Desperately trying to be Rapunzel... With no avail

[Megsprocket]

I am desperately trying to grow out my hair. I can't seem to get it more than a few inches past my shoulders before it splits and I have to trim it. I try to keep it hydrated but I think it is pretty dry, and I am moving to the desert! (It is the perfect texture for beachy-waves, which it does naturally, kinda curly.) Here's the thing: I am constantly exposing it to harsh elements. I am a ski patroller by profession, so my pony tail is exposed to whipping wind and freezing temperatures all winter. Not to mention the rest of the year, swimming, climbing, camp fires, etc.

Here's what I do (that I think is hair friendly):
-Shampoo 2-3 times a week with only baking soda and only on the roots. Deep condition with a (new) aphogee brand keratin conditioner.
-use dry shampoo or wear a hat when needed
-wrap loosely in a microfiber towel after shower
-Air dry (sometimes use a hairdryer with diffuser on warm on the roots or else it will freeze)
-brush starting ends first with a boar bristle brush before bedtime
-sleep on a silk pillowcase
-sometimes use coconut oil in the ends, use a grape seed and water mix as a fly-away tamer, and egg-yogurt-honey masks
-get trims every 6 months (this I should probably do more often? I bought my own nice scissors to nip splits when I see them.)

My questions:
-Is there a hair balm I should be using on the ends to protect them from sun and wind? (Kinda like Chapstick for your hair)
-Should I braid it to keep damage minimal?
-I was using OGX brand conditioner before. Is this doing more damage to my hair?
-does the fructis split end eraser actually work? I feel like cheap drugstore stuff (ahem, the only stuff in my budget) does more long term Harm than good!
-Should I be taking biotin? I took it before and felt like it made me gain weight, but maybe that is completely unrelated.
WHY WONT IT GROW LONGER THAN MY SHOULDERS?!

[Decoy24601]

Well, it is growing longer than your shoulders, but you're cutting it because you get splits. Hair splits, it happens even to people with healthy long hair (I get tons of splits). Have you thought about microtrimming? Maybe cutting 1/4-1/2 an inch off every month or two? You could also look up S&D (hold your hair up to the light and search for splits, if you find one, cut only that single hair just above the split, and continue).

If you're moving to a dry environment, make sure you keep your hair moisturized and keep it in protective updos.

Oh, I just remembered that baking soda is very alkaline and I've heard of people getting damage because of it. (sulfates aren't evil, I swear! you can dilute store-bought shampoo in water, even sulfate free ones, to make it less harsh)

Here's some good information on baking soda from the sciency hair blog:
"The probable explanation for the positive result some people get with baking soda mixtures is related to surface chemistry as well as porosity. The alkaline baking soda solution likely disrupts or breaks down the "F layer" containing 18-MEA (the lipid-rich epicuticle - see the beginning of this post). Once this has happened, the hair is no longer as hydrophobic (water-repelling). Hair becomes more hydrophilic (water-attracting). It becomes wet more easily. There is a disrupted lipid barrier (the epicuticle is degraded or removed) that was slowing the movement of water in and out. As a result, the hair will bond with more of whichever cationic conditioner you apply. At least the first time you use conditioner after the alkaline treatment. This still isn't porosity, it's surface chemistry. You lose the natural lipid layer and replace it with commercial conditioner. Conditioners have different textural and aesthetic qualities from the oils that were on your hair before. " Source: http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.ca/2014/07/moisturizing-low-porosity-hair.html

Nothing can "mend" split ends, even products that are marketed for it, but you can help smooth over the damage on the entire hair shaft by doing protein treatments.

It also seems like you might not be moisturizing your hair enough, but I don't know.

Just some ideas, YMMV.

