conditioning my hair. Am I doing something wrong?

[mazza]

My hair is starting to reaching to the top of my shoulders which is great news :)
I dont what I am doing wrong but, I feel like I am conditioning wrong. What I normally do is, shampoo and rinse off. Then later, I put on my conditioner. But I dont know if I should apply the conditioner on my scalp or just the hair itself? Its also difficult to wash of the conditioner. Ive been getting comments saying that my hair is looking thinner because of this. I am using gliss asia straight conditioner. I been meaning to look into a new shampoo and conditioner that are non-sls but are there any that can I buy off the UK retail stores?

The other problem I am having which is hard to describe because I dont normally grow my hair and its going to sound like a really newbie question but, when run fingers through my hair it kinda gets stuck and I have to separate the two hairs away. I comb with the thick side everyday but dont know why my hair is doing this? I got a paddle brush but will this help out in anyway?

[Elanadi]

I only condition the length of my hair not near my scalp. I'm more ears-down ish. Also, I find some conditioners very heavy and make my hair feel weighted down and thinner. I switched to an organic sulfate and cone free s&c and it made a world of difference with my hair. I did a baking soda wash and a cider vinegar rinse before switching, and it cleared all the gunk out of my hair and my hair was so soft and thicker; you might try that, too.

[MrsGuther]

Putting conditioner directly on your scalp can contribute to extra hair shedding.

[Madora]

My hair is starting to reaching to the top of my shoulders which is great news :)
I dont what I am doing wrong but, I feel like I am conditioning wrong. What I normally do is, shampoo and rinse off. Then later, I put on my conditioner. But I dont know if I should apply the conditioner on my scalp or just the hair itself? Its also difficult to wash of the conditioner. Ive been getting comments saying that my hair is looking thinner because of this. I am using gliss asia straight conditioner. I been meaning to look into a new shampoo and conditioner that are non-sls but are there any that can I buy off the UK retail stores?

The other problem I am having which is hard to describe because I dont normally grow my hair and its going to sound like a really newbie question but, when run fingers through my hair it kinda gets stuck and I have to separate the two hairs away. I comb with the thick side everyday but dont know why my hair is doing this? I got a paddle brush but will this help out in anyway?

Theoretically, your hair gets enough natural sebum from your roots down to about 6 inches.

If you wish, you could just apply your conditioner from the ears downwards. Be sure to rinse it off well, followed by a cold rinse.

Also, you might try diluting your conditioner and see how that works.

Personally, I used to dilute a tablespoon of my George Michael Conditioner in 10 oz of warm water, then poured it all over my scalp and hair. Now I just use mineral oil (4 drops) on my damp hair.

Your problem with your hands getting stuck in your hair might be due to either product buildup on your strands, or your hair hasn't been detangled.

For healthy hair, you should detangle it every day with a wide tooth comb.

Here's how:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=230

Be sure to detangle with your comb BEFORE using a brush.

PS To remove product buildup, you need to clarify with a clarifying shampoo. Neutrogena makes a clarifying shampoo that has gotten good reviews here. After you have clarified your hair, be sure to follow with a conditioning treatment. Personally, I just used 4 drops of Johnson and Johnson Baby Oil (mineral oil) on my damp hair to condition and help with detangling.

[itdontmatter48]

As I am sure you have realized, Madora's advice is tried and true! She is my hair idol.

[Madora]

As I am sure you have realized, Madora's advice is tried and true! She is my hair idol.

That's very kind of you, itdontmatter48.

That being said, I would caution the original poster that not everything works for everyone.

The best advice I can offer is to take things slowly and see how your hair responds. Also "less is more" works. Just be patient. Maybe keep a hair journal of what you used..how much..and how long you used it. Weed out what doesn't work. You also might want to contact someone with your hair type and ask what works for them.

[ravenreed]

I CO, so I use conditioner all the way to the roots of my hair. If you hair is looking limp, you may have build up. You might want to clarify and see if that helps.

[spidermom]

I prefer to keep conditioner away from my scalp. Since the top-most layer, also known as the canopy, needs extra conditioning because it's exposed to the elements the most, I bend over so that my hair is hanging in front of me and massage the conditioner through. That way I can keep the conditioner away from my scalp and still get good coverage over the canopy.

You can try combing through your hair while you rinse if you want to be sure you're getting all the conditioner out. Be sure to start combing from the bottom up. Also be aware that conditioners are designed to leave some on the surface of your hair. This is protect it and give it more pliability.

[maborosi]

I don't use shampoo that often, so I actually do condition my scalp (instead of using shampoo everyday). Try a clarifying shampoo to see if that helps, you might have a bit of buildup.

~maborosi~

[sunnydee92]

I feel like it all depends on how dry your hair is. If your hair isn't very dry, then you should just condition the bottom parts! I don't think I've ever applied conditioner to my scalp, though.

[CurlyCap]

I use conditioner on my scalp because I rarely use shampoo. However, even with silicone-free conditioners, you eventually get build-up.

Things to try:
1. Vo5 makes a "clarifying conditioner". After looking at the ingredients, it's basically a conditioner that doesn't deposit anything for sealing. It's my first line choice for removing buildup. It removes gunk without stripping the hair.

2. A clarifying shampoo. Neutrogena makes a great one that can be diluted quite heavily and still cleans well.

3. Chelating shampoo. I use these very rarely because my hair just can't take the drying. But sometimes it's not just product build-up, but mineral buildup, and that's when you would use a chelating shampoo.

4. Trim. If shampooing approaches (with the requisite conditioning) doesn't help the issue, it may be time for a trim. You have to decide between a dusting, micro, or full trim based on how far up your length the hair is sticking together and tangling.

[Miss Catrina]

I'm not familiar with your brand of product so I can't speak for that.

Whether or not to condition your scalp is sort of up for debate. Many people here don't use shampoo at all and use the CO method - washing their scalp with conditioner. Almost everyone I've heard of doing this has used a conditioner without silicones to do this. Silicones coat the hair, which for some people means lovely smooth hair, and for some people means greasy looking, weighed down hair.

If you are using shampoo, there really isn't a reason to put conditioner near your scalp. The hair in that area is younger and healthier and doesn't need conditioning, really, and you also run the risk of clogging follicles or getting weighed down hair. The usual wisdom is to condition your hair from the ears down.

It sounds to me like maybe your conditioner is too heavy for your hair. In my experience, conditioners that promise "smooth" or "straight" results are very heavy. If your hair type is 1A, I'm wondering why you are looking for additional straightening power? When you find a good SLS-free shampoo (which I can't help with as I live in the U.S, sorry!) you may find that your hair is better moisturized and does not need as heavy a conditioner anymore. This will also probably help some with the ends of your hair sticking together. You might also just need a trim, or to hunt for and cut off split ends. A lot of people also benefit from putting just a tiny bit of mineral oil in their hair when it is still damp to prevent this from happening (and to get smoother hair).

Paddle brushes get a bad rap around here because many have those little plastic balls on the tips of the bristles, and hairs can get caught on them. Most swear by wide toothed combs. Personally, I think if you're being cautious and using a quality implement, you won't have much trouble either way.

(Oh, and welcome to LHC! :blossom:)