Several Hair Care Questions

[Sissy]

Hi all,

I'm very excited about joining this community. I have had long hair since I was a young girl and have always loved it! There are times I've cut it off to shoulder length, but never shorter. Currently it is about 4 inches from my bum. It is what I would call chestnut blonde and naturally crimpy (doesn't really curl but has some waves if I don't blow dry it). I blow dry my hair almost daily which I know is bad but I love the straight look. My hair is what I would call dry and prone to split ends and medium thickness. Perhaps this winter I'll try going with my natural crimpy look, but I think it looks sorta messy so not sure. I heard that doing an apple cider vinegar rinse would help flatten it out.

Anyhow, I have a few questions regarding hair care products.

1. Would apple cider vinegar rinse help flatten out my hair so I woudln't require blow drying? Would ACV damage my hair in any way?

2. I have heard that flat iron is healthier for hair than blow drying. However, flat irons get so hot... is it really true they're less damaging than a dryer??

3. I read through a lot of the lists on the sticky notes. I read about Cone free, Protein free, Sulfate free products. I am using products that must contain these items as my products didn't seem to be listed on the lists. Why would a person want cone free, protein free, sulfate free... what do these things mean? :p

4. I only trim my hair twice a year at the most. Is this too much, too little? :heart:

5. Hair treatments... I try to do them everyweekend using either Queen Anne's Cholesterol or Hot Oils, Paul Micheals leave-in conditioner, Regis Olive Oil Hair Masque, or Redken Deep Conditioners. I have not a clue which ones are good or bad. Also, are homemade treatements better (mayonaisse, eggs, olive oil, apple cider vinegar)?

6. I try to use good prodcuts on my hair and I own SEVERAL. I will list some of them here. If any are BAD could someone please tell me and I'll disgard them. I try to buy some professional prodcuts too. Here are some I tend to use frequently:
* Redken All Soft (Conditioner, Shampoo, and Heavy Cream Treatement) I also use Redken Extreme line and Redken Smooth Down line.

* Loreal Nature's Therapy Line (including Hot Oil Treatement)

* various Suave Shampoos/conditioners

* Pantene Pro-V Smoothing Conditioner, Ice Shine Conditioner, and Clarifying Shampoo

* Loreal Vive Pro Pearl Protien Conditioner

* Biosilk Shampoo, Conditioner, and Silk Therapy

* Brilliant Brunette Shine Release Shampoo, Conditioner, and leave in glosser as well as the shower treatement called Luminous Color Glaze Color Glosser shine booster which is supposed to add some chestnut to espresso color.

* Paul Mitchell Super Charged Moisturizer and Daily Mousturizer and Super Skinny Daily Shampoo and Conditioner

* Mane 'n Tail Deep Mousturzing Conditioner, Mane n'
Tail Olive Oil Complex with Herbal Essentials Conditioner

* Joico K-Pak Reconstruct Conditioner

* Tresemme Smooth & Silky Conditioner

* Ion products (conditioners, leave in conditioner, anti-frizz heat protection)

And lastly a new styling product I started using is:
* Organix Nourishing Coconut Milk leave-in, Organix Nourishing Coconut Milk Anti-Breakage Serum, and Nourishing Coconut Milk Self-Heating Coconut Oil
My husband says these make my hair look nice, but I wonder if they are healthy? :o

Sorry for rambling on but I am seriously wondering which prodcuts are worth keeping and which should be ditched! I appreciate any and all opinions and advice. I know I have an out of control collection but I'm one of those constantly searching for a fantastic hair product (I even have a few more prodcuts that I didn't list)! Thank you in advance for any help :) With the support of all you gorgeous women here I can feel my hair getting healthier already!
Sissy :heart:

[bunnii]

Welcome to LHC :flower: There's loads on you list that I can't answer because I don't know much about them. BUt here goes,

AVC isn't bad for you hair, it can help prevent build up and make your hair shine because it makes the scales lie flat, not sure about making it straighter though.

Heat is damaging, but IMO blow drying is better than straigtening.

Cones are silicones, they seel the hair stopping moisture from getting out but they also stop moisture getting in, cone free conditioners are generally preffered for COing (Conditioner Only washing). Protein can make some peoples hair dry, but you'd have to experiment to see how it affects you. And sulfates can be really drying, which isn't what you want if you're growing it :) Some peoples hair like it, again you have to try and see.

For deep treatments I like making mixtures of conditioner and EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) and warming it up, it's a variation of a treatment called SMT which uses Aloe gel and honey but i'm allergic to these.

Pantene isn't good for hair IMO, my hair hates it and alot of members here get bad build up from it. I'm not sure about the other products becaues I never tried them :)

Have you tried Coconut oil by itself as a leave in? It's very good for smoothing as is EVOO, and there's plenty of other smoothing oils that other members can tell you about :flower:

[Ryanne]

As long as the ends of your hair don't split you don't have to cut, but it's really your choice.

[Sissy]

Thank you! I have a non-hair question. Why can't I access profiles and such on my own and others pages? Each time I try it says I do not have privileges to do so. Just curious.

Back to hair... so, Silicone is the worst thing to have in the conditioners? I notice the Tresemme Conditioner bottle I have here in front of me says "Dimethicone" because it ends with CONE is it also bad, like a form of Silicone.

Thanks! Sissy

[Sissy]

I have some pure coconut oil... but am not exactly sure how to use it. Could I use it as a leave in and blow dry my hair with it in or would that be super damaging?
Would I just leave it in a few minutes and wash it out? But yes, I do have coconut oil that my husband bought for me in London. It's in a small jar and it's white and waxy but it melts if you heat it. Would I apply it melted/heated or just in it's original form?:o

[bunnii]

Here's an article about cones and with list of cones at the bottom http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=7804 I think you need 25 post and to have been a member for 60 days to access profiles, there is a page on it but I can't find it. I'll keep looking :)

ETA- after washing you can put a small amount (a nail scraping worth) through your hair and it help with shine and detangling. You can use it as a prewash treatment for an hour or more, or over night and wash in the morning. I think it'll protect from heat damage, but I don't own a hairdryer anymore lol so i'm not sure on that one.

