Trends on LHC

[Gothic Lolita]

I don't know if I'm the only one noticing this, but I feel that there are some kind of trends on LCH. When I first came here many people wanted to grow all virgin hair down to classic. Manys were raving about the Monistat.

Now more seem to have colored hair, mostly with henna. I also seem to notice more threads about cutting or the thought of it.

I think this is interesting, because since I came here many of my personal views have changed (e.g. definition of cleanliness, etc). Apparently I'm not the only one changing!

What do you notice? I'm only here since Nov 2007 so I don't know much about the earling beginnings of LHC

[joyfulmom4]

I'm too new here to notice, but I'm interested in hearing what others have observed about this. I'm still in the virgin-hair-to-classic group.

[Carolyn]

Yes there have been all sorts of trends and crazes. It's been a lot of fun getting to know about new things and trying them. Things get popular for awhile and there are lots of threads started and lots of conversations. Eventually people go on to other things.

[SHELIAANN1969]

I was interested in henna right before I found TLHC, and was using only homemade soap on my hair (no conditioner) ack, that was a mistake. I was still washing way too frequently as well.

I was never interested in Monistat, lol, but I did learn about oils, bpal, hairsticks, hairforks, Ficcares, Buffs, and how to make my one and only bun! :D

I think people get bored and tend to want to do something different, maybe that's where we notice more posting on a certain subject.

I never knew about *hair length* terminology, I just want mine to grow as long as it can! :D

[dorothea-brooke]

Cool question, GL!

I think it would be interesting, too, to hear about what ideas/trends folks have kept versus what they've abandoned, and why. :drama:

I'll start:

Kept: Biotin, SMT (Snowy's massage technique), cone-free products (that's not really a trend since it's a classic!), infrequent pooing

Never tried: Monistat, Megatek (a new one!), BPAL

Abandoned: Catnip rinses, cassia, WO, and ... [drum roll please] Ficcares! (I know, I know -- but they really do eat my hair too much, and I've finally decided I prefer hair sticks and forks)

[Kuchen]

Well, it's Mega Tek now, which was an age-old trend when I first joined. I feel LHC old.

[akurah]

Things go in cycles. And for those interested in henna? I've found they're either dedicated longterm hennaheads, or newbies. Henna isn't so much a trend (given its permanency) as it is a mistake for MANY. I always cringe when I see a new "should I henna?" thread.

[Aisha25]

Things go in cycles. And for those interested in henna? I've found they're either dedicated longterm hennaheads, or newbies. Henna isn't so much a trend (given its permanency) as it is a mistake for MANY. I always cringe when I see a new "should I henna?" thread.
I cringe when I see "how to remove henna" thread.

[JamieLeigh]

I'm too new here to notice, but I'm interested in hearing what others have observed about this. I'm still in the virgin-hair-to-classic group.

Same here! I agree with Gothic Lolita also, in that my personal views have definitely changed! I used to obsess over having a squeaky clean scalp via shampoo, and now my scalp is getting clean with CO, minus only the top-of-head-frizz that comes with shampoo, LOL. And I would cringe at the thought of even a micro-trim, and never mind hearing a term like "Search & Destroy"! (I know, some call it Seek & Destroy, but I'm married to a Marine. :p)

It's interesting to note, as I think I have in another post recently, that my hair is nearly classic, yet I'm still constantly changing hair care routine, even more so than when it was shorter. Sometimes it takes awhile to find what works best for you.

I don't really see myself jumping on the henna bandwagon. I'm happy with my hair color, a nice espresso indoors, and a chestnut-reddish-brown in the sunlight. And I intend to embrace my grey hairs with pride when I get them...or should I say MORE of them. ;) I have 5 kids, stair-stepped...I've earned those greys!! That said, I do love to look at what henna does for other people's hair; some of you have such gorgeous color!!

[OhioLisa]

I think some things, like cutting and coloring, seem to be seasonal too. Winter time blahs usually result in the "I need a change" feeling, I suppose.

[Nightshade]

Things go in cycles. And for those interested in henna? I've found they're either dedicated longterm hennaheads, or newbies. Henna isn't so much a trend (given its permanency) as it is a mistake for MANY. I always cringe when I see a new "should I henna?" thread.


I cringe when I see "how to remove henna" thread.

Ditto to both those :scared:

I remember the little neekid men fad too. There's a lot I'm on the bandwagon for long term:

Henna and related stuff
mooncups
herbs and oils
hair toysThere's also a lot of fads that I've passed on: monistat, MEgaTek (had considered it but I'll stick with my oil blend), neekid men, buffs, etc.

[Nera]

This is really interesting! I'm really new, and I belong to the ones who want virgin classic hair... but still I find it interesting to read about what others do with their hair(:

[Bene]

i'm ok with the non-permanent trends. like henna is too much maintenance for me. things like monistat (which worked for me) are more my style. i can do it when i feel like it and not have to worry about roots showing.

my length goal has stayed the same i think. it wavers at roughly tailbone, i don't think i'd want anything longer than that, but yes, i'd prefer it to be virgin and healthy for the entire length.

[LeaM07]

I follow the LHC trends about as much as I do in real life... so not much. ;)

I did change a few things when I first joined, but it was mostly in response to what I'd learned about proper hair care, rather than following the current trends.

So no henna, no Monistat, and no complicated treatments (I just can't make myself spend the time on them)...

I'm addicted to knitting now, though. And I bought an epilator. :silly:

[Nightshade]

I'm addicted to knitting now, though. And I bought an epilator. :silly:

Ah hell, forgot about the RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR machine :p

[mira-chan]

..

I'm addicted to knitting now, though. And I bought an epilator. :silly:
Those two, with crochet on top I blame LHC for. :silly: I'm now eyeing the sewing machine for other stuff than my costumes too.

Now for hair, it's herbs and SLS free shampoo due to necessity as that's the stuff that works and doesn't make me want to scalp myself due to itching.

I tried henna, it faded on my hair. :shrug: So it's something I do when I feel like it for shine, same as with cassia. I don't mind the red.

[Anje]

I know my views on things have changed, too. Mainly on how often my hair needs to be washed, and with what. (Like so many, I was a pile-in-on-the-head daily S&Cer.)

I've skipped on the Monistat trend, and the jury is still out on catnip. I'm starting to think that I shouldn't put anything oily on my scalp or I shed more, but it requires a bit more experimentation before I write it off.

Oh, and menstrual cups rule. But I discovered them before LHC.

[Gothic Lolita]

Cool that so many seem to like the thread and responded.

I haven't changed so mich since joining, sometimes because it didn't work like washing less (still daily, only if I don't go out it's max. every second day), sometimes because it's too expensive.

I do henna glosses, which I really like, but I've lurked around LHC long before I joined so I knew about the risks and that I'd have to bleach it out.
I'm also cone-free, but was about 6 month before I joined and started looking into herbal shampoos, condishs, etc.

What I learned and started to love are updos. In the past I didn't feel nice with all my hair up. Then I challenged mayself to 4 weeks up, that was in March, and I'm wearing it up daily since then! And my pile of stick, forks and other things is growing just like my hair now :D

[Carolyn]

Since others are listing what they've tried and kept up with or abandoned, I'll join in in too since I've been here since the beginning.

Tried: Monoi oil, jojoba oil, camellia oil, Monistat, Mega Tek (first time around), Ficcares, Mei Fa's, Cassia, Flexi 8's, shampoo bars, Aubrey products, cone free, cones, SMT, heat caps, Ojon, HALO rinses, citric acid rinses, CO washes, CWC washes, BBB's, S & D, Amish pins, Bunji pony holders,

Tried and still do: The oils mentioned above, the hair toys mentioned above, heat cap, SMT, HALO rinse, Ojon products, CO, CWC, BBB's, S & D

Tried and stopped: Shampoo bars, Aubrey products, Mega Tek, Monistat, cassia

Never Tried and don't want to: henna, bpal, herbs, SO, WO, catnip rinses

I'm sure there are a lot more but that's all I can think of at the moment.

[NiAosSi]

I was interested in henna right before I found TLHC, and was using only homemade soap on my hair (no conditioner) ack, that was a mistake. I was still washing way too frequently as well.

I was never interested in Monistat, lol, but I did learn about oils, bpal, hairsticks, hairforks, Ficcares, Buffs, and how to make my one and only bun! :D

I think people get bored and tend to want to do something different, maybe that's where we notice more posting on a certain subject.

I never knew about *hair length* terminology, I just want mine to grow as long as it can! :D


This pretty much sums me up as well!

[justgreen]

Oh man I tried a lot of different things and kept a few and still swear by them.

Kept: SMT (with NG Herbal and honey), distilled water final rinsing, I sparingly use cones a bit now, but now how to properly/safely clarify, homemade spritzers, jojoba oil, emu oil, avocado oil, micro fiber dog towels!, good wooden hair sticks and forks, flexi-8's, SCRUNCHIES STILL RULE. I sometimes still CWC. I dilute all shampoos. I don't OCM as much as I should.

Discarded: CO, traded my nekkid man for some TJ Shampoo and conditioner, haircuts, full strength shampoo, unless it's a clarifyer,shampoo bars *ick*, hmmm, there's more I just can't think of.

Never tried the Monistat, or the Mega-whatever.

[Hypnotica]

Ok, someone have to explain the nekkid man to me?

[Elphie]

A small, sterling silver guy, similar to this item on ebay - 120355714943
I kinda see the appeal. :D

[Hypnotica]

A small, sterling silver guy, similar to this item on ebay - 120355714943
I kinda see the appeal. :D


Ah! I remember seeing something on the boards about that, but I never really understood the fad.

[goodenough]

Wow--interesting. I must say that iI've been on eighteen months, and although I've gone from apl to waist, I haven't changed too much. Here's how I have changed:

I still wash every other day, but I do a CO once a week to keep my scalp flake free.

I use hairsticks and a fork instead of ponytail holders.

I have bangs.

I do a random s&d once and a while and trim a lot less often.

I bought and use the tangle teezer.

[Violeta]

These "trends" lol, come and go really.
There have been times when we got a bit more obsessed with henna hehe, I still play with the thought of trying it but scared to do so.

[Calista]

Speaking of trends: Does anybody remember "the-haircare-system-that-must-not-be-named"? (I know Morticia will. :D)

I would post a link (yes, apparently it still exists), but I´m afraid the mods would not allow it. It´s too scary and forbidden.

[Carolyn]

Ok, someone have to explain the nekkid man to me?If you go over to the LHC archives and find the old discussion you'll see what fun we had with our nekkid men :eyebrows: The talk got rather raucous :p I'm too lazy to go over there and find the thread but if you're interested I'm sure you can find it.

[Elphie]

Speaking of trends: Does anybody remember "the-haircare-system-that-must-not-be-named"? (I know Morticia will. :D)

I would post a link (yes, apparently it still exists), but I´m afraid the mods would not allow it. It´s too scary and forbidden.


Grand...now I'm curious.

[spidermom]

I'm still in the virgin hair to classic length group. In fact, I'm so committed to that path that I'm rather dismayed by all the "coloring my hair" threads. However, I used to be a hardcore trimmer, whether I needed it or not. I had a schedule and I stuck with it. Now I'm going 1 year without trimming, so that's a big change. I'm not the least bit interested in trying something to make my hair grow faster, other than improved health habits, because I'm afraid if I force it to grow, it will decide to all shed out at once or something weird like that. I'll stick with mother nature at her own pace, thanks.

[SHELIAANN1969]

I know what you mean. I was lucky henna worked for me, I have never been happier with my hair! :D

But I have found out, it is never the same for everyone, different recipies yield different results and even different batches or brands of henna can be totally different in smell, texture, dye release etc.

Needless to say, I am a hennahead for life, after the first time I was in love! :crush: It took a few tries to get the routine down but now, it goes a lot smoother than it did in the beginning attempts. :)



Things go in cycles. And for those interested in henna? I've found they're either dedicated longterm hennaheads, or newbies. Henna isn't so much a trend (given its permanency) as it is a mistake for MANY. I always cringe when I see a new "should I henna?" thread.


I cringe when I see "how to remove henna" thread.

[jivete]

I'm thankful for trends, because it gives me something new to think about and try. Plus, I think it'd get pretty boring over here if there weren't new ideas popping in every once in a while.

