Beauty Talk | Hair Diary of a Long-Haired Lazy Girl

This post is sponsored by Pantene. All words and opinions are my own.

I'm in a good place with my hair right now, mainly because I've stopped abusing it and learned to take care of it vis-a-vis a laissez-faire approach. Although my hairstyle hasn't changed since middle school when I irrationally chopped it to shoulder length to mimic the Rachel Green flip (Friends reference for my younger readers), I've definitely attempted to personalize it over the years with coloring, highlighting, curling, perming (not my proudest hair moment), straightening, extensioning, and keratining. But with age comes a bit of wisdom and a lot of laziness, which is why about two years ago, I decided to keep my hair on permanent low-maintenance au naturale mode, a hair decision that's reaping lengthy benefits!

Because people often ask how I grow my hair so long, I'm partnering up with Pantene Pro-V to share my low-maintenance hair diary with you!

{Daily}

I take an assortment of vitamins every single day. While calcium, flaxseed, and collagen supplements promote skin and hair health, the star is biotin, a Vitamin B that has been proven to stimulate hair growth. But beware of dosage, as too little can have zero impact while too much can cause detrimental side effects. Research shows that you can safely take up to 10,000 mcg of biotin a day, which happens to be my dosage. If I'm traveling, I'll bring my Neocell Biotin chewables with me because they're individually wrapped and tastes like candy.

Also, because my hair is at waist length and a bit on the dry side, I use my Pantene Pro-V Daily Moisture Renewal Conditioner on a daily basis to condition, hydrate, and tame flyaways. In the mornings, I’ll dab a little bit of it on my roots and ends to smooth out frizziness and to prevent split ends.

By the way, I have to say that I don't think I've been this impressed by a shampoo and conditioner duo like Pantene Pro-V Daily Moisture Renewal Shampoo and Conditioner in a very long time, as they’re so moisturizing that my hair feels incredibly soft. They also help prevent damage, which helps my hair grow! To prep, I brush through dry hair with a comb to detangle. This way, I don't need to brush it again post-wash. I never comb through wet hair as that's when it's super vulnerable and prone to breakage.

{Weekly}

I do work out a lot but that doesn't mean I wash my hair after each workout. Okay, I know that sounds a little gross but let me explain. If I don't shampoo and condition after a workout, I'll massage apple cider vinegar to my roots and let it sit for a few minutes before washing it out. Apple cider vinegar rinse acts as a natural and gentle cleanser to dissolve oil so my scalp stays clean while my ends stay hydrated.

About once a week, I also apply Pantene Pro-V Intensely Hydrated Masque for an extra dosage of hydration and to help prevent split ends. I apply the treatment to my ends, put on a shower cap, and leave it for about 10 minutes while I watch TV or do errands around the house.

I usually get a quick trim once every few months as long hair is prone to split-ends and I find that regular trims actually help promote hair growth. Salon Benjamin takes great care of my hair and it's also a fun spot for celeb sightings (Sir Ewan McGregor on my last visit). I also request scalp massages whenever I go in for a full body massage as stylists have told me scalp massages stimulate the hair follicles.

{My Low Maintenance hairstyles}

Most of the time, I let my hair air dry as it has a bit of a natural wave and doesn't need products for texture. I don't even brush my hair everyday as the Pantene products keep it pretty smooth. And when I do need to glam up my hair, I revert to one of these default hairstyles that take about five minutes to execute.

{high bun or milk braids for fashion events}