New and No Clue about hair

[lockslessmonstr]

Hello all! I'm so excited to have found this community because I need help and advice!

I want my hair to be bra strap length, but I have never been able to grow it further than just below my shoulders (right at collar bones). I have no idea where to even start.

Here's what I currently do:

Shampoo 1x day with Nioxin #3.
Condition 1x day with Nioxin #3 or Terax Original Crema.
Use Redken CAT protein spray 1x week. (just started this)
Never use heat.
Never really style except for some curl enhancer and/or hair spray every once in a while.
Dye my hair dark brown.
Trim every 3 months.That's it. I'm probably doing everything wrong or not near enough.
My hair is also very fine, thin and fragile/brittle - breaks off very easily. I'm willing to try anything just point me in the right direction. I'm sick of my seemingly unhealthy hair that refuses to grow!

Thanks!

[redneckprincess]

Hello lockslessmonstr and welcome, although I am new too, sounds like your doing ok to me anyways, maybe you could try taking some vitimans or supplements, try biotin it works wonders for me. im up to 1 inch per month...if i can get ahold of another 3-6 month supply of NIOXIN I will be kickin

[Anje]

Hmmm...

First question: How do your ends feel? Dry? Gummy? Stiff?

Second question: How much does your hair grow between trims, and how much does the stylist cut off? It's really easy to have all your new growth cut off, and many (though not all) stylists can be scissor-happy. Also, how do you get it cut -- scissors or razor?

Third question: Specifically, what kind of dye do you use? Dye isn't necessarily no-go, but many dyes (even dark ones) have ammonia and/or peroxide in them, which can weaken hair. Ideally, if you're darkening your hair, you want a "deposit-only" dye.

[florenonite]

You don't seem to be doing anything horribly wrong, but I'd recommend stretching out the trims if you can. If you feel like it's time for a trim, take a look at your ends. Do they actually need cut or do you just think they do because it's been a few months? Many members here trim yearly or less. If you think you need a trim after the three months, try clarifying and see if that solves your problem. If not, try to ensure the stylist removes as little hair as possible, no more than an inch (assuming your monthly growth is 1/2", which is average).

You say you have fine, brittle hair. Have you tried stretching out your washing, or CWC? Hair is most fragile when wet, which is why I suggest stretching out washing. Whether or not you do want to stretch out your washing, I recommend trying CWC, which essentially involves coating the hair with conditioner before washing the scalp, rinsing it all off and then conditioning the length again. You might also want to try diluting your shampoo, and only shampoo the scalp, not the length.

With regards to the colour, are you colouring your whole head each time or just the roots? If you're using a permanent colour then make sure you do just the roots each time, so as not to dry out the length. You might also want to try using henna and indigo (I recently hennaed my hair and oh my gosh it feels amazing!) to get dark brown. There's a hulking henna thread over on the Recipes, Henna and Herbal Haircare board, as well as one on Henna and Indigo, I believe, and there is a brilliant article on Henna in the articles section.

HTH!

[lockslessmonstr]

Well my ends feel pretty great right now, I just had a trim on Monday. I only wanted a 1/2 inch off but the stylist cut off an inch at least. Grrrrrrr...

I never let anyone razor my hair - been thru that disaster - not good on fine hair!

I don't think my hair goes very fast. Maybe 1/4 - 1/2 inch a month.

I used a grocery store box color last time - can't even remember the brand. Before that I got low-lights at the salon.
"Deposit only" - is that like Henna??

Should I be using sulfate free shampoo/conditioner. Do I shampoo too much? Should I stop getting trims????

[lockslessmonstr]

CWC = Conditioner Wash Conditioner? I'll definitely try this!
I'll cut back on the trims but waht is "Clarifying"? Does this mean use a clarifying shampoo?
I'll try to stretch out the washing, but my scalp/roots get soooooo greasy. And suggestions for this dillemma?

[florenonite]

Well my ends feel pretty great right now, I just had a trim on Monday. I only wanted a 1/2 inch off but the stylist cut off an inch at least. Grrrrrrr...

I never let anyone razor my hair - been thru that disaster - not good on fine hair!

I don't think my hair goes very fast. Maybe 1/4 - 1/2 inch a month.

I used a grocery store box color last time - can't even remember the brand. Before that I got low-lights at the salon.
"Deposit only" - is that like Henna??

Should I be using sulfate free shampoo/conditioner. Do I shampoo too much? Should I stop getting trims????

If your hair's growing at that rate, then you might be better off self-trimming (http://community.livejournal.com/feyeselftrim/) a very small amount rather than letting someone else cut off an inch every three months. At this rate you'll be cutting off all the hair you grow! You can also try S&D (search and destroy; essentially going through your hair with a bright light and a pair of SHARP, only-for-hair, scissors and snipping off the splits) rather than trimming for damaged ends.

Deposit only isn't really like henna, but it's better than one that strips the hair colour first. Henna is a natural plant and it conditions the hair as it dyes it. Here's (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=7) an article on colouring your hair with henna.

