Hairstylist's historical hair growth tips : can historical hair care secrets REALLY grow long hair?

Can historical hair growth tips really help grow long hair? To a hairstylist, hair growth secrets are questionable. But these historical hairstyles might help on your long hair journey! Cool off with Brooklinen's Organic Hardcore Bundle this Summer (or frankly, any of their bundles) and use my code SnappyDragon at checkout for $20 off any order over $100! bit.ly/SnappyDragon_Brookline...
Did historical hair care hold the secret to fas hair growth? Trick question : While many historical people had extremely long hair, there is no perfect fas hair growth secret for how to grow your hair longer. As a professional hairstylist, I can tell you many hair growth hacks don't work, or only help grow very long hair for a few people. According to hair science, very little will make hair grow faster out of your head, including most hair growth products! But historical hair routines can really help with how to RETAIN length as your hair grows longer. Hair history offers all sorts of hair care tips, from hair detangling hacks to to historical hair styles to different version of the no poo method, all of which can help you on your hair growth journey.
Historical hair care was all about protecting hair, just like the protective styles used for natural hair growth. It was important not to overwash hair, whether that meant Medieval hair care with combing twice a day, 18th century hair powder, or Edwardian hair care with egg shampoo or monthly washing. Braiding is also very helpful to protect long hair from breakage and damage-- even a Victorian hair updo will keep hair protected and help it grow. Historical hairstyles for long hair were designed to help hair growth and care for long hair by helping retain length. Another important piece of historical hair styling and care was headscarves and other hair coverings! While today, headscarves like tichels, hijabs, and kerchiefs are associated with modesty, they began as a practical way to keep hair clean and add another layer of protection that can be great for hair growth. Wearing a headscarf can mean whatever you want it to, whether it's about modesty or tradition, or if it's purely a practical part of your long hair routine.
I hope these historical hair growth tips are helpful to you! There's no one secret hair routine that will work for everyone, so I encourage you to experiment with all the different methods offered to us by hair history and fashion history. Historical hair styling has so many options! I like to integrate historical hair care into my modern curly hair routine, so I've included a little about my curly hair history and process as an example. I can't wait to see in the comments what hair growth tips you've used to get long hair, and your favorite historical hair styling methods!
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[@2shmert4u]

I'm Native American and while the single and double braids have become almost an identifier for us, there used to be more intricate braiding traditions that have been mostly or entirely lost because they were banned by the government, along with many other traditions, from colonization through the 1960's.

[@pioneercynthia1]

This comment makes me sad. The same is true of many South American indigenous peoples. Very sad.

[@Charlie______________]

I wish our government didn’t destroy so many of our traditions I feel you..

[@tania0070]

Ha! You look like a white Pretendian to me.

[@eeaotly]

I really don't understand why would you ban a braiding style 🤔 I'd rather ban baldness 😑

[@1_star_reviews]

@@eeaotly 😂😂😂

[@alex9190]

my mom told me a story of the first time she saw her yiayias hair. she always covered it in public. equally for religious and practical reasons. she was very devout, plus, her village was dusty and she spent most of her time outside. but one day at home she took her scarf off in front of my mom to unbraid and brush her hair, and my mom said her braid just gracefully unfurled and went all the way down her back, past the seat of the chair she was sitting in. im growing my hair now and even though i never got to meet her i feel sort of connected to my great grandmother that way.

[@SnappyDragon]

That's such a sweet story!

[@ashleyh249]

You are a true Hair-storian.

[@kellyburds2991]

Excellent pun, 10/10, would read again.

[@SnappyDragon]

🤣🤣🤣 you win the comments!

[@cleoclaus69]

Thank you for mentioning Black folk’s’ contribution to hair care. Not many people do. Very awesome video. A lot of these methods, especially protective styling, helped grow my kinky African hair to almost waist length, so I can vouch for their efficacy.

[@My_mid-victorian_crisis]

I loved her mention of cultural adaption, instead of wholesale appropriation. Find out WHY a culture does something and adapt it for use with sensitivity and honor.

[@JadeStone00]

^ Absolutely this ^ I would like to personally thank Black women everywhere for making satin-lined bonnets a thing. I'm white, and I have very thick wavy hair. I have been growing it out for fifteen years. I thought my max length was just past my waist, but after I started wearing a satin bonnet to bed last year, I got an additional five inches of length because of the decrease in breakage. FIVE INCHES. And I don't think it's even reached its max yet. I changed literally nothing else about my hair care routine. I just started taking my hair out of a braid, giving it a once-over with a wide-tooth comb, and coiling it loosely in a satin bonnet when I go to bed at night. The gentle heat from my own head + the natural oils of my scalp help keep my hair soft, moist, and shiny. Any frizziness from the day gets smoothed out without additional products or effort, and my natural waves are tamed and given shape by being coiled together under the bonnet. Now when I wake up, I take off my bonnet, and my waist-length turquoise hair tumbles down my shoulders and back like a pristine waterfall on a tropical island paradise. I run my hand through it to separate the waves and let it settle in to where it parts naturally on the left side. From there, I have the option of leaving it long and loose, or putting it in a plain braid it to keep it off my neck and out of my face. I usually do the latter, but if I decide to leave it down, I'm done. I literally wake up with perfect hair every single morning. The best thing about adopting this bit of cultural exchange is that it's not public-facing. I don't have to worry about appropriating someone else's culture because it's not a part of my public presentation -- it's just the way I care for my hair in the privacy of my home. Fellow white folks, y'all need to get on board here. Satin bonnets are just one of the many great gifts that African, Caribbean, and Black cultures have given us. Stop trying to claim dreadlocks as Norse, take down the cornrows you got in the Bahamas, get a satin bonnet (preferably one from a Black-owned business on Etsy!) and enjoy your Euro hair for what it is.

[@sarahr8311]

​@@JadeStone00how well does the bonnet stay in place while you sleep? I toss and turn a fair bit, and always assumed that my hair (butt length and wavy like yours) would fall out of a bonnet while I slept.

[@JadeStone00]

@@sarahr8311 great question! I have a small head (I have to wear youth sized bike helmets) so I make sure to get bonnets with elastic that I can adjust. That said, as long as I pull the bonnet over my ears instead of letting it sit behind them, it stays on without an issue. You can get bonnets that are designed for long locs or braids that have a lot of extra space in the back, but I find that a regular sized one works best for me because I coil my hair inside it. I feel like if my hair were hanging down loose inside the bonnet, it would be more likely to get tangled and matted. You do want to make the coil low, at the nape of your neck, so that the weight of your hair can fall into the little little pouch that's formed by the extra fabric in back. But the elastic keeps it in place just fine.

[@SnappyDragon]

@jldunston WELL 👏 HECKING 👏 SAID.

[@rebeccasabin480]

I only wish I could grow long hair but my hair breaks at the five or six inch mark so I’ve learned to rock short hair. This is a genetic thing for all the women on my maternal side after a certain age so there’s really nothing to be done about it. Work with your hair not against it and you’ll look beautiful no matter what!

[@ragnkja]

Short terminal length combined with a fragile hair texture would do that. If the terminal length is barely over 20 cm _without_ accounting for breakage, it’s hard to put it in most protective hairstyles.

[@SnappyDragon]

I'm so glad you've found a way to work with your hair's needs! 💚 And I completely agree, if you are able to work with your hair rather than fighting it you'll be much happier.

[@empressspace8110]

Safe hair styles are important. And wearing a bonnet when you sleep. And satin pillowcase is important as well. Hair ends are just as important as the roots. And getting trims are important. If your hair is not healthy it will break off. That's why staying hydrated and eatting healthy to get nutrients. Is great for hair

[@magalieg273]

There's a genetic disorder responsible for that (short anagen phase syndrome or something like that?). One of my childhood friend has it!

[@emmadickey5602]

Thank you so much for bringing context into this and not just going the "our ancestors knew better than us and we should blindly follow what we think they did" route!

[@SnappyDragon]

You're so welcome! Our ancestors did the best they could with what they had and the world they lived in, and we are fortunate enough to live in a world with a much broader range of options.

[@beagleissleeping5359]

A teenager I worked with had her cosmetology teacher tell her, "Let me trim your hair to make it healthier." She had to demand that her teacher stop cutting, because even after about a foot of it was gone, they wanted to keep "trimming." I don't know whether her hair was really that badly damaged or maybe the teacher was just an anti long hair person.

