2009 Hair Hits and Misses - an idea from Morticia

[Flaxen]

Hands down, these year-end threads by Morticia have been some of my favorite threads ever at TLHC. If you don't know how one works, check out this one (http://archive.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=54899) in the archive. I'll be back to post mine, but go on and post away! :cheese:

[LittleOrca]

Hits:

Keeping with my Garnier system I like: I experimented with several shampoos and conditioners after being partially convinced that Garnier just wasn't doing it for me and my hair would suffer. My hair suffered from all the other stuff and turned out to like Garnier just fine.
JoJoba Oil: Very light and nice, still getting used to using it.
Africa's Best Oil: Love this stuff for over night treatments and my hair smells like baby powder when I am done with it. :)
Organix Coconut Oil Serum: A nice shine booster when my hair feels a little off and it adds a nice scent of coconuts.
Sunsilk Mister: Great for keeping the static out of my hair in the winter.
Ion Chlorine Removal System: Easily removed the chlorine from my hair after I swim and
Ficcares: I never knew about them until this year and now I wonder how my hair lived without them.
Hair Sticks: I never knew how to use these things and now I cannot stop making my own out of clay. :D
Wearing My Hair Up: All the updos I have learned and all the toys I have gotten make it easier to wear my hair up to help protect it and look more "professional" when I need to.
CO Washing: It makes my hair super soft and helps in keeping it managable.
Sat Sleeping Cap: Keeps my hair tangle free at night, keeps me from rolling over on it, and helps to prevent breakage.



Misses:

Going cone free: It just didn't work for my hair in it's current state of being.
Ultra Grow Hair Treatment: Did I think I would grow an inch a day? No, but I figured it had some nice stuff in it for my hair. It does, but it is hard to get out of my hair.
Aussie Leave In Conditioner Spray: This leaves my hair dry and feeling disgusting.
Garnier Shine Spray: While it makes the hair shiny, it also makes it brittle, gross, and dries it out thanks to all the alcohol in the spray.
Pantene Nature Fusion: It was great at first, then the conditioner became harder to wash out of my hair and would leave it very greasy.
Ultra Swim Chlorine Removal System: It took 2-3 bottles of shampoo to get all the chlorine out of my hair and not because of my length but because the shampoo was very weak at doing it's job.

[Katurday]

HITS:


Henna. Henna! SO MUCH HENNA!
Going silicone free. My hair is so soft now!
Going Sulphate free! I forget the name of the new shampoo I bought.
Coconut oil (VIRGIN) Worked VERY well.
Quitting heat. Letting my hair air-dry was excellent.


MISSES:

Burt's Bees Shampoos.
Refined Coconut Oil. Crunchiness galore.
Going CO. Waxy haaaair.

[Fractalsofhair]

Hits
1)Sweet Almond oil
2)Coconut oil(Both help my hair look shiny and not break!)
3)Shampoo bars(Reduced breakage a ton!)
4) Scalp massages made my hair grow faster!
Misses
1)Jojoba oil(Makes my hair greasy!)
2)CO washing for my scalp(Made it break out!)
3)Styling products
4)Fine toothed combs.

[spidermom]

HITS:
Back to CHI Silk Infusion, the best coney serum ever, at least for my hair.

MISSES:
Trip to Ohio, exposure to hard water.

[time_on_fire]

I can play!

Hits:

LHC forum and articles
Keeping hair up during the day, using different styles
Hair forks and sticks - finally learned how to use them
Giovanni Smooth as Silk Shampoo and Conditioner - oh the shine!
Deep conditioning using conditioner on dry hair hours before washing
youTube tutorials - where have you been all my life?
Etsy
Misses:

Burt's Bees Shiney Grapefruit and Sugar products
Avalon Organics Shampoo and Conditioners
Bunning while damp, or getting rained on whiled bunned
Still on the fence:

Coconut oil - OK if hair is up, but down, it's huge!
CWC - I think my technique needs work
LHC enabling - I love it but the pocketbook doesn't

[ravenreed]

Hits:

(fake) Biolage Matrix Conditioning Balm from Sally's- This stuff is pretty much the only reason I can wear my hair down as often as I do and still detangle my hair.


Castor oil- Works well in my hair oils and works nicely on my skin. Plus it is CHEAP!

Henna- I am not yet at the color I want and my greys are now flaming copper rather than burgundy, but the condition of my hair is shiny, soft and happy. I can always add some dye later to tone down the copper if I don't like it. However, not dyeing every 3 weeks has really helped my hair's texture and condition.

Misses:

Curlers- I don't have the patience to sit with curlers in my hair and I turn too much in my sleep to trust myself with them in over night.

Stretching washes- My hair hates it and I hate the thought of icky hair. I am somewhat of a germ freak, so going longer than a few days is just not happening for me. Plus, I think because I live in such a dry area that my hair benefits by some water on the ends from time to time.

My first Graydog stick- It is okay. It is a little boring to me. I don't like it much and will probably put it up on the swap board at some point.

I can't think of anything else that I tried and they were a miss or a hit...

[melikai]

Hits:
Avocado oil - makes my hair very soft and supple, absorbs quickly and is never greasy.
Hairsticks - I'd never tried these as the only ones I saw weren't to my taste, but now I prefer them to hairforks. They've also helped me to wear my hair up more often.
Sulfate-free shampoos - I'm continually looking for more and more gentle cleansers, and this was the first step in this direction. I had no transition problems, which was great.
Stretching washes - I can now easily wait 5 days between washes. This has also been more easy of a change than I expected.
Finoriel's egg & honey shampoo - works remarkably well.
Fox's shea butter conditioning cream - lovely on damp hair after a wash, although a very little goes a long way.
Lemon juice/citric acid rinses - a great replacement for vinegar.
Wearing hair up at night - I now prefer this to wearing it loose while sleeping.

Misses:
Homemade goat's milk soap shampoo - crazy build up and waxiness.
SMTs - my hair doesn't like these.
Garnier Triple Nutrition conditioning treatment - I got this based on all the raves here, but it didn't do anything special for me or my boyfriend's hair.
Trimming - I like trims, and need them, but I would have liked to have had a bit more length gained this year.
Scalp massage/scritching using a BBB - not worth the tangles, damaged hairs, extra oil production, or static.

[Elphie]

Hits


Still Cone Free
CO most days
Coconut oil (my love!)
Jojoba (nice, too!)
Garnier Triple Nutrition conditioners
Aloe and Coconut oil for defrizzing


Misses


Garnier's Shampoo. It just doesn't work for me.


Overall, it's been a good year! I just don't experiment much!

[deko]

HITS:
- Henna, indigo, katam. coloring the hair is fun and when the hair itself likes it...
- CWC. That saved my hair.
- Catnip tea rinse & soak. My damaged ends feels so much nicer.
- SMT <3
- Going protein-free. Henna and protein do not mix. I've learned to read inci:s and avoid any reconstructive ingredients. Henna is the only rec I need.

MISSES:
- No-cone did not work for me.
- No-sulfate don't work because I use some cones. I get build-up.
- Coconut oil doesn't work as pre-wash, but I can use it when I mix it with condish.

[janeytilllie]

Hits

Faith in Nature conditioners and shampoos
Jojoba oil my hair loves this daily
Olive oil I love for my ends
Laughing bird shea/honey butter hair food.
Bodyshop wooden comb.
Being cone free and SLS free
hairsticks I love them
Honey


Misses

Coney conditioners
SLS shampoos
Tangle teezer, great for knots but makes my hair very greasy.
coconut milk
shampoo bars

[GoddesJourney]

Great idea!

Hits:

6" wide tooth horn comb from Heavenly Harvest, Inc. ebay. One of the three best things I've done for my hair. I bought one for a friend as well and passed the secret to another.

Trader Joe's Spa Naturals S/C. One of the other best things I did for my hair this year. My hair seems to love it. I even gave up my body soap and use the shampoo as a body wash now (it also helps even out shampoo and conditioner use).

Homemade silk mini-scrunchies. Number three of the three best things. Seriously, I was just too lazy to do it for a long time, but these are the best for me, ever. No other hair tie is this awesome. I used very strong elastic so they stay put even though they're quite slippery. I hate hair sticks, I'm sorry.

Silk charmeuse pillowcase. These are great. I keep forgetting to put these back on my pillows instead of the ones that come with the sheet set, but they allowed all my little baby hairs around my face to get some length.


Misses:

Boar Bristle Brush. Terrible. Lots of static and all kinds of shedding. Maybe now that my hair is healthier, it might like it. The hard part is that my hair is too thick to brush with something like that, I have to get one that has plastic bristles as well.

Trader Joe's Tea Tree S/C. It was great at first and I love the scent, but no way. After a few weeks, my hair started drying out. No good.

Trader Joe's Citrus S/C. Just don't. The shampoo left my hair feeling sticky and the conditioner wasn't all that hydrating. Usually, I pass stuff down to my dog, but I won't in this case because I don't want her beautiful fur to be all sticky. I kept the conditioner bottle because I love the scent. Maybe one day when I bother with a conditioner soak, I will use it.

[amaiaisabella]

Oooh, fun! I'll add:

Hits:
- Finding Mega Moisture and adding it to my routine as a weekly deep treat and leave-in.
- Finally finding the right color through lowlights at Aveda!
- Working out the right routine with the water change since my move.
- Getting some great hairsticks and finding updos that both held solidly and looked good!

Misses:
- Henna: not really a miss, as it strengthened my hair, but the repeated apps made it that much harder to cover with darker color.
- Cutting off 6 inches of my hair in a fit of despair over the change in water! I should have changed shampoos/conditioner/washing methods/etc. The aforementioned hairsticks and updos will be useful in the future, but not so much now :(

[ericthegreat]

Oh I love this thread!

Here's my hits and misses that I've learned over this past year:

Hits:

1. COing with my Suave Coconut conditioner every night( well actually, this has been a staple of mine for over 2 years already) and simply going conefree in general

2. Suave Daily Clarifying Shampoo(surprisingly this shampoo did not leave my hair as dry as i had feared, and also it removes buildup from my hair very effectively)

3. Using Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine conditioner as a leave-in protectant for my hair when I go swimming(yes this one has cones, but I have discovered that in this particular case cones protect my hair from both salt water and chlorinated water)

4. Deciding to become a redhead! Best colour decision I've made so far!

5. And last but not least my Ojon Restorative Treatment. Ojon nut oil has proven to be the most magical oiling treatment I have ever done on my hair.........I get super shine and I give full credit to this magical nut oil for protecting my hair against all the bleaching I've done this past summer and all the different colouring changes I have made.

Misses:

1. Trying Water Only. My hair instantly tangled up and harden into one giant mass of knots. I didn't even wait for my hair to air-dry, I rushed back into the shower and immediately drowned my hair with Suave Coconut conditioner.

2. A cheap hairbrush by Conair that I bought at Rite Aid. Yes, I should have known better, but even I didn't think this brush would tangle my hair up the first time I used it!

3. Stretching out my CO rinses. I learned the hard way that I at least need to have water running over my scalp and condition the length from my ear down within a 2 day period. COing every night is really the best routine. I tried to stretch my CO rinses to just one a week. I only made it to 5 days, and on the 5th day I was scratching my scalp raw because it got so itchy.

[Kris Dove]

Hits-
- cutting washes down from every day to every other day- my hair has eventually gotten used to this!
- CWC- makes my hair feel nice and soft
- sweet almond oil used as a hot oil
- cutting my own hair using Feye's technique and searching and destroying split ends
- Lee Stafford's Doggy Style hairbrush- no balls at the ends to rip my hair!
-chopping up old tights to make hair elastics

MISSES
- oiling with olive oil, which is strange because it works as in ingredient in things I've bought!
- CO, no poo, baking soda washing just leaves my hair greasy and lank
- Original Source Coconut and Almond shampoo- I love the conditioner and the rest of OS's ranges, but this shampoo is just too heavy for my fine hair and leaves it lank. Would probably be great for a thicker haired person

[DanielleRenae]

Misses:
Aussie Leave In Conditioner Spray: This leaves my hair dry and feeling disgusting.


This was actually a hit for me. It makes my hair feel moisturized.





MISSES:
Going CO. Waxy haaaair.

I tried that for the first time ever yesterday. Every strand felt like a tiny little candle. Therefore, a miss.

[Fiferstone]

Hits:

LHC!
CWC
Using my condish on my dry hair pre-wash
apple cider vinegar rinses
coconut oil the night before washday

Misses:

coconut oil mixed in with my conditioner. That was a very bad mistake (couldn't get it out)
my first experimental mister bottle mix - stuff did nothing for me. I've got to try another "recipe."
LUSH caca - I started using henna with this product, but now that I oil regularly, I find it just does not give me enough stain "bang" for the 6+ hour time "buck" it takes to use it. Going to try Yemeni now at HennaSooq's suggestion. Thanks HennaSooq :).

