I think these hair boards serve us in many more ways than just to give us hair advice.  I think people like to feel different, unique,  but also we like to feel that we are a part of a special group.  We celebrate our differences, our long hair makes us stand out from others; yet we celebrate our similarities such as hair color, our hair type, what haircare routine we follow.  We are not that unlike a sort of family.  We are the same and we belong here and at the same time we are all individuals with qualities that make us, like a snowflake, unlike any other of our kind.  We have the best of both worlds.

I think you've expressed it perfectly, stawberryfine.

Longlocks is the first site on my custom tool bar, and the only site I visit every day - it's relaxation after a long night of work every morning and the best way to wake up in the late afternoon/evening, while sipping "first morning" coffee.

It's wonderful sharing thoughts, ideas, and frustrations with those who actually KNOW what we're talking about - unlike most of our family, friends, and co-workers, to whom our long-locked concerns are quite foreign... (for example...what short haired lady has ever had to remind herself to keep an eye on the shower drain so as not to develop a close and lasting friendship with the local plumber)? ha ha ha

Isn't this forum enjoyable!
nightowl

Rainy Days and Migraines
I love rainy days but I could do without this headache I'm entertaining.  I inherited my grandmother's migraines and only time will tell if I inherited her long hair genes.  She had beautiful auburn, fingertip length hair and I adored her.  She was half French, her grandparents being French Hugoenot immigrants.

It all seems so romantic.  There is just something about a rainy day and a blanket.  Funny, my head doesn't hurt as bad now...

Go to your profile page and paste in the link where it says "I have my own pic". Be sure to check the box... I forgot that, and that's why it didn't work the first time I did it. Do keep in mind that the avatar will be resized to 120 x 120 pixels (I think that's the dimensions) so if it's smaller, the picture will stretch and get grainy. 

Hugs ,
Anais

Well, I got my Sprite High-Output shower filter about three days ago and I have to say I like it a lot already.  My water feels softer, my skin feels less dry and doesn't itch, even without lotion.

I've washed my hair so much in the last three days it feels like I've washed the cuticle layer away; also, I've been trying a lot of different combinations of products.

For now, I'm trying to stick to the following routine:

Aveda Sap Moss Shampoo or California Baby Sensitive Shampoo

Biolage Conditioning Balm/ in a spray bottle with distilled water and a drop of rose oil for fragrance; also, just a tiny bit in the shower after shampooing.  I also use this for deep conditioning.

Burt's Bees Avocado Butter Pre-Shampoo Treatment.

Distilled water with 2 drops of rose oil in a spray bottle

Baking soda in shampoo for clarifying
Red wine vinegar in distilled water as a rinse

I'm still working on the frequency of use on all of these.
I'm even leaving off oils for the time being, as my hair seems to feel dry afterwards sometimes.

Some other things I'm using on my hair:
Wooden combs from ric@combmaker.com
Aquis Microfiber towels and turban
Madora detangler comb
Shower comb by Conair; very smooth, very cheap
Champion Hard rubber Comb
Boar bristle brush (needs replacing)
Silk pillowcases from tenderheaded.com
rose oil mixed into everything
Ficcare clip
Ketylo corkscrew hairsticks treasuresfromthetree.com
GNC Ultranourishair and Women's Ultramega vitamins

Right now, I dab a little conditioning balm on my outer layer and ends, shampoo with Aveda Sap Moss, run just a bit of conditioning balm through for detangling; sometimes I comb through with shower comb while hair is still very heavy with conditioner and water.  Then I squeeze water out, wrap in microfiber towel, and leave it up for about an hour, then detangle with Madora comb (this doesn't involve much as long as I comb the conditioner through in the shower),  rub in a little conditioning balm as a leave-in and sometimes comb through with Champion rubber comb.  Air dry.  

I've been thinking of trying a heat lamp from Tractor Supply; they are incredibly cheap there.  I think they use them in chicken incubators, but they are the same heat lamps that sell for lots more in the beauty supply.  But I'm not sure about if it would be damaging.  I mean, its still HEAT.  Its just not blowing.  Maybe its a lot less heat.  I think the bulbs I saw were 250 watt and most blowfryers are, what, 1200 to 1875 watts?  I'm not sure how that would all work out, including wind velocity and any other factors.  

Boy, do I sound obsessive or what? That was just a rhetorical question.  I really don't want an answer.

Some things I want:
*Goats hair baby brush; online somewhere*NO GOAT
Fuller Brush #513 soft boar in wooden handle
More essential rose oil
Microfiber dog towels

I plan to update this list
* Edited to remove the goat

I just read a post from someone who has a goats hair brush and she really didn't like it at all.  She said it was just too soft.  I'm really grateful when people give honest negative feedback about a product; it sure helped me save money this time.

Thanks Valerie!