[pariate]

The things I tried and stuck with.
Self-trimming, HAIR TOYS!, rrrrrr machine, sugaring (unless the rrrrrr totally converts me :D ), aloe gel, cone-free, no brushing or heat styling, coconut oil (hair, body, lips, hands, deodorant...), glycerin for skin.

I came, I saw, I gave up...
SMTs, herb washing, scalp-only washes, horn combs, CV bars, cassia (although I may give this a spin again).

Big things I never did.
Henna (I've never been tempted to tamper with my colour), Monistat, Buffs.

I've been here a little over year and have noticed the varying popularity of certain VITs, but I don't think my long-term goals have changed very much. I'd always dreamt of healthy, frizz-free (!), waist-length hair. Some of the things that I tried and abandoned were too much hard work for me (especially herb washing), others just didn't work for me (e.g. CV bars).

There do seem to be more "should I henna?" threads lately, but that could just be my imagination. Maybe people are looking for something to shake off the post-holiday blues! :D

[Morticia]

Speaking of trends: Does anybody remember "the-haircare-system-that-must-not-be-named"? (I know Morticia will. :D)

I would post a link (yes, apparently it still exists), but I´m afraid the mods would not allow it. It´s too scary and forbidden.

Bwahahahahaha...simply posting the name at LHC will make all your hair fall out. I only had wonderful things to say about it. Raves, even. But, still, I'm not allowed to post about it. :rolleyes:

Nonhair trends that I totally got hooked on due to LHC: BPAL and knitting.

Hair trends that worked: Blondiesturn, Quattro, Baerreis, MonktheMonk, henna, the-haircare-system-that-must-not-be-named, CureCare, Moonchaser's SS Oil, shampoo bars, baking soda.

[dorothea-brooke]

Bwahahahahaha...simply posting the name at LHC will make all your hair fall out. I only had wonderful things to say about it. Raves, even. But, still, I'm not allowed to post about it. :rolleyes:

No, you're joking! A wonderful haircare routine that you won't share with us?!!!

:justy:

[Dianyla]

Bwahahahahaha...simply posting the name at LHC will make all your hair fall out. I only had wonderful things to say about it. Raves, even. But, still, I'm not allowed to post about it. :rolleyes:
I would like to clarify, on behalf of Stephanie, that the reason we cannot discuss that particular company and its products is because we were ordered not to by the owner of that company.

Rest assured, we aren't just being big bad meanie mods. Morticia, I know you weren't implying any such thing, but I wanted to explain for the newbies. :flower:

[SimplyLonghair]

Yes trends come and go, but henna is forever:D. I love my henna, but I am red naturally anyway, so not as big a deal. Just gives me the red that I want and not the washed out red that it had become...:rolleyes:
Time wise I have gotten it down to less needed and my hair is worth it! But as much as I love my henna, it is definitely Not for everyone!
What I love about LHC is the ideas thrown around give me places to start.
Things that I have tried: SMT, Honey treatments, egg shampoo CO, CWC, WO, henna, oiling, herb washes, soapnuts, S&D's, self trims, hair sticks, amish pins, horn combs, wooden combs, thats all I can think of now.

Things that I still use:SMT, Honey treatments, CO, CWC, henna, oiling, herb washes, soapnuts, S&D's, self trims, hair sticks, horn combs, wooden combs.

Long hair is a journey and I like having fun on my trips!:D

[Remke]

I didn´t really notice. I´ve been dying my hair with henna from december 99 so it was red when I came here and it still is. I use the LHC more to search things I´m interested in and I don´t really look at what´s popular or not. Although I love to fill in polls :D
And I'm sorry to day but almost everything I tried was bad for my hair, excpt for the use of coconut milk, I use it in my henna instread of conditioner. (And a few months ago I made my first curry with coconut juice :P Yummie but I didn't put it in my hair ;) )
But Ghassoul, oil, honey, CV bars, coneless, vinigar rinses were all awfull for my hair :( So cones, henna and coconutmilk it is :cheer:
And ofcourse the lovely updo's and toys like Ficcare, Baerries and stuff, I'll always love them :D

[LaurelSpring]

I think I have tried everything that came down the pike here.

What worked: CWC, no cones, sticks and forks, OCM, Cloth Pads, coconut oil, camellia, jojoba, cocoa butter, shea butter, SMTs, Nightshades Panacea <3, Every other day wash, getting better with CO. Henna was great until build up, Flexi 8, ketylos, castor oil on lashes and hair, S&D, no trimming, satin pillow, sleep cap, braids for bed, updos, baking soda, good days hair pins, tangle teezer!

What didnt work: Monostat, Mega Tek, Bhrajan oil stuff, shampoo bars, ACV rinses, Feye's self trim (disaster), moon cup (still hoping).

Thats all I can think of right now!

[dorothea-brooke]

I would like to clarify, on behalf of Stephanie, that the reason we cannot discuss that particular company and its products is because we were ordered not to by the owner of that company.

Rest assured, we aren't just being big bad meanie mods. Morticia, I know you weren't implying any such thing, but I wanted to explain for the newbies. :flower:

Ah, I see -- it's a serious reason. I thought we were just being teased.... :D

[Remke]

O yeah and I almost forgot my favorite things like my sleepcap, cloth pads (they make me happy), Flexi8 and Nightshade and the whole etsy thing :banana:

[snowbear]

Oh, wow. I remember quite a few trends, and I've only been here for--HOLYCARP, IT'S THREE AND A HALF YEARS AS OF TODAY!

Things I've tried and liked: Hairsticks; Ficcare (IT FINALLY WORKS); body piercing; VO5; cupping; LHC meets!

Things I've tried and hated/didn't work: Cassia; Dove; Pantene; Garnier; Herbal Essences; Nature's Gate; Aussie; Tresemme Shampoo & Conditioner; CO; SO; beak clips (awesome projectiles, though!)

Things I remember: When DBF had more posts than TB; the giant server crashes; the-haircare-system-that-must-not-be-named; nekkid men; giant flounces; epic trollery; LHC Teen thread debauchery.

[Morticia]

I would like to clarify, on behalf of Stephanie, that the reason we cannot discuss that particular company and its products is because we were ordered not to by the owner of that company.

Rest assured, we aren't just being big bad meanie mods. Morticia, I know you weren't implying any such thing, but I wanted to explain for the newbies. :flower:

Sorry, I should have made that clear. It's not the moderators at all. It's the owner of the haircare system.

It is also my own opinion and not the opinion of anyone else that by not allowing LHCer to discuss that haircare line at all, the owner is losing a lot of potential customers.

[pariate]

I have yet to witness a flounce... but the server crash left me quite forlorn last year! I still had so much to learn... thank goodness Stephanie managed to get it back up. :D I dread to think how much hard work that involved.

[Dianyla]

Sorry, I should have made that clear. It's not the moderators at all. It's the owner of the haircare system.

It is also my own opinion and not the opinion of anyone else that by not allowing LHCer to discuss that haircare line at all, the owner is losing a lot of potential customers.
Oh, don't worry about it. Many people here simply aren't aware of why we do not discuss They Who Shall Not Be Discussed and the occasional refresher doesn't hurt. :)

I also agree, and I've never understood why that was their decision. :crazyq:

[teela1978]

The new trend that I've noticed lately is all the 'appreciation' threads for certain hairstick/fork makers. I never knew you all had such amazing collections, it's like extreme enabling. I think I'm going to mostly buck that trend for my pocketbook's sake, but many of them are very beautiful.

[Kimberly]

Goddess Spirals! Though I actually bucked the trend and got Nines. I'm such a rebel! ;)

[Sammybunny711]

Things I gave up: Shampoo, trims/haircuts, piling hair on top of head, blowfryers, straightener (I might have used it three or four times), product (didn't use much anyway.)

Kept: CV shampoo bars, CO (on occasion if I need a break from the poo bars), SMT, clarifying, wooden combs (no brushing), air drying, my natural wave, Citric acid or Vinegar rinses, lavender EO in my rinses, honey, aloe, etc.

YAY! When my hair is long enough, I plan on using hair forks and sticks like the rest of ya'll!

[Elainehali]

I notice the different brands of clips.

Remember in high school and certain labels would become in fashion for a few years.

long haired women do the same thing with hair clips.

[Jeni]

Things I've tried and liked- CWC, cassia and henna, keeping my hair up, SMT (without aloe), coconut oil as a deep treatment, S&D, BBB, forks and sticks and fakkare (sp?)

Things I've tried and didnt like- CO, combing only, cone and sulfate free, extending my washes, monistat (couldn't remember to keep up with it), biotin (bad break outs!), coconut oil as a leave in, aloe

Haven't tried- bpal, OCM, herbs, shampoo bars, ACV rinses (meaning to try this), coconut milk soaks, catnip, WO, ficcare (will be trying this)

I joined last March so I haven't been here very long but I do think there is a lot of interest in henna lately. I think it probably is a winter blues thing. I admit part of me wishes I had kept to the original plan of letting my natural color grow out but I really do like the color cassia/henna gives me and it has made my hair feel great!

[rapunzhell13]

I've tried my fair share. I'm no-cones and I do the occasional CO. I use coconut oil. Coconut milk was an epic fail. I've got Ficcare clips, although I'm not in love with them (yet). I have a hairstick which I can't use yet. I've been tempted by henna, but I won't use it because red really doesn't suit me as a hair colour and I can't be bothered with the maintenance. I've never been a frequent trimmer, so going months to years between trims isn't weird to me at all. It's so easy to get caught up in such things, especially when you're new. I felt really overwhelmed as a n00b.

[Wind]

- Nekkid men! Never did that, but it was fun to watch.
- Buffs
- Longhaired Teens Unite! i.e. the teen thread :D
- MeiFas - I still love them!
- Startup of The Beauty Bottle
- George Michael Salons, haven't heard about that in a long time.
- Suave Raspberry Conditioner! Oldschool, with the silver cap.
- washing with herbs only
- There are a ton more, but I wandered over into the old forum and got lost for a while. :p I don't even know how long I've been around for sure...

[zen_oven]

I'd say my hair care routine has changed a lot since joining LHC. I went from the typical lather, rinse, repeat with shampoo and conditioner every day to doing CWC, oiling, and cutting down to two washes a week.

In terms of what I consider trends, not so much I suppose. I don't really want to try Monostat or henna. I have been bitten by the Ficcare bug, though, and want to get my hands on some Ketylo hairsticks and a Flexi-8 at some point.

[susiemw]

Oh, don't worry about it. Many people here simply aren't aware of why we do not discuss They Who Shall Not Be Discussed and the occasional refresher doesn't hurt. :)

I also agree, and I've never understood why that was their decision. :crazyq:

ok, i don't understand why they want their product not discussed here... but it's not my company so i'll go with it but
the next question is why does the owner of the company have
anything to say about what is discussed on a public board?

susan

[RavennaNight]

ok, i don't understand why they want their product not discussed here... but it's not my company so i'll go with it but
the next question is why does the owner of the company have
anything to say about what is discussed on a public board?

susan

*peeks nose in*. I saw that removal ona thread the other day and was like :confused:. I guess there's a reason for everything. :shrug:

But anyways....

Trends! Henna, not a trend, but it sure has been working for me!:inlove: Aloe gel, more in the summer. Scalp massaging. I just got on the poobar trend.

Trends I havent tried, but have seen and read about: Monistat, MegaTek, soapnuts/aritha.

Trends that didnt work: SMT, I tried, believe me I tried. Honey, gooey mess.

Trend I have avoided due to possible addiction/monetary loss: BPAL. But I'm tempted. Please dont enable. Economy sucks.

[Dianyla]

ok, i don't understand why they want their product not discussed here... but it's not my company so i'll go with it but
the next question is why does the owner of the company have
anything to say about what is discussed on a public board?
TLHC is a privately owned website, supported by volunteer donations. Freedom of speech on the Internet is not unlimited, and people can take legal action for libel. :twocents:

[DragonLady]

TLHC is a privately owned website, supported by volunteer donations. Freedom of speech on the Internet is not unlimited, and people can take legal action for libel.

