Anyone else with 1b/C/ii/iii hair?

[SandyStar]

I'm curious about how you take care of it. I'm just starting my hair growing journey and would like some advice for my hair type.

[ericthegreat]

Well, I have pin straight, very coarse and thick Chinese hair so I'm kinda close to your hair type.
Exactly what kind of advice would you need?

[SandyStar]

Any advice is good. What kind of shampoo do you use? Conditioner? Right now I'm using Head and Shoulders.

I've really neglected my hair over the years. I wash it about once or twice a week with Head and Shoulders. I don't condition my hair or even comb it. I just finger comb it. I just wear my hair in a ponytail and never style or put anything in my hair.

I don't blowdry my hair, which is good, but I've really neglected my hair. I didn't even plan on growing it this long, it just kind of happened.

Now I want long hair though, and I want to take good care of it.

I've been trying apple cider vinegar rinses. How much should I dilute the ACV?

[ericthegreat]

Well in my honest opinion you need to completely change your current routine. Head & Shoulders shampoo is one of the most drying shampoos in existence. I actually don't use ANY shampoo at all, since my hair is very coarse I need as much moisture as necessary. I only use conditioner to rinse my hair. You will learn that here on LHC, many people here actually wash their hair only say twice a week or even just once a week. Some like myself don't use any shampoo at all, they only use conditioner. For healthier, longer hair you need to preserve the natural hair oils that your scalp produces, washing it everyday especially with a harsh shampoo like Head & Shoulders will definitely dry it out and eventually cause a lot of damage and breakage.

I would recommend that you definitely start using conditioner, and a rich one at that since you've listed your hair type as coarse and between ii/iii in thickness. Your hair type especially needs a LOT of moisture. I personally love and use/have used conditioners from Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine, Pantene Pro-V, Loreal Paris, Herbal Essences, and I CO every night with Suave's Tropical Coconut.

Oh and if you don't know what CO means, it stands for Conditioner Only washing. People who CO only use conditioner to rinse their hair with. Doing this preserves the moisture in your hair.

[Honey39]

Hello and welcome! You have such beautiful hair, I love it!

The standard advice to newcomers is given here: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=39

It's a really good article, which basically says to take it slowly and make changes one at a time on a two week basis; don't go mad trying to do it all at once. What works for one person may not work for you.

Actually, your routine sounds pretty good already to me - benign neglect, I think is the term some people use!

[ericthegreat]

With all due respect Honey, she asked specifically for someone who has a hair type that is similar to hers to give her advice on how to better take care of her hair. She feels that she has been neglecting her hair, and would like to learn from more experienced long haired members how to improve her hair.

SandyStar, I really would recommend that you do use conditioner and a moisturizing one at that. It would really help in improving the health of your hair.

Also, as you hair gets longer why don't you try out the many updo styles and different kinds of braids here on LHC? I'm sure you will definitely come to love them!

[inertia]

My hair is a bit finer and wavier but pretty close. My mother is definitely the 1b/C/ii type.

Benign neglect with a gentle shampoo and rich conditioner has been the best. It was only when I started dying/blowdrying/curling/ironing/etc that I ran into trouble. Before that, plain old shampoo, conditioner, and air-drying worked just fine, and I had really healthy and shiny hair. IIRC, Herbal Essences and L'Oreal were good to me back then.

[Hiriel]

I'm 1C/ii/iii, but I'm not sure I'll be helpful in figuring out a routine, as I'm doing WO (water only). Can't make much of a shampoo recommendation when I don't use any ;)

I do water washes once or twice a week, and apply a tiny drop of jojoba oil on my length and shea butter on my ends every other day, which I then use a boar bristle brush to distribute. Otherwise I try to put it up and leave it alone :)

Before I went WO I washed at the same frequency, with SLS shampoo, but cone-free conditioner, and my hair was doing fine, but I have more volume and shine now.

[Tap Dancer]

I guess I am! I change my stats from time to time because I'm confused. I'm either a 1b or 1b/1c and my hair is most likely ii/iii in thickness. :p

[chotee]

I think mine is close to your typing as well....it was much closer before, in the sense it was softer to touch but over the years has become coarser and dryer. So, my only advice is to give as much moisture as possible...like use more leave in conditioners, less washes, a little hot-oil treatment, or even a egg-mask works wonders i think.....Your hair in the picture looks beautiful and shiny....