I've only used the Burt's Bees Avocado Butter PST
(long name!) three times and I like it so far.

It is very different.  It feels sticky, like it has honey in it or something.  It's more of a hair masque.  It helps to warm it in your hands before applying it to your hair.  It took more product than the tube said to use, about a tablespoon worked well, but my hair is not very long yet.

You have to use it before you shampoo; otherwise, I think you would have problems getting it out.  But it is not heavy greasy like you might think.

It leaves my hair VERY shiny and very clean feeling, not at all weighed down and I have fine hair, so that's good.

I'll update about it as I use it more.  I'm really hoping/thinking it might be a good thing.
HTH. strawberryfine

I ordered mine from drugstore.com but I think Burt's Bees has their own site, too.

Don't Try This At Home...
Oops, doorbell!
To be continued... ???

' kay~
This morning I coated my hair pretty heavily with monoi oil and then covered that with Burt's Bees Avocado Butter Pre-Shampoo Treatment.

Now Burt's Bees doesn't smell that great alone, but mixing it with monoi oil is not good.  It smelled wicked.  It was kind of like Nyquil and a floral perfume mixed together. 

Then my hands started to burn.  Then my scalp started to burn.  Then I flew into the shower and shampooed like mad, twice, (with Aveda Sap Moss Shampoo, but I don't think it would have mattered) and rinsed and rinsed and rinsed...  Then I found I had no conditioner in the shower.  I usually get out what I'm going to use before my shower and put it up afterward so my shower is not so full of stuff.

After my hair had dried partially in a microfiber towel, I detangled it with a wide toothed comb.  It was much easier to detangle than I had expected.  But I noticed it felt a little sticky, kind of like it did when I tried the Jessicurl products.  Well, I decided it might be the avocado oil but I let it finish drying.  Surprisingly, my hair feels pretty good and is very not-frizzy even though I've been out and it is pouring rain here today.  Go figure.

Anyway, I don't think I'll repeat this little experiment.  Next time, I think I'll use just the monoi oil, warmed.  It had solidified, so I stuck the bottle in a glass filled with hot tap water for a few minutes to melt it.  It felt and smelled great on my hair before I added Burt's Bees.  If only I had stopped at that point!  I love spaghetti and I love ice cream, but I'm not going to mix them together.

Live and learn.   

strawberryfine - I cringed and gasped when I read about the burning!  I am so glad your hair did not have any damage!!!!!
At least none of us will try this at home!!!
nightowl

Well, I really concocted an allergy thingy-tail yesterday.
I was up at 2 a.m. showering and shampooing and itching and scratching.  I have a red rash on my forhead and my knees and my stomach itches.  I've been taking antihistamines all night.

I am putting away:
Burt's Bees Avocado Butter
Aveda Sap Moss Shampoo
Rosewater
Monoi oil
Rose oil
Jessicurl products
George Michael products

I can never stick to a routine for two shampoos in a row, but I am going to TRY for one week to limit my use to these:

California Baby Sensitive Shampoo and Body Wash
Biolage Conditioning Balm
Maybe unscented coconut oil

I'm taking an allergy pill and going back to bed.

This may be useless information, but if you have ragweed or hayfever allergies, you may have a sensitivity to chamomile; it's in the same family.  I got this info from my allergist when I was taking allergy shots.

Oh no! I'm so sorry to hear that, hun!  Which do you reckon caused it?

I hope you feel better soon. Get lots of rest and have happy hair dreams!! 

Thanks Maggie, Rua and Valerie, for your kind wishes.  They must have done some good, because I am much better.  Just a little rash and itching left, but much better.

I don't know what exactly caused it, but I am going to just stick to things I know won't hurt me.  I've managed to stick with my routine of only California Baby Shampoo and Biolage Conditioning Balm.  This must be some kind of a record for me!

I quit smoking day before yesterday (Friday Nov. 12) so if I can just keep from pulling my hair out while the cravings diminish, I think I'll be okay.

I've a new use for hairsticks, though.  I have two Ketylo Corkscrew Hairsticks, about 4"-5" in length.  I find that if I carry one around it satisfies that urge to fidget with a cigarette.  And if it gets real bad, I can go dunk my head in the bathroom sink; you can't smoke and wash your hair at the same time.

Well, this hasn't been a very entertaining entry, if anyone reads it.  Maybe in a day or two my sense of humor will recover! ???

You know, I really appreciate you people 'being there'.
It's a comfort when you can't sleep.

Happy growing! 8)

Hi Strawberryfine,

I did the cinnamon stick thing too and it kept me away from cigarettes. (In fact, they're smokeable if you dip the end in a bit of essential oil, torch it and snuff the flame out quickly and they're safer than a normal cigarette but I shouldn't be telling you all this)

Thinking of ya, Strawberryfine!

