happier when I abused it

[katsrevenge]

You need to clarify.

Best clarifying shampoo I've found is the VO5 green clarifying one. Normally I just use SLS free and silicone free products with ACV rinses. (and oils, those too). For me this means no cone CO (avoiding scalp) twice a week and SLS free shampoo in CSC once a week for my scalp's sake

But still, once every few weeks the tails of the hair become snarly, rough and velcro like.

So I wash with the VO5 twice and condition after. Even use a leave in oil treatment. It's back to soft as silk.

My opinion is that even though the CO does get the hair clean...my hair is both non-porous and on the finer side. It doesn't absorb all the goodies that a coarser or more medium hair'd person would. I need to clarify more regularly then they might. It looks like you are F.. so this might be more true of you.

[darklyndsea]

If you're only growing to waist and you don't have super fragile hair, you don't have to worry much about how you treat your hair. Obviously it's not going to be in as good of condition, but there are tons of people who grow to waist without being nice to their hair.

[GenLove86]

I feel the same way too sometimes! When I was younger I would always go for hair cuts because I would constantly want a change. I would also let it air dry and then straighted it but I always used a protecting cream first. If I would blow dry my hair after a shower, I would let it almost completely dry before I put heat to it. I would put on my makeup and tweeze my eye brows while it was drying. At the time I didn't even realize what I was doing was good for my hair. When I got a full time job, I didn't have the time to wait like that anymore so I would always blow dry my hair. Then the greys started coming in and I would dye my hair all the time. My hair ended up a mess and that's when I decided to treat it better and start over. Now when I get really frustrated with the way my hair looks, I give myself one day a week to style my hair the way I want to. Glad I'm not the only one who feels that way!

[MsBubbles]

When we are younger, the individual strands tend to be thicker and can take a little more abuse.

Not on my head they weren't! I've had baby fine strands the whole time, since birth. Still do. My individual strands have never changed. I'm 45 now. I would have simply loved, at some point along the line, to have had thicker strands! Maybe the grey hairs will oblige.

Just wondering on what you were basing your theory.

[jeanniet]

My approach is always that you should do whatever it is that makes you enjoy your hair the most. Sometimes that means making compromises--for instance, if you really, really want very long hair, you might have to compromise on something else (using heat or washing everyday). If you really, really want your hair to look a certain way, you might have to compromise on length. It's really about what you want. If you want your hair to look the way it used to, then start doing what you were doing then, and just be aware that it may not allow you to grow quite as long as you were hoping--but then again, you don't know until you try. Do as much protective care as you can, and it may make a big difference.

But I also agree with the advice to clarify. It's always a good idea to clarify before you start anything new, and this wouldn't be any different.