Growing mermaid hair

I've always wished I had mermaid hair. The kind of hair you see on your favorite surf magazine's cover or in bikini catalogs. You see these girls walking along the beach with golden locks floating in the sea breeze... And you think "How the heck do they do?"

My kind of "surfer hair" usually consists in huge knots hard to remove, dry hair and, when I am lucky, some seaweed here and there ;)

Faaaar away from the mermaid locks stereotype.

I challenged my hair a lot in the past... Short cuts, punk colors, dyeing, bleaching... Let's just say it wasn't an easy road to let it grow naturally and healthy.

But I'm not a quitter and today I want to share with you some little secrets I discovered along the years to grow the beautiful, long, soft mermaid hair we've always dreamed of.

LESS SHAMPOO
Don't be scared, you don't need to grow dreadlocks on your head! But too many shampoos can easily reduce the natural oils of your hair. Which means greasier and less healthy hair.

If you plan to surf three times this week, try to only rinse it with cold water after each session and use shampoo once. Sea water do miracles to your hair and create amazing natural waves and highlights. But salt tends to dry it, so we don't need to get it worse.

GIVE THE TIPS A CUT
I know, you want to grow your hair longer and longer... And it takes time! But cutting the tips once in a while can give your hair that extra push to grow stronger and faster. Just make sure you let a professional do the job. Someone is talking for experience here! ;)

NOURISH IT
Always. Period.

If your hair gets dry with the time spent in the water and under the sun, you should nourish it as much as you can.

I personally use argan oil almost everyday during the summer, but there are a lot of other natural oils that can work the same.

Don't forget conditioner after every shampoo and go for a nourishing mask twice a month. Your hair will be softer and shinier! There are a lot of recipes for homemade hair treats out in the web. And most of them are also yummi!!!

Little tip: put a little conditioner in your wet locks after your surf session and let your hair dry naturally. You will never have softer hair!!! Promise ;)

PROTECT IT
Here I am guilty, I never do that. And when summer ends I realize I should have - my hair looks less shiny and definitely dry.

That's why it's so important to protect it from the damages of the sun, which is not only dangerous for the skin, but for the hair too.
Add too much time spent surfing in salt water and here you find yourself knotting at the door of the closest hair saloon for a hair cut. But we don't want that, right? So let's go buy a great hair product with UVA/UVB filters and put it on as soon as the sun rises up.

GO EASY ON THE HEAT
As soon as spring knocks at our doors we know we don't really need the blow-drier any more.

If we are lucky enough to spend the day at the beach we can make the sun and the warm winds do the job. The strong heat damaging our hair, we better give our blow-drier and straightening/curling iron a rest for a few months.

Plus natural drying gives our hair that perfectly natural waves we only see on the beaches. 

It's a win-win. :)

Little tip: brush your hair as soon as you get out of the water when it is still wet - not after! This way your natural waves will stay in place after drying.

LET IT GO WILD
If you usually wear your hair in a ponytail, give it a break. The messy bun is on trends right know and there's no need to say how much I love it. But I know it can easily stress my hair and risk to break it when it is tied too tight. So, let it off!

The wilder the better! Play it around and messy. Your hair will be healthier, sexier and definitely "beachier".

I hope these tips will help you getting longer and stronger mermaid hair. If you want to add some, please share them in the comments below!!!

xo

Credits // Author: Marta Tomasini, Pic via Pinterest