The Benign Neglect Thread

[kwaniesiam]

First off I apologize in advance if there is already a thread like this, I don't venture to the mane forum as much as I used to :o

Who here just ignores their hair and lets it grow? What's your neglect routine, if you even have one?

That's what I've been doing lately. It's too short for any interesting updos aside a sockbun, so I just either keep it in that, leave it down, or a ponytail and wash when it needs it. That's it. Nothing fancy, maybe oil if it asks for it and I'm rather pleased with the results thus far. No trims, since I don't have enough splits to bother with even though I haven't had it cut since last July. Now all I have to do is wait :)

[lirael]

I did nothing but wash, brush and occasionally braid my hair for 8 years and it grew from chin length to mid-thigh. Since then I've cut it shorter and wear it up a lot for school and work, but it was in pretty good condition when I paid no attention to it at all. I washed and conditioned it every day with whatever shampoo was on sale and left it down all the time except for dance classes.
I hope this works out for you!

[Eireann]

I'm joining this movement as of today. I had a bad salon coloring incident that I won't bore you with all the gory details, but the bottom line was my hair was professionally colored 2 days in a row, washed about 6 times in 2 days (before and after both dye jobs, when I got home after the first "bad" dye job to try to get the color to chill out, and the next morning for the same reason). I'm satisfied that the owner of the salon "made it right" and even gave me a deep conditioning treatment at no charge, but my poor hair definitely feels a little beat up. I will probably give myself a coconut oil treatment over the weekend, but beyond that, I'm just going to leave it alone for a while. I learned my lesson!!

[lora410]

I do nothing but wash, oil and cinnabun it anymore. It is in it's sloooow growth phase at the moment. I am hoping it kicks up soon.

[Spike]

I wash, brush, and play. "Play" includes oiling towel-dried hair (I love how soft it feels, and the slightly reduced *poof* I have at this length--no waves, no curls, just volume turned up to 11).

Play includes honey lightening. My highlights are now a deep red, almost as if I'm using a henna glaze in very carefully strategic applications. (Yes, I pay my hairstylist a fortune to look this way--NOT!!!) And again, the texture I'm getting from this is worth the hour and five minutes the treatment takes. (Five minutes to mix and apply, then an hour soaking in the tub reading a book. It's such a HARD life being a long hair . . .)

As it grows < tugs a strand to "encourage" it > I'll add updos and braids into the play aspect. Once I get to BSL, I'll be re-learning french braiding, working on rope braids, etc. My plan is to braid at night and that way if the braid looks awful, well, who cares? My fingers will get the practice, and I won't be impatient with myself as I climb the learning curve. I can learn buns when I put it up to shower.

But as far as the daily "wash, oil, massage, hang upside down, suitcase full of supplements, unicorn horn comb, and ONLY cashmere hairbands" thing . . . that just doesn't appeal to me. It's the same reason I'm not into the whole spa experience. It starts to feel like work and obligation, not like pampering and fun.

[viking_quest]

All I do is wash, comb, and put up my hair. Hopefully, before I know it, my hair will be longer.

[rose_in_bloom]

My hair loves benign neglect. I wash it every day or every other day, comb, and put it up. That's it. I oil the ends occasionally. Maybe a deep treatment once a month.

[marajade]

As I've said in another thread, I work from home and therefore I naturally have a lot of benign neglect. That being said, my hair has really thanked me for it! :flower:

[Nes]

I'm totally in on this one. I don't have the patience to endlessly faff about with it.

It gets washed and conditioned every 3 days then air dryed and brushed. I wear it down every day and braided every night.

Every so often I venture forth with an oiling, deep condish or a feeble attempt at a bun, but keeping it simple works best for me. Too much experimentation seems to be not good for it. I think it just wants to be left alone.

Nes x

[Feline]

All I do is wash when it needs it, condition, air-dry, comb (a lot), and usually wear it down- due more to my fumble-fingered attempts at braiding than anything else. Still works pretty well.

[marzipanthecat]

Oh yes, I think you've just described my whole hair care regime. I wash it (usually once every 2 days, or more often, it depends how nasty it seems), I brush it maybe twice or three tomes a day, and I plait (braid) it to keep it out of the way. I always plait it at night or I end up with a tangled mess the next day.

I do sometimes (once every four or five months) do a big condition soak on it. But that doesn't take long. Olive oil is nice for that.

People don't usually believe me when I say I really don't do anything much.

[wintersun99]

Another perfect thread for my to belong to!

My routine in the past (excluding last year) was to wash, condition, comb, occasionally oil, and put up. My hair grew to the longest it has been (since I was 3yo) and would be waist length by now, had I not started to mess with it (color, bleach, etc).

I have learned my lesson. My hair is at it's best, when it is left alone. I am returning to my roots (he, he) and going back to wash, condition, comb and occasionally oil. :D

[JamieLeigh]

I wash twice a week, deep condition once a month with a honey mask, and oil once a month on the day before my shampoo. I wear it up in the same hairstyle just about every day (braided bun) or in a ponytail.

I went crazy when I first joined this site, because I wanted to try EVERYTHING. But as I slack off into more "benign neglect" than anything else, my hair is loving me more. :crush:

[rose_in_bloom]

I went crazy when I first joined this site, because I wanted to try EVERYTHING. But as I slack off into more "benign neglect" than anything else, my hair is loving me more. :crush:

That's exactly what I did! :o I bombarded my hair with a million treatments and new products and styles and it was NOT happy. Now that I'm settling down, my hair is much nicer.

[Tap Dancer]

I either shampoo and condition or CO. I don't oil or use anything "funny" on my hair. I comb it once a day...most days. :lol: And I put it up in a ponytail 4-5 days a week. I leave it alone the rest of the time.

[emeraldfaery]

This is my kinda thread! All I do is wash it twice a week with whatever smells good, oil every once in awhile, an occasional (aka 2-3 times a year) SMT, and put it up in a bun or ponytail. I don't even brush it! This routine worked for me when I was younger (minus any oil) and I don't plan on doing anything overly fancy any time soon.

[Elphie]

I think I can safely say this is my "method" and always has been. Even when first posting here, I only changed a few minimal things (CWC, coconut oil, new up do's) but essentially I wash it, condition it, brush it and put it up. Oh, and I enjoy the heck out of it!

[Citrine]

Benign Neglect is definitely my routine :D Wash 3x/week, brush, put it up, and forget about it. After a month or so I'll notice that it has grown just a little and I feel really accomplished :cool:

[Jules diamond]

I've got to join this. I tried a few of the conditioning things and the special buns. They're nice for special occasions, but I got to my length from brushing it, shampooing it and conditioning it once in a while. I'm starting to notice it more as it gets closer to BSL though.

[dancingmegs]

Like many of you here, I wash, comb, and braid. I used to do all kinds of "stuff," but I got tired of messing around. I think my hair was at it's happiest when I was using Chagrin Valley shampoo bars, but that was too much work!

I wash my hair every 5 days or so- diluted shampoo, conditioner, citric acid rinse. I scalp wash most of the time (something I started when even doing regular shampoo washes became to much for me!), so I only wash the length every few weeks.

I've been braiding every day lately because I've been getting very painful spots on my scalp when I put it up. Even when I do it's pretty boring- a basic bun with a ficcare or a fork.

Once in a blue moon I'll get all excited and slap some shea butter on there, but it's been months. I do S&D, mostly when I'm watching a movie and I need something to do with my hands- ie when I don't have a knitting project at hand.

[Laurenji]

This is definitely the place for me. Maybe I'm just lazy, but I don't want to bother with all the stuff to buy and the hours it takes to do all the special treatments. I only found the LHC a couple weeks ago, and before I did I would just shampoo it everyday and stick it in a ponytail. Now I've switched to C-W-C every other day, but that's about it. It's finally getting long enough to braid again though, which I'm happy about. :D

[GlennaGirl]

I may be crazy, but I like doing stuff for my hair. :) It's my one real self-pampering activity.

My hair doesn't thrive as well on benign neglect. If I put it up in a bun and sleep in that and wear it the next day because it still looks neat, when I do finally take it down, ugh...it's bend-y and crunchy and weird. I don't know why...there's nothing unnatural on my hair (just henna and some henndigo), I don't blow-dry it, flat iron it, etc.

ETA: I CO every couple/few days, and I think of that as a pampering ritual, too. I leave diluted conditioner on my hair for 30 minutes (wrapped in a towel). After four years of doing this, I'm still not tired of it yet. I do use a hairbrush...I love the way it feels on my scalp.

I love the idea of benign neglect, putting one's hair "away" and suddenly noticing it every few months or so and realizing how much growth there's been...but my hair does best with some pampering and I'm kind of glad for that. ;)

Sorry...carry on!

[ungratefulgirl]

Because I'm starting short and I'm in "hair hell", I have to just forget about it, look in the mirror less, and NO styling. Before, when I had long hair, I used to wear it back all the time during the growing process form shoulders to bsl. I think that's the best thing. Fussing too much might make you go crazy and do something damaging...like blow styling or cutting).

[rapunzhell13]

Benign neglect is the best routine for my hair and I. All I do is wash it twice a week using cheap shampoo and conditioner, comb it, put it up. That's it!

Wash it, comb it, put it up! WCP. :p

[misspriss]

I love this thread already. I kinda feel weird sometimes, like I'm not contributing too much hair stuff to the hair board, cuz I don't do much!

I CO when I wash, I damp bun. That is it. I don't even brush. It's pony bun (halfway pulled through ponytail) or cinnabun every day. Except the occasional pigtail when it's greasy, because it shows less.

And that's it.

[freznow]

What counts as benign neglect? I wash it once a week, sometimes wet it more often if I feel like it, comb it and put it up; occasionally I try to figure out a new braid or something. I'm not sure what more I could do, besides wash it more often, and that'd probably count as benign neglect too!

[Paliele]

I just condish and shampoo it (in that order, 'poo on scalp only :) ). If it's shower day and my hair doesn't look greasy yet, I'll do a CO wash, and sometimes I'll do a treatment that sounds fun.

[Chanterelle]

I wash it every 5 days, comb, blowdry and wear it down all the time. Occasionally, i.e. once a month, I oil it with peach kernel oil before washing.
Does it count as a benign neglect?

[Misha]

I've recently discovered that Benign Neglect is amazing. I just wash 2-3 times per week, light oil it, and put it in a simple cinnabun every day (overnight heavy oil when I feel like it), and forget about it.

That's it.

And further in the spirit of Benign Neglect, I don't trim/cut either (just SD sometimes).


[On the other hand, we should just do what works best for our hair. Sometimes extra pampering or treatment helps out or works better - do what works]

[shrimp]

Ah benign neglect how I love thee.

I stick with simple one step CO-ing (5 mins-ish) once or twice a week, no experimenting with various products, just a plain cold water rinse. Only comb when washing (even when I braid striaghten my hair) and either bun first thing and leave that all day if I'm out of the house or braid (or leave my night braid in :wannabe: ).