[@SnappyDragon]

It infuriates me when hairdressers do things to people's hair without fully informed consent! Hair is part of a person's BODY. Even if I disagree and think a client needs to cut off much more hair than they're willing to, we do what they agree to and nothing else.

[@AlexaFaie]

@@SnappyDragon I'm glad you are one of the good ones. I no longer go to hair dressers because of so many bad experiences. From them insisting on putting styling products in my hair when I asked them not to as I'm sensitive to so much its not worth the pain, to them cutting way more off than I asked for on multiple occasions (different people). Its even worse for me because I have to take my glasses off when they cut my hair and I can't see past the tip of my nose without my glasses. So I literally couldn't even say stop when they kept cutting. I told them I couldn't see without my glasses on, and I've had them move my glasses before without telling me because they assumed I could see them moving them. So when they asked how I liked what they'd done, I'd be fumbling trying to find them and then after a few mins they said "oh I moved them, didn't you see?" LIKE??? NO! I need my glasses to see! The whole process was always so anxiety inducing. Now I'm just glad its long enough to do it myself. I don't trim it all a set amount, nor have a trim schedule because when I tried doing that I saw zero growth because my hair grows so slowly that the amount I was meant to be taking off as a "trim" was the entire growth during that period. So now maybe once per year I go looking for split ends. When I first started I did that every 4 to 6 months, but over time as I've gone to only washing once every month or two, I rarely need to trim anything at all. The entire hair falls out at that part of the growth cycle before the tips develop much in the way of split ends now. There's some split ends around chin length that turn up, which is one of the reasons I gave up on the "cut above highest appearing split ends" thing. I have EDS so its likely my very very fine hair just does that sometimes. I can have hip length bits with no split ends, but new shorter growth has split ends. But the rest is fine. Not worth taking it all out for a few weirdo strands lol

[@jnm2088]

Depends on what she wanted to get done. I heard a story from my cousin who is in the beauty industry that some people fail to realize that hair grows from the root down. So there was once a client that had long ass hair and said she hadn’t box dyed. where they tested her hair it was fine. Long story short she had a red line going across her hair because she HAD box dyed, just a long time ago. She ended up having to chop that part off.

[@rhodabaxter9687]

Ive had that happen. Asked for an inch off and I looked down there's a out 8 and I'm crying. They said what it needed it

[@ginamariakleinmartin7967]

I had waist length hair. I asked for 2 inches off. Pit looked real cute in the mirror, but when 8 put my coat on and did that hair flip you do to make sure it's not caught, I had no hair caught in my jacket. My hair barely touched my shoulders. I have had 2 professional cuts since then. That was in 1986.

[@PwnageFury]

Here for the sass! I too have always found long hair easier than short. As I hit 50 my hair was very dry and no amount of oils or conditioners would help. I cut back on washing it and bought a Mason Pearson boars hair brush. The switch to brushing daily with that made a huge difference in the strength and condition of my hair. Years later it is still my go to. There is a cultural norm in the US now that older women wear their hair short, one I plan to fight until I can no longer care for my own hair. Thanks for another great video.

[@SnappyDragon]

All "X demographic should only have hair a certain way" social norms need to go sit in a corner and think about what they've done. You should get to wear your hair however makes you happy-- and I'll go one further and say, even if someone needs help to care for their hair, they should still have that!

[@glitterstarlet]

I don't know if this counts as historical, but I started brushing my hair and putting it into a protective side braid every night before bed after seeing Emma Thompson do it in Sense and Sensibility. It's the only thing that keeps it from tangling

[@SnappyDragon]

It absolutely counts! Braiding before bed to prevent overnight tangles was a super common practice.

[@peggedyourdad9560]

@@SnappyDragon I actually like doing this around day 3 or 4 after a wash day, I have dense hair with the entire type 2 wave spectrum going on btw.

[@Alex-Sews]

I don't let my hair grow past like half an inch anymore and it's usually buzzed shorter, yet I find all your hair care videos absolutely fascinating. Probably because I desperately wish they'd been available when I was a kid/teen in the 80's & 90's with long curly hair that reached the small of my back when unbraided, and neither my mom - who also has curly hair - nor I knew how to properly care for it. Mom's finally using product made for curly hair, at least! And it's done wonders for her!

[@SnappyDragon]

[waves to Alex's Mom] hi! i'm so happy your hair is happier!

[@rebeckaroy6790]

I really love how you don't make one-size-fits-all recommendations and talk about cultural importance of specific hair styles. Just wanted to add, many of these principles apply to clothes washing as well. Washing less often (natural fibres especially don't need washing as much as people often think) and hanging to dry if possible will drastically extend the life of clothing (avoid that tumble dryer if you can; it's murder on textile fibres) so we don't overconsume or need to replace clothing as often.

[@SnappyDragon]

So true! The hair-is-fibers thing goes both ways. Just, maybe don't put conditioner on your clothes 🤣

[@christineg8151]

@@SnappyDragon As a knitter, I still occasionally add conditioner to my rinse water when washing wool knitted items. Makes them nice and soft, f it's something that's not as pleasant as merino! I have also been known to use shampoo to wash handknits. It's not going to be good at scouring raw wool (straight from the sheep, with all the lanolin and other stuff that entails) but it works wonders with commercial yarn, and is generally pretty gentle on dyes, too.

[@sheryl.sst1537]

I’ve been growing my hair, it’s now at finger tip length. I follow history tips such as washing my hair once a week, air dry only, no chemical coloring, wearing my hair up 90 % of the time and 100% at night. I also oil my ends every night and my scalp the night before washing. I massage my scalp every night for about 20 minutes. Something I learned from Indian hair sites is to boil fresh rosemary in water let it sit over night and then put in a spray bottle. I spray the mixture on my scalp every evening before I massage my scalp. I’ve had my hair from pixie length, a bob, mid back and beyond. And like V said in this video every length is beautiful, you need need to find the length and style that is you. Thanks for a wonderful, informative video…as usual 😊

[@sarahr8311]

How do you like the rosemary smell? I use diluted witch hazel currently, and am getting sick of its smell but I want something to make me smell a bit nicer than my sweaty hair does naturally.

[@Aelffwynn]

Do you use fresh or dry rosemary?

[@SnappyDragon]

Adding that little bit of natural fragrance to hair can be really effective for stretching out time between washes! I used a scented oil blend during my medieval haircare experiment and it worked very well.

[@sheryl.sst1537]

@@Aelffwynn I use fresh rosemary.

[@sheryl.sst1537]

@@sarahr8311 I like the smell of rosemary, I think it makes my hair smell fresh,

[@pippaseaspirit4415]

One thing I’ve reminded myself about recently is that I get a heck of a lot less hair breakage and loss if I use an old-fashioned bristle brush instead of a modern non-natural brush. I’ve stopped using the modern one now and am looking forward to getting my hair as long and healthy as it used to be when I was much younger! (A great-grandmother speaking, by the way!)

[@SnappyDragon]

The bristle brushes are really good for distributing natural oils too! They're not for all hair types (mine would never forgive me) but they work amazingly when used for the hair they suit.

[@estherhinds6314]

I love my boar bristle brush. I don't use any other kind now, and it works wonders on me. My hair is very long (for the most part, I have some swoopy Ariel bangs) and slightly wavy, and now I can go eight days before my hair starts to look less clean and vibrant

[@mercepages2278]

@@SnappyDragon would you recommend boar bristle brushes for fine wavy hair? I am trying to grow mine now as it is a bit past shoulder length but it has never reached my breasts like it did in my late twenties. I see less snapping in the sink and I try to detangle when it is dry (not that I have much tangle as it is so fine). I have lost density and I am trying Olistic science vitamins and I have stopped shedding considerably. Any tips you would add to my hair care please?