[Longlocks3]

HITS:

-LHC!
-CO only
-cone free
-protein free(mostly)
-seamless combs
-shampoo bars
-vinegar rinses

MISSES

-too short hair sticks(had to find out the right size somehow)
-stretching washes(not for me)
-braiding for bed
-head coverings

[ArienEllariel]

Hits:
LHC- never would have gotten by without the wealth of information here!
ACV rinses- feels yummy
Burt's Bees Shampoo and conditioner (Raspberry Brazil Nut)- and more the conditioner than the shampoo
Coconut oil- keeps my ends from drying out
Braiding before bed- has cut down on my bedhead sooo much
SMTs- wonderful wonderful stuff! Made my hair smooth as silk :D
Going SLS and cone free- so far this seems to be working the best for me although it has definately made my hair feel very.. different I guess is the best way to describe it.

Misses:
Burts Bees shampoo bar- Dried out my hair too much and it was tangly (well, more than normal).
EVOO- Too heavy for my hair
Completely skipping washing for 2 or more days- That was just.. gross. My hair hated it.

[TheEndlessOcean]

Hits:

- Ditching the comb and brush. I didn't even know I was a curly until I stopped combing after showering :confused:
- Clarifying shampoo. I'd been COing with a coney conditioner for probably a year straight before I found LHC, before I knew what CO was and before I knew what cones were. Needless to say I had a bit of buildup :o
- Jojoba oil. A spot of this after a shower makes my hair awesomely shiny and soft.
- Gel. Like I said I didn't even know I had curly hair for the first three years of growing it out, and I find a bit of gel is pretty much essential for getting my curls to look good.
- WO. I've just been trying this for the past few weeks and it's awesome :cheese:
- Cone-free CO. This worked well too, but unless something changes I think I'm sticking with WO now.

Misses:

- Boar Bristle Brush. Definitely not a good idea on curly hair :p
- Honestly I can't think of much else. This year was pretty much all hits for me, since I was pretty much doing everything wrong before :p

[above_rubies]

Hits:

LHC! enough said
Shampoo bars
White Vinegar ~ makes my hair shiny, soft, and NO MORE itchy, flaky scalp!
Feye's self trim. Works great!
Bodyshop wooden comb
Horn comb bought on etsy
Hairsticks ~ I don't use bobbypins anymore.
Ficcares
Flexi-8s
Treating my hair like fine lace. I'm so excited to see what my hair will be like after a few years of this. It has to be better than it was after years of ripping a brush through it 5 min before walking out the door.
Putting my hair up at bedtime ~ still fine-tuning this. Currently it's two braids.
V05 conditioner
Using a cotton pillowcase on my head after washing instead of a towel. ~ less fuzzies and lots less heavy.Misses:


Large "Hairsense wannabe" bone comb. I liked it at first but like my bodyshop wooden comb much better.
Liquid sulphate free shampoo. This was miserable for my scalp. Shampoo bar is much better!
Apple cider vinegar ~ this made my hair sticky and smells stronger than white vinegar.
Putting my hair in an updo while damp. It doesn't dry while up (no matter how long) and after I take it down when it does dry it looks and feels greasy.
Routine: Lather rinse and repeat every 3rd day with a shampoo bar. Rinse with diluted white vinegar. Leave in while doing other showerly duties. Add V05 condish to the ends, then rinse vinegar and condish out.

[Laylah]

Hits:
Jason Kids Extra Gentle Shampoo (and the conditioner) : pre-lhc- I stopped using this earlier because I've read here that kid/baby shampoos are very alkaline. After going back to it, I realize I was paranoid and they work great!
Coconut oil: pre-lhc- works great! not much else to say
Dabur Jasmine hair oil: pre-lhc- I also stopped using this because of the mineral oil, but upon resuming use, it works as well as ever.
Olive oil: pre-lhc- This one is partially hit, partially miss. It only works if I don't use it too often. Using it constantly, unlike coconut oil, makes my hair dull and tangly.
Shea butter: post-lhc- I usually mix it with another oil because alone, it is too sticky. The only downside is the price.

Misses:
CO washing: post-lhc- I'm not sure if this is a fair trial since I only did it once, but my CO wash with VO5 conditioner made my hair waxy and stiff at the crown and dry at the bottom.
Olive oil: pre-lhc- only if used to frequently
Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose Shampoo (and conditioner) :post-lhc- it made my hair very soft and wavy, but it increased my shedding. Given the cost, I'm done experimenting with expensive shampoo!
Garnier Fructis leave in conditioner: pre-LHC- Very cheap, but it made my hair sticky and gummy.
Avalon spearmint shampoo (and conditioner) : pre-lhc- I didn't want to try it, but it was the only shampoo available at my relative's house, besides head and shoulders. Lesser of the two evils, right? Maybe- but it still dried the heck out of my hair.
Jason Sea Kelp shampoo (also the aloe vera one) : pre-lhc- I was given these, but they made my hair frizzy.

now that's a lot of misses. darn fussy hair!

[LawyerGirl]

Hits:
--natural hair masks (banana, garlic, basically anything)
--no cones
--CO
--oiling

Misses:
--henna... my hair is too dark, it didnt do much for me and it smells awful!
--MULLET OF DOOM
--too frequent trims

[Wicked Princess]

I love this thread! I especially like seeing everyone's differences...and also a few reminders of what were hits and misses for me, too!

Hits :p


Discovering the LHC. :flower:
Conditioner - Learned to use TONS of it per wash. Had to give up my favorite conditioner, though (my favorite conditioner is actually quite expensive).
CWC - I can't believe how much of a difference this makes!
Vinegar - So nice for my scalp! And my hair likes it, too.
Oils - My hair loves them!
Satin Sleep Cap - Cuts down on my breakage and tangles considerably. Also, quite comfortable.
Having a significant trim - Yesterday, my hair was at classic. Today, it's at tailbone again! And my hemline is beautiful, soft, tangle free, and split free! Really...split free. I actually tried to look for one for two whole hours. :D


Misses


Water Only Washing - Ugh...my hair and scalp HATED it!
Conditioner Only Washing - Baaaad! Sometimes, I can manage to do this for one of my washes. If I do it more than once, though, the results are pretty horrifying. :brains:
Boar Bristle Brushes - These were not at all good for my hair! It made my hair very frizzy. My hair is too thick and coarse for a BBB, I think.


On the Fence


'cones vs no 'cones - I have stopped using silicones for six months now and have found my hair is NO different with or without them. I was actually a little disappointed...I was looking forward to seeing my hair's reaction to them, but it turns out my hair doesn't care either way. :disbelief

[squee]

Hits:
-the coconut stuff I made works well
-going cone-free/crap free
-CV Shampoo bars, AVC rinse
-washing every 2-4 days
-burt's bees preshampoo
-burt's bees deep 2min condition
-both as a over night deep treatment
-burt's bees brazil nut shampoo-conditioner
-crown-like/cornet-like braids
-horn hair slides
-plastic french hair pin thingies
-french twist (YEAH! some simple styles even I (as someone who has NO experience in life with) can do)
-night braiding
-....sleep do-rag/scarf thing....
-self trimming
-powder soap nut stuff from dabur works alright
-leather strips as hair ties
-more water and veggies in diet

....seems my new shampoo bars lighten my hair, or perhaps it is the AVC rinse....not sure if that is my hair being healthy or just lighter still :) Hopefully just healthy, I like dark brown hair on myself.

Misses:
-Horn hair forks (perhaps with pins it might work better)
-metal hair letter opener things from LoTR (perhaps later on, when I get more hair)
-the herbed dabur hair oil stuff I got, seems my hair doesn't care much for mineral oil, will try the coconut version perhaps or just mix my own
-sleep cap
-reg. hair ties


Currently hunting for more conditioners, they help with the shampoo bars, at least in winter.

[Coriander]

2009 Hits and Misses with my hair
Hits
· Jojoba oil. My hair loves this stuff.
· Herbal Essences Pin Straight and Long Term Relationship S&C
· Wooden comb from Widu. I can’t say how much I love this comb.
· Mega-Tek. When I use it, it works. It doubled my growth rate for a couple of months.
· Vitamins and supplements. Again, when I use it. LOL
· Updos! The more I wear it up the less damage I get. Duh, right?
· I finally learned to French braid my own hair!
· S & D-ing. I’ve been able to avoid trims for two years by doing this.
· Ficcares. Oh, how I love thee.

Misses
· Coconut oil. At first my hair loved it, then it crunched it up. Yuck.
· Cone-free. Disaster.
· SMTs with honey and aloe. The combination was just awful.
· Biotin. Unfortunately, I am one of those who breaks out using this.
· Any kind of brushing.
· Pantene – any of it.
· Attempting to darken my hair using cocoa, cloves, coffee, tea… oh man. I was still washing grit out of my hair a week later. :lol:

[Rivanariko]

Hits:

-Finding LHC!
-Quitting brushing. For some reason, I never connected the snapping/breaking sound with the fact that my hair wouldn't get longer than my waist.
-Wearing hair up. Who would have thought that would make it stop tangling?
-Hair Sticks. Never thought they could stay in my slippery fine hair. Now I know how to use them and I want MORE!
-Aloe Vera. Makes my hair feel so soft and happy AND helps it stay in place? What is this miracle?
-CWC and stretching washes.
-Rag Curls. My hair CAN hold curl! Just not with heat!


Misses:

-CO, by the middle of the second week, my hair was perpetually wet and oily.
-WO. Less problem with oil, but my hair felt dry, brittle, and my ends were icky and tangly. I gave it a full two months to get used to it, and it wasn't terrible, but I much prefer my CWC hair.
-Cone-free. Only tried a few washes with that before I axed it. I'm not willing to go through an adjustment cycle of my hair breaking and falling out in handfuls to get used to that.
-ACV. It just didn't seem to really make a difference.

[bridgetsgirl]

Hits
-LHC :cheese:
-S&Ds
-Treating my hair like old lace
-Virgin coconut oil, soaks right in, not too greasy! Great for heavy oilings too.
-Soapnuts
-Catnip
-BBB
-Combing (gently!) while damp then air-drying
-FOTE aloe gel for styling

Misses
-Fox's Shea Conditioning Creme...too heavy
-Straight jojoba oil...even a dab left my hair greasy
-ACV...didn't change much, DH hated the smell
-Henna...my hair's too dark for it
-Honey...what a sticky mess!
-CO...just didn't feel right
-Sleep cap...never made it a whole night

On the fence:
-Cone free...not seeing much of a difference. I feel an experiment coming on!

[RocketDog]

Hits -
HENNA!!! Amazing color and shine, improved my hair's texture and manageability
Ficcares - started the year thinking they were obscenely priced, ended the year not knowing how I lived without one
Hairsticks - love metal ones for damp 'dos
CWC - best mix of moisturizing and cleaning for my fine, fragile hair
Vinegar/Chamomile tea rinses - great shine booster
Catnip rinses - awesome conditioning... when I remember to do it!
DIY trimming - big money-saver, and it always comes out exactly how I want it!

Misses-
CO - worked initially, after a while my hair was dull and limp no matter how long I rinsed
plopping - nothing but frizz, even with leave-in oils/gels
finger-combing only - helloooo nape tangles!
Dr.Bronners soap (never again!) - the bars and liquids left my hair dull, tangly and lifeless, and left my skin coated and dry

[Kuchen]

HITS


Using an ultra light conditioner after years of trying to super-duper-deep condition my fine hair


Experimenting with various shades of chestnut for my whites, for kicks, and finding a great rinse-out


Having proper hair cuts by hairdressers with whom I managed grown-up negotiation about what I wanted


Mixing a tiny blob of Head and Shoulders into my ultra-mild Lavera shampoo to keep dandruff at bay while not drying out my hair completely


Using a creamy Wella paste to tame the frizzies.