Actually...according to pretty settled case law, the members are responsible for their own words, but the admins/owners are not responsible for what the members say.

http://w2.eff.org/bloggers/lg/faq-230.php

[Speedbump]

Actually...according to pretty settled case law, the members are responsible for their own words, but the admins/owners are not responsible for what the members say.
But, they still have to hire a lawyer when they are threatened with a lawsuit, even if it gets thrown out in the end. :D

Now the trends: My view about "trends" here is that we don't actually know what the real trends are. We know what people are talking about, but we don't actually have a handle on what everyone is doing.

For instance, boring old me is in the "virgin to classic" club, and I have been for quite some time. That hasn't changed. I am not talking about it on the Mane Forum, but it might be part of a legit trend. We don't know, because probably most of the people doing it aren't talking about it on the Mane Forum. :lol:

I think what would really be neat is if we could actually know what people are doing via some sort of sitewide monthly poll. That would be an accurate trend measurement, because we would know what everyone is currently doing, and then we would know what they have stopped doing and started doing compared to that baseline

For instance, we might find out that suddenly, 5% of the membership is trying henna that had not tried it before, or 10% is trimming more than 1/2 inch this month that didn't before.

I believe we would also find out that new members bring trends with them that do not in any way affect longtime members. Imagine all of the people who come here and "find" henna and decide to do it. That might be hundreds of people! But I'd wager the majority of longtime members or even a significant minority are NOT suddenly trying henna.

Also, I would classify a lot of the things mentioned on this thread as actually being fads or cliches, especially the things that are temporary and not irreversible.

A fad can be a trend, but a trend is not always a fad. For instance, it might be a fad to try WO, but it's a trend to quit. :lol: And marrying Pegasus Marsters, while at one time a trend, and then possibly a fad whose time (mostly) passed, has now definitely become a fun cliche. Sorry, Pegs. :p

[freznow]

I have no idea how I got to this thread, but it is an interesting read and I'd like to dredge it up again. :D

Trend, fad, cliche... I don't know what to call what, but there sure are many cycles of interest here. Different wash methods, different hair toys, different styles, different challenges, different games, different health related things... Because of all these, LHC never gets old. If everyone were only interested in Ficcares as the hairtoy of choice, it'd be rather boring. But there are so many others! And they cycle through, and you have to log on every now and then, so you don't miss out on any new/'old-new' things that pop up. There are some things that are here seemingly eternally, either popular among newbies or oldies or both - CO, henna, menstrual cups, oil, hair toys in general, etc. Other things ebb and flow. I wish I could remember them all.

[eresh]

When I first discovered LHC I think going cone-less was a trend.
Sometimes it was almost as if there was a cone-police :D
So, I too gave up on cones following all the advice.(following the trend)

It was a disaster for me.
So I'm now back on cones and figure, why change what works for my hair :)
I've noticed more people going back to cones and the anti-cone atmosphere disappeared.

Things I picked up here and still use are misting and adding some jojoba (and sometimes some EO for scent) to it sometimes.
S&D I already did and still do.
I had my first blunt trim here not too long ago, I never had one before.
Also I got to know 60th street and Amadlife, papadohn, ficcare thanks to LHC!
On my list of to try are Flexi-8 and Nightshade sticks.
Still searching for ginkgo biloba sticks though.

And, I found some wonderful friends here too :-D

[Carina]

I'm still in the virgin hair to classic length group. In fact, I'm so committed to that path that I'm rather dismayed by all the "coloring my hair" threads. However, I used to be a hardcore trimmer, whether I needed it or not. I had a schedule and I stuck with it. Now I'm going 1 year without trimming, so that's a big change. I'm not the least bit interested in trying something to make my hair grow faster, other than improved health habits, because I'm afraid if I force it to grow, it will decide to all shed out at once or something weird like that. I'll stick with mother nature at her own pace, thanks.

That could have been me writing that :D.I get the itch to use henna or as when spring shows up, highlights.But I stick with mother nature just because it suits me.I'm a bit lazy;).Benign neglect,you know :crush::inlove:.

[enfys]

Ooh I never knew there were so many Virgin To Classic people here. That seems to be a very popular goal! Including my goal.

I think the only things I do now because of this site are herbal washes and my newly discovered ACV rinses. But I've only done one haha.

Some things people rant about I won't try. Monistat just doesn't sount right, and I wouldn't henna because I don't want red hair. If henna gave you black hair I'd be tempted.

That said, the internet has me doing a lot of things I didn't do, or never thought I would.

Hair Boutique:
CWC, S&D, Feye's self trimming

Various long hair styling sites that I find by accident and don't know the names of (dreamweaver, Fox's one etc:
Braiding, sticks, millions of bun variations etc

Fedora Lounge (Golden era 1920s-1950s lovers):
Mooncup! Curls that stay, snoods

BMEzine:
Tattoos and piercings.

The power of the internet!

I notice more trendy brands on here; Ficcare, Baerris, Suave, Nature's Gate.

And while I've not been active, I've been a long-time reader here, since 2003 on and off, not too long after I got internet at home. So I have seen a lot of things, but also missed a lot. I suppose because I wasn't growing my hair before, damn you Fedora Lounge and bouncy 50's curls...

[vindo]

Interesting Thread! I have also noticed "trends", just not comparable to a fashion trend, more like 'someones decides to do it and many more like the idea' :)

I think once in a while a certain length is more popular than the other.

When I first came here I read about so many that gave up dyeing their hair. That was one of the biggest changes for me... I could not imagine being without my hairdye then :p

I then changed to "leaving the hair alone" which was also quite popular then (maybe still is?), just bun it and grow it, no trims, dye, no loose hair.

It was very refreshing actually and helped me getting out of the addictive dyeing and brushing.

I have changed a lot over the years, most noticeable - I went all green, organic and no less and even then I still read the ingredients ;)

[Natalia]

I havent even been here that long but when i belonged to the old community a few years ago camellia oil was practicly unheard of and coconut was the craze along with indigo and aloe. Like other have said i think we cycle trough ideas with tweaks here and there. Ive heard some new things since joining again and im sure TLHC will continue to evolve :)

[Cinnamon Hair]

Now the trends: My view about "trends" here is that we don't actually know what the real trends are. We know what people are talking about, but we don't actually have a handle on what everyone is doing.

This is a great idea! I would love to see a seasonal thread on the polls board listing all the trends where people could reply checking which ones they are doing / stopped / never tried. Someone please gather up all the trends into a list and post a thread like that. Please? :flowers:

[princess]

I don't know if I'm the only one noticing this, but I feel that there are some kind of trends on LCH. When I first came here many people wanted to grow all virgin hair down to classic. Manys were raving about the Monistat.

Now more seem to have colored hair, mostly with henna. I also seem to notice more threads about cutting or the thought of it.

I think this is interesting, because since I came here many of my personal views have changed (e.g. definition of cleanliness, etc). Apparently I'm not the only one changing!

What do you notice? I'm only here since Nov 2007 so I don't know much about the earling beginnings of LHC

I notice too more threads about colouring with henna and indigo and experimenting with more natural colouring herbs for producing various shades of hair colours.

[Stagecoach]

This has been an very interesting thread to read!

Trends I tried and kept:

Virgin hair, bpal, cups, S&D, no-SLS, coconut oil and oils in general, hair sticks, Aloe Vera Jell, measuring.

Trends I tried and scrapped:

No cones, CO, WO, Oil conditioning, no trimming, beak clips (though I've never given Ficcars a try.. I just can't make myself spend that much money on a hair toy), hair forks, natural deodorants, cloth pads (dreadful!), honey and mollassas rinses, mayo treatments.

I remember:

Two big crashes, DBF being active, flouncing.

[MemSahib]

Been here quite a while and followed a few of the trends but not all, by far. Let's see, George Michael was big when I first joined. I bought and hated his products: too dry for my hair. Then for some time I used Aubrey Organics, still have some in the cabinet even. They're OK but not the best. I loathe ACV rinses — extremely drying. When I first joined a lot of LHCers were damp-bunning their hair daily. That doesn't work for me, either, but just makes frizz instead of the lovely moisture they said they got. The Ficcare thing has gone on and on. I bought one and it will not stay in my hair. Period. Snoods were big for a while. Lisa Janey makes her own of crochet cotton and I think several others do, too. I've never colored my hair so henna interests me only in an intellectual way. I have tried CO, WO and NW. Not for my hair, none of them. Now I'm back to Suave 'poo and conditioner — full circle back to the products I used before joining LHC. I do really like Feye's Method and use it exclusively to trim my hair. I've kept my bangs. I shampoo about once a week which is about how often I shampooed as a girl. (Can you get any more boring than I am?) It has been nice to realize that the hair I was always told was "thin" is actually medium, as per Fia's Hairtyping System. Thank you, Fia, wherever you are these days.

I love the concept of Benign Neglect. I think this is what I have always done but never knew what to call it. Perfect. Thanks, LHC.

[Arctic_Mama]

What an interesting thread. Even in my short time here I notice trends and out and out fads. I haven't ditched much of anything (except my beloved Flexi-8, which I still adore but is just too ornate for my personal style most of the time) but I have jumped on a select few bandwagons that coincide with my personal goals. I'm neither impulsive enough nor wealthy enough to try most of these trends!

[Melisande]

Wow, what a wonderful thread.

I have tried and kept: coneless, CWC, catnip, citric acid rinse, no-SLS, sleep cap, Ficcares, Flexis, Ron Quattro, forks, horn comb, daily updos, stretch washing, BPAL, diluted shampoo, nutritional supplements, self made cosmetics (sheabutter! for hair, face and body), oils (coconut, jojoba, camellia, Dabur Vatika, Monoi), dampbunnig, essential oil massage, OCM, ditiching moisturizer, well, nearly everything!

I had great success with all of the above and my hair, body and overall health have improved greatly. MSM has literally turned my life around.

Nekkid men - must have missed that one. Monistat and other ideas have not caught on with me, don't know why, maybe because I'm so happy with my essential oils.

[Gothic Lolita]

Funny how some try out for a long time and the nreturn practically to what they did before joining here!
I tried out and am still trying out, mainlx because I always feel that there is someting I could improve.

I've kept: occassional ACV rinses, sometimes CO washes, diluting shampoo, cone-free (ok, already was before joining), sefl-made deodorant, supplements, S&D

I try out: Herbal washes, hairstyles, OCM

And I think only LHC could have got me to wash less! when I joined I wash a daily washer and it took me about 2 years to get my hair adjusted to every second day. Now I wash 3-4x a week an am happy with this. I believe i wouldn't have succeeded if I hadn't access to this board, because it gave me wonderful styling ideas, and nobody is angry if you ask the same thing for the thousands time!

[Stevy]

There was a lot more about George Michael and the Morocco Method when I joined.

[3azza]

Well about the henna trend, i've been doing henna since before joining LHC and i think i will always do, and although i have tried many treatments since i have joined i still keep the same hair rituals as before. the OCM did not work for me, neither substituting my leave in conditioner for some vegetable oil :(

[florenonite]

Things I've tried and kept:

Stretching washings (I'm at once a week, own from every other day) though this was something I wanted to do before LHC, but LHC helped me learn to do it; coconut oil as a leave-in, deodorant and moisturiser; mostly fingercombing with the occasional real comb; aloe vera gel; ACV rinses when I remember them; hairsticks and no more damaging "messy buns".

Things that didn't work:

CO, it was a disaster; cone-free didn't work too well unless I used an ACV rinse with it.

Things I want to try:

Shampoo bars and henna. I've been thinking on and off about henna for years, really, and the thing that put me off it last time I was considering was that I thought I'd look silly as an older woman with henna, so I'll have to either grow it or cut my hair. I'm 19, for goodness' sake, I don't need to be worrying about that yet! The reason I'm wanting it again is because I've realised just how boring my natural colour is. In the summer I get blonde highlights, but by this time of year it's just a dull, mousy brown that I don't really like.

[morguebabe]

I remember Monoi oil use to be really hot.

[earthdancer]

Because of one LHC thread, I ordered some shampoo bars a few days ago to try. The fragrances sound wonderful. I figure if it doesn't work out for my hair, I can always use them as just soap.

[KajiKodomo]

I've been here quite a while, so there's a lot that I've tried.