[@My_mid-victorian_crisis]

I previously shared my entire hair care routine, but here is a shorter version. I comb and brush my hair twice a day, and once a week I use cornstarch and baking soda until my hair turns grey/white. I then rinse it with warm water and rosemary, sage, and/or lavender. I am currently using less powder because my son is taking swimming lessons in a public pool, and I think using human lanolin is more socially acceptable. I have noticed that the more baking soda I use in my hair powder, the more breakage I experience. Therefore, I am using an 80/20 starch to soda ratio. Whenever I cut my son's hair, which is about 3-4 times a year, I also trim my own hair using Brad Mondo's "Quarantine cut" method. Most days, I style my hair in a single or double braid and either bun it or loop it around my head in a "Swiss Miss" style. However, if I am dressing up in my full 1870s attire, I will style my hair with hairpieces and wear a nice hat. Lastly, I want to say that I appreciate you, V., and I am still looking for a collaborator for my "How Kosher food changed the World" idea.

[@della9884]

When it comes to "histroical hair care" boar bristle brushing seemed to have been a favorable practice. Do you use this kind of brush for your daily brushing?

[@My_mid-victorian_crisis]

​@@della9884 I agree, boar bristle brushes are very effective. Personally, I also use a variety of wooden combs, starting with a detangling size and working my way up to a fine tooth comb to ensure all the knots are removed.

[@pixiemeg]

Your month-long experiment is actually pretty directly responsible for my current hair care routine! I had been meaning to try a comb like that for a while but wasn't sure where to find one, so I ended up getting one from Rigr. I've gotten into the habit of primarily using that to clean my hair, and only properly washing it once every few weeks or so, generally with a pretty strong shampoo and no conditioner - i need to find an inexpensive silicone free conditioner, i don't like the feeling of the residues many conditioners leave. I just use almond oil instead. And I spend almost 24/7 with my hair braided, except when I'm combing it or it's drying, and I have to say it has given me some sympathy for the ways in which utility becomes social norm becomes modesty - it feels VERY strange to leave the house with my hair unbraided, these days, beyond the simple fact of it getting in my face. I do it sometimes anyway because it looks pretty and I like it, but it's very odd 😂

[@SnappyDragon]

I totally get that feeling! I think I would feel like I was leaving my house without my phone or my shoes or something.

[@BlueIdiotPie]

You didn't ask and I'm sure what you're doing with the almond oil works just fine (and smells great), but if you're looking for a fairly inexpensive conditioner, I recommend Marc Anthony conditioners. As far as cheap goes they're not, but in comparison to some quality shampoos they're a steal. And a little goes a long way, too, esp when you only wash your hair once a month

[@theplussizecostumer]

I've been watching Anna the @prettyshepherd for a while and decided to try her haircare routine. Her hair is down to her knees, she's prematurely gray, and she only washes her hair once a month. Like you, V, I was washing my hair once a week. I learned a long time ago that washing the hair more that once a week is not good for the hair. But as my hair got longer it was becoming more and more of a hassle to wash. (For the record, my hair is down to my butt.) Ever since I finally got my mother to stop nagging me to cut my hair I've worn it up. I love long hair, but trying to wear a cross body purse/tote bag means that it gets pulled and wrapped around a lot of stuff and makes me crazy. So I put it up to keep it out of my way. At night I started braiding my hair into a ponytail that hangs down from the crown of my head. Then, when I lay down for bed, I pull the ponytail up over the edge of my pillow so I'm not sleeping on it and so it doesn't get as tangled. The next day, if I'm not going anywhere, I leave the braid in and just wrap it into a bun and use a simple hair fork to keep it up. If I am going out I take the time to comb it out before I put it up. I use a hair fork then, too. With my length it's easy to do. Now I've taken to only washing my hair once a month. And if my arthritis makes me feel particularly crappy, I wont wash it until I feel better. I've gone 2.5 to 3 months without washing it and no one is the wiser. The comb I use is wooden and is marketed as a "beard comb" on Amazon. I also use a brush with wooden bristles. No one except family knows how long my hair really is. I fact one day I decided to show the ladies at the Adult Program I go to 3 days a week just how long my hair is. Because I use a hair fork, all I had to do is pull it out and let my hair fall down. They were all amazed. I haven't told them I only wash it once every month or so.

[@SnappyDragon]

If you have a no-wash way to clean your scalp, you can go a really long time between water washes! I do weekly because I like to wear my hair loose and curly, so it needs the weekly restyle.

[@Tangobutton]

Literally putting my hair in a loose pony and inside a satin lined cap for bedtime as I watch this! 2X face length- longest since childhood and also 60 yr old natural silver transitioning!

[@cayjadoobirsingh2519]

So glad to hear you say long hair is actually easier. My short do’s took a lot more time than my derrière length hair. People always think it’s more work and it just isn’t. I let it air dry after washing even occasionally committing the cardinal sin of sleeping with it wet. I generally braid it for sleeping and wash it once a week. If it starts looking greasy I braid it and wear it up. Very interesting video! ❤️

[@bombus1340]

But that again depends very much on the hair type and can't really be generalized. For me, long hair was a lot more work than short hair is. It's something one has to try, to find out what works best.

[@SnappyDragon]

It definitely depends on the person and how they like their hair. But I think it's really about what kind of haircare suits a person's life better! My hair takes a really long time to dry whether short or long, so I'd rather keep it long and wash less frequently then wear it short and need to redo the whole thing every second or third day.

[@sebumpostmortem]

As a 2b with calf length, my answer to the question 😱How long it takes to wash all this hair? is "Exactly the same than you since my skull is not 7 times larger than any other human😅. It may take an extra minute to rinse, yes, but it makes a total of 2 extra mins. Plus, I do NOTHING but moisturizing my body once I come out from the shower." 🥵What about summer? "Fresh air can touch my neck. Your hair is sticked and sweaty since it' s not long enough for a pony tail, a braid or a bun" 🧛🏻‍♀️🖤

[@janehall2720]

I always wanted to braid my hair, even from a young age. My mother never allowed me to keep my hair long enough to do that. Before going off to college to study Culinary Institute, I had my hair cut really short and permed. While mom decided this. While the college required it above the collar, it never dawned to me that it could be pinned up. My roommate had really long hair that she pinned up. She never took her chef hat off (as far as I know) during class. The elephant in the room was that I could have done as i pleased as an adult, but I maintained it short. It is only in the last 10 years that I let it grow. I attribute that to 22 years of therapy. Now my hair is below my shoulders, towards the middle of my back. I make and sell handmade soap. In the last 5 years or so i have been making soap and shampoo bars. I wash my hair 2x a week and usually keep it up in a scrunchy or clip. I do have to use a commercial conditioner as my hair is baby fine and pin straight. Thank you for doing this video. It was super informative.

[@SnappyDragon]

Oof. Congratulations on all the work you've done! Hair can be so meaningful.

[@lisam5744]

I went from fairly straight hair (with a little wave) to curly hair post menopause. I decided to let it grow was how I figured out it had turned curly. I wash my hair every other day now and wear it up (scrunchi or clip). The length gets dry and frizzy when I wash it and the top still has to deal with my oily scalp when I don't wash it. So up it is.

[@RaasAlHayya]

I have the same issues, but my hair was very straight before menopause. I was confused by how frizzy he top was getting, so I did some research and discovered it had started curling on its own. I also have the oily scalp, and as fine as my hair is, slathering it with conditioner weighs it down. I really want to learn how to do French braids!

[@lisam5744]

@@RaasAlHayya Me, too!

[@VeretenoVids]

Aren't hormones delightful?! My sister and I have had opposite hair experiences. When we were growing up and as young adults my hair was curly and hers was simply wavy. As we've aged, hers has grown curlier and curlier and mine is mostly gentle waves at this point. (As much as I miss my curls, I'm quite happy to not have to deal with periods any longer!)

[@Crustdaddii]

Once I learned more about medieval haircare routines (rather than ingredients), my hair started growing wayyyy faster. I have fine wavy hair. I still have issues with scalp acne but it’s not AS bad. Washing my hair with my hair over my head rather than behind my back has helped a lot. Along with getting a comb from that period, interestingly enough has helped with my overall scalp health. And this is coming from someone who washes their brushes and has a Mason brush (which now is rarely used). I recently got my hair cut and my hairdresser was pretty impressed at how healthy my hair is because I don’t do anything to it besides wash and brush it. Now, I do have wavy hair, so I don’t brush it all the time but on those days that I do, its incredibly healthy and stronger. It’s crazy how I grew up learning how take care of my hair incorrectly because my mothers before me didn’t like their wavy hair, so they forced it to be straight (and then complain on humidity making their hair wavy 🙄). I was taught to always have a uphill battle with my hair when all I had to do was simply embrace how it looked naturally. Dare I say it…some parts of my hair are starting to have loose curls now. Hmmm who to thought 😂

[@SnappyDragon]

A lot of it really is in the method! Which is great-- I recently talked to someone learning to take care of curly hair who was concerned about needing to buy expensive products and have a complicated routine, and they were happy to hear it could be as simple as changing their habits.

