Hair wisdom 2016

[yamsha23]

Hello my fairies, the year is ending a few hours... (Hooraaaaaaay!) :kitten:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=25701&d=1483192952

I thought we could share a few "hair wisdom" facts/tricks/advices we've learnt this year, the most important ones, the ones that could benefit other fairies !

Here are mine:

1) I love the coconut milk hair mask but don't do it very often because I always use half of the can, and the rest of it (I say I will make a cake but I'm too lazy to really take action) rot in 48 hours, what a waste.... I finally understood that you simply can use the FREEZER ! For all your masks, henna preparations, infinite options.. love your freezer!

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=25704&d=1483195518


2) Ginger juice is my number 1 hair growth' secret. Every winter, I do this for a month: three time a week, I extract the juice of a fresh ginger root and put it on my head for an hour or two (it's hoooot :twisted:) then rinse, results guaranteed. This winter I was lazy and tried just massaging my scalp with ginger essential oil diluted in mustard oil but it's not as effective...

3) Beware of S&D. I prefer trimming an inch every six month and forgetting about the split ends than having hairs pointing in all directions and no hemline....

Share your wisdom ! :cheer:

[Arctic]

Nice idea for a thread!

Alas I can't think any wisdoms learned this year, but maybe these oldie and goldie ones could be repeated: accept and enjoy your hair, and be patient with it!

[Cannelle]

That's such a nice idea. I'm interested in reading what everyone else has to say.

1) I should be generous with the amount of conditioner and masks I use. The more, the better.
2) Contrary to what I've read before, frequent washes don't dry my hair and scalp out. Any scalp problems I used to have vanished ever since I started washing my hair twice a week instead of only once a week.
3) My hair loves masks that have both amodimethicone and oils among the first ingredients.

[LadyCelestina]

I don't have really have any 2016 secrets, but I tried cassia for the first time around two weeks ago so I have this wisdom- do give cassia a try! :D Just wanted to say that your hair looks awesome in these pics :D

[spidermom]

Even if you loved your long hair, cutting it won't necessarily cause regret. I agonized over cutting mine for years, finally did, and love it.

[Eas693]

Life happens. I thought I was going to break down when a child cut off a very large portion of my hair. This led me to having to shave part of my head and basically start over fresh. However, my hair is now 100% healthy and growing in beautiful (just reaching chin).

2016 has taught me to look at the silver lining and just accept where I am at and enjoy it!

Braids, buns, and updos are a serious talent w d now I get to grow in techniques as my hair grows :-)

Cheers
Happy New Years

[yamsha23]

1) I should be generous with the amount of conditioner and masks I use. The more, the better.

Haha! For me it's the exact opposite! No need to be too generous with oils and masks: a little bit does the job. What's important is regularity :smile:

[yamsha23]

I don't have really have any 2016 secrets, but I tried cassia for the first time around two weeks ago so I have this wisdom- do give cassia a try! :D Just wanted to say that your hair looks awesome in these pics :D

Thank youuuuuu :inlove: that's the darkest my hair has ever been, it must be the products I use. I normally am a dark blond. And I was tempted by cassia but too scared of getting a yellowish glow impossible to remove, didn't find any convincing before/after cassia pictures on the internet. I miss the blondness a lot, thinking about trying honey/cinnamon treatments soon. :)

[Anje]

My usual advice as always: experiment, but always pay attention to what your hair actually likes and doesn't like. If your hair clearly does not appreciate a certain wash method or product, no matter how much others swear it's the ultimate perfect thing, then it doesn't like it. You can't really force your hair or scalp to like something.

What I've personally learned recently? If you're going to bleach, seriously, do a bleach shampoo. It's slower and far milder.

[HeartofHaleth]

Sort of working off of what Anje said, your "perfect routine" can change! If the methods that have worked for you in the past all of a sudden aren't working, don't feel obligated to stick with them! Growing healthy hair can often be like one continuous experiment!

Happy New Year, everybody! Onward and upward (or downward, as the case may be :p) to dream hair! :cheer:

[Nique1202]

Sometimes, it's just not good to plan too far ahead. It's easy to get ahead of yourself, either getting impatient for length and spending $$$$ trying to get better growth, or stressing out over problems you might run into down the road with brushes/silicones/sulfates/parabens/the outrage product du jour. Take life as it comes, deal with what's on your head now, and try to have fun with the process instead of getting frustrated about what hasn't happened yet.

On that note, if you dislike something about your hair that can only be solved by trimming it (be it layers or damage), it's really hard to be happy if you don't let yourself trim at all. Some people can do it, especially if you want to gain length more than you want to fix the problem, but at least in my case I was at a length that I was comfortable enough with and tried to keep gaining length instead of addressing the problems with my hemline. Not gonna let that happen again.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Just be gentle and patient with your hair. :) No need to be in a hurry, enjoy the journey.

[Annalouise]

My advice for those who don't like having perfumed hair - stick with "fragrance free" labeled products and don't deviate. I just end up waisting a ton of money. Manufacturers are getting sneeky. Just because a product doesn't have "fragrance" or "natural fragrance" on the label - wait, that doesn't mean its not stinky! You have to read the ingredients CAREFULLY. Things like "extracts" and "oils" can be perfumes, and strong one's at that. :tbear:

[cgirl]

I learned:
Never go to the hair stylist unless you really, really trust them.
Never get a perm.
If you like your hair, leave it be.