Anais

ETA: a smiley

Thanks so much, my lurvely longhaired friends, for all the support.  It means a lot.

Cinnamon sticks sound much better than hair sticks plus I don't want teeth-marks in my hairsticks.   I may have some in the pantry.  If not, I will pick some up tomorrow.

Before I smoke another cigarette, I think I might try smoking a cinnamon stick~~

But I have this horrid mental image of me catching my hair on fire while I'm trying to light it.

One of my Persian cats set her tail-hair on fire swishing by a lit candle, but that is another story for another day.

Years later, the cat is fine and sitting in my lap as I type.
She never knew her tail was on fire; she just wondered why I lunged at her and pulled her tail to put it out.  Burning cat hair smells BAD.  I don't burn exposed candles anymore.   ???

strawberryfine

Thanks, Rua!

I'm beginning to get past that stage where I want to bite everyone's head off (except my 3 Persian cats; they are my darlings), thank goodness!

And there are times when I'm not constantly thinking about a cigarette, for several hours at a time now.

So it's getting better!

Thanks for the encouragement!

strawberryfine

Ooh, I remember those hairsticks! They were really pretty.

I just bought my first pair, pretty gossamer sticks, a little while ago. I remember the exitement of opening the package so well! The crystals were so beautiful, and the gossamer swirls even more so. Ok, now I blabbered. But I think I did it to someone who understands.

I'm going to buy more hairsticks for christmas present to myself(I've been so nice for whole year  ) and my spouse promised to pay one pair. Silver Sphere spiral sticks that you can still see in the catalog are about to make a trip over Atlantic very soon...and I'm too checking the site many times a day And in between visits I plan my future purchases...

Strawberryfine, I remember those stix, they stick out in my head because I thought they were so pretty, I hope you enjoy them..but then again, how could you not?!  I can't quite afford a pair yet, money is so tight right now with the unbelievable rash of unemployment here, but I know that when I see just the right pair, they will be mine.  I get the same feeling when I look thru the catalog as I did when I was a kid looking a Barbie Dolls or Cabbage Patch Kids or something.  It's that excited feeling of "I gotta have this or I'll die" kind-of thing...it's strange!  Am I alone in this?  Gosh, I hope not, cuz then I sound kinda looney!

Wow.  I mean *WOW.*  BB alerted me to this thread and insisted I come read it, she assured me that I'd be smiling by the end of it.  She was wrong... I'm all weepy instead.  Really!  You guys brought tears to my eyes, I can't tell you how much it means to me to know that my designs are appreciated so much.  I've had a very tough week suffering with a really old back injury that has resurfaced (the pain is nothing less than *exquisite* and as I usually have a very high tolerance for pain, my frustration level with this nonsense is really elevated as well), and I *really* needed something to lift my spirits.  This certainly did it!  I was feeling very down because I am so far behind with the holidays about to start.  Thank you *so* much, I couldn't have asked for a better start to my first "full" day back to work!

:::searching for Kleenex:::
:::HONK:::
:::sniff:::

:'}

Quote:


Galadriel,
I looked up your Silver Sphere SpiralStix and they are beautiful!  And I really like the gossamer styles, too.  And the SterlingStix and the Limited Edition, Drizzle, Fantasy and all the other little sticks!

It was nice to read your post; reading about your experience of recieving your sticks was really cool.  I could so relate!

strawberryfine

Quote:


Dear Rapunzel,

Wow!  Now I'm all weepy.  I never dreamed you'd see this but I am so flattered that you read and responded like you did.

I hope your back is soon much better and pain free.

Oh! One of the (many) coolest things about receiving my HairStix was that delightful fragrance.  I can't stop thinking about it and I want some!

Is there any way you might tell me what it is?  If it is a secret, I won't tell, but I really need to have that fragrance! ::)  Puh-leeeeze, Rapunzel.....

strawberryfine
Another ecstatic customer ;D

And a special thanks to Bikerbraid for noticing the post and getting us all together! You're a great moderator.

Ok, I checked out the link for the french twist, and I thought I knew how to do one until I read their instructions...so let me ask, and maybe someone can clarify for me.  It says to gather hair into a pony tail holder, and then divide into three sections before twisting.  I don't understand what the dividing does, or what you're supposed to do with those three separate strands...am I just misunderstanding the directions?  What I do is just grasp hair low and start twisting and moving up until it's tight, and then either tuck the ends or let them fly and look crazy, but that's not to say that's the correct way to do a twist.  Can anyone help explain that?  Thanks!

Okee dokee!  8)

Well, this flu just hangs on forever.... and if that were not enough; Friday night I got a contact lense stuck in my eye.

I just recently started wearing clear lenses; I used to wear green ones all the time.  My eyes are blue green.

