Gladtobemom
November 22nd, 2008, 11:01 AM
Hair within an inch or so of the scalp looks quite different than the hair 20" down. That 20" hair is 3-4 years old, 32" hair is 2 years older. So I try to minimize the friction and damage to my hair.
How do you try to minimize damage?
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What I do (or avoid)?
1. I repair the acid mantle of my scalp every time I wash, this keeps the scalp from overproducing sebum and sweat to repair the pH. This means I don't have to wash as much because my hair doesn't get all flattened down to and feel dirty next to my scalp. I wash my hair every 7-10 days, sometimes just a scalp wash. Sometimes I've gone as much as 15 days.
2. I NEVER TWIST MY HAIR WHEN WET, wet hair is delicate hair. Twisting is evil, it stretches the hair. When I wrap it up, I'm very gentle.
3. I comb very very gently. I completely detangle and then BBB before washing to distribute what natural emollient is there. Shed hair mixed in cause TANGLES, tangles cause stretching and breakage. I don't like breakage. Breakage under the microscope looks like the end exploded or split, and those splits just run up the hair on me.
4. I use Nanny Pauline's Airing Powder to stretch out my water washes if I need to, usually on the 5th or 6th day after a wash. It gets rid of any flatness at the scalp makes my hair shiny and makes it smell wonderful.
5. I completely detangle with a good comb before BBB. I only BBB just before washing and when I use the Airing Powder.
6, I don't let my hair whip in the wind. I don't know how much damage it really causes, but it does cause tangles.
7. I have ELIMINATED the places my hair comes into contact with -grabbing fabrics. For instance I've covered the velcro patch on the seat belt thingy with felt. I wear a silk scarf over the shoulders of my coat if I have my hair down or in a braid; a wool coat works those hairs right out of a braid and then into knots. I keep a silk pillow case pulled down over the back of my office chair, which is some kind of woven fabric that grabs at my hair. I also pull my braid around to the front when I sit in a dining chair or upholstered chair.
8. I wear my hair up in ways that don't cause breakage. i try to minimize twisting, never twisting tightly.
9. I DO minimize water washing,
I respect that the hair that is at my waist is about 5 years old . . . let's see:
Daily washing-->1825 water washes (chances to get roughed up cuticle and stretch)
Weekly washing-->260 water washe (Big difference!)
Washing every 10 days-->183 washes (even less risk)
Nanny Pauline had shin length hair, she was just under 5 ft. tall, so that's about 60" as measured from the hairline. Hair slows its growth later in the growth cycle, so the hair at her shins was at least 8 years old, probably much of it was as much as 11 years old.
She washed her scalp about every 2 weeks, and the length about every 3 weeks, she used airing powder in between.
So her length was wet (at risk) only 139-191 times.
Think about that for a minute. She wet her length half as much as a daily washer does in a single year. No wonder her hair was able to survive without breaking.
Nanny also never let her hair just hang loose, it was always up or in a braid. Even in a braid, she tucked the tassel up into the braid.
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I want long strong hair and these practices have brought my circumference up significantly. I have MUCH less breakage. The short hairs are baby hairs (tapered tips) as opposed to ragged broken tips. I do find splits, but nothing like I used to. Two years ago, I could sit for hours, snipping hundreds of splits. Now I can work at it for 30 minutes and find only a few.
How do you try to minimize damage?
--------------------------
What I do (or avoid)?
1. I repair the acid mantle of my scalp every time I wash, this keeps the scalp from overproducing sebum and sweat to repair the pH. This means I don't have to wash as much because my hair doesn't get all flattened down to and feel dirty next to my scalp. I wash my hair every 7-10 days, sometimes just a scalp wash. Sometimes I've gone as much as 15 days.
2. I NEVER TWIST MY HAIR WHEN WET, wet hair is delicate hair. Twisting is evil, it stretches the hair. When I wrap it up, I'm very gentle.
3. I comb very very gently. I completely detangle and then BBB before washing to distribute what natural emollient is there. Shed hair mixed in cause TANGLES, tangles cause stretching and breakage. I don't like breakage. Breakage under the microscope looks like the end exploded or split, and those splits just run up the hair on me.
4. I use Nanny Pauline's Airing Powder to stretch out my water washes if I need to, usually on the 5th or 6th day after a wash. It gets rid of any flatness at the scalp makes my hair shiny and makes it smell wonderful.
5. I completely detangle with a good comb before BBB. I only BBB just before washing and when I use the Airing Powder.
6, I don't let my hair whip in the wind. I don't know how much damage it really causes, but it does cause tangles.
7. I have ELIMINATED the places my hair comes into contact with -grabbing fabrics. For instance I've covered the velcro patch on the seat belt thingy with felt. I wear a silk scarf over the shoulders of my coat if I have my hair down or in a braid; a wool coat works those hairs right out of a braid and then into knots. I keep a silk pillow case pulled down over the back of my office chair, which is some kind of woven fabric that grabs at my hair. I also pull my braid around to the front when I sit in a dining chair or upholstered chair.
8. I wear my hair up in ways that don't cause breakage. i try to minimize twisting, never twisting tightly.
9. I DO minimize water washing,
I respect that the hair that is at my waist is about 5 years old . . . let's see:
Daily washing-->1825 water washes (chances to get roughed up cuticle and stretch)
Weekly washing-->260 water washe (Big difference!)
Washing every 10 days-->183 washes (even less risk)
Nanny Pauline had shin length hair, she was just under 5 ft. tall, so that's about 60" as measured from the hairline. Hair slows its growth later in the growth cycle, so the hair at her shins was at least 8 years old, probably much of it was as much as 11 years old.
She washed her scalp about every 2 weeks, and the length about every 3 weeks, she used airing powder in between.
So her length was wet (at risk) only 139-191 times.
Think about that for a minute. She wet her length half as much as a daily washer does in a single year. No wonder her hair was able to survive without breaking.
Nanny also never let her hair just hang loose, it was always up or in a braid. Even in a braid, she tucked the tassel up into the braid.
-------------------
I want long strong hair and these practices have brought my circumference up significantly. I have MUCH less breakage. The short hairs are baby hairs (tapered tips) as opposed to ragged broken tips. I do find splits, but nothing like I used to. Two years ago, I could sit for hours, snipping hundreds of splits. Now I can work at it for 30 minutes and find only a few.