I do henna though which is a bit of a faff.

[AnneAdeline]

I think my hair care routine applies here!
I CWC once a week, comb, and put up. Sometimes I oil it. Sometimes I S&D when bored.
That's it. I stopped henna'ing because it was too much work for me.

[carinkla]

I wash once a week with sante velvet rose and no condtioner. Then I put in " leave-in". In the mornings I use a paddle brush or tangleteezer, then braid it again, put coconut oil in the ands and mist it. Then put up my braid with a flexi 8 (even sleep with that haido) and I repeat that every day. I do not know if its really neglect but I only spend about 5 minutes a day on my hair that way.

[Phalaenopsis]

I'm a big fan of the benign neglect. I don't want some strange mixtures on my head every week, I don't want to make a complete concoction before I can wash my hair. I just wash my hair, use condish and that's about it :)

And sometimes a bit of coconut oil when I feel like it.

[nicolezoie]

I kinda feel weird sometimes, like I'm not contributing too much hair stuff to the hair board, cuz I don't do much!

Ditto. I do alot of reading on what everyone else is doing as far as experiments go and as far as the latest "trend" but I know it's not for me.

How did my hair get this long? I left it alone. Simple as that. I made some minor adjustments to my routine over the years, but it's pretty boring.

My hair prefers to be left alone. In fact, I just length-washed this morning. Presently, it's in a satin-lined bag, bunned, and will probably remain this way until I get a headache or neckache from it. Or, later on today when I decide to let it air out.

[ShaSha]

I went crazy when I first joined this site, because I wanted to try EVERYTHING.

:o

Well, not everything. I had problems that had stopped when I quit chemicals so I've been trying natural products.

I usually need to rinse with water every day, because my hair gets a lot of dust and things in it. I wash with something stronger once or twice a week, depends when my hair looks like it needs it and if I need it to look good. That usually involves some herbs. Last time I used an egg (result is so silky and shiny!) And I've been experimenting with cassia and honey. I use sheabutter on the ends if they look like needing it.

I really want to do the benign neglect. I'm trying. I'm so exited that finally I have hair that feels good that I pay a lot of attention to it. But I'm aware that it's not wise to have a different treatment every day and trying ten different hairstyles a day. :D

So I rinse with water until my hair starts to look too bad. I bun my hair in the morning, unravel it only if I'm forced to (like wearing a hard hat for riding my horse) and bun it again. I'm hoping that if I leave it alone as much as possible it will one day be a long hair without too much damage.

[Arctic_Mama]

Add me to the list! I wash my hair with just a scalp wash and length condition once or twice a week and lightly oil it while damp. I sleep with it loose, comb it in the morning, and put it up for the day with some pins or a ficcare. I comb in the evening, and repeat the next day. I'll occasionally wear it down but I like to keep it simple.


Yay for benign neglect!

[LaurelSpring]

I wash twice a week, deep condition once a month with a honey mask, and oil once a month on the day before my shampoo. I wear it up in the same hairstyle just about every day (braided bun) or in a ponytail.

I went crazy when I first joined this site, because I wanted to try EVERYTHING. But as I slack off into more "benign neglect" than anything else, my hair is loving me more. :crush:

This is me too. After a year on LHC and trying everything that came along I have settled down into a less is more routine.

[embee]

I'm in. Have been in ever since I joined LHC.... which was right after a nonsensical 8 inch chop. My hair is at terminal now, I'm pretty sure. It's longer than it's ever been and it's not growing any longer. It's been this length about a year.

I'm all for Benign Neglect. :) There's no easier way to care for hair.

[Katurday]

Bah! Finally.
Wash, brush, ponytail.
Every day.

I might get into henna,
but I'm far too lazy now-adays.
Believe it or not, fussing about
hair is what I gave up for Lent.
Doing great so far.

[<3OnHerSleeve]

SO in, I'm rebeginning Benign Neglect. it's about time I did too. My plan is this: try washing just 2x a week (i used to wash everyday), with 2x a week coconut oil and deep conditioning, brush every morning and night, and put up. I'm on the hair up challenge for 6 months so we'll see how we go with this ;)

[HintOfMint]

Oh is that what they call what I've been doing?:p Basically, for the last five days, I've been wearing it up all the time as part of the "wear your hair up" challenge, and a lot of other elements of my usual haircare have fallen by the wayside. I lost my comb, so I've been fingercombing before putting it up, and since my hair is up all the time, I've been touching it far less often. I also stopped oiling (lazy, I guess) and haven't been doing S&D (though I should).

I have experimented with a different style here and there. The other day was my very first Gibson Tuck.
But other than different styles, I've been fussing with it much less, which is a good thing.

[bte]

I have always used the benign neglect method. When I was in my late teens and early 20s I washed it once or twice a week, brushed it twice a day, and within the constraints of parental and school restrictions just let it grow.

Since I started growing in earnest at 39, I've used the same method - brush twice a day (I did go a whole year just finger combing, but it tended to look a bit stringy as a result), braiding every night, worn in a ponytail for most of the day; no trims. I think that wavy hair like mine responds well to neglect, because unevenness isn't do obvious - the waves make uneven ends inevitable anyway.

[jackiesjottings]

I guess I wash, condition and ignore too! When I first decided to grow my hair long again I was measuring it every other day in case it had miraculously grown 2" overnight but I seem to have stopped being as obsessive about it the longer it gets.

But I am going to trim again for a while once I get to classic... just to thicken the ends up a bit....

[Bonkers57]

I shampoo every other day or so because my scalp is oily. Condition the hem every few washes with something light. CO once in a blue moon. Use a wide-toothed comb to de-tangle. Air dry. Brush with tangle teezer and ponytail it. Sometimes I leave it down. Every eight months or so I have my ends dusted by hubby's barber. That's it.

[HikerTrash]

Benign neglect is how I got to this length. I am trying to be a more benign and a little bit less neglectful.

[jojo]

All I do is wash my hair 3x a week, oil lightly (ends) and bun thats it! I do try to make an effort if I am going out but thats not very often!

[LoversLullaby]

I rarely ever do much to my hair anymore. Wash it once a week using CWC method, oil heavily before wash and lightly after, and wear up or in a braid every day. In the morning is when I detangle and use my BBB. Besides this, it's left alone

[mira-chan]

I, pre-wash oil, wash it and up it goes. I don't even comb every day. I do go through phases of doing a bit more, but mostly just do what is necessary and nothing else.

[longhairtobe]

decided im doing this. wash, comb, wear up. thats my new mantra...except i'll probably still coconut oil my ends
obsessing over my hair isnt making it grow any faster and maybe neglecting it will let me have more patience with it lol
excited!

[rapunzhell13]

Benign neglect all the way. I wash twice or so a week, using anything really... I'm not fussed and neither is hair. That's it! I don't "style" my hair at all. I'm using bandannas until I can do simple updos and then they'll take over. At first I really enjoyed experimenting with all the different wash methods, oils, herbs etc., but now I'm just "meh". Laziness prevails!

[LILBERT]

Im joining this thread. I didnt used to be this way about my hari but currently im about to have a baby and most playing/pampering has stopped, cant see it picking up anytime soon :rolleyes: My routine is just to CWC, oil, dry, brush. Repeat when necessary, lol! i am TRYING to do more updos to keep it nicer but not always managing it :shrug:

[wimsey]

I practice extreme benign neglect these days. I shampoo and condition once in 2 or 3 weeks. I detangle about every other day. I wear my hair up in a bun and sleep in same bun. If it's not too loose I keep the same bun for the second day. I didn't even trim this year because I didn't need to--my ends are still great.

[Rivanariko]

benign neglect definitely describes my routine! I wash it about once a week if I get around to it, and keep it braided most of the time. I'll take it out, detangle it and bun it for work, then back to a braid when I clock out and it stays that way until the next morning (or a few mornings later if I have the day off, lol!) I try to avoid things like sitting on it or getting it caught in things to minimize damage, but mostly I just ignore it.

[LouLaLa]

Im in! I just dont have the time to care about it these days, I heavy oil and english braid it a couple of times a week and I just dont really do anything to it these days (my hair is greatful the torture has ended).

Im doing to do two more super elaborate up do's as a couple of folks here have asked me how I did them so I want to be nice and share some knowledge, other than that im just going to let it do its thing as I take vitamins for my health and oil so thats enough really. I dont get splits -ever- so I dont even trim really.

I do think neglect is the way forward at least for me.
1) Its just easier :p
2) When I wear it down its starting to get really annoying that people want to fiddle with it (and its oinly BSL+ so lord help me at waist)
3) I use back packs and Im afraid ill tear it.

So its braids and no fuss at all, hopefully my hiar will thank me!

Brilliant thread btw!

[Theobroma]

I'm in! I wash (CO) about once a week, damp bun it, wear it up all day, every day, put coconut oil on the ends most nights, and that's it. Takes hardly any time, and my hair has never been in better shape!

[Astarte_1980]

I had done the being neglect tour for years untill I have archieved the tailbone length.
Now my hais is al little obsession, it is time to neglect it.

[Henrietta]

I think I belong here too!
As I moved and started studying at university I have 10 times less time than I had during summer. So:
-I still wash my hair every 3 days, CWC, but I don't oil it before every washing unfortunately.
-No brushing sessions 58392 times a day
-No checking the length 94376 times a day
-No measuring 4738 times in a month; I even take pics every 2 month instead of every month.
-No taking it down at night to stare at it for 2 hours. It's in an updo until I change it before going to bed to a sleeping ponytail.

So I just do basic washing routine, without any experiments, though I have some ideas, and I keep it always up.

It's easier, time-saving, and I am not obsessing finally. It grows anyway, I do not have to check it every second;)

[Niwa]

For me, benign neglect means keeping my hair in a single braid, with the ends of the braid, tucked; combing infrequently; and avoiding bandwagons and sticking to the regimen I am used to. By doing very little to my hair, I avoid damage and let time do its growing miracle. :)

[PiroskaCicu]

I hardly do much with my hair. Wash and condition every other day or so, comb, let loose. Or braid.

Done! =)

[Alix]

Ohh me me me! I just wash/condition and finger comb my hair every day or so. Then I leave it down or put it in a braided bun. Thats about it.

[Henrietta]

Ok. Yesterday I took my hari down in the middle of the late evening, brushed it (ok, it deserved it), massaged my scalp and I ended up with trimming the ends:D Now, as I am more calm, my ends look and feel better, I can start ignoring it again:D

[Saraesa]

I'm in. I've been so lazy about my hair recently which sucks because I have so many flat irons but is good because all the styles I know how to do involve heat. So now every 2-3days I dc on dry hair overnight, wash the conditioner out, have Mommy detangle and put my hair in two braids. Now if only I could stop doing length checks every five seconds.