Anyway, you can't see the clear ones in your eye as well as a tinted lense, because you can move it around in your eye and see the tint against the white of your eye.  Well, I'm not sure when the lens came out but I kept digging at it, thinking it was still there, and abraded my cornea and made a blood blister.  It is getting better but it looks wicked.  And I am taking my other ones back and switching back to green.  I don't lose the green ones in my eye!

I tried mixing a little jojoba oil into my conditioning balm the other night and it was quite lovely.  I'm still loving my coconut oil but am going to try dry oiling with a little jojoba on the ends today.  I may do one side coconut oil and one side jojoba.

I've been using a shampoo with jojoba in it and I really like it.

Well, I'm getting very tired and my eye hurts so I will leave this journal for now.  But, I'll be back!

Hope everyone is having a great hair day!

Styg,
Thanks for the tip on wetting hair down if you have overoiled.  I had never heard that before but I bet it works great!

I'm glad you are liking the jojoba shampoos, too.  They really are nice, aren't they?

Question: What is nuxe oil and where do you get it?  Curiosity is killing me.

strawberryfine

Quote:


yes ... that's why i finally ordered them in a rush a few days ago before leaving for paris. i am sorry

Arrrrhhh, Matey!

How does one properly accessorize an eye patch for Thanksgiving?  I did wear my biggest silver hoop earrings for the occasion. 

Seriously, I went to the eye doctor Wednesday (due to my contact-stuck-in-the-eye incident) and my doctor's office sent me straight away to an ocular surgeon.  Talk about scary!  They didn't find the contact but my eye was all abraded all to heck, swollen, blood blistered, so I'm sporting an eye patch until Monday when I return to the doc for a recheck.  I'm on two types of eyedrops, one for moisture, one is a steroid.

So, what to wear to make the best of it?  Should I dress like a typical pirate with bandana, ear hoops, etc. or should I dress like a medievel ship's captive in a long dress and lash myself to a pole somewhere?

Hair up or down?  I tell you what; that elastic going around your head plays havoc on your 'do.

New paragraph.  I am contemplating going back to school for a second degree in chemistry.  It started with reading all the ingredients in hair products and getting frustrated by not knowing what it all means.  I loved chemistry in school.  But if I do it, I will start part-time.

New paragraph.  Scissorless Ends.
It has been almost eight months since scissors touched my hair and the ends still look surprisingly good.  Now when I see the first split, I may dust, but I  figure that a split end is no longer an intact end so it really wouldn't matter if I dusted it.

I want maximum growth and I would really like to acheive terminal length and I'm not sure you can do that if you are trimming.  Everything you cut off is part of your potential length.

Hope everyone's holiday went nicely!

strawberryfine

So sorry to hear about your eye.  Hope it heals quickly.  As for appropriate dress with the patch - I'd go for the pirate maiden - off the shoulder top with a long, full skirt.  Hair could be pulled into a ponytail to the side of the head.  Definately big hoop earrings.! 

Make your lemonade with your lemons.   8)

Aww, thanks Bikerbraid, thanks Anais~

Bikerbraid, I really like the pirate maiden persona with wardrobe, jewelry like you described and I can use Anais' favorite word, "arrrrrrggghhh"!

I got a pretty good report at the eye doc yesterday but I have to use steroid eye drops for 2 more weeks and I can't wear my contacts for at least 2 weeks and I have to check back before then.  My cornea is swollen enough that it has affected my vision but they don't seem to think it will be a big problem even if it stays that way; just a little tweaking of my glasses prescription.

I've been making Christmas bows, cleaning house, waiting on UPS to deliver some Christmas presents, cleaning the kitty-facilities-I know, too much info...

Somehow I'm not obsessing on my hair quite so much as usual these days.  I'm still all committed to growing it out, I've just been more involved with not running over the furniture, trying to type w/o contacts and I really don't like to wear my glasses.  I'd rather be a pirate-maiden with the eye-patch than a pirate-maiden with glasses; somehow it just paints a different picture.

I've been kind of having a case of the gee-I'm-getting-old-and-maybe-I'll-just-get-an-old-lady-do
Nope, I'm over it.  I have a birthday coming up next month and this one is kind of shocking me.  Just last week I'm sure I was 21, and now, how did this happen?  (I'll be 49.)  Now there is nothing wrong with being 49 or 149, its just that I haven't had the chance to wear it around and get comfortable in it just yet.

Enough about me.

I hope everyone is looking forward to a very jolly holiday season.  Even though we all only know each other 'virtually', I really consider you all my very special, lurbely (that was supposed to be LURVELY) long-haired  friends.

Happy growing to all~


ETA: I was so inspired by Rapunzel's presentation of the LongLocks HairStix, that  I'm spraying scent on all my tissue paper and bows, and I'm using lots of different colored tissue for all my Christmas wrapping.  My living room smells so lurvely...

