On Brand - Exactly How I Grew the Hair of a Goddess

There is nothing I get asked about more than my hair. Random (lovely) strangers stop me when I am out for dinner, followers slide in my Dms and all of my gfs praise my hair on the regular.

They all want to know exactly what I do to have such long, healthy hair and I am not even going to pretend like it doesn’t flatter the hell out of me.

The reason it makes me feel so good is because of how much work I put in for this hair and I am not kidding when I tell you it is my pride and joy

- I take hair care very seriously -

When I was ten I had hair that fell all the way down my back (at that time it was my moms pride and joy). I, being the rebel that I am wanted to chop it short and of course my mother said absolutely not. One day, after school I took a pair of kitchen scissors and chopped a huge chunk out of the front just above my chin, forcing my mom to have to cut it. We all know how this story ends right - it looked absolutely horrible and I have been regretting it every since. Since that day I have been on a mission to get my beautiful, long hair back and I finally did it!

This is why I am so excited to be sharing exactly what I did to get me here after all these years. #goals

Okay but before that I have to start by telling you long, healthy hair is a commitment. Your hair, nails and skin are a reflection of your overall health and so a lot of the work has to do with nutrition, hydration and overall wellbeing (translation: you can’t buy it in a bottle) but don’t worry you can totally do it and the rewards go way beyond goddess worthy hair. You can do it!

GODDESS HAIR 101:

STOP THE HEAT - The first thing I did when I wanted my hair to grow was I literally stopped blowdrying, straightening and heat styling. I was vv serious about this and I think it is one of the most important steps to avoid breakage and encourage growth. I relied on a few golden products that would help my hair air dry with a California vibe and I was lucky enough to be in the perfect setting for an undone, beachy look. Find some fun ways to deal with your hair that don’t involve drying like braids or low buns - I love a good set of braids that look fun and sporty and also make for a great opportunity to slap a ton of coconut oil in. Of course I would have my hair done for special occasions but aside from that zero heat at home.

SHOWER LESS - The less you wash your hair the better, well, to a point. If you can wash your hair twice a week that is a great place to be especially if you are going to do the following and air dry your hair. With that being said I do believe in a good double shampoo - especially after a mask or just going a few extra days sans shower. When I wash my hair I shampoo the entire head then double shampoo just the roots and then work my conditioner in from the ends to about half way up the shaft. I find the hair air drys better this way and also allows more days between shampoos because the roots don’t get as greasy as quickly. Oh and get yourself a cute shower cap so you can protect the hair from moisture, avoid frizzing and still look cute if your husband walks in.

SKIP THE TOWEL - One tip I found that I totally stand behind is to not touch your hair AT ALL post shower. Standard towels are horrible for wet hair which is at its most fragile, causing breakage but also resulting in an overall frizzy look. I guarantee you if you get out of the shower, comb your hair with a wide tooth comb and part it where you’d like then DO NOT TOUCH IT ALL until it is dry - you will have perfect hair. It is like magic. Even if it looks frizzy for a minute resist the urge and just do not touch. This is is how you can get away with air drying your hair every time you shower.

MICRO-FIBER TOWEL - If you absolutely must use a towel for the sake of getting ready faster or whatever then you have to use a micro-fiber towel. They don’t damage your hair the way regular ones do, they speed up drying time and they aren’t as heavy so they don’t pull on your skin which I am convinced can’t be good.

BRUSH LIKE A BABY - I hope this is a stupid one and all of you brush your hair from the ends up but what I have seen some hair stylist do has traumatized me. Always baby your hair when you brush, especially when wet. Get the right brush that detangles, use a good detangler/leave in conditioner and take your time making sure to avoid breakage at all costs.

SPLURGE ON PRODUCTS - The products you use on your hair are key when you want to grow it out. Find a shampoo & conditioner specifically for long hair or for repair. I love Oaui repair and Oribe gold lust. Other products that are helpful are a detangling spray post shower and a good hair oil. I use United seven seconds spray because it detangles in seconds and best of all it always creates a beautiful shiny glow once my hair drys. After my hair is dry I usually put a tiny bit of Oaui hair oil on the ends and to tame fly aways.