[Aisha25]

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=1658 found it bunnii;)

[Fantak]

Hi there ^.^

I'm afraid I don't have answers to all your questions, but wanted to welcome you to the community :D

Questions I can answer:

1. ACV will not damage your hair if used regularly, but it must be properly diluted. I'd start with a 1:10 dilution then if you like move up slowly to 1:8 if you feel you need to. It doesn't flatten my hair but it does give it a silky smooth look which seems to give my hair less volume than usual You may feel you have a nicer smoother 'crimp' :)

2. Gah! noooo flat iron are teh 3vil!!!! A bow drier if used properly with proper protection is much better for your hair! It's important to add though that some people have used flat irons with no problems, but for most people if just fried hair.

3. silicones: can cause build uup on hair and lock moisture out of hair leaving it dehydrated.
sulfate free: sulfate can be very drying to hair, some people believe it causes damage and even pre-mature hair loss.
protein: too much protein dries out hair.
In the end use what you think works best for your hair. Some people love 'cones and use them regularly with no problems, same for proteins and sulfates. You'll find some people on LHC who's hair is in worse condition without their regular 'cones/protein. In the end it's all trial and error :)

4. I think it's fine I went two years without trimming, it really is an individual choice ^.^

I'll leave 5&6 to the experts :D

Have fun on LHC! It's great to get a fellow long hair on board I'm sure we'll learn so much from your experience! :flowers:

[Silver & Gold]

Welcome aboard!

This link should explain your questions about viewing personal profiles:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=1657

[bunnii]

Thanks Aisha25 :)

ETA - Here's the list on Very Important Threads http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=7804 it has some good information linked on there :)

[Fantak]

Here's a good thread on coconut oil application:
Please share how you use coconut oil on your hair? (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=15322)

[Boots]

Thank you! I have a non-hair question. Why can't I access profiles and such on my own and others pages? Each time I try it says I do not have privileges to do so. Just curious.

Back to hair... so, Silicone is the worst thing to have in the conditioners? I notice the Tresemme Conditioner bottle I have here in front of me says "Dimethicone" because it ends with CONE is it also bad, like a form of Silicone.

Thanks! Sissy

It's not a "bad thing;" some just prefer not to use. I conditioner only wash so I mostly avoid cones because they build up. Since I try to go as long as possible without shampoo (I clarify every 2 wks now) I don't want build up. However, if I want my curls really springy and smooth for a special occassion, cone conditioners do it!

[Sissy]

Wow! I'm amazed at the number of replies I've already received... so happy I joined! I did look at the messages about limits of membership until after 25 posts. Does each entry I'm making here count as a post?

What do you all use for Conditioners/Shampoos/Treatments? Are there any silicone, protein, and sulfate free products readily available at say Sally Beauty Supply or salons in the mall? On a yahoo hair care blog someone was mentioning Jason as being very good products. I think they sell them at Sally Beauty Supply and GNC. Would Jason be highly recommended?:inlove:

[Fantak]

Shampoo: Klorane Quinone shampoo
Conditioner: None ^.^ I use coconut oil both before and after I shampoo though :>
Treatment: Cassia once a month, just started a scalp oil but am iffy about it.

I don't mess with my hair too much, I like to keep it simple. It's doing very well without anything extra too ^.^

[Melisande]

Did you read Ursula's standard newbie advice (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=39), Sissy? It's very good, I still read it from time to time to remind myself ;-)

If you are content with your hair, don't change your routine. If you see dryness (as I think you do), split ends or other things you don't like, check what might be the reason. And then tweak your routine, slowly but surely, to see what works and what doesn't.

Some people hate Pantene, others love it. Some people love apple cider vinegar, others don't. Some swear on honey, aloe vera gel or jellyfish concentrate (no, made that one up), and others can't abide it.

You'll have to make your own choices, according to the needs of your hair. The nice thing: once you have it, it will change again, due to hormonal and seasonal changes! So your hair can keep you on your toes for quite a while. Until you have a palette of treatments, products and routines that you know work for YOUR hair.

Take it easy. You don't have to buy much and you don't have to throw away much. Sometimes a harsh shampoo only has to be properly diluted and followed with a ACV rinse to be perfectly amiable.

Blowdry on lowest setting and not until totally dry, keep your ends up and safe, dilute your shampoo, don't shampoo your lengths, switch from scratchy brushes to a wide toothed comb and oil your ends once in a while - that may solve the dryness problem already.

[Sissy]

Thank you, I will stop shampooing my lengths and will try coconut oil. I read the whole coconut oil blog but did not see an answer as to could coconut oil be blow dried into hair or would that be very bad :confused:
Sissy

[tina1025]

welcome to LHC :) I will try to answer some of your questions but the best way to get answers to all your questions is to go through all the treads.

1. ACV helps get rid of all the chemical residue in your hair. Its is not harmful at all as long as you dont use too much of it. I use 1/2 tbs mixed in with 1 and a half cup of water.
2. Flat irons and blow dryers are bad for your hair.
3. Most commercial shampoos have SLS in them. SLS is also commonly found in detergents used for cleaning garage floors and engines. (just imagine how bad it is for your hair) and it strips away natural oil of your hair.
4. You can trim your hair as many time as you like but just make sure to get rid of the split ends. i trim my hair once a month.
5. Home made treatments are def WAY better and they are cheaper too. I personally use coconut oil, castor oil, rosemary and nettle oil twice a week.

I cant tell you which products are good because i use natural products. All i use for my hair is oils (castor, coconut, rosemary and nettle essential oil), shampoo bar, ACV, henna and aritha (soapnut) treatment, giovanni's natural hair gel ( i am planning on switching it to aubry's hair gel) and i fan dry my hair.

