A Canadian Newbie

[Teilani]

My hair is 27 inches long at the moment, but this winter was extremely hard on it (personally stressful and the coldest/driest winter we’ve had up here in over ten years) and I did not take the care of it that was required. In the next month or so I will probably get another two or three inches cut off to get back to wholly healthy hair.

I have had my hair at or past shoulder length since I was fourteen or fifteen and over the past year have toyed with the idea of growing it out to longer lengths so that I can donate my hair but not feel unduly bereft about the lengths that are needed for those donations.

Among the things I am seeking to accomplish is to reduce the number of times I shampoo my hair (currently five or six times a week). The advice to dust my roots with a bit of cornstarch does seem to have some helpful effects; however, I have had to laugh at myself when the dusting of the roots coincides with a day I’m oiling the tips of my hair. Talk of a great inducement to get me washing my brushes! Apple cider vinegar washes are not something I have done for years, but I as I have begun oiling my hair more often, I am considering returning to them. I am also in the market for a shampoo or soap product and conditioner to switch to.

Advice or opinions on products with sunscreen are another area of interest. Though there’s still snow and ice around, the hours of daylight have already increased dramatically, and as the temperatures warm up, I will be out in the sunshine quite a bit this summer. My hair is a dark golden blonde, and I love the highlights sunshine creates, but if I can stave off some of that damage with a product that isn’t counter-productive, I am interested.

This is surely enough of an introduction for the time being, and I will look forward to meeting this community’s members as I explore more of the boards.

[Lamb]

Hello there! I can commiserate with you about the winter. I am in Ontario and it really was brutal. :(
I'm sure you will get lots of opinions on products and how to protect your hair from the sun, I'll have to work on it myself.

[florenonite]

Welcome! I'm Canadian, too (Southern Ontario) and when I went home in January I thought it was pretty brutal, and I know there was snow for a longer time period than I can remember.

As far as sun protection goes, the absolute best protection is a scarf or a hat, although if you do that you won't get any highlights. I seem to recall a recent thread about protecting hair whilst getting highlights; I'll see if I can dredge it up for you (ETA: Here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=3056) it is!). In winter, too, scarves and hats are the way to go.

If you're thinking of switching products, you might want to take a look at the cone vs. no-cone debate to see if you want to try and go no-cone. I think there's an article on that, too (ETA: Here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=13) it is).

[jera]

Hi Teilani,

welcome to the forum. I know what you mean about this winter. I'm from New England and it was the harshest and snowiest I can remember. Cold, and bad for hair:( causing much frizzies and damage.

Looking forward to the welcome warmth of this spring. And better looking hair. Aren't you? :)

[Teilani]

Having grown my hair to a 32 inch ponytail measured from the base of my skull while in my 4th year of uni (even if the last couple of inches were a bit frayed, I’m fairly confident that I ought to be able to get my hair long enough again and in a reasonably healthy state. But better than "reasonably good" is obviously the goal.

However, many people will have little concept of how bloody trying a winter with six weeks where one can talk of temps possibly warming UP to -35C (though they frequently stayed below 40), and that wasn’t taking into account wind chill factors that regularly dropped to 50-something. I was born in a May blizzard up here, and remember seeing a -52C according to the mercury not so very many years ago, but especially after four years in northern Ontario (where I cursed salt and slush) and a mild winter upon my return, I went soft. And I maintain, no hat that can comfortably keep one’s head warm at -40 is hardly likely to be especially good for the health of one’s hair.

*waiting for Great Slave Lake to thaw so the boat can be launched*