Long Story - Long Locks Will Never go Out of Fashion

How to Keep Yours Looking Fashion Forward

Growing hair can be a long process, one that many of us give up on, it takes patience....it takes time, it takes self-control and most importantly it takes having standards, rules and guidelines and the strength to follow them strictly in place. We are speaking about people 20 years and older as we generally do here on KillerStrands. Having long hair is heredity for about 30% ... the rest of us work very hard to have long hair.  For the first time in my own life, I have the longest hair I have ever had... its funny to have it tickling my lower back, I have never felt that particular feeling before, EVER in my life. So, for once, I know from where I speak . Some of us have made the long trek to long locks and for those here are my top tips for taming Long tresses:

1. This season natural and simple will be the buzz words for longer hair. I am from the school that you work WITH your natural hair, which means if you have curly hair, work WITH IT... don't straighten it.....If you have wavy hair - work WITH IT, wear it wavy and the same if its straight - wear it straight.....especially if you have long hair or are growing it to 'be' long hair. With long hair you have longer lengths that need to be cared for 10X as well as short hair. Short hair is cut and trimmed more frequently than long hair.  You must be focused on the health of the hair even more, when going long. This does not mean every single day of every single day in the year. I mean be realistic about how you read and follow the Killer Strands methods (and on anything I say, for that matter)....this is not prison....it is Killer Strands unusual rules for hair care, which you will find, when followed, your hair will be in extraordinary condition, just try them. Working 'with' your natural texture is left over from my Sassoon training, they are very adamant about that theory at Sassoon, and with 15 years 'after-the-fact' experience I relinquish my approval on top of it. I've spent years straightening - curly hair....while in the Salon I had Assistants doing the long arduous blow dry. Now, with just a couple dozen clients that are die-hards and continue to come to me - now "I" have to blow dry myself and I really see how much I feel that all of you need to re-consider how you wear your hair. I've had a couple converts lately....Go from Straightening their hair 2-3-4 X a week to applying the proper product and letting it just air dry.  They are so very very happy with their new "wavy" - -  natural hair. I invite all of you to give a try, hair should not look overworked -- instead opt for more unkempt, organic looks
2. If you have extensions, GET . . . RID . . . OF . . . THEM!  I completely am against extensions ('clip-in' type are O.K.), seeing the amount of serious damage to  both scalp and growth patterns in their head of hair (and scalp), I had to change my tune on those quite a ways back. Even people with strong hair have had the extensions rip out the hair right at the root and some of this damage I have not been able to repair - even with all the trix I have at my disposal. Say "NO" to extensions, if your hair won't grow long, work WITH what your own hair will do. Remember Natural and Simple.Extensions have been here in my area, available  for the general public for 13-14 years...so I have seen the damage for a very long time and I hope to help those of you that are thinking of trying them, now that they are available freely and cheaply in other parts of America, to either stop going thru with the idea  or take them out just as soon as possible. Save your hair now, its only a temporary fix, and they can ruin your own hair permanently.
3. Personalize your look by introducing a fringe (bangs) that flatteringly frames your face, whether its solid, long-

