Hair Care Doubt

[Vijikanth]

I have seen ladies with very long think hair treating them very poorly. I mean the way they comb, pull their hair. Not washing regularly. Using inexpensive simple oil/shampoo. Still they get to have such beautiful long hair. We take so much of care and discuss about hair care and do the best for our hair still left with more complaints about hair loss, dry scalp. Is that nature that decides who would posses the great mane. However slowly I comb, I lose nearly 50-70 strands per day. If only 10 on one day, it would be 60 the next day. I oil it almost every day. treat it so gently. Wash it twice weekly. Use simple hairbands sans metal. Being a male not too much of styling too. It just keeps me wondering...

[furnival]

I wouldn't say that washing irregularly and using simple and inexpensive products is treating hair poorly. There are many threads on here about stretching the time between washes, benign neglect, using less products or none at all.

Losing 50-70 strands each day is perfectly normal.

Yes, genetics plays a massive part in the kind of hair people have. Colour, thickness, curl, waves or straightness, greying onset and certain kinds of hair loss are all determined by genetics.

I can't help noticing you are in India- I saw some of the most amazing hair I've ever seen in India. :)

[askan]

Yep...I have girls on my team gym team who have hip lenght gorgeous hair and when we were away for a competition this year I noticed some of them simply ripping their hair with a brush immediately after washing. One girl got her brush stuck in a tangle and she's much younger than me so I felt fully justified to shout "STOOP IT", whipped out my wide toothed comb and helped her detangling gently. Then another girl came to me when she approached a tangle she couln't get through and I felt like the hairy godmother :D

But really, if that is how they treat their hair on every day basis, it's astounding how it can still look so good and be so thick and beautiful! I used to brush like that too and my lengths ended up thinning so severely I had to chop it all off.
I notice a lot of people's hair grow a lot faster than mine too, so it's no problem for them to chop off a good four inches and still be at waist in a few weeks. It seems like to me anyway :P

[lapushka]

I wouldn't say that washing irregularly and using simple and inexpensive products is treating hair poorly. There are many threads on here about stretching the time between washes, benign neglect, using less products or none at all.

This exactly. I have been practicing benign neglect for years now with no adverse effects - on the contrary, my hair has never looked and felt better.

[Begemot]

Then another girl came to me when she approached a tangle she couln't get through and I felt like the hairy godmother :D


:laugh: That is so sweet.

I would just advice people to not worry what others do. One can only make the best of their own situation.

[LadyCelestina]

Stop comparing yourself to others.Log off LHC,put your hair up,go do something else.
Before you know it,you'll enjoy your hair again as it is.Or approach any drastic decisions with a clear mind.

[spidermom]

I'm a minimalist without complicated hair care, too. My ends are in the best condition that they've ever been at this length.

[Night_Kitten]

...
But really, if that is how they treat their hair on every day basis, it's astounding how it can still look so good and be so thick and beautiful! I used to brush like that too and my lengths ended up thinning so severely I had to chop it all off.
...
I think that is exactly why healthy long hair is considered so unattainable by so many people, and considered so special and unique...
That is probably also the base to all the "long hair must be damaged / unhealthy", "long hair always looks scraggly" and other such common believes, as with the haircare routine most people practice that usually becomes true...

[M-L-E]

I was thinking the same thing today! A girl with thick TBL hair who goes to the same gym as me is able to go in the pool and then wash her hair, rip her brush through it whilst wet and blowdry it on the hot setting... around 4-5 times a week! You can't compare and worry about these things, though. We are all different, and what works great for one person could work terribly for another!

[Nadine <3]

I don't think the products you use have much to do about all around hair health. I think it's genes. I've seen people treat their hair horribly and still have beautiful long hair. I've also seen people who treat their hair bad, and you can definitely tell!

[meteor]

Benign neglect is good hair care (operative word being "benign"). :)

After all, if you don't cut and don't damage, don't mess with your hair, and you are in your optimal health, your hair will grow to its genetic best.

All those examples of people who abuse their hair and it still looks good don't make much sense to me, because if those same people treated their hair nicely, it would look/feel even better. :)
Obviously, genes drive things to a certain extent, but it doesn't mean we should abuse our bodies if the genes are great.