[@ThingsAbove333]

May I ask what the more historical comb you use is like? Is it wood, bone? Fined toothed? Curious, thanks 😊

[@annechenlowey7462]

I've started this year with the twice-daily brushouts, weekly(ish) hair washing, and either putting it up in a bun or a net during the day, with braiding my hair before bed. It's reduced the breakage and scalp problems I have had. While I haven't used a scarf or other fabric hair covering in the summer, hats have been helpful.

[@SnappyDragon]

I'm trying to make this the summer I get better about hats! I love them when in historical dress, but still working on finding one I like for everyday.

[@EmeraldAshesAudio]

Your explanation of hair braiding as a protective style also explains a LOT about how much better my hair looks when I twist it into a bun regularly. This is such an interesting video, btw. Love to learn about historical fashions. EDIT: ...I spoke too soon. Just got to the section on buns & headscarves. Since we're all sharing haircare tips, my hair type is wavy (2A/2B). If I leave it down too much, it gets tangled and messy, which tempts me to brush it...which just breaks the curls and makes it frizzy. Sleeping in a high bun & tossing it up in a bun when I'm relaxing has really helped my hair.

[@TheLonelyGod42]

I have been using hair taping a lot! I love the way it looks and how comfortable it is. And because I also really like 1930s and '40s styles it makes a really good base to tie a scarf over for a Rosie the riveter look!

[@SnappyDragon]

It's so secure! I don't do it often because I'm slow at it, but on the occasion I need my hair to *not move even a little* it's what I do.

[@TheLonelyGod42]

@@SnappyDragon I also totally get that, it's a bit of a learning curve being different than like any other hairstyle ever done. I can do it pretty quickly if I don't care how neatly the ribbon is placed, but if I want it to look really good you can take some time and fussing.

[@PurelyCoincidental]

I wanted to leave a note here specifically about protective styles, from someone who already could grow their hair long. I've had my hair down to my waist a few times in my life, and I could see it getting pretty thin by then, so I honestly thought that was my limit. It was close to that at the beginning of the pandemic, I was hedging about what to do with it, and I just thought...let's see how long it'll go now, how many more chances will I have? (I'm in my 40s.) I used to heat-style my hair sometimes, but mostly stopped 5-6 years ago, and now normally keep my hair either in braids or in a bun on top of my head. I trim it at hip length now. It is honestly noticeably thicker at the ends than it was a year ago-it's as thick there now as it used to be at my waist! It looks better every time I trim it. I feel a little dumb saying this, but I am honestly shocked at how much it has helped to be kind to my hair. I don't think I'll ever get it down to my knees or anything extraordinary like that, but I'm really thrilled at how good it looks for how long it is.

[@SnappyDragon]

This is what health trims are for! I recently cut a friend's hair after many years of them never cutting it, and they were shocked at how little hair was on the floor after I was done. It's because the bottom few inches of their hair was breaking off and leaving them already! With that gone, you could see how beautiful the rest of their hair was underneath.

[@kellyburds2991]

8:17 traditional Japanese hairstyles don't seem to involve braids at all. Lots of buns, lots of ponytails, but I've never seen a braid.

[@Littlebeth5657]

Might also be because of hair being super straight?

[@kattkatt744]

You are right, traditional Japanese, and also Chinese, hairstyles involves oiling the hair and slicing it back or up in a bun or loop for simple styles and for more elaborate styles it means lots of hairrats, pins and hairpieces to achieve the looks. The only East-Asian traditional look that I can remember seeing that definitely has braids are Korean. First time you start to see braids used in Japan is for schoolgirls in the Taisho era, 1912-26.

[@kellyburds2991]

@kattkatt744 yeah, Korea has evidence of braids going way back. I have seen some braids in Chinese styles, mostly in men's hair from the Qing dynasty, but a quick Google informs me that it was at least acceptable, if the less common option, for unmarried women and girls to wear braids (the standard was updos for married women only, apparently)

[@kattkatt744]

@@kellyburds2991 The Qing queue for men isn't Han Chinese. It was imposed by the Manchu when they took over rule in 1644 and men who didn't adopt it would be executed. So i would say it is in a grey area since it is less about fashion and haircare, and more about showing loyalty to the empire. I've seen images of some early Qing empresses with styles that look braided or twisted, but again this is Manchu style. Did the info you found say if it was Manchu or Han style with braids for the girls?

[@arimurila]

I was absolutely enamoured by those old Victorian and Edwardian pictures of ludicrously long hair about a decade ago, and since then I have been growing it out from a short, barely-ear-length bob. Currently, it reaches down to my knees, and I love it so much. Not done growing it out though, I want it to drag on the floor when loose. Rather than regular trims, I individually snip off split ends with hairstyling scissors every so often.

[@KatieRae_AmidCrisis]

Yes! I'm in the 'already know you and like listening to you snark' camp 😊

[@erinrising2799]

I feel like because of the 20th century's short hair fashions that we've lost a lot of this knowledge. I might just feel this way because I am the first person in a century in my family to have hair longer than my shoulders

[@PsychoCodina]

I try to avoid hair ties in general, since I feel my curly ends struggle enough as is. My bit of advice is making a french plait and tucking the length of it into the "tunnel" created by the braid(hope this isn't too confusing). Keeps all of the ends extra nice and safe and there's no need for ties that could just cause more damage. Of course, when it comes to curly hair you can just leave the braid untied and it'll hold anyways in most cases, but I really like the extra protection the tucking of the length gives me.

[@kathyjohnson2043]

Exactly! Faster growth doesn't exist; but keeping hair, minimizing breakage or, to a lesser extent, reduce shedding, can be improved with appropriate care.

[@SnappyDragon]

💯💯💯

[@Groovygrace365]

Loved your comments/perspective on cultural appropriation. I have type 1A hair and I've gotten it to "grow" quite a bit in the past year. I credit that to taking better care of the ends of my hair (oiling my ends to prevent stripping before washing them), washing less, not sleeping on it wet, and using heat tools less!

[@SnappyDragon]

Thank you! I'm glad they make sense.

[@mar1na1993]

I have always been a “short hair girl” until the pandemic. I just got a trim after 3 years! I like braiding in pigtails and braid crowns. However, putting my hair up in ponytails… less successful. So many fly aways on the sides, top, and even by the neck. I dont like using hair products because I also don’t feel like always washing my hair. But since I have quite fine hair, I feel like it looks dirty (by the scalp) much more quickly. Ahhh! Long hair is hard.

[@pocketluna3607]

Oh, same! I had my hair in a jaw length-shoulder length bob from age 6 until Covid and until recently I had it midway between my shoulder and elbow. I’ve been having a lot of fun with braided styles (Dutch/French/pigtail braids/milkmaid/crowns etc.)! However, I don’t like how I feel with it down, so it adds a few minutes to my day if I’m not able to wear a bandana to hold it back.

[@SnappyDragon]

Ponytails are pretty much only for when I don't care at all what my hair looks like : housework and going to the gym.

[@sweetlorikeet]

I have knee-length hair that's fine and doesn't have a lot of volume, so preventing breakage is a big deal for me! My favourite anti-breakage technique is to wrap up my hair at night for sleep. I'm a pretty restless sleeper, and my hair used to get super fluffy and knotted, even in a braid - now I keep it all safely covered to prevent that friction damage, and it helps a lot.

[@spokenme08]

I’ve been bringing back my half up half down braids from my younger years. My hair has gone from straighter roots and a very wavy length to straighter roots with actual curls. I naturally have more oil glands,thanks dad,so I don’t have to deal with much dryness.

[@SnappyDragon]

I love half-up braids! Rarely have the patience to do them on my own hair but anytime a friend lets me braid theirs, that's what I end up doing.

