Brand New Member: Recommendations for a starting point?

[gorgi.d]

Hello Everyone!

Like the title said, I am brand new. All these threads are making my head spin and im having difficultly figuring out where to start... I would love recommendations for shampoo, conditioner, oils/treatments I can purchase. I just ran out of all of my products and I'd love to restock with recommended products from this community!

I have pin straight hair with medium thickness. The ends are a little dry but not splitting and the rest of my hair doesnt have a problem with moisture or dryness. Also, is there an affordable hairbrush that i should know about that great for long hair?

I just really need a good starting point as all of this information is making my head spin! Links to helpful threads would be great as well. Im still learning about navigating this community!

[Ylva]

Welcome to the forum! :)

Sounds like your hair isn't awfully problematic. That's great - it probably means it isn't too picky about what products you use. There's no way of really telling what you should try, so you really just need to go shopping and maybe pick up small bottles of different types of products to test on your hair. Starting with cheap products is totally fine, there are lots of people here who prefer to use cheap products on their hair.

My personal favourite brush at the moment is the Tangle Teezer. I prefer the Wet Brush when it comes to actual brushing but it's too much of a PITA to clean!

[gorgi.d]

Thank you! Ok awesome, i didnt know if there was anything I need to avoid. I know with makeup, there are "gimmicky" products that dont actually work very well but it sounds like this is gonna be a trial and error experience. Im excited! Thank you for the info!

Btw, your hair is GORGEOUS!

[lapushka]

For brushes, I only weekly wash, so weekly detangle with tools (finger detangling aka separating strands to get sheds out the rest of the week). I use a Tangle Teezer knock-off to dry detangle before my wash, because I don't want to use my Wet brush knock-off on dry hair as a lot of lint gathers in my brush otherwise and it is a PITA to clean. After the wash, when my hair comes out the towel, I do use my Wet brush, and that way it stays clean! ;)

As far as shampoo goes. What are your wishes? Sulfate? Sulfate-free? There's different recommendations on both side of the spectrum. You just have to decide what way you're going to go, and if your scalp can handle either or.

Conditioner, depends. Is your hair easily weighed down? Or not? I always recommend conditioners for dry, damaged hair, as those are the most moisturizing on the market, but for some... they weigh the hair down.

So it depends on what you want!

[Ylva]

Thank you! Ok awesome, i didnt know if there was anything I need to avoid. I know with makeup, there are "gimmicky" products that dont actually work very well but it sounds like this is gonna be a trial and error experience. Im excited! Thank you for the info!

Btw, your hair is GORGEOUS!

Good luck on your journey and thank you so much! :)

[gorgi.d]

I weekly wash as well! Using my fingers i find is not very effective for my hair. It gets all tangled up again so easily and I find that i need to brush my hair at least once every few hours with something.

Ive been avoiding sulfate and paraban shampoos/conditioners because I always thought that was a huge no-no for hair. So tbh, I am open for anything!
My hair is not easily weighed down, i dont think... At least not in my current experiance i havent noticed that.

[lapushka]

I weekly wash as well! Using my fingers i find is not very effective for my hair. It gets all tangled up again so easily and I find that i need to brush my hair at least once every few hours with something.

Ive been avoiding sulfate and paraban shampoos/conditioners because I always thought that was a huge no-no for hair. So tbh, I am open for anything!
My hair is not easily weighed down, i dont think... At least not in my current experiance i havent noticed that.

Sulfate-free? Try Shea Moisture, Maui Moisture, Not your Mother's, HASK for shampoos. They are all great. And in between those brands you are sure to find something that works for you. I especially love Shea Moisture & HASK. I mean: as brands. I am a sulfate washer myself. :)

[MusicalSpoons]

Welcome! Have you read the article about advice for newbies? It's helpful for just taking stock, slowing down and then deciding where to start. I'll see if I can find it. But as the others have said, it sounds like your hair is doing fine for now. You say dry ends - so I recommend trying the rinse-out oil method (see Lapushka's signature for the link). You can start by using practically any plant oil you may have on hand, or even baby oil; don't buy something specifically for it unless you really want to.

What products were you already using?
How long is your hair at the moment? How do you usually wear it in the day and at night?

The biggest, absolutely fundamentally huge change I made when finding LHC was how I wore my hair. I sometimes feel like a broken record saying this, but I used to wear my hair (hip-TBL at the time) in a bun secured with a hair elastic, and every year had to chop off the scraggly ends because the hair elastic had damaged and worn them away. So finding hair-friendly styles I could secure using hair-friendly accessories (you'll see them referred to as hairtoys - sticks, forks, flexi-8s, etc.) allowed me to grow past TBL for the first time ever :D Also sleeping on satin or charmeuse silk [or something equally soft and slippy] is highly recommended.