You can try sulphate-free, though I think the only people who really benefit from that are those with sensitive scalps rather than those with breakable hair, though I have heard of people being able to wash less frequently once they go sulphate-free. You might find going 'cone-free (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=13) more beneficial than going sulphate-free at this time.


CWC = Conditioner Wash Conditioner? I'll definitely try this!
I'll cut back on the trims but waht is "Clarifying"? Does this mean use a clarifying shampoo?
I'll try to stretch out the washing, but my scalp/roots get soooooo greasy. And suggestions for this dillemma?

I think it's actually "condition, wash, condition", but yeah, same thing, really.

Clarifying is taking a clarifying shampoo or other sulphate one and applying it undiluted to your scalp, length and ends to get rid of build-up.

You might find that through diluting shampoo (or possibly going sulphate-free) that you don't need to wash as often as you're not stripping your scalp so much. If not, however, I find that putting a small amount of arrowroot powder on my fingertips and rubbing it through my hair helps immensely (just make sure you get it all out so it doesn't look like you have dandruff!). I also find that wearing my hair up more often means it gets greasy more slowly, and wearing it up when it starts getting greasy can help conceal the greasiness.

[HairColoredHair]

Welcome!

1/2 an inch of growth per month is actually the norm, overall. Some people get more, some get less, some get 'bursts' of growth and then stall later, it's all relative!

Henna is actually a stain, not a dye, if I recall correctly. There should be dyes marked 'deposit only' in the hair aisle, or at least make sure you're grabbing 'no ammonia, no peroxide'. Also, if you can only do you roots that can also minimize damages!

Sulfates.... Some people (like me) have a bad reaction to them. My head breaks out and can bleed. Others have to use sulfates or their scalp reacts badly! It's a personal scalp preference!

CWC does mean condition wash condition. Many people do this by putting conditioner on their ends and then shampooing just their scalp, rinsing it out and then conditioning the ends again. Helps protect and moisturize the ends!

Clarifying is a more thorough clean. Many people use clarifying shampoos, some use baking soda.

Stretching washings... Using gentler products and wearing my hair up helped. It takes time for your scalp to readjust to a new wash cycle. The more you wash, the more oil the scalp produces, so it's something of a vicious cycle. :)

[jahof45]

Welcome Lockslessmonster, I don't have any advise but just had to comment on your name. Love it!

[wackyredtangles]

I wanted to poke my head in with how much deep conditioning helps. My hair is somewhere between medium and coarse, on the coarser end of things. It can get really dry and brittle if I don't take good care of it.

For a conditioning treatment I mostly use coconut oil. I've switched it up with almond, olive, and jojoba oil, but I like the coconut oil best so far.

Basically I just liberally coat the length of my hair in the coconut oil. Then I usually bun, and leave it in for at least a few hours, and sometimes overnight.

My hair soaks up moisture enough that I can even use a good bit of it between washes. I usually pony, put some in the length of my hair, and wrap that bit of hair up in a silk scarf, and leave in overnight. By the time morning comes around my hair feels nice. I don't usually put much on my scalp.

There are lots of other conditioning treatments people use.

As for the dye, I won't use any anymore besides henna and cassia, and I'm even cutting back on that. Any sort of dye turns my hair into a dry, brittle mess, and I would rather not have that. Maybe you should look into henna/indigo?

I'm also recent convert to Feye's self trim method. I've been dissatisfied at the salon too many times, and they cut way too much off. Last time I cut off about 1/4 of an inch, and my ends felt great.

Good luck!

[spidermom]

I can recommend CWC using diluted shampoo; it has made the biggest difference in the condition of my hair. I have to do something with my hair every day because I work out every day and alternate rinses with using conditioner only, doing CWC only about twice per week.

Try leaving a day between washes; you can rinse only and use a bit of conditioner if needed.

[SpecialKitty]

Welcome to LHC, locksless!

Since you have fairly fine, fragile hair, you might consider coloring using a different method, rather than store-bought hair dye. My hair can't tolerate most hair dyes, and I'm a ii. It makes my hair very dry and brittle.

I can't recommend any gentle hair dyes, however, since I don't color my hair.

The other think you might try is easing off on the trimming schedule.

[JamieLeigh]

Hi! Welcome to the site. You couldn't have picked a better place to come for hair info. :flower:

It looks like you're already in good, capable hands. The others who have responded have thrown out some great ideas. :)

I'd like to second the suggestion about going longer between your trims. If you're trimming to keep an even hemline, you can trim the barest tiniest of millimeters off whenever you feel that it's starting to grow unevenly, and thereby save your new growth. With as quickly as you say your hair grows, if you cut back (haha) on trims, you should be at and passing your goal in no time.

Also, I'd like to second the suggestion about less shampooing, or possibly diluting the shampoo. If your hair is as fine as mine, and you shampoo your whole length daily, it's no wonder it's dry. I've managed to cut out shampoo altogether, save a clarifying shampoo once a month. I just use conditioner, and I use it on my scalp too - it takes the oil out and cleanses just like soap would, without leaving me dry and frizzy. :)

I hope you enjoy the site. Never be afraid to ask if you're unsure about something, and remember there are no stupid questions. :D