Long hair is not working out for me, please help!!!

[target]

I'm a guy (22yo) and I have been growing my hair for about one and a half year now. It grew a lot, to the point now where I can bite my fringe with my lips. However, I am encoutering a lot of problems and am seriously thinking about cutting it short again.
First, I have very very thin hair, which makes it very difficult to style, especially after washing it with shampoo. The hair is getting in front of my eyes the entire day which can be really really annoying. Also, every time I come out of shower and try to comb my hair it is always a pain in the ass, because it looks like my hair has knots in every single place, which hurt a lot and makes me lose a lot of hair when I comb it.
Other negative aspect of my hair is that it is very greasy, which looks like a mess especially when I use some sort of styling product to make it so that it doesn't go into my eyes (I currently use American Crew Forming Cream (http://www.americancrew.com/products/classic/forming-cream)). Using conditioner also has a downside on this, since it makes it look even greasier.
Should I give it up and cut my hair (which is exactly what I am tempted to do right now) or is there anything I can do?

[Vanille_]

Try different shampoo/conditioner combinations. Use a clarifying shampoo as needed - maybe once a week or two if you are using a lot of product. When you condition, try not to put it on the scalp. If you can avoid the very top of your head it might help. I eventually found a conditioner that doesn't make my scalp oily after a day but before I found it, I could only condition from the neck down. Try using a wide comb with no seam ridges and comb your hair in the shower after you have conditioned it. And make sure to brush it right before you shower.

[Chromis]

If it doesn't work for you, it doesn't work for you! Some folks like short and some long.

That said, the length you are describing is a pretty awkward one! When I was regrowing mine, that was about one of the worst stages. It gets better once it is long enough to be able to tie back or at least tuck behind your ears and have it stay. I had to resort to using bobby pins to clip mine back because I absolutely hated eating my hair hair all day. That can give a bit of damage itself though, especially for fine hair and it might not be the sort of look you are after. Depending what you do for a living, how about using a bandanna or better yet, a buff (https://www.buyabuff.com/). The buffs come in a lot of patterns, some plain, some rugged, and plenty more and you can often find them at sporting good stores like REI. If you decide to keep growing, you will have many more options once it gets longer, but that will keep it out of your face.

There are several threads with tips for folks with fine hair if you use the handy search tool or you can search the Mane Forum using Google. You might just need to wash more often while it is still short, especially when using "product". I'd recommend changing one thing at a time in your routine so you can get a good feel for what is actually helping or hindering.

ALso, I have to wait until my hair is dry before I comb it. This is different from person to person, but mine does the same thing as yours if I comb it wet. Wet hair is fragile and all those knots are making a lot of breakage! You might need to adjust your schedule to account for this.

[SnowWhite]

I think it's your routine. Perhaps you should try other products... I tried to wash CO and CWC for a while. My hair hates conditioner. It gets greasy, lumpy and flat...
Now my routine consits of: less is more... Washing with regular shampoo, sometimes without SLS. My hair just doesn't mind SLS, so why should I cut it out of my routine?? And occasionally oiling.
May I ask how you comb your hair? Do you start at your ends, (with strokes from your roots to ends ofcourse), then going a little bit higher everytime? Because formerly, I also combed directly from roots to ends = not a good idea, caused me some hair loss aswell because I was pushing too hard through the knots...

Of course, if you really don't like long hair you should cut it! But if you do want long hair, I think there could be things in your routine you could adapt for a better hair condition. It's always a search for the best routine!

[wendylai]

Wow.. haha.. It was so funny reading this :) You have my sympathies! I'm waist at the moment, and headinf to hip/tailbone, with not super texturized or thick hair and styling has turned into.. up dos..

So I'm not sure, as I reach my goal if I shall cut it then or not. Long hair has good and bad points. Myself I think that as you are young you can grow to your goal lenght, learn how to untangle and what products work for you (sounds like very coney ones would be the ones..) and then as you have reached it enjoy it a bit and cut to the lenght where you feel most confident it. Cheers :)

[target]

I'll try changing my routine and using different products and see how it reacts.
May I ask what is CO, CWC, and SLS?

[hippie girl]

Also, every time I come out of shower and try to comb my hair it is always a pain in the ass, because it looks like my hair has knots in every single place, which hurt a lot and makes me lose a lot of hair when I comb it.


Are you piling your hair on top of your head to wash? It could be that you are getting all tangled because of this, if you are.

As it grows longer you should consider not washing the way you did when it was shorter. Just detangle before your shower and comb/arrange it all going back in one direction. Wet hair in shower so it is all going back and then wash by just massaging the shampoo with your fingertips into your scalp. Let the shampoo just sort of run down the length as you do this and as you rinse.

