Goal 1

[WaitingSoLong]

Hi. I am brand new here and totally new to all this long hair stuff/lingo (in other words, I am lost!). When I filled out the sign-up form I had no idea what the hair types meant, I shall have to go and correct mine now that I know. I have breezed through some posts and found I need a LOT of help. That is why I was searching online anyway. I am about to where I cannot handle my hair anymore. I mean, I have gotten it into the toilet on accident!

My hair is fairly long (imo) already. I have been growing it for a few years, with a trim here and there and finally reached a point I am not trimming anymore. It doesn't seem to help. My hair is almost to my waist. My original goal was to have it long enough to cover my bust. I reached that and now it is to be to my waist. I am at my navel now. I shall have to take a picture.

I usually end up cutting my hair because I don't know what to do with it. I have to sleep with it braided or else I lay on it, or my husband does, not to mention the nest it is in in the morning. But even in a braid, it often pulls or hurts and wakes me up. Also, my hair is dry. I wash it every other day because I hate the smell it gets when it is unwashed but mostly because I need a shower and there is no way to keep it dry.

I just need help. I am interested in the oils, what kind and where do I get them? Is there a good rule for washing? What can I do with it? It is always in the way. I usually wear it the same way, I have not seen anyone mention the way I do mine so I will have to take a picture and post it once I figure this place out. There is so much info, I don't know where to start. Can I put a picture in my profile or do I have to post so many times first? How do I get to the articles? I cannot seem to find them (I am not very savvy with forums).

I am very interested in hair "toys" as you all call them. Everyone I have tried is too small to hold all my hair. I have 1b or 1c, M, ii hair. Basically, straight, blonde, long.

I LOVE my hair. I am rather obsessed with it. I think it is my only good feature so I have taken it to extremes. I quit dying it 3? years ago (lost count but it has been a long time). I don't heat dry/style it unless absolutely necessary. I cannot even remember the last time I used a curling iron. When I do get my hair trimmed (it has been 8 months, a 1" trim) they always say my hair is very healthy and want to know what I do to it. When I tell them, they yell at me and say I shouldn't. ??!!?

Here is how I currently care for my hair. I have learned this by trial and error over the years, I do not know anyone IRL with long hair! I am afriad you all will yell at me too. I shampoo and condition alternately with Pantene S&C one time, then the next time I use baby shampoo and Main and Tail ( I have it for my horses anyway). While my hair is setting with the conditioner on it, I comb it through with a wide toothed comb (also a horse comb). My hair tangles easily and if I do not do this, I CANNOT get a pik or comb through it after I get out of the shower. I rise and towel dry and let it air dry awhile. Usually until it is dry. Sometimes I braid it and sleep with it that way (wet) but usually not. Only when I want waves. I had been using a spray conditioner but now I make it out of M&T conditioner and it works much better, is much shinier. And of course, I take vitamins.

Combing my hair in the shower has been my saving grace. It kept me from having to cut my hair (I was never able to grow it longer than bust length because I could not get it combed/picked when wet). SO I am in uncharted territory, wanting it to be past my rump now. I am 10" away from that goal. I am 33 and my long hair makes me look much younger. I have been carded a lot!

Of course I use metal free elastics. I have a hair magic thing but my hair is too heavy and I get headaches from keeping it up. I did see the rag curl thing, I am going to try that. My husband likes it curly. Once upon a time I got a perm when my hair was long. It was a piggy back perm. VERY painful! And totally fried my hair. I stay away from chemicals now. That was back in 1996. I have chopped it all off several times since, with the last major time being about 5 years ago. But I got a bad trim a couple years ago and ended up losing about 4 inches to fix it. I CRIED for days. I was so devastated.

Anywho, I have breakage and anytime I try to up-do my hair it seems to damage it, which is why I wear it the same way all the time now.

Is there someone who will take me under their wing and educate me? Perhaps in email? These forums are so huge and there are so many posts I just get lost. Thanks.

Oh, I notice hardly anyone posts their face or uses their real names. Is that frowned upon? Can someone please email me and help me? The forum would not let me use my AOL account but that is the only one I ever check. My email is (DELETED) Be sure to title it HAIR or I will delete it. Thanks!