Aww, thanks Styg!
That's a really sweet compliment.  I'm going to keep that one.

Long hair=Young spirit

I like it! 8)

Well, I washed my hot oil treatment with my jojoba shampoo and then used my regular conditioner with a small puddle of jojoba and rinsed.  Then I took about 1/2 of a thimble sized amount of jojoba oil and applied it to just the very ends of my hair.  Then I mixed a few drops of jojoba oil into my redular conditioner and smoothed it mostly on the outer layer and left it in.

My hair is still air-drying so I'll report later.

SF, I just have to say that I think it's so cool that you've got an eyepatch! (Not cool how you ended up wearing one, but eyepatches themselves are cool nonetheless.)



If I had one, my husband would be SO jealous of me. He's always doing his "Arrrrgghh, me wifey!" bit around the house, the closet pirate himself. LOL!!

(As Bikerbraid said, 'Make lemonade with your lemons!')

In all seriousness though, I hope that your eye is on the mend. I wear contact lenses too, and one of my greatest fears is to lose one IN my eye.

Out of curiousity, do you wear coloured lenses?Disposables?

I occasionally wear coloured lenses too. My eyes are naturally hazel, and so I have to get the type of lenses for darker eyes.

So far, I have a collection of Turquoise, True Blue, and a light golden colour that just adds goldish flecks to your natural colour. Mine are all disposable too. (Freshlook)

I get them shipped from the states, so to make it worth my while in shipping costs, I get a load of different ones each time.  8)

Anyhoo, I'm glad that you are feeling better. Us redheads have got to stick together! 

When I used to work in the salon, I had quite a few of my customers who had babies and I took care of their hair for them throughout their pregnancies.  Towards the middle of the third trimester, a lot of them would come in asking for a drastic haircut, jusst to change SOMETHING.  I would do my best to talk them out of it, telling them that their bodies would  be changing drastically (smaller) very soon, and that ponytails could be very easy with a baby.  I would say, "So many things are getting ready to change in your life, do you really want to be fighting with a new haircut that you may regret.  I'd tell them if they still wanted it cut that I would do it after they had no postpartum depression.  I had more than a few thank me for it later!  (So Rua, beware the hormonal haircutting urge!)

Now, what can I do to talk myself out of a haircut?  I know the eyepatch will be off next week, I'll have new glasses with cute little bronze frames and be back in my green contacts at least part of the time.  And yet, I'm bored.  I  feel sorry for myself; you'd think I had lost a limb, the way I'm acting.  It's all going to be fine.  I have a headache and just don't feel good, fever, my eye is infected. 
But I just want something new, that I don't need and I keep thinking"Do a mercy-killing and chop off all those dead ends and layers."

Then I think about the PMS rule.  I found out in Jr. High School to never cut my hair or my bangs during PMS week or the "other" week.

Well, this not hormonal but it really feels similar.  I want to do something drastic that I will probably regret; mercy-chop the hair.

I've just finished Christmas shopping so I can't shop much for myself right now.  So I've got to think of something creative.

Any ideas, anyone? ???

TIA

Good one Anais!

One thing I do whenever I'm feeling like that is get myself my favourite chinese take-away and I rent a couple DVD's.

Get into yer plushy soft jammies and crash for the evening....reveling in your chinese with a glass of wine and movie. Maybe a nice chocolate something for afters....

That is bliss for me! Of course, then again, I have always had this obsession with food.

Oh, and keep an eye out for my upcoming posts where I will want to do a drastic haircut. Trying to talk me out of that will keep you too occupied to worry about your hair! 

My eye is much better.  I go back to my regular eye doctor Monday morning to try a new type contact that is supposed to let more oxygen and moisture through and be more comfortable.  New glasses are cute and work great; just can't wear them very long each day yet.  
I decorated my eyepatch with burgundy sheer ribbon; made me feel a little more feminine.

MY HAIR!
I broke down and measured tonight at 17.75" so if I make 18" by January that will be 6 inches in 9 months; that's three months ahead of schedule since April 05 will be a year.  I think that's about .67" per month on average.

New hair routine:  Some time back I splurged on a bottle of Phytojoba Shampoo and I love it.  I had been following with Biolage Conditioning Balm, just a tiny amount.  Today I accidentally left the 2nd shampoo lather on while showering and when I rinsed it out, it felt really conditioned and not tangly at all.  So I left the conditioner off.

My hair felt incredibly good today and looked pretty good for my hair.
I've wanted to try the Phytorhum Egg and Rum Shampoo but wouldn't buy another one just yet, and my dad had me order it for myself for doing a lot of his Christmas shopping online for him.  It should be here Tuesday.  Sweet, sweet Daddy!