[tina1025]

If you cant pronounce them then you shouldnt use them :) I am including links of the places where i purchase my products from.

http://www.prairielandherbs.com/index.htm (shampoo bar and essential oil)
http://www.aubrey-organics.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=003 (shampoo and hair gel)

I purchase Henna, parachute coconut oil ( you can purchase it from online http://www.amazon.com/Parachute-Coconut-16-09-Ounce-Bottle-Pack/dp/B001EPPCBW/ref=sr_1_3/187-1501041-3350928?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1227473454&sr=1-3 , castor oil from an indian grocery store.


Thank you! I have a non-hair question. Why can't I access profiles and such on my own and others pages? Each time I try it says I do not have privileges to do so. Just curious.

Back to hair... so, Silicone is the worst thing to have in the conditioners? I notice the Tresemme Conditioner bottle I have here in front of me says "Dimethicone" because it ends with CONE is it also bad, like a form of Silicone.

Thanks! Sissy

[Sissy]

Tina,
Thank you for the links! I am going to look into the shampoo bar, but still think I'd like to use a conditioner as well. I have hair that gets a slightly crimpy look... it won't go curly but it won't air dry straight either... it looks kinda messy I think. So, due to this I blow dry it after letting it air dry most of the way.

I love the sounds of these ingredients!
http://www.prairielandherbs.com/hairingredients.htm

They all sound really healthy for hair! I hope they will work ok on hair that is blow dried? Also, in the summer my hair gets quite frizzy and humidity effected. I like my hair much better in the winter as it looks healthier and blow dries very straight and stays that way /:)\ which I love! I would give anything to have naturally pin straight hair. Are there any of those soap bars or other products you linked to that would help flatten my hair and smooth it?

Sissy :o


If you cant pronounce them then you shouldnt use them :) I am including links of the places where i purchase my products from.

http://www.prairielandherbs.com/index.htm (shampoo bar and essential oil)
http://www.aubrey-organics.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=003 (shampoo and hair gel)

I purchase Henna, parachute coconut oil ( you can purchase it from online http://www.amazon.com/Parachute-Coconut-16-09-Ounce-Bottle-Pack/dp/B001EPPCBW/ref=sr_1_3/187-1501041-3350928?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1227473454&sr=1-3 , castor oil from an indian grocery store.

[Sissy]

oh also... I'm also looking for any ways to make my hair go darker NATURALLY. I had bought the Brilliant Brunette Glossing Treatment for that reason, but not sure how well it worked. I heard people talking of Henna... what would that do to someone like me with dirty blonde/chestnut brown hair? I'd like my hair to be a medium to dark brown. In this avatar pic I uploaded it looks darker than it really is. I would like it as dark as the avatar picture or a bit darker even. However, my main priority still remains keeping it as healthy as possible with as few split ends as possible and as flat as possible. I guess we always want a color or style of hair that we don't have :o

[Sissy]

Tina,

Do you have a picture of your hair posted anywheres. It must be absolutely beautiful using such natural products. I would love to see it. However, I cannot view profiles as I have not made enough postings yet (new member).
Sissy

[Isilme]

Hi and welcome! First rule, everyone's hair is different, what works for your hair may not work for someone's elses hair. For example, many people here swear by oiling, that only makes my hair dry and crunchy and I have tried about every oil under the sun and all the different methods of applying it.
Heat on the other hand is damaging for most people's hair, there are a handful of us who can use it without any damage (these people probably have hair made of steel;)) I'm not one of them. You could try to braid your wet/damp hair to create more controled waves if you want to step down on the blowdrying.
But look around the boards and make yourself comfortable and try one thing at a time giving it plenty of time so you can see how it's working. It's very tempting to try everything at once, if you do this you won't know what's giving the results.
Oh, and be careful with the henna, it's an awesome treatment to condition hair and it makes hair feel like hair from another world, but it's ten times more permanent than anything you can imagine and only comes in red, though you can tweak it and mix it with other things to create different shades, including brown and black. But henna only is always red.
If you are interested you can read more at www.hennaforhair.com, but don't take everything as gospel, remember they want to sell you THEIR henna, and skip all the talk about lemon juice and acid.
ETA, every post you make counts!:)

[Sissy]

yes, I sort of figured after reading the henna thread that it made hair red... I don't want red, just dark brown. Thanks for all the info... yes it's tempting to try a lot at once. I would like to cut down on the blow drying. I read about a method on here called Condition Shampoo Condition and I think that makes sense. I might start with trying that and also looking into order a few natural products, such as shampoo bar. I will probably try an Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse as I bought some the other day and the coconut oil, which I have used before. Still, I'm opening to all other ideas and opinions especially on achieving a flatter, shinier, healthier head of hair ;)

Sissy :o

[Elphie]

Welcome Sissy!

The easiest change you can make is how you're washing your hair. Try the CWC method, possibly even diluting your shampoo and wait a few days to see if you notice any changes. It doesn't require any change in product at first, just technique.

[Kirin]

You can definately use a little bit of coconut oil in your hair and blow dry. Personally you should optimally use a cool setting on the drier, and only dry until "almost " dry but not completely..... that is if you insist on using it.

There are many different things to try, but remember, try them one at a time! If you try too many things at once, you will have no idea which is the one working, and which one isn't. Start with an acv rinse after your regular shampoo and condition. Then go from there!

Out of your product arsenal, the ones you already have that are pretty good are the Cholesterol treatment and the suave shampoo and conditioners. Expensive or "salon" items dont automatically equal great fabulousness.

[tina1025]

I do but i guess you cant see them yet. I dont have beautiful hair yet. I used to use flat iron everyday and used tons of other commercial products in the past and i ruined my hair. I also lost a lot of hair due to stress and depression about two years ago. I have been using natural products for about 6 months and it has helped me alot. I have also learned a lot from TLHC and hopefully one day my hair will be as pretty as some of the other memebers :D

quote=Sissy;356060]Tina,

Do you have a picture of your hair posted anywheres. It must be absolutely beautiful using such natural products. I would love to see it. However, I cannot view profiles as I have not made enough postings yet (new member).
Sissy[/quote]

[morguebabe]

At home, I have some hair darkening rinses printed out. Indigo is a natural way to darken... I have pictures of my hair with that.

