This afternoon we are delighted to welcome Jenn Edwards and her team back to the blog to offer us some super useful wedding hair advice. Jenn is our resident hair and make-up expert and we think that she is one of the best in the business. Today Jenn is talking about Getting your hair into tiptop condition for your big day. This advice is fantastic!

Getting Your Hair in Tiptop Condition For Your Big Day.

A high percentage of our brides want longer, thicker, hair for their wedding day and turn to us for help. Today we’re sharing the advice we offer to those brides, along with some top tips, so you too can discover how to achieve long and healthy tresses.

A hair cut every 6-8 weeks

This will seem completely counterintuitive if your trying to grow your hair but, not getting your hair trimmed, is the worst possible thing you could do.
Everyone has split ends, some more than others depending on several factors but, if you don’t keep on top of split ends with a regular trim, your hair will be prone to breakage, which will can lead to the loss of overall length and thickness.
Shine, volume, and smoothness are additional benefits of having a regular trim and we all desire that right?

Avoid damage from heat styling

If your hair is damaged it will have far more visible split ends than healthy hair, and if you lift a single strand of hair up from the roots you may notice that the strand gradually gets thinner as is reaches the end. Healthy hair is of equal thickness from root to tip.
Once hair splits the damage cannot be repaired so you will need to trim it, to prevent breakage, far more often than the suggested 6-8 weeks.
If you simply can’t live with out your hairdryer or GHD’s then try turning down the temperature and ensure you use a heat protectant. I love Revlon Unique One and panic if I get near the bottom of the bottle.

Get your colour done professionally

I’m not suggesting you should ditch the home colouring kit forever but you may want to consider some of the pro’s and cons being that you have a big day looming and all eye’s will be on you.
Over processing is another main culprit for damage.
I used to use a home kit because I simply didn’t have the time to sit in a salon for hours. Instead of just touching up the roots I used to apply a full head colour once a month. The conditioning treatment left my long hair super glossy for a while but after colouring conditioners are usually acidic to close the cuticle and seal colour. Using it long term damaged my hair, in the end, but I found myself in a vicious circle whereby I’d colour more often because it looked dull quickly. I also ended up with different steps of colour where some parts were more processed than others. Thankfully for me, Ombre was huge last year so I decided to stop colouring my hair completely and the difference in the health of my hair has not gone unnoticed by others.

Image Credit – Flawless Photography

Wash it less

By now, it’s likely you’ve heard the testimonials attributing great hair to going “no ‘poo,” but do you know why it actually helps your hair?
We all produce natural oils which penetrate the hair and help to hydrate and repair. 2-3 times a week is a general rule. The more you wash your hair the more you will need to as it will try to reverse the damage you are doing in stripping it from it’s natural oils by producing lots more.

Turn the water temperature down

A steamy hot shower is not good for your skin or your hair. Turn the temperature down a little and give your hair a final rinse with cold water. This will help seal the cuticle and strengthen your hair. You should also notice increased shine having tried this clever little trick.

Never, ever, brush your hair when it’s wet

Your hair is incredibly fragile when it’s wet and it will simply break. My hair gets in a real tangle so I have a nifty little brush, which was designed with fragile hair in mind – The Wet Brush. The bristles are super bendy so it doesn’t snag on a tangle. It doesn’t get all the knots out but once I’ve thoroughly dried it I then go over it again brushing a section at a time from the tips up to the roots. My Revlon Unique One also makes it easier to brush. I’m also very careful when I lather my shampoo that I don’t tangle it further.

Swap your pillowslip for a silk one

Yep, really! It will reduce the tangling during the night. Tangles = Breakage = hair that needs cutting more frequently.
That big chunky knit scarf is probably knotting up the underneath of your hair too. Luckily summer is on its way!

Image Credit – John Hope Photography

Try a Protein rich diet

Long, strong, hair doesn’t just depend on which products you use on your hair, it also depends on what you put into your body. “To promote hair growth, you need to ‘feed’ the hair from the inside. Try increasing your protein intake with foods like fish, beans, nuts, and whole gains.” If you’re not a meat-lover, be sure to maintain a diet high in protein.

Try a Multivitamin

If your diet isn’t supplying you with enough nutrition, a supplement could make a world of difference. “Look for multivitamins that are formulated and labelled ‘For Hair, Skin, and Nails like Perfectil. These contain important vitamins like biotin, vitamin C, and B vitamins that support hair health. A very popular one is Your skin will be happier too!

Image Credit – Ross Harvey Photography

If you have any experiences you’d like to share, or have tried a particular product you love, we’d love to hear from you. Please leave your comments below.

To find out more about Jenn Edwards 

www.jennedwards.com / [email protected] / FACEBOOK / PINTEREST / T:@jennedwardsMUA / I: @jennedwardsmua

Jenn is multi award-winning wedding hair and makeup artist based in Sheffield. She’s Queen Bee when it comes to boho hair styling, soft waves, braids and festival looks and, although she insists that less is more when it comes to makeup, her kit barely fits in her car.