Tried: CO, CWC, WO, no-sulfates, no-cones, all sulfates, all cones, tomato sauce/olive oil (for hair lightening), henna (it was horrible!), damp bunning (which doesn't seem to be as prevalent of a topic as it used to be), scalp massage, coconut oil, random "natural" shampoos, and so many more that I can't remember.

Even though I've tried all of this, my routine is still as follows: CWC whenever I feel that I need it, followed by a few drops of Africa's Best Ultimate Herbal Oil. When my hair gets long enough to be put up, it will be put up during the day, down in the evenings, and up again for bed. I use sulfates (no ammonium-sulfates) and cones. Even though it's simple and doesn't encompass a lot of the things that are popular on this board, it works very well for me and my hair.

[pariate]

Thread revival...

My routine has changed quite a lot.

Trends I tried - Water only washing, conditioner only washing, cassia, cone-free, oil shampoo method as per the "Hair care of movie stars from the past" thread.

W/o washing - was NOT for me, too many greasy days during the transition period and I gave up.

C/o washing - think this was the cause of my monster scalp problems :( Had to start using Nizoral shampoo to clear up the fungal infection. Guess my scalp just needs good old fashioned detergents to get it clean!

Cassia - LOVE the results so much, but it's too much of a faff for me. The mixing, applying, endless rinsing and the smell.... egad, the smell.... :p

Cone-free - still with this one. I prefer the way my hair feels and moves when I'm not using cones. I understand that some people with ultra-long hair (hip length +) believe that they would not have achieved that length but I am only at BSL (although it is all virgin hair now :cheese: ) so time will tell if I need to reconsider this at some point. I'm aiming for waist length.

Oil shampoo - the art of "diluting" regular shampoo with coconut oil and washing with that. Working sooooooooo well for me so far and I believe that the principle is sound. Think this one could be a keeper. Is the simplest routine I have followed to date - it enables me to wash and dry. NO CONDITIONER needed at ALL! And I'm a wurly girl. Simply unprecedented for me.

As for the hair toy habit... :eyebrows: Consider me enabled.

Have also toyed with things like tea rinses (great for covering white hairs but I'm not bothered by them enough to continue doing it, it was just an experiment really), catnip rinses (supposedly good for split ends but more than I can be bothered to do), sulfate-free (this doesn't bother me now that I'm oil shampooing, as the strong detergents are tempered by the oil).

Coconut oil is my staple "natural" product and it has replaced the mass of conditioners and leave-in conditioners on which I used to rely to keep my hair in a presentable state!

[Anywhere]

oil shampoo seems to be a raging trend. That and haircutting.

I'm in the virgin grow to classic group though. :o

[HintOfMint]

I've found that there was a bit of the "cones aren't so bad" trend going on too. I realize that for many people, cones really are the best thing, so this is great for them, but it was a noticeable shift away from the original popular (NOT UNIVERSAL) LHC conclusion that cones do more harm than good.

[kabelaced]

I've tried coconut oil, shampoo bars, BPAL, CWC, COing, SMTs, ACV rinses, henna, and soapnut soap, as well as olive oil and no-cones. Also learned about homemade deodorant from here.

Coconut oil made my hair super shiny, but it wasn't worth the constant acne I had, so I don't use it anymore (just in my homemade deo, which works wonderfully and I am thankful every time I put it on :))

I don't CWC anymore, and shampoo bars made my hair feel too dry and itchy. None of the BPAL scents I ordered were scents that I particularly liked (although, when I get some money, I will be ordering samples from FSW). COing has taken the place of pretty much every shampoo I have used that makes my scalp itch like crazy, although I dilute shampoo every so once in a while when I feel my hair has build up. ACV rinses I use with my CO washes. Henna I had tried when I had longer hair, but I went too dark (still going to mess with it in the form of glosses, though).

SMTs are on the fence for me, because they used to work when I had APL hair, but now they leave me kind of itchy...soapnut soap was one of the first things I tried, and I didn't wash with it properly, but I gave up on using it for shampoo. I'd love to use it for laundry instead. :)

Olive oil I used when I had longer hair, and I liked the results, even though it was easy for me to overdo it. When I do henna glossing, I might pair it with this again in hopes that it will work as well as it did. The moisture was amazing. No-cones + ACV rinses made my hair crazy dry.

Tons of experimenting with different results...I've stuck with COing every other day and using a wide tooth comb in the shower to distribute, using a leave in, ACV rinsing.

I am grateful for all of the different ways of seeing the world that this forum has taught me. I would have never though that one could "wash" with conditioner or make a deodorant out of coconut oil. :D

[pariate]

I've found that there was a bit of the "cones aren't so bad" trend going on too. I realize that for many people, cones really are the best thing, so this is great for them, but it was a noticeable shift away from the original popular (NOT UNIVERSAL) LHC conclusion that cones do more harm than good.

Yes, I know what you mean. I've noticed the same thing. When I started at LHC I panicked a little! Cones had SUCH a bad rep amongst some. I still have to remind myself at times that cones aren't the evil that I first came to believe... :o

[pariate]

I am grateful for all of the different ways of seeing the world that this forum has taught me. I would have never though that one could "wash" with conditioner or make a deodorant out of coconut oil. :D

I'm something of a child sometimes - I hear/see something new and think "WOW! That's cool, I'm doing THAT!" :rolleyes: These days I'm happy to say that I take a more reasoned approach, but when I started on LHC I was desperate to find a way to live in peace with my hair and consequently clutched at every fad/trend/method I could find. All that aside, I always did and still do love finding out how so many people do the little day to day things in life - everything from caring to their hair, alternative body and healthcare, money saving, eating... Hair toys... ;)

[Melisande]

Thank you, Carolyn, I stole your categories...


Tried: Monoi oil, jojoba oil, camellia oil, Ficcares, Henna mix, Flexi 8's, shampoo bars, cone free, SMT (my very own version), citric acid rinses, CO washes, CWC washes, S & D, Amish pins, hair scroos, coconut oil, catnip rinses, long skirts and karizas, forks and sticks, mooncup, OCM, skinvac cloths, oil only for my face, Dabur Vatika, essential oil massages, shampoo diluting, ped egg, adding oil to shampoo, Fox' sheabutter

Tried and still do: most of the things mentioned above - I incorporated them into my routine and even if I use them less frequently than I used to, I didn't ditch them (e.g., at the moment I do cold rinses instead of citric acid or catnip because they seem to harsh for my winter hair, but in spring, I'll start again)

Tried and stopped: Shampoo bars, CO, pedegg (didn't work for me)

Never Tried and don't want to: Monistat, MegaTek

You can see that TLHC changed my life ;-)

[Chamomile betty]

I remember way back when the trend was Mega-Tek and Monoi Oil. Gee, that's dating me.

[pepperminttea]

I've found that there was a bit of the "cones aren't so bad" trend going on too. I realize that for many people, cones really are the best thing, so this is great for them, but it was a noticeable shift away from the original popular (NOT UNIVERSAL) LHC conclusion that cones do more harm than good.

Ditto, and the same for sulphates and everyday washing seems to be beginning to happen.

It predates me being on LHC, but I'd love to get to classic with unprocessed hair. One day...! :)

[Dani]

I remember way back when the trend was Mega-Tek and Monoi Oil. Gee, that's dating me.

I remember, too! I never paid attention to the Mega Tek thing, and never did find out and still don't know what it is, exactly. heh. :p But I did buy two bottles of monoi from that company.. can't recall the name, but it's where everyone got theirs, and it had a black backround and was all hawaiian-y. :D I liked the vanilla one, but the smells of both were so very cloying to my sensitive noser. I can still remember the scent, though, and the texture. Very luxurious.. and not that easy to get out of the bottle. :p That was so back in the day. That was when I first moved to Virginia from Seattle, and me and my husband lived in our first apartment in 2000! Old skool.

I've tried lots of things in the past; nothing major. I don't know what the heck's going on with this Monistat business! haha. I haven't read about it. Nowadays benign neglect and using whatever the heck I feel like is how I roll. I wash my scalp with Herbal Essences Drama Clean, which is really, really great, and it's taken a long time to find a perfect shampoo that I can use any time with no problem. I condition with vo5 vanilla mint tea or Garnier triple nutrition. I really can't use cone stuff anymore, because the breakouts on my skin (everywhere, really) were just not worth it. Plus my hair always felt weird and got greasy with the quickness when I did use them. Oh, I mix melted coconut oil with my shampoo when I remember to, and it works wonderfully. I wash my head whenever it needs it, like when my head starts to get itchy. Every two to three days. I have a mix of shea butter, coconut oil and evoo in a little jar that I make and use to apply to my ends. I got a pair of $80 Arius Eckert shears from Sally's years ago now, and I've been cutting my hair ever since. Well, I cut my own hair often before that, but not every time. I still haven't had to have them sharpened- they work perfectly! I love those shears, man. They are awesome.

That's all I have to say about that. :cheese: I think people really like cheese here. That's what I gather, anyway.

*remembers the Stilton my dh just brought home for me; munches and crunches on cheese and crackers* mmmm...

[ddiana1979]

Henndigo is forever. . . it's like the little black dress of hair. ;) Best (hair) decision I ever made.

[Aredhel77]

Oh, LHC, you have so much to answer for.

I have always enjoyed scouring the internet for homemade hair recipes, so joining LHC was like dying and going to heaven. In my short time here I have experimented with loads of things!

Tried & liked (i.e keepers) : non-sulfate shampoos, occasional CO washing, egg washes, oils : coconut, jojoba, avocado, occasional oil shampoo (but not yet ready to forgo conditioner completely!)butters: shea, cocoa (used sparingly)ACV/Lemon/Citric Acid rinses, aloe gel, soapnut washes, Lush henna and other 'natural' hair colourants, SMTs, Fox's shea butter cream, castor oil & essential oil blend Feye's self trim method! Vitamins: MSM - and I now have a better vitamin/supplement regime generally as a result of reading the boards here and doing my own research.

So there is a lot that my hair does like, lucky me.

Tried but didn't like: Honey lightening (it did work, just couldn't be bothered, and decided in the end to go slightly darker rather than lighter), clay wash (too drying) borax/citric acid washing, Diatomaceous Earth (DE) as a supplement: nothing basically wrong with this, my skin definitely loved it when I was taking it internally, I just didn't keep it up, tea rinses (rooibos).

There's probably more, I just can't remember. But basically, whenever I read of a new recipe on here, there's a good chance I'll try it!:D

[Igor]

I've found that there was a bit of the "cones aren't so bad" trend going on too. I realize that for many people, cones really are the best thing, so this is great for them, but it was a noticeable shift away from the original popular (NOT UNIVERSAL) LHC conclusion that cones do more harm than good.
About damn time too. It’s so irritating to see people jump to conclusions and stop using something that could potentially be good for their hair… And lead other people away from it too or make them feel guilty for using something that works for them!

*Lifts the “Cones are not bad!”-banner*

Now if I could only start a rebellion against the ridiculous and potentially damaging biotin mega-dosing… :rolleyes:

[silverjen]

It's neat to see what works and what doesn't. At least I'm not alone in trying a ton of things!

Tried and loved: pre-wash coconut oil, horn combs, CV shampoo bars (and soaps and lotions), vinegar rinses, Nightblooming's Panacaea, Little Seven spirals, vinegar as deodorant, Flexi8s.

Trying, and the jury's still out: cold cream, a year of no trimming.

Tried and failed: monistat, soap nuts, oil shampoo, diatomaceous earth, CO, henna

My hair is really happy with the current regimen (and so am I).

[HintOfMint]

Now if I could only start a rebellion against the ridiculous and potentially damaging biotin mega-dosing… :rolleyes:

Thank you! So many people are taking absurd levels of vitamins and pills that could really screw up their bodies in the long run, and they haven't even asked their doctors about it! They're taking advice from strangers on the internet, and downing pills. It really worries me.

[christine1989]

Its not a hair related trend but I have been seeing quite a few banned members in the past few weeks. I guess you could call it a trend of not following the LHC rules. I wonder why the sudden increase? :confused:

[AnnaMarie]

Ditto to both those :scared:

I remember the little neekid men fad too. There's a lot I'm on the bandwagon for long term:

Henna and related stuff
mooncups
herbs and oils
hair toysThere's also a lot of fads that I've passed on: monistat, MEgaTek (had considered it but I'll stick with my oil blend), neekid men, buffs, etc.