Like everyone said you have to sorta play and see whats best for your hair. My hiar dosn't mind cones or protein. My scalp is a mess I'm still working with.
I wouldn't use anything with parabens or SLS in it at least I try not to. I like JASON, and I like Desert Essence Orangics.

[heidi w.]

Hi all,

I'm very excited about joining this community. I have had long hair since I was a young girl and have always loved it! There are times I've cut it off to shoulder length, but never shorter. Currently it is about 4 inches from my bum. It is what I would call chestnut blonde and naturally crimpy (doesn't really curl but has some waves if I don't blow dry it). I blow dry my hair almost daily which I know is bad but I love the straight look. My hair is what I would call dry and prone to split ends and medium thickness. Perhaps this winter I'll try going with my natural crimpy look, but I think it looks sorta messy so not sure. I heard that doing an apple cider vinegar rinse would help flatten it out.

Anyhow, I have a few questions regarding hair care products.

1. A. Would apple cider vinegar rinse help flatten out my hair so I woudln't require blow drying? B. Would ACV damage my hair in any way?

A. No. It'll help to bind the cuticle but it won't change the basic structure/nature of your hair. However, binding the cuticle (helping the cuticle to lie flatter and closer together, tighter, WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF YOUR HAIR TYPE) is NOT the main benefit of ACV or any vinegar or lemon/lime rinse or citric acid rinse. The primary benefit is to pH balance the scalp skin since most shampoos/conditioners tend to leave the scalp SKIN in a state of alkalinity, and this nudges it towards neutral (balanced) or slightly hinting at acidic depending how much you use. ALWAYS DILUTE ANY ACID RINSE. NEVER EVER EVER EVER FULL STRENGTH.

B. No. It might be problematic if you leave it in and try to detangle, or use this as a 'conditioner' which some do. My experience is most don't have success with using it this way because conditioner COATS the hair with a protective barrier. This is not what ACV does. People sometimes use the word 'condition' in relation to these types of rinses because of the 'binding' property of this type of rinse. But you should NEVER leave this rinse IN THE HAIR TO DRY ON THE HAIR. You'll have a tacky, tangly, filmy mess. That's most people's experience. There are relative few exceptions, but they do exist.

2. I have heard that flat iron is healthier for hair than blow drying. However, flat irons get so hot... is it really true they're less damaging than a dryer??

False. Flat ironing, if you were to ask me, is worse the blow drying. Why? You are literally pressing the hair between two iron sticks, flat on, no distance. Hair is organic fiber. Treat it like fine lace. You would never put lace or satin under an uber hot iron and press. What happens? It burns. The type of damage that flat irons produce the most is not splits: it's white dots which is when the cuticle is completely burst and maybe even gone, and the hair breaks off.

To blow dry properly, consider using a lower setting of temp, attach a diffuser to more widely disperse the air, do not allow the blowing tool to come too close to hair and especially scalp/face skin, and consider half drying allowing it to finish by air drying.

3. I read through a lot of the lists on the sticky notes. I read about Cone free, Protein free, Sulfate free products. I am using products that must contain these items as my products didn't seem to be listed on the lists. Why would a person want cone free, protein free, sulfate free... what do these things mean? :p

Protein free: some people experience adverse reactions in that hair is a weird kind of feeling to it. The other biggie is that if hair has either too much or too little protein (either end of the spectrum) hair can begin to inexplicably break off. A lot AND suddenly is the key indicator of this problem.

Cones: Cones can COVER damage so you can't see it. Cones typically means silicone which is more likely to be present in leave-ins, serums (flat iron gels), mousse, anything that boosts shine, gels, topical applicaitons to the hair. It can also be in conditioners, and of course, shampoos.

Sulfates (SLS - Sodium Laureth and Lauryl Sulfate): Some people have sensitive scalp skins or scalp skin conditions, and this can cause irritation or exacerbation of the problem.

4. I only trim my hair twice a year at the most. Is this too much, too little? :heart:

It all depends on your growth rate, your length goals and if the look of the hemline matters to you in terms of shape, cleanliness, growing out old color/perm type applications, thickness. For many this is sufficient. I would argue that trimming every 6-8 or even 10 weeks is NOT necessary. I would say that you can consider performing a split end trim through ALL the length. Ask if you don't know how to do this type of trimming, which is a way of removing damage throughout the length, one strand at a time. You can consider self-trimming. There are instructions for this on LHC. Maybe someone can link it in. Definitely never take too much. You can microtrim which represents taking a very small percent of the overall gained length, so one is continually maintaining the hemline's appearance without sacrifing length.

5. Hair treatments... I try to do them everyweekend using either Queen Anne's Cholesterol or Hot Oils, Paul Micheals leave-in conditioner, Regis Olive Oil Hair Masque, or Redken Deep Conditioners. I have not a clue which ones are good or bad. Also, are homemade treatements better (mayonaisse, eggs, olive oil, apple cider vinegar)?

This I can't overly comment upon. I personally liked mayo and ACV, then later found lemon rinses better.....this is highly personal and depends on your ability to withstand it. These days, products can be very good out there.

6. I try to use good prodcuts on my hair and I own SEVERAL. I will list some of them here. If any are BAD could someone please tell me and I'll disgard them. I try to buy some professional prodcuts too. Here are some I tend to use frequently:
* Redken All Soft (Conditioner, Shampoo, and Heavy Cream Treatement) I also use Redken Extreme line and Redken Smooth Down line.