[bunzfan]

I have been doing this for about two months, i just wash once a week and CO mid week and wear my hair up in a bun/braid every day and braid at night my growth has really speeded up. I think i am going to continue doing this through the winter as i live by the sea and the wind factor is very unforgiving and i don't want my hair to dry out and split!

[georgia_peach]

My hair is super, super short and I'm now ready to grow it out as naturally as possible to see if I like it that way. Part of my "neglect" is to cover with scarves, berets or Buffs (I have all three) and just TRY to forget about it for the next two years or so :D!

[Tonks]

I'd say I fit in the benign neglect category. I basically just wash about once a week, condition a couple times a week, and throw it into a bun or a braid and forget about it.

[JenniferNoel]

Signing in.
I oil my hair once per week, and just throw it in a bun most of the time, if not, a braid. I wash once a week (oh how we love tight fitting shower caps), just a simple CWCC.
And henna, well I have no choice there. My weird strawberry tawny (?) roots are oh too annoying to let slide.

[triumphator!]

Woah, my routine is super neglectful.

CO, tangleteezer, then it goes up or stays down for the day.

Nothing else... :o

[x0h_bother]

This has SAVED my hair. I used to use 3+ conditioners and 1-2 treatments with every wash. (I have a whole rack of products in my shower.) But I got frustrated with the ever changing hair needs and process of conditioning a million times only to find my hair a frizzball some days and wonderful others for no apparent reason. So now I wash and coconut oil, and once or twice a week I will use a conditioner if it starts feeling too much like 'horsey hair." I like my real hair, but I don't like clarifying because it brings out the brittleness. So coconut oiling helps and then some cones once in a while. Otherwise my hair is pretty naked, no leave ins. My hair is happier for it and I am too.

[Locksmith]

Sounds like what I've been doing for the last month or so. Wash, condition, comb, stick into a bun, ignore, oil occasionally... It doesn't seem to make much difference. :shrug: I should probably do another cassia treatment sometime soonish though.

[phistash]

Yeah, I don't do much with my hair. I'm growing out the layers from hell, and down my hair doesn't look as nice as I'd like. My mini-goal is to get to waist, and then I'll probably start trimming the longest layers back. Until then, I just CWC twice a week. When I wash it, I just put it up in a twisty bun, fasten with a Ficcare, and go. I don't even brush or comb my hair anymore, I don't need to. Day two I might wear it down, and it's usually enough to run a pick through to tidy it once or twice. Day three I put it up in scrunchies and wear a head scarf. So yeah, I think apart from washing it, I hardly do anything to it. That will probably change in another year, though. I think when it gets long enough, and I have the time, I will get a kick out trying out various updos.

[Juneii]

College work is piling on me and with all of the stress I have no time to worry about my hair. Generally I just wash and condition my hair (I forget to oil it sometimes >___<), braid it/bun it/put it away somewhere where it won't be damaged and go about my day. Right now I have my hair in a braid which I folded up and pinned. It looks nice and stays the whole day :)

[virgo75]

I've been trying sooooooo hard to get back to treating my hair with benign neglect.
The biggest hinderance has been finding products that allow me to do this and not let my hair feel dry, crunchy, or greasy.

I used to have a regular routine of benign neglect years ago when my hair was at its longest. Well, except for the chemical and heat torture I would put it through. The only other things I did to it was wash, condition, and deep condition here and there - usually with Pantene. That's it. I always wore it up and it was fine until the next wash.

I just now think (hope - fingers crossed) that I've found the right product combination to keep my hair moisturized without being greasy. If that's the case then I'm totally in on the benign neglect. :cheese:

[countryhopper]

I'm in!

I used to be able to visit LHC several times a day, but my schedule has changed and now i'm not able to visit more than a couple of times a week.

This is definately contributing to my benign neglect, since i used to check my hair in the mirror a couple of times a day to see if it had grown.

I'm now S&Ding when necessary and washing twice a week with baking soda and vinegar rinses. Updos daily. And that's about the extent of my routine.

[pariate]

When I first arrived at LHC I, like so many of the newbies, tried soooooooooooooooooo many different things with my hair! All manner of treatments, washing methods, tricks and tips. My initial enthusiasm soon died off and I decided I wanted to spend my time and money on other things.... like ketylos....

I've been on the benign neglect wagon for about a year. It's easier to ignore my hair now that it's in better condition than it was a few years ago! I use the oil shampoo method (which means I don't even have to use conditioner these days! :happydance: ), wash 2-3 times a week, air dry while I sleep and finger comb when necessary. If my hair needs it I use a tiny bit of coconut oil on dry ends etc. I self-trim 2-3 times a year I guess.

It has occurred to me that a benign neglect thread may not run too long - since we don't really "do" anything to our hair, we may soon run out of things to post about! :hmm: :p

[Unzadi]

Wash and condition every other day, finger comb, braid or bun, that's about it. I get crazy shine and love my waves.

[wvgemini]

I guess I kind of do this. I wash it, condition it (though I do have quite the extensive conditioner collection, lol), braid it for work. I'll oil it at night sometimes if I think about it. Other than that, I don't do much :)

[ScarlettAdelle]

Wash it once a week, let it dry down or in a braid, then when going out, into a bun it goes, and then pretend I don't have hair for the rest of the day... ie, wash and wear.. you, that's me!

Unles I'm going somewhere special, which is rare

[Zefyra]

Im kinda in the middle. I was it about 2-3 times a week. Condition it each time, rinse with cool water and wrap it in a towel. After a few minutes I comb it and leave it to dry. I gave up my flat iron and its too short for many updos so I basically leave it alone. Sometimes I braid or bun or pony. But mostly its just down and its left on its own and its cool. Ive tried a few treatments but Im gonna go back to a more neglectful state for a few months just to give it (and me!) a break from all the fussing...

[SummerSkye]

As soon as I manage to grow out my highlights I'm planning on doing as little as possible to my hair. The last time I grew my hair down to my waist it was after about two years of doing nothing to it, I then ruined it by starting all the highlighting again!

[Aarlene]

I'm a Benign Neglector. As with my organic gardening I don't DO much to my hair because I'm lazy.

[Natalia]

Oh yeah ive belonged to this club for a while now. When i was really sick it was just plain neglect (not the benign kind :( ), then as i got a little stronger i liked being able to pamper it back to some semblance of health, and then when i started declining again i jumped into benign neglect. Aside from that we have always struggled with money but for a little over a year now were just flat out broke so i dont really have the choice to pamper even if i wanted lol.

My daily routine is get up, comb is my hands arent too stiff, grap my trusty U pin and whip it up into either a nautilus (when i need it to be sturdy and no fuss) or a cinnabun (for a typical around the house day). Generally the most i take it down to fix it up is twice a day but when i wear the nautilus its usally ok all day. At the end of the day i get in the shower do a WO wash (scalp massage about every other day), wrap it back up with the U pin to do my face routine and then go to bed. If its been dry i will run a little regular Aubreys HSR through the wet length, or if its just tangly a little coconut oil in the morning once its dry.

Thast honestly about all i do these days. I S&C as needed depending on the kind of month ive had and if im really feeling like i need to pamper a nice long CO or SMT (havent done of of those in nearly a year though).

[lynnala]

I'm in. Wash once a week with a CV shampoo bar, pre-oil the ends. Aloe vera juice as a leave-in. Comb while wet. That's it.

[x0h_bother]

I'm in. Wash once a week with a CV shampoo bar, pre-oil the ends. Aloe vera juice as a leave-in. Comb while wet. That's it.

I love our ideas of benign neglect involving 5 steps :p But I'm right there with you!

[oktobergoud]

I guess I'm too obsessed/impatient to just neglect it D: Doesn't really help that I'm growing it out from a pixie as well and it now looks like a mop with a mullet lol! But further than that, yeah, I'll just put a small clip in it and just.. leave it. On the other hand, that's all I can do with my hair! Lol :P

[Monkie]

I am hoping that once it gets longer, I will be able to exercise beneign neglect over it a bit more. First I need to be able to get it past my shoulders. I don't really do too much to it right now in the first place, just wash it every few days. Most of my obsession is self-generated from my inability to get it in to a nice ponytail.

[elbow chic]

Benign neglect is about all I know how to do.

I did start oiling my hair this week and I liked that a lot. And I've bought a cheap clarifying shampoo/ cone-free conditioner after years of using pantene products.

Kind of a mixed bag results-wise. Not sure the coneless thing is really for me.

I tried looking for splits to do a S & D the other day... but I couldn't find any. Don't know whether to chalk that up to great hair condition or plain ol ignorance. :cool:

So yeah: updos mostly every day, occasionally fooling around with new styles and just letting it go.

[pariate]

As with my organic gardening I don't DO much to my hair because I'm lazy.

LOL! I'm with you on both counts. I've been mulling over the idea of growing vegetables in my garden this year, but I'm sure my laziness will prevail and I shall have to continue buying my veg...

[younghippie]

I'll jump on this band wagon!
I just wash everyday with a natural shampoo and condition. Then it goes up or back. I usually brush/comb it when I wake up and go to bed.

I actually find that the more stuff I do to my hair, the more it rebels.

The best thing about benign neglect is that you ignore your hair so much that you don't realize how long it has gotten until you get it caught in random new places!

[SarahBeth]

Yes, I'll join this club. I wash with soapnuts liquid everyday. Air dry. Usually put it up when dry. I've joined the NO Trims in 2011 Challenge, so this is the best way for me to deal with "in- between" hair.

[darklion]

I never knew there were so many things that I was "supposed" to do with my hair. I joined mostly to learn new ways to wear my hair up. Then lo and behold, I am supposed to oil my hair, have special pillows, wear sleep bonnets, not use cones, and more!
I've been trying the new things out and some of them work and some of them don't! Honestly, my dog's hair seems to have benefited the most... His hair looks GREAT! (I have one of those dogs with single coat "hair" rather than fur). It even seems to be growing out better!!
My hair seems a lot of the same. Maybe the tips are less dry because of the oiling, but it has been a whole year since my last 10 inch trim. So much for all the effort I tried out. Mostly I like the easy way of doing things, which doesn't require doing a lot.

[x0h_bother]

I never knew there were so many things that I was "supposed" to do with my hair. I joined mostly to learn new ways to wear my hair up. Then lo and behold, I am supposed to oil my hair, have special pillows, wear sleep bonnets, not use cones, and more!
I've been trying the new things out and some of them work and some of them don't! Honestly, my dog's hair seems to have benefited the most... His hair looks GREAT! (I have one of those dogs with single coat "hair" rather than fur). It even seems to be growing out better!!
My hair seems a lot of the same. Maybe the tips are less dry because of the oiling, but it has been a whole year since my last 10 inch trim. So much for all the effort I tried out. Mostly I like the easy way of doing things, which doesn't require doing a lot.
I wouldn't say one is 'supposed' to do anything for their hair according to LHC-hence this thred of doing 'nothing'! However, I would say that sometimes length, shine, and health creep up on us when we're not paying attention to our hair. Good luck with finding what works for you! :blossom:

[Natalia]

Well ive reached a whole new level of neglect recently. Now its basically WO weather i have hard water or soft (used to to acid rinses in hard water) blot before bed, comb int he morning if i feel like it and combed or not it goes into a bun i generally dont mess with all day. Today was one of those i shouldhave acid rinced and combed yet neither happened and now i have a wirey tangled mess to deal with.