MISSES

Can't think of one as I've been here so long that I don't experiment so much any more! The fabric conditioner trial was not disastrous, but not amazing. :silly:

[rogue_psyche]

HITS:

Finding LHC!
Henna. This wonderful plant has saved my hair many trims.
GVP Conditioning Balm. I know I'm always talking about this, but I love it. I never get build-up with this conditioner, and it makes my hair so silky and shiny. It is not a conditioner for the scalp, though.
Trader Joe's shampoo and condish. I use them in my hybrid wash (shampoo on scalp, CO on length) and my hair always feels so soft and clean, but not stripped afterwards. I get good results COing with this conditioner if I follow it with GVP Conditioning Balm on the last ten inches of my hair.
K-Pak (mainly the Sally's knockoff) strengthening my porous ends.
Hair and Nails supplements. I went from .5" a month growth to 1" growth when I got serious about taking my hair supplements. I'm pretty sure it's the supplements, because I was taking them in the summer and got 1" growth then, and fell out of taking them in the fall and got 1/2", and then I started on them in December and got 1" again. I even got sick in early December and still got double growth.
S&Ding. Okay, it is time consuming, and sometimes makes me a little mad at myself with each split, but S&Ding is oh so much better than getting a trim.
Catnip. I need to use catnip more, and that includes experimenting with it as a leave-in, or as a WO type rinse. So far it has not let me down.
Ficcares. I gave myself my first ficcare for Christmas and have finally found a clip that will hold my hair without pulling it. I'm totally getting a large as soon as I can afford it.MISSES:

Tying buns with elastics. Five times as many splits as leaving it down.
Poo Bars. They were too inconsistent for me. I like to be certain that wash day will be a good hair day. If my CV Citrus and Chamomile weren't used up I'd probably use it occasionally.
Waiting for my hair to dry before detangling. It's a good idea if I want to see twice as much hair on the brush.
Regretting bleaching my hair. Technically my hair was bleached in 2008 (on New Years Eve) but after the third month it was obvious I shouldn't have done it. I look at shed hairs and the bleached bits are baby fine and stretchy, while the roots are coarser and super strong. Maybe one day I can change my hairtype to 1c/M/ii when my bleach grows out, and then 1c/C/iii with supplements (not really but I can dream ;)).

[DragonLady]

Hits:

Coconut oil. Bought it in December last year, used it the first time just before Christmas, and have slathered it on at least once a week ever since.

60th Street forks. I have three of them now, and I love them. My bocote one is my current favorite, and I've been wearing it almost exclusively for the last couple of months.

Ketylos. I have five of them now, and they're still on all my wishlists. I hope to buy another pair in the next couple of months.

The LHC SWAP board. What can I say? I've bought some great things there, and I check it everyday just to see what is new.


Misses:

Chili pepper flakes in my hair. It hurt like h*ll washing them out, and I don't think they did anything good.

Castor oil. I don't blame it for my massive shed this year, but I don't think it helped any.

[Othala]

Hits:
Nexxus Theratin shampoo - best shampoo my hair and scalp have ever experienced
Philip Kingsley Elasticizer - best conditioner my hair and scalp have ever experienced
Chicken fat rocks! (yes, really)
Keeping hair bunned/bunched/braided whenever possible is essential to preserve the quality and length of my hair
Simple haircare routines have longevitityMisses:
Shikakai - ultimately roughened up my cuticle
Argan oil...aaaarrrgghhh!
Monoi - crunch city
MSM - my digestive system objected strongly

[Honey39]

Hits

LHC - I love this site!
Conditioner-only washing: I've been doing this for 18 months, and it's still working like a charm
Using leave-in conditioner: the more conditioner the better, it turns out. My hair is softer and more moisturised than ever
Using coconut oil over the conditioner: again, this makes my hair super-soft
Finally finding out how to use AVG to smooth down the frizzies (has to be done on wet hair)
Finding two perfect ways of wearing my hair, so I'm guaranteed good hair
No blow-drying my hair all year (except at hairdressers)
Having coloured hair (chocolate and copper) - love the rich colour!
Having quarterly trims - keeps my hair healthy and level


Misses
Protein - total total disaster for my hair: tried to use protein rich leave-in conditioner, which turned my hair immediately into a straw like, dry mess. Horrible experience.

[linda g]

Hits

LHC :heartbeat
CO
Vinegar rinsing
Hairsticks
Flexi-8
honey lightening. If if it isn't a huge difference, my hair is super soft!


Misses

Trying to CO without a vinegar rinse (I have hard water, and it left my hair feeling waxy)
Shampoo bar (probably another hard water issue)
Overapplication of oil
Overapplication of cocoa powder as a "dry shampoo"
Overapplication of aloe/oil as a defrizzer


As you can see, most of my misses were due to over-enthusiasm! :o

[Liss]

Hits

Discovering LHC (rather late in the year)
Cassia treatment with the correct consistency (thanks to LHC!)
nightly sunflower oil treatment on the ends
Oil Clensing MethodMisses

Blowfrying daily (am reforming, using only the cool setting now)
Olive oil treatments - just too heavy for my hair
Wearing hair down on windy days

[bumblebums]

Hits:


Oiling (coconut + jojoba)
Egg yolk wash. Great to alternate with shikakai/flaxseed wash
Acidic rinses. I didn't think my hair would be shiny again, and now it is!
Wooden combs
Ketylos and Flexi-8s
Microfiber towel. Learning not to rub my hair when drying it


Misses:

Baking soda wash
Shampoo
BBB, and brushing in general
Listening to people whose hair is different from mine

[Centifolia]

Hits

Going cone-free. It made the greatest change in my hair. Now it's less oily, have more volume and, hm... feels so nice!
Aubrey Organics honeysuckle rose conditioner.
Stretching washings to once a week. My ends don't dry out anymore.
CWC
Clarifying with shampoo (urtekram) + baking soda
Wearing my hair up more often
Honey + egg yolk mask
Healthier diet + suplementsMisses

Trying to use an wide-toothed comb. Not combing at all is much better
Mayo mask. Too much buildup

[whiteisle]

Hits:

* SMTs...oh my! the love!!!
* Absolutely no heat - air dry only!
* Keeping trims to 2, maybe 3, times per year
* Honey, Honey, HONEY!! My hair is a honey monster! lol
* Being more gentle and patient
* CO - just recently discovered my hair really responds well
* Suave Tropical Coconut for said COing
* GF Triple Nutrition for second conditioner - pretty good stuff
* no cones for right now
* aloe and coconut oil as a leave-in - wow!
* Biotin
* Tangle Teezer
* Ditching sulfates - I never realized how awful they affected my hair. Left me with a frizzy, dry mess that no conditioner or leave-in seemed to fix. Hence, the decision to go cone free to avoid the need to use sulfates.
* Finger combing and using a wide tooth comb


Misses:

* Mayo treatment - total disaster!
* WO - I tried and tried but alas, it's not for me.
* Poo bars - again, I really tried to love them but they left my hair too gunky and tangly despite acv rinses.
* BBB makes my hair static-y and I'm not convinced it doesn't damage my hair

[jel]

Hits:

Tangle Teezer - great for detangling dry or damp hair

Horn comb from QueCraft - fantastic on my scalp, and smooth enough for occasional full length combing

2-pronged hair forks, especially from 60th Street - simpler to use and holding better than sticks for me at this stage

Diatomaceous earth posted by PirateJenny23 (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=34933)- not sure about faster hair growth, but better circulation, improved IBS symptoms and more energy are quite a hit!

Quick, comfortable bun posted by EvaSimone (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=33284) - my 'go to' style, done in seconds and holding all day with a tiny hairfork

Dairy Whip - loved the product for my hair and body, hated the customer service!

Misses:

Most hairtoys - apart from the forks and a Papadohn ribbon stick, most of my sticks and even Ficcares are either falling out or pulling scalp hair. :( Though it's rather more likely due to my mad updo skillz!

Not adding a little vinegar/acid to my henna mix - results in brownish, not red hair

[Mutinous]

So many misses it's unreal.

MISS:

- Dyeing Hair up until June - creating too much damage!
- Straightening every day up until August - Oh dear, just oh dear.
- Using a bad quality brush up until August.
- Getting it cut every month with far too many layers in until August.
- Not using any hair protection when on holiday in Egypt *facepalm*
- On said holiday, swimming in the chlorine infested pool all day, washing my hair (with soap) and then blowdrying and straightening *double facepalm*

HITS

- Joining here!
- Limiting straightening from August onwards
- Decision to grow out natural hair colour (June onwards)
- Changing my washing pattern, now wash about twice a week (if that)
- Going cone-free in the last month or so.

[Akiko]

Hits :toast:

Boxwood comb with a handle
Ketylo sticks/forks
Flexi-8's
Coconut oil
VO5 shampoo/conditioner
Sleeping in braids
CWC
Scalp wash (make a bun, cover with a shower cap, wash scalp)


Misses :(

Henna/indigo (The lingering smell has gotten really sickening.)
Ficcare Maximas (catches hair)

[BunnyBee]

Hits:


*Coconut oil <3: Detangles better than anything else. Don't think I could live without it now.

*Ketylo: Possibly the smoothest sticks in existence? :D I have 8 now and a wishlist in my head.

*Silk charmeuse pillowcases: Definitely couldn't manage without these. My hair is too fragile to survive cotton lol

*Amish pins: Raven's Lair decorated pins.. I have 8 and have just bought 8 more.. oh dear but I can do styles I couldn't manage before :D

*Tangle Teezer: The only brush I'll use. Had to get a new one after ex stole mine :confused:

*S&D + own trims: S&D is highly important when your hair is as damaged as mine!

*CWC: No need for shampoo to get anywhere near the length when conditioner cleans it perfectly well :)

*SMT with honey: The original is best.

*Grah-Toe Studio wide tooth comb: Now the only comb I use, even though I have a collection of horn combs :p

*Letting my hair choose it's own parting (sigh): Hair pulls less when it's free to go in the direction it wants :p

*Cider Vinegar: Makes my hair shine and somehow helps detangling.

*Henna: Permanent even colour that doesn't cause an allergic reaction. Without henna I'd have multicoloured hair.. and not in a good way.

*Silk charmeuse scrunchies: After months of searching I found some, and yes they are worth the price :)



Misses:


*Henna: Yes it's a hit and miss. I'm growing it out now because it seemed to cause very rough kinky hairs to appear. My damaged hair must just be too damaged!

*Boar bristle brush: A moment of weakness I had to see what the fuss was about. Apparently though it should not be used on damaged hair :(

*Home made mayo treatment "Haironnaise": Yes this was... interesting. It dripped down my face for half an hour until I decided enough was enough and washed it off to find less than soft hair :rolleyes: Never again.

*Trying to be 100% natural with hair products: Natural does not always mean better and chemical does not always mean bad. Water is a chemical after all :p

*Molasses in SMT: It stinks. Literally. And I couldn't stand it. Didn't seem to do anythign good for my hair anyway.

*Soapnuts: One experiment that I should learn to leave alone. I LIKE having clean hair and not missing bits and having to rewash!

*Indian herb washes: "Make a paste" say the directions... and then spend the next week picking bits of leaves out of your hair!

[Bellona]

I've only been on LHC for about 5 months, but I'll post anyway!

HITS:

*clarifying shampoo - I'm afraid to go no cone because my hair seems to like them, but I had never clarified before. The next cone-y conditioning after a clarifying shampoo made my hair so nice!

*castor oil - I started using this on my face, but some would get into my hair. Now I use it if my hair is frizzy.

*olive oil - I keep it on my ends for about an hour before I wash.

*stretching washes - I have shorter hair so I thought this would be a disaster, but it really wasn't at all. It's especially helpful for awkward phases where some heat styling is necessary to make hair look decent. Not having to blow dry/straighten/curl every day is really helpful.

*wide tooth comb- I used to brush my hair wet, and it never seemed to really harm my hair, but the wide tooth comb helps my waves come out. The brush seemed to straighten them out and create "wings"


Misses:

* heat styling - obviously. I've learned to use a blow dryer on the lowest setting rather than blast my hair with heat. Also, if I really, really need to use a flat iron ( I did on New Year's Eve :o), I air dry hair first rather than blowing it dry then adding MORE heat, and use a much lower setting and a protective cone-y product.

*bleaching - self explanatory :) I'm starting to like my natural color, too. It's not nearly as dark as I had thought! Plus the virgin growth feels sooo nice.

*protein - makes my hair feel...yucky.

[camirra555]

HITS
-Starting henna and indigo
-Starting Coconut and olive oil
-Joining hair sites :)
-Only straightening 3 times this year
-Protective styles
-Hair toys

MISSES
- My hairdresser trimming off more than I asked for
-My attempt at french braiding

[Pixna]

Hits:
--Kimberlily's Defrizz Spray (the very best homemade concoction I've made to date!)
--John Masters shampoo and detangler (so far, at least--I've just had it a week)
--My Madora comb. Although I've had a Madora comb for eons, it flew out of my hands a few weeks ago and slammed into my metal waste-can and broke in half. My husband sanded down the edges of the halves so I could use them as travel/purse combs, but I had to order another intact one. It is the best comb in the world, bar none.
--Washing just once or twice a week.
--ACV clarifying rinses.

Near Misses:
--Curls Cloths from Curls Like Us (http://www.curlslikeus.com/). They are adorable and do the job well. Unfortunately, I like my towels to wrap my head and suck up more moisture, so I'm sticking with my Turbie Twists.

Misses:
--Goody Ouchless Shower Comb. This comb just didn't feel right in my hand regardless of how I held it. I like the coated tips, but I just couldn't use it.
--Kinky-Curly products. I loved the shampoo and conditioner, but the conditioner was too conditioning for my hair. The Curl Custard and Spiral Spritz are great products, too, but they are just "too much" and too heavy for my hair type. They made my hair look flat and scraggly. On the right hair type (super curly), I'm sure they would be fabulous.
--Earthly Delight shampoo.
--Wearing my hair "wurly/curly." I just can't get used to it. I just can't make it work well, no matter what I try. Perhaps with substantially more length it could work for me, but that's going to take another year or two (at least) of growth.
--Oiling. Using any oil directly on my hair doesn't work for me at all.

