What is your hair care routine like?

[bubbles04]

How do you maintain long and healthy hair?

My routine comprises of
1. Oiling 3-4 days (oils like coconut, olive, mustard and fenugreek
2. Weekly masks like mayo+olive oil and fenugreek paste+coconut+olive oil
3. Shampoo+in shower mask+conditioner on oiling days.
4. Sometimes I use a detangling spray, leave in oil. and hair perfume

What do you do to maintain your hair?

[lapushka]

My routine has (for years) been the very same. It's all in my signature. I WCC (wash, then condition twice, or mask twice or interchange the two), then I do an oil rinse in between both "conditioners" and to finish I do the LOC method for styling (often a leave-in or curl cream & gel + serum).

That's it. Seems like a lot, but it's routine for me.

Oh, I weekly wash. Every Sunday mid-morning my "pampering" starts off. Around 3 or 4PM my hair is dry (diffused). I also air dry quite a bit, but not all the way!

[Bri-Chan]

So, my hair isn't healthy at the moment, but I try to maintain it at his best, despite the massive bleach.
1. Pre poo oil every 4 washes (coconut usually; more rarely, sweet almond).
2. Try to wash when it's dirty-ish (any other fresh washed hair lover around here?), for me two times a week.
3. I avoid heat tools (hairdryer too).
4. I apply something when I feel my ends dry in the day between washes. Fenugreek gel (also as restyler) or coconut oil.
5. Before washing, I apply a leave in conditioner to help me to detangle and to reduce the breakage.
6. I avoid mechanical stress and I detangle only before washing.
7. I use protective hairstyling while sleeping.
8. On a basic wash day, I do a simple washing + conditioner, sometimes WCC.
9. As styling, my fav is hair mousse. Sometimes I use some gel instead, sometimes actually nothing.

[MusicalSpoons]

Buns.
Satin pillowcase + bun loose at the scalp + satin bonnet for sleep

Full wash once a week(-ish):
Oil for a day or two before washing (ideally, doesn't always happen)
Pre-poo conditioner for several hours
Shampoo scalp only, rinse, oil on lengths, rinse, condition for several minutes, comb, rinse
Airdry overnight (draped over my pillow and off the end of the bed, on a satin scarf)

Ideally no combing until day 3 or 4 after washing - and then gently, when I do comb
Scalp-only washes if my scalp needs them ~once a week
Hair forks, sticks, flexis - no hairties!

[stephy190]

Wash every about 2 or 3 ish days depending on if got plans.
My hair is fussy with products I just use whatever shampoo works for my hair at the time to clean it and keep it soft shiny etc. At the moment it's elvive nutri gloss. I don't mind sulphates/cones my hair likes them! Hair doesn't like conditioner in the shower. It just makes it greasy/weighed down. Instead when I'm out of the shower I use some chi silk infusion and it softens it without weigh down! Then blow dry with dyson hairdryer (which claims doesn't do extreme heat damage) and dries my hair in about 5 to 10 mins! It's so good! My hair just feels nicer blow dried and it's been so much healthier since I switched to this hairdryer about a year and half ago. Wear my hair up most days but trying to wear it down more often too. Sleeping with it down. I don't usually use pure oil or anything as my hair Is prone to grease/weigh down. I just use the macadamia oil or chi silk infusion if it's feeling dry in between washes :) don't use any straighteners. This seems to be working ok for me

[Ylva]

My haircare routine changes a bit here and there, but the main framework of it is as follows.

- Wash hair every day or every other day.
- Brush hair only before washing it.
- Shampoo scalp and roots, let the suds run through the lengths. Full wash ~once a week.
- Double condition: the first conditioner is a heavy mask and the second one is a coney conditioner.
- Squeeze out excess water.
- Leave-in cream and a natural oil.
- Scrunch the waves happy again.
- Leave to air-dry (often overnight).

My hair is mostly worn loose around the house, but in a bun or braid if I need such a style for something else. When out of the house, it's never loose. For university, I tend to bun it for convenience.

The main reason why my haircare routine is so complicated right now is because I'm growing out bleach. My ends have been bleached, I think, three times, and there are sections that have gone through two bleaches, and then the healthy bleached part is what's been bleached only once. My virgin hair doesn't seem crazy about conditioner at all.