1)  So I want to try alternating the Phytojoba Shampoo with the Phytorhum Shampoo

2)  and only deep condition with the Conditioning Balm on weekends, subject to change.  

3)  I want to keep using my jojoba oil either dry, in a dilute mist with distilled water or on wet hair

4)  and also use a dilution of water and red wine vinegar as needed.

5)  I also like a lavendar water mist especially on my scalp.

6  Aloe vera gel, as needed.

This will take some tweaking to get this routine down but I figure if I get to something that really works well for my hair in less than a year since I started, I'll be more than pleased.

I'm using a Madora detangling comb, a Comair shower comb (very smooth, from Walgreens), a Champion hard rubber comb, my handmade hardwood combs (no static, no damage) from Ric at combmaker.com, Fuller's Gentle Boar Bristle Brush, as needed and rotate 2 silk pillowcases from tenderheaded.com.

It is so good to entertain myself with my hair interests again.

Merry Christmas to anyone reading!

Merry Christmas, and I'm glad your eye is getting better.

((((((Strawberryfine))))))) You're a fighter-- I would go nuts if my eyeball wasn't functioning the way it should. Those new contacts sound teriffic!

Emerald.  I like being an emerald.  And yet I'm going to be a sparkling  diamond soon but, I hate, in a way, to give up my 'emeraldness'.  It almost makes me not want to post, to hang on to being an Emmie as long as I can.  But life goes on and the stages of life shift seamlessly.  It's really kind of neat we have something to signify our passages.

strawberryfine 8)

??? ??? ???
Oye!!!
Coconut milk does not like my hair.  I'm not sure what brand I had and it didn't smell very coconutty, disappointingly enough.  I massaged the coconut chunks into my hair enough to saturate and put on a shower cap for an hour.

I had to shampoo three times to get my hair to feel kind of clean.  Then when it was dry, it was oily halfway down and dry as stale bread on the top layer and ends.

I had to shampoo two more times and use a vinegar rinse and I hope it is clean now.

I wet-oiled with jojoba afterwards because it felt like straw.

Well, I'm not surprised about the coconut milk.  I've had so much trouble using oils.  I have just about given up on coconut oil, I know I can't use olive oil-tried that years ago.  So far I'm doing okay with jojoba oil, lavender oil, rose oil, ylang ylang, jasmine absolut; castor oil makes my hair very shiny.  I've tried a mix with rosemary oil and it was nice.

I really hope these oils are going to work for me long-term.  So many of the natural conditioners have chamomile, calendula or cedar oil in them and I am allergic to those.

Oh, yeah!  Right before I washed the coconut milk off, it had started to burn the back of my neck and my ear.  I don't have any allergies to coconut as a food; I don't know why it burned. 

I've seen some other posts elsewhere and many people have really liked the coconut milk. 

Leave it to my weird hair and skin to rebel.

Quote:

i've tried that today cuze apparently 1/3 jojoba /aloe vera mixture works as a gloss and gives body ... worked for me and when i took out my bun it gave way more curly waves. what's even nicer: by the time you go to bed the effect is kinda gone so it doesn't way your hair down nor makes it overly sticky like usual gloss or gels do. 

Thanks Styg,

That is encouraging to hear about the aloe/jojoba mix.  It sounds really good.  I will try that next.

Anais,
OF COURSE, I'm looking at things to buy, always!
I am going to check out the goat's hair brushes on the german site and some of the horse grooming sites.  I really do want a softer brush than my bbb turned out to be.

'kay~I'm at my wit's end here.  I know I put waaaay too much oil on my hair last night and when shampooing repeatedly did not remove it, I turned to my last resort standby: Prell shampoo and baking soda;
I know, bad me.  Then I used just three fingertips worth of Biolage Conditioning Balm to detangle, then rinsed and slept in a towel.
This morning, my hair is soft, shiny, smooth except for the little curly halo which is curlier, and that's okay; it gives me a little texture.

I had decided that I was not a 2a and was, perhaps, a 1c.  I am now wondering if I am a 1b.  That looks like a lb; I don't want to be a pound.
I know I'm not a 1a.  So am I a 1b/1c Fii?  I don't know. But this is driving me nuts.  I really con't want to be a hybrid either.  I want to be either a 1b or a 1c and be done with it.
I don't want to be responsible for someone else having difficulty typing their hair because my picture is on my posts and if I have my hair typed wrong I could be misleading someone else, or at least confusing them.
I just don't know.
And I know in the grand scheme of things, this is totally insignificant but I'm obsessing on it just the same.

Sign me, Dazed and Confused
I'm off to wrap Christmas packages.

