Winter haircare - need advice

[DancingQueen]

So, winter is coming (no, I didn't mean to quote GOT - but oh, well :) ), and my hair is rebelling. It acts nothing like last winter, it is much worse. It tangles like crazy, despite my silk pillowcase and wearing a ponytail every time I go outside. It looks frizzy, dull and stringy. I am worried that my ends will be eaten up from the cold, they are very thin. If I do put it in an updo and go outside, it will look crazy when I get back inside again, and I will have to redo it to make it look decent.

Last wash, I did a coconut oil treatment (left it on for half an hour, and washed my hair) and it felt amazing afterwards. I am definitely going to do that every time from now on. But now, 2 days later, I had to put it in a braid to make it look decent. It was harder to detangle, I had to use a tiny bit of coconut oil and finger comb before I combed for real.

I don't know if it is relevant, but I have APL+, 2C hair, and I currently shed like crazy. I honestly have no I dea what to do, and any advice would be greatly appreciated. :)

[KrissyKitty]

My hair is doing the same crazy thing. I'm deep conditioning and going with daily updos. I have a trim scheduled for next week and I'm hoping that may help.... but I'm not really sure either. I've been using olive oil in my hair to no avail. I hope someone has some ideas!

[kitcatsmeow]

Have you tried Argan oil and baby oil? I swear by it. I could sit in a sauna and still wouldnt frizz. After a wash I apply my leave in (small amount of reg conditioner) then a small puddle of baby oil. I have MBL hair. work it through and let it dry for about 20 minutes or until it just starting to feel like it's drying. Then I apply a VERY small amount of argan. Just a couple drops. I let it dry (usually wrap for the last couple hours to straighten.) Never have probs with dry, tangles, or frizzy hair. Hopefully I didn't just jinx myself either ~ :p

[kitekats]

I have the same problem-my hair looks horribly frizzy, I mean the ends are fine, but the upper part at about shoulder length is plain horror:mad:. I cannot detangle it without ripping the hair out, and because I'm growing the dye out, the texture changes makes it worse, and the winter...It's impossible to make an updo that would fit under a hat, and if it does, the hair is too messy to be able to make it, but ponytails and braids frizz me out and oiling doesn't help:(

[Shepherdess]

For myself, I have been washing my hair about twice a week and use a mixture of olive oil, and jojoba along with essential oils for scent. I used to put these oils on before I took a shower, but now I only use them as needed (since I have trouble with oily hair already sometimes, so it just depends and I put them in at times before showers and at times afterwards, whenever needed) and sometimes I use a tad bit of baby oil (which I'm beginning to like). My hair is mid-thigh length and naturally curly (3a) so it frizzes easily. But I found that the best way for me to take care of my hair is to carefully detangle it before I take a shower, then after the shower carefully braid it without detangling and let it dry in the braid. When I don't detangle it while it is wet, it keeps my hair from stretching and breaking after washes and I also think that it keeps my hair moisturized and protected. I love how it feels when it is finally dry and out of my braid. I don't know if this would work well for everyone, but it seems to be working for me. I often will put my hair up in a bun after it is braided and wear a scarf over, so the frizz isn't as noticeable and that also protects my hair from the cold (especially if it is still wet and I have to go outside). Wearing a silk sleeping cap over my braid while sleeping also keeps it very manageable and keeps out the tangles, although it isn't comfortable for me to sleep with, it still might work. :)

I hope this helps.

[DinaAG]

have you tried SMT? and for the frizziness aloe vera gel mixed with your oils works great! but for the shedding thing always the first thing to check is how healthy is your diet and thyroid. best of luck ♥

[DancingQueen]

Nice to hear I am not the only one with this problem. :)


have you tried SMT? and for the frizziness aloe vera gel mixed with your oils works great! but for the shedding thing always the first thing to check is how healthy is your diet and thyroid. best of luck ♥

What exactly is SMT? I can't find anything on the boards using the search function. As for health, I am a heavy shedder naturally, but I am getting extra these days - maybe stress, who knows?
Sadly, Aloe vera doesn't work for me - my hair doesn't like it. But thank you for the help *off to figure out what SMT is* :)

[lapushka]

What exactly is SMT? I can't find anything on the boards using the search function.

Snowy's Moisture Treatment. Here you go:
http://longhaircommunity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=128

[WaitingSoLong]

SMT is Snowy's Moisturizing Treatment (http://archive.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=14635). It is what I woudl call a DCT (deep conditioning treatment). It uses honey, which I will not put in my hair, and aloe, which is questionable to use in winter.
I swear I just have to suffer through winter and vow not to cut my hair until summer because it always magically looks healthier come summer. It is definitely a weather things and humidity is a huge part of it. Static likes me SO much and seems ot add to the frizz issue.

I have no real advice, sorry. LOL.

ETA: LOL I see Lapushka beat me to it ;)

[rock007junkie]

Try to find moisturizing treatments now and use them more often than you would in the summer. Also be careful with some of your products that contain glycerin...it can make hair wacky in the winter.

[einna]

Are you using products with a lot of humectants? Like honey, aloe vera and glycerin. When the air is dry, they can pull moisture out of the hair and make it drier.

Also, you might have build up - to much oil lingering in your hair after the coconut treatment? Maybe it would help to clarify?

