Your Opinion

[Alway]

Hello! I am new here :-) I apologize if I am asking a question that has been asked far too often! But the forum seems overwhelmingly full of information and don't know quite where to start. I have really enjoyed surfing and seeing everyone beautiful hair and success stories... such an inspiration!

I have posted this to ask your opinion on how often to wash and on my hair care routine, personally, I wash every five days with Aveda products, moisturizing damage remedy. If I must, I use dry shampoo once very sparsely so I can last for 5 days, and my hair usually looks very pretty until the last day though feeling a little dry. I spritz oil on the ends every coupe of days to make sure I keep them moisturized, I keep my hair wrapped up in a satin scarf and have a satin pillow case. The only time I use heat is with my blow dryer on cool to medium, right before it is completely dry from air drying, to put some volume in it and help the waves lay just right! I only use bobby pins, no hair bands of any kind... I am at about 26.5" right now, which is about bra strap length, for a woman at 5 foot 11 inches.

I have very sensitive, wave/curly hair, that needs constant care and moisturizing. Picture from a couple weeks ago...
http://i1271.photobucket.com/albums/jj634/gmalway/01fb9d3c-1fbf-49e1-b1ca-4713f979d8a0_zpscdfb1d49.jpg (http://s1271.photobucket.com/user/gmalway/media/01fb9d3c-1fbf-49e1-b1ca-4713f979d8a0_zpscdfb1d49.jpg.html)

Please critique and educate, thanks so much!

XOXO

[goldenlady]

I think your routine sounds just fine :) A lot of people frown upon using blow-dryers but I've found that using it on cold helps to eliminate frizz and on my hair seems to close the cuticles..

Do you have a good diet? and have you tried certain hair-loving vitamins? Made a difference for me!

Mine hair is 26.5 too.. but it's mid-back on me (I'm 5"3) ohh to be tall...

[BeccaAngel]

You have very pretty curly hair :)

[Anje]

Sounds pretty good to me, overall, but the real test of a routine is whether it's working for you or if you're having unwanted problems with your hair. If everything's great and it makes you happy and it's growing at least as far as you want it, then everything's great!

How much do you wear your hair up? A lot of this comes down to preference, hair toughness, and damage tolerance, but I prefer to keep mine up in a bun most of the time, sometimes in a braid. Around BSL, a number of people report that they suddenly have breakage and can't get longer, and this tends to be due to leaning back against the hair when sitting down; buns solve that problem. Securing with bobby pins isn't great with buns (tends to pull hairs, and it requires an absurd amount because they're really not meant to hold enough hair), so I prefer a hair stick or a Ficcare myself. Others like hair forks and Amish pins (which are U-shaped and used just like small hair forks).

[Alway]

Im really working on trying to get it softer, it feels far too dry most of the time... I'm trying to treat it like delicate lace andnever let it rub on anything when I sit down or anything. It seems to get dry feeling around day 3 and I hate it, but I'm trying to wash every 5 to keep from damaging which makes it dry but it seems dry more than. anything else... something isn't working, I may not be oiling it enough or not washing it enough....

I hate my hair up :( but I am careful with it down... very conscious of it!

What should I do?

Thanks so much!

[meteor]

You have beautiful hair! :D And I love your routine!



I have posted this to ask your opinion on how often to wash and on my hair care routine, personally, I wash every five days with Aveda products, moisturizing damage remedy. If I must, I use dry shampoo once very sparsely so I can last for 5 days, and my hair usually looks very pretty until the last day though feeling a little dry. I spritz oil on the ends every coupe of days to make sure I keep them moisturized, I keep my hair wrapped up in a satin scarf and have a satin pillow case. The only time I use heat is with my blow dryer on cool to medium, right before it is completely dry from air drying, to put some volume in it and help the waves lay just right! I only use bobby pins, no hair bands of any kind... I am at about 26.5" right now, which is about bra strap length, for a woman at 5 foot 11 inches.

I have very sensitive, wave/curly hair, that needs constant care and moisturizing.

From what you've described, you seem to have scalp and hair on the dry side. You mention spritzing oil on ends to make them moisturized, but oils are occlusive / anti-humectant / hydrophobic, meaning they will keep the water in the hair and outside the hair. Oils are really great for protecting hair protein (especially highly penetrative coconut oil) and for sealing, but you might also enjoy adding some humectants to your routine, depending on humidity/dew-points and on your hair's porosity. During medium humidity, humectants like glycerin, honey, aloe vera, sea kelp, etc can be beneficial as they'll draw water to the hair. SMT (conditioner + honey + aloe vera) is a good moisturizing treatment. If it's too dry (often in winter-time), humectants can draw water from the hair, so should be avoided.
Some of your dryness could be from blow-drying. Try to use it only when you feel you have to have that great hair day.
For detangling tools, I recommend using only fingers and a good wide-tooth comb on wavy/curly hair. Brushes might cause more breakage and frizz on such hair.

And I agree with Anje, bobby pins aren't great for a lot of hair and often end up pulling out individual strands. Look into hair sticks and hair forks.

[meteor]

Im really working on trying to get it softer, it feels far too dry most of the time... I'm trying to treat it like delicate lace andnever let it rub on anything when I sit down or anything. It seems to get dry feeling around day 3 and I hate it, but I'm trying to wash every 5 to keep from damaging which makes it dry but it seems dry more than. anything else... something isn't working, I may not be oiling it enough or not washing it enough....

My guess is your conditioner is not conditioning enough. You need something heavier. Or you need to use more leave-ins and oils.
I also recommend trying:
1) SMT: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=128
4 parts conditioner
1 part honey
1 part clear aloe gel

2) Fox's Shea Butter Conditioning Cream: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=4586
2 parts unrefined shea butter
1 part coconut oil
2 parts conditioner

3) Nightblooming's Panacea http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=50728 and/or
Nightblooming's Triple Moon Anointing Oil : http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=86719

[meteor]

Oh, and by the way, washing it more often will not make it more moisturized, just like washing your skin more often tends to dry it out by compromising the lipid barrier instead of being "moisturizing".
Since you are wavy/curly, you might enjoy the Curly Girl Method.

[Anje]

^^ Yes to everything meteor just said.

It's worth figuring out what works best for you. Some people do best with lots of oils in their hair, some with lots of watery moisture. Some need silicones or protein to make their hair behave best, others hate these ingredients with a passion.

What oil are you using now? Most of us have favorites because some work better than others for most folks.

I'm a huge fan of SMTs -- my hair likes its humectants, and a lot of people find that it's good for a moisture boost every so often. (I once forced my husband to endure an SMT. He sat there sulking like a wet cat, asking "how long do I need to leave this on?" As soon as he washed it out, he raved about how soft and shiny his hair was and asked me how soon he could do another one. :lol:) So I'd recommend giving one a try.

Another really easy thing to try when you wash: coat your length in conditioner and just shampoo your scalp. Rinse it all out, then condition everything again. (CWC washing around here.) Conditioner-only washing (CO) is also popular around here, but not all scalps agree with it. Certainly it's worth a try if your hair is dry.

[jacqueline101]

I'd try adding vitamins and ditch the blow dryer other then that seems okay. Pretty hair by the way.

[Alway]

Hey! Yeah! Humectants make sense.... I grew up in a humid area and the more humid it is outside the more gorgeous my hair is... So it looks like I need that! I feel this may be really what I need! When do you use humectants? Do you leave them in after you wash too? You guys are hair geniuses! Thanks for all this help... I need it so please keep critiquing! Xoxo