[CrisDee]

Hits:

LHC - definitely!! learning (or relearning) so much here!
Henna/cassia, still working on just the right mix for me, but my hair has never been so shiny and in such good condition!
Wooden comb
DE/biotin, getting great growth
CO/no-cone - Suave Naturals and White Rain, both coconut, my hair really likes both, with an occasional clarifying shampoo
No heat
Honey - not getting the lightening I want yet, but my hair LOVES it
This awful pixie - makes both lists, the hit list cos at least all the old chemical dye is gone and all my hair is henna/cassia only now


Misses:
Baking soda/ACV - my hair got very dry & tangly
MN - messy, headachy, more of a PITA than it's worth
This awful pixie - what was I THINKING??? Ugh...

[practikalmagik]

HITS:

Going Cone free around July. Boots basics condish is only 59p and my hair feels so soft from it too. Have to use a fair bit (esp as me and the bf both have long hair) but at that price I don't mind.

Going SLS free in November. I feel like I can stretch my washes further now (ususally bout 4-5 days) without it being so greasy.

Using hairbands without metal bits-much less breakage, barely had to trim this year.


MISSES:
CO washing. Tried it for a month but it just didn't impress me that much so I went back to S&C.

Olive Oil, smells nasty and too heavy for me.

UNSURE:
Henna. Now I love how this makes my hair feel but it's getting too dark for my liking so I'm toying with going virgin instead.

SMT-I love how it feels but even without cones the mix gets a bit grainy and its a pain to wash out.

[Loviatar]

Hits:

* Oiling (bhringraj sesame and avocado)
* Dairy Whip
* GVP version of Biolage Conditioning Balm - I wish I could get this regularly, instead of just in swaps!
* Henna (Punjabi Prime / Jamilla)
* Getting back to a blunt hemline

Misses:

* L'Oreal spray-on leave-in conditioner - icky doll-hair of plastic doom
* Thinking chemical colour would work when it never did in the past, and being a colour/style/cut chameleon when I get bored
* Graydog sticks - just not for me
* My loyal Denman brush turning staticy - no idea why

[herbgurl82]

Hits
1) Benign Neglect- allows me to get the results I need without becoming too OCD about gaining length, and freaking out over the thickness of my hair. BN for me is CWC two or three times a week, preoiling for an hour or two before washing when I remember, and wearing it up as much as possible.
2) Only measuring every three months or so. See OCD mention in above.
Misses
1) Going too long without a trim- the ends get too crunchy and the splits travel up the length. I'm thinking every six months is best.
2) Wearing the same three styles over and over again: cinnabun, braided bun, and log roll. I need to experiement more! I also think that having my hair in the same position over and over again damages it.

[jaine]

Hits
Aubrey Oragnics White Camellia conditioner - the only conditioner I have found that is heavy enough for my dry hair. :heart:

Misses
Blonde highlights on almost-black hair... too damaging, and too much work to get it dark again without further damage.

[InTheCity]

Hits:
Finding LHC
Wrapping my hair to straighten it
Using heat only twice in an entire year
CWC and CO
S&D and only 2 regular trims in a year
Satin pillow case, hair supplements and being gentle
Wide tooth comb
66 cent V05 Tea Therapy Conditioner

Misses:
ACV rinse - didn't work for me
Attempting to get a formal style at a salon (a cheap one)
Still not learning to wear my hair up enough now that it's the longest it's been... will work on that for 2010

Next year's hits will hopefully include:
learning updos
buying a hair toy or 9 :p
learning how to let my hair dry wavy/curly without disgusting frizz

[GuardGirl]

Hits:
Hairsticks- Once my hair hit 25-27" at the beginning of the year, I could do a few really great hairdos that I got so many compliments on. Too bad a hairdresser gave me a 'trim' from over 29" to 24" for my birthday! Now it's too short to use them.
'Coney condish- My hair is curly, colortreated, and chlorine-exposed, so the cones add a little bit of much-needed protection.

Misses:
'Professional' trims- Yes, I knew better, but my husband arranged for me to have a professional treatment to pamper me on my birthday, and I walked away missing nearly 6". There goes all my growth from this year!
Bleach highlights- I will be growing out that damage for quite a while.

[Captain Nikki]

Wow i've learnt so much in the last month since joining LHC.

HITS

CO washing with cone free condish(who knew i had nice curls?)
Updos always when outside
Oiling (sweet almond oil is the only oil i've tried but it's working great)
Aloe vera gel - i love this stuff for taming flyaways
Ditching the high protein shampoo, condish & treatments (hair is softer, less dry & less breakage)


MISSES
Can't think of any atm but the other day i used a shampoo containing sulphates & protein that i used to use earlier last year & my hair felt like straw, all matted & disgusting, so i think i'll give than bottle away.

[sumptuousness]

Hits:

coconut oil (heavy applications before shampooing)
cassia treatments
one teeny tiny trim, watching hairdresser with beady eye all the while :DMisses:

pantene (I feel the urge to try this every so often 'just in case' it suddenly works with my hair :rolleyes:. It invariably doesn't.)
going cone-free. I tried, I really did. I so wanted it to work but was greeted by a cavewoman every time I looked in the mirror... :couch:

[eshta]

Hits:
- Indian herb washes, scalp really loves them.
- Scalp washes, with sulfate poo sadly, because the herb mud is just to messy to use then.
- Coconut oil, love the scent and my hair drinks this up and is so soft.
- SMT's, soft and completely tangle free hair.
- Hairsticks, I use my one pair of Ketylo's almost daily
- Ficcare's, was a bit of hit or miss, but mostly hit lately, very comfy when I get it right.
- Self trimming, has saved me a lot of money already and very convenient time wise.

Misses:
- wet oiling, makes a few streaks very oily and limp.
- jojoba, does not agree with my hair, very greasy looking.
- coconut milk soaks, left my hair greasy and had a sour milk smell in my hair for days uggh.
- Flexi-8's, always pulled and hurt when I tried to use them.
- Shapley's MTG, smelled so bad, really made me sick, did see about an 1 inch extra growth that month, but so not worth it.

[Shermie Girl]

Hits:

Rediscovering my hair's love of cones.

Discovering that cones and jojoba oil together are magic for my hair.

Discovering that jojoba oil gives my thrashed ends enough slip that I can keep them and grow and trim, rather than chopping.

Misses:

Discovering that coconut oil, which is magical for my "good" hair just makes my thrashed ends worse. Super sticky and gunky.

Other than that, not much has changed. :)

[Flaxen]

Hits

Minimalism achieved!!!!! For regular cleansing, it's oil and shampoo, and no conditioner!!!
Cocoveda Oil by Henna Sooq :cloud9::heart::crush::sun::love::cheese: For pre-wash, post-wash, and on dry hair, I. LOVE. THIS. STUFF.
Earthly Delight Shampoo - Going on eight years now, and it's still great.
Aubrey Organics Blue Green Algae Mask - An oldie that I brought back this year for deep conditioning.


Misses

Dr. Hauschka Macadamia Shampoo - Nothing special, and certainly nothing to justify the cost.
Indian Herb Washing - Better results than in the past, but not good enough to continue.
MyHoneyChild OliveYou Deep Conditioner - From the back of the fridge. Inconsistent results. Sometimes good, sometimes too heavy.
Nature's Gate Original Conditioner - I used to like this a lot, but now the fragrance makes me very nauseated. :confused:


Hits that are now irrelevant because did I mention I've achieved minimalism???!!! :disco:

Desert Essence Body Boosting Conditioner with Jojoba and Kukui Oils - Nice, fairly natural everyday conditioner.
Nature's Gate Organics Lavender Conditioner - Nice, fairly natural everyday conditioner.
Argan Oil - Nice, but Cocoveda is better.
ACV rinse instead of conditioner. It works, but watch for dryness.

[GlassEyes]

Hits:
60th Street Forks: Dymondwood is AWESOME.
AO White Camellia: The god of all conditioners
Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition DT: The god of store-bought conditioners
GVP Conditioning Balm: Awesome as a leave in
Camellia oi: Gives shine
Curls Euphoria Elixer: THE ONLY THING THAT CAN GET MY HAIR STRAIGHT AND KEEP IT THAT WAY THUS FAR, AND WAS DISCONTINUED. D: Ah, well...it's just as well anyway.
Mineral Oil: Not really a problem for my hair. :shrug:

L'oreal Mega Moisture: GREAT coney conditioner--even thouhgh I'm mostly cone free.

Curls in a Bottle/Coffee-Coco cream: Curl Junkie products have become a holy grail for the past few days--and the CC even contains protein!
Misses:
Most gels--I can only handle certain kinds, like Biosilk Rock Hard Gelee
Protein: Not a miss, really, but I found out my hair likes certain kinds, and not others. :shrug:

[Eden_Rayn]

Hits:
Coconut Oil
Africa's Best Oil (only on damaged ends or else it looks like an oil spill happened)
Suave Shampoo and Conditioner
VO5 Shampoo and Conditioner (tea and chamomile)
S&D
Only washing 2-3 times a week
Cone Free

Misses:
Updo's. Yes I do not see any difference in splits, shed, or damage
WO- my hair just can not take it

On the Fence:
BBB
CO
CWC
Olive Oil

[Yedda]

Hits:
Little to no conditioner
Cassia
Soapnuts
Catnip tea rinses
Molasses
Cool water
LHC

Misses:
Oiling
Over conditioning
Stretching out washes too long
Hot water
Chemical coloring/highlighting, blow drying (Pre LHC)

To be determined:
Brushing
Supplements/vitamins
Boar bristle brush

[mellie89]

Hits:

- Becoming more active on LHC! :)
- Coconut oil
- Cassia
- Throwing the straightener in the garbage! :D
- Wooden brush
- Giovanni products
- Nature's Gate products
- Biotin
- Cone free
- Sleep braids
- Trimming every 6 months
- Growing out natural color

Misses:

- Suave Daily Clarifying (took a long time to figure out it has cones!)
- Stretching washing (tried every 3 days for a LONG time but my hair just likes every other day better)
- Overhandling/ hair pulling :( (I've been MUCH better lately)
- Ugly, SL cut with bangs in March
- Going on, then off, BC

*2010 will be the year of benign neglect!

[Roseate]

Hits:
Diluting my shampoo: just a drop will do me, and it makes it so easy to get all over my scalp.
Damp bunning all day, then drying overnight: soft, relaxed waves.
Flaxseed gel: holds the wurls without dryness or crunch.
Camellia oil: the only one I can use straight on dry hair
Kimberlily's defrizz spray (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=277) and Fox's shea butter (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=4586); I've been making variations of these all year long, my hair loves them!

Misses:
Mega-tek: I kinda can't believe I tried it. No luck anyway.
Measuring: I nearly drove myself mad with that tape measure, now I've hung it up for good.

[gmdiaz]

Hits:

Cutting way way way back on the amount of shampoo I use. I now use about 1/4 teaspoon in 2 cups of water.

Nature's Gate Aloe, just a couple of drops in my other shampoos.

Knowing how to test my hair to see if it needs protein or moisture. Holding a long strand, I stretch gently and release. If it snaps in two, quickly, I need more moisture pronto. If it stretches and stays stretched out when I loosen the tension, I need more protein. I do this check before every wash.

My hair loves Suave Tropical Coconut conditoner for the protein and the Suave Aloe & Water Lilly for moisture. I almost always add a small amount of Lustrasilk Oil Oil Cholestrol Conditioner as a leave in on the ends.

I love CO but have to alternate it with shampoo washes.

I rarely if ever brush or comb my hair. . .not even after shampooing. I just let my hair air dry.

Updos and hair toys: Ficcares, 60th Street and Baereis are my faves but I love hair sticks too.

Braiding my hair at night.

Vitamins!

Deep moisture treatments once a week: SMT with honey!

My hair loves jojoba and castor oil!


Misses:

Found loads of shampoos and conditioners that didn't work for me. . .dang, expensive learning process.

Lost some thickness on my ends by over conditioning my hair with too much protein, not knowing that my hair needs very LIGHT protein. I didn't know to hurry with a follow up moisturizing treatment to bring my hair back into balance. My ends got so dry and tangly that many broke off while I was practicing new updos.

[ShadowSwallow]

Hits
Stretching Washes - great success!
Diluted Shampoo - also great for my scalp
Biolage Conditioner - wonderful for crunchy ends
Olive Oil - also good for crunchy ends
Hair Toys - :D
Wearing Up More

Misses
BBB - over-oiled canopy and untouched lower one
CO - greasies!