[Tosca]

I don't braid my hair very often, as they get all furry and I worry about damage from that. What you could do is bun or high ponytail it and tuck it under your beanie to protect it from the weather. What helped me most is the 'set and forget' hairstyling method. I cinnabunned with claw clips or u pins for literally years. Recently I have been doing a modified LWB with hairsticks for variety. I dance regularly, so any hairstyle has to be almost indestructible before I wear it. No redoing my hair every hour or two for me thankyou! I get up, do my hair, and I expect it to stay all day until I get home. I will often redo my hair more loosely after I get home, much like taking my bra off or swapping my tight jeans for trackies. A bonus of this method is most of the time you aren't worrying about how long it is, and when you next check, you often get a nice surprise :)

[pailin]

I would also not consider baking soda to be hair friendly. It's widely promoted as all-natural, but there are a lot of people who have found it dried out and destruyed their hair. So if your hair did well with whatever shampoo you used previously, I'd go back to that.
Nothing will fix split ends, but some conditioners and serums will help to prevent them. Cones in your products are helpful because they give so much slip and help prevent mechanical damage from detangling.
Braids and buns are best for protecting your hair. Ponytails get it out of your face, but don't really protect it at all, and some people get damage and breakage from their hairties as well. Braiding is generally more protective, especially when you have a lot of wind. You might also consider something like a ponyscrub to protect from sun too, since uv rays are also hard on your hair.
You mentioned deep treatments; are you also using conditioner every time you wash? If not, I would try it. If you ate, you can always condition twice.
You could also try oil, just a drop or two rubbed in your palms and then in the ends of your hair, either wet or dry.

[reilly0167]

I find protective styles such as buns help greatly in protecting ends since they are tucked away also applying a cream like shea butter helps protect ends as well.

[Mirabele]

Baking soda naybe drying your hair. It is very alkaline and harsh to hair. i would cinsider switching to shampoo and see if it may be better alternative. You do many things that sounds to be good for hair. I would aslo consider not to trim and just wait and see what happens or only cut the individual hair that have splits.
also, ponytails were the worst thing i did to my hair. That left my ends drying. It got much betyer when i started wear my hair up with my ends tucked well deep into buns. You wouldnt believe what a difference that made.

[Agnieszka]

If you spend a lots of time in freezing, windy conditions I would definitely make sure your pony tail is not exposed and covered.

[Johannah]

I'd give you some personal suggestions, obviously it's completely your decision to do with your hair whatever you want to. But this is how *I* would react if my hair would behave like this.


-Shampoo 2-3 times a week with only baking soda and only on the roots.
I'd suggest to quit the baking soda. I cannot even image what my hair would feel like if I would use this, even only on the roots. It's even used as a clarifying shampoo, so I'd be careful with that. A lot of people have damage because of it. Instead, use a normal shampoo (with or without SLS) or even CO. If you're not into CO or a non-SLS shampoo on a permanent basis (for instance because you notice build-up), you could use this 1-2x a week and use a normal shampoo once a week.

Also, do you ever wash your ends?? If you don't, try a good clarify, there might be build-up!


Deep condition with a (new) aphogee brand keratin conditioner.
Do you use this EVERY wash?? A lot of people react bad to protein, or at least definitely if you use it a lot. Especially curlies! Stop using this one and try a really moisturizing conditoner, like Hello Hydratation from Herbal Essences (note: if you are trying out CO, make sure you use a conditioner without cones or waxes).


use dry shampoo
For me personally, this makes my hair a lot dryer. So I'd watch out with this as well (unless you barely use it, off course).


wrap loosely in a microfiber towel after shower
-Air dry (sometimes use a hairdryer with diffuser on warm on the roots or else it will freeze)
-sleep on a silk pillowcase
Great, I'd definitely keep doing this!


-brush starting ends first with a boar bristle brush before bedtime

A lot of people have great results with this, but this might interact with your curls, if you have them (do you have a picture of your hair?)


-sometimes use coconut oil in the ends, use a grape seed and water mix as a fly-away tamer, and egg-yogurt-honey masks

Did you ever try oil as a pre-wash? You might like it. I'd also change the food masks with real masks, as far as I remember (I haven't been on the forum for quite a while so I might be wrong :lol:) food masks are not as effective, science says. I'd definitely check out the SMT!


get trims every 6 months (this I should probably do more often? I bought my own nice scissors to nip splits when I see them.)
You only need trims if you NEED them, there's no time schedule like a lot of hairdressers say (every 6 weeks, blablabla). If you feel you need to trim your hair, then go for it. If that's every month for now, then that's what needs to be done. But I'd first try to 'fix' your hair before making those decisions.