[@bboops23]

8:00 I had foot surgery almost 5 months ago and I ended up following the medieval haircare routine and it was phenomenal for me. I have been doing the curly girl method for years, but I could really do my standard routine with my foot because I could find a good cast cover and the medieval hair care method actually finally started the regrowth phase after my bad post COVID hair loss

[@AragornElessar]

I like using braids with ribbons to keep my hair in place to sleep in. I usually wear it up/in a braid due to sensory issues. (Same reason I dislike using hairdryers, they're too loud and the hot 'wind' bothers me).

[@SnappyDragon]

I love braiding in ribbons! The pop of color is so pretty.

[@wakefulwitch]

I started doing protective styles almost every day since about February. I have very thin, fine hair, and it's barely been able to grow longer than my mid chest. I've noticed a difference now, my hair being that length, and I can still see where the trim line of the last time I cut my hair!! Something that wouldn't happen before. Excited to see what a year keeping it protected will do!!

[@SnappyDragon]

They're really useful for fine hair!

[@nandeboleine]

What would you recommend as a protective style for straight, fine hair? I find that braids cause more breakage for me, and anything involving pulling it all up into a ponytail leaves me with short wispy broken strands at about ear level.

[@nandeboleine]

Also, not sure if yours is straight or wavy, but if it’s straight, how do you deal with the dents when you take it down? If I leave braids up, it makes a nice wave, but there’s inevitably a 2-3” section at the end that is dented from whatever I use to fasten the braid and sticks out very straight.

[@banannakis6723]

I think this is what drives me crazy when I see women or even men wearing their long hair loose in period films. They would have worn it in braids, or worn it up, or even covered it up with hats, scarves, or even wigs. It would not be loose down the back because it would get in the way. Also like you said could be exposed to dirt, oil, the elements, and other issues. Also using protective care and braids is probably one of the reasons my hair has grown so long, but it took me a long time to get there.

[@anonymousperson4214]

I'm currently growing my hair back out after trying it short, and one of the two main reasons is that for me short hair is A Pain. I've had very long hair for most of my life (back in the early 2000s when people thought it was "gross" and would tell you so) I really like some modern products (dandruff shampoo) and some old ones (18th century pomade as a light hold, anti frizz product). Unfortunately, my migraines make it so I have to wash my hair fairly often. The smell of my scalp is fine on most days, but on migraine days it just drives me up the wall and makes me feel worse. No idea why

[@SnappyDragon]

Medical stuff always comes first, and I bet you've worked out how to wash gently when you need to. There's no reason you should feel bad for taking care of yourself in the way you need to!

[@hopeofdawn]

Re: long hair - I've been growing mine since I was old enough to tell my mother to stop cutting it. For most of my life it never went much past the waist - natural breakage just ensured that it stayed that length. BUT, since I started using henna in the last five years or so to color my hair, it has grown down to hip length. So apparently it's true that using henna actually strengthens your hair. I have very fine, very slippery Scandinavian-esque hair that has no curl at all - I use shampoo/conditioner every two days or so, and unless I'm being fancy, it mostly stays in a simple braid. (I've tried going longer, but my hair just gets greasy and flat. Not attractive or comfortable.) Updoes can actually do more damage, in my experience, because I have to use elastics/very tight twisting to actually make it stay up on my head (otherwise the hair just slips through hairpins. Even braid crowns are a challenge). Hairsticks and the casual 'twist and pin' updos have never worked for me, sadly.

[@SnappyDragon]

Henna does do some interesting things! Hairstylists usually have to steer clear of it because it reacts badly with conventional hair dye.

[@magalieg273]

​@@SnappyDragonOnly the fake chemical henna. Pure henna doesn't interact with hair dyes. :) It is, however, permanent and cannot be bleached out. Using bleach only lighten your natural hair color underneath, but the yellow/orange layer of henna stays.

[@kellyburds2991]

Terminal hair length is genetic, y'all. I'm here because my hair is BREAKING in spite of curly-girling and using the good curly hair shampoo and conditioner from my hair stylist mother.

[@Littlebeth5657]

I've heard curly girl method is not always great for length. There's another KZbinr who has super curly hair and goes into historical hair care in depth with number one tip being protective hairstyles

[@AJansenNL]

@@Littlebeth5657 Is it @KatherineSewing you're refering to?

[@kikidevine694]

​@@Littlebeth5657Katherine Sews!

[@scoutharris8586]

I went through a several-year period of bleaching and dyeing my hair, eventually figured out that it was happiest being washed and conditioned every 3-4 days. now I am growing it out so I can have it permed and cut into a style this winter. I also use dry shampoo on the second or third day after washing and regularly wear hats and switched to a wooden brush. It is the thickest it has ever been and I really enjoy being able to combine new and old hair care methods that keep my hair healthy and minimize the itchy, sunburnt scalp of my teen years

[@ashleyhang445]

Thank you for all this information! I have always had a love-hate relationship with my hair. I like it long, esthetically, but I've never known what to do with it and always ended up cutting it out of frustration. After your month-long experiment, I was inspired to consciously change how I care for my hair, and it's made my hair care so much easier that I no longer have regular thoughts of cutting all off. And as a history junkie, you really hit the sweet spot for my learning drive.

[@TMH90445]

It's hardly advice because it's not something anyone can obtain anymore, but I found that the old Soviet era hairdryers that I still had at home (or bought as retro collectables) were actually surprisingly gentle on my hair. I can't use modern hairdryers because it turns my hair and scalp into a nightmare but if I can't air dry, I go for my extremely old Soviet era hair dryer and there are no bad effects. The air flow isn't blowing my head away and I can disable the hot air and just dry my hair with cold air. The hairdryers are older than me but I hope we can grow old together because they're just so good I don't think it can be replaced by any new product.

[@TheiaofMeridor]

Can you please do a video on different fabrics and how they work as hair coverings for the purpose of protecting hair? And also how to adjust to covering your hair when you aren’t using to wearing anything on your head and it feels weird and hot and itchy

[@Lilas.Duveteux]

I personally am of Russian descent, with long braids. I don't like braiding my hair all the time, but when I'm out camping or on long walks, it's the only way they stay manageable. I prefer to have my neck covered. I wash them 1-2 times a week, and make sure to use anti-dandruff shampoo (seriously, it had gotten to the point of having dandruff in my eyebrows) Also, I noticed climate to have an impact of my hair length. Moister climate allow my hair to grow longer, but I get so much dandruff, even in my eyebrows sometimes, but it does get greasy, while in drier climate my hair doesn't grow as long and has a ton of slit ends, however, I learned to appreciate the texture that comes with it. I plan to get my bangs cut à la Sanson as soon as I have a stable job. XVIIIth century style of bang are so comfortable with long hair ! When my hair is dry and damaged, I can hold my entire head of hair with a single pencil. The difference isn't big... I think I'll try braiding more often.

[@rigrcrafts]

Another fantastic video, V!❤ We really need to get together (virtually) again. I currently have a much more open schedule so we can show off some more fun hair styles and things!

[@SnappyDragon]

We absolutely do! My summer is looking chaotic but I'm doing my best to straighten it out 😵

[@tiredoftrolls2629]

My hair has changed texture, color and thickness as I got older.

[@Kasey113]

My cultural heritage is those vikings who did NOT wear mats or complicated sets of braids better suited for 4C hair. Historically, women in the cultures descending from vikings wore long hair in one or two braids, or in a bun, and then covered it in a hair scarf worn in the style of a "hilka" or "huckle". Happily inspired by my ancestors, my hair spends a lot of summers in a braid that is wrapped into a bun and pinned into place, and then the whole thing is covered in a scarf draped over my head and tied in the nape of my neck.

[@werelemur1138]

The part of my ancestry that I've most identified with (due to my grandmother) is Norwegian. If my hair gets longer I'll have to try that.

[@chezamoonangelaiemma497]

I am Haitian and Nicaraguan and both used braids to protect hair. If you have cruly or wavy hair prolong hair wash is better depending on your hair, lifestyle, and how it gets dirty. Trimming only when needed or wanted and mostly use the full moon to cut it. Use less products and leave it alone. I am trying to get knee length hair and I do not c7t or trim my hair only the split ends if I see it. I leave it in briad or vintage hairstyle bun. I use my coconut oil before washing it. Then I wash with Shampoo only then use my coconut oil leave in only. I wash it every 2 weeks. I currently have tailbone length. I love your video❤

[@pocketluna3607]

I prefer to keep my hair bound in some way (braids, sometimes I pin them up) or partially covered with a bandana to keep my hair and rampant flyaways out of my face. I’ve also noticed that having my hair braided and/or under a bandana stretches how often I have to go between washing.