[Marika]

Hits
Adding aloe vera gel to conditioners - tangles just fall out
Frequent oiling - I think my ends look better
Moderate cone use - helps with tangles
Damp bunning - soft and shiny waves
Updos and hairtoys

Misses
Stretching washes - ends love it but scalp gets gunky and itchy
Exclusive CO washing - ends love it but scalp gets gunky and itchy. I need to throw in CWC at least twice a week.
S&D - I used to do this all the time but my hair looks better after I stopped it

To be determined
100 % cone-free - I did this for 15 months and my hair was ok but not great, maybe I didn't find right products?
Misting - I just started to do this, so far results are good
Brushing - I started to brush again this year after 10 years of comb-only
Hair supplements/vitamins - I haven't noticed any difference

[Dreams_in_Pink]

hits:
- castor oil helps reduce massive shed : )
- jojoba oil is awesome!
- no SLS reduced my flakes considerably
- not combing hair after wash helps reduce frizz and defines waves.
misses:
- cones are bad. I made a deep treatment with a very coney leave-in conditioner and my hair was like straw next day.

O yea, looks like everything i learn here DOES work :D

[Rhiannon7]

Joining this thread.


Hits:

Henna (gives my hair luster, softness and thickness. plus gives a boost to my natural red hair )
A mix of Unrefined Shea Butter, Almond Oil and Ale Vera Gel. (definitely a hair saver! leaves hair soft, shiny and quite manegable and Protected.)
Cones (hair needs cones right now. )
Going appliance free (no more blow dryer. better for my fine hair.)
SMT´s. (Hair saver also. do not have to worry about dryness in winter or summer. )



Misses:


Going cone free (tangles galore.)
Jojoba oil ( too greasy for my hair.)
Poo bars (tangles again)
CO (good for a while but ultimately left hair limp and lifeless.)
SO (not my best idea, left tangles and other stuff in hair.)
WO (left hair limp and smelly after a while.)

[enfys]

Hits:
Aussie Long hair range: smells almost as good as it performs
SMT: Easy and nice and non greasying
Cassia: Big(ger) hair
H,S & N supplements: Good growth for 17p a day
Tangle Teezer: Best. Brush. Ever.
Turban thingy: Fast hair drying
Dying my hair black with a semi-perm dye: Stained over the red streaks so I have all one colour hair now!
Going to meets: Fun x 1,000,000
Ficcare: A clip that holds my hair? Never thought I'd see the day!

Misses:
Herbal washing: Not even stightly worth the effort and mess
Coconut oil: grease
Vatika oil: Smelly grease
ACV: Soon realised it did little but make everyone else feel queasy when they used the bathroom
So many supplements I rattle: Expensive and hassle not worth the effort.

[chickpea]

Hits:
Tangle Teezer
Joico K-pack chelating shampoo, to remove build-up
henna & indigo
amla oil
japanese camellia oil
Aura cherry almond bark conditioner
Eco Styler Krystal styling gel
shampoo bars
catnip tea soak
Philip Kingsley's elasticizer treatment

Misses:
shikakai (too drying, even with pre-wash oiling)
Garnier Fructis triple nutrition fortifying conditioner - meh. this did nothing to moisturize my hair, and was just okay for detangling.
sleep cap - I'm a restless sleeper and it just won't stay on.

[Beaglebuddy]

Hits:
olive or sweet almond oil treatments
Roux Porosity Control
Biotin supplement
Yes to Cucumbers s/c


Misses:
any form of protein
coconut oil (too much like protein)
cutting my hair to shoulder length
SMTs don't seem to generate any great effects
B2B Coconut Mango poo - latest version now has SLS in it (I Loved this shampoo before)

[Qamar]

What a great thread!

Hits:
CO washing. I started out with a shampoo once a month and CO the rest of the time, now its CO all the time with a shampoo wash once every 4 months or so. My hair couldn't be happier
Coconut milk soaks (left my hair silky, supple and insanely soft with blinding shine)
Honey--my hair adores honey.
SMT minus the aloe gel
Tangle Teezer--beyond awesome
Boxwood comb--I love mine so much that I imported three more for my kids
Camellia oil and emu oil--fantastic on hair and skin and they don't aggravate my eczema
My treasured purple heartwood hair moon
My newfound Ficcare toys...lotus maximas are the bomb-diggedy
learning a dozen or more new updos
learning 4, 5 and more strand braiding!

Misses:
Olive oil--too greasy for my hair, but it is slicker than snot as a makeup remover
Coconut oil--FAR too greasy for my hair, but coconut milk was a major hit instead
Jojoba oil--makes my hair greasy, but my crazy dry feet and skin suck it up just fine, so its re-purposed.
My beloved Mason Pearson brush (all BBB) leaves my scalp hair a greasy mess even on wash day, makes my canopy gleam like mercury in the sun but gives me eight zillion split ends. :( I'll use it now only for smoothing on updos and use my tangle teezer instead for brushing.
Making Whoopie with my hair down--nice in theory but my hair gets into either a nest of tangles or a nest of trouble. Its got to be at least braided now. :(

To be determined: Argan oil. Mine is en route from Montreal as we speak.

[Natalia]

Hits -
Going cone free
Getting rid of sulfates (happy scalp now :) )
Learning to make lotion bars (yes i do use them on my ends so i count it as hair)
COing
Aubrey Organics
SMT's (I remeber doing them a few times before i oined but now im more dilligent) ACV rinses
Ditching the brushes for a comb
Double point knitting needles for a quicky fork
Molasses (in basically anything, i love to tint :) )
Getting good scissors that motivated me to S&D
Supplements (ironically the ones that seem to help the most weren't intended for hair at all!)
Self trims

Misses -
Indian herb washing (i wanted to like it so much!)
Jojoba (when will i learn to just stop trying!)
I know there are more but im to tired and my brain is playing hide and seek :p

Yet to be determined -
Cassia
Weekdays WO
Sleep caps (still cant get anything remotly comfortable to stay on)
Scalp massage
Misting with tea
Growing out my natural hair (HATE the color and limpness but love the softess and slip)

To do for this year -
Learn to accept that when i love my length i will always hate my roots :(
Learn to accept that gel and hairspray will only give me model perfect hair till i make it to my front door (the length is good its just a root thing :rolleyes: )
Try flaxseed gel
Try diluting my shampoo
Be more dilligent in my misting experiments
Try more aloe vera experiments
Take more pictures/measure more
Perfect damp bunning
Try rag curling (still havent gone fabric hunting :( )
Seriously think about a atngle teezer
Go to a meet! I want to soooo badly!!!!
Try shampoo bars. CV here i come!
Try coconut milk soak
And lastly get a wooden comb (been wanting once for all of 09 for god sake!)

[janedoe0]

Hits:

-Shiseido Aquair Shampoo and Conditioner: After years of looking for a shampoo and conditioner that would not dry out my thick coarse hair, I finally found this stuff in 2008 and am not looking back.
-CO.E Olive Oil: I never liked the smell of straight up olive oil, but I like this refined olive oil serum that this Korean company makes. Plus, I loved the olive oil lotion that came free with it!

Misses:
-Shiseido Aquair Spray Treatment and Shiseido Aquair Creme Leave In: They sell the shampoo and conditioner in packages with free bottles of these treatments, and both have done nothing for me. The creme leave-in made my hair tangly, and the spray is smells like alcohol and is only good on occasion to mask the smell of Beijing's pollution
-Stretching out washes: I hate the smell of Beijing's pollution in my hair, so I'm sticking to ever other day.
-Shiseido Tsubaki Conditioner: Too expensive and didn't do anything.
-My purple down coat: Tangles my hair for some reason :(
-Trimming less: I used to be a trim freak, but am now slowly stretching out my trims. I'm trying to go for 6 months this time.

On the fence:
-My layers: Go between liking them and hating them. They give some movement to my stick straight hair, but I don't like the way they feel and now it's diffcult doing updos.

[MissManda]

HITS:


LHC
Continuing to go cone-/sulfate-less
Changing my brushing/combing technique
Learning to love and accept my hair
Quitting heat styling
CWC washing
Extended washes
Wearing my hair up
Flexi-8s
Quitting chemical dying
Jojoba oil/hair oiling
Aloe vera gel
Wearing hair up while sleepingMISSES:


Exposure to Los Angeles water killed my hair, especially my ends
Pre-LHC chemical dye
Self trimming
Going long periods of time without trimming
Heat styling

[Milui Elenath]

Hits
Henna - finding something that matched my natural colour, covered the greys lasting more than one wash and was natural and good for my hair - wow!
Wooden Combs wide toothed - to think I was detangling and combing with nothing but a fine toothed plastic combs. - ow and yet it worked for a long time.
Soap nuts even though I reverted to shampoo and condition temporarily
rope braids learnt to do them!
Self trim - mostly see below.

Misses
Lice comb- mechanical damage but it did lead me here.
Oat water as conditioner - crunchy and strange
quite a few homemade conditioner experiments
fancy ez comb style that included wrapping your hair around the elasticized beads. Nooo!:run:
possibly others that I have blotted out
which brings to mind a gone wrong self trim

[Katrina]

Hits
CWC. Better results than with CO.
Washing occasionally with shikakai + amla + egg
Cone free, mostly. My hair likes only a very small amount of cones.
Coconut oil
EVOO
Jojoba oil
Ketylo hair sticks
Bodyshop wooden comb
Braiding for bed
Trimming my own hair using Feye's technique
S&D
Learning to love my natural color and starting to grow it out


Misses
Boar Bristle Brush. Gives me nothing else but terrible frizz.
SMT. My hair seems to hate honey.
Henna + indigo. Makes my hair too thick and almost impossible to comb: tangles and more tangles plus I hate the smell.
Cassia. I hate the smell.
Vinegar rinses. Leaves hair dirty looking or very dry. Too non-predictable.
Coney conditioners. Oily looking hair that feels extremely dry. Weird...
Shampoo bars
Not trimming at all

[chloeishere]

Hits:
Queen Helene Mint Julep shampoo, diluted a lot... though it still isn't perfect. The best I've found recently, and makes my scalp very happy!
Cone-free Garnier Fructis conditioners (Sleek and Shine, or Triple Nutrition)-- gives my hair a ton of slip and smells great, though I can't use it near the scalp because it's too moisturizing.
CWC with Queen Helene shampoo and Garnier Fructis conditioner -- scalp happy, hair happy, me happy. :D
Trader Joe's Nourish Spa conditioner. A classic, that always works terrific, smells great, and is very cheap.
Giovanni Direct Leave-In!!! I had a feeling this would work great for me, but I never got it. Until I found one with a "Try Me Free" sticker on it! I was so excited-- it's a mail in rebate, on an item I've been wanting to try forever. And it works even better than I expected... I can actually detangle... WET! And it smells great. The only downside is that it doesn't make my hair wavier, which I was hoping for. It does make it ultra-shiny and moisturized. This might be the find of 2009.
Coconut oil.
Heat caps.
Protein treatments. Makes my hair so much better.
Hair toys
Finding a use for Trader Joe's Citrus Refresh conditioner-- works good as a CO conditioner for scalp only, with a "normal" moisturizing conditioner on the length. This stuff smells so good, but makes my hair feel terrible used as a conditioner-- absolutely no slip, almost sticky. But for CO, with something to protect the length and ends, it works great. I can finally use it!


Misses:
Whole Foods 365 shampoo (citrus)-- tons of scalp junk, hair feels waxy, sticky, and gross. Regulated to body use. It does smell nice.
SMT. Doesn't work, won't even try anymore.
Cholesterol treatments (though I may try modifying). Just doesn't do anything.
Spending too much money on hair toys I don't need. I am getting better, but not fast enough; for now, I have expensive tastes!
Trimming every 4-5 months. I need to micro-trim a lot more. My hair is getting long enough that the damaged ends are causing problems, which is making my hair feel lousy higher up. My resolution for 2010 is to try and trim at least every two months, and only take off 1/4 inch per trim.
In a related note, trimming 1-2 inches every time I trim. I grew 8 inches, but gained only 4 inches in length. BAH! That was stupid.

[MandyBeth]

Hits

CWC - My hair is just too fine to not condition before shampoo, but because of it's texture (or lack there of), if I do conditioner only, blech.
cones - I know, I know, they aren't good. But if I don't use them every other time, my hair gets so tangly and knotty. I'll keep trying to find something else
Henna - hey, at least I can see that my hair is growing now :)
Finding LHC - even if I don't have longhair yet.
No heat near my baby fine hair! No curlers, no straight irons, no blow fryers. If I wouldn't do it to a toddler's hair, I will not do it to MY hair!

Miss

2009 was the year of cutting my hair. Ick. It's taken a lot of time to get to what I have now and I'll probably have to take the bottom inch off yet, but right now, I'm trying to save what I can.