Strawberryfine:  I can't decide if I'm a 1c or a 2a, either.
I know I'm not a 1a.  My ends get wavier when my hair
gets longer.  When I had my chin  length bob, My hair
was mostly straight, with a little body wave (1b?).  But
then again, permanent colour pulls the wave/ curl  out
of my hair.  When it gets past shoulder, the ends start
to curl up, even form ringlets on humid days (or frizz).
My hair has also gotten curlier/straighter over periods
of my life.  NO ONE believes me when I tell them this.
Also, I was perming for over 20 years so it was hard to tell  what type of hair I had.  A lot of it has to do with
the climate, humidity, what kind of product (or lack thereof I have in my hair) and whether it's colour treated
or not.

Well, I put a cone on my hair. arrrghh.

My DXH gave it to me; he's a hairdresser.  The shampoo appears okay except that it is voluminizing and my hair felt really tangled before I used the conditioner which has dimethicone copolyol way down the list of ingredients.  I read here that it is water soluable; thank goodness.  it was Graham Webb Back to Basics Wildberry voluminizing shampoo and conditioner.  It detangled well, but not quite as well as my regular Biolage Conditioning Balm.

I detangled with a shower comb, squeezed out some of the water with a towel, flipped it upside down and gave it a shake and flipped back up.  I've got some pretty pronounced waves.  I don't think there is anyway I could be less curly than a 1c.  Of course, that could change tomorrow.

It is all I can do to let my hair dry with cone residue on it.
Cones aren't bad; I think they might be bad for my hair.  It's so fine and fragile that I am afraid of drying and damaging the ends.

I want to stick my head in the bathroom sink, clarify then condition with my regular products.  But I'm going to try to let it dry all the way and be as open minded as I can about it.  I just think my hair is going to break or split if I look at it wrong.

What do you do when someone gives you a gift of shampoo and conditioner and it has stuff in it you don't ordinarily use?  This has happened to me several times recently.  The first time I tried to explain that products containing silicones don't get along with my hair but I don't think I made much of an impression.

Merry Christmas to all!
strawberryfine

Babyfine, I wish I could give it away.  But DXH and I have been back together almost since the divorce a year and a half ago, and he's a hairdresser and will ask me how I like it.

Oh, well.  In the scheme of things, this is really kind of minor.  But I'm not using it again.  It may not hurt my hair but it made my head hurt from freaking out about it!
LOL

The reason I'm up at the b_tt-crack of dawn is a nightmare.  The main thing I remember is falling off of a cliff and falling forever.  I woke up before I hit bottom.

My family and I haven't been getting along real well recently, and I just need to get over it and grow up some more.  They are old and not in good health, but they can say some of the meanest things just out of the blue sometimes.  I guess I've just had my feelings hurt a lot lately.  This too shall pass.  I hope.

I am anxious to try Galadriel's dressy braid for shorter hair posted in hairstyles section.

Oooh, I got my two dog hair towels in today and I love them!  Thery're microfiber like Aquis and huge.  I plan on trying one of them out later today.

Back to my nightmare: I think the falling off a cliff has something to do with my feelings of estrangement from my dad and aunt.  They are really all the family I have left and she has cancer and he is mentally ill.  It's amazing the things you'll tell people you can't see or touch.  It's as if it is somehow safer than telling someone nearby or even admitting it to yourself.

This dream was so terrifying.  I'm still shaky from it and I've been up over an hour now.

Okay, think of nice things.
My shopping is finished (and I am so broke) and I just have to finish wrapping.

My hair is still growing.

My cats are so dear.  I think they know when something is wrong and they just snuggle and purr and dig their little claws into me. lol  One of them is snoring now.

Well, I'm going to look at Rapunzel's SpiralStix.  I'm broke now but have a birthday next month.  This birthday is REALLY bothering me for some reason.

I think I'll wear my SterlingStix in a low bun today.  That's something I haven't been able to do until recently.

I'm off to LL Hairstick Boutique to dream.

ETA: We watched Spiderman 2 right before I fell asleep and dreamed about falling off the cliff.  He was having trouble making his webs shoot in the movie; maybe that kind of gave me a little anxiety. LOL I kept saying, "He needs to be eating more protein."

((((hug)))) Strawberryfine, I checked my journal this morning, packed the microfiber towel as you suggested Happy Solstice and I'll be home next year!

Love and fuzzies,
Anais

What if you were visited by three ghosts; the ghost of haircare past, the ghost of haircare present and the ghost of haircare future?

1st visitation: the ghost of my hairdresser friend with whom I worked: "We walk the earth with the hair we abused in life unless we are changed by 3 visitations."

my past: lots of perms, bleach and color, sleeping on brush rollers, curling irons, blowfriers, hot rollers, flat irons, bad haircuts, rubber bands...

my present: will fill in later/making many efforts to care for hair properly

my future: hopefully this ghost would show me a headful of long, shining hair in my future if I continue in my present/reformed ways.