[@katarzynakonstancjadobrowo9072]

What a great timing for me! I am chopping my waist-length hair tomorrow, since their upkeep is getting unsustainable for my current circumstances - and I anticipate a lot of hormonal hair fallout in the coming year. I haven't had short hair in over a decade and I've been really anxious. This video really helped with that, as well as gave me some historical haircare trivia!

[@Witchy_Cheree1982]

I am obsessed with your channel now. Thank you for taking the time to make all these videos about hair. I am learning so much. I have a friend who loves head coverings and she told me that she started researching for protective purposes and loves having different patterns of scarfs.

[@AngryTheatreMaker]

Glad to see this new video! Your friend has adorable golden retriever energy, by the by. My own (2c/3a) hair has finally started to grow out from the old pixie cut--using tips similar to the ones here plus changing my old products has helped a lot. I now have something that is recognizable as a chin-length bob. (Washing my hair no more than twice a week also encourages my curls to pop out.) Again, thanks for the video!

[@Lucia-qq7ki]

I have beenden growing my hair for 10 years and its way below knee-length now. When asked how it grew so long I answer "good nutrition, genetics and patience". All the hair care will do nothing without either of the three.

[@user-ym8kh6oi1w]

Genetics!!! 😢😢😢😢

[@tonie48]

I really appreciate your channel

[@sewcialanxietea1021]

Me: has a straight pixie cut Also me: avidly watches V's Long Curly Hair advice videos

[@rubytook8067]

I’m here for the snarky comments, fun educational content, and to read other people’s wonderful comments. 😊❤ I remember well your no-wash hair care video. It’s still one of my favorites!

[@lynn858]

When I had wrist surgery, I found out my partner was great at gently brushing out curly hair, and braiding it for me. He didn't volunteer how, or why, he had learned when I told him I was supremely grateful, so I didn't push. (He never had long hair himself). But not knowing this, I'd just kinda assumed I'd put it in a pony tail, and deal with the tangles later. I hadn't realized that even a pony tail would be near impossible to do for myself for a few days. Whoever suffered through him learning to be so wonderfully gentle - thank you.

[@saraa3418]

So in a post-apocalyptic "return to the earth" scenario mixing honey (a humectant) with some sort of fat would be a decent conditioning option maybe adding in a some nicely scented oils or extracts.

[@winterburden]

Thanks for this super cool hair video!

[@saulemaroussault6343]

I have very long hair (the longest strands go down almost to my knees now !) but they are very thin and straight and fragile, so I won’t ever have what those photos show. It’s okay though, I like them. I started to wear them in a bun a few years ago (my previous default hairstyle was a braid) and gained about 40cm. I thought butt-length was my maximum but for my hair a bun (maximum protection !!) did wonders. Doesn’t fix the volume, all of this only makes a small bun x)

[@catherinejustcatherine1778]

Thank you for sharing your research and personal knowledge. (Especially, thanks for pointing out that we are all so different; thus, having differing haircare needs and practices.) I don't remember ever understanding that conditioner can "rehydrate", whereas emollients only "shield" (sic) I think I undo much of my natural curl by towel drying my hair, and not using some sort of leave in conditioner, but, I have not yet ventured beyond that method of "simplified" haircare.

[@SnappyDragon]

There are methods of towel-drying that don't disturb curl, which you can look into if/when you're interested in wearing your hair curly. It's good to have a simple routine that suits you!

[@catherinejustcatherine1778]

@@SnappyDragon thank you for the pointer!😀 and encouraging support 🌻

[@alondrareyna4556]

I'm not sure if this is part of a culture but it's definitely something my mother preached with my and my sister (we were born 11 months apart and had hair to below our buttocks) when were very young. My mother would braid our hair into a braid we called the "Rapunzel Braid" to keep hair out of our face because she always thought hair being out of our face made us look cleaner. She eventually would put oils on and braid our hair tighter to protect our hair from headlice (that we still got but that's beside the point). Me and my sister were also chronically in love with strawberries so I'm not sure if that played a part in how our hair grew at a young age but I felt like it's worth mentioning.

[@thegadflysnemesis4102]

I haven't cut my hair for eight years (it currently hits just at the top of my knees! very proud of that development) and for half the time I was washing it every other day and doing similarly horrible, modern-times-hair-care things to it. my friend just about strangled me when they saw me brushing it dry with a terrible quality plastic hairbrush, and forcibly sat me down and taught me about hair oil nowadays I treat it much better, and the principles of having it braided or in a bun 100% of the time have really, really helped me. not just for convenience's sake (nautilus bun my beloved), but for keeping it clean and detangled. and for disguising that I haven't combed it in days but dont even worry about it

[@SnappyDragon]

Pretty much everyone I know who has hair that long wears it up and/or braided nearly all the time! For so many reasons.

[@hushedthoughts]

You nailed it as usual!

[@IonIsFalling7217]

Watching this as I braid my hair in a medieval style with a ribbon instead of hair ties to sleep on a satin pillowcase after brushing it with a medieval fine-toothed comb lol

[@marthahawkinson-michau9611]

I started using Dove brand bar soap to wash my hair with last year after I misplaced my shampoo bottle during one of the times I moved last year. It’s worked so well for me that I completely changed my hair care routine, and I now exclusively use Dove soap to wash my hair. I never need conditioner anymore, my hair tangles less often and less severely, and I can go longer in between washing. My hair has always been a bit on the greasy side anyway, and my strand porosity is very low, so I never really needed conditioner very often any as I rarely could be bothered to use it. The dove bar conditions just as much as I actually need. I never use any hot tools on my hair, so heat damage isn’t a thing for me. I realized I used a hair dryer about once every five years or less while packing for my first move last year, so I donated it to charity. I haven’t used permanent color in over 15 years, so no bleach damage either. I do like to have fun with semi-permanent vivid colors, but since my natural hair color is dark blonde I don’t have to bleach it out to get a bold purple color whenever I want. Keeping to a once every six days wash schedule makes the color last longer too. I started using a wooden bristle hair brush last year too. It’s great at moving my hair oils down the strands where they help nourish my length instead of just clumping up at the roots and looking greasy.

[@scrubalcaffe9174]

I was in a very stressful period. My hair had grown for 6 years and I myself kept it in a braid every evening. Now it gets to my nape. So if I use an elastic band I just have a thing that looks like a rats tail. But I found out that the hair is growing more and more since I wash it everyday with a coconut shampoo applied on a detangler. I massage the detangler on the whole scalp augmenting probably the blood circulating to the bulb. As the hair grows to the bulb. I wanted to get married in 4-5 years, hoping that I have long enough hair

[@craft_addict_can]

i've got super fine, fragile hair, which makes getting length without breakage quite difficult, and limits my use of ornate braiding/pinning techniques (even pinning my hair up a few times in the same way will cause noticeable breakage and many, many flyaways). my hair is the longest it's ever been though, and i definitely follow most of the video's suggestions already.... weekly washing, braids, and lately i've been rocking snoods sometimes when i can't be bothered to braid (in context, snood = hair net, held on with a couple hair pins or clips). Thanks for this video. it feels like encouragement. :)

[@SnappyDragon]

I wonder if hair taping would be gentler than pins for you? It's time-consuming, but perhaps worth a try.

[@craft_addict_can]

@@SnappyDragon i have no idea what that is, so i'll spend some time learning. thanks for the suggestion!

[@SnappyDragon]

@@craft_addict_can It's a method of putting hair up popular in Renaissance-era Europe, where a bodkin or large blunt needle is used to wrap ribbon or fabric tape around braided hair and through the roots to hold it in place. Very secure, and uses no pins or hard fastenings. The downside is that it can be more time-consuming than pins.

[@HumanCatfoodDispenser]

I had long hair in my teens and twenties, and as someone with super straight super fine hair the thing that kept it nicest was a) being lazy and not washing it every day, and b) braiding it before bed, preferably into two braids. Because my hair is super straight, the wave from the braid generally fell out once I'd given it a quick brushing and finished getting dressed. But the quantity of product needed to get my hair to hold a curl for more than about an hour is kind of absurd so your mileage may vary if your goal is a waterfall of straight hair.

