What DO you do for your hair?

[threadOfGold]

I'm loving the thread 'whats one healthy hair tip you believe in but are really bad at'. It made me think, what do you do consciously for the benefit of your own hair. Do you make any sacrifices or lifestyle changes?
mine is

Takingnthe essential vitamins for hair growth
only washing in cold water
not brushing whilst wet
Eating fish every day
drinking lots of water
stretching my washes
doing an oil mask twice a week
using natural shampoo
scalp massages
not using heat
not using dye (anymore)
Only brushing once or twice a day.

And I think that's about it! These are all recent changes, I used to be a heat user and a daily washer!
So, what do you do for the benefit of your hair? I'm really interested to see!

[ositarosita]

Live a healthy lifestyle
I take my vitamins
-prenatal vitamin
-gelatin
-fish oils
-wild yam (not just hair but overall health)
-extra biotin
Drink lots of water
EAT BREAKFAST and LUNCH
Don't drink carbonated beverages/ processed juices
-try to only drink freshly squeezed juices
I only COMB my hair when wet and covered in conditioner
Stopped shampooing my hair (only clarify once a month to every 2 months)
Work out daily
TRY to sleep (I have a few sleep disorders)
No heat
No dye
No bleach
Embraced my natural hair texture
Trying to stop touching my hair
Eating clean (nothing processed and mostly raw)
Deal with stress appropriately

Great thread idea

[Mythago]

I am trying to eat healthier
Only have soda once a week
Exercise
Water...water...water
Good sleep
Wash every other day
Once detangled after washing I only finger comb, no brushing
Only blow drying once it's about 75% air dried (if at all)
No more flat iron
No dyes (haven't dyed it in about 5 years)

Mostly what I do for my hair is benign neglect. I try not to over think it and end up messing with it too much :)

[Larki]

A couple of you mentioned avoiding soda - I didn't know it was bad for your hair? Why?

[Frozen_Farmgirl]

So far....
I wash 2xs a week scalp only(my hair that is)
I use an oiled wooden comb, finger comb tangles
Trying to eat healthier and exercise
air dry only
natural/organic hair and body products to reduce chemicals absorbed through skin
I am trying to oil it once a week but working that one out.

I wear my hair up most of the time but that's because it tangles easily and my work requires it to be up out of the way most of the time.

[ichosethis]

I only wash twice a week.

I don't use heat (very rare for me to blow dry) or very many products (mostly just frizz control stuff the day after a wash).

I've only colored my hair once and it was back to my natural color after it did a weird bleachy thing one summer.

I take vitamins daily.

Lots of water.

I try to braid it at night.

I comb from the ends up and don't brush or comb as frequently as I used to. I also switched to a BBB and use wide tooth combs more.

Weekly oil treatments.

Daily scalp massages.

Keep it up most of the time.

[Madora]

Always wear my hair up, never down.
Brushing 100 strokes a day with a clean boar bristle brush
Always detangle with a wide tooth comb before brushing
Always air dry (takes me 20 minutes outdoors..45 minutes indoors)
Do not use any oil, mousse, sprays
Have a special method for shampooing which helps with detangling
Use mineral oil for detangling
S and D every other day...just the last 3 inches
Wash once a month
Use George Michael Pink Crème shampoo exclusively (since 1982)
Believe in the long hair concept of Dr. George Michael

[shutterpillar]

Things I do solely for my hair:
- Use henna to dye it
- I wash every other day
- I use Nightblooming's Panacea on my ends
- Very rarely use heat styling tools (like maybe two or three times a year)
- Plop my wet hair in a tshirt for about 15 minutes after washing to soak up most of the water, then allow to air dry.
- Microtrim every 3 - 4 months
- I use a satin sleep cap
- I'm currently sulfate free
- I wear it up in protective styles more often than not.

Things I do for my body that also benefit my hair:
- Take fish oil capsules daily
- Take a multivitamin daily
- Drink at least 8oz of water per day
- Eat healthfully, avoiding too much soda and fried foods. (Though I do enjoy those things every now and then!)
- Exercise

[Kayto]

-I dont dye my hair anymore.
-Take vitamins
-Drink lots of water
-Constant S&D
-Wash hair once a week
-hair treatments
-No heat tools, & always air dry
-Healthy eater
-exercise.
-careful about brushing, never brush while wet.

[Sharysa]

A couple of you mentioned avoiding soda - I didn't know it was bad for your hair? Why?

Soda is bad for you in general because it has so much sugar and carbonation. Plus, it doesn't hydrate you like water or even (fresh-pressed or organic) juice does. Even if you're generally healthy, if you drink a lot of soda you're not going to be hydrated properly.

