I'm the newbie... =]

[horseprincess]

Hey! sooo I just joined LHC... I've always wanted long hair. Right now my goal/reason is to have longer hair by my senior year of highschool.
I got two inches chopped off today, mainly because of heat damage. I used to flat iron my hair daily, (which doesn't make much sense since my hair is already straight). Anyways, I hope you guys could give me the run down of everything on here and how tos for my hair. =]

[LittleOrca]

Welcome to the LHC! :)

First thing... put down the flat iron... then run away, very fast.

There are lots of great people here with a TON of information on what to do with your hair to help it grow healthily (is that a word?).

First you will probably want to discover your hair type (you can do that by clicking here (http://archive.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=8954)) and to learn what kind of special attention your hair needs; such as more moisture, protein, etc.

My big advice, search the threads, read some things, ask a lot of questions (we wont bite :) Well, look out for Pegs. [<3 Pegs!]) and enjoy the journey to long hair.

[LittleOrca]

Here is another thread you may find helpful since you are new around here. :)

LHC Terms and Abbreviations (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=10)

[Laurel32]

Hello! Welcome to LHC

My advise is to ease in slowly... At first it may seem a little overwhelming (it did for me) with all of the great hair tips we have at LHC, and I wanted to try everything at once.

Try different things and see what works for you. :)

(You have my goal also :eek:)

[Coriander]

Welcome!

You've already received some great advice (lol @ LittleOrca).. enjoy the boards :)

[Natalia]

Welcome to the board :grouphug: ! Dont worry if everything seems overwhelming give yourself two weeks and you'll have all the features figured out :). The search function can be kind of finicky so beware but once you find the right words/combos its your best friend. The articles section is amazing! Lots of tips and stye tutorials for all lengths. Browing blogs is another great way to glean some knowlege. If you see someone post advice you like see if they have a public page/blog thats helped me alot. Like i said in 2 weeks you'll be flying through more information that you ever thought you would know :D.

Enjoy!
Natalia

ETA: Were almost hair sisters! Nearly the same type :p

[Fractalsofhair]

Welcome! What is the chief issue with your hair you wish to correct? The damage? Is your hair dry, or oily? A blowdryer used daily for about a month pretty much destroyed my hair, and as did one bleaching with a mild bleach. I advise against doing either of those things, semi permanent hairdye if you want to play with color, but not bleach!

[Flynn]

Halloo! Nice to meet you. I'm pretty new myself.

The most important thing I've learned so far is that something that works for someone else won't always work for you, and something that was disastrous on someone else may be ideal for you.

[horseprincess]

Thanks for the help you guys. =] Well the chief issue with my hair is it getting dry so easily, and the damage I cause with the daily flat ironing. I also used to wash my hair daily, which dried my hair out even worse. I don't blow dry my hair and I haven't dyed my hair in a long time either.

[Peter]

How often do you wash your hair, and with what? That might help us figure out why your hair is dry.

You could try oiling the ends if they're rough or tangle easily. Coconut oil is the most common one here.

[horseprincess]

How often do you wash your hair, and with what? That might help us figure out why your hair is dry.

You could try oiling the ends if they're rough or tangle easily. Coconut oil is the most common one here.
Well, I have switched to washing every other day. I have been using the Aussie products. I have to mention though, that I've noticed a postive difference in my hair after i stopped washing everyday.

[Peter]

Well, I have switched to washing every other day. I have been using the Aussie products. I have to mention though, that I've noticed a postive difference in my hair after i stopped washing everyday.
Do you shampoo then condition? Do you shampoo only your scalp or your entire length? Do the Aussie products have silicones in them (most chemicals ending in -cone, a common one is dimethicone)?

[Flynn]

You could try oiling the ends if they're rough or tangle easily. Coconut oil is the most common one here.

Extra virgin olive oil ("EVOO") is also pretty popular, as is jojoba. If you want to start, just open up your pantry and see what you have already! XD 'Swhat I did, and I found rice bran oil to be too heavy, though very conditioning for my hair, I decided EVOO stinks, canola oil made it look too oily, and walnut oil seems to be perfect for me.

My scalp and hair get sooo dry if I wash my hair too often... like if I have to wash two days in a row to get out product. (I like somewhere between every second day and twice a week.)

[horseprincess]

Do you shampoo then condition? Do you shampoo only your scalp or your entire length? Do the Aussie products have silicones in them (most chemicals ending in -cone, a common one is dimethicone)?
yeah I shampoo, then condition. I shampoo only my scalp, I also condition only my ends because sometimes the conditioner would leave residue so I was trying to avoid that. yeah Aussie shampoos and conditioners have "cones" in them.

[Flynn]

(A note with cones: if you do decide to give going cone-free a shot, just to see what happens, look out for: -cone, -silox- and -siloxane. "-" of course indicating that "other stuff goes here")

[Peter]

Maybe try going cone-free for a few weeks? I noticed that my hair was drier with cones.