My questions:
-Is there a hair balm I should be using on the ends to protect them from sun and wind? (Kinda like Chapstick for your hair) I'm pretty sure there are products for heat protection with UV in there. I don't live in america so I'm not sure what products you can buy (I mostly buy regional products you can only buy here) but I'd definitely check those. Just make sure that, when you have washed and conditioned your hair, you put something in your hair (like mineral oil for instance) to lock the moisture in. Are you doing this?
-Should I braid it to keep damage minimal? Bunning, even. Try out some hair sticks (if that's possible with your profession?). I like this better to work out myself because it stays better. If that's not possible, braiding is definitely a good option.
-I was using OGX brand conditioner before. Is this doing more damage to my hair? What were the ingredients? I don't think this could really damage your hair in general, unless your hair reacts really bad on it but that's something personal off course.
-does the fructis split end eraser actually work? I feel like cheap drugstore stuff (ahem, the only stuff in my budget) does more long term Harm than good! you can NEVER fix split ends, they need to be trimmed. Period. About the drugstore stuff: I never use high-end products because 1. I don't think they are better and 2. the ones I used were crap :lol: You just need to find something that works for your hair!
-Should I be taking biotin? I took it before and felt like it made me gain weight, but maybe that is completely unrelated. No, you shouldn't. Personally, I think it's waaay more effective to just eat a healthy diet with a lot of biotin in it, rather then taking pills. But that's my opinion, off course.


WHY WONT IT GROW LONGER THAN MY SHOULDERS?!
I'd say damage. If your hair breaks, it looks like it doesn't grow.

HTH :flower:

[Calypso]

I have also heard that baking soda can be very damaging, but there are much more gentle cleansers out there if you don't want to use shampoo. I use soapnuts, which cleanse well but are quite mild and gentle, but you can also use other Indian herbs like Shikakai, or even Rhassoul clay, although that can be drying so might not be what you're looking for. It helps to follow up no-poo methods with an apple cider vinegar rinse, too, especially after something very alkaline like baking soda, as hair is acidic. ACV is conditioning, too, and makes your hair lovely and soft. :)

[turtlelover]

I used baking soda ONCE on my hair, and it took close to a month to recover. I cannot imagine the damage it would inflict if I used it all the time. That might be your culprit.

[Carolyn]

I see several red flags in what you are doing. Yes, baking soda is "natural" but it's very harsh and drying. I've tried it and will never use it on my hair again. I'll save it for scrubbing my sink. I would suggest diluting a regular shampoo of your choice or going CO for one or two of your washes each week. Your conditioner is loaded with protein and many long haired people find that too much protein can cause splitting and breakage. I've found that I can use a protein conditioner maybe twice a month at most. Find a super moisturizing conditioner. If you pony is out there flopping around in the wind and the elements, it is probably getting mechanical damage. Bun it or pin your pony securely to your head when you are outside.

[florenonite]

I wear my hair in double French braids for skiing, which I tuck into my fleece to keep them contained. It's a style that keeps my hair away from my face and out of the way and is flat enough to avoid interfering with my helmet. Maybe you could try something like that next winter?

[Megsprocket]

Thanks for the replies! I always figured shampoo was making my hair dull, flat, and dependent on shampoo. I will try to phase in actual shampoo and knock off the baking soda. And add a bit of oil to the regimine, is Argan oil good?

And it's good to know split ends aren't totally avoidable, but pinning it away from the elements is good. I can't figure out how to post a photo!

[lithostoic]

Both baking soda and boar bristle brushes damaged my hair.

Argan oil is a light oil. If that's what you're looking for, fantastic.

[vampyyri]

Baking soda instead of shampoo?? That's the first issue right there... I couldn't even imagine doing that to my hair! This paired with your conditioner that's protein heavy would definitely start to cause breakage... I would go to the drugstore and pick up a cheap-o conditioner like V05/Suave and get some moisture into your hair ASAP! Contrary to popular belief, the cheap stuff is good... my hair thrives on V05's Strawberry Conditioner! Every high-end brand that I've tried (Bedhead, Sebastian, Macadamia, CHI, Biolage) was no better than what you can get at the drugstore... you're literally paying for a fancy name is all.

