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katydid317
September 28th, 2009, 02:29 PM
Hello everyone!

I haven't really posted an intro thread, I'm just going to try diving right in. I currently have very layered hair, ranging from shoulder length to BSL. At the moment I am trying to decipher hair types, and oils and treatments and all the stuff I have been reading about!

From what I understand from the Fia hairtyping system my hair is 1b, Medium, normal (ii) thickness. Last night after reading the forums I tried conditioning it with olive oil, honey and conditioner and I loved the results! What I am looking for is some advice on where to start regarding keeping it healthy and how to get it growing faster! I currently have not been doing much to it. I shampoo daily with either dove or head and shoulders and usually just a very small amount of conditioner on the ends because it tends to get greasy fast.

Any advice on where to start? I will take some pics later and put them up tonight.

apynip
September 28th, 2009, 03:12 PM
the grease may be casued by over shampooing ( my hair did this) so i had to cut back to shampooing everyother day, because the shampoo strips your natural oils and so your head has to over compensate for teh loss of oil(which is totally good for your hair BTW.)

Good place to start is there and condition a lil more of your hair and wash it out really good ( cause it will get greasy quick if you dont)

more tips: just shampoo the scalp and let the suds take care of the rest.
dont pile hair onto of your head.

um yea thats all i got at the moment.

Good luck!

JamieRose
September 28th, 2009, 03:19 PM
I would highly recommend reading Ursula's Standard Newbie Advice in the articles section, as well as Nightshade's article on damaged hair- both are very informative and have helped me a ton!

Sissy
September 28th, 2009, 05:45 PM
I would shampoo less. I only shampoo once or twice max per week. I CO with light conditioners in between (V05 or Suave).

To get the hair growing and healthy I think the most important things are to S&D damage (cut the splits). Also, probably the most important thing is to live a healthy life style... try to reduce stress, exercise, eat properly. You might consider a supplement (multi-vitamin, biotin, MSM, Evening Primrose Oil, Flaxseed or Fish Oils are all good for hair). You would want to eat protein, omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids, oats, ruffage, cucumbers (they contain silica), and drink lots of water.

Other than that I think the reference to the Newbie Thread is great advice! Good luck and welcome!

SylphideNoir
September 28th, 2009, 05:51 PM
I second the advice on reading through the articles we have here.

katydid317
September 28th, 2009, 06:30 PM
Thanks everyone! The problem with shampooing less is that I work out 5 times a week. I always shampoo after a workout. Is there any other way???

SylphideNoir
September 28th, 2009, 06:38 PM
You can dillute shampoo to the consistency of apply juice and have it still be effective while less damaging. I've had to start washing more for a similar reason as yours and this is what I do. In the past I've made a large batch and put it in a sports bottle which I could squirt onto my head but lately I just make one serving at a time with a plastic cup I keep in the shower.

Brat
September 28th, 2009, 06:44 PM
Hi, welcome!

Some things that will help:
-brush or comb very gently, don't pull to get tangles out
-shampoo less, yes you can just rinse (or just use conditioner) after sweating, sweat isn't oil
-cut down on heat appliances
-wear it up more so it doesn't get stuck in a purse strap or things like that
-read everything you can here!

happy growing!

katydid317
September 28th, 2009, 07:02 PM
Yeah the not using heat appliances is EASY. I have a blow dryer. It gets used maybe twice a year. Thanks SylphideNoir, I am definitely going to try diluting my shampoo, and after reading that article I am going to try the CWC method for now. Maybe when I get braver I'll try just rinsing the sweat out!

Teacherbear
September 28th, 2009, 07:34 PM
My standard advice is to take it slowly. Make a change, stick with it a few times to see if you like it. If so/not, then make one change. Many changes all at one time only causes confusion.

Secondly, know that everyone's hair is different. You might have a hair twin and have hair that looks alike, and seems to act a like . . . but that doesn't mean your hair will respond the same way to the same treatments. There are so many variations. Use someone's guidelines as that . . . a guideline.

And have fun! It takes a while for hair to grow (about 0.5 inches per month) so have some fun while your hair is growing.

Sissy
October 2nd, 2009, 05:20 AM
Thanks everyone! The problem with shampooing less is that I work out 5 times a week. I always shampoo after a workout. Is there any other way???

I am the same way in that I need to shower and wash my hair after working out and I also workout everyday of the week. This means that I shower everyday or every other day. What I do is use a light conditioner, such as V05, White Rain, or Suave, as my "shampoo". The method is called "CO (conditioner only) Washing" and it works a treat. Your hair will become clean and you won't have to use the harsh, drying shampoos. I shampoo with an organic shampoo or a Suave shampoo maybe once a week and I just do my scalp and let the suds fall down my length.

When I CO wash with V05 or other cheapie conditioners I slather the product all over my hair and really get at my scalp to be sure it cleans well. Then, I rinse it out and follow it up with a heavier conditioner because my hair is prone to dry and frizzes so I feel I need the extra one. My favorite conditioners for CO washes are VO5 Calming Chamomile Tea, V05 Cleansing Vanilla Mint Tea, and White Rain Apple Blossom.

Hope this helps. :)