Mens Long Hair

Friday, October 26, 2007

Mens Long Hair – Organic Hair Care as an Alternative

Last Wednesday evening I got back to my place after a grueling nine-mile bike ride through the foothills. Tired and lathered in sweat, I jumped in the shower for a much needed scrub. This was quite relaxing considering my eyes were still burning from the sweat and my skin and hair were uncomfortably littered with salt crystals. Routinely, I reached for my “Costco special” shampoo, glopped a heap of the viscous ooze into my hands and proceeded to assail my hair with it until my scalp was numb. As I toweled up and began to dry my hair I suddenly came to a conclusion: My hair looks like hell and feels even worse after every time I wash it. As a man who exercises all too much and correspondingly washes his hair a lot, I realized that my run-of-the-mill shampoo just wasn’t cutting the mustard.

As a conservative estimate, I would say that I have A LOT bad hair days, so I decided it was time to give my hair a new game plan. Of course I had no idea what this game plan was, so I turned to the internet for some research. After sifting through numerous articles, most of which were disguised advertisements, I was blessed with some mana from heaven: a summary on organic hair products on a website called Dressy Tresses. Yeah, so it may have been targeted towards women, but hair is hair, am I right? This article gave me some great ideas on how I could solve some if not all of my hair dilemmas.

The first question that I wanted to answer was, “Why does regular shampoo leave my hair coarse and unmanageable?” It turns out that most household synthetic shampoos and conditioners contain several ingredients that are harmful to your hair: sodium lauryl sulfate and phthalates (don’t worry, I can’t pronounce it either). These ingredients are commonly used because they greatly add to the cleaning, foaming, and emulsifying effects of the shampoo.

Though organic shampoos do not contain anywhere near the amount of harmful ingredients, they too should be used in moderation because they have the potential of being an allergen or other catalyst that could increase your body’s sensitivity to the environment. As current trends follows, more and more people are deciding against synthetics and are siding with the good ol’ Mother Nature. Organic shampoos are no miracle cure for coarse hair but they can make a delightful difference in the overall health of your hair. This means stronger, better looking hair, less dandruff, and superior styling.

Before going out and buying organic shampoo, here’s something to note. There are two types of what the USDA considers natural hair care products. One will be labeled with “made with natural ingredients” and the other with “organic.” The only difference between the two is that the former contains only 70% natural ingredients while the “organic” product contains at least 95%. Also, be sure to check the back of the product for its hydrosol content. Hydrosol is merely water that has been steeped in flowers and herbs but it’s used by manufacturers to artificially boost a product’s natural percentage rating. Though hydrosol is a natural ingredient, it is inert and has no redeeming effects on hair.

Admittedly, creating a hair care product that is 95% organic is very difficult, so at present there are only a handful of companies who have achieved the USDA organic certification. These companies are:

· Dr Bronner’s Magic Soaps

· Sensibility Soaps

· Aubrey Organics

· Terressentials (certification pending)

Organic hair products not needed by everyone, but if you brandish long hair or your hair is in as desperate need as mine, it may very well be worth your while.

Herbal Hair Solution

Grooming Secrets For Men

Check out Mens Hair Styles at DapperStyle.com

Mens Long Hair - A Fun Guide to Growing Long Hair

I woke up to the frightening sound of my alarm at 7:00 a.m. only to be unpleasantly surprised by a disturbing but common occurrence with mens long hair. A lock of my tangled curly mop had crusted itself to the side of my mouth while another stray hair had found its way into my unsuspecting eye. One might ask, “Why do I willfully subject myself to these burdens day in and day out?” I’ll tell you why. Having long hair is wicked cool! There are women out there who LOVE long hair on men, and even though it may at times be grounds for social discrimination, a large majority of people will respect you for it because you have exercised you creative license and taken a step into the bold.

Once you’ve made sure long hair is what you want, there are a set of simple rules to follow to get you started on your idiot proof journey to ridiculously good looking hair. First you must identify your hair type. There are scores of hair types but yours will likely fall under one of these four categories: straight, wavy, frizzy, or curly. If you can’t figure out what hair type you have, ask your resident hair aficionado or your mother. This next step is the most important in the process. Don’t cut your hair! “But wait” you ask, “Shouldn’t I be regularly trimming my hair for split ends and unevenness?” This is entirely up to you. On average your hair will grow six inches each year, so if you decide to have it trimmed you might be delaying your long-haired glory by quite some time. Everyone has a different threshold for dealing with ugly split ends but I’d recommend just ignoring them for a while if you really want to bang this out.

When you’re finally comfortable with what seems like a never-ending bad hair phase you need begin thinking seriously about hygiene. Most men have an innate disposition to neglect their hair in every way possible, but if you’re going to get the long hair you’ve imagined, it’s going to require the development of some positive hair maintenance habits. Keep your hair clean, but know that there is such a thing as too clean. The key in growing strong healthy hair is in retaining your hairs natural oils. Just because you have more hair does not give license to throwing gobs of shampoo and conditioner at it. You may have already found that the overuse of any hair product can have detrimental effects on the health of your hair.

If you’re having trouble dealing with the side effects of using regular shampoo give organic shampoo a try. An organic shampoo will contain far less sodium lauryl sulfate and will generally foster hair growth and a healthy scalp. Also, remember that conditioner is not optional! Without it, there’s a good chance you’ll be waving goodbye to the lady folk.

As your hair grows, its type will become increasingly important. Straight and wavy types are easily maintained while frizzing and curly hair types often pose difficulties. If your hair falls under one of the troublesome types, you’ll have to spend more time brushing. Brush often to avoid tangles and stubborn knots. I highly recommend brushing your hair while it’s still wet because water will temporarily give your curly or frizzy hair some of the properties of straight hair.

You’ll find that as your hair grows to medium length and longer there becomes a need to keep your hair tied back and out of the way. One of the trials of having long hair, which I know all too well, is keeping it out of your face and mouth. While sleeping this is inevitable but during waking hours there are plenty of ways to combat this problem. The easiest options are ponytails, bandanas, and hats, but feel free to get creative! Ways not to restrain your hair are: buns, pigtails, or anything involving clips. YOU ARE A MAN and you should wield your hair as a testament to your manhood!

There you have it, a surefire way to full-blown, ridiculously good looking, mens long hair. Be patient. Hair takes time to grow, and until it gets down to your shoulders it may look awkward, but just think how badass it’ll look when it’s all said and done!