Well, we made it through another one.
I've got a bit of catching up to do here.

Quote:


The last time I oiled my hair overmuch (me and about a quarter cup of olive oil... oy vay!  The only way to get the greasy, sticky mess out was by washing with shampoo and following with a vinegar rinse.  The vinegar was the deciding factor. 

Hey Anais,
It's great to hear from you!  Hope you are having a wonderful, lurvely trip!
Hugs,
SF

Ah, it's always brilliant when you get compliments. It makes all the bad hair days and "wannacut phases" worth it!

Thanks Rua and Babyfine,

It really does make it all seem worthwhile when someone notices enough to pay you a compliment!

Putting your hair up in a crown ponytail with a scrunchie really is pretty nice, especially for shorter hair because it really doesn't matter how much falls out of the pony; it just looks kind of messy and tousled on purpose and I like the little extra height it gives.  Perks your face right up; better than a facelift! LOL

SF

Well, I changed my hair type AGAIN.
Now I'm listing it as 1b F ii.

Ethical dilemma.  I feel compelled to list a hairtype but I am afraid since I've posted my hair picture in my avatar that I might confuse someone about their own hair type if I don't get it right.

So depressed.

I've also had stylists rip through my hair, and use water
too hot for rinsing!  Don't they know hot water is bad for the hair?

Get well soon !

Oh, I have not been here in so long.  I don't know what is wrong with me.

Okay, I'll talk about my hair.  I have been on a fairly stable routine recently of washing daily or almost daily with Phytojoba shampoo or Phytorhum shampoo.  I only use the Phytorhum 1-2 times weekly as it contains protein.

I haven't been using conditioner most of the time, but my hair detangles very easily.  When I do use conditioner, its Biolage Conditioning Balm which I love.  I oil very lightly with jojoba oil usually every day.  After trying a lot of different oils, my hair seems to like the jojoba best.

I'm using aloe vera gel when I want to control a sticky-outy hair twig or give my hairline a little bit of hold.

Occasionally I mist with distilled water with a few drops of either lavender oil or rose otto oil or both and I sometimes use distilled water with a drop or two of jojoba oil only from the ears down.

I use a Conair shower comb and it seems to be just about as smooth as my Madora detangling comb.  I use a wooden comb from Ric the combmaker to detangle when dry.  I also use a Champion hard rubber regular comb to wet comb occasionally.

I'm using a Fuller Gentler BB hairbrush only when I oil and I bought the goatshair baby brush.  It is so soft I'm not sure anyone else would like it.  It kind of polishes the surface but it feels so soft around my hairline and I've even used it for dry brushing my face.  It feels very soothing.  I use it almost every day, but I detangle with my wooden comb first.

My dad got me a pair of Ron Quattro Steelstix for my birthday next week.  They have an 8 mm faceted garnet, my birthstone, set in sterling on the top of each stick.  I tried them out when they came in today (before they were gift wrapped) and I think they will be great for wet bunning.  I had just finished shampooing my hair when the mail was delivered today, so it was perfect timing for a wet bun.
I like how thin they are.  But I have been using my LL Hairstix in damp hair with no problem since mine have no paper or glitter etc. in the finish and the sticks are bone, not wood.
I sold my Ficcare clip.  It just didn't suit me somehow.  I think they are very pretty, but they are just not something I'd wear very often.
Well, I think I feel a little better so I'm going to sign off for now.  I'm glad I came here.

Sounds like a good routine 

Please help me decide what I am.

My avatar pic was taken after washing, conditioning, combing through once while the shower was pouring on my head, gently  towel blotted and air-dried without touching.  I did comb through once with a wide toothed comb once after hair was dry before taking picture.

I know I am an F ii, but what about the first indicator?
1b, 1c, 2a, other?

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.

TIA,

strawberryfine

Thank you, Babyfine!

I think you are probably right.  I had one person tell me it looked like 2a, which is what I used to think it was in the beginning.


Okay, I think I'm going to settle on 2a F ii which is kind of funny since that is what I originally typed my hair when I first started reading these boards and books.

2aFii
That's my story and I'm sticking with it.  For now.

Thank you, Anais!
I always thought Aquarians were cool people and I tend to fit in with Pisces', too. of all people.  Also others, too numerous to mention right now.

I'm glad if I come off as easygoing; I must hide my inner ruthlessness very well! lol And that's got to be a plus.

I did have a lovely birthday.  And I don't feel any older at all.

Growing long hair keeps you young!

Hi All,
Just a note to let you know I have not dropped off the face of the earth!

I've been taking an externally imposed break from the boards; I injured my back in late January and don't know yet how long I'll be down with it.  I go back to the doc again on the 24th and will find out if I have to have an MRI.  I hope not; I hate being in a tube!

I miss you all and will be back as soon as possible.