This may be a little thread hijack but neekid men??!! I must have missed that thread :eyebrows:

[angelthadiva]

Yes, people are leaving...In droves.

[purplebubba]

I remember when every other thread was about Infusium 23 or Hair Formula 37.

[Finoriel]

Its not a hair related trend but I have been seeing quite a few banned members in the past few weeks. I guess you could call it a trend of not following the LHC rules. I wonder why the sudden increase? :confused:


Yes, people are leaving...In droves.

Actually most banned people you see in the "who's online list" are spambots and people trying to have a second accound. Or third. Or forth. Or fifth.
Quite sad, eh.

[Igor]

Thank you! So many people are taking absurd levels of vitamins and pills that could really screw up their bodies in the long run, and they haven't even asked their doctors about it! They're taking advice from strangers on the internet, and downing pills. It really worries me.

Yep. And the worst part is that when you are truly genuinely worried about peoples health and the problems those insane mega doses can cause, are people interested? Do they maybe listen and consider that they should at least lower the dose a bit?

…

Nope. “Its water soluble, so it’s completely safe! My cousin’s friend’s stylist said so!”

Seriously, it baffles me to a degree I have trouble putting into words. Especially when people then realise it screws up their skin and instead of responding to the fact that their body is reacting badly to it: “I’m just going to take some zinc to keep it down!”

Let’s imagine someone used a cream that made them break out. What would people do? Of course every normal, sane person would stop using that cream. No one would chose to keep using that cream and “I’m just going to use this serum to keep it down!”

[rose.grace]

Now if I could only start a rebellion against the ridiculous and potentially damaging biotin mega-dosing… :rolleyes:

Eek! Tell me about biotin please? How much is mega-dosing? I just got some and started using it...and worse, I just told someone else it might help their hair grow faster (because someone told me that). :bull: Oops!

As far as trends go, I'm sticking with the "virgin hair till forever" one. I want to see what nature has given me and be free of all that time-consuming altering I was compelled to do for so many years. I never could improve upon nature, myself the more I did to "new and improve", the worse I looked. :o

Henna was fun for me at first, but then became a huge hassle. I think if you have reddish or dark hair to begin with, it works out better. Plus, it relaxed my "curls" and I had to do it every two weeks at least, because the demarkation line was so stark. My natural hair is light to begin with and now starting to go gray, so after the first week, it looked like I was going bald.

I'm new as a member but have lurked off and on for advice for months.

I went through the baking soda wash with acv rinse, and CO, which didn't work for me. I'd like to be WO but lately it seems that the thing that works best for me (insanely enough) is clarifying shampoo about every 5 days, no conditioner and letting it drip dry (no toweling, combing etc). The downside to this is the electric crazies (static).

I have started on the oiling trend and done it one whole time, but I like the results very much.

Oh, and Monistat. I think it's mentally addictive :eyebrows:. I keep telling myself I'm going to stop using it but my hair is growing so much faster and thicker that every few days I need a fix. :undecided

But please tell me about Biotin. I don't want to live dangerously! :scared:

[lynnspin]

Now I am curious... what shall not be named? If it works, why is it forbidden!

Oh my! What can you get banned for? I don't want to do something illegal...

[phistash]

About damn time too. It’s so irritating to see people jump to conclusions and stop using something that could potentially be good for their hair… And lead other people away from it too or make them feel guilty for using something that works for them!

*Lifts the “Cones are not bad!”-banner*

Now if I could only start a rebellion against the ridiculous and potentially damaging biotin mega-dosing… :rolleyes:

This. My hair likes cones, not every time I wash, but still. I also hate WO. I tried so hard to go WO, because everyone (not so much here, but on some other sites) insisted that if I just stuck with it my scalp would transition. I kept at it for 2 months and ended up ruining my hair. I still have a bald spot from that experiment.

Henndigo works for me, though. It fades slowly over time, and blends in with my natural hair color.

WO, henna, epilators, homemade deodorant, BS rinses, and menstrual cups were all pre-LHC, though.

What I discovered here: Ficcares (LOVE), hairsticks, CWC, castor oil, argan oil, DevaCurl, S&D, and several jewelry/hairtoy makers on Etsy.

Oh, and more updo styles than I can hope to master.

[Finoriel]

Now I am curious... what shall not be named? If it works, why is it forbidden!
:laugh: If it is what I think it is, then those product's can't be discussed here, because the company themselves does not want that their products/company is discussed here.
And they can't be named because our wordfilter ****s it out for the forums safety.


Oh my! What can you get banned for? I don't want to do something illegal...
Oh :gabigrin: as long as you don't stalk other members, harass them, have multiple accounts talking with yourself, flounce, are a long-hair-fe**sh*st or a spammer (just to name the most frequent ban reasons) I guess you're safe :D.
Don't worry, we don't ban on a whim. :) Bans usually have a loooong history of infractions. You can find the forum-guidelines and all about the infraction system in the site happenings section :wink:

[trolleypup]

Oh my! What can you get banned for? I don't want to do something illegal...
The moderators always recommend reading the Guidelines and Terms of Service (http://www.longhaircommunity.com/index.php?page=tos) from time to time, both to refresh one's memory as well as be aware of changes.

Here is a listing of the general infractions and penalties (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=4000).

The vast majority of members here never receive even a warning, much less an actual point worthy infraction. Besides spambots, pervs and ******ists, and non-member spam, the number of members who get banned is vanishingly small.

Someone who manages to get themselves banned has to persistently violate the guidelines, usually over a time period and after warnings, infractions, and often temporary bans. Penalties and bans are always discussed among the moderators at length. All such penalties and bans are private between the moderators and the member, unless the member chooses to share the information.

[Igor]

Eek! Tell me about biotin please? How much is mega-dosing? I just got some and started using it...and worse, I just told someone else it might help their hair grow faster (because someone told me that). :bull: Oops!

(Snip)

But please tell me about Biotin. I don't want to live dangerously! :scared:

The following post is too long to be posted with the quote, so I’m breaking it up to make sure people know it is a reply

[Igor]

Biotin, also previously known as vitamin H and B7 is a water soluble vitamin. In the human colon exists benign bacteria which produce biotin that the body will absorb. In the vast majority of people, these bacteria produce more than enough biotin to meet the daily requirement for the body and a lot of the naturally available biotin will be flushed out through the urine. Some countries and agencies doesn’t even have an externally recommend daily dose of biotin since the bacteria produce surplus biotin already. Deficiencies are extremely rare. Recommended daily allowance is no higher than 225 mcg… By people who don’t attempt to sell you biotin as supplement! Of course, if you ask the companies that actually sell supplements it’s a wonder we’re all not bald as eggs if we don’t take their amazing supplements. It’s called source criticism. It’s an important skill in life.

Biotin is necessary for a lot in the body: For all cell growth, for energy produced in the cells, the production of fatty acids and enzymes, transferring carbon dioxide and the metabolism of fats and amino acids.
Biotin is very important for hair too. It’s essential for the production of keratin and melanin. Some studies show it may prevent greying and hair loss in men. It promotes healthy hair growth since it increases the elasticity of the hair's cortex, thus preventing breakage and protects against dryness.

As you can read, it’s very important for hair growth. However, there are no studies that show any benefit in any case where the subject is not actually biotin deficient. And as previously mentioned, deficiencies are extremely rare.
Basically, if you are deficient, you will be sick in ways that can’t be ignored: Hair loss, depression, lack of muscle coordination, strange rashes of different kinds, pink eye, lack of energy, “swelling” of the face because of an unusual fat distribution, hallucinations and numbness and tingling of the extremities. There is no way you can ignore it or not know something is seriously wrong and you need help.

But because people know that A) its beneficial for hair growth and B) its water soluble, people will overdose on it. Not just overdose, but mega dose. Some people say it helps their hair grow faster, thicker and stronger. Actual medical studies seem to disagree. Of course it’s highly likely a lot of it is mental: If you’re taking a supplement and having a good hair day, its one of those conclusions us humans like to draw. Placebo is particularly effective if the pills are expensive, taste bad or have weird colours and shapes.
Doses happily and commonly mentioned are 5.000 mcg (22 times recommended daily allowance) 10.000 mcg (44 times recommended daily allowance) and I have seen several people taking 20.000 mcg (That’s 88 times the recommended daily allowance!)

If you take a biotin supplement and you get ½ inch a month with 5.000 mcg, it doesn’t mean you will get 1 inch at 10.000 mcg. Or 2 inches at 20.000 mcg.
It goes the other way too: If you get ½ inch with 5.000 mcg, you will probably also get ½ inch at 500 mcg. You are already overloading at those doses. They are unnecessary. Popping pills is not the answer to better hair growth.

But since biotin is “cursed” with being water soluble, it seems people believe its okay to eat it like sugar pills. Ironically, a lot of people would object to this, because sugar is bad, evil, unhealthy, addictive etc etc… Same with water: No one would think you could just drink as much water as you please, because that would be dangerous. But taking ridiculously huge doses of a water soluble vitamin? Oh, that’s completely safe!

Biotin is actually difficult to avoid in your diet: (brewers) yeast, (Fatty) fish, avocado, bananas, beans, breads, cauliflower, cheese, chocolate, dairy products, egg yolk, kidney, legumes, liver, meat in general, milk, molasses, mushrooms, nuts, oatmeal, organ meats in general, oysters, peanut butter, peanuts, pork, poultry, raspberries, soy, unpolished rice, wheat germ, whole grains and yoghurt contains biotin. You will have to have a very deficient and monotonous (And bizarre!) diet to not get biotin in your food.

So why do people mega dose on biotin?

My best guess is because of the A) and B) as mentioned before. People simply have no respect for the water soluble vitamins “because they just get peed out!”. Which is a statement that in itself makes no sense: Why would you buy a supplement that you know will just end up as expensive urine anyways?

But of course the truth isn’t that simple. Nothing is “just” done in the body. Thousands of chemical reactions and processes take place during the day; every nutrient is broken down, filtered and processed by organs. Nothing “just” happens. Nothing we eat or ingest is cost free. It affects everything in our bodies. It is processed in our internal organs. It changes the body chemistry.

Biotin overdose symptoms have been seen when people have been consistently overdosing on it. Some side effects have been reported as slowed insulin release, skin eruptions, increased blood sugar and increased vitamin C and vitamin B6 requirements. A study on pregnant rats revealed that shrinking size of placenta and increased chances of miscarriage were caused by the biotin overdose.

In one case, a woman who took a high dose of biotin (along with vitamin B5) experienced a life-threatening lung and chest condition known as eosinophilic pleuropericardial effusion. However, this condition improved once she stopped taking biotin and vitamin B5. It is not known if the biotin, the vitamin B5, the combination of the two, or something else caused this problem.
Source (http://men.emedtv.com/biotin/biotin-side-effects.html)

Just here on LHC members have had bad experiences with skin problems in general and painful cystic acne due to biotin overload. Light-sensitive migraines have also been reported.

But what goes on under the skin? The liver and kidneys still need to process it. Organs can suffer bad side effects neatly hidden under the skin. No one will know unless you develop kidney stones or ultra sound show damage to the liver. You can still get the toxic effect even though you “just pee it out”. It’s still in your body for long enough to affect it.

Those that experience acne because of the huge biotin doses will even happily ignore it or suppress it. This leads me to the point I stated in the post above your question:


…when people then realise it screws up their skin and instead of responding to the fact that their body is reacting badly to it: “I’m just going to take some zinc to keep it down!”

Let’s imagine someone used a cream that made them break out. What would people do? Of course every normal, sane person would stop using that cream. No one would chose to keep using that cream and “I’m just going to use this serum to keep it down!”
People get their reply. Their body shows clearly and obviously it doesn’t need the biotin. It doesn’t want it. It doesn’t like it. It reacts badly to it. But it gets ignored or suppressed in the name of hair, even though it may not even have a beneficial effect on the hair.