[DinaAG]

its a treatment where you use 50% of it of your favorite conditioner 25% aloe vera gel and 25% your favorite oil and use it as a deep conditioning treatment hope that will work dear, what about a circular massage to your head using a mix of "peppermint+rosemary oils" to stimulate the follicle? hope that will help ♥

[lapushka]

ETA: LOL I see Lapushka beat me to it ;)

Except... you explained it better than I did! :D :thumbsup:

[LadyLongLocks]

Use a humidifier in your house or at least put one in the bedroom. Wear a sleep cap.If my hair feels dry and fly-away, I calm it with some water and conditioner in a mist sprayer. I also find that a tiny bit of coconut oil works wonders too.This winter I am going to mist it and then put the sleep cap on. No reason to let my hair out all night with the dry air, the sleep cap should help.

[WaitingSoLong]

Use a humidifier in your house or at least put one in the bedroom. Wear a sleep cap.If my hair feels dry and fly-away, I calm it with some water and conditioner in a mist sprayer. I also find that a tiny bit of coconut oil works wonders too.This winter I am going to mist it and then put the sleep cap on. No reason to let my hair out all night with the dry air, the sleep cap should help.

I am curious as to what kind of sleep cap you use and how you keep all your hair in it? I can't keep my hair in anything but I wear my sleep stocking every night without exception.

[Shepherdess]

I am curious as to what kind of sleep cap you use and how you keep all your hair in it? I can't keep my hair in anything but I wear my sleep stocking every night without exception.

Yes, I'm curious as well! :p

I usually use a silk sleeping cap and before I put it on I braid my hair and wrap the braid around my head, then I put on the sleeping cap and it seems to work well for me that way. I cannot fit my hair in the sleeping cap very well if I don't braid it first.

[brave]

I can't keep my head in the silk sleeping cap. Maybe it's that I have blunt bangs, but it always slides right off my head.

[Madora]

Dancing Queen, this info from Ktani may interest you:

http://ktanihairsense.blogspot.ca/2012/10/how-to-avoid-winter-hair-blues.html

[Dovetail]

Do any of you lovely ladies have advice for dandruff? It isn't EXCATLY so, just dead skin flakes that come off when I brush, or ruffle my hair. I've gone outside and done a goooooddd scratching to try and knock it all loose, but it just comes back again. I have dry skin in general and in the winter I have to use a lot of lotion, but I cant do so on my scalp! It's mostly around the hair line of my blunt cut bangs, but as it gets colder it'll spread to the rest of my hair.

eta: I've been stretching washes (mostly as our hotwater isn't working well) and have been trying a dry shampoo (aka corn starch baby powder) on my bangs since they get greasie well before the rest of my hair, the dead skin problem was happening before this though. :confused:

[patchoulilove]

sounds to me like it's just time for a simple clarify and then resume your normal hair routine :-)

[jacqueline101]

I use a deep conditioner once a month lightly oil my ends with baby oil and mist my length with my oil blend. One of the oils in my mix is argan oil. My deep conditioner is Aussie 3 minute miracle. I went through a bit where my hair shed this summer and it was my shampoo and conditioner doing it so I switched brands. My hair is happier and last winter my ends broke off. I did a micro trim and baby oil them with a leave in conditioner. You can try these things.

[DinaAG]

check that dear i wish it will help "and scratching will make it worse" http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=108838

[WaitingSoLong]

I use a deep conditioner once a month lightly oil my ends with baby oil and mist my length with my oil blend. One of the oils in my mix is argan oil.


What else is in it?

[DancingQueen]

Thank you for the advice everyone - I have been experimenting a bit the past few days. My hair does seem to behave better for now, but I can never be sure how long :p But if you find the holy grail (or have more advice) feel free to comment, I am open to more ideas :)

[Maggie May]

So, winter is coming (no, I didn't mean to quote GOT - but oh, well :) ), and my hair is rebelling. It acts nothing like last winter, it is much worse. It tangles like crazy, despite my silk pillowcase and wearing a ponytail every time I go outside. It looks frizzy, dull and stringy. I am worried that my ends will be eaten up from the cold, they are very thin. If I do put it in an updo and go outside, it will look crazy when I get back inside again, and I will have to redo it to make it look decent.

Last wash, I did a coconut oil treatment (left it on for half an hour, and washed my hair) and it felt amazing afterwards. I am definitely going to do that every time from now on. But now, 2 days later, I had to put it in a braid to make it look decent. It was harder to detangle, I had to use a tiny bit of coconut oil and finger comb before I combed for real.

I don't know if it is relevant, but I have APL+, 2C hair, and I currently shed like crazy. I honestly have no I dea what to do, and any advice would be greatly appreciated. :)

If I do an oil treatment on my hair, I have found that it works wonderfully on my very ends. I am between APL and BSL and moisturizing just the last few inches is great for my hair. Same with conditioner. If I get oil or conditioner anywhere near my scalp it causes way more shedding! The last time I oiled I did castor and coconut on the ends. Then before I showered I put conditioner on the ends before I got my hair wet. I read on here that that's a good way to wash the oil out. Also when I shampoo, I only shampoo the scalp area. It has been several days and a couple of washes (I always wash scalp and condition ends) since I did the oil treatment and my hair is still lovely from it. It was very staticy before. I also use Desert Essence Coconut shampoo and conditioner. It is one of the most natural I have found and my hair loves it.