The newbie article is here: https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/content.php?r=157-Ursula-s-Standard-Newbie-Advice-(by-Ursula)
I will point out this particular paragraph though ...

This advice is tailored to the specific needs of someone who wants to change their routine, but who is not sure about how to change their routine, or who is confused about where to start. If you are happy with your current routine, or not stressed by the ways in which your experiments are combining, then you may not find this quite as helpful. But if you feel lost and need a roadmap, you might find this one helpful.

One thing I'd say is there is no universal miracle product or technique. Some things are an epiphany to some and the ruination of another; it is a case of finding what works best for your hair, and within your own circumstances and budget :)

Enjoy!

Edit: I've just seen your response above. Have you read up on sulphates etc., or just gone with the general hype around it all? Educating yourself about ingredients, I mean really looking at the evidence (not just blog posts based on opinion) can be extremely helpful. Some people need sulphates to keep their scalp clean, other people are sensitive to sulphates, and probably most people are indifferent to them. The scary stuff surrounding parabens is ... disputed. Silicones are another hyped issue, but similar to sulphates there are some who do better without, and some who *need* them to keep their hairin good condition. Making informed decisions about ingredients is best, and allows you to truly observe how your hair and scalp react to them without bias :)

[lapushka]

Edit: I've just seen your response above. Have you read up on sulphates etc., or just gone with the general hype around it all? Educating yourself about ingredients, I mean really looking at the evidence (not just blog posts based on opinion) can be extremely helpful. Some people need sulphates to keep their scalp clean, other people are sensitive to sulphates, and probably most people are indifferent to them. The scary stuff surrounding parabens is ... disputed. Silicones are another hyped issue, but similar to sulphates there are some who do better without, and some who *need* them to keep their hairin good condition. Making informed decisions about ingredients is best, and allows you to truly observe how your hair and scalp react to them without bias :)

I agree about all the hoopla around parabens. They are *at least* well-researched preservatives. And any formula needs preservatives. If not parabens then something else, less researched, and well... give me well-researched ingredients any day over something "new".

Apparently some of the preservatives replacing the parabens can cause contact-allergies.

[MusicalSpoons]

Indeed.

I will say though that if someone decides to avoid something out of personal preference, I'm not judging at all. If someone goes purely with their gut instinct, it's fine to do that - as long as they say so and are not claiming to be basing the decision on anything else. [It's just the entire greenwashing movement is based on people being ill-informed and taken in by opinions and hearsay, not facts - and then often repeating and spreading that misinformation, which is what really bugs me!]

[Bess3714]

Is there a sulphate thread floating around anywhere? Preferably a long one, with lots of information about sulphates, sulphate users, and sulphate free hair😊

[gorgi.d]

Amazing!! Thank you so much! I honestly just went with the hype. So many people were demonizing sulfates and even my fiances sister was hyping up sulfate free. So I shrugged my shoulders and went with it. When you say some people need sulfates to keep the scalp clean... IT makes a lot of sense. I noticed ever since i switched to sulphate free i been having an issue with having build up on my scalp. Maybe thats why?

[Ylva]

Amazing!! Thank you so much! I honestly just went with the hype. So many people were demonizing sulfates and even my fiances sister was hyping up sulfate free. So I shrugged my shoulders and went with it. When you say some people need sulfates to keep the scalp clean... IT makes a lot of sense. I noticed ever since i switched to sulphate free i been having an issue with having build up on my scalp. Maybe thats why?

It could certainly be the reason for the buildup.

I am another who definitely prefers sulfates. I can manage with sulfate free for perhaps a week or two but then I'll need a good sulfate wash, and with the way my routine is right now overall, sulfates just work better for me.

My favourite sulfates are ammonium lauryl sulfate (ALS) and sodium coco-sulfate (SCS).

[lithostoic]

We have similar hair. I recommend the Wet Brush. I prefer using it on dry hair though. For shampoo and conditoner, Suave is fantastic. Cheap and easy. You can get it anywhere and people love it. I can't personally attest to it because I have allergies/sensitivities but yeah c:

[Spikey]

People tend to focus on products when they first get here, because that's typically the extent of normal people's hair care, but products are honestly pretty insignificant if you're wearing your hair down everyday. It sounds like you're out of products anyway, so it's perfectly sensible to expiriment, just make sure you focus on how you take care of your hair, not what you take care of it with.