[GrowingGlory]

I'm looking for a certified organic shampoo that is gentle and emollient enough to eliminate the need for conditioner. That would make my routine consist of brushing, washing, and air drying. Any suggestions?

[Monkie]

^
You could try adding a squirt of olive/jojoba/coconut oil to your shampoo? I do that sometimes, it always makes my hair more moisturized.

[GrowingGlory]

I added about o. jojoba oil to the o. shampoo at a ratio of 1:4 but still found it drying. And that was after washing well oiled hair. So I'm looking for a milder formula. Thanks, though.

[x0h_bother]

I'm looking for a certified organic shampoo that is gentle and emollient enough to eliminate the need for conditioner. That would make my routine consist of brushing, washing, and air drying. Any suggestions?
I would try the reviews section or the Shampoo Only thread, maybe someone has tried one they like. GL!

[QMacrocarpa]

I'm a natural "benign-neglecter"-- Wash and condition once or twice a week, oil the ends a bit when it occurs to me, comb or tangle teez fairly gently, and wear it up or in a braid (and braid for sleeping). I do enjoy learning new updos-- I guess that's the outlet for my spirit of hair-adventure!

[freckles]

the past few weeks I've been so busy/worried with Uni work that I have reached new levels of neglect.

My 'routine' goes something like this: realise I should wash my hair. Put some conditioner on dry hair and put up, intending to CWC later that day. Forget to wash it, so conditioner stays in hair for 24 - 48 hours. Finally get round to S&C. Put up. Forget for a few more days.

:lol:

[GrowingGlory]

I tried doing more for my hair but it really seems to prefer less.
Do you have a link to the Shampoo Only thread?

[Anywhere]

Oy. I'm joining in. My haircare routine right now is basically CO wash twice a week, comb, put up in a bun.

Occasionally I oil.

[Arianwen]

I had a C section and now I have a nearly 1 month old son...I'm not even sure it's BENIGN neglect or simply neglect lol. I wash every few days and I reverted to poo and condition due to lack of time/energy. I sometimes leave it braided all day or put it in a messy "sport bun" or my son yanks on my hair when he's nursing. :o

[Fethenwen]

I reeaaally wish I could do this. But I think having long all length hair and no bangs might make it much easier. But that would not suit me, so I'm sort of stuck with washing my bangs almost daily and such.
My hair so far seems to like changes in routine, sometimes WO is the thing, sometimes I need to deep cleanse, and sometimes SMT is the only thing that will save it :p

So I might not join this thread any time soon.

But at least I have calmed down from my newbie excitement that I had in the beginning when I joined LHC, at that time I tried so many things that my hair became a mess.

[pariate]

But at least I have calmed down from my newbie excitement that I had in the beginning when I joined LHC, at that time I tried so many things that my hair became a mess.

That sounds familiar! I don't think that it didn't have any ill-effects but I was like a kitten chasing feathers on the wind, snapping at so many new routines/gimmicks/toys that I didn't have time for anything except my hair. :o

[Of the Fae]

I've been colouring too much lately. The best routine for my hair is wash it once a week (it gets dry easily) and I've noticed that a honey/olive oil mask leaves my hair looking gorgeous. Maybe cassia once in a while, never tried it before.

[CurlySoleil]

I'm looking for a certified organic shampoo that is gentle and emollient enough to eliminate the need for conditioner. That would make my routine consist of brushing, washing, and air drying. Any suggestions?

Hi! I was lurking (which is what I usually do! lol) and I noticed your post.
Okay, what I am going to suggest isn't really a shampoo because it doesn't have all the same ingredients as a shampoo and it doesn't later... but it does get my hair really clean and it is certified organic. It's a mud hair wash by Terressentials. I think that is how you spell it. I used it for a while and then stopped because I got caught up in trying new things. Now, I'm back to using it and I'm so glad I did. I will warn you that it is *not* cheap. At least by my standards!

I have very kinky/curly hair (4a) and it helps me with tangles. I still use conditioner or oil because my hair is naturally dry and I need a little extra help in that department... but I think that someone with a straighter or more oily type of hair might not need extra moisture at all. (I forgot to look and see what your hair type is... ooops!)

Anyway, this is waaay longer than I meant it to be. Haha. You can just google terressentials and you'll find the site! I really really like the hair wash. And I also bought a bottle of the body wash. I use it in my hair when I want a deeper clean. It does lather nicely because it has castille soap.

Hope that helps!

ETA: I went back to peek at your hair type and I think this would work well for you. You should definitely check out the site and read the info they give on how to use the cleanser. I did before I bought it.

[GrowingGlory]

Congratulations, Arianwen!

Thank you so much, CurlySoleil! Terressentials sounds vaguely familiar and I am going to visit their website. Sometimes my hair is wavier and spirals at the ends, but the overall effect is about 1c. So maybe their hair wash would bring out my waves!

[Lianna]

It does lather nicely because it has castille soap.

I'm not really in this thread (just lurking the last pages), but be careful with castille soap, it has a very high ph.

[GrowingGlory]

Thanks. My hair needs to be treated gently and starts snapping after a mild acid rinse, so high pH cleansers are out of the question, too, since an acid rinse would be required afterward.

[patienceneeded]

I'm going to join the benign neglect faction of LHC. After 3+ months here I have found that what works best for my hair is to mostly leave it alone. So, here I am. I shampoo/condition everyother day, sometimes I can get a third day without washing. I use cones, after failed experiements in going without. I comb while wet, use a comb or tangle-teezer when dry. I'm quitting the castor oil (no results, good or bad). I take vitamins for general health, nothing extreme. I'm not going to "ignore" my hair, I'm going to continue to treat it right and be gentle, but I'm calming down and just going to let my hair grow as it grows. I'll probably take a length picture once a month, for comparative purposes, but I'm putting away the measuring tape for now. It just makes me anxious for what I don't have yet. ;)

[rena]

I think benign neglect is the way for me to go. Every time I give my hair too much attention it freaks out. Guess it just like to be clean, conditioned, and left alone...Kind of like myself actually. :)

[Rebecca.1905]

Another benign neglect-er here! I didn't realize that's what I do, but it is. I've tried a few new things in the (short) time I've been here, but I've found that the only changes I really needed to make were CWC rather than WC, and stop blow drying. My hair is so much happier with the extra conditioner and no heat. I have tried a few new shampoos and conditioners but the only one I liked was Aussie 3MM, so I use that sometimes. Garnier Fructise actually makes my head itch! So I've decided to just stick with my Tresame because my hair does great with it and no itching.

So all I do is CWC every other day, comb, fix my bangs, scrunch to bring out the now-yummy waves/curls, and go about my life. Soooo easy and so shiny and healthy!

[Intotouch]

Hi. I'm new on here and would love to ask you a few things. Mainly i notice that in your photographs you all seem to have straight hair. When my hair was super long (thigh length) it looked straight except for the ends. To get it that long i kept it constantly plaited and very occasionally trimmed it. I find that leaving my (now) fine curly hair loose too much has broken and it has to be trimmed. I have had health issues which contribute to this but still i'm curious. Do any of you benign neglect women have hair like mine?Madly curly when short straight when long. I don't want to start to copy someones routine if their hair is very different.

[x0h_bother]

Hi. I'm new on here and would love to ask you a few things. Mainly i notice that in your photographs you all seem to have straight hair. When my hair was super long (thigh length) it looked straight except for the ends. To get it that long i kept it constantly plaited and very occasionally trimmed it. I find that leaving my (now) fine curly hair loose too much has broken and it has to be trimmed. I have had health issues which contribute to this but still i'm curious. Do any of you benign neglect women have hair like mine?Madly curly when short straight when long. I don't want to start to copy someones routine if their hair is very different.
My hair has lost its curl as it has gotten longer, probably due to the weight. Though my hair is only between BSL and Waist. Leaving my hair loose does require more maintenance for me as well, but I enjoy it that way. In my opinion you can be practicing neglect both by putting hair up or by leaving it down. I leave my hair down when I am not neglecting, and when I am neglecting I put it up- but that's just me. :)
Is that answering your question at all?

[krissykins]

Hello all :waving: I'm slowly moving back into benign neglect. I did it for a long time and it seems like all the changes I started to make when I got back to LHC is starting to take a toll on my hair (I can't wait for my Body Shop combs to arrive so I don't have to use my Tangle Teezer anymore :p).

I normally CO and will be adding an ACV rinse to that so I can get rid of product residue. Then I brush, oil, and put it up. That's it!

I was trying to learn lots of new hairstyles, but since I trimmed a bit off the ends and am no longer at official waist, I need to wait a couple more months. Sigh.

[Natalia]

I had a C section and now I have a nearly 1 month old son...I'm not even sure it's BENIGN neglect or simply neglect lol. I wash every few days and I reverted to poo and condition due to lack of time/energy. I sometimes leave it braided all day or put it in a messy "sport bun" or my son yanks on my hair when he's nursing. :o

First off congratulations on your beautiful new baby :)! I hope your healng well. Ive im just getitng back where you are about now. I was certainly in neglect but i dont think it was benign :o. Took a little time yesterday and today to hunt down my toys and combs and clean them well. SO worth it especially since my hair hates finger combing and my fav comb has been missing since the end of January and my less than awesome fine took took a dive into the dust bunnies two weeks ago. It may be hard but the infant stage is so wonderful and short, theyre worth it :).


I reeaaally wish I could do this. But I think having long all length hair and no bangs might make it much easier. But that would not suit me, so I'm sort of stuck with washing my bangs almost daily and such.
My hair so far seems to like changes in routine, sometimes WO is the thing, sometimes I need to deep cleanse, and sometimes SMT is the only thing that will save it :p

So I might not join this thread any time soon.

But at least I have calmed down from my newbie excitement that I had in the beginning when I joined LHC, at that time I tried so many things that my hair became a mess.

My hair isnt all one length and im currently growing out bangs (debating cutting them back though) and i do great WO. The main reason im debating bangs again is that i love my WO routine. Its very easy for me to maintain without getting fustrated all the time.

Im a less strict WO, i do what my hair needs at the time but 85% of the time thats WO so thats what i consider myself. I S&C on average twice a month though i aim for once. I put in oil or leave ins when needed and very occasionally a mask if i feel the need to pamper. Anyway just sayng that WO may work for you but if not and changing routine smakes ithappy then go for it :).

[Monkie]

My hair is actually in pretty good condition, I haven't oiled it or deep conditioned it or anything for the last month and a half. There's not a lot to do with it. Wash, Condition (only sometimes) Comb,
that's about it, it's too short to put it up, otherwise I'd be able to shampoo much less.

