HEALTHY HAIR MUST HAVES

Hi lovelies! As many of you will know, I'm getting married this year, so with my Wedding day approaching, I've been doing all I can to grow out my hair. Of course, growing your hair one thing, but growing longer and healthier is another story all together. So, today, I wanted to share with you all a few things that I've been doing and products I've been using that have been helping my hair to grow longer and stronger.

A Good Quality Hairdryer
High quality hair tools are essential, a hair dryer like the Panasonic hair dryer above is much better for your hair as it has a 'healthy mode', which drys your hair quickly to avoid excessive use of heat on the hair. Dryers that use special technology to reduce heat damage really are worth the investment in my opinion, as if you have a good quality hair dryer that dries your hair quickly and leaves it looking healthy and smooth, there's less need for extra heat from other appliances. This one in particular is on my wishlist at the moment and is definitely worth checking out if you're serious about upping your hair-care game!

Regular Trims
Possibly the most important step in trying to grow your hair longer and healthier is getting it trimmed regularly. It sound counterproductive, but until December last year, I was only getting my hair trimmed every 12 weeks or sometimes even longer and despite the not very regular cuts, it was taking a seriously long time to get any longer! This was because by the time I went to get it cut again, the ends were so split and broken that whatever new length I had had to be chopped off! Hair that is trimmed little and often appears to grow faster because the ends are kept looking healthier, split, straggly ends can actually make your hair appear shorter! My hairdresser only cuts off a bare minimum, but as I have it trimmed every 6-8 weeks now, it has time to grow an inch or so, so having half an inch cut off each time means that I am slowly but surely getting towards my goal of super long, swishy mermaid hair. I should also mention that it is important to get a hairdresser that will be honest with what you need, but also listens to what you want, a scissor happy hairdresser that lops off 3 inches every time you go will not help if you're trying to grow out your hair!

Softer Hairbands
I think this is one that is really quite overlooked as I know I definitely did before! I'm not really one for tying my hair up too often, so whenever I did, I'd grab whichever hairband I could find without too much thought about it. However, tight, harsh hairbands can do serious damage to your hair, they cause friction which can eventually snap and break your hair. Scrunchies like the one above can seriously help to reduce damage to your hair (and they look super cute and retro too!). Especially if you tie your hair up to go to bed, switching to a hairband that's softer and more gentle on your hair is much better and will dramatically reduce damage.

Hair Oil & Serum
I've found a new love for hair oil and serums recently and this has made a huge difference to my hair. I use Macadamia oil on my hair to keep dry, split ends at bay and just a little bit every time I wash and dry my hair has been making my hair feel a lot better, which in turn makes it look better. This along with a little serum makes my hair look and feel smoother and healthier, which I find means I use less heat. No product can actually repair damaged hair, however, when your hair looks and feels dry and frizzy, it's easy to use too much heat trying to style it, so products like this really help to keep your hair more manageable.

Sulphate Free Shampoo
I've also switched to sulphate free shampoos lately and I think that it's made the world of difference. My hairdresser told me that sulphates are also in washing up liquid and help to cut through the grease on dirty dishes, which sounds pretty harsh for your hair if you ask me! I've tried a couple of different ones and don't have a paricular favourite yet, but I'm certain my hair has actually been growing faster since using the sulphate free shampoo and conditioner. It's also softer and much less falls out in the shower. The actual growth could be a coincidence but I've definitely noticed a difference in the condition of my hair since I've thrown out the harsher products so I'd thoroughly recommend going sulphate free!

Less Frequent Washing
On the topic of washing our hair, this one does prove the most challenging for many of us, but washing your hair less frequently absolutely makes all the difference in the overall condition of your hair. Washing your hair too often strips your hair of its natural oils leaving it dry and prone to breakage. I tend to wash mine every other day or every three days if I can. I used to think I had to wash my hair every day, but in doing this I trained my hair to get oilier faster as it was trying to quickly restore the natural oils that I was constantly stripping out. Over time, my hair has almost got 'used to' being washed less often and I'm in the process of trying to stretch it out so I can go to every third day rather than every other day. In doing this, dry shampoo is an absolute life saver. I only really use Batiste as I find it feels the lightest on my hair. I know some people dislike dry shampoo, but I think if you use it sparingly, it's much better than over-washing!

So, that's it! Those are my tips for healthier hair, I don't claim to be a hair expert as I'm sure you can tell, but this is what I've been doing and what's worked for me!

What are your top tips for healthier hair? I'd love to know!