[Sweet_Decadence]

Wash between 1 week and 10 days

Shampoo Roots
Condition(I'll leave it it on while I do other shower stuff)
Squeeze out excess water and squish a little conditioner in(same conditioner)
Plop
At half dry a little curl creme and mousse through the roots
Plop
Pineapple and done :D

Super simple and easy. Like a light version of the curly girl method.

I'll damp my hair and refesh the curls if needed. I'm on day 6 curls right now and there still pretty intact.

I'm also doing a nightly head massage with The Ordinary hair density serum, just trying it out.

[Lucyb]

Blimey!

My hair is 2a/2b wavy and it's a real pain to be honest--but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Every 2ish days I wash my hair. This is less because it gets dirty and more because it gets frizzy and tangled, and the best way to brush curlyish hair is in the shower with conditioner. I could try "refresh" washing with water, but since my hair gets tangled easily I might as well just use conditioner too.

However:

1) I only use shampoo every 4 days. In between I'll just use a silicone-free conditioner. The shampoo is usually a CG-friendly version (I love the tea tree version I'm currently using) but every 8 days or so I'll go in with a stronger anti-dandruff sulfate shampoo to remove any buildup.
2) I roughly seperate my hair into three sections.
3) I scrunch in a fair bit of the conditioner into each section, add some water from the shower head, then use a Wet Brush to detangle my hair.
4) I add some leave-in conditioner and run this through the hair with a wide toothed comb, which also seperates my hair into "bits"
5) I might plop my hair in an old shirt to remove some moisture
6) I might then add some gel to give it definition

I have faced complications with this:

1) My conditioner can stick on my roots quite badly and grease it up. Hence why I need to use shampoo every other wash.
2) I've also been getting a load of white flakes in my hair--dry scalp possibly, from over-shampooing? I've tried exfoliating to combat this, but it can make the hair near my scalp even more tangled.
3) The back and underneath of my hair, near the nape, seems to tangle up badly. I'm not sure why this is, but I've changed my conditioner, removed plopping and styler, and it still does this. So there's room to improve here!
4) Ya'll know I've been shedding more recently. Maybe this is affecting my hair too--it's possible that extra shed is getting caught in the back and contributing to the mess there.

[Mariekeeee14]

Wash every 3 of 4 days
Pre poo with olive oil for 0.5+ hours
Shampoo with a SLES shampoo without silicons
Condition twice with conefree condish
Do an ACV rinse and leave it in
Put my hair up in an old t-shirt
Finger comb leave in through
Oil my ends
Air dry with my side part made on wet hair

I oil my ends if needed and I’ve put some leave in with rose water in a spritzer to add hydration if needed

[cestlavie]

-I wash 2 times a week, 3 times max.
-Apply argan oil on the lengths before each wash, scalp oiling happens once a week.
-Shampoo twice with a low poo shampoo
-Condition the lengths with a mask or conditioner, depends on how dry my hair is.
-Comb it through with a wide tooth comb and rinse
-Apply detangler and leave in cream
-Use a tshirt to dry my hair
-Apply 3 drops camellia to seal it in.
-Comb everything through
-Round brush my bangs
-Letting the rest airdry and put it in a french braid when 80% dry.

I always wear it up in a bun or braid. Same for bed. Around the house I wear it loose sometimes.

Once every 2-3 weeks I do a cassia treatment and leave that in for 3 hours.

I brush my hair two times a day.

[Hailwidis]

A short gentle detangle with tangle teezer every day before bunning.
Wash every 2-3 days, as follows:
- Conditioner
- Shampoo
- Rinse Out Oil
- Conditioner
- Air dry if I can, blow-dry if it’s a work day

Currently not using any leave-ins, although in the past I’ve used camellia oil and leave-in conditioner.

Loosely bundled in a silk bonnet at night.

[Silica]

I wash every day (shampoo and conditioner), followed by a light oiling on damp hair. I don't touch it while it is wet but detangle once fully dry. (Air dry, always) Then I'll add in a heavy oiling pre- wash about once a week. I sleep with a silk pillowcase or silk bonnet- that makes a huge difference to frizziness for me.

[ExpectoPatronum]

My hair care routine is a little involved because I have curly hair that really thrives with extra pampering.

