If your hair is on the long side, or you have a lot of it, you know exactly how long it takes to complete the entire hair care routine. Wash it, condition it, dry it, style it–the process seems to be never-ending.
Having long hair myself, spending three hours on my hair every time I washed it was just getting to be a bit too much. Or maybe I am just impatient when it comes to my hair–but I’m sure I’m not the only one. So, instead of opting for the famous ‘chop’ to avoid the incessant styling, I decided to find hacks on how to get the same results, but faster.
1. Air dry your hair until it’s 80% dry
This is one of the most effective ways to cut down time on your hair routine. Of course, this trick won’t work if you’re in a rush to get out of the house, but if you’re washing your hair on a week night or on a lazy Sunday, always be sure to follow this tip. Not only will it cut down actual blow drying time by a lot, it will also damage your hair less, as it’s not good to apply direct heat to hair that is soaking wet.
So, when you get out of the shower, gently pat your hair dry. In full transparency, a cotton t-shirt would work best for this and will prevent damage to the hair, but let’s get real…how many cotton t-shirts do you have lying around to be used after every shower? I don’t, so I use a regular towel and pat my hair dry very gently with it. Try your best to avoid twisting it, rubbing it, or making a turban on your head (I am guilty of this at times), as this is what can truly cause damage to your hair in the long run. After you pat it dry, place a nice fluffy towel on your shoulders and while your hair dries, use this time to catch up on emails, do errands, chores, or watch your fave tv shows.
2. Apply hair products before your hair dries
If you use any sort of hair products, be sure to apply them before the hair is completely dry. If you wait too long, you’re just spraying new moisture into the hair which only prolongs the process. I like to use a de-tangling spray and heat protectant or a leave-in conditioning spray right after I pat the hair dry with a towel.
3. Do hair masks before or during the shower to save time
I used to be the type of gal who’d never do hair masks before. My excuse is that I don’t really have time to pamper myself so often or sit around waiting for a hair mask to absorb into my hair. Of course, this is just an excuse for a lazy person.
Moisturizing your hair is literally the number one priority, as this is the biggest factor in having beautiful, healthy, bouncy, shiny hair. I realized I’ve got to find a way to incorporate hair masks into my hair care routine in a way that doesn’t feel like a pompous ceremony. And I did! Here are a few of my favorite ways.
Apply the hair mask (I love to use pure Coconut Oil) before you shower. Then proceed with a regular shower routine. While you wash your body, scrub, and shave, the steam from the hot water opens up the cuticles of your hair and that mask is penetrating and moisturizes it deeply. Last step: shampoo and condition, and you’re all done.
If you do hot yoga or go to the gym, apply a hair mask and put your hair in a bun or braids. You’ll have to shower after your workout anyway, so why not let your hair have a full hour or so to soak in the good stuff?
Same goes for steam rooms, if you ever visit one. Just pop some of the hair mask into your hair before you go and let it do its magic in the steam.
During summertime, take your hair mask to the beach, or to the backyard. Not only will it moisturize your hair while you sunbathe, but it will also protect your locks from the sun.
All these methods above are completely doable by every single one of us, so really, there is no excuse to skip out on treating your hair with what it deserves. And just think about how much time you’re saving by incorporating this into your regular routine, instead of dedicating a separate time slot for hair care.
4. Blow drying long hair faster
To speed up the drying process even more, take off the nozzle that concentrates the air into a thin stream and blow dry your roots upside down. As soon as you feel your hair is about 90% dry, it’s time to put the nozzle back on and use a round hair brush to fully dry the rest of the hair, and smoothen it out in the process.
5. Use the cool setting
When you are done blow drying, put your hair dryer on a cool setting and run the cold air through your hair with a round brush one more time. This will seal the cuticles and make your hair appear even shinier and healthier.
6. How to curl long hair faster
Ah, curling long hair. No one can argue that having beautifully styled long hair is absolute goals, but the effort and time that normally needs to be put into styling it is quite on the lengthy side. One of the best hacks on how to style long hair fast is to pull it up in two ponytails and curl in sections. This works for two reasons:
You’re essentially cutting the length that needs to be curled in half
The sections are so much more manageable to curl, that the process of curling long hair is expedited significantly
7. How to add volume to long hair
Since the technique above doesn’t curl the roots, it’s a possibility that the hair lays flatter at the top. A quick trick to add volume to the roots, in this case, is to simply use a texturizing powder, or a natural dry shampoo, which will help create volume. Massage well into the roots, or you can even put some in your hand and scrunch the hair upwards to create texture and body throughout the length of the hair.
That’s it, my friends! This is how I style my long hair, and with these tips and tricks that I just shared with you, I’m able to cut down my hair styling process significantly. I hope that you’ve found them helpful.