Good grief, why do people want to pet my hair????? That is the one thing that is making me consider not growing my hair out. It's jaw length and people - random strangers even - will come up and start petting my hair going "Oh, it's so soft looking". Tho that may be my hair color with henna - I am NOT a Golden Retriever! Grrrr.....

Any oil near my hair. Well, that's more going out in public. My hair will be happy if I let it slurp up jojoba oil, but it will not be pretty.

Who knows...

Biotin and l-lysine. Got me, I don't think they hurts, but I don't know if they help. Help me out otherwise, so I'll stay on.
DE - I've not seen the hair growth that people love with DE, but by now, I've been on it for 4 years, so I'll just stay on.


Aiming in 2010

Growing it out more. I'd honestly have to say if I grow out 2" in the year, I'll be doing my happy dance all over the place.
Finding something to replace the cones
Finding some way to reduce the tangles.

[LaurelSpring]

Hits:

Nightblooming/Nightshades Panacea - Love Love Love
Henna - Still a henna head, still playing with my mixes
Henna for Toes....Yeah Punjabi!
Burts Bees Conditioner
Amish Pins
Catnip
Shea Butter/Cocoa Butter/ Coconut Oil blend
Castor Oil for eyelashes
Tangle Teaser
Hairsense Bone Comb
White puffy pillow rollers with end papers
Hosiery Type hair bands
Baking soda and Dairy Whip
Dustings now

Miss:
Shampoo Bars
CO
No Trimming - this got me over the hump in 2009 but now I think dustings are better
liquid oils - I think butters are better
vinegar or citric acid - itchies
Layers!

[missjessiecakes]

Hits:

Coconut oil-Oh god this stuff makes my ends not tangle. I can talk about it for hours about all the good its done for my hair.
Wide tooth comb- It was a gift and its lovely. I use it at least 3 times a day. and it doest destroy my ringlets when they decide to show up :crush:
SMT- I add a little cinnamon because I cant stand the smell of honey, its too sweet. It adds a tingle which feels pampering to me. :D
Garnier(sp?) Always loved their products and I still do. My hair hasnt felt this healthy in ages.
Shastrix (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/member.php?u=24111)'s hair growth measuring excel chart thing :D:eyebrows:-I'm addicted
Finding LHCMisses:


Going free- Cone free, sls free etc. Doesnt work my hair likes those things
Leave in conditioner- Makes my scalp angry and my curls lank.
Flat ironing to measure length-I just do it while wet.Thats it I think I might add :)

[Aeon F.]

this sounds like fun!

Hits:
* 60th street forks- so comfy to wear and LOVE dymondwood!! (How did I live before without them?)
* Discovering so many new hair toy sellers on etsy, the swap board here, and finding out about longlocks.com. OMG the most gorgeous hairsticks on the planet!!!!!!!! Although longlocks could be both a hit and a miss, as it's seriously hurting my wallet (~$100/pair of sticks? OUCH!!)
* Finding a salon that uses organic dye- no ammonia!! Has rose hips oil in it- my hair loves it and is so shiny and soft!! Color lasts forever too. No longer do I have to spend forever trying to track down store bought organic dyes and doing it myself- making a huge mess in the process too.
* Getting bangs!!! Though this is def. a hit and a miss- hit when they don't fight me and style properly. I look like Zooey Deschanel with them! :)
* Being way more diligent with my daily vitamin regimen and upping my biotin to 5,000 mcg- tons of new baby hairs all over my head and hairs are getting thicker too! :cheese:
* Finally finding the perfect ingredients to make thick SMTs that don't drip all over my face! :D (Garnier Triple Nutrition mixed with Sally's Generic Biolage Balm with molasses and aloe).
* Aloe gel as a hair styling gel!!! Has great hold, never sticky, easy to wash out, fab for scrunching wet hair- love it!!
* Speaking of aloe gel: Finding out that aloe gel + sock buns on damp hair = the BESTEST curls ever without any heat styling/damage!!!!! :crush: Drying my hair overnight with aloe gel in a sock bun gives me these beautiful results:
http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w75/jgarver96/sockbuncurls.jpg
I haven't used a curling iron for like 2 months!!! :disco: BEST.HIT.EVER

Misses:
* Using L'Oreal vive condish & Giovanni volume boost condishes in SMTs- tangles galore!
* Using dull hair scissors to S&D- basically woke up to splits all over- I can't believe I didn't get the scissors sharpened to be on the safe side- I thought, ehhh- they're probably fine. Wrong!!
* Getting bangs- when they don't do what I want or when they part in the middle and nothing I do fixes it- arrrgghhh!!!! :steam I absolutely hate it when my bangs clump together/are piece-y instead of being nice and full, evenly spaced across my forehead.
* Never having enough expendable cash to buy all the fun hair toys I covet (ficcares, longlocks, 60th street, ketylos, more) Ahhh, I love being poor. </sarcasm> ;)



Not too many misses really- either I'm way too stuck/comfortable in my routine and not trying enough new products or else 2009 was a pretty darn good year!! If I can get to waist length in the next year- 2010 will be even better!!!!!! :D :D

[Flaxen]

Those are gorgeous curls! :grin:

[Aeon F.]

Thank you Flaxen!! :blushing:


There was def. a learning curve with the amount of aloe used- any more than just a smidgen, gives super tight little orphan Annie curls and frizz all over! hahahaha

[piratejenny23]

Hits:
LHC!!! :inlove:
going CO
avocado oil
AOHSR conditioner
Diatomaceous earth
Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition Conditioner
mayonnaise masks
Cherry Lola's treatment
molasses (externally and internally :yumm: )
fabric softener liquid, as conditioner
castor oil for eyelashes
my pantyhose sleeping cap invention :o
Pink Lotion...shiny!
vinegar rinses...shiny!
4 drops of lavender or amla/shikakai oil on a cheesecloth-wrapped paddle brush so i don't spaz out and put 1/2 cup of oil in my hair!!!
learning about scraping up a "fingernailful" of coconut oil and now i don't spaz out and put 1/2 cup of oil in my hair!!!
MSM sulfur=less shedding
biotin (2008, really...but i haven't played before, and without biotin i would probably still be at APL!)

for dandruff:
Alka-Seltzer rinses
Shapley's MTG
Iodine (liquid, externally & internally)
Sea Breeze

Misses:
Garnier Fructis 3 Minute Undo
leave-ins of any kind
hair dye--tragic allergic reaction!!!
"dry-cleaning" my hair with baby powder
glycerin
no 'poo (baking soda "wash" and vinegar "condition")

[Upside Down]

HITS:
Going all natural.
Henna.
Lush Caca Noir :cheese:
Updos most of the time

MISSES:
Aloe gel.
Sage tea.

Very few misses, I conisder myself lucky :)

[plainjanegirl]

Hits:
LHC!!! :inlove:
going CO
avocado oil
AOHSR conditioner
Diatomaceous earth
Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition Conditioner
mayonnaise masks
Cherry Lola's treatment
molasses (externally and internally :yumm: )
fabric softener liquid, as conditioner
castor oil for eyelashes
my pantyhose sleeping cap invention :o
Pink Lotion...shiny!
vinegar rinses...shiny!
4 drops of lavender or amla/shikakai oil on a cheesecloth-wrapped paddle brush so i don't spaz out and put 1/2 cup of oil in my hair!!!
learning about scraping up a "fingernailful" of coconut oil and now i don't spaz out and put 1/2 cup of oil in my hair!!!
MSM sulfur=less shedding
biotin (2008, really...but i haven't played before, and without biotin i would probably still be at APL!)

for dandruff:
Alka-Seltzer rinses
Shapley's MTG
Iodine (liquid, externally & internally)
Sea Breeze

Misses:
Garnier Fructis 3 Minute Undo
leave-ins of any kind
hair dye--tragic allergic reaction!!!
"dry-cleaning" my hair with baby powder
glycerin
no 'poo (baking soda "wash" and vinegar "condition")





I am curious what is your panyhose sleeping cap invention????

[plainjanegirl]

this sounds like fun!

Hits:
* 60th street forks- so comfy to wear and LOVE dymondwood!! (How did I live before without them?)
* Discovering so many new hair toy sellers on etsy, the swap board here, and finding out about longlocks.com. OMG the most gorgeous hairsticks on the planet!!!!!!!! Although longlocks could be both a hit and a miss, as it's seriously hurting my wallet (~$100/pair of sticks? OUCH!!)
* Finding a salon that uses organic dye- no ammonia!! Has rose hips oil in it- my hair loves it and is so shiny and soft!! Color lasts forever too. No longer do I have to spend forever trying to track down store bought organic dyes and doing it myself- making a huge mess in the process too.
* Getting bangs!!! Though this is def. a hit and a miss- hit when they don't fight me and style properly. I look like Zooey Deschanel with them! :)
* Being way more diligent with my daily vitamin regimen and upping my biotin to 5,000 mcg- tons of new baby hairs all over my head and hairs are getting thicker too! :cheese:
* Finally finding the perfect ingredients to make thick SMTs that don't drip all over my face! :D (Garnier Triple Nutrition mixed with Sally's Generic Biolage Balm with molasses and aloe).
* Aloe gel as a hair styling gel!!! Has great hold, never sticky, easy to wash out, fab for scrunching wet hair- love it!!
* Speaking of aloe gel: Finding out that aloe gel + sock buns on damp hair = the BESTEST curls ever without any heat styling/damage!!!!! :crush: Drying my hair overnight with aloe gel in a sock bun gives me these beautiful results:
http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w75/jgarver96/sockbuncurls.jpg
I haven't used a curling iron for like 2 months!!! :disco: BEST.HIT.EVER

Misses:
* Using L'Oreal vive condish & Giovanni volume boost condishes in SMTs- tangles galore!
* Using dull hair scissors to S&D- basically woke up to splits all over- I can't believe I didn't get the scissors sharpened to be on the safe side- I thought, ehhh- they're probably fine. Wrong!!
* Getting bangs- when they don't do what I want or when they part in the middle and nothing I do fixes it- arrrgghhh!!!! :steam I absolutely hate it when my bangs clump together/are piece-y instead of being nice and full, evenly spaced across my forehead.
* Never having enough expendable cash to buy all the fun hair toys I covet (ficcares, longlocks, 60th street, ketylos, more) Ahhh, I love being poor. </sarcasm> ;)



Not too many misses really- either I'm way too stuck/comfortable in my routine and not trying enough new products or else 2009 was a pretty darn good year!! If I can get to waist length in the next year- 2010 will be even better!!!!!! :D :D




Great curls ! And from just wearing a sock bun?

[Aeon F.]

Great curls ! And from just wearing a sock bun?

Yup! On damp hair with a bit of aloe gel.. It's the modified sock bun method by Loepsie

See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I13J7ArHTkM

Let it completely dry overnight and in the morning? Take out of bun and Voila! :D

[plainjanegirl]

Yup! On damp hair with a bit of aloe gel.. It's the modified sock bun method by Loepsie

See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I13J7ArHTkM

Let it completely dry overnight and in the morning? Take out of bun and Voila! :D


Oh ok I thought you meant a regular sock bun....I was ready to go wet my hair and try it now.
For the life of me I never could get my hair to cooperate with the newer sock bun. It ended up being a tangled mess.

[AgnesONutter]

I constantly battle my seborrhoea. Almost everything aggravates it, and if it does not aggravate my scalp the rest of my hair does not like it. My lists:

Hits:
- ACV rinses every now and then, when my scalp is really acting up. I don't know why, but it helps quite a bit.
- Bodyshop Wooden Comb, for detangling my hair.
- Bodyshop wooden paddle brush, which I picked up when my Mason Pearson started to die on me after more than 20 years of servicing my family. Once my hair is detangled, it smooths the whole thing out quickly and easily without tangling or breaking my hair.
- Hairsticks, I bought one that wasn't the best of quality, but still I got the principle and would like more.
- Safflower+jojoba+aloe vera gel treatment, massaged into my scalp and hair. Really helps when my scalp is really, really dry. And my hair is soft for weeks after. I put it in before going to bed and wash it out in the morning.
- Banana conditioner and shampoo from Bodyshop, the best shampoo and conditioner I have tried this year. Left my hair soft, and my scalp reasonably happy in comparison to other products I have tried.

Misses:
- Lush shampoo bars (Squeeky Green and Soak 'n' Float). Cleans well, my lengths rather like them, fun to use and easy to travel with but does not work with my scalp. Too drying, when used regularly, simply.
- CV shampoo bars. My scalp loved them, but my water is really hard and so even with ACV rinses it was hard to get them to rinse out of my hair, resulting all too easily in waxy and greasy looking hair. Too time consuming, simply. I might get Citrus & Chamomile for the occasional wash when my scalp is acting up, however.

