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DaniiL
February 10th, 2010, 02:14 PM
What is "taking good care of your hair" to you?

What is your hair routine?

What do you do?
And what do you NOT do anymore?

Maybe you have wrote about this a thousand times before...

But since I'm new here it would be intresting to get a lot of tips and your experiences in one thread! :)

coscass
February 10th, 2010, 02:28 PM
Things I don't do anymore (very often):
Don't use shampoo (I use it once every month, about, just to clarify)
Don't use 'cones (not knowingly, anyway)
Blowfry (VERY rarely do I do this, and if I do it's because I need to go out/it's too cold in the house to have wet hair)
flat iron (I haven't done this in a month or so, but I might do it occasionally)
Heat styling (I let my friend crimp it about a month and a half ago, otherwise I stay away from heat styling as much as I can)
Scrub wet hair with a towel
Put it into a ratty bun/ponytail and leave it for a week
Brush my hair

Things I do now:
CO washes
AVC rinses
Detangling in the shower, with wet, CO coated hair
Braids (when I'm in bed and just for fun)
Buns
Plopping
DTs
Air dry

All in all my hair is pretty dang healthy- but I still feel like I'm missing some big key to the "healthy hair" puzzle.

jera
February 10th, 2010, 02:52 PM
I don't use any heat appliances and this is hard because I live in a cold climate and my hair is tailbone length and takes a while to dry. So NO blowdryers, curling irons, or flat irons. I don't use towels to dry my hair. I just blot my hair with a towel but NO rubbing. I don't use shampoo with sulfates :( way too harsh. I don't use brushes of any kind - ever !:p

I do CO washes and clarifying as needed with sls free poo. I oil my ends, use seamless combs, Indian herb masques, and I take tons of hair vitamins, eat right with lots of fresh fruit and veggies, and I exercise like a fiend to keep my circulation ( in scalp and elsewhere ) healthy. I drink lots of water too. :D

Lamb
February 10th, 2010, 03:06 PM
"good care" is care that is appropriate to one's hairtype, hair length, and lifestyle.
There are things that are generally acknowledged to be "bad" for your hair. Heat-styling regularly, for instance. Perms, overdoing the chemical dye.

But other things, while often described as "good care" (like not using shampoo) do not work for everyone. If you do physical work or sports, have an oily scalp, or live in a dusty place, going a week between washes is not as good an idea as it sounds. For a curly, using a brush is generally not hair-friendly. For a person with 1c hair, it is.

One man's medicine is another man's poison and all that. You need to find the right routine for yourself. There are things you may want to eliminate (heat-styling, back-combing or teasing, ripping a comb through wet hair etc.), but otherwise, haircare is a very open field.

Dementia1013
February 10th, 2010, 03:18 PM
"good care" is care that is appropriate to one's hairtype, hair length, and lifestyle.
There are things that are generally acknowledged to be "bad" for your hair. Heat-styling regularly, for instance. Perms, overdoing the chemical dye.

But other things, while often described as "good care" (like not using shampoo) do not work for everyone. If you do physical work or sports, have an oily scalp, or live in a dusty place, going a week between washes is not as good an idea as it sounds. For a curly, using a brush is generally not hair-friendly. For a person with 1c hair, it is.

One man's medicine is another man's poison and all that. You need to find the right routine for yourself. There are things you may want to eliminate (heat-styling, back-combing or teasing, ripping a comb through wet hair etc.), but otherwise, haircare is a very open field.

I don't :
-blowdry
-Heat style
-Tease
-Towel dry
-use product (mousse, hairspray)
-use cones
-Sleep with it loose
-Tightly braid it

I do:
-air dry
-braid for braid waves
-CO
-rinse with cold water
-oil with coconut oil on a regular basis
-S&D split ends
-french braid for bed under a satin sleep cap
-use wide toothed bone combs to detangle in the shower
-use my Acca Kappa beechwood paddle brush when my hair is dry

elina333
February 10th, 2010, 03:22 PM
I DONT:
- Wash my hair more than twice a week (I use regular schampoo since I work out a lot)
- Blowfry (not even when its cold out, I prefer to wear a hoodie instead)
- Use heat appliances (sometimes I do but not very often)
- Put my hair up in a ponytail while running, I now braid it
- Smoke
- Drink alcohol (at least not very often :p)
- Use brushes
- Trim it at the salon