* Loreal Nature's Therapy Line (including Hot Oil Treatement)

* various Suave Shampoos/conditioners

* Pantene Pro-V Smoothing Conditioner, Ice Shine Conditioner, and Clarifying Shampoo

* Loreal Vive Pro Pearl Protien Conditioner

* Biosilk Shampoo, Conditioner, and Silk Therapy

* Brilliant Brunette Shine Release Shampoo, Conditioner, and leave in glosser as well as the shower treatement called Luminous Color Glaze Color Glosser shine booster which is supposed to add some chestnut to espresso color.

* Paul Mitchell Super Charged Moisturizer and Daily Mousturizer and Super Skinny Daily Shampoo and Conditioner (I personally found the PM line drying to hair.)
* Mane 'n Tail Deep Mousturzing Conditioner, Mane n' (a lot of people like Mane'n'Tail Shampoo) Tail Olive Oil Complex with Herbal Essentials Conditioner

* Joico K-Pak Reconstruct Conditioner (I can say this is a great line!)

* Tresemme Smooth & Silky Conditioner

* Ion products (conditioners, leave in conditioner, anti-frizz heat protection)

And lastly a new styling product I started using is:
* Organix Nourishing Coconut Milk leave-in, Organix Nourishing Coconut Milk Anti-Breakage Serum, and Nourishing Coconut Milk Self-Heating Coconut Oil
My husband says these make my hair look nice, but I wonder if they are healthy? :o

Serum likely means cones, FYI. That's why your hair looks "nice". It boosts shine.

For a conditioner, I will highly recommend BIOLAGE'S CONDITIONING BALM. It's most excellent for deep conditioning (some find this viscous conditioner too heavy for their hair), but I use it every time I do a full hair wash. My hair is very fine, and straight. I like the coating it leaves on.

Sorry for rambling on but I am seriously wondering which prodcuts are worth keeping and which should be ditched! I appreciate any and all opinions and advice. I know I have an out of control collection but I'm one of those constantly searching for a fantastic hair product (I even have a few more prodcuts that I didn't list)! Thank you in advance for any help :) With the support of all you gorgeous women here I can feel my hair getting healthier already!
Sissy :heart:


I hope this input helps. See my input in purple to your questions.

heidi w.

[heidi w.]

Thank you! I have a non-hair question. Why can't I access profiles and such on my own and others pages? Each time I try it says I do not have privileges to do so. Just curious.

Back to hair... so, Silicone is the worst thing to have in the conditioners? I notice the Tresemme Conditioner bottle I have here in front of me says "Dimethicone" because it ends with CONE is it also bad, like a form of Silicone.

Thanks! Sissy

This is a -cone. Yes. HOWEVER, do know that not everyone has improvements in hair going -cone free! Some people's hair likes cones and is just fine -- and beautifully healthy.

Don't fix what ain't broke.

heidi w.

[heidi w.]

I have some pure coconut oil... but am not exactly sure how to use it. Could I use it as a leave in and blow dry my hair with it in or would that be super damaging?
Would I just leave it in a few minutes and wash it out? But yes, I do have coconut oil that my husband bought for me in London. It's in a small jar and it's white and waxy but it melts if you heat it. Would I apply it melted/heated or just in it's original form?:o

OILING TUTORIAL under ARTICLES
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=71
I would read the whole thread. It's pretty helpful.

heidi w.

[heidi w.]

Thank you, I will stop shampooing my lengths and will try coconut oil. I read the whole coconut oil blog but did not see an answer as to could coconut oil be blow dried into hair or would that be very bad :confused:
Sissy

I would blow dry first and then oil detangled hair. See the link above, although I don't think it mentions blow drying and oil.

If you're willing to conduct an experiment, you could inform us how oiling and THEN blow drying would work. Just be clear about your temp setting, use of a diffuser or not, did you completely dry or only, say, half dry....details matter to folks here.

heidi w.

[heidi w.]

oh also... I'm also looking for any ways to make my hair go darker NATURALLY. I had bought the Brilliant Brunette Glossing Treatment for that reason, but not sure how well it worked. I heard people talking of Henna... what would that do to someone like me with dirty blonde/chestnut brown hair? I'd like my hair to be a medium to dark brown. In this avatar pic I uploaded it looks darker than it really is. I would like it as dark as the avatar picture or a bit darker even. However, my main priority still remains keeping it as healthy as possible with as few split ends as possible and as flat as possible. I guess we always want a color or style of hair that we don't have :o


If that's you in the Avatar pix, then you're beautiful, and I wouldn't change a thing.

heidi w.

[JessTheMess]

2. I have heard that flat iron is healthier for hair than blow drying. However, flat irons get so hot... is it really true they're less damaging than a dryer??

Ooooohhh I think Nightshade needs to pop in with her microscopic damaged hair pics :shudder:
Flat irons are seriously teh evil!!!!!!

3. I read through a lot of the lists on the sticky notes. I read about Cone free, Protein free, Sulfate free products. I am using products that must contain these items as my products didn't seem to be listed on the lists. Why would a person want cone free, protein free, sulfate free... what do these things mean? :pinktongue:
I used cones all of my life until coming here. I realized how much damage the cones hid after my first clarifying shampoo. It was terrible. I chopped off close to 4 inches of damaged hair. Since then it has all grown back and I am cone free!! I love VO5 condishes and when my hair starts to get buildup (crunchy, pointy ends, hair feels coated, etc.) I use a clarifying shampoo followed by a SMT.

4. I only trim my hair twice a year at the most. Is this too much, too little? :heart:

I no longer trim, I go on daily S&D missions to trim off split ends only. I figure if I keep up on it, I won't have to lose any length due to overwhelming amounts of damage

5. Hair treatments... I try to do them everyweekend using either Queen Anne's Cholesterol or Hot Oils, Paul Micheals leave-in conditioner, Regis Olive Oil Hair Masque, or Redken Deep Conditioners. I have not a clue which ones are good or bad. Also, are homemade treatements better (mayonaisse, eggs, olive oil, apple cider vinegar)?
For moisture, I use the SMT. My hair loves it!
For protein, I hear that eggs are good, but remember that it is drying. I would condish after a protein treatment
6. I try to use good prodcuts on my hair and I own SEVERAL. I will list some of them here. If any are BAD could someone please tell me and I'll disgard them.
Everyone's hair is different :shrug: What works for some wreaks havoc on others. Don't go overboard on trying everything at once either! Use a month to try out one thing, and if that doesn't work the next month try something else.
HTH.