Oh yeah, what does subscribing to a thread do? Anyway I can get them emailed to me?

Lori

[spidermom]

You can go to the articles section and try some styles there. I have to wear my hair up almost all the time, partly because of tangles and partly because of hazards (like the burners on the stove). The articles section (hair styles) has been a life-saver! If you don't have things like hair sticks and forks, you can use pencils (make sure there are no rough spots - sandpaper or emery boards or nail files are handy for smoothing them down). Have you visited the area that says "Newbies, start here." It will give you some good suggestions.

Welcome and have fun.

[Briar]

Once you reach 25 posts, you should be able to see people's blogs and albums (when they're public, and a LOT are). There is a wealth of extra information in those! The Newbie Advice thread and the VITs (Very Important Threads) link on one of the forums are both wonderful. I think the best advice is this:

Don't panic.

No one's going to yell at you or tell you you're "doing it wrong." Some folks might go "eek, my hair would frizz terribly if I tried that!" but everything here is very much about what works for YOUR hair and learning from people who have hair like yours. Take what's useful, leave the rest. (Example: My hair hates eggs. No egg masks for me!)

The hair toys are often sticks - which take a little practice but work GREAT for most people, slides, claws, and an assortment of other fun things. There's a "Wear Each Hair Toy Once" thread somewhere that shows off a lot of them.

[WaitingSoLong]

Thanks. I finally found the articles and spent hours reading!

[plainjanegirl]

Just wanted to say hi and welcome to the LHC! Warning: don't let yourself get overwhelmed here and feel you need to change everything. If you do decide to make some changes only change one thing at a time so you can see if it helps.

[IndigoInk]

Welcome! :) I'm pretty new here myself so I know what you mean about being overwhelmed. Plainjane is right, take it a little at a time. After reading the articles and threads and all the amazing information here it is so tempting to completely overhaul your hair routine and try a thousand new things, but that's not the best idea for your hair. Just pick one or two things you want to try and see how they work for awhile and then decide if you want to add anything or change anything.

I started out by doing Condition/Wash/Condition instead of the traditional way to wash hair and using Coconut Oil. Then I bought a Boar Bristle Brush. That's all I've changed so far except throwing away my Jaw Clip lol which was what brought me here in the first place! I want to eventually henna my hair and I'm thinking of doing an SMT after I go buy some honey.

Your hair is gorgeous btw!

[kdaniels8811]

Welcome, waitingsolong. Your hair is beautiful and you will learn lots and lots here, the least of is how to bun your hair, care for your hair, and get lots and lots of support. Do not feel silly asking questions, we all had to ask to learn. Just take it slow, one change at a time and enjoy reading and learning. Glad you are here!

[Milui Elenath]

Welcome! I have to agree with the comments above, it is overwhelming and if you think you are obsessed with hair now, I will warn you it will probably get worse.:eyebrows: At least that is what has happened to me.

Absolutely check out the hair styles section in the articles. Here
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=category&categoryid=1

The great thing about them is many have videos and written instructions. I am a big collector of hairstyles but usually end up with a cinamon bun. :laugh:

[Elbereth]

Hi and welcome! :waving:

Yes, the "don't panic" advice is great. You don't have to learn everything overnight. I have been a member for a long time and I still learn new things. So take it slowly! Read articles, use our wonderful search option to see if there are threads about topics that interest you, and start introducing new things to your routine slowly. There is no "absolutely right" way of doing things- the right routine for you is one that your hair likes and one that fits comfortably in your lifestyle.

Most of the hairtoys discussed here work particularly well with long hair. I know my local stores don't cater anything like my hairtoys (sometimes I still check what they have out of that minuscule hope of actually finding something...:o)! Also, if you buy quality toys and for some reason want to get rid of them later, you can easily sell or swap them away at our Swap Board.