[SandyStar]

Ericthegreat:
Thanks for your advice. I didn't know Head and Shoulders was that bad. I worry about flakes on my black hair so I use it. I read about CO washes. I'm a bit hesitant in doing them as it is just hard to imagine that conditioner only can wash hair, but I think I will try it out. Thanks for the product recommendations. I'm going to take note of those conditioners you listed and try them out.

The updos here all look amazing. Unfortunately I am quite uncoordinated. LOL I tried braiding my hair (nothing fancy, just a braid) and even that was hard. I think my hair is really hard to braid. It unwinds very easily. I'm going to have to practice more. Maybe it will get easily once my hair gets longer.

Honey:
Thanks, I really like your curls. Sometimes I wish I had really curly hair. Thanks for the link. I'm going to start a hair journal and see what works and what doesn't.

Inertia:
When I was little, my Mom used to perm my hair! I remember brushing my hair was always a nightmare, it hurt so much getting rid of the tangles. I remember I always had those white dots at the ends of my hair. Now I know it was horrible damage. Fortunately my hair is much better now. I don't get tangles and I don't have those white dots anymore. It's really a huge difference to have really damaged hair versus normal hair.

I air dry my hair too. I don't like using the blowdryer, mostly because it doesn't work very well anyways.

I love your hair BTW. It is so long!

[SimplyLonghair]

Honey:
Thanks, I really like your curls. Sometimes I wish I had really curly hair. Thanks for the link. I'm going to start a hair journal and see what works and what doesn't.
Yes your journal will be a great friend in your journey. The CO really does work, but you have to leave it on long enough and rinse well. I think that the advise on hair type helps, but you also have to take other things into consideration, such as water hardness and such. Even hair that is the same type may not like the same things, and this is just one of the variables. :twocents:

[SandyStar]

Hiriel:

I read about WO washes and I'm curious about them. I don't think I'm ready for that yet. I think I will follow the newbie advice and do one change at a time, to figure out what works and what doesn't. People back in the day never shampooed so it must be a pretty natural thing to do WO.

Jojoba oil is closest to human sebum right? I want to try some coconut oil and jojoba oil someday. One change at a time though.

It's interesting that your hair has more volume now.

Tap Dancer:
I wasn't sure whether or not my hair was a ii/iii or ii. My ponytail is 9 cm in circumference. The normal ii range is from 2 to 4 inches and that seems like a big difference. My hair is 3.5 inches so it is closer to 4 so I put ii/iii, but I'm still not sure if ii/iii means that. If not I will change it to ii.

Your hair is gorgeous btw. I love the shine and colour!

Chotee:
Thanks Chotee. OK, seems like the consenses is that course hair needs a lot of moisture. Wow, I've been doing the complete opposite of what I should be doing. I need to start conditioning right away. I'll have to look up the recipe and instructions for the egg mask. I'll be careful not to get scrambled eggs in my hair. LOL I actually have some VO5 hotoil somewhere.


Yes your journal will be a great friend in your journey. The CO really does work, but you have to leave it on long enough and rinse well. I think that the advise on hair type helps, but you also have to take other things into consideration, such as water hardness and such. Even hair that is the same type may not like the same things, and this is just one of the variables. :twocents:

Good point. I totally didn't take water hardness into consideration. I'll have to do a lot of experimenting.

[Honey39]

With all due respect Honey, she asked specifically for someone who has a hair type that is similar to hers to give her advice on how to better take care of her hair. She feels that she has been neglecting her hair, and would like to learn from more experienced long haired members how to improve her hair.




First time I've ever been told off here for directing someone to the standard advice. :confused: Wowser.

Apologies OP if I've offended you with my advice.

[Honey39]

Honey:
Thanks, I really like your curls. Sometimes I wish I had really curly hair. Thanks for the link. I'm going to start a hair journal and see what works and what doesn't.

You have such beautiful hair, am totally in awe already! A hair journal is useful, to see what works and what doesn't. :)

[Dreamernz]

With all due respect Honey, she asked specifically for someone who has a hair type that is similar to hers to give her advice on how to better take care of her hair. She feels that she has been neglecting her hair, and would like to learn from more experienced long haired members how to improve her hair.