[xoxophelia]

Hits:
Turning the heat way way down (from blow dryers, curlers, straightners, shower water)
-rarely do I touch up my hair with a blow dryer when it is nearly dry. not too bad
-Shampooing less often. My hair has become much less frizzy
-biting the bullet and stopped using semi-perm hair color again. Time to let is fade/grow out
-trying my now second overnight oil treatment!! :)
-waiting to trim

Misses:
-shampooing less... the semi perm color washes out much slower and it is more obvious ; _ ;
-using heat tools on my hair in the summer more often
-putting sun in through the front pieces of my hair over the summer to make the semi perm color I was growing out less noticable.

So!.. I am giving my hair more time to grow out before this summer so the sun doesn't hit my roots and I have serious demarcation.

[Merewen]

HIT:

Stumbling on this place.

CO

Stretching washes. I'm at about a week between washes, more or less.

Olive oil. My hair loves the stuff.

Only combing in the shower gently with condish. I used to rip my brush through my hair. My poor poor hair.

Plopping. Gives me some purty curls.

S&D

MISS:

Organix shampoo and condish. My hair was so dry...

Shampoo bars. They looked like a hit initially, but they gave me crazy split ends. I get enough of those anyway.

Jojoba oil. I've been trying to use it in various concoctions, but it just doesn't do as nicely as the olive oil. At all.

[Chrissy]

To me this thread proves that what's good for one person may not be good for another. So if anyone starts feeling guilty for using cones for example or any other thing just remember this thread. YMMV is always a good thought.

[Cimorene]

Hits:
--Deciding to grow my hair out :D
--Satin pillowcase :sleep:
--Using shampoo on my scalp only and conditioning only the hair below my ears-- my scalp gets cleaned without getting greasy, and my ends don't get shampooed to death
--Nature's Gate Chamomile S/C -- made my hair SO soft!
--Garnier S/C -- cheaper than Nature's Gate, and seems to work just fine so far
--Garnier leave-in conditioner -- my hair likes this in SMALL quantities, if applied while my hair is wet
--Satin scrunchies
--Keeping my hair tied back more often
--Squeezing excess water from hair instead of towel rubbing
--Conair combination nylon/boar bristle brush -- I have to be VERY careful with it, but using it allows me go more than a day between washings without my hair looking like I've been bobbing for chicken in a deep fryer

Misses:
--Tying my hair back at night -- until my layers grow out enough for me to braid it, I have to wear it down at night -- I just can't sleep with a ponytail
--Suave S/C -- I LOVE the smell and the price, but the shampoo makes my head itch like crazy, and the conditioner just doesn't do enough for my dye-damaged ends
--Hair dye :nono:
--Plastic combs -- even my wide-tooth comb snags my hair. Am still looking for a good wooden comb
--Fantasia Leave-in Aloe Moisturizer -- helps with detangling, but somehow makes my hair feel dry :confused:

[Arctic]

Year 2009 was a bad year for me hair health and length wise, but I have learned so much new things about me and my hair that it will be all and all more on the positive side. The last months of the 2009 my hair has been getting better and better all the time and it's been growing super fast too. I can expect 2010 to be a great year hairwise, as I now know to avoid the things that made my hair horrible and things that work for me.


HITS

- Ascorbic acid rinses. They gave me my soft, flexible hair back, I don't know what I would have done if I wouldn't have tried them!? I might have given up on my long hair dreams all together.
I still don't know what the build-up was the ascorbic acid removed, but it was making my hair horrible. I think it was somekind of mineral/metal buildup from the tap water. Ascorbic acid also helped to make my hairs more smooth really closing down the cuticle, which I learned tends to get raised by my alcaline tap water.

- Realizing what a huge effect the water one uses has to one's hair.

- Avoiding protein. With the ascorbic acid, this has been the best thing happening to my hair, which I have learned is quite sensitive to proteins (my hair's protein/moisture balance was off).

- Very regular moisturizing, my hair seems to prefere getting a daily dose of moisture, which I usually give to it before bedtime.

- Realizing my hair gets build-up very easily. This was a huge relevation, as many of the things that are popular here didn't work for me, like leaving some conditioner unrinsed, many leave-ins, CO washings, CWC (took a long time to realize this one!), etc... After I finally did figure this out my hair has been so much better! I switched back to regular S+C; I can even use leave-ins, now that I know how to apply it to not make my hair sticky and tangly. Speaking of tangles, sorting this out has made my hair quite tangle-free and a joy to comb through!
I have become more aware of the coating ingredients in hair care products, though I still am learning what exact ingredients my hair likes and doesn't like.

- Drying hair with t-shirt turban instead of towel turban. It's so light in weight and does as good job on absorbing excess water after a hair wash as towels did.

- I have sensitive scalp and it took a long time to find a balanced routine that makes both scalp and hair happy, but I finally have it figured out, and year 2009 was a great year for my scalp!

- Pre-wash oiling with EVOO. This doesn't irritate my acneprone skin/scalp even if I use it fairly regularly. Yay! Also pre-wash conditioning sometimes is nice treat. And last but not least, prewash scalp treatment with vinegar is an old favourite of mine.

- Deep treatments (after wash) every now and then (I'm a bit lazy about them and pre-wash treatments seem to be more doable for me).

- Learning to love my natural colour and waves! Continuing growing out henna.

- Honey. It's amazing stuff, very moisturizing! For me it's most beneficial when I dilute my shampoo with it. Also tried my first SMTs in 2009 and they are nice too.

- Asking help when I have hair dilemma I can't answer myself.

- Learning not to obsess with my hair. (I still need to work on couple hair related areas with this but it has gotten so much better all the time!)

- Aloe, vinegar for scalp, EOs, XZ Xylitol conditioner...

- Learning from mistakes, reflecting the past from time to time, keeping hair journal...

- Pillow plopping, gives me fantastic waves!

- Joining trchotillomania support group.

- Senza Limiti metal hair fork :cheese:



MISSES

- Trichotillomania. First it was part of the reason I created a big dent in my hemline, and at the end of the year I pulled out so much hair I created a bald spot. I am working on this all the time and I am making progress. I am being positive I can get it back to hibernating state because I have done it before. The bald spot is growing in as I type!

- Over-enthusiastic S&Ding. This is one of the things I still obsess if I allow myself to S&D at all (thus I have limited it).
Mistaking wiry hairs for damage and continuing S&Ding them even after realizing they are not damaged and thus creating a big dent in the hemline, which leads to -with trichotillomania and shedding and huge breakage (from protein and apparently minerals overload/buildup)- thinned, ugly hemline, which leads to desparation and impulsive big cut from almost BSL up to shoulders.

- Waiting too long before starting to act/finding answers. Being too proud to admit I don't know it all :laugh: Not asking for help. Whining in my hair journal but not doing anything for months.

I am not the most patient person but I have learned to be more patient with my hair here in LHC. The thing is it turns out to be wrong kind of patience. :bigeyes: If I would have really started to seek help and answers when the symptoms appeared at the end of 2008/beginning of 2009, I would probably have a hair well past BSL now with even hemline.

If I would have figured out why my hair was so coarse and weird, breaking off and getting damaged for no reason (as it seemed to me) I would have been able to fix it earlier in 2009 (with no-protein routine and ascorbic acid rinses as I later found) I might have been able to avoid the re-appearance of trichotillomania which had been under control for many many years but was triggered by the unpleasant texture my hair strands had taken little by little.

Ofcourse there is nothing good in crying over spilled milk, what happened, happened and now I have learned about it and am moving on. I made some mistakes and bad choises but it's just hair, it grows :)

--> After figuring out I had over-proteinated hair I did not get it into my head I should give up ALL protein-y products and heavily moisturize immediately and consistently. Just reducing the proteins does not help. Replacing protein conditioner with non-protein, moisturizing conditioner but still using protein-y shampoo does not fix the problem. People don't wait till your hair is breaking off from protein overload to act.

--> ... which leads me to: When my hair was breaking off really badly, I went into denial about it. Don't do that. Act.

- Not rinsing enough. Leaving conditioner unrinsed. Perpetual buildup.

- Stretching washes to more than every other day (gives me scalp problems).

- Obsessing about the texture of individual hair strands, esp. the wiry ones I seem to have quite much. This, S&D obsession and trichotillomania are related.

[Kuchen]

- Realizing my hair gets build-up very easily. This was a huge relevation, as many of the things that are popular here didn't work for me, like leaving some conditioner unrinsed, many leave-ins, CO washings, CWC (took a long time to realize this one!), etc... After I finally did figure this out my hair has been so much better! I switched back to regular S+C; I can even use leave-ins, now that I know how to apply it to not make my hair sticky and tangly. Speaking of tangles, sorting this out has made my hair quite tangle-free and a joy to comb through!
I have become more aware of the coating ingredients in hair care products, though I still am learning what exact ingredients my hair likes and doesn't like.


Me too! A whole load of things which were wonderful for other LHCers were disappointing on me, and now I realise why.

[Monsterkitti]

Hits:

Taking vitamins daily

Continuing with weekly washes

Coconut oil (may be 2008 cant remember) - Lovely soft and happy ends, it soaks in straight away.

Damp bunning - Hair is so much softer and happier

Sleeping with hair in a high bun - No more huge tangles, less breakage, works much better than the sleep braid I tried in 2008.

Changing to BAQ henna from Lush - So much easier to wash out and great colour!

Hennaing just my ponytail - Helps my ends and also gives great colour :)

Wearing hair up all the time / Updo challenges - Really cut down on breakage

Learning a bigger range of updos - Not just my trusty cinnabun

Misses:

Kelp - No real results but will finish the bottle anyway :)

Biotin - No real difference as far as I can see

Coconut milk - greasy and horrible results

CO - I like my weekly washes and with CO have to wash every 2-3 days

Soap nuts and herb washing - Worked well but DBF hated the smell. Also more time consuming.

[AstrayStar]

Hits:
-Technically have been no poo for almost 3 yrs now. Hair is fuller, wavier and happier (bs/acv every 2-3 days Was continuously weaning the amount of bs needed: started off 1 tbsp per cup water-- last used 1/4 tsp per cup of water. Until a couple months ago: I am now experimenting with water only/herbs)
-Calendula tea rinse
-Hibiscus tea rinse
-a variation of Fox's Shea Butter Conditioning Cream (replaced conditioner with cocoa butter and jojoba)
- coconut oil
- honey
- acv rinses

Misses:
- any shampoo
- co washes = lank hair
- fenugreek = itchyness

Still experimenting with Indian herbs and some other herbs.

[cocolover]

Hmmm.... I experimented so much it might be hard to remember all of this :)

Hits:
GVP conditioning balm as a leave-in
Garnier Triple Nutr
Argan oil, when used every few days
CWC once a week, CO every few days the rest of the week
Honey
Henna glosses
Misting my hair daily
Rosewater in mister bottle
diluting shampoo in a separate bottle, shaking to make a foam
Ketylos-fave hairstick
Oiling scalp-when I am religious about this, my shed goes down

Misses:
cones-tried them after 5 years of no cones, what a mess, tangles and breakage
Oiling every day-no matter the oil, it leads to crunchiness for me
CO only without a CWC once a week-got very flat, limp hair near scalp
Ficcares-probably user error, but they pull and come out for me
Flexi-8-again may be user error
Glycerin-hair does not like this


On the fence:
Caramel treatment-has to be light or I can't get it out, seems to make ends crunchy

[Lamb]

HITS:
- Going back to S&C. My hair and scalp need shampoo.
- Neoma's hybrid washing method. A gentler alternative to S&C.
- Remaining cone-free.
- Covering my hair in strong sunshine, wind, and cold. The snoods from "Garlands of Grace" have been a godsend! :)
- Growing out my bangs.

MISSES:
- My impatience coupled with stupidity which led me to get a haircut. :doh:

[Lamb]

- Realizing what a huge effect the water one uses has to one's hair.
[snip]
- Realizing my hair gets build-up very easily. This was a huge relevation, as many of the things that are popular here didn't work for me, like leaving some conditioner unrinsed, many leave-ins, CO washings, CWC (took a long time to realize this one!), etc... After I finally did figure this out my hair has been so much better! I switched back to regular S+C; I can even use leave-ins, now that I know how to apply it to not make my hair sticky and tangly. Speaking of tangles, sorting this out has made my hair quite tangle-free and a joy to comb through!
I have become more aware of the coating ingredients in hair care products, though I still am learning what exact ingredients my hair likes and doesn't like.

- Drying hair with t-shirt turban instead of towel turban. It's so light in weight and does as good job on absorbing excess water after a hair wash as towels did.

Yep, all of these too. :agree: Except I use an old pillowcase instead of a t-shirt.