I DO:
- Sleep on a satin pillow case
- Eat vitamins specially formulated for my hair (contains biotin, silica etc)
- Eat lots of protein
- Eat lots of fruit, berries and veggies
- Braid my hair a lot, especially at night and while at the gym
- S&D
- Use soft elastics without metal
- Use coconut oil like crazy :p

One thing I still do which is superbad is bleaching it... I get my roots highlighted at the salon, but im gonna try to stretch it to every four months instead of every other. Im addicted, so giving it up completely is not an option ;)

Well these are some things that I've adopted so far... I was already doing (or not doing) some of them before I joined here but now its almost as a religion :D

Good luck and happy growing! :pegasus:

melikai
February 10th, 2010, 03:55 PM
What is "taking good care of your hair" to you?

What is your hair routine?

What do you do?
And what do you NOT do anymore?

Maybe you have wrote about this a thousand times before...

But since I'm new here it would be intresting to get a lot of tips and your experiences in one thread! :)

Sure, many have written these things many times before, but it's still fun to share! :)

One of the best things I've learned from this place is the CWC (Condition-Wash-Condition) wash, and that's one of the first things recommended to try if you haven't, for new people.

What I do:
~CWC or SC every 5-7 days (aiming for once a week).
~Occasional beer rinses, herb rinses, and egg & honey washes.
~Tiny bit of oil on length each night.
~Braid for sleep.
~Sleep on silk satin pillowcase.
~Wear hair up often.

What I don't do:
~Blowdry or use heat styling.
~No silicones, no sulfates. Gentle hair products with fewest synthetics possible.
~No brushing; seamless combs only.

What I avoid:
~Measuring my hair. I get too obsessive about growth, so I go by body markers instead.
~Focusing on supplements over eating a healthy diet. Unless you have health problems, it should be more than possible to grow lovely, healthy hair without taking many medications.

Arrow Juniper
February 10th, 2010, 03:59 PM
The two best things I've done for my hair this month:
1) Threw out an awful brush with little metal balls at the end that were snagging my hair and splitting the ends, whew~!
2) Made myself a silk scrunchie! Now I don't feel at all guilty for stretching it around a bun.

kittensoupnrice
February 10th, 2010, 04:05 PM
For me, taking care of my hair is:

Taking my time to carefully comb it out with a nice comb, not ripping through with a cheap brush.
Not using SLS shampoo.
Not using cones.
Braiding it at night time.
Using a silk covering to protect my braid at night.
Occasionally oiling/deep-treating, etc, when it looks unhappy.

Olde Soul
February 10th, 2010, 04:13 PM
What I do:
--Stretch my washes (2X a week now!)
--Oil my ends
--Braid and bun
--Sleep with it bunned or braided
--SMTs
--ACV and cold water rinses
--Henna in lieu of chemical dyes
--S&D compulsively


What I don't do:
--Wear it down
--Blowfry
--Curl with irons
--Tease
--Use styling products
--Wash it too often
--Wash it with hot water
--Sleep with it down

What I should do:
--Get rid of my pin-head paddle brush
--Use fewer cones/SLS products

starlights
February 10th, 2010, 04:33 PM
good hair care for me involves the following:

brushing/ combing my hair every day
washing my hair every 3 days with a good conditioner and shampoo (am using palmolive honey)
applying oil regularly and massage
braiding, bunning, regularly
s&d once a month when i can
wearing a hat covering my whole hair during winter/ snow when i go outside
having a hair free day, or having my hair down once a week to let it breath

and thats it for me really :)

walterSCAN
February 10th, 2010, 04:43 PM
Things I don't do:

Brush-- except with a BBB on non-wash days... too much breakage on my F hair
Wash every day... natural scalp oil is good for hair, and I want to stretch washes/ train my scalp to produce less oil
Finger-comb in the shower... too much breakage/shedding/stretching
Trim... for the next year, that is
Use chemical dyes



Things I do:

Comb, gently
BBB on 2nd or 3rd day, generally the day before wash and the next day right before wash
Wash every 3rd-or-so day
Henna
Snow-water rinses (recently)
Take vitamins-- multi + separate C, B-complex, and biotin
Try to stay hydrated
Try to get enough sleep
Try oiling-- don't like it too much yet, may give up on it
Wear my hair up more often
Use scrunchies and hair fork more often
Scalp massages when I remember

cellardoor
February 10th, 2010, 06:19 PM
I don't do( or not very often):
use shampoo - 1 week in on no shampooing
blowdry
use a flat iron (about once a month, give or take)

I do:
take vitamins (biotin and multi)
oil treatment
only use a comb
deep condition (once a week)

I would say my hair is pretty healthy, it could always look better of course!