[lapushka]

I would happily go back to the days when I was ignorant and carefree about my hair. You tend to worry knowing what could go wrong and such. Oh well. No turning back now. :shrug:

[meteor]

Yep...I have girls on my team gym team who have hip lenght gorgeous hair and when we were away for a competition this year I noticed some of them simply ripping their hair with a brush immediately after washing. One girl got her brush stuck in a tangle and she's much younger than me so I felt fully justified to shout "STOOP IT", whipped out my wide toothed comb and helped her detangling gently. Then another girl came to me when she approached a tangle she couln't get through and I felt like the hairy godmother :D

Aw! :D That was really sweet of you! :crush:
And maybe they'll remember to use a good ole wide-tooth comb next time they encounter a tangle. ;)

[AmethystLily]

What about all the people who treated their hair poorly (poor in the sense that it wasn't healthy for THEIR individual hair type) who eventually turned their hair health around? What were they "destined for?" Yes, hair type, hair color, texture, etc. are genetic. But that doesn't mean you can't maximize your own potential (barring medical issues). That means figuring out a routine that does suit you. It also means accepting that what someone else does may not work for you, and vice-versa. I see other people flat-ironing, blow-drying, perming, relaxing, or brushing the heck out of their hair and retaining more length than me. I know if I did those things constantly, I wouldn't even HAVE hair on my head eventually. So I stick to a routine of wash, condition, oil on ends while damp, then style in braids, twists, or updos. Any style I can leave in for a few days until next wash (I don't wash daily) is fine by me. Means I can leave it alone, focus on other things, and I retain more length.

As for simple oils/inexpensive shampoos, that does actually work better for my hair. Less product = less buildup. That means what little product I do use to seal is more effectively absorbed. Simple is often the EXACT reason some people have long, healthy manes. Benign neglect. Simple and low manip is far less damaging for my fine hair.

[AmethystLily]

What about all the people who treated their hair poorly (poor in the sense that it wasn't healthy for THEIR individual hair type) who eventually turned their hair health around? What were they "destined for?" Yes, hair type, hair color, texture, etc. are genetic. But that doesn't mean you can't maximize your own potential (barring medical issues). That means figuring out a routine that does suit you. It also means accepting that what someone else does may not work for you, and vice-versa. I see other people flat-ironing, blow-drying, perming, relaxing, or brushing the heck out of their hair and retaining more length than me. I know if I did those things constantly, I wouldn't even HAVE hair on my head eventually. So I stick to a routine of wash, condition, oil on ends while damp, then style in braids, twists, or updos. Any style I can leave in for a few days until next wash (I don't wash daily) is fine by me. Means I can leave it alone, focus on other things, and I retain more length.

As for simple oils/inexpensive shampoos, that does actually work better for my hair. Less product = less buildup. That means what little product I do use to seal is more effectively absorbed. Simple is often the EXACT reason some people have long, healthy manes. Benign neglect. Simple and low manip is far less damaging for my fine hair.

[AmethystLily]

Sorry! I didn't mean to double post! I can't figure out how to edit or delete my posts. It took forever to load the first time I tried to post, so I pressed the back button to try again.

[AmethystLily]

I would happily go back to the days when I was ignorant and carefree about my hair. You tend to worry knowing what could go wrong and such. Oh well. No turning back now. :shrug:

I wouldn't. The things I was doing (or got done at a salon) were too harsh for my hair and scalp. I fared better than a lot of other girls with my hair type, but my scalp suffered. I also had to deal with rude, scissor-happy stylists. I got sick of all that, so I'm glad I searched the internet and found sites like this. Yes, setbacks happen but at least I know what to do to fix them (if it's reversible, and other than some health issues or the harsh treatment doing extreme damage, most are).

[jacqueline101]

I don't think cheap products make your hair look bad. I'd like to say I stretch washes and my hair isn't gross looking. I think the health of your hair has to do with your health. If you do the right things eat a balanced diet, drink plenty of water, take a multi vitamin and exercise you can improve your hair because you're improving your health. Plus to maintain outwardly beautiful hair tlc is needed. You can be healthy on the inside if you're ripping your hair it's not going to look healthy on the outside.

[DreamSheep]

I think in many cases less is more, and if you find the ingredients that work well for you, it doesn't mind if a product is "cheap". Part of it will be genes, if you have thick and/or coarse hair, you can probably mistreat it a lot more without making visible dents (but it would probably look even better with better care!).

In your case - I know men can shed a bit more as a result of hormones and gender, but I wouldn't think 50-70 a day is odd. :) I've never counted hairs - but I know it is within a normal range. You can see a doctor if you are worried you might be suffering from hairloss, and see if anything is missing from your diet.
That said, your hair looks beautiful and sleek in your photo - so given a few years you'll have an even more magnificent mane :D

[lapushka]

In your case - I know men can shed a bit more as a result of hormones and gender, but I wouldn't think 50-70 a day is odd. :) I've never counted hairs - but I know it is within a normal range. You can see a doctor if you are worried you might be suffering from hairloss, and see if anything is missing from your diet.