Natural ways to darken hair..
Rosemary, Coffee, Sage rinses
I prefer Rainbow Henna in Dark Brown :D

The routine that I settled into is CO once or twice a week, SMT when my hair needs it (seems to be a lot lately with the dry cold air)

[Nightshade]

2. I have heard that flat iron is healthier for hair than blow drying. However, flat irons get so hot... is it really true they're less damaging than a dryer??

Ooooohhh I think Nightshade needs to pop in with her microscopic damaged hair pics :
Flat irons are seriously teh evil!!!!!!

You can see a whole mess of these pics in the article on damaged hair linked in my siggy, but here's a few to get you going :eyebrows:

http://www.pg.com/science/haircare/hair_twh_68/hair_twh_68_02.jpg

This is a normal hair with the tip rounded from natural weathering.




Now! onto the flat iron pictures! :twisted:

http://www.pg.com/science/haircare/hair_twh_73/hair_twh_73_01.jpg
http://www.pg.com/science/haircare/hair_twh_73/hair_twh_73_02.jpg
Bubbles in the hair formed by heating it too hot. The moisture in the hair turns to steam, which breaks through the cuticle in an attempt to get out of the hair, causing damage.


The resulting splits and breaks from heat damage:
http://www.pg.com/science/haircare/hair_twh_74/hair_twh_74_03.jpg
The "white dot"

http://www.pg.com/science/haircare/hair_twh_73/hair_twh_73_03.jpg
Split end close up.

http://www.pg.com/science/haircare/hair_twh_75/image004.jpg
The hair has literally been fried by heat, and then burst open

You know, it's a shame I'm limited to 10 images per post :wannabe:


Honestly, using a straighter once in awhile won't kill you, but those things seem to be about as addicting as crack. If your goal is long hair you may want to kick the habit early.

Keep in mind, at sea level, water boils at 212F which is well within the range of those irons.

[bunnii]

Yay! I love Nightshades scary pics :evil:


I've been using Molassess to darken my hair when my head can't handle the hairdye, there's a thread with some info somewhere...

ETA - http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=163&highlight=molasses+rinses + http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=1993

[heidi w.]

FYI to O.P.

S&D is a term many use for Search & Destroy, which is a reference to my point about removing damage throughout all the hair (split end trim....and to ask if you don't know how to do this).

heidi w.

[Sissy]

[quote=tina1025;356778]I do but i guess you cant see them yet. I dont have beautiful hair yet. I used to use flat iron everyday and used tons of other commercial products in the past and i ruined my hair. I also lost a lot of hair due to stress and depression about two years ago. I have been using natural products for about 6 months and it has helped me alot. I have also learned a lot from TLHC and hopefully one day my hair will be as pretty as some of the other memebers :D

quote=Sissy;356060]

Tina, I'm sure your hair is beautiful! I will be sure to check it out as soon as I have permission to do so, which involves being a member for long enough/making enough posts :eyebrows: I am seriously looking into the shampoo bars!

[Sissy]

Yay! I love Nightshades scary pics :evil:


I've been using Molassess to darken my hair when my head can't handle the hairdye, there's a thread with some info somewhere...

ETA - http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=163&highlight=molasses+rinses + http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=1993

Thank you, is the shine and such in your pic of your hair due to Molasses? I have some Molasses in the kitchen cabinet from making gingerbread a while back... I am thinking of trying it!

[Sissy]

I have a couple questions about the different abbreviations in the posts I’ve been reading…
What is CO wash?
What is Cassia?
What is SMT? (used in context of: “SMT but with molasses instead of honey” or “For moisture, I use the SMT. My hair loves it!”) :p

[Sissy]

Heidi W., JessTheMess, and Nightshade thank you all very much for your very good information and tips. I am learning slowly... it is a lot to take in. You all confirmed my thoughts on the hair iron. I had always thought they would be extremely damaging. However, there is a woman in her early 40's at my work with absolutely gorgeous waist length dark brown healthy looking hair whom says she does not blow dry but lets her hair air dry up in a pony over night and then irons it in the morning. Guess she's just lucky that it isn't causing damage... I think people say if they use a tourmaline with vents and a heat protection spray it is good for you hair as the steam goes out. But, I agree with the three of you... I think hair irons are bad news.

Heidi, thank you for answering so many of my questions so thouroughly and thank you very much for the hair complement :p

I am going to try things slowly, even though I kinda wanto to do a whole bunch at once. The only thing I've done so far is put coconut oil in my hair tonight and I'm planning on leaving it on all night :o which hopefully is OK. I am interested to know how many people on the site use shampoo bars and I'm going to post a question asking that.

Thanks again for all your help!
Sissy :o

[Elphie]

Cassia is a form of henna that only deposits a pale yellow shade of color that is mostly undetectable unless your hair is very light.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=406

SMT is short for Snowymoon's moisture treatment
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=128

CO is short for Conditioning only wash
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=2898

[bunnii]

Thank you, is the shine and such in your pic of your hair due to Molasses? I have some Molasses in the kitchen cabinet from making gingerbread a while back... I am thinking of trying it!

