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View Full Version : Thin, fine hair and a dry climate?



leilan
May 17th, 2017, 02:55 PM
Hey all! I've been scarce lately due to being in a 'use up all my products' phase and spending time on here just makes me buy more. :rolleyes:

So I've been on my long hair journey for years now, but I've yet to find those products that make the best of the hair I've got. Adding to the complications, my hair decided to change type about 1.5 years ago- I've got waves/curls about down to my chin, then the rest is mostly straight. And to top it all off, I've just moved back to dry, dry Colorado from humid Texas.

Any thoughts on how to keep my dry hair moisturized? My hair is thin and fine, so I have to be very stingy with the amount of anything I put in it. Currently I wash every 3rd or 4th day and put in a pea-sized amount of leave-in and seal that in with a bit of camellia oil. If I try to mist my hair and reseal on a non-wash day, I get greasy. My hair doesn't seem to absorb much, and if I'm at all heavy-handed I'm left looking stringy until the next wash.

I'm wondering if I might have to start washing more often, like every other day or maybe even every day.

Also, is aloe vera something to be avoided in dry climates? I was considering trying Toadstool shampoo but it has aloe in it. Not sure if adding a humectant would worsen things or not.

Honestly, I don't even know what to do for my hair. I've never found something that makes it 'happy', the way so many folks on here discover what ingredients to use/avoid. Any thoughts are appreciated!

leilan
May 17th, 2017, 07:49 PM
...Bueller?

Sarahlabyrinth
May 17th, 2017, 07:58 PM
Have you tried SMT?

leilan
May 17th, 2017, 08:26 PM
Oh yes, I've done SMTs. That kind of ties in to my question about humectants, since honey and aloe vera are humectants. The SMTs leave my hair exactly the same as it was before I did them.

neko_kawaii
May 17th, 2017, 08:46 PM
I would not use a humectant as a leave in, but I've never had an issue as a SMT. My hair likes coconut oil as a leave in over night and washed out with a SMT the next day.

WillOTree
May 17th, 2017, 09:28 PM
Coloradan here. I don't have thin hair per se, but it is on the finer side. What I've found my hair likes is this:
-oiling once every one to two weeks
-shampoo and conditioner with suave every two to three days, CO wash with suave in between, or
-shampoo bars. Trying them out, loving it so far. I got the super moisturizing ones from chagrin valley. So far with them I wash every other day, and use suave conditioner afterwards.

I get pretty fluffy on wash day but second day hair is great, not too greasy but less fluffy, and I usually find on 3rd day hair I need to wash (unless it's the weekend and I'm feeling lazy)
-i only add a little jojoba if my fly away need it (lately, not so much) as it doesn't look stringy and lank hours later. I use maybe pea size.

I hope I helped!

Shorty89
May 17th, 2017, 10:02 PM
Do you have a humidifier in your house? I find that if I make sure there's some humidity in the house before doing a SMT or any sort of "sealing moisture in" treatment, that it helps.

leilan
May 17th, 2017, 10:52 PM
Coloradan here. I don't have thin hair per se, but it is on the finer side. What I've found my hair likes is this: -oiling once every one to two weeks -shampoo and conditioner with suave every two to three days, CO wash with suave in between, or -shampoo bars. Trying them out, loving it so far. I got the super moisturizing ones from chagrin valley. So far with them I wash every other day, and use suave conditioner afterwards. I get pretty fluffy on wash day but second day hair is great, not too greasy but less fluffy, and I usually find on 3rd day hair I need to wash (unless it's the weekend and I'm feeling lazy) -i only add a little jojoba if my fly away need it (lately, not so much) as it doesn't look stringy and lank hours later. I use maybe pea size. I hope I helped! This does help, thanks for sharing what works for you! I actually have several sample shampoo bars already. They didn't work so well down in, but maybe I'll have more success in. I've been planning on using up my current shampoo and then giving them another try. COwashing, the few times I've tried it, has been shed city. I haven't got a ton of hair to start with, so losing any excess is terrible!
Do you have a humidifier in your house? I find that if I make sure there's some humidity in the house before doing a SMT or any sort of "sealing moisture in" treatment, that it helps. I don't actually have one, though I really ought to. We didn't replace our last one when it broke. I'll definitely look into this, since it would be good for multiple things, not just hair.

pandabarrier
May 18th, 2017, 04:43 AM
Sometimes I add aloe vera juice on my ACV rinse (after shampoo, before last conditioner). It helps retain moisture without weighing down my hair.