LongLocks HairSticks Boutique

  Welcome, Guest. Please Login
 
  HomeHelpSearchLogin  
 

LongLocks Boutique
Home
Hair Jewelry Catalog
How to Use Hair Sticks
Susan's Closet
LongLocks Collectors Club
Index of Hair Care Articles
Testimonials
Free Newsletter


L'Etoile Perdue by William Bouguereau







Pages: 1 ... 3 4 5 6 7 
Send Topic Print
Kitten and her Coat of Many Layers (Read 77162 times)
kittennoodlesoup
Sapphire
***
Offline


2aF/Mii, 33/39.5/45

Posts: 221
the 'Burgh
Gender: female
Re: Kitten and her Coat of Many Layers
Reply #60 - Jan 1st, 2010 at 2:16am
 
Drear: I'm pretty sure that the job difficulty right now is contributing to the problem I'm having at work right now. Hopefully, things will ease up in 2010.

Thanks, Drear and la diosa for the holiday wishes!

Life: The holidays have come and gone! I had my parents over for the first time since hubby and I have been married. What with work being so harried, I put off doing decorations until about a week before Xmas. So! I rushed out to get a little Charlie Brown tree, put mini ornaments on it, and stuck a glowy Snowman on top. Hubby, who's sorta Jewish, mostly watched in bemusement. Holiday fooding was a bizarre mix of Chinese and English feast-fusion that involved hotpot and duck. Nobody in the family seemed to mind though.  Grin

I gave mom some gift cards to iTunes and Barnes and Noble, and Dad gone some accessories for his model train hobby. Hubby received a docking station for his phone and a soft and hard cheese rotary grater (it's hard to tell which he likes better). Parents got the two of us a KitchenAid stand mixer, and hubby got me a lovely cocobolo and mother-of-pearl Graydog hairstick. Was a good holiday all said and done, but not relaxing in any way (parents are not the relaxing sort of people).

I have finally hit the bad dosage for allergy shots. The allergy shot I got at my last appointment made a big half-dollar coin patch of EXCRUCIATING itchiness on my arm. It's still itching a day later. I will have to tell them about my reaction at my next appointment and begin the tedious "dancing and backing off around the reactions" procedure. Allergies are no fun.

Hair:
I've been trying out a shea and coconut butter concoction for my hair. It's being kinda tricksy so far. The first time I tried it, my hair love love LOVED it. It was shiny and soft and you could almost hear it purring. Since then, however, I seem to be getting the proportions incorrect, and it's been making my hair kind of ... well ... weird. Shiny, but stiff and unmanageable. Dry but kind of oily, too. Maybe I'm using too much.  I also ordered some neem and tea tree oil shampoo to try on my itchy scalp. I tried rubbing camellia oil directly on my scalp the night before washing my hair, and it seemed to really help with flakiness, but my scalp was still itching most of today.

Tomorrow, I'm planning on doing a deep conditioning treatment. Sort of a start the new year off on the right foot kinda movement.

Hope everybody is having a great start to the new year!  Smiley
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
Sakina
Stardust
******
Offline


August 2O1O @ the Louvre

Posts: 3399
Arizona
Gender: female
Re: Kitten and her Coat of Many Layers
Reply #61 - Jan 1st, 2010 at 2:41pm
 
Yikes about the allergic reaction!!!!!  I hope you didn't put cortisone cream on the spot!

I'm glad your holiday celebration was a success!

Oh, let me sing the praises of neem oil on an itchy scalp!  I currently like Max Green Alchemy scalp therapy shampoo and conditioner.  I also like Theraneem shampoo and conditioner as well as applying neem directly to the scalp.  Smells like bawang goreng-deep fried shallots.

The hair reaction might be to too much protein.  You may need to trade on and off with a regular "deep conditioner" and the shea/coconut butter concoction.

Good luck!!!  Happy New Year!!
Back to top
 

Sakina
Salon Board Moderator
LongLocks HairSticks Boutique
http://www.longlocks.com
Healthy hair is beautiful no matter what length it is.
WWW  
IP Logged
 
kittennoodlesoup
Sapphire
***
Offline


2aF/Mii, 33/39.5/45

Posts: 221
the 'Burgh
Gender: female
Re: Kitten and her Coat of Many Layers
Reply #62 - Jan 1st, 2010 at 2:52pm
 
Sakina wrote on Jan 1st, 2010 at 2:41pm:
Yikes about the allergic reaction!!!!!  I hope you didn't put cortisone cream on the spot!
Oh, I didn't. I try not to use any sort of medication if I can help it. But out of curiosity, why shouldn't I have used cortisone cream?

