I am in desperate need of hair help.
I have very fine blonde hair, with a fairly oily scalp, but lots of split ends/breakage  I also have a bit of a d-a-n-d-r-u-f-f problem.  I usually wash it every other day, hardly ever blowdry or put in product.  I am tired of the breaking and the flaking, any suggestions?

I have no suggestions for the dandruff.  In fact, I would welcome some, since all my family has it in varying degrees.  For the splitting and breaking, remember that the damage you are seeing now is not necessarily the result of choices you are making now.  

Depending on the length of your hair, those choices could be years in the past.  There could have been a time your diet was poor or you swam without washing the chlorine out of your hair (my daughter is particularly bad about that one).  My recommendation is make sure your choices now are healthy and keep trimming until the splitting and breaking stops.

Hey there, tomboyblondie

It appears that our hair types are quite similar. Dandruff is very common among people with oily hair and scalps. And the key to keeping it at bay, believe it or not, is by keeping it clean, clean, clean! Allowing sebum to build up will only make the problem worse.

Dandruff shampoos can be pretty harsh - I never use them. But you could try using a vinegar rinse after every wash, before conditioning your hair. Try this for a week and see if it doesn't help.  ;)

Also, only apply conditioner from about the ears down. Don't allow any of it to touch the top of your head.

As for the damage, hon, I'm afraid the only way to get rid of it is to cut it off and start over. Damage begets damage, so you have to cut the damaged parts and split ends off to ensure that they don't continue traveling up the length of your hair. In order to grow long, healthy hair, you must first start with healty hair.

Best of luck. We're here for ya.  :)

Thanks for all your help!  I'm using Avalon Organics Shampoo with Tea Tree Oil and I love it.  Also I chopped probably over 7 inches of hair off, it might sound blasphemous but I love my new cut.
I'll save the vinegar rinse until I'm not sharing a bathroom anymore.  Any suggestions for type of vinegar?

Most folks here use apple cider vinegar (you'll see them refer to it here as ACV). I use distilled white vinegar (DWV), and so do a few others here.  :)

Basic vinegar rinses consist of a little bit of vinegar (how much is up to you) and the rest water (again, the amount is up to you). I like to take empty 1L or 1.5L water bottles and fill up to the bottom line with vinegar, then fill the rest up with cool water, cap tightly and shake it up.
   Some people add herbs, and there are vinegar rinses out there that you can purchase already made with the herbs already in them.

Anywho, good luck.  :)