Sometimes you can get yourself into quite a tangle, and I don’t mean the hundred ways I was mischievous as a child. Quite literally, longer hair can and will get tangled. If you don’t believe me, ask any mom who has labored over the beauty routines of “young’uns” with knotted, ratted hair mishaps. The simplest acts of shampoo, rinse, repeat can be an arduous task with a tug of war often ending in tears.
Oh, the tangled the web we weave when it comes to overlooking the special steps in maintaining long locks. Rapunzel makes it look easy, but then what else does she have to do except hair maintenance while locked away in the tower? It’s imperative to know that daily, sometimes even twice a day, brushing is not an option, but a necessity. Brushing the top layers while avoiding the underlying hair will just lead to borrowed trouble a few days later, so invest in a large paddle brush or a Mason Pearson, the creme de la creme of brushes, and adopt the 100 strokes a day ritual.
I encourage a specialty shampoo and conditioner, perhaps even a leave-in conditioner to boot, designed especially for high-maintenance long hairstyles. One of my favorites is a classic, tried and true, the Redken All Soft line. To reduce breakage, resist the urge to brush the hair while wet or damp. Always use your fingers first and then a wide tooth detangling comb before blow drying. Another tip is to begin at the ends of the strands, combing in small sections until you are tangle-free.
Last week my beautiful niece and her gorgeous long tresses visited the salon. Yes, there were some tangles and a few “ouches” before they were gone, so I sent her home with a magic potion and a couple of tips. Flip the head upside down, brushing dry hair vigorously before shampooing to loosen tangles. Get regular trims to prevent split ends from unravelling which only worsens tangles. Oh, and that magic potion I mentioned is Alterna Bamboo Luminous Spray that can aid in removing the most stubborn of knots in the hair.
If you long for tangles to be gone, just take this counsel from a friend, because Rapunzel shouldn’t be the only one in the kingdom with enviable locks.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 43 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.