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Tarrenae

Amethyst

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Hair to cut is human,to
grow is divine!!!!

Posts: 6

I really need help with how to take care of hair!!
Jan 6^th, 2006 at 4:28am

Ladies,

I really need help with my hair before I mess it up bad,im just so tempted to have it chopped off,and then come back here crying to you all!! Im at my wits end,as soon as my hair reaches mid-back length,my ends always become frizzy and damaged...I don't understand why this is happening,and last time I cut it myself with kitchen sheers,(please dont throw rotten tomatos at me,after reading this site I realize thats a major mistake)....How in the world do I keep my ends from becoming damaged??? I have an oily scalp but my ends are dry,I cannot use any chemicals at all,so I need an all natural routine,I would post a pic so u could see my hair and tell me what to do with it,but I cannot figure out how to post it in my siggy,im clueless....

1.) How often should you trim ends,and do you do it yourself,or go to a salon?? (im on a tight budget)

2.) what is a good hair care routine,using all natural
products,for fine,hair that is borderline thin/medium in volume,and about mid back length with damaged ends.

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bikerbraid

Shooting Star

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Life is short, Break the
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Bike Paths of the Midwest
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Re: I really need help with how to take care of ha
Reply #1 - Jan 6^th, 2006 at 11:49am

There are lots of great suggestions for caring for your hair in the Ultimate Guide to Growing Long Hair. Be sure to read that section.

Trims do not need to be frequent if you are taking care of your hair and treating it gently. I trim about once a year, but 3 - 4 times a year is more common. A trim need take only 1/4 to 1/2 inch each time. If your ends are already damaged, you should make sure to moisturize them regularly. I like to use jojoba oil on my damaged ends. This helps to minimize the tangles that can occur with damaged hair. The fewer tangles, the less damage you continue to inflict on your hair.

Make sure you are using a comb that is not adding to the damage. Many plastic combs have a seam on each of the teeth is is actually quite sharp and can cut/break the hair. A nail file can help smooth those seams out.

Don't comb or brush your hair when it is wet. Avoid heated appliances such as curling irons, flat irons, and blow dryers. Let you hair dry naturally. When it is just damp, you can put it in a bun or braid to help protect.

Be gentle with your hair when shampooing. Don't pile all your hair on top of your head - this causes LOTS of tangles and damage. Try to just massage the shampoo into the hair on your head and let the suds run through the length of your hair. This will get your hair clean. When conditioning, apply the conditioner to the hair from the ears down. The scalp hair typically does not need conditioning as it gets the necessary oils from the scalp itself.

Try to trim any split ends with a very sharp scissors. Cut the hair straight across - not at an angle and trim just above the split or break.

Depending on the products you have been using, you might need to clarify your hair to remove build up. Try a vinegar rinse after shampooing, then condition. This can help remove product buildup which could be starving your hair from the necessary moisture.

Apply a drop of jojoba oil to the ends of your hair while it is still wet. If you wash your hair less than every other day, then apply a drop of jojoba oil to the ends before going to bed.

Protect your hair at night by braiding or sock rolling it or wearing a satin sleep cap. I like to use a satin pillowcase as well to reduce friction on the hair while sleeping.

Try these things and see what works for you!

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bikerbraid
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http://www.longlocks.com
Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly, Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably, And never regret anything that made you smile.&&Life may not

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Galadriel

Stardust

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Posts: 1671

Re: I really need help with how to take care of ha
Reply #2 - Jan 6^th, 2006 at 11:50am

Hi & Welcome!

I don't think you need to chop- a few months of good, gentle care can improve it a lot.

Here are some ideas. However, in order to find a good routine to your hair it's usually wise to CWC (apply conditioner to your length, wash your scalp with shampoo, rinse, and condition once more) for one month with products you already have and learn. After that, one experiment in two weeks is enough so that you are able to determine what works and what doesn't.

-Try oiling your length (hair from ears down). For most people, jojoba oil works very well. It's rather expensive for an oil, but you'll only need few drops at a time, so one bottle will last very long.

-You can trim at home by yourself or have a trusted friend to do it. All you need are good hair cutting scissors that you use for hair cutting only. Besides doing regular trims, you can S&D every now and then, searching individual damaged hairs and snipping them away.

-Do a deep treatment every now and then. You can use a commercial deep conditioner or mix a treatment at home.

- Keep your hair contained in an updo or braided style as much as possible. Use hair friendly accessories for your styles (no seams or rough parts or parts that snag your hair, no elastics that have metal).

-Start a hair journal where you can record your progress and experiments. I know, this might sound a little silly but it's really helpful.

We have fairly similar hair, so you might also find my old hair journal (Galadriel's hair) interesting.

HTH

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maggie

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Gender: female

Re: I really need help with how to take care of ha
Reply #3 - Jan 6^th, 2006 at 12:19pm

Hello Tarrenae! Bikerbraid and Galadriel both gave you about the best advice you could hope to get, following their recommendations will definetly help your hair. Maybe you could tell us what your current routine is for washing and drying, and what products you are currently using...I think this would help to determine what is causing the most damage and how to fix it. Don't be embarrassed of listing any poor practices, you came here for help & that's what we want to do. My hair routine was pretty rough before I came here, now my hair thanks me (and everyone else who helped me! Wink

).