Quote:
Smells like bawang goreng-deep fried shallots.
Hehe! Can't say I'm familiar with what bawang goreng-deep fried shallots smell like. However, I will say that the neem oil smells.... unique?  Huh
I use tea tree oil to treat my fish tanks on occasion, so I'm familiar with that smell. The neem oil took me completely by surprise. I hope that the neem oil shampoo doesn't leave too strong a scent on my head.  Grin

Quote:
The hair reaction might be to too much protein.  You may need to trade on and off with a regular "deep conditioner" and the shea/coconut butter concoction.

Good luck!!!  Happy New Year!!
I'll give alternating a try. Thanks, and I hope you have a great New Years, too!
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
Sakina
Stardust
******
Offline


August 2O1O @ the Louvre

Posts: 3399
Arizona
Gender: female
Re: Kitten and her Coat of Many Layers
Reply #63 - Jan 1st, 2010 at 3:01pm
 
According to my naturopath, putting cortisone cream on an itchy patch of skin will drive the allergy deeper into your body.  It could land in an organ like your lungs and cause asthma.  It also prohibits the body's natural healing powers from functioning normally.

Bawang goreng smells like fried onions.  If the neem oil smell lingers on your hair, you could try diluting it with a carrier oil like camellia, sesame or coconut and adding some essential oil to cover the smell.  The Theraneem shampoo has a grapefruit scent (the grapefruit oil doesn't really cover the distinct smell of the neem) but doesn't leave my hair smelling like straight neem.  What brand of shampoo did you get?

Be sure to read how much protein is in the deep treatment conditioner and try to get one that has as little or no protein in it.  I hope it works out for you!!!
Back to top
 

Sakina
Salon Board Moderator
LongLocks HairSticks Boutique
http://www.longlocks.com
Healthy hair is beautiful no matter what length it is.
WWW  
IP Logged
 
kittennoodlesoup
Sapphire
***
Offline


2aF/Mii, 33/39.5/45

Posts: 221
the 'Burgh
Gender: female
Re: Kitten and her Coat of Many Layers
Reply #64 - Jan 1st, 2010 at 3:15pm
 
Ahh. Well, I left the itchy spot alone. Last night I tried (failed at) putting a little bit of Benadryl on it, but I checked the ingredients and it's just a topical analgesic. It's one of those liquid-in-a-stick type dispensers, and I couldn't get it to dispense.  Roll Eyes

The shampoo I got is actually a neem and tea tree oil  shampoo bar. CV uses mostly essential oils to add fragrance, and I think they use stuff like peppermint, rosemary, and thyme in this particular bar. Since I'm testing for any allergic reactions to it right now, I've been letting the bar sit out to breathe a bit. Today, it's smelling a little bit more like peppermint, and less like the pharmaceutical section of an ethnic grocery store. Not too bad.  Grin

Checked my deep conditioner. Unless avocado oil is particularly protein filled, it looks protein-free to my amateur's eye.  Smiley
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
Sakina
Stardust
******
Offline


August 2O1O @ the Louvre

Posts: 3399
Arizona
Gender: female
Re: Kitten and her Coat of Many Layers
Reply #65 - Jan 1st, 2010 at 8:23pm
 
I have not had any luck with shampoo bars.  I hope it works for you.  Having an itchy scalp drives me crazy!  I don't have a lot of allergies, but I do have sensitivities.  What a PITA it is!

I don't know the protein content of avocado oil.  If it has been working for you, it should be OK to alternate.  Do you use ACV rinses when you do a deep treatment?  I think they help it penetrate better.
Back to top
 

Sakina
Salon Board Moderator
LongLocks HairSticks Boutique
http://www.longlocks.com
Healthy hair is beautiful no matter what length it is.
WWW  
IP Logged
 
Godyssey
Stardust
******
Offline



Posts: 2375
Georgia
Gender: female
Re: Kitten and her Coat of Many Layers
Reply #66 - Jan 2nd, 2010 at 2:25am
 
I'm glad that your holidays went well. Smiley

If you ever figure out how to make a good shea butter mix, please let me know.  I've tried pure shea once and didn't like it at all. It made my hair stiff too. I've heard of people making their own concotions to make it more suitable. 

I'd like to try some diffterent recipes myself, but don't feel that I have the patience for that. Tongue
Back to top
 

Healthy Hair Is My Priority...
 
IP Logged
 
kittennoodlesoup
Sapphire
***
Offline


2aF/Mii, 33/39.5/45

Posts: 221
the 'Burgh
Gender: female
Re: Kitten and her Coat of Many Layers
Reply #67 - Jan 3rd, 2010 at 7:32pm
 
Thanks Sakina and la diosa!

Sakina: I didn't know if you meant ACV before or after, so I tried both!  Grin
My hair's drying now, so I'm looking forwards to seeing how the ACV plays with the deep conditioner.

la diosa: I'll keep an eye out for good shea butter recipes. I'm actually using a pre-mixed oil from an Etsy shop. Here is a link to the sample size she has.