Tut tut ericthegreat I don't think we like to have those sort of comments on LHC, a bit unnecessary wouldn't you agree? Plus Honey's advice was practical, SandyStar should have been directed to that link first thing. I'm sure she's grateful for any advice she can get, not that you need it as much as some you have absolutely beautiful hair SandyStar! :D Your one main mistake was not using the conditioner but now you know right? :D Brush based on how easily your hair tangles, as of course brushing takes a little hair each time, do it purely to avoid tangles or move oil down the hair shaft when (if) stretching washes (lol admittedly I struggle to do this :D). Don't worry I was just as uncoordinated and all my updos would just slip out, but you definitely get better over time and get killer biceps in the process! lol :D A conditioner spray is definitely a handy thing to have, I never leave home without it :D. I'll post a tutorial on the ingredients as they are really effective :D

Good luck on your hair journey! We'll support you all the way and welcome to LHC :D:D:D

[Honey39]

Tut tut ericthegreat I don't think we like to have those sort of comments on LHC, a bit unnecessary wouldn't you agree? Plus Honey's advice was practical, SandyStar should have been directed to that link first thing. I'm sure she's grateful for any advice she can get, not that you need it as much as some you have absolutely beautiful hair SandyStar! :D Your one main mistake was not using the conditioner but now you know right? :D Brush based on how easily your hair tangles, as of course brushing takes a little hair each time, do it purely to avoid tangles or move oil down the hair shaft when (if) stretching washes (lol admittedly I struggle to do this :D). Don't worry I was just as uncoordinated and all my updos would just slip out, but you definitely get better over time and get killer biceps in the process! lol :D A conditioner spray is definitely a handy thing to have, I never leave home without it :D. I'll post a tutorial on the ingredients as they are really effective :D

Good luck on your hair journey! We'll support you all the way and welcome to LHC :D:D:D

Thanks, that was nice of you! Maybe I'm being over-sensitive, but I found that remark such a put-down, like I shouldn't have commented because I'm not an experienced long-hair :( I have been on the site quietly for the last fifteen months.

Must definitely be PMS, because normally online stuff never bothers me, lol.

[Tap Dancer]

Your hair is gorgeous btw. I love the shine and colour!

Thank you! :flower: I'd like to return the compliment; look at your beautiful color and shine! Your hair looks so healthy. :)

[chotee]

Thanks, that was nice of you! Maybe I'm being over-sensitive, but I found that remark such a put-down, like I shouldn't have commented because I'm not an experienced long-hair :( I have been on the site quietly for the last fifteen months.

Must definitely be PMS, because normally online stuff never bothers me, lol.


You are sweet! and the PMS comment was funny! LOL

[levelek]

Hello and welcome! You have such beautiful hair, I love it!

The standard advice to newcomers is given here: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=39

It's a really good article, which basically says to take it slowly and make changes one at a time on a two week basis; don't go mad trying to do it all at once. What works for one person may not work for you.

Actually, your routine sounds pretty good already to me - benign neglect, I think is the term some people use!

I have similar hair to the OP and I also think it's a good idea to just read the article that Honey39 linked ;)
If people have the same hairtype it still won't mean that the same routine will work the same way for them.

Our hairtype is relatively forgiving, I think. When I started here, I pretty much just used shampoo, and the occational Dove conditioning mask. It still grew to waist length on that regime.
What made the biggest difference in the condition of my ends was introducing conditioner, and doing CWC (condition before shampoo, and after shampoo too). I also oil when it's dry. But since I found a conditioner that works great for me, I stopped oiling too.

And I know of at least one member here with famously stunning, classic length wavy hair who uses Head and Shoulders.

[Melisande]

Sandy Star, your hair looks beautiful, and I don't think you have to make drastic changes. I know that when you see all this wonderful information you want to try everything at once and think you did everything wrong all your life ;-)

I have 10cm circumference and 1b hair so I think we are close in hairtype. Go through the articles section, the newbie advice is great, eat well, drink enough water, and keep in mind the Basic Truths: that scalp and hair have different needs. Scalp is like skin: it is connected to the metabolism, produces sebum, can renew itself and can be nourished from within. Hair is like fingernails: it is no longer connected to the metabolism, cannot renew itself, and damages stay.