[milagro]

Can someone please enlighten me what constitutes Benign Neglect? :?:
The majority seem to wash, condition, comb, oil, updo, DT... seems like a normal routine to me. Is there anything special? or am I benign neglector, too, without knowing it? :)
Thanks!

[pariate]

Can someone please enlighten me what constitutes Benign Neglect? :?:
The majority seem to wash, condition, comb, oil, updo, DT... seems like a normal routine to me. Is there anything special? or am I benign neglector, too, without knowing it? :)
Thanks!

Uh oh... We're busted ladies. :o :p From time to time we observe that we're not entirely neglecting the hair, but I guess the key word is "benign" - do as little as possible with it, whilst still doing the minimum required to keep it in good condition. I wash with oil shampoo and let it dry on two giant rag curls. Once the hair is dry I don't brush or comb it because my hair is curly, so my routine is pretty minimal. There are all sorts of other treatments - cassia, henna, dyes, heat styling. regular cutting/trimming - that would complicate routines even further, so we're all still in the "neglect" zone methinks.

You too are probably a Benign Neglecter. Now that you're in the club, you can't tell ANYONE how much we all really do with our hair... :cool: It's a secret...

:D

[hanne jensen]

Having very fragile hair, anything I do to it , no matter how beneficial will damage it. Can I be a Benign Neglecter if I do daily scalp massages? I don't want to comb or brush my hair too much.

[BunnyBee]

If this is your idea of neglect, then I guess I'm in :p

I wash once or twice a week, depending if I'm going somewhere or if my scalp is shouting at me. CWC, sometimes oil, sometimes not. Air dry, comb, bun. S&D when bored :)

I fully believe henna did more damage than good to my hair, ditto for shikakai/amla washes or anything involving bits/granules (I'm looking at you, sugar scrub).
Soapnuts were hit and miss and too much work. Catnip was pointless as I'd never be brave enough to go without conditioner. Scalp oiling makes me shed kittens. SMTs are for when I need to wash but don't want to shampoo. Foodie treatments run down my face and annoy me. BBBs break my hair.

[x0h_bother]

Neglecting today in a bun. S&C->Bun->Bunned again. And I even got a compliment on it! I said "Oh this is me being lazy, but thanks :blossom:" I was shocked, goes to show how when we think we look bad we just might look good.

[x0h_bother]

Having very fragile hair, anything I do to it , no matter how beneficial will damage it. Can I be a Benign Neglecter if I do daily scalp massages? I don't want to comb or brush my hair too much.
Of course, whatever you see as "not doing anything" is fine in my opinion. :)

[honeybunny_1996]

I wash my hair twice a week, brush it occasionally, and use coconut oil on the ends. It's working fine so far.

[PorkChop]

I dont do anything spesh with mine either. Just leave it. Either wear it down, ponytail, or a loose bun. Just wash and condition it every other day.

[Cheeks1206]

My particular brand of begnin neglect stems from laziness. My usual routine is to condition and braid. That's it. I just don't want to deal with drying it in the mornings.

[hanne jensen]

:cheese: Woot, woot, I'm a Benign Neglecter! In reality, I'm lazy. So lazy in fact that it's 8:30 pm and I still haven't taken my sleep bun down from last night.

I've tried everything to make my hair grow faster and it just damaged my hair. So, I think benign neglect will be just the thing for me.

[Chamy]

I think i would fit in this thread. All i do is WO, some leave-in, some aloe vera and oil if i need. But mostly i just have it up in a bun or in braids. Cut my own hair sometimes if i feel like my hemline has gotten too shaggy.

[Kwongdzu]

My hair is super, super short and I'm now ready to grow it out as naturally as possible to see if I like it that way. Part of my "neglect" is to cover with scarves, berets or Buffs (I have all three) and just TRY to forget about it for the next two years or so :D!

Occasionally I would braid extensions in my hair (I know, damaging for my fine hair, and I've since stopped), and after 2 weeks of only scalp washing, my hair would look awesome after debraiding -- so after that, and reading thru LHC posts, I realized it's best for me to not wash every day. I try to do it every 3 days. I'm also neglecting by wearing scarves, and especially headbands since I'm growing out my bangs too. Ugh, I hate this process, but so glad to read about others doing the same...

[Monkie]

:cheese: Woot, woot, I'm a Benign Neglecter! In reality, I'm lazy. So lazy in fact that it's 8:30 pm and I still haven't taken my sleep bun down from last night.



I think if my hair could stay in a bun overnight, that I would have a lot more 48 hour buns happening. :)

[cm006j]

I haven't noticed any difference when I'm following all the "rules" and when I'm just leaving it be. It grows about the same and I don't have much damage. I don't go to hair salons (more than three years ago is the last time anyone's had scissors on my hair), I dye with henna because I hate my white hairs, I wash once a week or less. I put in the minimum amount of effort!

This might need to change as I get to real lengths. At the moment I'm just past waist, but I do still want to get to knee.

[Braidy]

Ok, this is definitely where I belong! :D I don't want to go through a daily half an hour routine or anything. All I do is wash 2 to 3 times a week (don't even use conditioner, just my baby shampoo) and occasionally put on some coconut oil. Bunning, braiding or making a ponytail never take more than 5 minutes. I prefer using that extra half an hour for extra sleep or for a decent breakfast. So I guess I'm a benign neglecter for several reasons: lazy, no patience for complicated hair do's, different priorities you name it :-) Still my hair doesn't seem to mind so why would I change :D

[growingpains]

I wish I could find an updo I liked enough to be able to just wash, brush and put up. Unfortunately I feel I look way better with a styled down do, and my dbf agrees with this ;/

[FireBunny]

My people! I know I'm a n00b, but I've been lurking here forever and a day. In that time, I've tried all sorts of different herbs, rinses and conditioners with varying results. What actually works best for me is washing twice a week (CV Nettle bar/ACV rinse) and bunning most of the time. Every once in a while I slap some argan or coconut oil on the ends before I bun. Sometimes I S&D.

I can go from slapping my alarm clock into submission to showered, bunned/dressed & out the door in under 15 minutes if I really have to, and that makes me a very happy lady.

[Raiscake]

I used to slather a lot of products in my hair, but I'm embracing the less-is-more approach now. Gentler on my hair and my wallet. :D

Nowadays, I CWC wash every other day, let it air dry, then put it up in a cinnabun. I also clip my bangs back because it's so hot right now. My hair loves it. :D I wish I could oil too but I currently live in a small town in the Philippines and they don't sell any oils besides the regular cooking oil. :(

[luxepiggy]

How did I not see this thread until now? I've got nearly 2 decades of benign neglect under my belt! To be honest, the main reason I've always had long hair is because I'm lazy. If I had short hair I'd have to style it, and get it professionally cut, and probably even own a hairbrush. Too much work (^(oo)^)v

[thebirdofhermes]

Man, some of y'all make me feel like I've gone past benign neglect and into the full on neglect territory. I wash my hair when I feel like it's dirty and it's bothering me, and usually have it in either a ponytail, fake chignon (aka ponytail not entirely pulled through the elastic) or a simple twisted bun.

And by when I feel like it's annoyingly dirty, I mean it's at least a week between washings, usually two, and once I got up to a month before I couldn't stand it anymore.

[Monkie]

My blowdryer broke this week and I am not replacing it. :)

[Roscata]

This is probably my favorite part of growing out hair. Once I'm past the awkward lengths and figuring out which way I should wash/care of my hair/scalp benign neglect can start! I think I am finally there. :D

My routine: pre-wash oiling, wash every 4 days (sulfate free shampoo, ACV rinse), air dry, mostly finger combing (if I feel it's necessary sometimes I skip DAYS) and keeping my hair in one or two French braids or a cinnabun. That is all.

[C.H.]

How did I not see this thread until now? I've got nearly 2 decades of benign neglect under my belt! To be honest, the main reason I've always had long hair is because I'm lazy. If I had short hair I'd have to style it, and get it professionally cut, and probably even own a hairbrush. Too much work (^(oo)^)v

I agree! If your hair's not long enough for a nice-looking bun or braid, then you're going to have to "style" it somehow, and that's just not something I care to do every morning. Even 10-15 minutes is more than I want to spend.

For me long hair is lower maintenance. For years, I would wash, condition, detangle, and braid once a week. Often I didn't even take the braid down until the next wash. Doesn't get much lower-maintenance than that.

And it grew very nicely without any special effort. The fact that it was always in a protective hairstyle and subjected to very little brushing certainly certainly helped keep it healthy, I imagine. I was also doing myself a big favor by not washing it very often, I've now realized.

[gthlvrmx]

Just braid it out if my hair looks fuzzy on top and put in a bun with a stick or leave the night time braid in and make a chinese or braided nautilus bun. Simple and i like it :) I only really see it when i take pics when measuring time comes along every new season :p
So far so good!

I've got others starting to ask me how long it is and how it looks, it's been a while!!

[jesis]

I started this recently. I shower, put oil and gel in my hair and scrunch and then go! It's so easy and if it looks bad I just throw it in a simple updo.:D

Yay benign neglect!!

[gthlvrmx]

I started this recently. I shower, put oil and gel in my hair and scrunch and then go! It's so easy and if it looks bad I just throw it in a simple updo.:D

Yay benign neglect!!
The surprise is worth it later too :D

[jesis]

The surprise is worth it later too :D

I agree! My hair has grown twice as fast and it almost always looks good! Hehe.

[gthlvrmx]

I agree! My hair has grown twice as fast and it almost always looks good! Hehe.
Maybe since we're not analyzing every millimeter it grows each hour, it just looks even longer :p

[Seeshami]

I did that from chin to shoulders. I ignored it mostly and pinned it up in a pony tail or tucked it into a hat.

[MagicAndMayhem]

Since it's hot now, I've been just throwing my hair up in a bun lately...with a ponytail holder, whoops.

[Vani1902]

I am too lazy to do anything other than benign neglect. The reasons why I don't straighten or dye is simply because I just don't want deal with hassle. I hate putting a dye every 8 weeks or spending hours with an iron. I am just a lazy gal and my hair is ok with that. :)

[eternallyverdan]

Count me in! I wash once a week or less with full strength Suave shampoo, condition about as often (sometimes I don't bother, if I'm feeling lazy) with whatever's lying around, and brush every other day or so with my Tangle Teezer. I only use hair toys on special occasions, because my everyday go-to bun doesn't require any accessories. It works just fine for me-- I haven't made any major changes to my routine in about 3 years.

Oh, and periodically I both trim and henna my hair. I henna every 6-8 months with henna from the Indian grocer, and pay the local barber $5 to give me an even hemline 1-2 times a year.

[Nymph]

I generally fall into this category as well. I dye with chemicals, use conditioner, S&D once in a while and that's it. I tried oil shampoo, which my hair loved, but the fuss of preparing the mixture and rinsing with filtered water annoyed me too soon.
I do have hair that grows really fast though, so if I loose some inches in a cut it's right back.