[Flynn]

I'm about to give cone-free a shot, too.

A 'cone-free shampoo and conditioner that shouldn't be too hard to get your hands on, if my experience is anything to go by, is [Al'chėmȳ]. (Be warned, though, that while it isn't salon-expensive, it's far from supermarket-cheap... then again, Aussie probably is, too, isn't it...? Hm. ) It comes in lots of "flavours"... I got unscented ^__^

[chelssix]

Hi there! I suggest reading through the articles.
Do you have a goal length in mind? (You don't have to!)

[SimplyLonghair]

It sounds to me as though the cones have cause the moisture in your hair to be depleted. They stop any from getting to the hair. I would try clarifying first and maybe stop using the cones for at least a while. Some find that they need cones, but use clarifying and then deep moisture treatments to prevent the drying out. As others have said take it slowly and you will learn what your hair likes.
Welcome to LHC :thumbsup:

[Toadstool]

Welcome!
I thought Aussie products were cone free???

[Madame J]

Have you gone through the Articles' Hair Care section and looked at "Ursula's Standard Newbie Advice," "Kirin's Beginner Primer to Sorting Through Advice," and "What's Wrong with my Hair: Hair Diagnostic Tips"? Nightshade's article on damaged hair might help, too. Oh, since the conversation has skewed 'cone, maybe check out "To Cone or Not to Cone," too.

[Toadstool]

Just read that aussie Miracle Moist conditioner has cones elsewhere but not in the UK.

[Chrissy]

Welcome to LHC!!! This is a wonderful place with lots of great info on growing beautiful hair. Also a great place just to have fun and make friends. I wish you the best in getting your hair in great condition. I'm glad to have you here. Enjoy!!!

[HairColoredHair]

Welcome! For your first big change I'd suggest changing to CWC (meaning, condition your ends, leave that on, shampoo/wash your scalp, rinse that out, then condition your ends again.

And probably put down anything with heat! :D

Learning some nice updos will help too... but you'll want to take it slow and find out what your hair likes and doesn't. Some people's hair craves protein, some people's hair gets brittle and breaks with too much protein. Some people's hair loooooves silicones! Some people's hair turns into 'doll hair' or gets coated, brittle, and breaks! It's a hunt to find what works for you.

[Laurenji]

Welcome! If you're having trouble using the "search" function on the site (I still don't really like to mess with it), here's a little trick: use Google, type in all the keywords you want, and then after, type in "site:http://forums.longhaircommunity.com". That way you have all the power of Google, but focused only on this site! Nifty, huh? (and a heck of a lot easier than the forum's built-in search).

[Fractalsofhair]

Cones also dry out my hair! I suggest getting Burts Bee's super Shiny hair products, and using those. They're pretty gentle and will remove the build up from the cones, along with being natural and a decent value for the price(Or else try Whole Food's 365 brand, just to clarify.). Cones work great for some people but if your hair is very dry right now, I suggest trying cone free products for a little while. VO5 is a popular cheap cone free condish here(Never tried it). Then once you have the build up cone, I suggest a hot oil treatment. It's cheaper to use cooking oils than to buy a fancy hot oil treatment product. What I do is I put coconut or olive oil in my hair(sometimes avocado, or whatever you have on hand), heavily, massage it in, then take out a blow drier and heat up the oil on my scalp till it's all warm. Then I put a shower cap on and wait a few hours, and wash it out gently. Your hair might look a little greasy for a few days, but it will look fine after and feel a lot better.

When you go cone free, you might see the damage more, but your hair will feel better. It's worth a try. Also, I have very damaged hair, and this prevents most of it from breaking off. It looks shiny and healthy! Now, my hair is still easily broken off, but the back and sides are healing, it's only the front that has serious issues right now.

If you prefer natural products, oils are a great way to go. I use Whole Foods 365 unrefined virgin coconut oil, and it works wonders for my skin and hair.

[horseprincess]

yeah thats why I got a good two inches cut off yesterday, Its been basically just breaking off at the ends. Now my hair just reaches my shoulders. The lady that cut my hair didn't even get my are wet or anything, doesn't that dry hair out even more? =[ I guess I shouldn't have gone to great clips, I'm never really satisfied with their hair care.
I might go cone free, is that Mane & tail shampoo cone free? I know some people that say its good. anyways, do the deep conditioning treatments at hair salon do any good? thanks! =]

[horseprincess]

oh also, whats the easiest way to measure hair length?

[Flynn]

Get a dressmaking type tape measure, hold one end against your hairline at the front, and pull the other end straight over your head and down your back. Feel with your free hand where your ends are on the tape measure, pinch the tape measure at that point, and hold onto it there. Let go of hairline end of tape measure. Look at pinched end. Record measurement. >_o XD