[@SnappyDragon]

I would quite happily have a yard of curls rather than a mile of straight hair . . . but that's just me. I don't feel like myself with my hair straightened!

[@schoolingdiana9086]

If my hair is short, it’s super greasy and has to be washed daily. If it’s long, I can go 3 days without washing before it gets greasy. My curly hair knots inside a braid, and always has. Not as bad as just loose and down, but it still knots.

[@lolasaysyes]

As far as personal hair care goes, I have extremely long, extremely thick (over 1/2” diameter) hair and have never had trouble growing it. The longest length has been past my fingertips and I just recently cut it back to my wrists. I do not know how long my hair could potentially grow, but I trim regularly, once a month or so. I wash my hair once a week with gentle baby shampoo and spritz with apple cider vinegar, then air dry. I have not used conditioner since moving to Texas as it causes soap scum to form in the hair due to hard water. I don’t brush it, use treatments, or do anything to it except add a tiny amount of jojoba oil when needed to keep it detangled. I keep it clipped up or tied back with a scrunchie at home, and never walk around with it loose outside. No need for protective hairstyles as long as your hair isn’t getting in the way and isn’t exposed to the wind! Less is more. My hair is healthiest when I do nothing to it.

[@lolasaysyes]

Regarding cultural context, Japan is one country I am not aware of having traditional braided hairstyles. During the Heian period, hair was worn long and loose, and in later periods, hair was set in complicated topknots that relied on crimping and padding to create volume, but they are smooth and not braided. This can be seen in geisha and Maiko hairstyles today (there are some documentaries showing the process). However, Korea, China, and Vietnam do have traditional braided hairstyles, and the multiple ethnic tribes in these countries also have their own hairstyles. Japan’s aversion to braids is unique and has nothing to do with hair texture, and speaks more to their cultural values, and is likely due to ancient Shinto beliefs.

[@emitaylor4094]

I started my hair care journey by learning how to care for my hair with Black and Indian hair care channels. I found this channel when i started looking for protective styles that make sense for European hair. Im 100% sure none of my ancestoes ever put Jamaican black castor oil on their hair, but Im so thankful for it!

[@SnappyDragon]

Your ancestors probably used what they could get locally to do the same thing, though!

[@starrywizdom]

I love my silk pillowcase from Brooklinen. My hair is so much nicer & easier to care for now that I don't wash it very often.

[@christineg8151]

I've had long hair for most of my life, and it is generally about as low-fuss as I could want (wash, condition, air-dry, brush) but when I started my chemistry degree, I considered cutting it, primarily to avoid potentially getting it in my way while I'm working with chemicals. In the end, I decided that the amount I'd need to chop off in order to be less work would be more than I would like to lose, so I've stuck with braids. I'm considering adding a headscarf for additional protection, but haven't decided yet whether I actually want to add something else that might fall off while I'm working. I may try it for a day at home and see how secure it actually works out to be. It would be nice to have something to help keep my hair from drying out a bit more. I have noticed it is a bit more prone to breakage now, and some of that may be due to chemical exposure, but I suspect a lot of it is just from the increased air flow in lab. I've noticed that I leave lab feeling extremely thirsty, and my skin is really dry, and it's primarily from the air flow. I wouldn't be surprised if my hair was also much drier and thus prone to more breakage.

[@m.g.4446]

I had very short hair for about seven years and I LOVED it, but I've been working on growing it back out for a couple years now. After cutting it a couple times to even out my undercut with my longer hair on top, it's about shoulder length now. I still have a couple sections of hair in front of my ears that won't pull back into anything. My current hair routine combines modern and historical methods. I have fine hairs, but dense follicles. So I have fine hair but a lot of it. It's mostly straight, with a little wave in places where it's less dense like around my hair line. I have dry skin, so I don't have to deal with a lot of excess oil. I wash my hair every seven to fourteen days, depending on how it looks, how I feel, and what I have going on during that time. It usually ends up being every ten-ish days. I've been using Ethique's unscented bar shampoo and really like it. I also use a bar conditioner. I use a fine-toothed wooden comb twice a day and will sometimes go over it with a boar bristle brush once a day, but not consistently. The two major differences I've noticed after using the comb for a while now is that my hair will still get oily, but it doesn't get the stringy striations, and I get less flakes. I didn't get big crusty flakes before, just a light but consistent dusting. The comb took care of that though, and what few flakes I do get now and then, are easier to get rid of with the comb/brush combo. I wear a silk cap to bed, but that's mostly to keep any fuzz that my sheets shed from getting in my hair, which makes it look dirty quicker. On about the fifth to seventh day, I'll dust my hair with cornstarch in the evening and comb through it. When I wake up in the morning it's usually absorbed enough that the white isn't visible anymore and I can just comb and style as usual. About two days later, I'll fill a basin with hot (not boiling, it's still cool enough that I can briefly put my fingers in it) water and dip my comb in it while I comb out my hair. My theory with this is that it gets rid of some of the lingering cornstarch residue that makes my hair feel a bit stiff after a while, and the heat breaks up the oil a bit. This usually gets my hair looking fresher and feeling soft again. I usually wash with shampoo again about two to four days after that. My hair is still too short to have a braid(s) that actually looks good so I'm still sticking to pony tails and buns. Although, the other day I didn't feel like showing my hair so I put it in double braids, tied them up on my head, and put on a bandana to cover the ugly, chunky braids that are all I can get out of my shoulder length hair at the moment. Bandanas and headbands don't normally stay on my head very well (I think my head is too round and my hair is too slippery), but I found that it stayed all day when I had the braids under it to stop it from sliding back too far.

[@cynthiafisher3392]

My former hairdresser had a great way of telling me how to describe a health trim. She said if I am talking to another hairdresser and that is the trim that I am looking for, then tell that hairdresser that you just want them to “kiss“ the ends.

[@liav4102]

I vividly recall seeing a scene in Dr Quinn Medicine woman where one of the side characters has nearly floor length dark hair, fights over hair length got much more intense after that

[@lizzaturnbull]

I always sleep with my hair wrapped in a scarf because a) it’s curly and b) I use a CPAP machine. This protects it really well. I also only wash it a maximum of once a week, often going two weeks no problem as my hair never gets greasy. I am regularly complimented on my hair - so I reckon it works 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@laura987123]

Here for the snark, my hair is falling out from my immune suppressant medication anyway so not much hope for my long hair dreams now.

[@pioneercynthia1]

When I was much younger, I could almost sit on my hair, though it has always been almost baby fine. I loved being able to put it up in a figure-8 braid in summer (I fancifully put flowers in both the loops, much to the chagrin of my mother, who thought it was hopelessly grandma-style) but hated how the braid was so scrawny. Now I'm in menopause, and my hair doesn't grow nearly as long, but I can go two weeks without washing it, though I do wear it up and sometimes covered. I wish it was thinker and longer, but it is naturally wavy/curly, so I'm very thankful for that. Interesting, I just now answered a woman on another channel who insisted that all Amish women suffer because they're not allowed to cut their hair and it causes headaches, especially under "those bonnets." It really seemed like she was on the verge of a fit of written righteous indignation, a sad reaction to something she clearly knows *nothing* about.

[@shelbystiner6545]

Something else that really shows hair-growth speed, bangs. Get bangs. Then trim them about 2 weeks later. Then trim them again. Then get sick of trimming them and last about 3 weeks, but break and trim them when your hairs begin stabbing your eyeballs. Then accept you will now always have bangs. DISCLAIMER: I love my bangs! (I have to or they'll kill me!) :)

[@unrulycrow6299]

I have curly hair that nobody in my family ever knew how to properly care for, and my hairstyle would usuallygo from down the back (but not looking very good because I didn't know how to properly care for the curls) to ear length bobcat because anything in-between doesn't suit me at all. Back in 2020, after 5 years of having a bobcut and needing to spend money I didn't exactly always had to maintain the hairstyle, I decided to use the lockdown to my advantage to experiment and grow my hair back to an "as long as possible" length. I completely changed my haircare routine (thanking Anna from ThePrettyShepherd for the tips, as well as the Black community for explaining how to properly care for curly hair). Now in July 2023, my hair is getting down my back again from an ear length cut. I wash it with the classic shampoo/conditioner/mask once a month, I marinate my hair in a mix of flax seed and castor oil before the shampoo, and the rest of the month I use homemade dry shampoo (50/50 cornstach and rhassoul, with drops of lavender and rosemary essential oils to promote hair growth and keep the scalp free of any unwanted annoyance). I brush and comb my hair twice a day, oil the length twice a week and because I have gone full Edwardian, I keep my hair up in fancy hairstyles that are also good to protect the length of hair. At night, I sleep with a braid (i've considered getting a silk bonnet but because of my sensory issues, I am not sure I can tolerate wearing one alas, so I am thinking about wrapping my braid instead). It's much easier to handle my hair now than ever before, ngl. Now I freshly cut the ends because they were getting damaged and are still remains of my old haircut, however I've reached the point where even removing up to 1cm of hair doesn't make much difference anymore.