You can lose up to 100 hairs a day, and that wouldn't be out of the ordinary. I have yet to meet someone that sheds 100 daily, though. I shed a lot, but I don't shed that much. Maybe on wash day it gets to be that much, IDK - looks like it.

[Angels+Eyeliner]

Having heard that you can loose 100 a day has made me feel great! I don't lose that much but I do sometimes look at my fingers or comb (or my one year old's hands when he grabs my hair to stop himself falling over...) and think 'eek'.

I'm with the people that say that cheap products and not regularly washing aren't bad things for lots of people. I wouldn't use expensive conditioner and shampoo just because it was expensive. If it did things that no shampoo ever did before, I would (if it was still reasonably affordable, I'm not going to dip into my book budget or quit going out for pricy stuff). But equally, if I found something in a pound shop did better than anything else I would absolutely go for that (then go and buy another book...).

[Arete]

You can lose up to 100 hairs a day, and that wouldn't be out of the ordinary. I have yet to meet someone that sheds 100 daily, though. I shed a lot, but I don't shed that much. Maybe on wash day it gets to be that much, IDK - looks like it.

*raises hand* I tend to lose 100-125 when I wash, and probably over 100/day regularly. My ponytail stays the same though :shrug:
I went through a seasonal shed in october, I swear I was shedding close to 300/day. My ponytail did go down from 4.25 to 3.8, but it's back up to normal now. Who knows?

[RainbowBowser]

Some of us just have a different endurance level as far as hair goes.
I have friends who could still beat the crap out of their hair and it still grows.
Then I have friends on my side who could never use a 2-in-1 shampoo unlike the former XD

[lapushka]

*raises hand* I tend to lose 100-125 when I wash, and probably over 100/day regularly. My ponytail stays the same though :shrug:
I went through a seasonal shed in october, I swear I was shedding close to 300/day. My ponytail did go down from 4.25 to 3.8, but it's back up to normal now. Who knows?

Maybe it was just faulty measurement because once hair is gone it takes *years* before it's long enough to fit into the "measurement ponytail" again.

[Arete]

Maybe it was just faulty measurement because once hair is gone it takes *years* before it's long enough to fit into the "measurement ponytail" again.
That's very possible. I was a little confused that it went down *that much* and then seemed normal within two months. Still, I was shedding like a cat and well over 100/day for about two weeks.

[RachelRose]

Yes I've seen a lot of girls mostly college age with really long colored obviously heat styled hair that is beautiful !!! But I Remember when I was younger I had long straight hair but wet it was a frizzy MESS and I never took good care of it :/ so in the end I don't think all our car is futile . When we do fix it it will be glorious lol :) and when we don't it will still look good and not fried dyed and flipped to the side :)

[Caraid♫]

Yes, it seems no fair when people have amazingly thick long hair when you see them treating it badly! It makes me wonder if all my care is worth it. But then I remember, I actually do love taking care of my hair regardless. I might be a bit jealous of those with hearty-unstoppable-super hair that'll withstand any abuse, but mostly I just admire their hair in awe :D

[sarahthegemini]

Taking care of hair doesn't mean washing it everyday with expensive (aka overpriced) products.

[Vijikanth]

Thanks DreamSheep, I wouldnt compare myself with anyone. I was really astonished with the difference individuals hair care. With such less care, many are bestowed with excellent hair. Well I just wanted to tell you, Iam owner of a magnificent mane. My hair is 4 and a half years without cut and the longest strand has crossed my waist making me proud. Only am finding it difficult to post photos here

[chen bao jun]

Glad you are happy, vigicanth. You need a hosting site such as photo bucket to post pics here. Looking forward to seeing yours. Some of us just shed a lot. I do. I have thick, coarse hair, it can take abuse. However, since coming in LHC it's so much better. Honestly, it always looked great, it was when you felt it that you knew it was trashed. Or didn't know. I thought I naturally had hair that felt lousy. However, I used to use that harsh shampoo, rip through it, blow dry on high, flat iron on high and curling iron on high daily. And I had a strong relaxer in my hair, too. And I still had a bunch of very thick hair that looked healthy. Because it's coarse and high density. That's the equivalent of cotton tIghts f or hair.others have the equivalent of fine denier silk stockings. It's really pointless to compare the two. really.