of your hair afterwards! If you absolutely must/want to dye your hair and are using a box dye (ie not going to the salon), stick to one that advertises nourishment. I would recommend the L'oreal Superior Preference or Garnier Nutrisse Nourishing Color Creme. Furthermore, you HAVE to condition your hair like crazy (definitely use hair masks multiple times) for next week after you dye your hair if you want to avoid the worst damage effects. Lastly, part of going "au naturel" includes leaving out the styling. I can't stress it enough but honestly letting your hair down, straight or curly, whatever your natural hair is like is the best thing for your hair. There are so many easy, hair-friendly hairstyles that require little effort and can fit any look. And honestly, for a lazy girl like myself, leaving my hair down is fine by me! Saves me the trouble and gives me a few extra minutes of sleep in the morning :) Hair accessories like little bow or flower clips or headbands can really jazz up your normal hair without causing stress on your hair. So embrace your natural hair and you'll for sure be rewarded~ ^_^

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this long LONG post (took me ages to type out) and found it at least somewhat helpful. Growing out my hair took me ages, but it's finally in a place where I'm happy and it's happy. It's actually getting a bit long tbh and I'm not sure what to do. I'm thinking of cutting it a bit, just because it's gotten so long it keeps getting in my way LOL. But who knows, I absolutely LOVE my length and the health of my hair - def don't want to mess with that! Also, if you want to learn more about my daily hair care routine, I just posted up a video that I made talking about it (filmed a while back though) so click here to watch it! Well, toodles for now... go check out my other videos or stalk me on instagram or twitter (though all I use my twitter for is to tweet, ok I mean stalk, celebrities =__=) @creamydinner . Love you all and talk to you soon~!