Life: Itchy spot finally went away on my arm. Hooray!
Hubby and I also chewed through our entire co-op delivery of kale last night in the form of Zuppa Toscana. It's a re-creation of the Olive Garden recipe, but I changed things around a bit by using more kale and substituting turnips for some of the potatoes. Hubby and I really liked the result. It was still very Toscana-y, but more... hearty? The turnips and kale gave the soup a very rustic flavor that both of us really liked. At any rate, kale and turnips are officially on our "veggies that are tasty" list, now.

Steelers won today. Hooray! But most of the other teams that would have had to lose for the Steelers to get into the playoffs didn't oblige, so boo. On the bright side, now I'll get the TV back on Sundays again.  Cheesy

Hair: I tried out the neem and tea tree oil shampoo bar on my hair. Debated for a bit if I shouldn't deep condition or not, as I wanted to see how the shampoo did on its own, but decided to go ahead and deep condition anyway. Deep conditioned overnight and rinsed out this morning with another ACV rinse. We'll see how that goes!

Scalp is still itchy. Hopefully, continued use of the neem and tea tree oil will help remedy this. I think all the extra product and rinsing and just being wet for longer may have irritated my scalp a bit.

Through TLC and nice combs, I have encouraged hubby to let me comb his hair more often. He's got lovely goldeny-brown curls and I think this is giving me great practice for future (I hope!) curly-haired children I might happen to have. Unfortunately, his ends are terribly split, since it's at scrub-against-office-chair length and he does not wear protective styles. I do a mini S&D every time I comb out his length, but it's rather daunting, and I wonder, perhaps, hopeless. If he won't wear protective styles, what good does trimming off split ends do? I can't help but think that all it's doing is reducing his overall length and giving the evil office chair new fresh ends to munch and chew on.  Sad

Any tips?
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
Angel
Emerald
****
Offline


carpe noctem

Posts: 366
Gender: female
Re: Kitten and her Coat of Many Layers
Reply #68 - Jan 3rd, 2010 at 8:15pm
 
Quote:
Any tips?

What about maintaining a length just above, er, office chair munching level? Since he refuses to cooperate. Just a thought...
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
kittennoodlesoup
Sapphire
***
Offline


2aF/Mii, 33/39.5/45

Posts: 221
the 'Burgh
Gender: female
Re: Kitten and her Coat of Many Layers
Reply #69 - Jan 3rd, 2010 at 8:43pm
 
Angel wrote on Jan 3rd, 2010 at 8:15pm:
Quote:
Any tips?

What about maintaining a length just above, er, office chair munching level? Since he refuses to cooperate. Just a thought...

  Shocked

Seeing as how the office chair comes up to above his shoulder blades, a non-munchy length would have to be collar-bone length.
I'd probably be traumatized and go into hysterics.
Then again, I have real issues with change. Especially ones that involve the local men messing with the amount and length of their hair. Grin

I think I'd personally rather he have longer damaged hair than shorter hair (which most likely would still be fairly damaged, to be honest).
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
Sakina
Stardust
******
Offline


August 2O1O @ the Louvre

Posts: 3399
Arizona
Gender: female
Re: Kitten and her Coat of Many Layers
Reply #70 - Jan 3rd, 2010 at 10:30pm
 
I recommend that you only do your deep conditioner for an hour and then wash it out.  Keeping your scalp wet all that time could be very irritating not to mention you can over-condition your hair.  Keeping oil on your hair overnight is a different story, however.

I only do an acv rinse after shampooing and before conditioning.  I leave the acv on for about a minute and rinse it out completely before using the conditioner.

Perhaps hubby could use some oil or deep treatment himself.  Does he condition after he washes?

Any chance you could put a piece of silk fabric on the back of his chair?  Something like one of these: http://www.riverjunction.com/catalog/mensfurn/bandanas.html

I'm so glad your itchy spot went away on its own!!!

I love kale with soy sauce, sugar and toasted sesame seeds!!!
Back to top
 

Sakina
Salon Board Moderator
LongLocks HairSticks Boutique
http://www.longlocks.com
Healthy hair is beautiful no matter what length it is.
WWW  
IP Logged
 
kittennoodlesoup
Sapphire
***
Offline


2aF/Mii, 33/39.5/45

Posts: 221
the 'Burgh
Gender: female
Re: Kitten and her Coat of Many Layers
Reply #71 - Jan 3rd, 2010 at 11:25pm
 
Well, I did do the ACV after shampooing, and I doubt the one after rinsing out the conditioner hurt any.  Smiley

The deep conditioner I use, actually, is mostly oil based. It's based on avocado oil, and I guess I don't really follow the instructions properly. It's more of an overnight leave-in deep conditioner. I'm supposed to let it dry completely (instructions say to blow dry), sleep with it dry in my hair, and then rinse out the next morning. I usually give it about 20 minutes under a heat cap, though, because, well, I like to over-engineer stuff, I suppose.  Roll Eyes

It ends up being wetter longer because I hate using the blowdryer.