[prettykitty]

I've just mostly been braiding my hair and leaving it there...it's moved to some weird post-bsl ick stage, so I'm just going to ignore it for a few months until I like it more.

[Madora]

I've been following benign neglect for years.

Just let it grow, brush 100 strokes every day, wear it up in a lace braid every day.

Shampoo and condition once a month and EVOO once a month..and trim every 3 months or so..and that's it. I also try to eat healthy and take vitamin supplements.

[mallorykay13]

I just wash comb oil and cinnabun it. and braid it for night.

[mallorykay13]

I am too lazy to do anything other than benign neglect. The reasons why I don't straighten or dye is simply because I just don't want deal with hassle. I hate putting a dye every 8 weeks or spending hours with an iron. I am just a lazy gal and my hair is ok with that. :)

I feel you! Im with ya.

[Kelikea]

About 10 yrs ago, I didn't trim my hair for 3 yrs and the result was one-length hip or tailbone length hair. I usually kept it up because I worked in a gym and swimming pool. My routine was wash, condition, brush, up or braid. Now, after finding an allergy to most shampoo and conditioners, I am trying BS and ACV rinse with occasional shampoo and conditioner, aloe/jojoba water spritz, microfiber towel, comb routine, then braid or bun it. I don't blow dry or use any other heat, henna/cassia/honey treatments. I want to go at least one year with no trims besides S&D.

[AceOfCurls]

When I was in high school I cut my hair to BSL and was basically fed up with doing stuff with it, so I started to braid. Every day my routine was no product, no washing, no trimming, and by the end of my high school career I could sit on my hair. I'm doing this again. :) I'm just braiding for right now and trying to find the motivation to do cool up-dos since there isn't anything else I'm doing right now.

[QueenJoey]

My hair seemed to grow its fastest when I just left i alone. S&C every to every other morning, brushed it, and that was it. My hair went from chin to BSL in less than 2 years.

[Aurielle]

I am too lazy to do anything other than benign neglect. The reasons why I don't straighten or dye is simply because I just don't want deal with hassle. I hate putting a dye every 8 weeks or spending hours with an iron. I am just a lazy gal and my hair is ok with that. :)

It started that way for me! I've always been too lazy to wash my hair every day or every other day and I stopped dyeing my hair before I discovered LHC because I didn't want to end up in this endless cycle of scheduling dye appointments, going to a salon, and waiting to get it done again. I was glad to discover that being lazy was actually helping.

[freckles]

my level of (benign) neglect depends on how busy I am! I think I posted earlier that I was SO busy at that point in uni that my hair just got benign neglect ... now I'm graduated, unemployed, and I think I am doing benign smothering or something :p

[Ligeia_13]

How little exactly qualifies as benign neglect? For instance, does only washing and oiling once a week count? Or do you have to do absolutely NOTHING to it?

[oktobergoud]

I think I went on the benign neglect tour a few months ago already. I'm just sooo sick of experimenting and obsessing over every little inch that grew. Now I just let it be, and it makes me much happier! I just use all the products I have left and barely buy new ones, I do take vitamins and I drink a lot of Rooibos tea, but only because I just really like it :)
I just wash it whenever I feel like, or co-wash, or something. I'll just do whatever I feel like doing at that moment! And I just realized that it's been a while since my last big chop and I didn't even notice! All of a sudden I just thought 'woah my hair long!' (well, for me eh ;))

It just really helps to not obsess about it, made it a lot harder for me! It seemed like it took forever. I just wash it (conditioning, oiling sometimes) now and that's it! :) Except for a few vitamin supplements, that's it.

I'm even too lazy to properly dye my hair! I used to do it every 4 weeks (with henna) and now I just do it when it really bothers me and I can't stand the roots anymore :P

[All Natural Mom]

This is how I have grown my hair for 7 years now, only since I found this site have I even attempted to do anything "special" to it. I did just wash every other day, brush maybe once a week :oops:(yeah bad I know, but I hate tangles and I have lots), wear up in a bun everyday, braid every night, and only trimmed once in 7 years and that was about 4 years ago. I am super lazy when it comes to hair, but it works for me. I never could have gotten this length with an extreme hair routine:D.

After finding LHC, I got a tangle teezer and now brush before I wash my hair and maybe before I braid depends on how lazy I'm feeling. I do oil on occasion, but not as much as I should. I really still don't do anything else, maybe a new hairstyle on occasion.

[QMacrocarpa]

How little exactly qualifies as benign neglect? For instance, does only washing and oiling once a week count? Or do you have to do absolutely NOTHING to it?
Sure, weekly washing/oiling counts. :) I think each of us has our own "benign neglect" definition. My own B.N. routine is weekly wash/condition, oil now and then, and wear it up. Self-trim when ends get too tangly from splits.

[Khiwanean]

my level of (benign) neglect depends on how busy I am! I think I posted earlier that I was SO busy at that point in uni that my hair just got benign neglect ... now I'm graduated, unemployed, and I think I am doing benign smothering or something :p:lol: I like that. Benign Smothering.

I suppose my routine could be considered benign neglect. I CO when my scalp demands it, oil it occasionally and that's about it. Whoever says long hair can't be wash and go doesn't know what they're talking about.

[archel]

Marajade, I work from home too! I find this is great for leaving it the heck alone - I might wash it in the morning and let it air dry, or I may just bun it up oily. Either way, who cares? Yet another benefit of being a medical transcriptionist...although, I do miss dressing up for work a little...I don't miss paying for work clothes, though.

[archel]

Compared to my colored bob that I blow dried and straightened, yeah I do BN now. Wash/condition, air dry, maybe a couple drops of oil, maybe an SMT once a week. I think the Lush henna is the most work I ever put into it, but at least it's super conditioning.

[slo2gro]

I wash n condition every 2-3 days n comb. I put coconut oil on for a leave it n thats it. (its up 99% of the time in a peacock twist) works for me lol

[longcurlygirl<3]

It is really hard for me to B.N. because I always want my curls to look good :(but I try to put it up everyday, except when I have it out I love playing with it :p. Any ideas on how to become more B.N-ty? I wash at least twice a week, the most 3 times.

[slo2gro]

I am too lazy to do anything other than benign neglect. The reasons why I don't straighten or dye is simply because I just don't want deal with hassle. I hate putting a dye every 8 weeks or spending hours with an iron. I am just a lazy gal and my hair is ok with that. :)

hahaha this is soooo me, i cant keep up with colouring or trimming or anything so letting it grow works easily for me cuz im just lazy sadly lol

[vintage88]

My hair is in much better condition since I started neglecting it. I used to blow dry and straighten all the time, as well as wash 4 times a week. Now I CWC twice a week, never blow dry or straighten, wear updo's everyday and havent trimmed since april. I'm starting to like my hair much more :)

[kidari]

I used to fuss with my hair so much and always got it highlighted and heat styled all the time. I practiced benign neglect by accident from my sudden laziness. I realized that healthy hair didn't need to be heat styled to look good and putting it in an updo looks just as polished as a session of heat styling but saved so much time. When it was growing out of a bob I washed the scalp then put it up after air drying. When it reached shoulder I washed the scalp, conditioned the ends, air dried, then clipped in extentions or put it up. Now I added deep conditioning treatments and oilings to my routine. But once it hit BSL I got all excited and started wearing it down a lot and in a moment of weakness got some highlights put in and now I'm nursing it after dying over it in black again. So back to benign neglect it is.

[EbonyCurls]

I think I do too much to it for it to qualify as "benign neglect" but I'm so accustomed to it that it kind of feels like benign neglect. Other than washing and conditioning, I use hair gel, get a trim 1x/year, and do search and destroy once a week.

I don't blow dry, do a bunch of different styles or wash/brush it unless I'm washing my hair or putting it up.

[Zesty]

I pretty much default to benign neglect. Every once in a while I start to feel like I need to actually do something to my hair, but for the most part I'm too lazy. My hair got to where it is (maybe an inch shy of waist) with a daily S&C, minimal brushing, and no styling whatsoever, not even updos -- and with no trims, since I'm too lazy and cheap to go to a salon for trims. Now that I'm done with the mandatory LHC experimenting phase, I'm pretty content with COing or using sulfate-free shampoo every few days, shampooing with sulfates when I feel like I need it, and putting it up every day. Sometimes I oil the length and ends, but sometimes I forget. I've realized that my hair feels nicer when it's not freshly washed, and this feeds my BN habit. ;)

[Fethenwen]

The resent thread "why is benign neglect good", got me thinking. I think I need to do this :p

My hair gets so easily overwhelmed by too much of everything, yes it is also smooth and shiny and grows quite fast, but most of the time when I overdo things it is just over oiled and gets build-up really quick. And in the end I can't even run a comb through it and need to clarify.
I don't really care if it grows a little faster, as I don't fuss so much about my length anymore.

Oiling my scalp before every wash for increased hairgrowth doesn't work for me, I'm just gonna leave it to the Indian ladies who have a totally different hair texture than me :)

Oiling 1-2 times a month should be enough. Also indian herbs also gives me problems when I used them too often. So I guess I could use herbs only when oiling.

This leaves me with shampoo and conditioner, too much CO'ing also builds up pretty quickly in my hair. I'm planning to dilute some mild shampoo and use it only on my scalp and conditioner the rest. I'm trying to get used to standing up instead of washing my hair upside down, it would save me a lot of time, detangling should be easier. Which actually would lessen mechanical damage quite a lot.

SMT when necessary, not just because I feel like pampering!

Total benign neglect would not work for me either as my hair needs change, sometimes herbs work better, sometimes shampoo, sometimes WO, sometimes CO and SMT's in the middle. But what I will do from now on is less of everything mostly just shampoo and conditioner. Yes!

[celebriangel]

Yes! I CO, acidic rinse, oil and airdry every 4-6 days, braid at night, easy bun during the day. I used to henna, but I'm going to replace that with a monthly cassia + SMT treatment.

No need for more messing and faff than that. My hair has never been happier than it is now.

[patchoulilove]

Count me in! I wash once every 3 days with a shampoo bar and oil daily with 2-3 drops of tsubaki camellia oil, warmed between my palms, to my length and ends. I've been brushing with a tangle teaser, and occasionally with a bamboo or BBB, but I feel like I'm going to try to tone down how much time I spend handling my hair. Instead, I think I'll stick to my routine and try for more protective updos - buns and braids that are fastened up. I did a trim at home yesterday and a s&d this morning. I've decided no scissors until January (if I can make it that long without S&D....):cool:

My goal is to wash, oil, and forget it. I had fantastically long hair in my youth and teen years when I never babied it. I used SLS and cones back then too because I never read ingredients at the time and just used what was around... :rolleyes:

So, I think a healthy benign neglect technique will work quite well for me. I'm giving myself a deadline to early January to try it out and then re-evaluate what I need to change. :)

[patchoulilove]

Oh yeah and ACV to rinse on wash days, too. :D

[blondie9912]

I could use some benign neglect! I'm fussing with my hair way too much after my disastrous cut/colour :(

[x0h_bother]

I wish I could be like that infomercial...set it and forget it..:(

[kidari]

I practiced benign neglect after I chopped off all my hair and then once it got long again I was super excited to treat it with masks and try out new styles. I think the novelty of having long hair again has worn off and now I'm back to benign neglect again. I used to do a treatment 2-3 or at the very least once a week but now all I ever do is brush hair, oil shampoo, air dry, comb it and put it up. My ends are kind of thin so I'm maintaining at my current length for now as well trimming off about half an inch on my layers and the length every 4 weeks.

