Hey
I guess I'll start with an introduction.
I have baby fine hair a few inches past my shoulders, and I am trying to grow about 4 more inches. I think growing past that will be futile considering how delicate my hair is.
Anyway, I don't color because it would kill my hair, but I do use Aveda clove shampoo and conditioner to add nice highlights. I only use this one or twice a week, but does anyone know if highlighting shampoos can do damage to your hair? The Aveda conditions great, but I'm just wondering if depositing color, even a little, can damage over the long run.
THanks.

I love the smell of clove!  :D   I'm not real familiar with their color enhancing products, do they have any ingredients that end in "cone".  If so, those would coat the hair shaft and could cause some damage.  Do you every use a clarifying shampoo or vinegar rinse to remove any buildup?

Oh crap. Yeah. It has dimethicone in it. What does this do to your hair exactly? Cause apparently all my favorite shampoos have it.  ??? That better not be ruining my hair.

I have never done a vinegar rinse. How do you do it? Do you mix the vinegar with water and just rinse with it? DO you shampoo first? Do you condition after (my hair tangles easily so I might have to)? Thanks!

Dimethicone might or might not be a problem.  It depends on the concentration (the farther down on the list, the lower the concentration) and how your hair handles it.  Dimethicone will coat the hair which can protect it or smother it, which is why I recommend clarifying regularly if you use products with this in it.

If your hair feels stiff and/or crunchy, particularly the ends, you might want to avoid products with -cones for a month or so, to see if the condition improves.

To do a vinegar rinse, I use apple cider vinegar, but I'm not sure it matters what kind you use.  I mix a quarter cup of vinegar with a half gallon of water.  I pour this through my hair after I have shampooed, and before I condition.

wrote on Feb 29^th, 2004 at 1:41am:

To do a vinegar rinse, I use apple cider vinegar, but I'm not sure it matters what kind you use.  I mix a quarter cup of vinegar with a half gallon of water.  I pour this through my hair after I have shampooed, and before I condition.

Whoa. Do you mean you're supposed to rinse away the vinegar rinse?? Or are you using a leave-in conditioner? I've tried using vinegar rinses but they always make my towels smell like vinegar!!  ::)

/Kate

I use the vinegar rinse between my shampoo and conditioner.  My hair (nor towels) then smell of  vinegar.  ;D  At a minimum you would want to rinse the vinegar to restore the pH of your hair.