DaniiL
February 11th, 2010, 12:26 AM
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!:cheese:
This was perfect information for me, very useful!

Even if I read about good hair care here and there, it's good to have it all in one place.

I understand that every hair is different and needs to be taken care of in it's own way, but there are a lot of things that are good and bad for most hairs.

Some of the things you wrote about I do already, or don't, but there is room for improvement! :)

So again, thanks!

Dreams_in_Pink
February 11th, 2010, 12:44 AM
I do...
...scalp massage.
...CO wash
...finger comb
...apply oil to my hair
...braids :3

I don't do...
...Sulfate shampoo :(
...cones
...use plastic combs
...comb hair when wet/damp
...heat-style
...rub hair with towel

Zindell
February 11th, 2010, 12:55 AM
What I don't do anymore:
Perm it
Getting highlights
Use styling products
Use heating irons

What I do:
Wash it about two times a week
Using sls shampoo and con conditioner.
Combing it a couple of times a day with a widetooth comb

Pixna
February 11th, 2010, 06:11 AM
What I do:
~Wash with a cone-free natural shampoo (Aubrey Organics) followed by a natural conditioner (also Aubrey Organics) once every 5 to 6 days.
~Spritz freshly washed hair lightly with Kimberlily's DeFrizz Spray as a leave in.
~Wrap wet hair in a Turbi Twist for at least 10 minutes.
~Comb with a Madora smooth, wide-tooth comb, slowly, gently, and carefully.
~Air dry.
~Comb occasionally during the day, if my hair is down.
~Bun hair during the day.
~Try to get enough sleep.
~Exercise, eat well, and take DHA and a multivitamin-mineral supplement.
~Avoid stress (as much as possible!).
~Dust the ends every 4 to 6 months.
~Use only smooth, high-quality hair toys.

What I don't do:
~Rub my hair to dry it.
~Use conventional shampoo and conditioner.
~Use a blow dryer.
~Use any chemicals on my hair or scalp.
~Color my hair.
~Use elastics.

JamieLeigh
February 11th, 2010, 08:12 AM
To me, taking good care of my hair means NOT doing things that will cause it to split or break off any more than it naturally already will.

I'm a cone-free, CO, non-heat, non-brush user who likes to wear her hair up everyday to protect the ends, which are now fingertip length. I only wash it twice a week, if it needs it, and I manipulate it as little as possible unless I'm putting it up. I also have a heathy diet with plenty of drinking water and vitamins. I do a lot less to my hair than most people, but I'm completely happy with how it looks and feels, unlike most people. :)

Bellona
February 11th, 2010, 09:53 AM
I'm a bit of a newbie (only been here for 6 months) but I've gotten good results by doing basic things.

I STOPPED:
- using cones
- flat ironing
- using hair products (hairspray, mousse, gel, anti frizz stuff, curl creme, wax, I had it all)
- washing every other day. Now it's about twice a week.

I CUT BACK ON:
- blow drying. my hair still has some shorter layers and grown out bangs, so I try to air dry when I can, but my job requires me to look somewhat decent. I can't wait until the bangs can go back into a bun.

- brushing. I still use my brush sometimes, but I try to detangle with a wide toothed comb first.

I STARTED:
- exercising more
- taking a multivitamin and MSM
- eating a much better diet
- oiling before shampooing.


Just a few newbie things that you might want to try :) I'm sure I will try more techniques and tricks when I get more length and my layers grow out more.

contradiction
February 11th, 2010, 10:11 AM
things i used to do:
flatiron my hair
bleach or dye it about once every six weeks
tease the crown
use lots of hair spray
use hair elastics

Now I:
air dry my hair
wash it as little as possible
deep condition once a week
only use combs, rarely brush
no more hair spray
CLIP it instead of using HAIR ELASTICS which were pulling and damaging at my hair, making it weak.

freckles
February 11th, 2010, 10:13 AM
I don't:
use straighteners or curling tongs
use cones (fine for some people, but not nice to my hair)
brush roughly -- I use a wooden comb or my tangle teezer to carefully detangle