sweeping or a shattered choppy fringe ...doing this will update your look . Many people have long hair for many many years it starts to old, haggard, boring. If that's you think about an update either with color or a bit of a cut, such as a new fringe, there are some great photos out there of the 2. Another idea is choppy layers or tapering. Many of my newer clients always seem to be confused by the terms layers and tapering ( until I clarify them) I continue to believe that an educated client is a better client. So all of you Cosmetologists out there take my advice and teach and educate your clients, they hate how there seems to be a conspiracy between hair Stylists and against Clients. Not a single hair Stylist will speak up and try to educate them, so terrified if they educate them, they will leave them. Remember, when people can afford to go to a Stylist - they will. Wouldn't you?  For hair with length layers work great, suiting most face shapes while creating an easy, manageable style. Layers will always keep a longer style fresh and modern and by incorporating complementary colors and tones to the cut, it will allow the hairstyle to stay up-to-date and exciting.
4. Long Hair only looks stunning, if it has been looked after, which means regular trims. Long hair is considered high maintenance, so be prepared if you want to grow your hair. It depends on the type of hair you have but generally when growing hair out, I feel it should be trimmed every 3 but even better 4 months. Then only trimmed 1/4" to 1/2" the very least possible.  Every single other piece you will read on letting hair grow says to trim hair 1/2"  every 6 weeks....that has never made sense to me....EVER. I finally get to express it, my clients used to LOVE me for that rule, their hair would really grow. At that time I had 1/4 of the 14 steps of 10,000HEADS, so their hair would grow, but now its turbo-charged with the Secret Supplement, THRIVEN, GLEAM and the rest of the Steps in the regimen. But, for years the common rule that hairstylists would follow, truly would prevent people from having long hair...hair only grows 1/2" per month if you trimmed it 1/2" every 5-6 weeks - it would only grow 1/4" every 3 months or so.
5. To break up the monotony of long dark hair use contrasting color flashes to break up the long heavy look. Follow the directions and the DEMO in the Blog to produce your own paint drips, which look as if you have dipped random thin sections of hair in bleach (which makes them lighter) then add interesting colors to those bleach, such as Teal and Yellow or Forest Green and purple... we carry the best Krazy Kolors    http://killerstrands.myshopify.com/products/renbow-crazy-color-cream in the store they rinse out of the hair in the most healthy way possible / by not leaving your hair some wretched color, like  green/brown or blue/green as many of them do.  Plus they are all intermixable so you can create any color that your brain can possibly think of.  You can also leave the color off the dripped ends and just leave them lightened that is one of the more common seen hair color styles... as in the posts before this one.
6. Deep condition, yes that long hair soaks up the product so you may not want to be doing the deep condition as often as you should . . . give it your best shot and use the very best product you can. Of course I am going to recommend THRIVEN and especially the secret supplement. . . . if you want your long hair to shine, grow more, become thicker and flourish...those are the best tricks I can come up with. GLEAM is my new little surprise, I have had dozens of people write in to tell me the new surprise in their life concerning their hair  they have had with their applying GLEAM to their ends ( just 1 maybe 2 squirts ONLY!) rubbed into their 2 hands and then rubbed into the ends of the hair all the way around. You cannot imagine my surprise, I never knew.... I never knew that everyone was using the product in this manner and having such extraordinary - AMAZING results  - - - I laugh every day at the thought that YOU out there, figured this one out. That is amazing to me that I didn't know myself what my own product was doing and the happiness it was bringing to people. If you have not tried it and you have long hair, you have to.http://killerstrands.myshopify.com/collections/killerstrands-products
7.  Serum, use a top notch Serum . . . silicone serum with NO alcohol in the formula (denatured alcohol), to help the hair look sleek but not weighed down. I've heard the curlies have some 'thing' against serums...not too sure what it is - I guess what they are talking about is when the hair is left curly. But as a healthy hair freak, I find no other method of protecting hair from heat appliances and tools, but silicone serums. It is a man-made product, silicone, which coats the individual hair - - thereby protecting them almost completely from the radical heat and pressure of a Flat Iron or a Curling Iron. I can tell people all day long to not straighten their hair, but they are going to anyway...so with that being the case. . . I must address that. We have 4 silicone serums 3 are sprays 1 is drops . . . .2 are  made by KeraCare (an ethnic hair care company)..2 are made by RUSK. http://killerstrands.myshopify.com/collections/thermal-protectors-and-gloss-spray
8. My number 1 & 2 suggestion for styling long hair ? Velcro jumbo rollers + King Size round brush         http://killerstrands.myshopify.com/products/4-diameter-round - which actually I can't believe I am saying. All Sassoon educated stylists DO NOT use round brushes! WE are taught and educated not to use them, which I did for about 5 years. . .  and as I watched stylists around me achieve volume and styles you simply CANNOT achieve with our piddly-ass styling brushes of European descent....I gradually made the transition over to the "forbidden" ROUND brush. I mean it was to the point that they confiscated and destroyed them if they were found in our bags. After a while you just get used to the whole concept at Sassoon, but as I had no one confiscating the brush out in the real world I gradually worked in to the easier method of creating giantor volume.
The biggest round brush is just the best method of drying long hair, it looks truly amazing after using it, I have planned an upcoming DEMO showing how to create Va-Va-Voom Volume with the 4 3/4 inch wonder which I found for a great price and turned that over to you . . . I think both brushes are the best price you can find....anywhere http://killerstrands.myshopify.com/products/4-diameter-round-brush      Now if I could just find a tourmaline IONIC DRYER for a good price. . . .if anyone has a suggestion of a great brand they like, I will do some research and see if I can get a good price. I am determined to offer good prices for everyone, eventually. It all takes time & research, just stay tuned. Also, the 3 & 4" round Velcro rollers which are applied in smaller sections to the root area with a quick swish of hair spray/spritz to the root area - how high you say ?!