*Wash 3x a week.
*Scalp massage/oil with JBCO the night before or morning of wash.
*Deep condition with one of two masks pre-shower for around an hour.
*Wash with an SLS-free shampoo usually. Sometimes with an SLS shampoo.
*Rinse-out oil method
*Condition with a silicone-free conditioner
*Apply leave-in or curl cream. Sometimes both.
*Lots and lots of gel! Followed by even more scrunching.
*Sometimes I plop
*Sometimes I air dry, sometimes I use a diffuser on low blow, high heat (mine doesn't get very hot).
*Pineapple hair for sleeping. Or use a satin cap if I've braided it.
*I usually wear my hair in a ponytail with a satin scrunchie, but I do go through phases where I bun or braid if it I don't want to wear it down.
*If I want to refresh my curls, I wet them with a spray bottle and scrunch in more gel.

[Beckstar]

I remove my make up with coconut oil every night. When I’m done I run the extra through my hair and use a wide tooth comb to distribute it. In the mornings I wet my hands and run it through my hair to refresh my curls.And then I’ll add a dab of gel or curl cream and scrunch that through. As far as washing it? I don’t use shampoo or conditioner and I just water wash as necessary.

[TameThisMane]

Hair as of now is a bit longer than waist length, and dyed pink. My products change often, but this is the gist of it. Here's my routine:

Washing my hair:
I wash about once a week, sometimes twice
1. Scalp massage with sulfate free shampoo
2. Deep condition my hair and leave it on while I wash my body/shave/etc
3. Dry with microfiber towel or t shirt
4. Apply leave ins and oils
5. Try to stop brushing hair while wet, realize it takes forever to dry that way and brush it anyway. oops xp

Daily routine:
1. Apply Argan oil to the ends as needed
2. Brush regularly with a wooden brush
3. Keep it in a braid, french braid, or loose bun

Nightly routine:
1. Sleep with a silk scarf wrapped around my hair/head
2. as well as a silk pillow case but it's not enough since I move around so much in my sleep

Treatment routines:
1. Shower, shampoo hair & dry hair
2. Apply deep conditioner
3. Use my hot head deep conditioning pack
4. Leave for like 3 hours sometimes lmfao
5. Rinse out in cold water

Oiling routine:
1. Apply oil, I like to fully saturate my scalp and ends
2. Hella scalp massages
3. Leave on for 5 years (jk but at most like 3 days if I'm lazy)
4. Then I wash and condition my hair as normal

And that's it! It's kind of insane. I'm going to try and get back to my regular oiling routines as I haven't done that in a while. I also recently got a bottle of olaplex no 3 and I'm going to be using that weekly as well!

[Dark40]

I wash everyday or every other day.
Shampoo from roots to tips but using a very mild shampoo. Then, I use a coney conditioner, hair mask, or a deep conditioner.
I also apply a silicone deep conditioner to my hair every once in a while too.
I also oil my hair after every wash, and I also brush it as well.
I use leave-in conditioners, lotions, styling creams, and a detangling spray as well.

My hair is worn loose both around the house and when I'm away from home. But for different styles I do wear it in a bun. Or, I put it in 2 dutch braids.

[beha]

Been water only since quarantine. Plastic wide tooth combing to detangle while dry. Search and destroy with dedicated shears throughout day as a pastime. Scritch heavily under hot water in shower, spread hair a lot to rinse out lint. Give length direct attention under the showerhead to get out lint. Towel dry with terry towel turban for 10 mins. Sleep with hair loose. Go about day with hair loose.

This week found my finer tooth sandalwood comb, started using that to preen. Before that I didnt preen.

Old routine for a year:

Conditioner wash or water wash most days, shampoo crown once or twice a week. No sulfates or silicones. Towel dry as a turban for 20 mins, oil with monoï, air dry. Occasional hair lotion. Occasional Knot Today detangler. Sleep with ponytail or loose. Go about day with low bun, loose hair at work.

One of the best routines several years ago when I had layers:
Almond oil hair pre-shower, perhaps sit in front of space heater and preen the almond oil with a boar bristle brush. Shampoo out with shikakai shampoo. Towel dry. Results were so nice and waves hung in locks. Hair got too long and messed up at the ends due to zero additional care, trims, or maintenance and damaging hair ties so I cut my hair shoulder length.

