Tips for a newbie

[Byebyebleach]

Calling upon all your many wisdoms LHC. I am a total newb at growing my hair, I have never consciously thought about growing my hair which is how I have ended up with ruined bleached, hair that I have had to chop to shoulder length to get rid of most of the peroxide.

So please throw all of your tips on this thread, what you think works, what doesn't, what is a myth, what is fact. How to keep hair from splitting. How to keep it healthy. How to make it grow. Products you like. Products you hate. Surprising tips. Obvious tips. Completely wacko tips. Anything and everything you can think because I have no clue.

Thanks Lisa. :rolling::rolling:

[Arctic]

Welcome! My best tip: read and participate the threads :) And second: learn to know your hair. Happy growing and enjoy the journey! (That was the third tip!)

[Tosca]

When your hair is long enough, buns are your friend. Also, be gentle when detangling, none of that awful ripping motion. Start from the bottom! I currently use a wide tooth comb to get tangles out, followed by a medium tooth comb to get shed hair and small knots out.

With regard to bleached hair, a good place to start is with a protein treatment (redken anti snap, at home gelatine etc), and maybe look into CO washing, where you use conditioner as shampoo. There is a big thread on it in the "Useful Links - hair help" sticky at the top of the forums.

[OhSuzi]

There's a thread for just about every length goal, super shorties pixies and buzz cuts growing their hair out, one for chin to shoulder length etc.
There a thread for growing the bleach out.
There are threads on tips for growing in general & what works & what people think is faddy.
So join some of these and get reading / chattin.

In the same way there's no real rocket science to getting slim n healthy - the basics are
eat obviously healthy fruit n veg n cut back on cakes & do exercise - everything else is either an extension on this, or goes into the realms of silly fads.

Same with hair - it grows at a basic rate (a very generalised average of half an inch a month) being your healthiest self, stress free, exercised and eating healthy food will help your hair be at its best. There's NO QUICK FIX! magic hair tonics and special pills and eating only cheese and melting it on your head every day will be unlikely to help.

Obvious ways to avoid damage like don't bleach it or put anything with amonia on, don't back comb it or chop at your own hair with a blunt bic razor etc.

Best tip don't go to the hairdressers every 5 minutes. Get a decent cut so you've got rid of all/majority of any hair damage & then don't go back for trims, just let it grow. If you are looking after it well, you get very few split ends - I have not had a cut for 6 months my hair has grown from pixie to chin/shoulder - I do check, but have spotted less than 10 split ends. Admittedly its grown out of any style so I'll give it another couple of months before going to the hairdressers just to get it evened up - but a lot of people on here either chop individual splits as they see them and/or do their own little trims (with proper hairdresser / super sharp scissors - so they're very much in control of how much hair gets chopped.

The thing you are mostly going to need to grow your hair is patience and mostly trying to forget about growing it!

[likelikepenny]

- Listen to your hair; Your hair will like what it likes, not necessarily what you like for it, don't fight against it
- Don't fight against your texture or thickness (or lack there of) it's counterproductive and makes the journey harder
- Be proud and happy of how far you've come, even when it seems like you'll never get to where you want to be or where others who you admire, are.
- Be gentle when handling your hair
- Enjoy your journey!

ETA: Also, welcome to LHC!

[lapushka]

Yes, just settle in a bit and start exploring the threads. :flower:

Tips? There's too many to name! Really. I would have to type up the whole forum. ;)

[Kat-Rinnè Naido]

Welcome.
You have received all good advice.
All I can say is happy growing, good luck, enjoy your hair growing experience, don't try everything at once. As what may works for one may not work for another as your mileage may vary. Get comfortable and enjoy reading up as much as you can. There is a lot to learn from here at LHC.

[Jettabar99]

The best tip i picked up - buy fun hair toys.....

[Mrstran]

Something I learned pretty quick, don't try just anything on your hair. Be cautious, even if it sounds great. I tried Castile soap and Jamaican black castor oil (clairifying shampoo) and they flash dried my hair. Now I cannot use shampoo without my hair sticking together like Velcro. I now have to condition wash only. Also, I've never tried shampoo bars but I hear some of them can dry out your hair as well. I'm telling you this because like my hair, your hair has been bleached also. Better safe then sorry.
Ask around if a product is too drying before using it. :)

I use a ton of moisture conditioner, and hair masks. Plus a protein treatment every so often. They have helped me a lot.

Happy growing!

[likelikepenny]

Something I learned pretty quick, don't try just anything on your hair. Be cautious, even if it sounds great. I tried Castile soap and Jamaican black castor oil (clairifying shampoo) and they flash dried my hair. Now I cannot use shampoo without my hair sticking together like Velcro. I now have to condition wash only. Also, I've never tried shampoo bars but I hear some of them can dry out your hair as well. I'm telling you this because like my hair, your hair has been bleached also. Better safe then sorry.
Ask around if a product is too drying before using it. :)

I use a ton of moisture conditioner, and hair masks. Plus a protein treatment every so often. They have helped me a lot.

Happy growing!

You just have to watch out for PH balance, especially when using DIY concoctions. i replaced my shampoo with ACV but I'm comfortable with it because it has the same PH as my hair. Definitely do your research.

[Mrstran]

You just have to watch out for PH balance, especially when using DIY concoctions. i replaced my shampoo with ACV but I'm comfortable with it because it has the same PH as my hair. Definitely do your research.

Likelikepenny is right on it.



Likelikepenny, You are so lucky to have options for hair treatment and such. Lol. I'm stuck to very few things now because of products too harsh for my hairs burned out condition. I guess as you have put it, the balance is off. But then again due to the bleach it was wrecked to begin with. Ugh you'd cringe if you seen the hairs breaking off when I brushed. There was no saving it.

[likelikepenny]

Likelikepenny is right on it.



Likelikepenny, You are so lucky to have options for hair treatment and such. Lol. I'm stuck to very few things now because of products too harsh for my hairs burned out condition. I guess as you have put it, the balance is off. But then again due to the bleach it was wrecked to begin with. Ugh you'd cringe if you seen the hairs breaking off when I brushed. There was no saving it.

Lessons learned I guess? And believe me, I fell prey to the baking soda shampoo, so I know what you mean about hair breaking off due to dryness.