I try to limit:
blowdrying -- I blowdry it on cool/warm for a bit sometimes, but try to avoid it when it's warm enough
using product -- a little bit of volumising mousse very rarely, is all
wetting my hair -- I cut down on washing as much as I can stand

I do:
condition-wash-condition, shampooing my roots only
oil my ends with coconut oil
s&d my splits away as much as I can
put my hair up often

Kris Dove
February 11th, 2010, 10:31 AM
I don't...
-wash every single day anymore, I've cut down to every other day now.
-use bleach/highlights
-use straighteners (except on my growing- out bangs if they're waving all over the place) or tongs on a frequent basis(maybe once in a blue moon for a wedding or something)
-use a brush with balls at the end
-detangle using said brush

I do (even though it's not good...)
-blowdry- too cold to even contemplate sitting around with wet hair till the weather's warmer.
-rub my scalp with a microfibre hair turban-all these things are comfort related as I hate feeling cold!

I do
-comb my hair gently to detangle it
-brush using a ball-free brush that doesn't rip only after it's been combed- because it's so fine and straight, it really does need a brush so it doesn't clump and look stringy if I'm wearing it down.
-oil overnight or deep condition weekly
-braid overnight to prevent tangles
-s&D split ends
-use a leave in, to help protect my hair from the blowfryer
-braid or bun most days

mellie89
February 11th, 2010, 11:50 AM
I do...
-S&C every other day
-switch between cones and no-cones
-limit blow drying (I usually shower at night and let it air dry, but you better believe I'm blow drying before I walk to class in 10 degree weather if I have to shower in the morning on a wash day)
-COCONUT OIL. LOTS OF IT!
-cassia once every couple months
-brush gently with a wooden quill Body Shop brush

I don't:
-straighten
-use chemical color

Sabayon
February 11th, 2010, 11:52 AM
I don't:
Heat-style (although I never did since at it's shortest my hair still took 45 minute to blowfry)
Use sls shampoo
Brush, except with BBB to smooth updos
Put hair up wet, or even damp (because of thickness)

I'm trying to stop:
Bleaching and Dyeing (going back to my natural color, then I can stop)
Using cones

I do:
Use a shampoo bar with ACV rinse
stretch washes, down to every three days now
SMT weekly, and overnight after dyeing session
do a protein deep treatment once a month
Oil my hair every day but wash day
Take a multi vitamin/mineral, biotin, and vitamin e
Wear hair up every day

chopandchange
February 11th, 2010, 02:32 PM
I no longer:

Bleach
Straighten
Shampoo
Brush wet hair
Use hairdryer as styling tool
Wear hair down often

I now:

CO
Comb wet hair
Brush dry hair
Blowdry only scalp hair
Self-trim

DaniiL
February 11th, 2010, 03:04 PM
Thanks to you who replied after my last thank you! :)

Now I have some new questions:

About oil, how do you use it? How do you protect your cloths etc?

I am (or used to be) a typical "ponytail girl". What should I do if my hair is too short/layered for a bun or a braid?

For my ex-bangs I use a metal barrette (is that what it's called?) What can I use instead?


I guess I need to take a visit to the hair accessories forum! Haven't been there yet. :)

Arctic
February 12th, 2010, 04:50 AM
To me taking good care of my hair means learning to understand my hair's "language". Being gentle. Finding things that both scalp and hair likes (which is hard sometimes).

I'm one of those whose hair hasn't always responded well to my efforts, and last year my hair was breaking off like crazy and it had become rough feeling. It took lots of tries and errors to get it back to normal and it will take a long time until my hair is back to where it was before the damage happened.

sarahramen
February 16th, 2010, 06:35 PM
here are things a have began doing/stopping since i found this site
no sulphates
no cones
use a boar bristle brush
wash less often
no blowdryer except on special occasion when hair must look fantastic
and just being more gentle/ careful with my hair

Benjamin_T
February 17th, 2010, 05:11 AM
Wow, very informative thread!

I no longer:

- Use conventional drugstore brand shampoos & conditioners.
- Use combs excessively. (absolutely unnecessary nowadays anyway.)
- Tie my hair with rubber bands.
- Wash vigorously with shampoo.
- De-tangle roughly and impatiently with a comb.
- Comb through wet hair.