[FallingDarkness]

Does sleep actually affect hair health/growth...? If it does I'm in a lot of trouble lol

[meteor]

Does sleep actually affect hair health/growth...? If it does I'm in a lot of trouble lol
Sleep affects your overall health a lot. (Bad sleep is up there with bad nutrition.) So, by extension, it should somewhat affect your hair growth.

[woodswanderer]

Brush or detangle gently
Wear hair up when outdoors or when being active
Stretch washes to about twice a week
Coconut oil
S&D
Air dry
Finger comb while drying
Never use heat
Never use hairspray, mouse, etc.

[alexis917]

-The only things I drink are water, tea, and fruit/veggie smoothies
-Washing twice a week, but I'm trying to only wash once
-Braids and updos most of the time
-Oil!
-Gentle handling
-No heat
-No styling products
-Wet Brush, no traditional brushes
-No dyes

[ositarosita]

A couple of you mentioned avoiding soda - I didn't know it was bad for your hair? Why?

It's just not good for you in general and what's not good for you is not good for your hair. Knowing that I can use Coke a cola to clean out a clogged drain or to get rid of mineral build up on my shower head .. I don't want to put that in my body... not to mention all the processed sugar s etc.

Happy, healthy skin and hair start from the inside.

[HazelBug]

It's more what I don't do than things I do. I avoid using heat. Except I take very hot showers. I rotate between my sulphate free and regular shampoo. I decided to stop the hair dye. I keep it pulled back much of the time. I don't use a brush but a comb instead.

[queenovnight]

Hmmm interesting!

Living a healthy lifestyle.
No dying or bleaching.
Only using a wide tooth comb.
Oiling regularly & scalp massaging
Not constantly touching and playing with my hair
Co-washing


and recently started trying to keep my hair in a bun or braided.

[queenovnight]

Whoops! Stupid double post -.-

[Stray_mind]

Switched chemical hair dye to henna
Taking fish oil capsules every day
Eating flax seeds two times per day
Working out every day
Try eating as various food as i can to get all the vitamins and elements my body needs
Stretch my washes
Put coconut oil or shea butter on my hair for the night before washing
Try not to brush my hair when wet
Put my hair up more
Stopped using blow dryer so much (only on critical conditions, when i'm in a rush to go somewhere or sth..)
Wash my hair with cold or semi-cold water

That's all i can remember.

[Rio040113]

I stretch my washes
Co-wash/dilute my shampoo (when I do shampoo, of course)
Clarify and/or chelate as needed
Add honey to my co-wash as needed
Do ACV rinses
Do a final cold rinse in the shower
I turbie my hair for 10 minutes or so then let it air dry the rest (in the coldest months I blow dry on cool/low for 5 minutes to speed things up)
Do scalp massages (sometimes with a castor oil mix)
Do pre-wash oilings (coconut oil)
Do post wash oilings (usually avocado oil and vit. e oil, with a tiny bit of shea butter to seal the ends - LOC method)
Finger comb to detangle any knots
Use my wide tooth Mason Pearson rake comb to finish
Do daily gentle updos, with hair safe hair toys
Sleep with my hair in a braid
Sleep with my braid in a satin sleep cap
No heat styling/tools
No 'excessive/unnecessary' chemical products (this -for me- includes hair dyes (box ones), perms or chemical relaxers and styling products such as hairspray or mousse etc)
No backcombing or 'aggressive styling'
I S&D regularly, with good quality hair shears
Eat/drink well (not just for my hair of course)

I think that's it...

I intend to start doing cassia/amla mix treatments asap, I have the supplies, just waiting on getting some more clarifying and chelating shampoo so I can do it on ''fresh'' hair. Also plan on starting catnip rinses soon too but I try to only add one thing at a time to my routine!

[Agnes Hannah]

MMM:
comb only with handmade comb, one side for detangling another for smoothing and dressing
oil ends regularly
silk sleepcap and pillowcase
updos every day
wash condish condish shampoo is sulfate and cone free. Condish may not be...
turbie towel to dry then air dry, no heat no styling chemically stuff
biotin
camomile tea
erm I think that's it.
On the no trim challenge, so hanging on for the spring equinox before my next S&D and dust session

[longishhair]

I do many things:

- Spend way too much money on hair supplies :spitting:
- Oil it and keep oil in overnight before every shower
- Oil the ends after showering and tuck them under whatever updo I create
- Use sulfate free shampoo when I use shampoo, which is rare
- Keep it in updos

[Fericera]

Take a multivitamin every day
Don't put anything in my hair that could tear or snag it
No dying
No heat
Gentle washing
Cool rinsing
Air dry
Comb it only once a day

[ashke50]

Wear it up every day
Sleep with it plaited
Have a silk pillowcase
Shampoo once a week without SLS
CO every other day without cones
Detangle gently (when I have time)
S&D
No heat (although that is not much change from pre-LHC)
Occasional oilings