Also baffling is when people scale the dose up gradually. Your body either needs it or it doesn’t need it. You cant somehow “condition” your body into learning to absorb more. It’s troubling when people without biotin deficiency treat biotin like its medication. There is good reason to slowly up a dose on necessary medication to protect you from side effects and get used to the dose.
But I repeat again; Biotin is not medication. You body needs it or it doesn’t need it.

Unfortunately science doesn’t move as fast with these studies as one could wish. Experiments are still being done. Research still goes on. Just think about how few years we have to go back when smoking wasn’t that bad. People didn’t know better for sure. Science didn’t have the numbers then.
Vitamin overdoses are generally difficult to study (Deficiencies are much easier: Too little will make you sick) and studies are still conducted. Maybe biotin is almost completely safe to take as much of as you want. Maybe not.

But it’s still unbelievably arrogant to think that just because you know something is water soluble, you are so much smarter and more knowing than the health care professionals who studied vitamins and reactions for decades. Especially when you don’t have any actual benefit from it.

The world isn’t against you growing a healthy head of hair. No, the scientists are not mean and jealous. As a matter of fact I will guarantee you they couldn’t care less about your hair unless they work for a company selling supplements.
The recommendations are there for one important reason: To guide and protect the general population’s health. It’s in the healthcare professionals’ interest to keep everyone healthy and safe.

It is okay to overdose on water soluble vitamins. They are, after all water soluble. They will be processed and filtered out if you are healthy and don’t suffer kidney problems.
Overdose, yes. Mega dose, no.
Different numbers on “okay” doses are out there on the internet. 1000 mcg seems to be pretty common as an okay dose. Of course this in itself is a dose used to treat legitimate biotin deficiencies. As in; The doctors and scientists that monitor and cure biotin deficiencies says that this is an okay dose to take… If you are deficient. 88 times the recommended daily allowance is not.
Most likely, even at a low dose you are not seeing any real, true benefit.

So my point is: Moderation. Moderation and actually study up on what you stuff in your body. (And please stop spreading “Its water soluble so you just pee it out!”. Thank you)

[MandaMom2Three]

I hereby dub this "The Thread of Epic Awesomeness" :D

I Kissed a Trend (and I liked it) :D - Suave conditioner, hair sticks, flexi 8, fakkare, threading, self trimming, embracing my "alternative" side ;), S&D, cone free, henna, epilating, moon cup, coconut oil, CO or CWC, sleep cap, protective updos, damp bunning, wood comb & brush, body piercing, no heat styling, clarifying, curl care (no dry brushing, scrunching, etc).

Meh, whatever :shrug: - hairagami, honey lightening, OCM, shampoo bars, herb washing.

FAIL :puke: - aloe, SMT, honey, Bumpits, BBB, banana, scalp oiling, tea rinses, biotin.

Current Events- Oil shampoo, vitamins/silica.

I've SO gotta try this!- Monistat, forks, horn comb, egg washes, honeysuckle rose conditioner, Biolage conditioning balm.

[craftybunn]

Thanks so much to pariate for reviving this thread. I have read the entire thing and have found it super interesting!
MandaMom2Three, I am stealing your category names because they made me laugh out loud and that is not an easy thing to do.

I Kissed a Trend (and I liked it) - S&D, cone free, henna, CWC, ACV rinses, NoSLS, oiling

Meh, whatever - hairagami, Flexi-8, honey lightening, OCM, herb washing, horn comb, egg washes

FAIL - Shampoo bars, aloe, BBB, CO, monistat

Current Events- Oil shampoo (wish me luck)!

I've SO gotta try this!- forks, ketylos

[little_cherry]

Trends I've tried and kept:
Henna, herb washing, oiling, silk sleep caps, combing only, SMT, the minimalist approach.

Trends I've tried, but were fails:
Monistat, CO, sticking to one washing method, measuring every month.





Things go in cycles. And for those interested in henna? I've found they're either dedicated longterm hennaheads, or newbies. Henna isn't so much a trend (given its permanency) as it is a mistake for MANY. I always cringe when I see a new "should I henna?" thread.


I cringe when I see "how to remove henna" thread.
Likewise to both posts!





Thank you! So many people are taking absurd levels of vitamins and pills that could really screw up their bodies in the long run, and they haven't even asked their doctors about it! They're taking advice from strangers on the internet, and downing pills. It really worries me.
Yep. And the worst part is that when you are truly genuinely worried about peoples health and the problems those insane mega doses can cause, are people interested? Do they maybe listen and consider that they should at least lower the dose a bit?

…

Nope. “Its water soluble, so it’s completely safe! My cousin’s friend’s stylist said so!”

Seriously, it baffles me to a degree I have trouble putting into words. Especially when people then realise it screws up their skin and instead of responding to the fact that their body is reacting badly to it: “I’m just going to take some zinc to keep it down!”

Let’s imagine someone used a cream that made them break out. What would people do? Of course every normal, sane person would stop using that cream. No one would chose to keep using that cream and “I’m just going to use this serum to keep it down!”
Agreed with both posts. It makes me sad to see some care more about their hair instead of their poor livers. They don't understand that water soluble vitamins need to get processed by the liver and kidneys whether it's water soluble or not. It's not good to make our kidneys and livers work in overdrive Every. Single. Day....just like an alcoholic or drug addict. You're getting breakouts for a reason. Your body IS trying to tell you to stop. Poor organs. >_< Grrrrr.

[RavennaNight]

Biotin, also previously known as vitamin H and B7 is a water soluble vitamin. In the human colon exists benign bacteria which produce biotin that the body will absorb. In the vast majority of people, these bacteria produce more than enough biotin to meet the daily requirement for the body and a lot of the naturally available biotin will be flushed out through the urine. Some countries and agencies doesn’t even have an externally recommend daily dose of biotin since the bacteria produce surplus biotin already. Deficiencies are extremely rare. Recommended daily allowance is no higher than 225 mcg… By people who don’t attempt to sell you biotin as supplement! Of course, if you ask the companies that actually sell supplements it’s a wonder we’re all not bald as eggs if we don’t take their amazing supplements. It’s called source criticism. It’s an important skill in life.

Biotin is necessary for a lot in the body: For all cell growth, for energy produced in the cells, the production of fatty acids and enzymes, transferring carbon dioxide and the metabolism of fats and amino acids.
Biotin is very important for hair too. It’s essential for the production of keratin and melanin. Some studies show it may prevent greying and hair loss in men. It promotes healthy hair growth since it increases the elasticity of the hair's cortex, thus preventing breakage and protects against dryness.

As you can read, it’s very important for hair growth. However, there are no studies that show any benefit in any case where the subject is not actually biotin deficient. And as previously mentioned, deficiencies are extremely rare.
Basically, if you are deficient, you will be sick in ways that can’t be ignored: Hair loss, depression, lack of muscle coordination, strange rashes of different kinds, pink eye, lack of energy, “swelling” of the face because of an unusual fat distribution, hallucinations and numbness and tingling of the extremities. There is no way you can ignore it or not know something is seriously wrong and you need help.

But because people know that A) its beneficial for hair growth and B) its water soluble, people will overdose on it. Not just overdose, but mega dose. Some people say it helps their hair grow faster, thicker and stronger. Actual medical studies seem to disagree. Of course it’s highly likely a lot of it is mental: If you’re taking a supplement and having a good hair day, its one of those conclusions us humans like to draw. Placebo is particularly effective if the pills are expensive, taste bad or have weird colours and shapes.
Doses happily and commonly mentioned are 5.000 mcg (22 times recommended daily allowance) 10.000 mcg (44 times recommended daily allowance) and I have seen several people taking 20.000 mcg (That’s 88 times the recommended daily allowance!)

If you take a biotin supplement and you get ½ inch a month with 5.000 mcg, it doesn’t mean you will get 1 inch at 10.000 mcg. Or 2 inches at 20.000 mcg.
It goes the other way too: If you get ½ inch with 5.000 mcg, you will probably also get ½ inch at 500 mcg. You are already overloading at those doses. They are unnecessary. Popping pills is not the answer to better hair growth.

But since biotin is “cursed” with being water soluble, it seems people believe its okay to eat it like sugar pills. Ironically, a lot of people would object to this, because sugar is bad, evil, unhealthy, addictive etc etc… Same with water: No one would think you could just drink as much water as you please, because that would be dangerous. But taking ridiculously huge doses of a water soluble vitamin? Oh, that’s completely safe!

Biotin is actually difficult to avoid in your diet: (brewers) yeast, (Fatty) fish, avocado, bananas, beans, breads, cauliflower, cheese, chocolate, dairy products, egg yolk, kidney, legumes, liver, meat in general, milk, molasses, mushrooms, nuts, oatmeal, organ meats in general, oysters, peanut butter, peanuts, pork, poultry, raspberries, soy, unpolished rice, wheat germ, whole grains and yoghurt contains biotin. You will have to have a very deficient and monotonous (And bizarre!) diet to not get biotin in your food.

So why do people mega dose on biotin?

My best guess is because of the A) and B) as mentioned before. People simply have no respect for the water soluble vitamins “because they just get peed out!”. Which is a statement that in itself makes no sense: Why would you buy a supplement that you know will just end up as expensive urine anyways?

But of course the truth isn’t that simple. Nothing is “just” done in the body. Thousands of chemical reactions and processes take place during the day; every nutrient is broken down, filtered and processed by organs. Nothing “just” happens. Nothing we eat or ingest is cost free. It affects everything in our bodies. It is processed in our internal organs. It changes the body chemistry.

Biotin overdose symptoms have been seen when people have been consistently overdosing on it. Some side effects have been reported as slowed insulin release, skin eruptions, increased blood sugar and increased vitamin C and vitamin B6 requirements. A study on pregnant rats revealed that shrinking size of placenta and increased chances of miscarriage were caused by the biotin overdose.

Source (http://men.emedtv.com/biotin/biotin-side-effects.html)

Just here on LHC members have had bad experiences with skin problems in general and painful cystic acne due to biotin overload. Light-sensitive migraines have also been reported.

But what goes on under the skin? The liver and kidneys still need to process it. Organs can suffer bad side effects neatly hidden under the skin. No one will know unless you develop kidney stones or ultra sound show damage to the liver. You can still get the toxic effect even though you “just pee it out”. It’s still in your body for long enough to affect it.

Those that experience acne because of the huge biotin doses will even happily ignore it or suppress it. This leads me to the point I stated in the post above your question:

People get their reply. Their body shows clearly and obviously it doesn’t need the biotin. It doesn’t want it. It doesn’t like it. It reacts badly to it. But it gets ignored or suppressed in the name of hair, even though it may not even have a beneficial effect on the hair.

Also baffling is when people scale the dose up gradually. Your body either needs it or it doesn’t need it. You cant somehow “condition” your body into learning to absorb more. It’s troubling when people without biotin deficiency treat biotin like its medication. There is good reason to slowly up a dose on necessary medication to protect you from side effects and get used to the dose.
But I repeat again; Biotin is not medication. You body needs it or it doesn’t need it.

Unfortunately science doesn’t move as fast with these studies as one could wish. Experiments are still being done. Research still goes on. Just think about how few years we have to go back when smoking wasn’t that bad. People didn’t know better for sure. Science didn’t have the numbers then.
Vitamin overdoses are generally difficult to study (Deficiencies are much easier: Too little will make you sick) and studies are still conducted. Maybe biotin is almost completely safe to take as much of as you want. Maybe not.

But it’s still unbelievably arrogant to think that just because you know something is water soluble, you are so much smarter and more knowing than the health care professionals who studied vitamins and reactions for decades. Especially when you don’t have any actual benefit from it.

The world isn’t against you growing a healthy head of hair. No, the scientists are not mean and jealous. As a matter of fact I will guarantee you they couldn’t care less about your hair unless they work for a company selling supplements.
The recommendations are there for one important reason: To guide and protect the general population’s health. It’s in the healthcare professionals’ interest to keep everyone healthy and safe.

It is okay to overdose on water soluble vitamins. They are, after all water soluble. They will be processed and filtered out if you are healthy and don’t suffer kidney problems.
Overdose, yes. Mega dose, no.
Different numbers on “okay” doses are out there on the internet. 1000 mcg seems to be pretty common as an okay dose. Of course this in itself is a dose used to treat legitimate biotin deficiencies. As in; The doctors and scientists that monitor and cure biotin deficiencies says that this is an okay dose to take… If you are deficient. 88 times the recommended daily allowance is not.
Most likely, even at a low dose you are not seeing any real, true benefit.