It's from lots of EVOO and waiting for the sun to appear :) But molassess does make my hair quite shiney, my only problem with it is the smell :poot:



I have a couple questions about the different abbreviations in the posts I’ve been reading…
What is CO wash?
What is Cassia?
What is SMT? (used in context of: “SMT but with molasses instead of honey” or “For moisture, I use the SMT. My hair loves it!”) :p


CO wash is washing only with conditioner people have different methods of doing it, but I like to wet my hair use a handfull of conditioner on the roots and another handfll on the length and rub it in for a couple of minutes then rinse rinse rinse! (not rubbing the length though, too much breakage for me)

I have no idea what Cassia is :o

SMT is Snoweymoons Moisture Treatment, loads of LHCers love it, alot of people modify it but it originally contained (I think) Conditioner, Aloe gel, and honey. there is a thread but i'm rubbish at finding them.... found it :) http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=128&highlight=moisture+treatment

ETA - Elphie got there first! :D

[Sissy]

At home, I have some hair darkening rinses printed out. Indigo is a natural way to darken... I have pictures of my hair with that.

Like everyone said you have to sorta play and see whats best for your hair. My hiar dosn't mind cones or protein. My scalp is a mess I'm still working with.
I wouldn't use anything with parabens or SLS in it at least I try not to. I like JASON, and I like Desert Essence Orangics.

Morguebabe,

Your hair is absolutely beautiful! I have heard of Jason and believe they sell it at GNC, so I think I'll pick some up the first of the month (I'm a GNC goldcard member). I am going to probably get the hair vitamins there too.

You said your hair doesn't mind cones or protein. How would I know if mine does mind them? I feel like my hair looks pretty healthy, but I do use a lot of conditioner and my products all seem to contain cones.

Sissy :o

[Sissy]

It's from lots of EVOO and waiting for the sun to appear :) But molassess does make my hair quite shiney, my only problem with it is the smell :poot:




CO wash is washing only with conditioner people have different methods of doing it, but I like to wet my hair use a handfull of conditioner on the roots and another handfll on the length and rub it in for a couple of minutes then rinse rinse rinse! (not rubbing the length though, too much breakage for me)

I have no idea what Cassia is :o

SMT is Snoweymoons Moisture Treatment, loads of LHCers love it, alot of people modify it but it originally contained (I think) Conditioner, Aloe gel, and honey. there is a thread but i'm rubbish at finding them.... found it :) http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=128&highlight=moisture+treatment

ETA - Elphie got there first! :D

How do you use the EVOO? I have a bunch of that in my cabinet too! Thanks to you and Elphie for the info on the SMT I am going to try it hopefully soon... after getting some aloe. I read through part of the tread and it sounds like people had a lot of good results with it... some substituted molasses or coconut oil for the honey. This is all very interesting to me... there is so much to try!

Sissy :o

[chantiny]

First of all, welcome! I'm somewhat of a newbie myself, and I am absolutely in love with this place. I tried shampoo bars, as you are considering, and my hair is a 1b or so, that waves just the slightest bit and I feel it gets messy and doesn't lie perfectly flat (re: really really obsessive about the perfection of that). After trying shampoo bars + acv rinse (which is a godsend in this hard water area), my hair is exactly as I want it! My hair feels very well oiled just from shampoo bar use alone. I am starting to need a clarifying after about 2+ wks of 2-3 days per week of washing.

One of the perks I've found of shampoo bars as well is that my hair dries WAY faster. Somewhere in the monster of the shampoo bar thread, others seemed to say this happens to some of them also. My hair is super thick and takes almost an entire day to dry, sometimes a day and a half if I sleep on it, and if I put it up it never dries. After shampoo bars it takes only a couple hours, and goes straight to damp after I towel it off.

There is a post in the archives about what type of products your hair needs, depending on a broken strand test. Check that out and just search around. If your hair needs protein or moisture, that will help determine what it needs. As far as your hair liking or not liking cones, does your hair feel coated and yucky with cones, or does it feel dry and frizzy without cones? That's the best way to tell. If you do go off cones though, the easiest way to keep your hair feeling "normal slippy" is to make sure to use enough oil and don't strip your hair with harsh shampoo. SLS shampoo is MEANT to be able to strip the silicones off, and if there aren't any there, its just stripping away even more of your natural oils.

Sorry for the novel, but just thought I'd chime in since we seem to have at least similar hair types/issues from what you've been saying!

[Sissy]

First of all, welcome! I'm somewhat of a newbie myself, and I am absolutely in love with this place. I tried shampoo bars, as you are considering, and my hair is a 1b or so, that waves just the slightest bit and I feel it gets messy and doesn't lie perfectly flat (re: really really obsessive about the perfection of that). After trying shampoo bars + acv rinse (which is a godsend in this hard water area), my hair is exactly as I want it! My hair feels very well oiled just from shampoo bar use alone. I am starting to need a clarifying after about 2+ wks of 2-3 days per week of washing.

One of the perks I've found of shampoo bars as well is that my hair dries WAY faster. Somewhere in the monster of the shampoo bar thread, others seemed to say this happens to some of them also. My hair is super thick and takes almost an entire day to dry, sometimes a day and a half if I sleep on it, and if I put it up it never dries. After shampoo bars it takes only a couple hours, and goes straight to damp after I towel it off.

There is a post in the archives about what type of products your hair needs, depending on a broken strand test. Check that out and just search around. If your hair needs protein or moisture, that will help determine what it needs. As far as your hair liking or not liking cones, does your hair feel coated and yucky with cones, or does it feel dry and frizzy without cones? That's the best way to tell. If you do go off cones though, the easiest way to keep your hair feeling "normal slippy" is to make sure to use enough oil and don't strip your hair with harsh shampoo. SLS shampoo is MEANT to be able to strip the silicones off, and if there aren't any there, its just stripping away even more of your natural oils.

Sorry for the novel, but just thought I'd chime in since we seem to have at least similar hair types/issues from what you've been saying!

Chantiny,

Thanks for chiming in :o I'm not sure what sort of hair I have... I saw all the numbers and letters when I signed up but do not know what they mean. I'm sure there is information on what they mean somewheres around here. I would say that my hair feels frizzy without the 'cones. The cones help it to lie flat and feel shiny and clean I guess... I blow dry every day... well, I let me hair air dry almost completely then I hit it with the blow dryer before going out to work. As long as I hit it with the blow drier a bit before it's air dried the "crimpy" will be gone. If I allow it to totally air dry I'll have crimpy, messy looking hair... which my husband adores but I hate. Perhaps I could learn to love it air dried if it is really what's best for my hair :confused:.