Accordingly, clean your scalp gently and moisturize and protect your lengths. It's really that easy. The better you protect your hair from chemical, mechnical and thermal damage, the less damage control or rescue is necessary. Keep your hair up, keep the ends lubricated and protected (oil) and keep yourself healthy.

You have blinding shine already. If you have hard water, try AVC. Try to find a gentler solution to your flakes but if you got along well with Head&Shoulders, why not continue to use it? Maybe use less, dilute it and don't rub your hair. Use it only on the scalp, ends and lengths produce no flakes ;-)

Have fun around here. Everybody is eager to help. And enjoy your beautiful hair! It will grow on its own, even if you don't do a thing...

[Elphie]

Hi SandyStar, welcome! I think your hair looks lovely now, so I'd also agree with reading the standard newbie advice. What you're doing looks like it's already working for you well, so changing little things that you want to try is a good idea.

The standard dilution for an apple cider vinegar rinse is 1T. of vinegar to one cup of water. I prefer rinsing it out but there are users who do not. Also, if you have hard water in your area, you may want to consider using distilled water. There is a post in the linked thread below by Heidi w. that will explain it better than I can if you want to know more.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=27157&highlight=vinegar+rinse+dilution

[Teacherbear]

Welcome to LHC!

My standard advice, similar to what Honey said (and linked to) is to try one change at a time and stick with it for a week or two before deciding to switch or add/delete something else. My other advice is to pay attention to what your hair likes. Does your hair feel better, behave better, look better with what you are doing? If not, change it.

We all wish there was one right way to treat each hair-type/length, but there isn't. There are trends on what seems better for various hair types, but there is no hard and fast rule. Unforunately.

Growing long hair is a journey, not a destination. Enjoy the scenery along the way and the process.

Welcome! :cheese:

[SandyStar]

I have similar hair to the OP and I also think it's a good idea to just read the article that Honey39 linked ;)
If people have the same hairtype it still won't mean that the same routine will work the same way for them.

Our hairtype is relatively forgiving, I think. When I started here, I pretty much just used shampoo, and the occational Dove conditioning mask. It still grew to waist length on that regime.
What made the biggest difference in the condition of my ends was introducing conditioner, and doing CWC (condition before shampoo, and after shampoo too). I also oil when it's dry. But since I found a conditioner that works great for me, I stopped oiling too.

And I know of at least one member here with famously stunning, classic length wavy hair who uses Head and Shoulders.

I think my hair is pretty forgiving too, as long as I don't bleach, dye or perm my hair. I've bleached my hair before (foruntately not my whole head) and it It was like straw when dried. Perms also make my hair all crunchy and damaged. I just clarified my hair with a clarifying shampoo to get rid of buildup and now I'm going to do CWC for a while to see if that improves my hair. I tried looking for a 'cone free conditioner, but I could only find one. Maybe I am looking for it in the wrong place, but I think I will just use up all the conditioner I do have right now before buying cone free conditioner.

I bought some jojoba oil. I put a drop on my palms, rub my hands together then smooth it over my hair. It's a pretty big bottle of oil. It's going to last for years. LOL

So far the Head and Shoulders hasn't been that bad to my hair. I think I will use less of it from now one.

Melisande --
Thanks Melisande. There is a ton of information here! I don't know where to begin lol. I bought some catnip and jojoba oil and I am going to start wearing my hair in braids to protect it (if I can manage to braid my hair lol).

I hadn't noticed that my hair was all that shiny. I think the flash on the camera made it more shiny.

Elphie
Thanks Elphie. Your hair looks beautiful too. Thanks for the ACV dilution info. It turns out I've been using way too much ACV. I put in like a quarter of a cup of ACV and about a litre of water. I use it as a final rinse. It makes my hair and bathroom smell, but the smell goes away as it dries. Thanks for the link.

Teacherbear
Thanks for the welcome. I'm kind of impatient and I'm doing several changes at once. I'm not sure what is really helping. It will take some restraint, but you're right, I should change one thing at a time.