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Kae612
March 31st, 2019, 06:56 AM
I’ve been away from LHC since I had to cut my hair in September. It was almost tailbone but it was falling out in clumps to the point even my tangle teezer was getting stuck and it was really upsetting and difficult to get the clumps out of my length. It was low iron likely as well as weight loss that triggered it (source: my doctor). I didn’t continue losing weight & I've started supplements for iron and things seem normal again. However I have this new hair length I don’t know how to care for!

My hair is a mixture of like 1b/2a bits. On a wash day I’ll have some near ringlets and also dead straight pieces and some slight waves it’s kind of hilarious - once it’s brushed it’s just all poof. I actually like it best on day 4 or so because it gets oily enough to calm down a bit and looks cute imho.

I don’t think it’s quite wavy enough to try the CG method, and I really can’t because I rely on sulphate shampoos for dandruf control (2.5% selenium sulfide). However I’ve found most conditioners or oils I try to use now are giving me scalp acne!

My hair is still so short I can’t just condition the length because it’s all around my scalp anyway. And If conditioner touches my scalp, I start getting pimples! But if I use my heavy duty sulfate Shampoo and no conditioning it looks and feels very rough. The hair is dull and tangle prone. It’s just not nice. But I don’t want pimples!

I only know 3 products that do not work. cone-free: anything by LiveClean gives me a bad reaction, when I tried their shampoos they made my dandruff much worse than when I use other non-dandruff shampoos, and their conditioners also do the pimple thing. OGX’s silicone free Shea soft & smooth. Coney: garnier fructis sleek & shine. Also just using argan oil also gives me scalp pimples!

I used all these products with my long hair no problem, but I do need some conditioning on my shoulder length hair. Any suggestions would be appreciated!!!

lithostoic
March 31st, 2019, 07:10 AM
What about not using any conditioner during a wash, and then applying a leave-in on dry hair?

lapushka
March 31st, 2019, 08:50 AM
I don’t think it’s quite wavy enough to try the CG method, and I really can’t because I rely on sulphate shampoos for dandruf control (2.5% selenium sulfide). However I’ve found most conditioners or oils I try to use now are giving me scalp acne!

My hair is still so short I can’t just condition the length because it’s all around my scalp anyway. And If conditioner touches my scalp, I start getting pimples! But if I use my heavy duty sulfate Shampoo and no conditioning it looks and feels very rough. The hair is dull and tangle prone. It’s just not nice. But I don’t want pimples!

I only know 3 products that do not work. cone-free: anything by LiveClean gives me a bad reaction, when I tried their shampoos they made my dandruff much worse than when I use other non-dandruff shampoos, and their conditioners also do the pimple thing. OGX’s silicone free Shea soft & smooth. Coney: garnier fructis sleek & shine. Also just using argan oil also gives me scalp pimples!

I used all these products with my long hair no problem, but I do need some conditioning on my shoulder length hair. Any suggestions would be appreciated!!!

I WCC. Double condition after a drying sulfate shampoo. I have to use Nizoral 2% and the method was kind of born from that part. Due to the drying shampoos.

I would only condition ears down. Do NOT let conditioner touch your scalp, under any circumstances.

Kae612
March 31st, 2019, 10:30 AM
I WCC. Double condition after a drying sulfate shampoo. I have to use Nizoral 2% and the method was kind of born from that part. Due to the drying shampoos.

I would only condition ears down. Do NOT let conditioner touch your scalp, under any circumstances.

When my hair gets to be BSL that will be easy, and it’s what I did when I had my tailbone length hair. The problem is that my hair is just shoulder length and it’s not really possible to do that. Conditioner will and does get on my scalp, even a leave-in. I don’t touch it intentionally but it just gets on the back of my head anyway.

Would maybe a CO-wash conditioner that’s like meant to go on scalps be safe?

I really can’t go completely conditioner free because of the drying shampoos, it’s really quite bad.

lapushka
March 31st, 2019, 11:32 AM
When my hair gets to be BSL that will be easy, and it’s what I did when I had my tailbone length hair. The problem is that my hair is just shoulder length and it’s not really possible to do that. Conditioner will and does get on my scalp, even a leave-in. I don’t touch it intentionally but it just gets on the back of my head anyway.

Would maybe a CO-wash conditioner that’s like meant to go on scalps be safe?

I really can’t go completely conditioner free because of the drying shampoos, it’s really quite bad.

If it is just shoulder length, I would not condition.

I didn't until hitting about APL.