[Idun]

- I wash my hair once a week
- poo bars, simple no cone conditioner, acv rinse
- patting hair with towel. Air dry.
- Never comb when hair is wet. But I do put it up when it is still quite wet/damp
- oil ends sparingly once in a blue moon
- used to do henna glosses once a month. Planning to stop that.
- keep my hair in a bun 99% of the day time
- I used to wear night braids. Stopped doing it one day. I think that was not a good move, so going back to braiding.

ETA: When i stopped braiding I used to wear silk coverings during the night, but I found it incompatible with having a man in my bed. ;) I guess that is where the whole neglect of night time hair care came about.

[Lady_Eowyn]

I have been experimenting a bit, trying to find a good hair care routine for my 2a/2b hair. Right now it's like this:

- wash my hair every other/ every two days
-pre-wash oiling with rosmarine infused olive oil
-wash with shampoo (sulfate or sulfate free, use peeling monthly)
-hair mask or conditioner (when using a mask - let it sit for 45 min, conditioner for 5 min)
- oil leave-in on the ends of my hair
- let hair air dry
- brush when slightly damp - that leaves me with less frizz and breakage
- wear hair up in a bun or a braid

[Lucy McLucyFace]

-Wash every 5 days (trying to push it to once a week)
-finger detangle and brush it twice a day with wooden brush and keep it in a braid or bun throughout the day
-I gradually apply a light oil throughout the day before wash day or any time it feels frizzy
-wash in the morning so it has time to dry (takes the whole day even when it's sunny), only wash at night if it's very cold out
-either normal wash with conventional SLS shampoo followed by conditioner or CWC (sulphate free shampoos don't remove the oils and sebum from my hair, I need to scrub them very hard and it makes my scalp dry and tight)
-put hair in a cinnamon bun on top of my head with a clawclip while I do other stuff after showering
-carefully comb with wide tooth comb before rinsing with cold water
-let it air dry down
-carefully clip the bangs in place when they're damp so they won't look like cow licks
-apply a bit of light oil to my lengths when they're damp
-sleep with hair in a cinnamon bun on top of my head held by a clawclip or with a braid (prefer the first because braids give me a bit of frizz)

This is the routine that's been working for me so far. May try new things later

[Moopersh]

Back when it was long:
1. Wash about once a week with no specific shampoo and conditioner
2. Oil mask or deep conditioner about once a month left on for 30 minutes to an hour
3. Sleep with hair in pineapple with a silk scarf covering the pillow

Now that I'm starting over I use an alternative to shampoo which has helped with itchy scalp. Also I massage my scalp with the oil more now than before.

[kmmkatey]

Back when it was long:
1. Wash about once a week with no specific shampoo and conditioner
2. Oil mask or deep conditioner about once a month left on for 30 minutes to an hour
3. Sleep with hair in pineapple with a silk scarf covering the pillow

Now that I'm starting over I use an alternative to shampoo which has helped with itchy scalp. Also I massage my scalp with the oil more now than before.

What is the alternative to shampoo that you use? I’ve struggled with scalp itchiness for a long time. I currently use a sulfate free shampoo and silicone free conditioner but it doesn’t help too much.

[illicitlizard]

Oooh, I wonder if this will get more high maintenance as it grows.
Currently:
Wash and condition every 2-4 days (depends how angry my scalp gets), alternating between lightly coney conditioner and slightly harsher shampoo and sulfate/cone free shampoo and conditioner combo. Brush with tangle teezer most days/when I feel like it, dry or in the shower with conditioner. Occasionally oil or cone serum the ends. Occasional blow dry, mostly air dry.

[lapushka]

Back when it was long:
1. Wash about once a week with no specific shampoo and conditioner
2. Oil mask or deep conditioner about once a month left on for 30 minutes to an hour
3. Sleep with hair in pineapple with a silk scarf covering the pillow

Now that I'm starting over I use an alternative to shampoo which has helped with itchy scalp. Also I massage my scalp with the oil more now than before.


What is the alternative to shampoo that you use? I’ve struggled with scalp itchiness for a long time. I currently use a sulfate free shampoo and silicone free conditioner but it doesn’t help too much.

We have threads on here for problematic (itchy, red, scaly) scalp. For me, what helps is a harsh sulfate, but that's not everyone's cup of tea. And washing. As soon as there is any type of itch, it means: wash it!