So my point is: Moderation. Moderation and actually study up on what you stuff in your body. (And please stop spreading “Its water soluble so you just pee it out!”. Thank you)

This post is awesome. I wish we could just hit "like."

[IcarusBride]

Feye's self trim is one I have used.
I notice a lot of people doing No Trims in XXXX (current year).
I want to grow to ~classic virgin with blunt thick ends!

[enfys]

LHC hasn't really provided me with many trends because I have been on hair forums for five years before coming here.

However, these worked since coming here:
Tangle Teezer, SMT, aloe vera gel, hair forks, ficcares, flexi 8s, coconut oil instead of jojoba

These didn't:
Cone free, sls free, herbal washing, cassia (just for the time taken/reward payoff).

I'm sticking with virgin hair because know I've no time in my life for root touch ups!

[MinderMutsig]

This post is awesome. I wish we could just hit "like." I agree!

OT: I think the movie star oil shampoo thing is getting pretty big right now.

[Nae]

I would suggest that Igor makes that awesome post into an article. It would probably do a lot of people a lot of good.

[Alaia]

Hear Hear, Igor.

Trends? Me? I have been assimilated into Ficcarres but otherwise... oiling maybe. Hairsticks? I've pretty much regressed from the trends I used to follow. I use cones again, I don't oil as much as I probably should... I stopped taking supplements (apart from my normal ones)... Is benign neglect a trend? I don't think it is... ;)

[ericthegreat]

The movie star coconut oil shampoo is the most recent popular trend I see going on right now. I don't follow it myself (I'm devoted to CO!), but many of other members here have reported having great results from doing this method.

The hennaheads here appear to fall into two groups: Those who swear by it religiously, and those who only dabble with it and then later regret it immensely so they then do all kinds of things to try to remove it/grow it out/ even cut it off.

This is more of a seasonal/climate thing, but I see many members here are now reporting dry, very itchy and irritated scalps and really bad shedding due to the extremely cold winter that we're having. I see a few recommendations for using AVC rinses, tea tree oil, or special medicated shampoos as remedies for these conditions.

I'm also noticing that quite a few members who either have already cut or are thinking about cutting their hair significantly shorter. Perhaps this also due to the weather/season?

Ficarres, chop sticks, and every kind of hair toy imaginable are the permanent trends, as I see members both old and new regularly dish about them.

[Gladtobemom]

I've tried a lot of things, the keepers for me:

Lite Coconut Milk CWC . . . cleans my hair well and leaves it feeling strong, even when wet.
Fenugreek Buttermilk wash . . . uber cleansing and amazing shine
CO with VO5 Tea Therapy Chamomile or Kiwi and lime Squeeze . . . still my go to quick wash.
Coconut oil . . .fractionated, refined, or unrefined, as long as I use it on my braid tassel at night . . . no splits at all.
Hair sticks, usually one big one these days
Ficcare big Max clips.
Ron Quattro Hair forks (squiggly bornze are my faves)
Scrunchies . . . I love the silk ones
Cassia/Henna mix makes my hair stronger.
Hair Butter (based on Physicschic's) my hair really likes oil.
Jason's Henna highlight . . . go to condish to add to hair butter and for last condish on CO.
Kenra Clarifying . . . it just works really well.
Buff . . . I still love them as scrunchies, protecting my hair in a bun . . . they're great for when I'm gardening.
LOVE BPAL to scent my oils.


Dropped or avoided:
jojoba
olive oil
Moonchaser's oil (DH uses it though)
and a lot of other stuff.

[GlassWidow]

I haven't been here very long, but I've enjoyed reading this thread! :)

I came here being a hennahead, but like other people have pointed out, I fall into the group that was red from birth. Personally, I tried to go blonde, and it was a huge failure, so henna brought me back to my roots, if you will.

I also came here having already given up sulfates, and I'm wondering if the hair care system that must not be named starts with W. If that's the case, then it's incredibly ironic that they're a big reason why I decided I could get my hair into decent enough shape to grow it out. :lol:

Obviously, I don't have any LHC trends that I tried because I haven't been here that long, but there are definitely things I want to learn more about - particularly CO washing and oiling. ATM, I am working on consistently moving to every-other-day washing. I know it's a process, but I'd like to see how long I can stretch it, eventually.

It will be interesting to see what I have to contribute to this NEXT January. :)

[AnnaJamila]

...I wanna know...


Bwahahahahaha...simply posting the name at LHC will make all your hair fall out. I only had wonderful things to say about it. Raves, even. But, still, I'm not allowed to post about it. :rolleyes:

Nonhair trends that I totally got hooked on due to LHC: BPAL and knitting.

Hair trends that worked: Blondiesturn, Quattro, Baerreis, MonktheMonk, henna, the-haircare-system-that-must-not-be-named, CureCare, Moonchaser's SS Oil, shampoo bars, baking soda.

[Toothe]

Tried and loved:

Going sulfate-free
Going cone-free
Wide-toothed comb and no brushing
Lazy wrap bun*
Hairsticks and forks
Oiling my ends
Tea tree oil for flakes


Failures:

Shampoo bars and Dr. Bronner's (my water is hard)
CO washing (I really want to get this to work, but I've never been able to get good results)


I think my greatest benefit has been finding out what my natural texture actually is, and embracing it.

*Love the bun, hate the name! It's such an elegant bun, especially set high on the head. It's big and neat and intricate-looking, yet the name sounds like the kind of "bun" where college girls wad up their hair and stick a pencil in it, with ends sticking out everywhere.

[FullMoonTrim]

I agree!

OT: I think the movie star oil shampoo thing is getting pretty big right now.
Movie star hair thing is working well for me. I have to be careful to just add 1/4 tsp of coconut oil to my shampoo though or it gets limp and greasy looking. When I add the right amount it's so amazing for my hair. My hair doesn't get super dry on the 3rd day like it used to. Also, it's smoother looking and less 'fly away'.

Other Trends I've liked: new braids/updos, putting my hair in a pony tail with binders along the pt while I sleep to keep my hair smooth, ACV/WV rinses, oiling with coconut/argan oil, banana deep conditioning treatment,
I love the "spin pins".

[nellreno]

Yay! stuff: cone-free (cones never did anything special for my hair, but it seems that's what was contributing to my acne), sulfate-free, CO washing, shampoo bars, no heat styling, micro trims, braiding my hair at night, Kimberlily's defrizz spray, coconut oil, flexi-8s, hair sticks, 'virgin' hair aka no more coloring.

Meh stuff: SMTs, aloe vera gel, jojoba oil (great on my skin, not so much on my hair), wearing hair up everyday (nearly impossible for me right now given the headaches it causes), stretching washes, supplements (I remember to take my medication everyday but I forget most of the time to take vitamins and supplements).

No way! stuff: WO and NWSO (gave me scalp itchies and made me lose more hair), regular shampoo, washing everyday, not trimming, S&D (plays too much into my OCD), plain honey in hair, sleepcaps and silk pillowcases (just not gonna happen, I'd never be able to sleep).

Stuff I want to try: cassia, MegaTek, monistat, castor oil (anything that might help me stop losing hair), covering my hair (can't do it at my current job).

[pennyroyal]

So far the most wonderful thing or "trend" i have gotten from LHC is henna. I am so in love with that stuff & i had never even known much about it before joining here. I probably woulda never even tried it & i am so grateful i did.

[pariate]

This post is awesome. I wish we could just hit "like."

Noooooooooo! Shun Facebook and all its web gadgets! :cool:

ETA: I do of course agree that Igor's posts were great btw.

[FullMoonTrim]

Yay! stuff: cone-free (cones never did anything special for my hair, but it seems that's what was contributing to my acne), sulfate-free, CO washing, shampoo bars, no heat styling, micro trims, braiding my hair at night, Kimberlily's defrizz spray, coconut oil, flexi-8s, hair sticks, 'virgin' hair aka no more coloring.

Meh stuff: SMTs, aloe vera gel, jojoba oil (great on my skin, not so much on my hair), wearing hair up everyday (nearly impossible for me right now given the headaches it causes), stretching washes, supplements (I remember to take my medication everyday but I forget most of the time to take vitamins and supplements).

No way! stuff: WO and NWSO (gave me scalp itchies and made me lose more hair), regular shampoo, washing everyday, not trimming, S&D (plays too much into my OCD), plain honey in hair, sleepcaps and silk pillowcases (just not gonna happen, I'd never be able to sleep).

Stuff I want to try: cassia, MegaTek, monistat, castor oil (anything that might help me stop losing hair), covering my hair (can't do it at my current job).
Someone posted something the other day about women in Morocco boiling pomegranate peel and using the water to tighten the pores and help stop hair loss. The LHC member said she tried it and it really helped.

Also, my guy started taking cold showers (or mostly cold) and his hair loss really slowed down.

[Mirsha]

The hennaheads here appear to fall into two groups: Those who swear by it religiously, and those who only dabble with it and then later regret it immensely so they then do all kinds of things to try to remove it/grow it out/ even cut it off.


I hennaed my hair, and I am growing it out but I'll never regret it~!

It was awesome, absolutely great.. but I'm just too lazy to do my roots every 2 weeks :shrug:

The movie star shampoo trend, I'm totally on board with that! No more endless pouring over which conditioner to try out next, cause I don't need it anymore, hehe.

[Gabriel]

I want to say I remember a time when vinegear needed the "Mother" in it to be hair worthy.

I'm not sure if it was all the rage here when I first joined or somewhere else but I remember trying to explain to my mom and looking for it in the local regular super markets.

Pretty sure everyone thought I was crazy and I never did find any till years later...

Anyone remember that?

[MandaMom2Three]

MandaMom2Three, I am stealing your category names because they made me laugh out loud and that is not an easy thing to do.

Happy to have been of service :D

[Marjolein]

Igor, thank you for taking the time to write that elaborate and very (very!) clear post about the dangers of vitamin overdosing. I was shocked when I first learned of the doses consumed by some people on these boards!!

Now, I think it's a shame that your post is somewhat hidden away in this thread. Would you consider making it into an article? Also, perhaps it's possible (mods???) to add a link to that article in the first posts of the major vitamin for hairgrowth threads?

[DB]

:confused:

Can someone please explain "flounce" to me? Finoriel referred to this back on page 11. I've seen this referenced a couple of times now, and I'm still not sure???

Sorry long time forum lurker, I rarely post :o. I tried to reply with a quote, but everything went a bit pear shaped, and I had to log out!

[Nightshade]

This may be a little thread hijack but neekid men??!! I must have missed that thread :eyebrows:

I think that was way back on the boards that are now archived :) You can search there!



Noooooooooo! Shun Facebook and all its web gadgets! :cool:

ETA: I do of course agree that Igor's posts were great btw.

Ditto on both counts! I actually have AdBlock set to take out all those annoying Facebook bolt-ons that were junking up sites.



:confused:

Can someone please explain "flounce" to me? Finoriel referred to this back on page 11. I've seen this referenced a couple of times now, and I'm still not sure???

Sorry long time forum lurker, I rarely post :o. I tried to reply with a quote, but everything went a bit pear shaped, and I had to log out!

Here you go:

Flouncing (http://wiki.fandomwank.com/index.php/Flounce):

Flouncing is the ancient art of leaving a board, community (http://wiki.fandomwank.com/index.php/Community), blog (http://wiki.fandomwank.com/index.php/Blog) or Internet (http://wiki.fandomwank.com/index.php/Internet) forum in the most dramatic (http://wiki.fandomwank.com/index.php/Wanky) way possible.
Whereas normal people who are fed up with a discussion or debate simply leave, flouncers need eternal validation. Instead of simply logging off, they must announce that they are leaving.