This is how I wash my and I have very few problems with tangles after washing. Your hair will be just as clean this way, and might end up in better condition because it will help with breakage issues.

My SO has about APL hair, yet insists on the top of head scrubbing method. It kills me to watch him comb afterwards. He just doesn't get it, but isn't trying to grow it either.

The key for me is to always, ALWAYS, detangle before getting my hair wet. My hair is fine and I can't (well, won't) comb when wet. All that does is break my hair. Detangle carefully when dry is the trick for me.

[lapushka]

I'd make sure to only use conditioner on the ends of your hair, the shorter it is, the more difficult to apply, that's true, though it should work. Like others have said, don't pile your hair on top of your scalp when shampooing. Leave it down and let the suds fall over your scalp while rubbing them into your scalp. Then apply conditioner, and it should make it easier to detangle later. Detangle with a wide tooth comb or a Tangle Teezer (very handy tool). There's absolutely no need to cut your hair off, providing you take good care of it.

[LakeofGlass]

I'm not sure if others have mentioned this, but as a routine thing, try organic vs silicone product methods. I've probably used it all, from Aussie, Dove, V05, Pantene... But I've found that handmade, organic ones work best for me. No, I don't always use them, but I prefer them. My conditioner method is as organic as I can get, with EVOO and Grapeseed oil. But as others have said, try different methods. Grapeseed oil is very light and hasn't been greasy for me. I also don't dump a ton in my hair. For me it works best with damp hair, and I let it dry on its own.

For detangling, I use a bohn comb, which doesn't cause static and avoids what plastic combs do in general. I found a great price on Ebay, and I made sure it was bohn resin, the alternative to animal bone. Horn works too, but some can be fine toothed or very pricy. Make sure you comb your ends first before going up your hair, and do so carefully. I combed my mom's hair a few times and she asked me if I was even doing anything. But it makes it much faster.

My dad had long hair in his teens and early 20s, but he had found out that washing his hair in the morning worked better for him. I've seen photos... he had hair most women would kill for.

[SunlightShines]

I'll try changing my routine and using different products and see how it reacts.
May I ask what is CO, CWC, and SLS?

CO is using conditioner only, CWC is using conditioner first, washing, then conditioning again, SLS is referring to sodium lauryl sulfate which is a surfactant in most shampoos.

[SunlightShines]

Almost forgot....I was going to suggest you might like, VO5 Kiwi Lime Squeeze clarifying conditioner it's really light, no silicones and doesn't leave a buildup. It's under a $1 at Walmart, so if it doesn't work for you hair, you won't be out a bunch of money.

[Mandie]

It seems the most important questions -- what sort of shampoo/conditioner are you using, and are you piling your hair atop your head? Tangles can be caused by piling or by a conditioner/shampoo that doesn't agree with you. My hair is very smooth, but piling doesn't work -- however I cannot STAND a no-cone shampoo/conditioner, whereas some people find it to be a brilliant solution.

[~honeyflower~]

Hmm...I've seen a guy on my college campus with long hair like yours, he wears a bandanna like a headband and it seems like it works for him. For the conditioner, I notice that if I have conditioner on my scalp it makes my hair look greasy looking when its dry. The best way I found is to apply it from the ears down -you might not need as much conditioner now, as you would when its longer. I usually don't start combing until my hair is fully dry. Oh, yeah! You could try wearing hats to keep your hair back. Um, I cant think of anything else right now. I know how annoying it is (side bangs) so I'll post again if I can think of anything else. Hope I helped!

[DancingQueen]

I second the new shampoo idea.

Also, have you tried coconut oil? My hair went from tangly and impossible to so smooth, I can comb it in two minutes (granted, my hair is only just past APL, but still). Don't give up just yet, I am sure there is a way for you to deal with your hair. :)

[alyaziaaah]

as long as you use normal shampoo you can use a serum before combing, brushing. best get kerastase nutri sculpt serum. it doesnt build up so you can use it also with other washing routines. just put a drop on your tips before brushing and after washing on wet hair. you can use a rubber headband to hold back your hair. many longhaired guys here do that. it looks kind of cool. about the greasiness, it looks like your scalp is overcompensating for overshampooing. try to dilute your shampoo more and more, stretch washes, do it bit by bit in order not to get demotivated. use a milder shampoo. condition the tips.

[spidermom]

If you haven't, try washing and conditioning it while bent forward, hair falling toward the floor. Thoroughly detangle first, wash by moving your fingers in one direction only (from nape toward forehead, pick up fingers, back to nape in a slightly different location). Rinse (of course). Then use the tiniest squirt of conditioner - about the size of a pea, and massage with fingers over your hair but staying away from the scalp. I advise this position because you can condition more of your hair without getting conditioner on your scalp. Then rinse well. And don't rub your hair with a towel after washing. You can wrap it in a T-shirt to absorb the extra water.

