Fashion Tidbits: How to Make Your Haircut Last Longer

Along with the colder months of the year comes the need for an adapted beauty ritual. The sun's not up in the morning before work so you don't have that natural window light with which to apply makeup. You're taking hotter showers to wake yourself up from the brisk frost and then, in turn, end up running a few minutes behind. Finally, your hair may spend two of the next four months under a hat and you almost forget about it all together. This week, we're taking a look at some simple steps to preserve your haircut - make it last through the winter, and keep those locks looking fresh and beautiful.

Before you look into these steps, take a minute to really evaluate your hair-care regimen. Check out the ingredients on your bottles, how often you're shampooing, what and how much product you're using, etc. These are all things that make an impact on the longevity of your style. If you're intending to keep your haircut for a longer period of time, begin with a basic cut at your salon. Avoid layers and ask your stylist to shy away from the razor this time. No pixie cuts or layered bobs, please. 

Month 1: Don't shampoo daily. Ditch the reflex to reach for your bottle of shampoo during your shower. If you have thin hair that gets oily quickly, opt for shampooing every other day and rinsing between shampoos. Stripping your hair daily of its natural oils is a no-no. Opt for a sulfate free shampoo. Ask your stylist for the shampoo/conditioner set that will work best for your type of hair. Remember that a little bit of shampoo/conditioner goes a long way so dropping $30/bottle should last six months. My FAVORITE hair products will forever and always be anything Aveda. I also love Biolage. If you're on a budget - no problem! Organix (OGX) can be found at most pharmacy/department stores and runs about $6.99/bottle. Lesser yet? Suave makes an 'all natural' brand now that is sulfate free and runs about $3.99/bottle.

Month 2: Say no to heat. From the time period of 5-9 weeks post-haircut, your hair doesn't need a whole lot of styling to look good. Take some time off from hot tools. Avoid blowdrying, straightening and curling as much as possible. Let your hair air dry. This will help it keep its natural texture and keep it from over drying. Experiment with some adorable up-dos in the mean time.

Month 3: Mask mild damage. As your hair grows, it's going to start feeling heavier and more tired. Over the course of the next few weeks, use an iron to wear it curly or wavy. It's all about the right tools. If you use bad quality tools, it'll be harder to keep your hair alive. This doesn't mean spending $300 on a flat-iron. Just know what to look for! Use flat or curling irons that are coated with tourmaline or ceramic. It's much like using a teflon coated pan versus not. Sticky is icky.

Months 4 & 5: Pump up the volume. These months are all about product. You'll notice your hair beginning to feel droopy and flat as time passes. Great volumizing products along with your styling will keep this at bay. Look into hair masks as well and hydration productions to apply. Chances are, you'll now need to turn up the heat on your tools. You're at the point where it's better to use high heat once over a section of hair than damage it further by using low heat over one section a million times.

Month 6: Be mindful of super dry ends. Enter: shine spray. Keep up on those hydrating masks but add in a shine spray to your regimen. When you've styled your hair, spray some shine onto your palms and run it over your dry ends. This will help them look nice and tight rather than frayed and dry. If you have fine hair, don't get the spray close to your scalp, you'll oil up quickly.

When month six has passed, schedule an appointment with your stylist and go in for that well-deserved cut. Today's inspiration comes from totalbeauty.com.

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xoxo, the boutique babes.