So! If you're going try out the LHC lifestyle, here's what I think is a nice, gradual approach to starting hair toys (you can do your own research about why you're gonna want to start wearing them, if your hair is long enough, but once you've come to that conclusion, head back here:p):
1) Stop using hair ties
2) Start trying out smooth chopsticks as hairsticks, learn some buns
3) Buy some amish pins and spin pins, super cheap and if you decide the LHC way isn't for you they're still dead useful
4) Start using aforementioned pins to make damage free buns
5) After a bit of pins and chopsticks, try out your first hair toys! The swap board is great for cheap ones, as well as less expensive etsy shops like Over The Hawiian Moon and Alpenlandkunst

And of course, this advice is great! https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/content.php?r=157-Ursula-s-Standard-Newbie-Advice-(by-Ursula)

[Jo Ann]

Amazing!! Thank you so much! I honestly just went with the hype. So many people were demonizing sulfates and even my fiances sister was hyping up sulfate free. So I shrugged my shoulders and went with it. When you say some people need sulfates to keep the scalp clean... IT makes a lot of sense. I noticed ever since i switched to sulphate free i been having an issue with having build up on my scalp. Maybe thats why?

When I decided to try sulfate-free shampoos and conditioners, one suggestion was to clarify or use a sulfate-based shampoo every so often to decrease the chances of build-up that some users noticed. I was my hair weekly (I WCC and use a leave-in conditioner and coconut oil) with sulfate-free shampoo and my first conditioner (Clairol's Herbal Essence Hello Hydration is my second conditioner) and once a month I use a sulfate-based shampoo to clear out any scalp/hair build-up.

[milosmomma]

Hi there and welcome! I'm another one who tried the sulphate free route and found my scalp didnt ever feel clean. I felt like I had basically done water only wash, so I went back to sulphate and started adding water to them. I still feel as clean and it save product and money.
You've gotten alot of great advice so far but I'll just add silky satin pillow case! Sorry if I missed it being mention already, but I feel like it's an important one for preventing splits from friction while sleeping. Were asleep 1/3rd of our lives so it makes sense to protect hair while sleeping. Glad you've joined us and happy growing :)

[gorgi.d]

Thanks for the suggestions! My hair is about 38 inches long as of now. I recently bought a large clip and I have been twisting my hair into a bun and using the clip to hold it in place. Is this an effective way to have my hair up without damaging it? I cant seem to find either of those shops on etsy for some reason. Im browsing amazon for some hair sticks! Ive been practicing with some chopsticks from my kitchen all day today lol! I have to say, I am so happy with how comfortable it is and how good it looks! I notice its easily slipping out (I am korean so maybe its the texture of my hair?) I probably jsut need more practice with securing it for my texture.

[gorgi.d]

That makes a lot of sense about the pillowcase! I havent thought about that before. Thank you so much!

[gorgi.d]

Good idea. I think I will alternate between sulphate and sulphate free! What does WCC mean? Im trying to catch up on all these acronyms since I see them everywhere in this community!
Thank you very much! I think I have a solid idea of a new routine I will be trying. I really appreciate it!

[MusicalSpoons]

You might find hair forks better than sticks as your hair is slippery. Or Ketylo sticks, which have a twist in the middle and we're the first ones I could get to stay put. A large clip shouldn't be damaging though, as long as it's not pulling anywhere (you'd feel it if it were) and doesn't have sharp edges to snag your hair (I'm assuming it doesn't as you're now hair-conscious and probably would have noticed ;))

OTHM is here https://www.etsy.com/shop/OverTheHawaiianMoon
Alpenlandkunst is here https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/Alpenlandkunst?ref=ss_profile I forgot, he does twisty and bumpy sticks too! I can't recommend his budget forks even though they're beautiful - I've owned two and had to sand both of them down so they didn't snag. The sticks I've had from him have been fine though.
There are SO many hairtoy makers on Etsy; just search for hairstick or hairfork and see what you like! Also have a look at the swap board on here as it's often a chance to try things for a slightly lower price than new :)

Edit: WCC is wash-condition-condition. I personally CWC - there's another acronym :p

[milosmomma]

I second the fork idea, I love them and reach for them more often than my sticks. I have a lot of the overthehawaiianmoon forks, Jim is such a great shop owner to work with too. He always goes out of his way to make sure his customers are satisfied. I also suggest jeterforks and mapleburl for forks. I only have one from mapleburl but it is one of my favorites.