[EdG]

You are in the "awkward stage" - hair that's long enough to fall in your face, but not long enough to stay put over your shoulders. This problem will go away as your hair gets longer.
Ed

[IndigoOptimist]

I have thin hair which also gets very greasy. I've recently stopped using conditioner every time I wash, only shampooing and it's really helped. I do a DT every week to get some moisture into it, but it has't caused my hair to dry out like I thought it would and it has helped my oil levels :)

[hippie girl]

And don't rub your hair with a towel after washing. You can wrap it in a T-shirt to absorb the extra water. Yes, this too. Don't do any rubbing with the towel, that could easily lead to knots. Short hair can take it, maybe... but now that you are growing your hair you have to do things differently.

I sometimes wash like spidermom suggests. Flipped forward. Very important to always detangle first, as she said. That is key for me in preventing knots when washing.

Washing flipped forward like that can add some lift to the roots as the hair dries, which may help overall as you are getting past this stage, too.

[jacqueline101]

All hair has an awkward stage just try to grow past it. I'd try may be a new routine for washing and wearing it. I do wish you good luck on your journey.

[humble_knight]

@Spider_Mom + hippie_girl : If one did not want to use a t-shirt, what else could one use to dry hair? I'm always paranoid that I'm balding on top :rolleyes:when I use a towel [which I try and use carefully, anyway]

[RavenBaby]

I used to have greasy hair and I say avoid the conditioner and if that doesn't work go for a shampoo FOR greasy hair or a clarifying shampoo. De-tangle the hair slowly and start at the ends and gently brush upwards with a wide tooth comb, I sometimes add spray-on conditioner to make the hairs separate. Please don't cut - hair takes too long to grow to just cut it like that. When shampooing don't swish all the hair a lot cause that will cause dangles, gently put a little shampoo onto your hands and massage into the scalp only and the hair will get cleaned properly just don't mess with the hair itself.

[Chromis]

@Spider_Mom + hippie_girl : If one did not want to use a t-shirt, what else could one use to dry hair? I'm always paranoid that I'm balding on top :rolleyes:when I use a towel [which I try and use carefully, anyway]

I use a micro-fibre turbie towel. You can also use the microfibre towels from automotive stores. I find them much more absorbent than terry cloth bath towels. You can also find nice big ones at camping stores or little ones sold for cleaning. I'm pretty klutzy at wrapping towels around my head, so I really like the pre-shaped ones but they are all pretty similar.

[hippie girl]

I don't use a t-shirt. I do use a towel, I just never, ever rub. No need to try and make knots, you know?

I just wrap it around my head starting as close to one end of the towel as possible, so that there is as much length as possible on the opposite side to wrap my length in. Whatever is left hanging out the bottom I bend up in half and wrap into the last corner flap of the towel, and then bend the whole lot in half and put a big scrunchie around it. That keeps it from dripping out the bottom and keeps the towel against the hair so it can absorb as much water as possible.

I wish I could explain it better but I don't know how, exactly. I do know that it is a balancing act on top of my head, and not always so comfortable. But, I have gotten used ot it. My hair is fine and fairly thin, though, so it doesn't have the kind of weight that some of these heads on here must have when wet. I imagine they have aneven bigger balancing act going on!

I think the tee shirt is an example of lightweight absorbant fabric that could be wrapped around the head and not weigh a ton like the big towel.

I do my best not to disturb the towel so as to not get any abrasion going on. I also re-wrap once or twice while I am doing other things, or whenever it feels like it is slipping. I usuaully use my bath towel first, to get the bulk of the water out of my hair and into the already damp towel, then re-wrap into a second, dry towel.

I wrap standing up first to get the most water out, then wrap flipped over to get the whole lot on top of my head.

[spidermom]

@Spider_Mom + hippie_girl : If one did not want to use a t-shirt, what else could one use to dry hair? I'm always paranoid that I'm balding on top :rolleyes:when I use a towel [which I try and use carefully, anyway]

I use a flannel pillowcase most often.

[rowie]

You are in the "awkward stage" - hair that's long enough to fall in your face, but not long enough to stay put over your shoulders. This problem will go away as your hair gets longer.
Ed

This. The "awkward stage" is very challenging (i've been there so I can somewhat relate to you). If it gets really bad you can always wear a bandanna or a beanie. There are many styling options you can do at your stage and all it will take is some imagination and creativity. Just remember that this phase won't last forever.