As for hubby, I do put a little bit of camellia oil on his hair some nights. I'm trying to coax him slowly into some of the more arcane hair rituals, nothing too "girly" or involved, so I don't scare him away.  Grin

He does condition his hair after washing. When we first met, he didn't, but my look of horrified shock and incredulity made him see the error of his ways! That, and the fact the conditioner made it so much easier to brush out might've convinced him, too... maybe.   Smiley

That's a good idea about a cover on the back of his chair. I betcha if I pad it correctly, he might even be enthusiastic about the cover.
...
Maybe I should make one for me for using at work. Hmm...

Do you use fresh kale? I tried stir frying fresh kale with soy sauce and ginger, once, but it was too tough! The only success I have with kale involves blanching it to half to death, first.
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
kittennoodlesoup
Sapphire
***
Offline


2aF/Mii, 33/39.5/45

Posts: 221
the 'Burgh
Gender: female
Re: Kitten and her Coat of Many Layers
Reply #72 - Jan 8th, 2010 at 1:13am
 
Life: I went to the gym yesterday morning. It was the first time in quite a while. I blame holidays, overwork, and not enough time! Anyway, apparently my body did not know that I had scheduled a workout, and was a bit in shock when I started asking it to do stuff. My arms are a bit pouty right now, but my legs are definitely not on speaking terms with me. Coworkers were snickering at my painful shambling about the office today.  Roll Eyes

Allergist decided to try the same dosage of trees in my other arm at my latest checkup. Reacted again, but thankfully the reaction was less severe. The reaction this time was about the size of a quarter instead of half-dollar, and less itchy. Hopefully, the next round will get me to the no-reaction stage and I can start moving on again. Those sexy sexy trees cause me so much angst!

Hair: I think the neem and tea tree oil is beginning to work! Hair is much less itchy, still oily, but blessedly less itchy and flaky. What a relief! It's too soon to really tell, though, so I'll be keeping an eye on the situation.

I wore my hair up in this tutorial today. I used a hairstick instead of a hairfork, and it worked decently well. The only bad part is now I'm wanting a hair fork. Must Resist Buying More Hairtoys!  Roll Eyes
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
kittennoodlesoup
Sapphire
***
Offline


2aF/Mii, 33/39.5/45

Posts: 221
the 'Burgh
Gender: female
Re: Kitten and her Coat of Many Layers
Reply #73 - Jan 14th, 2010 at 10:59pm
 
Life: Whew! My legs were very unhappy at me last week. Fortunately, they forgave me just in time for hubby and I to go around looking at houses again. Good thing, too! Pittsburgh houses are notorious for all the stairs. Most houses are at least two if not three or four stories tall around here, not including the basement. And since they tend to be on hills, there's almost always an additional flight of stairs just to get to the house!  Tongue

There is one house that we saw, though, that we really liked. We're thinking about putting an offer on the house. Our first house! Eeek! Talk about serious first-time-house-buyers jitters!  Cheesy

I got a package today from my father that was a pack of sponges. Call me silly, but there's a certain type of sponge that my parents buy down in Texas that the stores around here do NOT sell at all! I'll have to show my gratitude by sending back a couple packs of Playtex gloves that my Dad admitted not being able to find down in Texas. Since Dad and I are silly, we're probably going to keep using the same box over and over and take bets on how long it takes for it to disintegrate during shipping.  Grin

Hair: Been feeling kind of blue about my hair.  I've been having to shampoo a day or two sooner on the shampoo bars than when I was using liquid shampoo, but I'm hoping that it's just a transitional period. I'm also trying to transition to a more natural-ingredient regime. I'm not at all sure if it's any more effective, but it is a little gratifying knowing that the products I've been using could be made at home if I wanted to.

I found some old photos of me from the Christmas before last, and can't help but feel that my hair might've looked better back then. It looked very sleek and shiny, and it makes me wonder if my hair still looks as good now that it's longer.   Undecided
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
Drear
Diamond
*****
Offline


1aCii

Posts: 909
Denmark
Gender: female
Re: Kitten and her Coat of Many Layers
Reply #74 - Jan 15th, 2010 at 5:18am
 
Quote:
Most houses are at least two if not three or four stories tall around here


Shocked

Quote:
Talk about serious first-time-house-buyers jitters!
  Good luck! Smiley

Quote:
Call me silly, but there's a certain type of sponge that my parents buy down in Texas that the stores around here do NOT sell at all!


Not silly at all.  My dad brought me Burt's Bees (sp?) chapstick and lotion and I'd have had him bring more products if he would've been allowed to take them in his carry-on.  I've just requested Fiesta plates.
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
Pages: 1 ... 3 4 5 6 7 
Send Topic Print