COLOR WITH CARE - The crazy thing is I managed to go super blonde through all of this which is something my hair dresser and I are super proud of. I know this is because we used olaplaex when bleaching/toning and then I continued to use the at home treatment once a week. Sometime I would even sleep in the treatment for an extra boost.

DON’T BE AFRAID OF A GOOD TRIM - For years I would not cut my hair - I was personally victimized by a hairdresser years back and had been carrying around the baggage for years. I’ll never forget the first time I let amber cut my hair because I actually left feeling ashamed with how psycho I was. Micro-managing every single millimeter with this controlling attitude, ugh. Luckily she forgave me and we laugh about it now because after a few times I really began to notice my hair growing not faster but just better. When your hair gets a tiny trim it can actually create the illusion of being longer because the ends have a more uniform look to them. I also learned that when your hair starts to split at the end, if it is not removed, that split can go all the way up to your scalp which cause the nasty fly aways that everyone hates so it’s best to nip that in the bud.

WEEKLY MASKS & MASSAGE- I rarely do this anymore because my hair is almost too long but every week I used to get in the shower and double shampoo my hair and then flip my head upside down to massage in a combination of castor oil and coconut oil. I would stay bent over massaging for like 10 minutes. There were definitely funny times with James coming in wondering WTH I was doing but I didn’t care - it was all for the hair. I would leave this mask in overnight but just make sure you lay a towel down on your pillows to avoid staining pillow cases or you can even sleep in a microfiber towel or turban. It gets messy but it is worth it.

LIFESTYLE & NUTRITION - This one might make a few of you ladies sad but I have to be honest. When I gave up alcohol is when I saw the biggest change in my hair; it literally started growing like a weed. I am sure it was a mixture of things considering at that point I was living the healthiest lifestyle I had ever lived. I was sober, hadn’t used drugs in over a year and was living the LA lifestyle of organic, nutritious food with tons of activity outdoors in the sunshine. If you really want long, healthy hair you are going to have to commit to a healthy lifestyle and make sure you are eating enough lean protein, healthy fats and most importantly vegetables but it is totally worth it because not only will you have the best hair ever but you will be glowing everywhere you go.

HYDRATION - Keeping yourself super hydrated is essential for healthy hair. I drink at least 2 liters of water a day plus I am getting extra hydration from all of the plants I eat daily. If you are having a hard time drinking enough water check out this hydro-flask with a straw that has changed my life. Adding lemon, lime, oranges and even mint is also great to keep you sipping.

SUPPLEMENTS - There are a ton of ‘hair’ supplements on the market and to be honest I am shocked I never got down with any of those, what I did was take a really good pre-natal vitamin. One of my friends suggested this and I knew I wanted to have a baby in the next few years so it made sense. If I was going to try a brand specifically marketed for hair I would try HUM but to this day I still take my pre-natal and I love it. Something I did take was called floralasil - I saw an ad for it when I was in Vancouver at one of the health stores and I was hooked, I think this made a big impact too and its pretty cheap. Aside from the prenatal and florasil I have been a huge fan of collagen products including bone broths and vital proteins (I use it in my smoothies and my coffee).

PREGNANCY - This is not one of my hot tips for long hair. I don’t want to find out a bunch of you are expecting just for the inches but I wanted to share my experience. Having a baby is crazy for the length of your hair! No joke I must have grown over 7 inches during those 9 months. I never in my life thought I would say this but my hair was actually too long and bordering on Alannis Morrisette vibes, which is just a hair too hippy for me. When I got a trim after Viv was born I still had the longest hair I have ever had - it was amazing. So if you are planning on having a baby soon it is definitely something to look forward to ;)

Alright ladies so this is it, all the rules I live by when it comes to my hair. I am so happy I was able to ditch my extensions and grow the most goddess worthy locks of my dreams and I hope these tips will help you too. Let me know how it works for you and of course