So, shampoo bard made your hair less frizzy and mousturized and flatter? I think my hair might be naturally as yours is... what I refer to as "crimpy" could also be considered the slightest wave. Mine goes kind of like Cristina Ricci's in The Legend of Sleepy Hallow... sort of uneven, like this http://www.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,,6170685,00.jpg
My husband loves it, but I much prefer it pin straight, especially since I have no ability to style hair or do any osrt of updos... I wear it down and plain... always.

I would love any methods that would help it to be healtheir, flatter, more mousturized without use of blow dryer. So do tell all if you have other tips!

Sissy:o

[Elphie]

The hairtyping info can be found here (all of those little letters and numbers!)
There's a link at the very bottom for images of those descriptions.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=5

[Sissy]

The hairtyping info can be found here (all of those little letters and numbers!)
There's a link at the very bottom for images of those descriptions.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=5


Thank you Elphie. I will try to figure this out soon. I have a bunch of coconut oil on my hair tonight LOL. :o

Sissy ;)

[plainjanegirl]

Welcome to the group! I would also say if your hair is doing good with your current products then don't feel pressured to change. You should post a pic of your hair ( the no blow dry way). You probably just have some nice waves that maybe need to be encouraged. We are always our own worst critic. I am sure if your husband likes it then it is probably not messy like you referred to it as.

[Sarahmoon]

Welcome Sissy. Is your hair really blonde? It looks closer to black in your picture, or is that not the natural colour?

[bunnii]

How do you use the EVOO? I have a bunch of that in my cabinet too! Thanks to you and Elphie for the info on the SMT I am going to try it hopefully soon... after getting some aloe. I read through part of the tread and it sounds like people had a lot of good results with it... some substituted molasses or coconut oil for the honey. This is all very interesting to me... there is so much to try!

Sissy :o


I use a bit after I get out of the shower, a couple of drops is all I need. It's pretty much the same as coconut oil, but some people find it's heavier than coconut oil, my hair loves it though :) I have done a mixture of conditioner, molasses and EVOO left on for a few hours and that made my roots darker (the rest is dyed black) last time I just had molasses and conditioner because the oil made it a bit too watery and it just slid down my face - wasn't fun lol. The mixture IME needs to be a bit sticky. And it smells gross, oh and you might want to wear gloves if you do try it because the smell stays in your fingernails for days :?

[Sissy]

Welcome Sissy. Is your hair really blonde? It looks closer to black in your picture, or is that not the natural colour?

I would say my hair is about this color...
http://z.about.com/d/beauty/1/0/g/G/haircolor8.JPG
chestnut brown/dirty blonde?
I'm always trying to get it darker but do not want to dye it or anything harsh like that.

I will post more pictures once I have the ability too. I think I need to do more posts and be a member longer :o

[Sissy]

I use a bit after I get out of the shower, a couple of drops is all I need. It's pretty much the same as coconut oil, but some people find it's heavier than coconut oil, my hair loves it though :) I have done a mixture of conditioner, molasses and EVOO left on for a few hours and that made my roots darker (the rest is dyed black) last time I just had molasses and conditioner because the oil made it a bit too watery and it just slid down my face - wasn't fun lol. The mixture IME needs to be a bit sticky. And it smells gross, oh and you might want to wear gloves if you do try it because the smell stays in your fingernails for days :?

I am going to try some of the recommended treatments on here, including molasses.... AFTER Thanksgiving LOL. I was too afraid to mess anything up before then. The only thing I tried so far was putting a bunch of Superdrug Brand Coconut Oil in my hair while my hair was dry. I slept with it on overnight and then showered the next morning and shampoo and conditioned. Unfortunately, after blowdrying my hair was STILL oily and kinda yuck looking... and I had to go to work that way. However, today I had no work due to Thanksgiving holiday and my hair seems cleaner... even though I didn't was it yet. So, for some reason the first day after showering the oil out my hair was nasty oliy still but somehow on the second day my hair has soaked it up? Weird!

One thing I thought about after I put the oil on was that my hair was not cleaned of the leave in conditioner and anti-breakage serum I had put on it before school that morning. Hopefully it is OK to apply coconut oil onto dry hair which had these products on from earlier in the day. :o

[Elphie]

It really depends on what your hair likes. Some people use coconut oil (or other oils) on dry hair. I use it on wet or heavily misted hair.

[bunnii]

I am going to try some of the recommended treatments on here, including molasses.... AFTER Thanksgiving LOL. I was too afraid to mess anything up before then. The only thing I tried so far was putting a bunch of Superdrug Brand Coconut Oil in my hair while my hair was dry. I slept with it on overnight and then showered the next morning and shampoo and conditioned. Unfortunately, after blowdrying my hair was STILL oily and kinda yuck looking... and I had to go to work that way. However, today I had no work due to Thanksgiving holiday and my hair seems cleaner... even though I didn't was it yet. So, for some reason the first day after showering the oil out my hair was nasty oliy still but somehow on the second day my hair has soaked it up? Weird!

One thing I thought about after I put the oil on was that my hair was not cleaned of the leave in conditioner and anti-breakage serum I had put on it before school that morning. Hopefully it is OK to apply coconut oil onto dry hair which had these products on from earlier in the day. :o

I'm gald it worked for you (after a day lol) I would think the oil would have trouble getting through leave ins if they had cones maybe after the second day the cones broke down, some cones do that although i'm not sure which ones.

[Sarahmoon]

I would say my hair is about this color...
http://z.about.com/d/beauty/1/0/g/G/haircolor8.JPG
chestnut brown/dirty blonde?
Dark golden blonde? Nice colour.
The picture in your avatar looks like dark chocolate brown to me which is lovely as well. Is it because of the lighting or did you get that colour with some treatment?