I now:

+ Use only natural herbal shampoos & conditioners.
+ Use only my hands/fingers to make my hair neat & tidy. (Totally sufficient.)
+ Restrain my hair only with soft cloth or satin ties.
+ Wash very gently. (Less is more.)
+ De-tangle gently with my hands/fingers (or with a good quality comb only when needed.)
+ Comb through hair only when it is dry.

:)

lhangel9
February 17th, 2010, 12:59 PM
For me, taking care of my hair is:

Taking my time to carefully comb it out with a nice comb, not ripping through with a cheap brush.
Not using SLS shampoo.
Not using cones.
Braiding it at night time.
Using a silk covering to protect my braid at night.
Occasionally oiling/deep-treating, etc, when it looks unhappy.

I second this!:cheese:

teela1978
February 17th, 2010, 01:11 PM
To me, its more about what I don't do than what I do.

I don't flat iron
I don't dye
I don't heat style... I don't even own a blowdryer anymore
I don't brush it (can't, don't own a brush anymore)

I do wash it (with sulfates heaven forbid!!!!)
I do condition it (often with cones :))
I do comb it... sometimes. Usually in the shower with conditioner on, sometimes once dry.
I do bun it a lot to keep it from getting snagged on things.

You just have to play around and find what do's work best for you.

PiroskaCicu
February 17th, 2010, 02:01 PM
For me taking good care of my hair means:
-brushing gently, from the bottom to top
-using wide-tooth combs, not fine ones
-washing less frequently
-protecting the ends of my hair
-cold water rinses
-using oil on the ends sometimes
-aloe vera treatments for scalp (i have a lot of dandruff)



What I don't do:
-wash too often
-blow dry
-straighten
-brush when wet
-use chemicals, sulfates, parabens...i try and avoid cones as well
-do any styles which require chemicals or heat

Hope that helps! :)

Chamomile betty
February 17th, 2010, 02:17 PM
Not to do:
harsh shampoo
brush
heat style

To do:
conditioner washings
wear my hair up as much as possible
wear a damp bun during the day
wear a braid to bed at night
limit cone usage - a little bit is ok
deep condition weekly
use a widetooth come
exercise, drink water, eat well and take vitamins
make time for visiting LHC even if it's just to read

hth

zen_oven
February 17th, 2010, 02:26 PM
I don't heat style at all, ever. No hair dryers, curling irons, flat irons, zero.

I don't use sulfates or cones.

I don't dye my hair.

I don't use rubber bands with metal parts or barrettes. I use Ficcares or scrunchies.

I sleep on a satin pillowcase and keep the brushing and combing to a minimum. I use a wooden comb and a natural bristle brush when do those things.

I CWC (condition-wash-condition) and generally keep shampoo off the length--I just use it to clean my scalp.

I keep my hair secured when working out, usually in a sort of half-hitch ponytail.

I try to make sure I move it out of the way of seat belts, purse straps, my husband rolling over on it in bed, etc.

I drink lots of water!

That's it! Hope this helps!

Keildra
February 17th, 2010, 02:32 PM
I don't:
-flat iron
-brush
-use hairspray
-sleep with loose hair
-take boiling hot showers (I don't think I ever did that)
-measure (more from lack or tools than personal choice)
-Tease (I never really did that)

I do:
-braid when I sleep
-braid when I'm awake (for fun)
-use up a bottle of conditioner before I shampoo again
-only shampoo the scalp
-turn the heat down when I wash my hair (not exactly cold but cooler than I wash my body in)
-use a wide tooth comb
-detangle (instead of ripping)
-Use metal free elastics
-take a multi-vitamin

I try:
-to blow dry less (I only do it on cold though and only when I'm trying to do an extravagant updo)
-Learn new styles
-Keep my hair out of the way while I'm washing my body

I want to (but lack materials or courage):
-S&D and microtrim
-use a wooden or horn comb instead of my plastic one (which broke in half in my hair so now I'm using the top half of a broken comb)
-Do some moisture treatments
-Do some ACV rinses (especially since I wash in well water)
-Eat healthier, maybe start some biotin
-Use hairsticks instead of bobby pins and elastics all the time ( I own no sticks or forks)
-I want to try an egg or mayonnaise treatment at least once
-Try a protein treatment
-Try monistat
-get rid of sulfates and cones
-try CO (I attempted once and it didn't work out, now I want to try again)