Tips for newbies?

[Sheora]

I hope I can get a few dumb questions answered. Maybe some others can benefit too.

I've never done serious care for my hair before. What should I start off using? What should I avoid? From my lurking I've gathered I should try coconut oil, but where do I get it from? Is there a specific type, or is coconut oil just coconut oil?

I have ridiculously fine hair with a high rate of shedding and split ends.

[GardenGirl]

I'm not sure I can answer all your questions, but I definitely just wanted to say Hi, & Welcome!!
I think if you're starting on a journey to take better care of your hair then you've definitely come to the right place.
The big tips I personally used when my hair was long was to treat it like antique lace. The hair at the very ends is the oldest, the longer your hair is, the older that hair at the end is going to be.
Little or no heat. Long term use can be so damaging.
A lot of people recommend natural coloring over box coloring/bleaching. I used henna for YEARS and loved it. The red was very nice and never faded like a box color.
Detangle gently. Try to prevent breakage. I used only hair ties with no metal, or scrunchies or alligator clips when I put my hair up.
Wind and sun can be damaging too, so try to protect your hair when possible.
The oil thing.....It doesn't have to be coconut oil. I used extra virgin olive oil and only oiled the length. I feel confident in saying brand doesn't matter, but some people may prefer one brand over another....I think it's just whatever works for you or gives you the best results.
There are tons more tips....I think one of the forums is just for tips. This question might get more answers there than here....

But Welcome again!!

[Sheora]

Thank you. I've apparently done better with my hair than I thought. I've never dyed it, I love my natural color (I used to do colored streaks around Halloween, but I don't think any of that hair is still on my head). I use heat once in a blue moon if I'm going somewhere fancy right after I washed it.

[khan]

What Gardengirl said . Also it might be a good idea to invest in a pair of really good hair scissors and keep the split ends trimmed up. The hair shaft will just keep splitting. Spend some time exploring the articles section here. Loads of excellent advice. Welcome Sheora.

[Roscata]

Hello Sheora, welcome to LHC!

What should I start off using?
There is no tried and true, one single routine that works for every hair type and individual hair needs. A good place to start looking for ideas is here: Ursula's Standard Newbie Advice

What should I avoid?
Again it depends on your particular hair. Is your scalp/hair dry, greasy, combination? Do you have specific issues like itchy scalp? Honestly I don't have enough information about your hair, routine and hair-history to even begin to guess what you should avoid (product wise). You should avoid damaging your hair, I linked an article lower about damaged hair and how to prevent it for more tips.

From my lurking I've gathered I should try coconut oil, but where do I get it from? Is there a specific type, or is coconut oil just coconut oil?
If you're curios about coconut oil, you can find it online and in health food stores. A specific type that's considered better than others is extra-virgin, pure oil, but I'm not sure it makes a colossal difference. Coconut oil is generally speaking coconut oil. The one I use says "great for cooking" and it works great with my hair. At the end of the day you can put whatever label you want on it because it has many uses.

I have ridiculously fine hair with a high rate of shedding and split ends.
To avoid split ends, read and follow these rules: Damaged Hair: Understanding, Preventing & Rehabilitating and Keeping Split Ends At Bay: Secrets of Gently Handling Your Hair.

To diminish shedding rate first you have to make sure that it isn't because of a medical reason. Usual suspects for this sort of things are: thyroid problems, hormonal imbalances and anemia. But "shedding" can just be breakage. Do your shed hairs have bulbs at one end? Because if they do then yes they are shed, the bulb is their root. But if there is no bulb then you're dealing with breakage, which brings me back to avoiding damage.
If it is not a serious health issue and you want to minimize shedding you can try Neelibhringadi Ayurvedic Hair Oil which I recommend wholeheartedly and a lot of people have success with Castor oil.

Good luck in your hair journey!

[Sheora]

Thank you all so much. I have a better idea now of where to start. It was a bit overwhelming to see all the in depth talks about six hundred different oils and treatments. I used olive oil for the first time tonight (because I actually had it in the house) and I can't believe how much better my hair feels.

[GardenGirl]

I used olive oil for the first time tonight (because I actually had it in the house) and I can't believe how much better my hair feels.

Sounds like your hair loves it! And yes, based on what you described you do take very good care of your hair.

Also it might be a good idea to invest in a pair of really good hair scissors and keep the split ends trimmed up.

I completely forgot about the scissors! VERY TRUE! & great advice. I had a pair I bought at Sally's years ago when I did search & destroy (s&d) on my long hair. The lady there told me to never cut anything with them but hair or they'll dull quickly. If I remember correctly I spent less than $20 on them. Couldn't afford the fancy smancy ones for $100 but they served their purpose well and my daughter still uses them to trim her hair.