[violeteyes]

Hits:
aubrey organics honeysuckle rose conditioner- hate the smell, love the results
Pureology instant repair leave-in conditioner= super shiny hair
Loreal everpure moisture conditioner
Devacare Low-poo shampoo- helps control my oil problem

Can't figure out if it's a hit or a miss...
Jojoba oil
Boar Bristle brush
both make my hair super shiny, but also REALLY greasy

Miss:
Olive oil- don't like the smell or the feeling in my hair
Plastic combs with seams
Bone combs= animal cruelty, in my opinion
head and shoulders citrus shampoo- dries out my hair
Loreal everpure moisture shampoo: shampoo with silicones is a no-no for me
Body shop nettle shampoo- also dries hair out

[Aer]

Hits:

Rosemary Green Tea Shampoo Bar with Silk By Sweet Creeks Herbs (Thank You Luzee)
Aveda Damage Remedy Treatment
Rose Otto in Jojoba by Aura Cacia
Almond oil
Sunflower oil
Palmrosa essential oil
Body Shop Wooden Comb
Rhassoul Clay as Shampoo (Hooray for FaeFlame!)
Henna mixed with oils and baking cocoa as a nurturing gloss ( Hair experiment # 11 was pretty cool)
Dark Of The Moon Henna

Skincare Hits:

Dr Hauschka's Eye Cream
Be Fine Cleanser
Australian Olive Green Clay
EvanHealy Blue Chamomile Day Cream
Weleda Rose Night Cream
Manuka Honey
Sea Kelp

Miss:

Pantene 2 in 1 Full and Thick (Total scalp disaster and dried my hair bad)
Mayo mixed with eggs and glycerin (Hair experiment #7 was a mess, and left hair sticky)
Avalon Organics Lavender Conditioner
Straight Castile Soap as shampoo


Skincare Miss:

Olay products
Max Factor Foundation

Not Sure Yet:

Lancome Absolute Night Recovery Treatment ( it's okay, just a little too chemical for me
Clinique Dramatically Different lotion ( it's also okay, but it doesn't wow me)
Paddle Brushes

[JamieLeigh]

I'm sure I'm leaving some stuff out - I'll come back and edit if I think of anything else that I've tried and loved or hated. :)

Hits:

CO washing - I started it in January of 09, working it in slowly to my routine, and today I do it exclusively. I think I probably washed 4 times with shampoo all year long. :D
Cone-free conditioner - my hair ADORES it, and is so much less tangly than it was on cones.
Suave Naturals tropical coconut - this is what I started out with, and I switch out to this every so often.
Giovanni Tea Tree Triple Treat - I love this conditioner too, especially the way it makes the scalp tingle!
Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition - I have been using this a lot lately, and love its smell and the way the oils in it soften up my length. :)
Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition 3 Minute Undo - my go-to deep condish of the moment. Has the same three oils as the regular conditioner of the same title.
EVOO - I started on this earlier in the year and got excellent results, especially when I would leave it on overnight.
Coconut oil - I gave this a try and loved it even more!
Honey - I started making deep treatments out of honey and Suave Naturals tropical coconut condish, and I still use them once a month. I love the softness and shine.
Hair sticks - I bought my first onces, I believe, in 09, and I am absolutely hooked. Maybe forks will make it to next year's list. ;)

Misses:

ACV - My hair rebelled in a major frizz-out way, so no thank you!!
Aussie Moist products - This was what I used before I went cone-free, CO, and after a couple of months when I tried them out again out of curiosity, I had SO MANY TANGLES and my hair felt so dry. :( I had to re-clarify and start over on my CO. Never again!
BBB on my entire length - I only use it now for smoothing out my updos. I found it to be a bit damaging on the finer parts of my hair, and since I oil frequently, there is no need to brush the sebum down my length (and I question if I ever really used it enough before to have ever really done that properly)
Sleeping in braids - No-no for me, my ends kinked up like crazy afterwards and I feel a bit more paranoid for damage when I do this. Loose it is!

[Rusalka]

HITS:
- Letting my hair wurl! Feels amazing to let my hair be natural after years of trying to straighten it out :)
- CWC
- no heat styling
- air drying
- Aloe Vera as a styling gel
- stretching out time btw washes
- henna


MISSES:
- LUSH henna (It gives me a very weak stain after 6-8hrs! I tried it twice & I am going back to BAQ henna)
- updos (I can't do anything at this awkward length)
- hair salons (I am putting a restraining order against myself. I can't appear within a 100 meters of any hair salon all of 2010)

[Olde Soul]

Hits:
--Henna! Love it and I'll never go back.
--Cutting henna 50/50 with yogurt. I can stretch 100g enough for two full application on my t-bone length hair with some to spare. Plus, the color's still pretty rich and it's much easier to rinse out.
--ACV. My hair loves it.
--Honey. Same as above.
--Aloe Vera. I put it in my conditioner, I use it as gel for my braids, I even use it for face cream. Good stuff.
--Cold water rinses.
--Hairstyling tutorials on Youtube. I can do so many more interesting things with my hair and it motivates me to wear it up more often.

On the fence:
--Hair, Skin & Nails vitamins. I keep forgetting to take them regularly and haven't noticed much of a difference anyway.
--Giovanni Vitapro Fusion. It makes my ends very strong and shiny, but a little wiry. Need to figure out a good balance.
--FX Silk Drops. Great detangler but it seems like there would be a ton of buildup, so I feel guilty using it.
--S&D. I know it's a good thing but I think I'm using the wrong scissors and they might be doing more harm than good. It seems like I get a ton of new splits every day.
--Coconut oil. Can't tell if it's helping or not, but it makes my hair really greasy and doesn't seem to absorb.
--Sweet almond oil. Same as above.

Misses:
--CO. My hair just got too greasy too fast.
--Deep treatments with oil on my scalp. Again, too greasy too fast.
--Rinsing conditioner down my back. Makes my back break out like crazy.

[Belledandy]

It's so neat to see what worked (or did) for others! It sounds like most folks had a good year.

Hits:
Keeping a hair journal: I can keep track of recipes and better diagnose if something is wrong with my hair or if there's a change in my shedding.
CWC: Unless it's with a protein conditioner. The difference in the length and ends just by doing this alone was astonishing.
Updos! I couldn't get the hang of them before.
Indian herbs: My hair likes them. I do too, but it's kinds messy.Still looking for a better delivery system for them.
Vitamins. Helps growth rate a lot, if I remember to take them.

Misses:
Stretching washings I can do every other day, but that's my comfort limit.
Combing only: I lose the same amount of hairs with careful brushing as careful combing. My scalp likes the brushing.
CO: Hair just never felt or acted "right"
Protein on my ends: Instant horse tail.

[justgreen]

2009 Hits

Finally finding coney products that I like and using them regularly without problems. L'oreal Everpure without sulphates. I dilute the shampoo and get tons of lather on my scalp using an applicator bottle with a nozzle. The shampoo does not make my scalp itch or rashy around the face line. The conditioner is now second in line as my Holy Grail. First in line is still Sebastion Volume Conditioner , love to mix them too. Put a shower cap over the the head and finish my shower duties and get a moisture treatment at the same time.

Benign neglect. Had a lot of health issues this year, especially the last half and have not shown my hair much love, other than to use the Everpure conditioner as a leave-in after washing.

Trimmed my length a tiny bit, but really need a good dusting and shaping. Haven't had one in over two years.

Decided my bangs were too dense, divided them in half and am growing the back half out. They are long enough now to go behind my ears.

Also cut some face framing layers in and when I go to the salon for a trim, I will get those done correctly.

Still using a distilled water rinse after washing. This helps sluice all the minerals from the the hard water, off my hair before they have time to attach.

Still using a cold rinse after conditioning. Hair shines and my ends are tame.

Still using my dog towel, thank you LisaJaney may I have another?

STill using SMT on occaision, especially after having my roots foiled and bleached. My hair is quite healthy , thank you.

Found the PERFECT shower cap from Avon, it's small and fits very snug, I have two of them . One for using with conditioner, one for using when I just want to shower without washing my hair. Keeps my hair nice and dry.



2009 Misses

I can't think of any misses. I'm way past the experimental crazy stage. I still like to try new stuff, but I'm fairly set in my ways and like the two or three products that I can rotate.

[Honeybun21]

Hits:

JOINING LHC!

Giving up the brush made SUCH a difference! Now I comb gently, treating my hair like lace, and have much longer, smoother hair as a result.

Asking for a 'dusting' at the hair salon- that way, they know that if they cut more than an inch you will kill them :eyebrows: Got a beautiful trim and face framing angles that I LOVE, without losing any real length except for the damaged tails of ends.

Hot rollers- yes, I know they are heat, but for special occasions they look lovely. They lasted all day and evening for my Grandfather's wake- wonderful when you need a polished style that will last.

Ficcares- have not bought one yet, but spent a lovely afternoon trying them on at Nordstrom and a soon a I get a little cash, I'm indulging :o

Misses:

Flexi-8's- the XL does not hold all of my hair! Even the largest custom ones won't work, because my hair is angled from chin to waist and little hairs jut out all over (not the pretty, smooth look others have with the flexi). And I bought 5 at once for Christmas. Oy.

Rag curls - look awesome in the morning and are gone by lunch. They loosen even when covered in spray. Hot rollers, on the other hand, worked great!


Love this thread :) Honey

[paisley]

Hits:
-Starting to use conditioner and schampoo instead of soap
-Coconut oil
-Fructis triple nutrition conditioner
-Cassia treatments

Misses:
- Massive dreadlock detangling damaged my hair
- CO method, my whirls went crazy
- Naturelle conditioner, cheap and smelly
- Not using a hat when skiing (lots of split ends as a result)

[YourEggcellency]

I love this thread!

Hits:

HENNA: switching from chemical dyes at my salon was both wonderful for my hair & my bank account
CWC: so luxurious & good to my length
JOJOBA OIL: it is my hair's favourite food--it just soaks it up!
BRAIDS: hadn't had braids since I was a kid when my mom would do my hair in the morning, but they have made my life so much easier now, & saves my hair during the night
HAIR TOYS: oh god, I'm ashamed to calculate all I've spent on hair toys--Raven's Lair, Barefoot Maiden, Ficcare, Nightblooming...but it's hurts so goooood...
SHAMPOO BARS: Chagrin Valley is fantastic & even with all the bars I want to try, it's still cheaper than my old liquid shampoos, & gives me WAY more body

Misses:

CO: ugh, the grease!
Biotin: ugh, the acne!

[nowxisxforever]

Hits:

Sunsilk Mister: Great for keeping the static out of my hair in the winter.


I got this stuff, too, the anti-static spray from one of the Grocery Outlets -- I really like it, actually!

[Leena7]

Hits:
Olive Oil treatments for about 20 minutes before washing
Bangs!
Trim
Garnier's 3 minute undo and Aussie's three minute miracle. I switch between the two.

Misses:
Organix Coconut shampoo
Trying not to wash as often. My hair looked flat and bad...

[Wally]

I'll play. Thanks everyone for the great ideas.

Hits:

LHC!!
GVP Conditioning Balm from Sallys
AO Camellia Oil conditioner
Aloe Gel (AO B5)
Olive Oil pretreatment before a wash

Misses:

Burts Bees Grapefruit shampoo
Coney conditioner

[Gingevere]

What a great idea for a thread!

Hits :thumbsup:
-CV shampoo bars & catnip-infused ACV rinses (where have you been all my life?!)
-going longer between washings
-doing the natural/organic thing
-cutting out heat styling completely
-combing instead of brushing
-silk sleep cap
-coconut oil
-Amish pins

Misses :doh:
-Straight hair sticks
-Citrus rinses
-S&D (I just can't keep up!)

More hits than misses... always a good thing.

[clairenewcastle]

HIT - Catnip rinses for not only is it leaving my hair softer than most conditioners, using it has started an unbelievable growth spurt.
HIT - The Body Shop wooden comb for it has completely stopped my hair static problem.
HIT - Washing my hair as little as possible. When I joined LHC I was washing once a week, now I shampoo once a fortnight.
HIT - Not cutting.
HIT - Hairsticks! Hairsticks! Hairsticks! (Yes, I'm rather fond of them) :cheese:

MISS - Conditioner. Any conditioner. Once I switched to catnip rinses my shedding when rinsing conditioner from my hair stopped.
MISS - Vinegar. I know a lot of people swear by it but using it was a huge mistake for me.
MISS - Clay washes. I only tried this once. It was one of the most damaging things I ever done to my hair.
MISS - "Sun-In". Hair-death in a bottle. Why, oh why did I ever use it? :confused:

[Leela613]

HITS

LHC
Wide tooth comb
Coconut oil
Shea butter
Wearing My Hair Up
Hairsticks
Henna
No-cone

MISSES

Sesame oil
Olive oil
Biosilk - silk filler

[chicken]

HITS:
- Cutting a good amount - now I have virgin hair again. Good bye perm!
- let my shaved nape grow out
- being able to put hair up again

MISSES:
- starting no combing
- using not-natural shampoo
- trying to avoid conditioner

[morguebabe]

HITS:
Back to CHI Silk Infusion, the best coney serum ever, at least for my hair.



Love that stuff.