[pailin]

Argan oil has a great reputation for hair. If you already have it, start there. Otherwise, it is pretty expensive so, what's in your kitchen? If you already have olive oil, you could just try that first, and if you happen to have coconut oil, do that- there are actually scientific studies for coconut oil. It penetrates hair and using it before shampoo has actually been shown to decrease protein loss (ie damage).

[yahirwaO.o]

Baking soda is the worst my scalp and hair have ever experienced! Please watch out! Dryness from that stuff is awful!!!! :run:

[Ophidian]

I had a scary time with my hair too the one time I used baking soda to clarify. If you want something gentle, there are plenty of mild sulfate-free shampoos on the market, or you can try something like WO at least part of the time (which is an actual method, not just rinsing your hair :) I love it but it's a very individual thing!) and of course there's nothing wrong with other products if they work for you. Key words being for you.

Also, a lot of outdoorsy types seem to like microfiber buffs to keep hair protected under helmets and such. You can braid or bun your hair underneath, or even just pile it in there so it's not whipping around in the wind.

[Llama]

I see several red flags in what you are doing. Yes, baking soda is "natural" but it's very harsh and drying. I've tried it and will never use it on my hair again. I'll save it for scrubbing my sink. I would suggest diluting a regular shampoo of your choice or going CO for one or two of your washes each week. Your conditioner is loaded with protein and many long haired people find that too much protein can cause splitting and breakage. I've found that I can use a protein conditioner maybe twice a month at most. Find a super moisturizing conditioner. If you pony is out there flopping around in the wind and the elements, it is probably getting mechanical damage. Bun it or pin your pony securely to your head when you are outside.

This is exactly what I was going to say. :)

[lapushka]

Here's what I do (that I think is hair friendly):
-Shampoo 2-3 times a week with only baking soda and only on the roots. Deep condition with a (new) aphogee brand keratin conditioner.
-use dry shampoo or wear a hat when needed
-wrap loosely in a microfiber towel after shower
-Air dry (sometimes use a hairdryer with diffuser on warm on the roots or else it will freeze)
-brush starting ends first with a boar bristle brush before bedtime
-sleep on a silk pillowcase
-sometimes use coconut oil in the ends, use a grape seed and water mix as a fly-away tamer, and egg-yogurt-honey masks
-get trims every 6 months (this I should probably do more often? I bought my own nice scissors to nip splits when I see them.)

My questions:
-Is there a hair balm I should be using on the ends to protect them from sun and wind? (Kinda like Chapstick for your hair)
-Should I braid it to keep damage minimal?
-I was using OGX brand conditioner before. Is this doing more damage to my hair?
-does the fructis split end eraser actually work? I feel like cheap drugstore stuff (ahem, the only stuff in my budget) does more long term Harm than good!
-Should I be taking biotin? I took it before and felt like it made me gain weight, but maybe that is completely unrelated.
WHY WONT IT GROW LONGER THAN MY SHOULDERS?!

Baking soda is *extremely* alkaline and altogether not good for the hair, especially if you don't do a vinegar rinse afterwards. You'd be better off with a regular shampoo. Honestly!

You could try the LOC/LCO method on the very ends (the link is in my signature).

S&D instead of a full trim might be a good thing to try and attempt.

[calmyogi]

Something else I see that no one else addressed. I'm not sure exactly how your using the boar bristle brush but it is NOT meant for detangling what-so-ever. It is only for brushing the scalp and moving the oils down your hair. Your suppose to detangle with a wide toothed comb first then start at the root and brush in straight strokes down towards the ends.

I would quit the baking soda and find a conditioner without protein. In your profession I would probably never wear my hair down unless it was in a braid.

[Megsprocket]

Oh man. That's really good to know about the boar bristles, and using a wide tooth to de tangle.

I have followed the baking soda up with ACV and it makes it great, it's just when it gets wet at work is smells slightly like a salad bar.

I have started CO washing (is this applied to roots, too? I just do about 3/4 of the length of my hair.) and it already looks better. I think it is getting happier!!

[Tosca]

CO washing is for the scalp as well. There is a thread on it somewhere....

Aha! Link: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=2898

[Iamsiam]

Instead if baking soda, use normal shampoo with an occasional apple cider vinegar rinse