[@lilykatmoon4508]

Wonderful video as usual. I have zero hair care training, and I was surprised to learn that braiding the hair is protective. Idk why, but I was always under the impression that braiding led to breakage rather than the other way around. Thank you for sharing your expertise with us, and I must say how much I really appreciate your inclusive content, language, and messaging. ❤

[@Kasey113]

Braiding can lead to breakage if you braid your hair while it's wet. Learn from my mistakes, and wait for it to fully dry first! 😁

[@SnappyDragon]

Doing anything *harshly* can lead to breakage. Same goes for brushing, combing, washing, pinning up, any of it. I used to have my clients tell me anytime I accidentally pulled hair while detangling, because even if they could handle the discomfort, their hair couldn't!

[@trenae77]

I'm here for option 2 :D Option 1 is just bonus material

[@Talkingcrowlikething29]

I’ve had long hair (waist length or butt length) my whole life, and I’ve been veiling since 2021. Wearing it braided and covered every day has been much better for my hair! Less breakage and fewer tangles 😎

[@bunhelsingslegacy3549]

I absolutely love listening to you snark, no matter the topic, I always learn something from you! My hair used to stop mid-back, but now a decade after quitting using shampoo, the longest hairs in my braid can actually touch my waistband in the back! The rest of it will probably never get there because my hair's pretty thin by the ends and that's just how my hair is. I still colour my hair but haven't used a hair elastic in three year either. I definitely see the regrowth when I dye (I'm quite grey and I like to spice it up with blue and purple), but it sure doesn't relate to the overall length of my hair. Definitely fewer split ends since I quit using shampoo. I like mine long because it's easier to manage, more leverage when it's long. Mine's also somewhere between wavy and curly and it tangles if I think about it funny and snags on EVERYTHING so it lives braided with a finger-loop cord tie worked in the same way I used to braid horses for show. It only took a couple months of no shampoo for my scalp to realize it didn't need to keep creating more oil, now I can go a month without my usual scrub under the shower without issues. I still usually "wash" it once a week. I still sometimes use conditioner, though I put it on my hair dry while waiting for hot water to make it to my 3rd floor washroom, clip it up out of the way while I attend to other shower matters, then rinse it very thoroughly when I scrub my scalp under the shower because I can't tolerate the fragrances very well anymore. Wehn I finally run out of the stuff I have, I'll probably look for something unscented. And in winter when the tip of the braid gets dry, I will moisturise it with whatever oil comes to hand, olive or vegetable if I'm in the kitchen, hair dressing if I'm upstairs where hair stuff lives.

[@ThingsAbove333]

Are you water washing?

[@mimmilehtimaki1926]

I used to do green tea washes when my scalp was feeling particularly itchy during winter. They did work. But now without a bath tub they feel a little less easy to do.

[@JenInOz]

I visit a hairdressing school once a week and get a different apprentice to practise wet-setting my hair each week. Every 4-6 weeks they rebleach my regrowth and redo my colour. The only downside is that the sometimes take a LOOOONG the time from start to finish - eg last week I got there at 10am and left around 3pm, for the colour and set. I go to a fully qualified hairdresser just once a year to have it cut.

[@911nmg]

I don’t grow my hair past my shoulders because I work as a teacher and speech therapist with disabled kids and, even whitout meaning it, they could hurt me. (Same reason I don’t wear earrings, necklaces, bracelets or rings at work 😅). But I do some of this things to keep it healthy, shinny and clean! I use headscarves when excercising and when I go to the beach and I love it.

[@iaaeottg21]

Very help tips. Thanks! I wash my hair only once per month (just started that method this month). Because of my extremely dry hair. My scalp starts itching after two weeks so I may start washing every two weeks. I have noticed less breakage and less drying. Also, I use my own DIY oils on my scalp every 3-5 days and always after shampooing.

[@dhepple5057]

I know the topic of the video did primarily answer a lot of the questions, but I was wondering if there is specifically any historical advice for stimulating hair growth in terms of male-presenting people? Like, in my experience I think it can sometimes be hard to have stylised hair or wear things like a headscarf if you're male-presenting, and I was wondering if there is any historical alternatives or possibilities for that?

[@BallerinaValkyrie]

I'm from a scandinavian/latinix/american family So braids of all kinds + the latina "spiral" bun, where you 'spiral' and pin continously in a flatter wider shape secure the generally thicker latina hair.

[@tuanyiji]

I haven’t trimmed at all for four years now and grew my virgin hair from my armpit to fingertips (I have a lot of hairstyle tutorials videos in my channel). I don’t have any split ends or breakage because I oil from roots to ends every day and bun it up. I never use elastic, comb or brush. I fingercomb only and use a hair stick to hold my bun solid for more than 8 hours. I rarely redo my bun. I do weekly water only rinse and shampoo once every 4-6 weeks. I let it air dry. I sleep in my silk bonnet on top of a silk pillow case. Any manipulation is some form of mechanical damage so I try to avoid it as much as possible. Unless it’s for photography reason, my hair is never loose or down for more than 1 minute. My goal is to grow my hair to knee by autumn/winter of 2024, then I will maintain for a thicker hemline before I go on for the floor. I want to test my gene limits for terminal length.

[@s.h.741]

One tip that helped me wash my hair without drying it out: diluting my shampoo. I keep a sauce bottle in my shower where I mix shampoo with conditioner and dilute them with water. I shake the mixture well and pour it over my wet hair, let it sit for a little while and only move the hair around gently. No scrubbing necessary. With the nozzle, I can apply the mixture gently to my whole head and just wash out the oil and dust. Then I add more water to the mixture left in the bottle for the second round of application. Rinse out well, condition and a last rinse with water and a little vinegar to combat the hard water we have, or a little rosemary tea. Excellent for shine. I've been doing this washing routine for many years and my hair neither splits nor breaks. Using a mixture of conditioner and oil as pre-wash treatment is also beneficial. The conditioner acts as emulgent and helps wash out the oil without using too much detergent.

[@armedvsokord]

Snark, snark, snark. :D And All the Sass. Your videos are always fun, this was no exception.

[@graup1309]

I currently have about mid-back length hair which. Is usually where it ends up being. I wanted to see how long it could get in total but I made the mistake of bleaching streaks into it somewhat at the beginning of this journey and that has only now really grown out. Right now is actually the first time in over 10 years that I have long hair that completely has my natural hair colour (and at that time I was swimming a lot so really this is my first time really seeing my natural hair colour). Anyways the length is starting to just annoy me as can be seen by the fact that I am almost never seen without just two braids that are twisted in at the head. I keep the braids in for a few days and renew them about once between washes which is once a week. my scalp is not happy about this but whatever. I try to sleep with my hair wrapped up in a scarf, I sometimes cover it during the day, especially if I'm doing housework. In about two weeks I'm actually planning to get a buzz cut. I want to experiment more with colour and I don't want to destroy it and also like I said. The length is truly starting to annoy me. And I've never had my hair that short! so that's fun Oh and on the note of scarfs in my city it is actually fairly common for people of all genders to wear scarfs over their head, especially in winter to protect against the cold but you do also see it in summer. Something I feel like is fairly uncommon considering I live in Central Europe, where head coverings in the form of scarfs are fairly rare outside of religious reasons (and old women of course although that generation is slowly fading away)

[@SnappyDragon]

I hear you on wanting to play with color! That's been my battle too; I'm still growing out the remnants of some careless coloring. It is possible to bleach and keep hair healthy, but it does take a lot of work and ought to be done by a skilled colorist.