A CO-wash isn't that much different from regular conditioner but for the fact that it might have a slight surfactant.

Kae612
March 31st, 2019, 05:57 PM
If it is just shoulder length, I would not condition.

I didn't until hitting about APL.

A CO-wash isn't that much different from regular conditioner but for the fact that it might have a slight surfactant.

Without conditioner it’s a really dull, tangled thing. Eugh.

akurah
March 31st, 2019, 07:38 PM
How often do you stretch your washes? I'm not sure if your dandruff or short length will permit this, but I don't wash until it's super oily and stringy, and when I do wash, it's Head and Shoulders because it's possibly the only thing that both my scalp and hair agree on. And only scalp gets washed, I try my best to keep it off my length.

I do this because I can't use conditioner despite my best attempts at doing it "right", so I'm basically trying to rely on my sebum to condition my hair since I can't use conditioner without my hair complaining (tangles and lint problems) and I can't go water-only because my skin won't have it.

lapushka
April 1st, 2019, 07:50 AM
Without conditioner it’s a really dull, tangled thing. Eugh.

I don't quite see if you just "dot" the ends in conditioner, how that can get on the scalp? Even shoulder. I mean if you don't rub it on the scalp it should be fine, no?

spidermom
April 1st, 2019, 08:42 AM
Have you tried bending forward so that all your hair is falling toward your feet, then conditioning? You can use a small amount on shoulder length hair, maybe a pinto bean size. Rub between palms, then catch length between your hands and apply, rake the conditioner through avoiding the scalp. Rinse in the same position.

milosmomma
April 1st, 2019, 09:21 AM
Have you tried bending forward so that all your hair is falling toward your feet, then conditioning? You can use a small amount on shoulder length hair, maybe a pinto bean size. Rub between palms, then catch length between your hands and apply, rake the conditioner through avoiding the scalp. Rinse in the same position.

Great idea, seconding. You can condition even more lengths this way while still avoiding the scalp. Traditional ears down will have you conditioning some scalp/nape area but flipped you can avoid that. I'm not sure how long you are, but tangling could be an issue when you flip back to upright position though. Best luck!

lapushka
April 1st, 2019, 09:49 AM
Have you tried bending forward so that all your hair is falling toward your feet, then conditioning? You can use a small amount on shoulder length hair, maybe a pinto bean size. Rub between palms, then catch length between your hands and apply, rake the conditioner through avoiding the scalp. Rinse in the same position.

That is how I always wash, which is probably the reason I don't "get" why it gets on the scalp. Sorry for not getting it. :)

Kae612
April 2nd, 2019, 06:11 PM
Great idea, seconding. You can condition even more lengths this way while still avoiding the scalp. Traditional ears down will have you conditioning some scalp/nape area but flipped you can avoid that. I'm not sure how long you are, but tangling could be an issue when you flip back to upright position though. Best luck!

Yes, I’ve tried that! My hair is shoulder length with a slight wave (combo 1b/2a bits). I’ve tried the flip & scrunch and it just somehow does get on my scalp/neck anyway. Less this way for sure though. I’ve started just doing it for special events because then my hair looks nice. But if I want to go a week without itchiness and dandruff I need to not touch it, which leaves my hair very tangled and rather dull looking, which I really don’t like.

MusicalSpoons
April 2nd, 2019, 06:32 PM
Ooh, could you try rinsing with something like marshmallow or slippery elm? They're apparently very good for slip :)

Kae612
April 2nd, 2019, 06:34 PM
Ooh, could you try rinsing with something like marshmallow or slippery elm? They're apparently very good for slip :)

Maybe! Do you think they could cause acne like oils?

MusicalSpoons
April 2nd, 2019, 06:40 PM
Maybe! Do you think they could cause acne like oils?

I really don't know - the rinse would be water infused with whatever chemicals that gives them their slippery properties, but I don't know what those are. I would assume probably not but I honestly couldn't say with any certainty, sorry.

There are some herbs people use for both conditioning and for scalp health (catnip comes to mind, unless I'm confusing it with something else) but that would be something to really research before attempting anything :flower:

Kae612
April 2nd, 2019, 07:39 PM
I really don't know - the rinse would be water infused with whatever chemicals that gives them their slippery properties, but I don't know what those are. I would assume probably not but I honestly couldn't say with any certainty, sorry.

There are some herbs people use for both conditioning and for scalp health (catnip comes to mind, unless I'm confusing it with something else) but that would be something to really research before attempting anything :flower:

Thanks for the tips - I’ll scroll through the herbal/natural threads to see what I find on those two!