Question for all the knee length ladies...

[AutobotsAttack]

Well it's actually more than one question, and the TBL, Classic, and Thigh length ladies can comment as well.
as my hair gets longer, (I'm gonna be growing until I reach thigh or knee myself), I was wondering what specific routines you guys follow? Gossamer and Lapushka
were ever so kind as to enlighten me on what their routines consist of and thanks guys! But i do have some more questions:

do any of you guys struggle with dandruff? I do and so far using essential oils has helped a little.
do you guys use phates? Or cones?
do any of you guys practice moisturizing and sealing the longer lengths of your hair?
do you guys sleep with anything to protect your hair at night?
as far as buns go, which ones are the most comfy? ( I recently attempted a smaller version of a cinnamon bun and my scalp was very tender.
how do you all detangle?
do you use mainly combs or BBBs?
Do you guys henna? Has it helped in length retention in any way?

I'm just curious because I wanna at least have some guidelines as my hair gets longer. And I do have hair sticks and forks and a couple of Quattros. However my hair isn't long enough to
use the Quattros or sticks yet.

[CurlyCap]

There is a knee-length and beyond thread. Might be a good read.

I found it really helpfulafter I joined LHC to always read the thread for my length and also to peak in on the thread one length ahead of me. So in the shoulder length thread, I also peaked in on the BSL length thread. It kept me on track but wasn't overwhelming because the people didn't have....3 feet?!...more hair than I did.

Good luck!

[kaylenfalse]

I don't have very long hair, but have you ever done a prescription dandruff shampoo? I had dandruff problems for years and years and then I got a prescription for a small bottle, used it up, and then I haven't had a significant dandruff issue since. Maybe by treating the problem effectively you can make it go away completely. It may dry out your hair, I don't remember my experience with it. But it could be worth looking into.

[RoseofCimarron]

I used to have knee-length hair, but I cut it to TBL about 1 1/2 years ago. I don't know if we have the same hair type (mine is picky as the day is long), but I'll try to answer your questions...

Do any of you guys struggle with dandruff? I do and so far using essential oils has helped a little.
Yes, I did and still do! I have never found a dandruff shampoo that worked for more than a couple weeks, so (little bit TMI here) I just gently scratch my scalp over the sink until there is no visible dandruff. It would be much worse than it is if I washed my hair normally. My hair was so heavy when wet that I would double it up over my shoulders, and that made it so I could move the top of my hair around while washing it.

Do you guys use phates? Or cones?
I don't use either. My hair just doesn't like them! I use Nature's Gate henna shampoo & conditioner and some diluted apple cider vinegar.

Do any of you guys practice moisturizing and sealing the longer lengths of your hair?

Nope. I'm kind of a boring person when it comes to my hair. :) My hair turns up its nose at oil treatments, and I realized that most commercial "moisturizing treatments" are really just a bunch of cones and chemicals, so I just let my hair be.

Do you guys sleep with anything to protect your hair at night?

Not really. I don't move very much in my sleep, so I put it above my pillow before I go to bed and it is usually there in the morning. I have never really been a fan of sleep braids, and after I heard Crystal Gayle say that was what she did (putting her hair above her pillow) I figured that if it worked for her it might work for me.

As far as buns go, which ones are the most comfy? ( I recently attempted a smaller version of a cinnamon bun and my scalp was very tender.

Personally, I think buns get more comfortable as you gain length, because then you don't need to make them so tight to get them to stay. I like the nautilus bun with sticks best, I wear it almost every day, and every once in a while I will wear a braided cinnabun for when I am working out. My favorite bun though is the flipped cinnabun. I think it looks so beautiful, but I can never get it to work on my hair! :( Eh, c'est la vie.

How do you all detangle?

Very carefully! I probably wasn't as careful as most people, because I have a seamed plastic comb and I often woke up late for school. I know a lot of people on here comb/brush their hair when it is wet, but my hair only likes me to comb it when it is dry. What I do is I divide my hair into two sections (like I would for pigtails) and then start combing the bottom 6-8 inches of each section. After that I section each half into smaller handfuls of hair and comb up each one starting from the bottom, then after it is all combed out I pull the two halves of my hair behind me and comb the back a little, just to make sure I got all the tangles out. Then up into the bun it goes! :laugh:

Do you use mainly combs or BBBs?

I mainly use combs, but I did use a BBB for the top of my hair to hide/get rid of dandruff flakes near my hairline.

Do you guys henna? Has it helped in length retention in any way?

I don't henna, but technically I use henna. It is in my shampoo and conditioner, and the ACV does make my hair turn redder.

Other tips: I am a big supporter of "Find what your hair likes, then leave it alone and it will grow," because that is basically what I did. If I hadn't gotten bored with it, I am sure I could have grown it down to the floor with this method. I just found what my hair liked (after quite a bit of experimenting), trimmed it when I felt it needed it, and put it up almost constantly. As to the question about sticks and forks, I have never used anything but Ketylo sticks and Eaduard Hairsticks sticks (both of which I love so much!), so I don't know much about Quattros, but the more length you have the easier they will be to use. You might want to invest in a Ficcare though, it would help you keep your hair up without pins/sticks until it gets long enough. Good luck! :D

[lapushka]

I have SD (seborrheic dermatitis), so yes at times there are flakes (not quite the same as dandruff). You do have to establish if it is "just" dandruff or if it is SD. If you itch at all and get red patches, it's more than dandruff.

I do use silicones, but only (mostly) in my conditioners and leave-in products (LOC method for sealing the hair and moisture).

I don't especially protect my hair at night. I do have a microfiber pillowcase and a polyester one, softer than regular cotton.

I still only wear my lazy wrap bun, because so far that's about the only bun that works on my iii hair.

I detangle once a week, right before a wash. First a WT comb, then a TT brush. Hair is separated into two sections for it. After the wash, when hair comes out of the towel, it is separated into two parts and carefully detangled with a WT comb. NO brush after! I don't use a BBB as that is a *bad* idea on textured (wavy, curly) hair.

I don't use henna as my hair hates it (gets dry). My hair is protein sensitive, though. A little, yes, but a lot, no.