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When you make the effort to grow long hair, you get picky about what you do to it. You come to know how much of a price you can pay for damaging it, not to mention the long growing out time. Experimentation is done only with great caution.

But if you want to dye your hair, you can, even if it's long. You have to be a little pickier about what you use. Fortunately, there are some great options out there.

You should always pick a hair dye that does not have peroxide. Peroxide can be very damaging to your hair. If you can avoid these, do so. Just look at the ingredients.

Many people with long hair like to use henna or indigo to dye their hair. These can work very well, although you do need to experiment to figure out if the color will be right for you, and the dying process can take a long time. It can be a lot of fun figuring out the exact mixture that gives you the color you want.

A simple way to test a henna or indigo mixture is to clean out your hair brush, and place the hairs in your mixture. Let them sit for a while to see what the resultant color on your hair will be.

Mixing these up is not as simple as opening a tube. You will want to get instructions for the mixture you use. Henna often has to sit for hours before use, and so many people mix it up the night before to give plenty of time for dye release.

Many people who have used henna report that it also has wonderful conditioning properties, and their hair feels wonderful after.

If you choose henna, the best sort is the type that is body art quality that you mix with lemon juice at home. Some henna products include metallic salts, and these are the main cause of bad reactions with other dyes later on. These are not always listed on the label, so it is often wise to just be careful about dying your hair with chemicals after using henna.

Most important is to not overdo the use of chemicals in your long hair. This includes times other than when you're dying it. Think about the chemicals you use daily. Hair spray, mousse and so forth aren't good for your hair. Some ingredients in shampoos and conditioners aren't too good for your hair. The more attention you pay daily to your hair, the better your hair can cope if you do something that does damage it a little.

Stephanie Foster blogs at whylonghair.com whylonghair.com/ about having and caring for long hair. Get more whylonghair.com/category/long-hair-care tips on caring for your long hair at her site.