Thick, seemingly unmanageable hair has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. As a child, my mom made the executive decision for me to sport very short hair because brushing and styling my mass of hair was borderline torture for all involved parties. As I got older, I desperately wanted beautiful long (mermaid) hair so I grew it down to my waist. As you can probably guess, I quickly realized that having thick and long hair required way more time and energy than I was used to. But despite the trials and tribulations, I’ve kept my hair very long for about five years now because it genuinely makes me really happy. The following are tips based on my experience for living your best thick-haired life.
Decide for YOURSELF how to cut and style it
This is something that took me far too long to learn. You are the one who has to wear your hair so you get to decide how long it is and how you style it. I spent many many years taking every comment about my hair way too personally. Everyone has an opinion, and quite frankly, not a damn one of them matters. If you love your long hair because you feel like a majestic creature when you whip it around, keep it long! If it’s been caught in backpacks, chairs, other people’s arms, and basically everything you interact with to the point of madness, chop it!
Do yourself the biggest favor and get a Wet Brush or five
This brush changed my life. Dramatic? Yes. True? Also yes. For 20 years, I could not, under any circumstance, brush or comb my wet hair without ripping out frighteningly large chunks and creating more tangles than I was fixing. No more! This $8.00 brush (you read that right) glides through wet tangled hair like it’s nothing (and doesn’t rip out hair). It helps your hair dry faster and it is so soft afterwards! You can get one from Amazon here.
Coconut oil, coconut oil, coconut oil
I’m sure you’ve heard about the numerous beauty hacks involving coconut oil (check out some of my favorites). My number one tip for working coconut oil into your routine is a pre-shower hair mask. 15-20 minutes before you shower, massage coconut oil throughout all of your hair and let it sit. Rinse it out very well and wash your hair like normal. It makes your hair silky smooth and helps prevent damage! This is especially useful when you have tons and tons of hair.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with styles
During many a Pinterest binge, I’ve scrolled past hairstyle after hairstyle that I’ve absolutely loved but had zero faith that my hair would cooperate with. Honestly, most of the time, I’m correct and that adorable bun makes me look (and feel) like a bobblehead or that intricate braid looks like it should be coiled up on the deck of a ship instead. However, there are hairstyles that really do work on all types of hair! You may have to get creative with bobby pins and hairspray, but you don’t have to be limited in the world of beautiful hairstyles.
OWN IT
Most importantly, be ridiculously proud of your hair. So sometimes you look like a cross between Hermione Granger and an actual lion… everyone has bad hair days. But it’s the hair you’ve got and it’s pretty freaking majestic. Embrace it, love it, and whip it back and forth every chance you get.
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