The goal of a flounce is always to elicit an outpouring of handwringing and sympathy from other fans (http://wiki.fandomwank.com/index.php/Fan) ("Please don't go, we love you, you're brilliant!") If there's a corresponding threat of deletion, they will expect an added outcry for the sake of their fic ("It would be like Michelangelo erasing the Sistine Chapel if we live without chapter 217 of your Harmonian (http://wiki.fandomwank.com/index.php/Harmonian) opus!"). The ****** must know that they are so vitally important mass suicide will result if they leave the fandom (http://wiki.fandomwank.com/index.php/Leaving_the_fandom). If there is an insufficient outcry the first time, the ****** will institute the double flounce.
98.7% of flouncers return within a week, usually in the form of a sockpuppet (http://wiki.fandomwank.com/index.php/Sockpuppet). A percentage of these flouncers will actually return as themselves or not leave at all, most with the explantion that the sympathy garnered has changed their minds.

[Igor]

Thank you kindly Little Cherry, RavennaNight, Mindermutsig, Nae, Alaia, Pariate and Marjolein!
:flowers: :flower: :flowers: :flower: :flowers: :flower:

I have no intensions of creating more articles than I already have though. I did a lot of work on what I have already uploaded and my experience is simply that the new members that should read the articles never do, but the old people who know their hair stuff already read them and nod.

Same with this long reply. Those that already got the point, simply nod and are happy with having more reason to believe what they do. Those who disagree on megadosing will ignore the post and keep taking their mega doses. The new people who don’t know what to believe yet, seems to be more interested in listening to those who promises them amazing growth in a magic pill than those telling them to live healthy in general.

Case in point: Rose.Grace whose biotin question I spent a lot of time and energy on answering haven’t even acknowledged it. And yes, I checked under activity.

And yes, I think it’s a very, very negative “trend” on LHC that people start threads only looking for confirmation that what they already think is the right thing. And that people ask questions when they don’t even acknowledge a good answer or are really truly interested in the truth. It makes the people who knows so much stop bothering to reply when they know their information gets ignored and “My friends cousins grandma said so!” gets listened to.

Yep, I’m a bitter old member and I wish we had a guru board. So?

[purplebubba]

Igor I'm not one of the people who needed help but wanted to say thanks anyway.

I used to take Biotin, MSM and a few other things but I never took more than what the bottle said. Back then I too noticed the large numbers on some of the doses mentioned and had my worries but felt no one was going to listen to me even if I knew enough to write something.

Since I started learning about hair I've always been of the thought that its not about growing the hair faster or thicker or stronger but growing it consistantly the same and as healthy as possible. Meaning you might grow 1 inch a month for 11 months but if in month 12 something happens to grow a bad segment of hair its going to be the most important because its the weakest link in the chain.

Its kinda funny because my niece was playing with her play doh earlier. I remember that when you extrude the play doh too fast through the fun factory or other gizmo that it might come out as long strings but it looks all scraped up and parts of it look weaker. Trying to extrude your hair from your scalp too fast is no different.

[spoonshine]

Thank you kindly Little Cherry, RavennaNight, Mindermutsig, Nae, Alaia, Pariate and Marjolein!
:flowers: :flower: :flowers: :flower: :flowers: :flower:

I have no intensions of creating more articles than I already have though. I did a lot of work on what I have already uploaded and my experience is simply that the new members that should read the articles never do, but the old people who know their hair stuff already read them and nod.

Same with this long reply. Those that already got the point, simply nod and are happy with having more reason to believe what they do. Those who disagree on megadosing will ignore the post and keep taking their mega doses. The new people who don’t know what to believe yet, seems to be more interested in listening to those who promises them amazing growth in a magic pill than those telling them to live healthy in general.

Case in point: Rose.Grace whose biotin question I spent a lot of time and energy on answering haven’t even acknowledged it. And yes, I checked under activity.

And yes, I think it’s a very, very negative “trend” on LHC that people start threads only looking for confirmation that what they already think is the right thing. And that people ask questions when they don’t even acknowledge a good answer or are really truly interested in the truth. It makes the people who knows so much stop bothering to reply when they know their information gets ignored and “My friends cousins grandma said so!” gets listened to.

Yep, I’m a bitter old member and I wish we had a guru board. So?

Completely understand where you're coming from in your frustrations. I think what you're talking about is a problem with humanity in general. :D Its frustrating as a new person here having to temper excitement at reading glowing recommendations of possibly dodgy things. I was intrigued by the biotin mentions I keep seeing. While I had decided previously that I wasn't interested in popping biotin pills for hair growth, your post has clarified the questions that I had and has ensured I shan't be trying them ever. It saved me doing my own research elsewhere and eliminated any lingering possibility of ever using them from the back of my mind, so thank you. For what its worth I think your post would make an excellent article. I love the articles! Though I would be willing to accept that I am not necessarily the best marker for what the general LHC newbie populace may be reading. :p

[GlassWidow]

I'm still in the stages of being utterly fascinated by what other people are willing to try for their hair, and very much thankful for the LHC'ers who share their knowledge.

I can definitely understand Igor's frustration about not getting a response to her response. I don't know the person who asked the biotin question, but being new and having a difficult time navigating around myself, I have to wonder if she just hasn't seen that response yet. I get totally lost and I'm sure I unintentionally skip a few pages...let's hope that's all this is.

[Toadstool]

The trend for ingesting diatomaceous earth REALLY bothers me.

The thing I have found most useful is coconut oil - I love it!

I bought a tangle teaser and it wouldn't go through my hair- gave it to my best friend for her poodle.

[madeline_]

Diatomaceous Earth (DE) as a supplement

I was wondering when this was going to get mentioned! Forget Monistat and Megatek, this really was the one that had me wondering if I should join that crazy hairforum when I was still a lurker. Especially since there were people asking if they could take the one used to disinfect ponds and pools instead of the one for dogs. Or something like that.

[pepperminttea]

I'd been experimenting with routines and SLS-free pre-LHC, but I'm including the hair stuff I tried anyway. I'm also a BPAL lover, thanks to a friend of mine who got me hooked. :D

Tried and loved:
Coconut oil, Nightblooming Anointing oil, olive oil, ACV rinses, SMT as conditioner, light and deep oiling, S&D, CWC, Ficcares, hair sticks and forks (favourites: Timberstone Turnings, Ketylo, Grahtoestudio, and 60th street), flexi-8s, spin pins, 'cone-free, Pure Nuff Stuff's conditioner, silk pillowcases, sleep braiding, metal-free hairties, unprocessed hair (no heat, dyes, perms/relaxers, etc.), trimming out my layers to a blunt hemline, wooden comb (not from The Body Shop), fingercombing, gentleness/the old lace method, and innumerable updos and styles (that I owe my knowledge of almost entirely to the LHCers on youtube).

Tried and rather indifferent to:
Amish hairpins (they slip out of my hair; I had the straight ones though, thinking of trying the crinkled), BBB, monoi oil, SLS-free (worked with soft water, not with hard water).

Tried and disliked: CV shampoo bars, 'Cones (dried my ends too much; perhaps when I'm maintaining and regularly trimming instead of growing), WO, no 'poo method (baking soda), Tibetan hair slides (very grabby and rough), normal bobby pins (X-pattern or no, they never hold that well for me).

Attempts in progress:
Oil shampoo (good so far!), Finoriel's towel turban method (tricky to get the loose/tight balance right, but I'm getting there).

Want to try:
Scalp washes.

Deliberately not trying: Henna (too lazy for roots maintenance), NW/SO, CO (takes too long), supplements, Monistat.

[Marjolein]

Igor, I completely understand where you're coming from. Still, I also remember being a newbie and coming across the vitamin threads. There were sooo many positive posts and hardly any negative ones, that for a moment I started to wonder if I had been overly cautious regardring vitamins. Now, I'm the kind of person who investigates these things before she starts taking them, and I was cured from the idea pretty quickly, but other people are much more likely to just go ahead with it after reading raving reviews from only one source. I think there should be a post/link/what have you educating about the dangers of vitamin overdose in a very prominent spot in these threads. This way the threads are a bit more balanced out and it may even prompt newbies to think before they go ahead with it.

[MandyBeth]

Good job Igor! I stay out of the vit threads now. I take most things used here, but for medical reasons. But if a supp helps, you either have a med problem OR you need to improve your diet.

[Loviatar]

Igor - your post is both epic and awesome. :)

My Trends:

Tried and still do: BAQ Henna, Monoi oil, Nightshade's Panacea, Ficcares, Etsy sellers, shampoo bars, Dairy Whip, cone free, cones, sulphates, sulphate free, Movie Star Oil Shampoo, baby shampoo, BBB's, S & D, Amish pins, SMT, bhringraj oil, Denman brushes, handmade combs, air drying, honey, wide tooth combs, microfibre towels, sleep hair-coverings, coconut oil dye method, damp buns, Goddess Spirals

Tried or used before LHC and still do: Henna, mooncup, BPAL, RRRRRRR-machine, Lush, aloe, body piercing, tattoos, coconut oil.

Tried and stopped: INDIGO. :( Shampoo bars, cassia, HALO rinse, CO, CWC, Neoma's hybrid wash, WO, Flexi 8s, jojoba, Lush conditioners, Dr Bronners, ACV, chemical dye, taking too many vits, trying too many things at once, blow drying on cold (brrrr), egg shampoo, molasses (yuck), coffee rinses, tea rinses

Want to try: Catnip, camellia oil, knitting, various braids, cut-and-start-over, heat caps, silk pillowcases

Never Tried: Bunjis, various wash products, Indian herbs (bought but never tried), shaving my head!

Don't want to try ever: Mega Tek, katam, SO, Monistat, diamataceous earth (I may have spelled that wrong)

[stinamoo]

The thing I most enjoy about LHC is reading and absorbing the absolute wealth of information contained in the articles, blogs, and forums ;)

Tried and Enjoyed:
Coconut oil, CO washing, cold water rinses, vingear rinses, S&D, hairtoys in most forms, cone-free, silk pillowcases, wooden comb, plopping, oiling, honey, aloe, washing with product rarely (though I only washed my hair with S&C once a week even pre-LHC).

Tried and Meh:
Mega-Tek, miconazole nitrate, cassia, henna, CWC, WO, NW/SO (2 month trial), SMTs, most deep treatments.

I don't think I disliked anything I tried here, but I lurked for well over a year before joining and made a lot of decisions based on what worked for other people and made sense to me. I still lurk, you can tell by my post count ;)

[Igor]

In the spirit of appreciating reactions and answers… :wink:

Purplebubba, no thank you

Spoonshine, I just might… Its already all typed up and might just need a little adjustment and it can go in articles. Hopefully someone else as thorough as you will find it and find it useful

Glasswidow, I hope so too. Doubt it, but hope so…

Marjolein, honestly I think a lot of people who have had bad experiences with supplements simply gave up on sharing after being ignored enough times? I have blogged and posted about the overloads before and every time a few long time members who knows their biology and hair care pops up and shares. I have been surprised a few times at the severity of toxicity symptoms people have described! If I really turn this into and article, I would want to be able to quote these members on what they have experienced. Maybe I should start asking around or at least blog about it; that seems to be where I get the highest quality replies :shrug:

Mandybeth, thank you

Loviatar, thank you too

[Marjolein]

Igor, it comes as no surprise to me that you've gotten the best quality remarks in your blogs. Members usually don't even notice these until they've been here for a while and then the haircraze (OMG I've got to try everything out, like, right NOW!!!) has worn off a bit. People tend to think more thoroughly when not in a craze :D.

I like your idea about adding some real-life stories. Though only anecdotal, it's usually what does the trick to convert people.



Sorry for taking this thread completely off topic :o. I'll try to behave from now on.

[GlassWidow]

On topic: I'm thinking about trying oiling. Argan oil seems to be a big hit lately, at least out in the real world, but I'm going to try to track down some coconut oil.

Slightly on-topic: I never would have believed things like monistat and diatomaceous earth before I came here. I haven't seen it mentioned (yet) but a friend of mine swears by crushing up BCP and putting them in her shampoo, rather than ingesting them. I guess if you want to be pregnant and have nice hair, that's the way to go?? :shrug:

Off topic: I keep losing track of when I'll be able to participate in the blogs, but I'm excited to get there. It sounds like it's a worthwhile trip. I've been reading some articles, though, over the last couple of days. You ladies write well!

[Lianna]

I don't know about classic but isn't virgin always the "trend"? Or preferred among most?

ETA: I thought hennaed hair was still virgin. :p Let's put it "agaisnt chemicals" then. I'm reading a lot of posts on the subject lately.