[pyroliske]

Hello there

Your hair sounds like mine, fine and flyaway with the bath getting clogged constantly with my hair!

I use organic virgin coconut oil (Fushi) on my hair. About once a month I put it in on a Saturday and just leave it on as long as possible, then I wash it out. My hair is lovely for ages after, I don't need to condition after shampooing, it feels like a child's hair again.

I use cocounut oil because in my experience coconut makes my hair grow quicker. My hair feels stronger and thicker. I also found taking royal jelly supplement made my hair very thick.

[TiffanieJean]

My hair is fine as well. It gets split ends very easily. I haven't used Coconut Oil (I will try it sometime) because Jojoba Oil has worked so well for me. Jojoba oil is very good for brittle easily damaged hair. Castor oil is also a great option for easily damaged hair and even better for growing stronger and thicker hair and reduceing shedding. Just mix Castor Oil with the coconut or any other oil because it's very thick... You should do a hair mask once a month or more.

I did blog posts (on my LHC page) about Jojoba Oil, Castor Oil and a couple other things. I don't know if you can see them until you hit 25 posts? Either way I'll post the hair care basics here.


Simple steps to improve your hair.


- When you wash your hair do not pile it on top of your head. Start at the scalp and zig-zag down to prevent tangles and needless damage. You do not have to shampoo your ends every wash. It can cause them to become dry, and they do not get oily like your scalp does. Reverse for the conditioner. Your scalp does not need conditioner. It can actually build up over time and clog your hair follicles which causes thinning.

- Use a clarifier once a month or so. It's a specific type of shampoo that gets rid of build up on your scalp and hair (from products, hard water, environment and what not). Something like Alberto Vo5's Kiwi Lime Squeeze Clarifying Shampoo. That gets very good reviews and it's super cheap ($1 - $2).

- Consider going SLS free. http://killerstrands.blogspot.co m/20...mpoo-list.html (Good site with info on why that is a good idea)

- Hair masks are your friend! I do them at least once a month, and they help in a lot of ways. You can use almost any oil. Different Oil's have different benefits. Put it in your hair; put a shower cap or Saran wrap over your hair; leave it as long as you can; then wash out.

- Having a deep conditioner is also very important. Aussie's 3 Min Miracle works great and it's cheap. You just use it in the shower about once a week. Takes 3 mins (as the name implies lol).

- When you get out of the shower try not to put your hair up in a towel. That causes a ton of frizz and damage. If you do, keep the twist loose, and take it out as soon as you can. It's better to gently squeeze the water out instead. This will help a lot with frizz and damage.

- Never brush your hair while it's wet, unless you do it with a wide toothed comb. Hair is at it's weakest while wet. Brushing while wet is another cause of major breakage and damage. Finger combing is also a good option. The less you pull at you hair in general, the better.

- Try to use less heat! This one is probably the most important, and the hardest to follow (for me at least...). There are a lot of great no-heat methods to achieve the style of hair you want. I personally LOVE sock buns. If you do use heat, always use a heat protectant and the lowest setting that will work for your hair. That includes blow drying!

- Learn to self trim. There are quite a few good articles on LHC about it. If you do regular Dusting's (very small trims) it helps your hair to ward off damage and grow faster. Another good way to keep split ends down it to Search and destroy (S&D). That is where you take a sharp pair of hair scissors and cut off individual hairs that have bad split ends. It prevents them from traveling up the shaft and causing more damage.

So, there's a mini crash course on Hair Care 101 . I know that's a lot of little stuff, and you might already do some of it, but it can make a big difference to the quality of your hair when you follow a good routine.

[Sheora]

My hair is fine as well. It gets split ends very easily. I haven't used Coconut Oil (I will try it sometime) because Jojoba Oil has worked so well for me. Jojoba oil is very good for brittle easily damaged hair. Castor oil is also a great option for easily damaged hair and even better for growing stronger and thicker hair and reduceing shedding. Just mix Castor Oil with the coconut or any other oil because it's very thick... You should do a hair mask once a month or more.

I went to the local herb shop and picked up coconut oil and sweet almond oil (at the clerk's recommendation) but she told me to stay away from castor oil. She used to treat her hair and said that castor oil isn't really good for it and is linked to cancer now. Anyone know anything about that?

I'm now using a mix of olive, coconut and almond oil that my friend scented with lavender oil. I love the scent. It stays in for a couple of days after I use it. I'm also noticing that my hair no longer gets dirty as quickly. Usually I can skip one evening and it starts to look oily and dirty the next day. Now it's two days at least before it really looks like it needs to be washed.