[JamieLeigh]

Welcome to LHC! It looks like from your photo that you have either already reached what we call "waist" and are actually aiming for "hip"! It gets easier to learn the lingo over time. ;) Don't worry, I think most of us were a bit overwhelmed at first. And I agree whole-heartedly with the advice on taking it slowly, one change at a time. It sounds to me like you've already got some good things happening with your hair. Not using the heat products has probably given you a GREAT headstart! Someone gave you some good advice there. :D

We also like to use the "two week" rule: If you're thinking about doing a major change, give it at least two weeks to stew over in your mind and give yourself plenty of time to think it over. And same for trying a new hair product or routine. Give it a bit to see how your hair reacts to it, before giving up or trying something else new on top of it. Many of us STILL don't have a "routine"...there's so much trial-and-error involved in healthy hair!! And a lot of times, it actually seems that the less you do to it, the better it will fare. :)

NEVER be afraid to post and ask questions. Even if you think it's something obvious, no one here will yell at you, I promise you that! We're all family. :grouphug:

[Spike]

Hi. I am brand new here and totally new to all this long hair stuff/lingo (in other words, I am lost!).

< waves hello > I remember that feeling!!! There is a lot of good information and ideas here, it's easy to feel like you're drowing in hair care.

Hang in there, read, ask questions. We were all new once, and everyone here seems to keep that in mind.


When I do get my hair trimmed (it has been 8 months, a 1" trim) they always say my hair is very healthy and want to know what I do to it. When I tell them, they yell at me and say I shouldn't. ??!!?

Wow. That just knocks me out. I mean, what you're doing must be working for your hair, or it wouldn't be in good condition, right? So why berate someone who's figured it out for her "random sample of one."

I don't see anything outrageous about what you're doing; in fact, it sounds like a number of people here--shampoo as needed, condition after, comb with conditioner in place, air dry.

If it works for you, keep it up!


Oh, I notice hardly anyone posts their face or uses their real names. Is that frowned upon?

As far as I know, that's member's choice. Some folks are nervous about having their face on the web, others don't care, and on the third hand, this is a hair forum. We want to see how you've braided, bunned, or pinned up your hair. Not that there's anything wrong with your face. :flowers:

[Dientje]

Hi! Just wanted to say welcome to the site! I think you will find lots of great advice around here, especially in the articles section. But don't change too much, seems like your routine already works pretty well for your hair. Oils might works great for the dryness, Heidi w. has a very good tutorial for oiling: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=71.

Good luck!

Oh, and btw, your hair does look very pretty!

[WaitingSoLong]

Thanks so much for all your replies! I will read the links you all have sent to me as soon as I have time. I find I cannot wait to get back herre and read some more. I have an extra busy week. I am supposed to be getting ready to leave and here I am SIGH.

The main thing I think I may be doing wrong is using a less than desirable shampoo. Something about SLS. I confess, I love to have my hair feel clean and I likely shampoo it more than is necessary. I MAKE myself wait to every other day, but would gladly shampoo it every day. The first change I will make is to try the CO or CWC. This is a totally new concept for me. But because I use hairspray a lot, I always feel I need to shampoo it all off. I would like to find some oil, so I will definitely read that article.

Second, I need to learn to bun. I try, I have tried for years but I seem to lack the skill to do this properly. It never stays up and never looks right. And I have no idea how to use the hair stix or whatever they are called. I pulled out a pair of chopsticks and tried it but failed miserably. LOL. I am excited to eventually try the rag curling. I was explaining this to my DH last night and I think he was trying not to laugh at my major excitement over my hair!

I have been searching the web for years for hair tips and, for some reason, could not find any. I finally just typed in "long hair" and found this place! I feel like I struck gold!

Thank you for the compliments on my hair. People compliment my hair all the time but I think it is terrible! Up close, ya know, tells a diferent story. You can still see the "line" when I quit dying my hair and dyed it back to natural color. And the story of the hair dressers telling me I am a bad hair care person is true. NEVER use Pantene they say, but we have well water and even with a water softener, it is the only shampoo that has ever worked for me. I have tried all the salon brands. Actually, it is the conditioner that I really like. Shampoo does nto seem to matter a whole lot. I read the ingredients for the Main and Tale conditioner and it is cone free, so I think I will keep using it.