[thelittlestdoc]

Benign Neglect sounds lovely if it works for your hair. However, my locks are prone to splits and frizz if I leave them unpampered, so I'm afraid it's a bit more work for me :(

[slz]

When is neglect no more benign ?
On sunday afternoon I did a SC, cold water and, vinegar rince, air dry while comb with aloe juice and butter mix, then braid damp.
Now, it's wednesday nght and I'm unbraiding and combing for the first time since then. I don't even have the excuse of "going camping" or whatnot for keeping the same braid 3 days, just plain old lazyness :rolleyes: . Not even sure what my hair thinks about it :D .

[QMacrocarpa]

I'm inspired by your heroic level of benign neglect, slz! :thud: I bet you had some serious braid-waves after that! My braids get fuzzy pretty fast, so I feel like I'm getting away with something if I just bun my sleep braid in the morning. Once, I mean! ;)

[yldchyld]

That would be me. I wash my hair like every four days with Lush Reincarnate shampoo and comb it then. The rest of the time my hair is up or in a braid (and not very neatly either). to be honest, I have no idea how long my hair is - I think maybe to the middle of my butt. I have been doing this for years, getting a trim once a year if I put a mind to it. My hair is the one thing that I get complements on when it is down, so I must be doing something right.
Personally, I'm just lazy and it is a pain to brush all this. :-)

[slz]

Only on LHC are your slobby habits deemed as "heroic" :D .

[yldchyld]

haha... I always have people ask me what I do to make my hair grow so long and they always seem so disappointed when I tell them that I stopped treating it like a red-headed stepchild and let it do it's own thing.

[pepperedmoth]

LOL, this is why I seem to only post on the "Friendship" board these days! I ignore my hair, too. I wear it up all day. I braid it at night. I wash it occasionally or sometimes just rinse it or sometimes CO it and sometimes ACV rinse it, with no particular rhyme or reason. I oil it sometimes. Whatevs. It grows. I trim it when it bugs me. That's it!

[aisha.christine]

Now that my layers are long enough to fit into my french braid, I have defaulted back to benign neglect.
I do a standard S&C, comb it, let it air dry, and put it in a braid.
Occasionally, I have to chelate my hair because I have hard water, but that's my "pampering" :p

[Feng-Shui]

Only on LHC are your slobby habits deemed as "heroic" :D .

My braid is also three days old. :lol:

We are heroes.:D

:bottomsup:

[Amber_Maiden]

I think I'm going to join you guys... I'm done with henna. And I only wash my hair every 7+ days. I brush my hair every day with a Tangle Teezer (I tried going without brushing for longer, leaving it up in bun... I got nasty dreads that took hours to untangle. And it was only 3 days!).... I've decided to stop trimming my hair and just going with the flow. I don't oil. I don't braid. I hardly bun properly. I'm pretty lazy... lol

[Amiblue]

Before LHC, I washed my hair with shampoo and conditioner (which ever was on sale, smelled good and promised moisture) whenever I felt like it was time. Usually about once a week or so. The rest of the time it was in a pony tail or half pulled through pony tail. I had great growth, always have; but it was also quite dry.

[jesis]

This route didn't work for me. :( My hair didn't grow at all when I did it.

[Qadupae]

I've kind of been doing this lately only because I can't really do anything else with my hair ^_^ Its too short. Just doing WO washes most days and I just pat it down for any so called "styling". I used to be a fanatic about my hair the first time I was growing it, but I think that is what led to me cutting it was all the attention I poured into it.

[utdesertrunner]

This is what I need to do! I need to just pt it up and forget about it and let it grow!

[jacqueline101]

I kinda do that I will wash condition and wear it up. I get a trim every 6 months. I do the monistat for growth and leave in conditioner and oil.

[nmarie33]

I used to be more in the "neglect" camp, but now that I have begun playing roller derby again, I have to wash more. Otherwise I have a smelly sweaty helmet head! Right now I:

-WO once per week to freshen up
-CO after my last derby practice of the week
-Coconut oil the length before putting it up (when I remember)
-Put it up every day

That's it! I've been wearing it down about once a month or so after my weekly CO and air dry session. Seems to be doing the trick, and I'm getting lazier by the day so I don't see myself doing anything more to it besides throwing a new updo into the rotation once in a while. If I weren't sweating so much at practice I could easily go 2 weeks between washes.

[Snippety]

I wash and condition mine twice a week with Lush products. I plait it wet and uncombed, and comb out once it's dry enough. Other than that it's just in a loose plait which I undo and comb about three times a day, only because my hair is very skippy and it gets untidy quickly. I don't notice many split ends. When I feel it's getting a bit tatty my husband trims a tiny bit off, probably about twice a year.

[uptosomeone]

I think I probably belong here now. I do my general CWC every second day, but other than that I leave it up. It's down one day a week just so I don't get into a rut, but other than that I just sort of forget about it.

[Fireweed]

I wash it once a month, I oil the ends and bun it during the day, I comb it out at night and sleep in a English braid. I have not had a trim in four years and it is growing the best it has in years. Thats about it for me.

[ktani]

First off I apologize in advance if there is already a thread like this, I don't venture to the mane forum as much as I used to :o

Who here just ignores their hair and lets it grow? What's your neglect routine, if you even have one?

That's what I've been doing lately. It's too short for any interesting updos aside a sockbun, so I just either keep it in that, leave it down, or a ponytail and wash when it needs it. That's it. Nothing fancy, maybe oil if it asks for it and I'm rather pleased with the results thus far. No trims, since I don't have enough splits to bother with even though I haven't had it cut since last July. Now all I have to do is wait :)

I never did this but I have more so in the last year or more. I am overdue for a self trim now.

My routine, shampoo and catnip is very forgiving and if I run into a problem it is always temporary, once I figure out how I strayed from what I know I "should be" doing, so I do not worry about it.

I rarely s&d anymore and I used to be constant with that.

My hair is just fine with this.

[Elayne]

My plan of mostly ignoring my hair seems to be working out great.

Just today I rather shocked to learn that my hair has reached classic length (Figured it was time for shiny a new hair picture) and despite my mothers insistence that the ends look ratty and terrible, I certainly don't find that to be the case at all...

My hair care plan has been wash once a week, occasional bit of oil after washing, brush daily, wear hair down, S&D a few times a year.

[Changling]

I can't wait to join you guys...but my hair insists on being in my face, all the time. Once I can put it up in a ponytail...that's where it's going to stay for a very long time.

[Sundial]

I'm going to hide out in this thread until the end of 2012. I'm sick of obsessing over my hair and now that I might have a regular routine going on I'm planning to stick to it. So no plans to measure until the end of next year :p

[Messyhair]

I finally measured for the first time since May, and got a new pic (now in my sig). I shampoo and condition every day, use a wooden wide-toothed comb to detangle before and after washing, and I comb it again before bed and maybe once in between. Sometimes I put it up in a bun with a hair fork, but I haven't done that lately since we're packing up to move and the forks have been misplaced for a bit. I usually have it loose at home and in a low ponytail for work. I don't use leave-ins or special treatments. Oh, but I do use a satin pillowcase and satin sleep cap. I haven't had a regular trim since early January, but I plan one for December or January, whenever I get around to it.

[ElusiveMuse]

I am benign neglect-ing and I think combined with the vitamins I started taking, my shedding has really slowed down. I just need to keep ignoring my hair until the new year so I can make it to waist and start my tailbone journey in 2012!

[Changling]

@messyhair - I'm growing from a shaved head (I'm about jaw length now), and it is so inspiring to see someone actually get past the awkward stages! Congrats! :)

[Chamy]

I use benign neglect on my hair. I cant be bothered right now. im a little bored with my hair.

[Floodman]

I can't wait to join you guys...but my hair insists on being in my face, all the time. Once I can put it up in a ponytail...that's where it's going to stay for a very long time.

Lol that's soo me too right now! I want to neglect it, but it's too short! :(

[SlightlySoprano]

This is so me right now! The only special thing I have to do is use a special shampoo to treat my seborrheic dermatitis, but other than that its wash, comb, and braid/put up/wear down. Oils happen once in a blue moon. :p

[isabelx]

I'm going to join this thread now finally after 3 months of joining LHC I've found a solid routine my hair loves. Shampoo and condition, oil, apply leave in and air dry. Do nothing in between washes. So happy! Now to let my hair do its thing, and measure each month.

[Heartwillfollow]

would like to join this thread.. take a picture on the first of the year and not look at my hair until mid year and end of year :)

[italianamama]

would like to join this thread.. take a picture on the first of the year and not look at my hair until mid year and end of year :)

Great idea! I am SO doing this!

I'll hang out here too. I had one heck of a year so I was benignly neglecting my hair without really realizing it. And it so worked, I went from just past waist to tailbone in about 14 months :D

I oil the ends and canopy every day, wash and condition once a week with whatever is in the shower; and once a month or so I'll do a deep condition with coconut oil. I comb with my fingers most of the time, and have my hair up in a lazy twirl bun most of the time. I <3 my lazy twirl bun because it lets me soak my ends in oil, than tuck them in for protection. I am the reluctant Split End Queen.

And I've been paying more attention to my nails than my hair LOL. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

[cnd0020]

would like to join this thread.. take a picture on the first of the year and not look at my hair until mid year and end of year :)

I can do "no heat."
I can probably do "no trims."

But not-looking at the back for an entire year?!
Now THAT is a challenge.

[XcaliburGirl]

OK, NOW I am doing benign neglect. It's really hard when going on LHC every day though. I think I should probably take a break from the forum to not drive myself crazy with the growing out, but it's so hard.

[beccababesx]

I'm in this until January 29th (my birthday and when i hit my goal-length!). I CO wash once every 10-12 days, let it airdry, and put it in an english/french braid. Sleep with a satin cap on, take it out to brush it every 2 or so days, oil it with olive oil occasionally... That's it :) I never brush it, washing detangles it enough for me, and the braid stops any day to day tangling. Fingers crossed this works for me :) :)

[Monkie]

OK, NOW I am doing benign neglect. It's really hard when going on LHC every day though. I think I should probably take a break from the forum to not drive myself crazy with the growing out, but it's so hard.

I try to spend more time on here when I start feeling too keen on a trim. I probably spend about 2/3rd of my day thinking about my hair anyway. Isn't that normal?