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Angel Spun

Ex Member

Re: I really need help with how to take care of ha
Reply #4 - Jan 6^th, 2006 at 2:18pm

Poor Tarrenae.
I think we all must feel that way sometimes. Sad

*hugs*

To answer your questions,

1.) How often one should trim depends entirely upon the individual and their hair type. Some people can go without trimming for 6 months or longer (lucky devils!). But some people must trim every 6 weeks or so to keep their ends from drying out and splitting.
I personally have found that trimming about every 4 months will keep my hair in top shape, although sometimes I do procrastinate. It's a bad habit.
I typically avoid salons at all cost. Their greed and their practices are downright evil, and if every establishment burned to the ground today, I shouldn't care in the least. Well, of course I'd feel a bit sorry for all of those people who would suddenly be without jobs, but...
Anyway, I have my regular trims done by a family friend whom I have known and trusted my hair to since I was very young. She has lots of experience cutting hair, and is very good about taking off only the amount that I ask for.

2.) I have very fine, thin hair myself, but up until recently, my routine has been far from "natural." I tend to flip flop between using Pantene Pro-V and Herbal Essences.
I love the effects that various treatments have on my hair. I have used every Pantene treatment available, but I have also done heavy oil and mayonnaise treatments (the latter works better for my hair).

The long-haired ladies here have offered up some very good suggestions. As for my own personal input, I would definitely recommend oiling the ends of your hair to keep them from drying out.
I mix a small amount of oil (usually baby oil, but lately I've been using olive) with water in a small spray bottle, and spray the solution on the very tips of my hair while it is still wet. The oil usually gets absorbed within a few hours, and the ends feel much more moisturized when my hair finally dries.

Hope you feel better about your own hair soon. We're always here to help.

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Curlygirl22

Diamond

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Posts: 606
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Re: I really need help with how to take care of ha
Reply #5 - Jan 6^th, 2006 at 2:30pm

Hello Tarrenae

,

The advice given here is absolutely wonderful. please dont chop it off, if its not that bad. just start doing oiling treatments on the ends, which will help alot. if you have an oily scalp try to experiment with vingegar rinses on your scalp. i trim my hair by myself using the morrocan method. its a calender that tells you when to trim your hair for strength, length, and thickness. Goodluck and if you treat your hair right it will behave!!!!!!

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PreciousLocks Diamond Offline Turning my gold to silver one hair at a time Posts: 812 Gender:	Re: I really need help with how to take care of ha Reply #6 - Jan 6^th, 2006 at 9:09pm Hello Tarrenae. Glad you've found LongLocks -- there is a wealth of good hair care information here. I think you'll find great advice for your hair. I won't add any here, 'cuz you've already gotten lots of great input. Welcome.
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Anais Satin

Stardust

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Tailbone in March 2006,
classic in March 2007

Posts: 1265
Bill Gates' backyard, WA
Gender: female

Re: I really need help with how to take care of ha
Reply #7 - Jan 6^th, 2006 at 10:32pm

Hi and welcome, Tarrenae

If you are looking for an all-natural routine, you may want to consider Chagrin Valley Shampoo Bars. They are made with all-natural ingredients and are colored and scented with natural ingredients such as chocolate, carrot extracts, essential oils, etc. Soapmaker Ida recommends using a shampoo bar, followed by an apple cider vinegar rinse. Some of her customers don't even need conditioner afterwards. I haven't tried her natural bars but I've tried others before quitting shampoo. Natural soaps are so awesome!

The other thing, this is a lot of great advice and information everyone's given. Please don't feel overloaded though

And it is best to try things one at a time.

Welcome to the board

Hugs and faery blessings
Anais

edited for word choice

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« Last Edit: Jan 7^th, 2006 at 5:40am by Anais Satin »

MEDUSA'S LAIR _ SOCK CURLING _ LIVEJOURNAL

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Sasha

Sapphire

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Posts: 108
California
Gender: female

Re: I really need help with how to take care of ha
Reply #8 - Jan 7^th, 2006 at 5:52pm

You will get lots of great advise here, everyone is very supportive.

When I was not taking good care of my hair, I bleached it a couple times very close together in an attempt to make it white. It was so dry and crispy my girlfriend who had her cosmetology license took one look and told me if I did that again it would melt. I threw away all the bleach and peroxide. She told me to buy a shower cap, wet my hair, fill it up with whatever conditioner I liked, and put it under the shower cap. Then I heated it with the hairdryer for as long as I could stand before rinsing the conditioner out. It really did help to soften my poor, tortured hair.

I take much better care of it now and don't need to do this any longer. I think all of the bleached hair has long since been trimmed away. I love jojoba oil for my ends. I have tried other oils, but they make my fine hair heavy and greasy looking. The jojoba oil just makes it soft.

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panpeus

Diamond

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Posts: 604
Gender: female

Re: I really need help with how to take care of ha
Reply #9 - Jan 8^th, 2006 at 12:01am

Sasha's method that she mentioned above is a life-saver. I did that method for about two months and I don't have to do that routine anymore. Be wary with products that claim to be "natural." Sometimes they don't tell the entire truth. =p A thick conditioner with -cones also made my damaged tresses look like "hair" again. Just find a shampoo that doesn't have -cones or use ACV to get rid of any residue. It's just a giant trial-and-error basis. Getting rid of heating appliances is crutial, like BB said. Sometimes what you don't do to the hair is more important than what you put on it.

Everybody gave great advice. It also helps to find a lady (or gent Wink

) that has a similar hair type as you and see what products they recommend. The CO method might be a good idea, too. You can find that on Anais' website.

Good Luck~I hope I didn't overwhelm you.
Pan

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