Because I live in the country (we have horses), we are building a house and I do a lot of outdoor work, I need something to protect my hair (I get hay and dirt in it, and when I mow I have to keep it up to keep it out of the motor! (riding mower). I usually use a do-rag. For awhile I was putting my hair in a bun clip, but my I have too much hair to fit into it now. I had even considered cutting it to get it to fit back in it because it was so easy. I would not even brush my hair (I hate brushign it and seeing all the hairs that come out!) I would just put it in the clip. I cannot find a clip big enough anymore.

I already warned my husband I would be making an online purchase, at least to get a bone comb if nothing else. But I would like a hair toy or two, tho I fear I will never learn how to use them. I had bought a pony-tail wrap (for riding) but it pulls my hair out when you take it off so I quit using it. It did not work that well anyway.

I sent a post asking what you all do with your hair when you sleep but now I cannot find the post to see if there are any replies.

Again, thanks for the encouragement and advice! I am drinking it in.

Lori in Indiana

[WaitingSoLong]

Oh yeah, I have had a boar bristle brush for years. I keep guard over it because I cannot find them anymore. And no one ever taught me to care for my hair, it has all been trial and error. I am not sure what possessed me to start combing my hiar in the shower while conditioning, I thought I was a genius when I figured this out! LOL.

As far as the brush, I hardly use it except when i want my hair shiny. To get through my tangles I use a brush that has the crystal tips or whatever they are. Again, I felt like I had made a huge find there. But my ends are getting worse and worse, so something has to change.

A quick question. Is it beneficial at all to NOT brush your hair every day? I can manage to make it look ok in a sloppy up do without brushing. I feel like every time I brush my hair I am ruining it more and more. I don't work, so I can get away with a less than great looking do.

[Briar]

You might try a wooden comb instead of a brush. The Body Shop (in most malls) carries a rather nice wooden comb for around $6. For straight fine hair, a brush isn't a bad thing, but I find the comb works pretty well. Just remember to be REALLY GENTLE with the tangles; that's one I still struggle with...

Pantene is "bad" but I use it too. I figure it's my hair, and my hair's doing fine, so I'm gonna use what works. Then again, I use it only twice a week and coat my hair in conditioner first and afterwards. :)

Hair sticks take practice, but a pencil with a dulled end might work better than chopsticks. It's smoother and thicker. Also, if you just want something to practice with, Claire's or The Icing (also in most malls) carries some inexpensive plastic and rarely wooden hair sticks. You can practice with those until you learn that long hair snaps most cheap sticks. ;) I thought I was hair-stick-challenged too until I tried the Figure-8 bun. For some reason, that one was the secret and I figured out the trick to using sticks. Now I wear hair sticks all the time! I've got my hair up in a Gibraltar bun (http://www.io.com/~cortese/hair/styling.html) today, held up with just one stick, and it will stay put all day. Some buns will even hold through vigorous activity - like stall mucking - with a single stick! (The Nautilus bun comes to mind...) I do find that sticks can make tight buns most of the time, so just be sure you like - or can get used to - a little tug on the scalp. I like my buns to give me a facelift... lol

[JamieLeigh]

Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it!! I had trouble at first using hair sticks, because I'm not the most graceful person on the planet, but I started with the simpler things first, like the figure 8 and infinity (which are the same thing, just turned different ways lol), and now I've actually mastered the woven bun, which is pretty complicated (for me). :p

[Spike]

Buns and braids take practice, practice, practice. When I find a magic solution to the whole patience/practice issue, I'll be sure to post it here before I put it on the web and make enough money to retire to an island paradise.

When I decided to learn french braiding, I put my hair up in a french braid at night for sleeping every night for weeks. The "prettiness" of the braid didn't matter, and I got better a little at a time. I'll be doing that with rope braids and herringbones when my length gets there again.

As far as covering hair for messy tasks, I like the scarf covers at tznius.com. No, not just for purchase, but what to do with them afterwards. I drive a convertible, and covering my head is necessary to avoid tangles (and the associated damage with combing them back out). It looks like these will work for just about any length up to classic, depending on thickness. I expect if you had a LOT of hair the theory would still hold, you'd just need a bigger scarf to hold all the hair.