[blondie9912]

I'm in this until January 29th (my birthday and when i hit my goal-length!). I CO wash once every 10-12 days, let it airdry, and put it in an english/french braid. Sleep with a satin cap on, take it out to brush it every 2 or so days, oil it with olive oil occasionally... That's it :) I never brush it, washing detangles it enough for me, and the braid stops any day to day tangling. Fingers crossed this works for me :) :)


Sounds like it should! I wore my hair up with a claw clip, oiled with coconut oil, and under a wide fabric headband for 2 months, and it has greatly improved the texture of my hair!

[piffyanne]

But as far as the daily "wash, oil, massage, hang upside down, suitcase full of supplements, unicorn horn comb, and ONLY cashmere hairbands" thing . . . that just doesn't appeal to me. It's the same reason I'm not into the whole spa experience. It starts to feel like work and obligation, not like pampering and fun.

I'm one of the wash with any shampoo on sale, use the leave-in-conditioner your mom brought you home (also on sale), let dry, then brush with cheap paddle brush (it has those lines on the bristles that hurt your hair! BAD Anne! NO!) and throw up in a style that gets it out of the way kind of person (what a mouthful!).

A slight (a VERY slight) change to my routine might be fun, since I've been doing the same routine my whole life (actually, the conditioner's a new concession to my hair--I've only been doing it for maybe 4 years now). Anyone know where can I get my hands on a unicorn horn comb?

[Pixie0763]

CO wash, brush/comb, & air dry. I don't have enough hair yet to do anything else with it, and I quit using any kind of heat appliance on my hair three years ago.

[CurlyMopTop]

I'm in! I wash and condition every day or every other day. Sometimes I just condition. I add coconut oil to my shampoo when I use it. I finger comb when the condish. is on my hair in the shower for detangling. I rotate products, whatever is in the shower at the time and dilute my products before using. I use very little leave-ins (usually just watered down condish.) unless I'm leaving my hair down (which isn't very often) then I use some kind of gel, curl cream, or mouse. I just blot dry with a t-shirt and put it up in a claw clip or something, maybe even a braid using a nubby brush to get it all going in one direction. If I'm leaving it down I just air dry and leave it alone. At night I take it out and sleep with it loose, or English braid it real quick without combing or using a hair tie. I trim or dust as needed, usually every couple of months. When I want to be really bad, I may use a blow dryer once in a while during the winter. ;)

[Lissandria]

Hmmm. After a trim and thorough S+D tomorrow for the full moon I think I may just benignly neglect my hair for a little while. Even a month or two if I can. It feels like the right thing to do for now.
ETA: my "benign neglect" will include oiling because my hair just gets crunchy and dry without it. Having said that I do plan to put up my hair and forget about it. I just think it will be good to forget about the length for awhile

[Amber_Maiden]

I'm forgetting about the length for awhile as well. No pics. No measuring. No even looking in the mirror or asking DH where is now... Nope. I will just wash my hair, brush it, and put it up. I'll do my honey treatments twice a week to make to light enough so I can go back to my natural colour, and that's it. I'll obsess about the colour for awhile, rather than the length of my hair!!!

[Lissandria]

^^ sounds like a plan, stan. :D

[Lightningfury]

I wash it when it needs it, about once a week the rest of the time it's down. I'm a wurly girl so until the oil starts to build up at the scalp I don't even brush it out until like the 3rd or 4th day after washing.

I'm pretty standard at .5 inches a month but it's grown 2 inches in the past two months. Been randomly trying moisturizing techniques from here. Oiling, beer rinses, SMT and it seems to be responding well.

I can't do buns well. I have this thing where I twist it up and let two claw clips hold it and it gets braided a lot. Mostly just down.

There's oil in it from this weekend so it's braided today. Wash day tonight.

[sfgirl]

I'm not going to fully neglect my hair, I still want to work on updos, treatments, natural color, ect, which is quite a lot. BUT I am not going to be doing what everyone else does around here like straightening, curling, or bleaching. :) I'm just going to stop caring what others think and actually let my hair grow this time!!!

[blondie9912]

I'm not going to fully neglect my hair, I still want to work on updos, treatments, natural color, ect, which is quite a lot. BUT I am not going to be doing what everyone else does around here like straightening, curling, or bleaching. :) I'm just going to stop caring what others think and actually let my hair grow this time!!!

I'm with you on that one! :)

[LoversLullaby]

This is definitely me.
I CWC with coney shampoos and conditioners when absolutely needed, keep my hair down all the time, brush it when needed, and oil when needed. Pretty much do everything as little as possible to have nice hair, LOL! :D
I just don't get enjoyment out of my hair when it's in updos and I'm constantly fretting about it.

[gthlvrmx]

Just wash, nautilus damp top bun and there. Good for the week. :)

[melusine963]

I pretty much just wash, condition, oil, bun or braid and forget about it. I do S&D when I remember to. I'm far too impatient to use a hairdryer more than twice a year or so, and I only wash it once a week. So far my hair is getting longer, slowly but steadily. I spend less time and effort (and money) on my hair now that it's hip length than I ever did when it was shorter.

People assume it must take me forever to get ready in the mornings, and are shocked when I tell them it only takes me two to three minutes to unbraid, brush and bun when I wake up.

[redwoman]

Where I am at this moment is wash and condition every five to eight days and add four drops of oil smeared between my palms on the length concentrating on the ends every other day. By the time it is wash day again my hair is nice and oily. Bunned at all times. Brush once a day before I put it up. Mostly it just sits there on the back of my head. I never bother with a hair dryer or deep conditioning or anything fussy. It grows and I am happily heading for knee.

[blondie9912]

Just wash, nautilus damp top bun and there. Good for the week. :)

Wow, that's some admirable neglect :D

[bunzfan]

I'm forgetting about the length for awhile as well. No pics. No measuring. No even looking in the mirror or asking DH where is now... Nope. I will just wash my hair, brush it, and put it up. I'll do my honey treatments twice a week to make to light enough so I can go back to my natural colour, and that's it. I'll obsess about the colour for awhile, rather than the length of my hair!!!

I'm doing the same thing and already i'm feeling better and less frustrated with it.

[Hairwish]

Benign neglect seems to work best for me at the moment. Just wash and condition once a week, comb and put it up. Oh, and the prewash oiling or deep treament for my dry ends.

[patchoulilove]

Laziness has me not fussing with my hair whatsoever. I saw a friend after not seeing her for two weeks and she thought my hair looked longer. Maybe it's working *crosses fingers* ;)

[ScarlettAdelle]

Cut back to tailbone a few weeks ago, starting to get a hemline.. I'll trim again when I get around to it... Probably in a few months.. maybe six.

[bouclée]

I think I will stop measuring and obsessing about my hair for a while too... I am currently moving abroad, so I will have lots of things to do anyway. I will just wash twice a week, with a pre-wash oiling treatment the night before... and forget about it. Let's hope my hair will still grow at a decent rate despite the very cold weather over there and that I will have a nice surprise next time I measure!

[bunzfan]

Well i thinking i am finally learning how to do this, i have had my hair in the same braid for 3 days and its certainly making me less hair obsessed:D just need to keep doing it for a few months so, i get surprised by my length when i finally do take a picture.

[Amber_Maiden]

One month of wearing hair up in buns with no elastics ever! :D Also two months of not taking pics or measuring my hair! :)
Have been buying up hair toys instead... credit card is badly hurt... LOL

[Amber_Maiden]

Well i thinking i am finally learning how to do this, i have had my hair in the same braid for 3 days and its certainly making me less hair obsessed:D just need to keep doing it for a few months so, i get surprised by my length when i finally do take a picture.

Three days! WOW! I can't do that... My hair gets to tangly! Lucky you!!

I brushed my hair in front of the mirror the other day, and I was shocked at the length! :D

[SlightlySoprano]

I am LOVING this!! Since I'm not doing much with my hair other than wash and wear (either up or down, but more often up/braided) I find myself MUCH happier with how FAST it really grows! I'm juuust brushing the top of my bra strap (top bsl?) when straight/wet. I might have a small trim just to get rid of some damage/even out some layers, but WOW benign neglect is the way to go for me!! :cheese:

[bunzfan]

Is feeling much better now i'm not constantly checking to see if its growing, i braided my hair this morning and i don't intend on doing it again till the morning, oh yeah and i should of washed it on Saturday but as it doesn't look that bad i'm going to leave it till the morning.

[Amber_Maiden]

I have failed...
My DH noticed my hair looked shorter, and I freaked. We took a picture and compared it to December's pic- and IT IS shorter. I then had to measure it to see if I had indeed lost length through shedding, or if it was just my pregnant body doing something weird.
It turned out it was just my pregnant body doing something weird. I've actually gained 2 inches since December and am now 33in long! BN does work!!!

And now I'm back. No more looking, measuring, or pics- I am reassured nothing bad is happening... I'll take my next pic either next December or February... Hoping for TBL when I do...

[icallitbliss]

I think I'm gonna join in on this benign neglect thing. Because basically, that's all I can do right now. My hair's not gonna grow any faster obsessing about it!

[Miss Catrina]

This thread cracks me up because everyone has a different idea of "neglect"! Some say "I'll wash it, bun it, repeat a week and a half later".... some people say "I'm just going to not mess with it anymore.... except for oiling. Oh, and protective styling. And trims." Love it!

As for me, this really isn't an option yet. My hair is way too short to contain in any way, and beyond that, one whole wall of my bathroom is a mirror, so I could never resist angling my medicine cabinet door to look at the length.

[Moonlake]

**********

[Tisiloves]

I'm hoping to rejoin the BN crowd soon, but until my undercut grows out enough to plait I'll be on it like a car bonnet.

[Jesabel]

My idea of benign neglect is that I'm just not worrying about my hair. My version may be more work than a lot as I CWC, oil and will do a deep treatment fortnightly but that is becoming routine and I'm trying not to think or worry about it. I will continue with that routine but I will now not look at my length at all at least until my next trim (3-4 months), just wash, do what I have to do then up it goes until next time! :o

[bte]

I have just spent a week in hospital with some restrictions to moving my hands and arms. So benign neglect meant a ponytail for a week, day and night, not even any brushing or combing, and at the end of it I came home and washed it and no tangles at all.

[morrigan*]

I will try that too, i relly need to stop thinking about hair and start to work more for universitiy. I learn what works for me best so thats that. I just need to stop cheking my lenght :D

[bunzfan]

For one that was constantly checking my length i'm doing so well:D i have just been washing it brushing my hair and putting it up ,i think taking up another hobby has really helped as a stay at home mum i have a lot of time on my hands.

[skraprchik]

I'm excited to be able to finally join this thread. For me, benign neglect means washing, DCing, and putting in mini-twists every 3-4 weeks. I'm wearing the twists in a bun or other updo between shampoos. I'm trying to avoid length checks of any kind until my shortest layers noticeably reach my shoulders.