[school of fish]

I'll dispense the same wisdom I try to live every day: love your own hair for what it is, right now :) No use comparing it to any one else's, no use wishing for someone else's texture or length or colour or any other quality... you can look ahead and work to your goals, but be sure to love it along the way, in the now, because now is all any of us has ;)

[Moonfall]

3) Beware of S&D. I prefer trimming an inch every six month and forgetting about the split ends than having hairs pointing in all directions and no hemline....

That sounds like something I should keep in mind, too. It will be hard because I can't stand those nasty little splits... but if it could lead to a fuller hemline, I really need to try it!

[yamsha23]

Sometimes, it's just not good to plan too far ahead. It's easy to get ahead of yourself, either getting impatient for length and spending $$$$ trying to get better growth, or stressing out over problems you might run into down the road with brushes/silicones/sulfates/parabens/the outrage product du jour. Take life as it comes, deal with what's on your head now, and try to have fun with the process instead of getting frustrated about what hasn't happened yet.
E.X.A.C.T :toast:

[Jadeslonghair]

Somethings that have really improved my hair this year are: hempseed oil for softening and deep conditioning, and avocado oil. I blend them with almond and a little castor to make a perfect consistency.

Wearing my hair in buns and braids, and being aware of it snagging on clothing ect. Also training my boyfriend to respect my hair and treat it like golden threads >_< (he could be a little rough with it at times..) UM. Washing it less and mixing it with my washes 2-3 times with a natural organic shampoo and then on the rare occasion using a sls shampoo. The balance has been working very well for my hair!

Trims every 3-4 months with abit less than an inch taken off.

Oh, and the satin pillow has made a huge difference! I really like Lush's RnB hair cream too.. using low temperature in the shower and generally keeping my hair hydrated X

[vampyyri]

1) Listen to your hair, it's not always what you want, it's what it wants... it has a mind of its own :lol:
2) Wearing your hair up really helps to not obsess over stalls and such, and reduces damage tenfold.
3) Oils are not evil like I originally thought, it's moreso which oils work best for you (for me it's a Nightblooming blend of Sunflower, Avocado, Rosehip, Hemp, and Jojoba) Also, pre-poos are awesome!
4) Finger combing is my best friend, I've eliminated mechanical damage completely.
5) Growing is not a race, it's a journey. I was freaking out when my increased growth rate slowed down by being like "Now I won't hit my goal by X", but who really cares? As long as I get there and enjoy the ride, who cares how long it takes?

[Greenfire]

Shampoo goes down the drain, so spending less on it so long as it's working, allows you to spend more on the things that stay on your hair! Conditioner, toys... whatever!

Let your loved one run their fingers through your hair, or massage your head even if it pulls and you're worried about tangles. Teach them to be gentle, and trust that what you get out of the caresses far outweighs any imagined damage they might be doing. (still learning this one) They love you, and their touch is good for you both.

Don't stick with something because you want it to work, really really want it to work. If it's not working, it doesn't matter how much time and effort you put into it, it's time to try something else.

When someone gives you a compliment, say thankyou. It's one of the nicest things to receive and it's a nice thing for the person who gave it to have done. Sometimes you can be feeling really low about something (your hair for example!) and all it takes is one person to change your whole day and make you feel better about things! Do that for others too, you never know when you'll make someone's day. (and thanks again to those who did this for me recently!)

[Dark40]

I have learned a lot of hair wisdom on youtube about hot oil treatments. Plus, this is something I've been doing since I was a young teenager.

You take 2 tablespoonful of TCB hair conditioner
2 tablespoonful of vitamin E oil
Heat it in the microwave or on the stove to a comfortable temperature. Then, you apply it all over your hair and scalp. Then, you shampoo it out using any cheap sulfate shampoo up to 3-5 times, and then you use a conditioner afterwards.

[Shiranshoku]

Wrap your hair in a scarf for sleeping, or wear a sleeping cap. The difference in how your hair will look in the morning is dramatic!

[Kat-Rinnè Naido]

I just love this thread.
For me regular deep treatment and or pre-wash oil soaks have helped. Oh, and yes a satin bonnet for sleeping, cooking and just lazing.

[lapushka]

Just my old saying, "It's about what your hair/scalp wants, not about what you want for your hair/scalp!"

It's still as valid as ever. I feel that a lot of people with scalp issues have joined the troops here, and so... yeah. What more can I say?

[yamsha23]

4) Finger combing is my best friend, I've eliminated mechanical damage completely.

I had forgotten about that one! Important 2016 discovery for me :)
It eliminated lots of damage and tied a sort of special relationship with my mane ^^ :yinyang:

[yamsha23]

Share your wisdom!!! What have you learned this year? :cheese:

[Strands]

Mine is fairly short, maybe basic.

1) Using an invigorating rinse, like green tea on my clean scalp in the shower really helps growth.
2) Detangling in conditioner during washes pretty much is more than enough slip to avoid all ripping.
3) Keeping your hair moisturized is basically the secret to life.
4) Wearing hair up is freedom, and easier than I thought.

:) I hope everyone gets lots of growth this year! :bottomsup:

[hayheadsbird]

Acv rinses work really well for me.
Finger detangling rocks!
My hair likes a mild sls shampoo over the sls free ones I've tried, but not so keen on coney conditioners.
Coconut oil is not my friend.
Kimberlilys de frizz spray is amazing and gives me curls!