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golfgal
January 16th, 2011, 03:49 PM
I rarely - OK, never go to salons and usually just trim it myself. My hair is about 24" long and very straight with bangs, and I've been dying it for many years now. (Revlon Colorsilk about once every 6-8 weeks) I only occasionally curl it, but it is my preferred finished "done up" look.

For detangling, I've been using Suave Humectant conditioner which is about as good as I have been able to find for untangling results out of the shower. Still, I do get tangles and hair breaks a lot. I also seem to get other breaks and split ends so I end up with all kinds of different short hairs popping out of my head all over the place. I never blow dry, always air dry and untangle gently with fingers and a wide tooth "shower" type comb only - no brushes ever. I'm amazed at how some gals can have such smooth, even, perfect hair and I look like a Chia pet.

I don't have the money to go to salons, so have to DIY as much as possible. $30 bottles of magic goo leave me with the feeling of buying snake oil type of fake potions, so I've found what works best on a limited budget I think - but am looking for something better.

Sooooo, what do you all think would help me?

Totally frayed in California

Rosalaun
January 16th, 2011, 04:12 PM
Welcome to LHC :)
Well the best place to start is to CWC your hair - basically condition the length, shampoo the roots. Then wash it all out and condition it all. Lots of people on here (including me) also find that washing the hair in cold water right at the end helps to add shine. Generally it's advised to just make small changes and give them at least 2 weeks before you decide if it is a good or bad change. You'll probably end up experimenting with a few different types of shampoo and conditioner before you find a set that works.

I'd also stop dying your hair - I'm going to be dying mine from bleach blonde to its natural dark blonde, then working on getting it all virgin growth. For the most part, dye and bleach lift the cuticle on your hair, deposit colour then attempt to lay the cuticle back down again, which causes damange and weakens your hair. Heat styling is a big no-no, it causes split ends and white dots - on the top bar there is a section called 'Artices' so it would be good to look through those. It's full of different haircare techniques and explinations, and it's a brilliant place to start researching. It would also be advisable to try tying your hair up. This helps to protect your ends and does keep tangles out of the equation for the most part.

It depends on what your hair goals are though - I personally am aiming more for healthy and much longer hair, as are quite a few others on here, and the difference in hair types etc. mean that things that help everyone else might not be quite so good for you. For the most part it's all about experimenting and researching to see what works for you :)

aenflex
January 16th, 2011, 04:34 PM
My suggestions - some type of sleep cap, satin or faux-satin, something completely smooth. Coconut, Olive or some other type of oil. How about letting go of the dye with lifters in it? I know it's not easy, and everyone is different. I box-dyed my hair for years and years. Giving it up in combination with treating my hair better overall has really helped it's condition.
How often are you washing? What are you using?
More frequent washes with stronger shampoos can be a detriment in some cases as well..

Hope this helps!

Anywhere
January 16th, 2011, 04:48 PM
I'd advise you read Ursula's standard Newbie advice article. (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=39) I would also try CO or CWC washing and oils. Perhaps try a SMT and see if your hair likes it?

enfys
January 16th, 2011, 04:54 PM
You're going ok from your routine, but I will ask a couple of questions/make a few suggestions.

Your dye is permanent, isn't it? Permanent dyes work differently to non-permanent. Does your dye lighten your hair? If it is a darkening dye, maybe switching to a semi permanent would help, since they rough up the cuticle less.

If you curl with heat, I'd suggest poking around YouTube to find some heat free methods, such as using rag curlers.

You don't mention wearing your hair up at all? At your length you should be able to get your hair up in a bun which will greatly reduce your tangling probably.

The ends sticking out may not be splits and breaks; because of how our hair grows, it is all different lengths all the time. Don't be disappointed if you always have those :o

Check your comb carefully for any seams on the plastic, especially between the teeth. File them smooth with a nail file if you find any. The smallest snags will cause spilts. I'm assuming it's plastic because it's a shower comb.

I only use a brush, but different hair type need different things. Currently I use a Tangle Teezer brush, and I love it :cheese:
Is your hair dry? That's the biggest frizz causer. Deep conditioning treaments (which can be made cheaply at home) and leave ins work wonders for most here. I like using coconut oil.

If you have tangling problems, there is no shame in using a serum filled with silicone ingredients; some people avoid cones but I need them sometimes to detangle and smooth my hair.

Experimenting is the best thing you can do now. And reading around on this site.

ETA: Of course, welcome to LHC!

golfgal
January 19th, 2011, 07:48 AM
Thank You - Thank you everyone or these replies! Even with the simple CWC advice I've already started noticing tiny improvements even just after a couple of days....I had never heard of that before. I'm read more here as I let this take affect over the next few weeks and see if I can add more to the regimen.

I've been using Auburn dye on brown hair - partially/mostly to hide premature gray that is currently only in the very front and front sides. If I stop dying now, I might start looking very witchy and ratty. :-/ I have no idea if Colorsilk is permanent or not, but will look at that and see if I can make a change for the better with something more mild. I've started doing my own (gray only parts) touch ups with a Q-tip to reduce the frequency of dying.

I shampoo daily or every other day at the very longest. Suave Humectant. Same brand/model conditioner. I have no idea if these are good or bad - but they've worked well for me - especially the conditioner, as mentioned - it's one of the very few I've found that actually help really smooth and untangle post-shower.

I don't curl often, BTW - rarely in fact, but yes when I do it's been with a hot iron so maybe I'll search for some alternatives to that as well. Thanks again!

Jimothea
January 19th, 2011, 01:31 PM
Hey! I'm still new myself so take my input with a grain of salt, but I do second all the things already note. Read, read, and read; they've got some fantastic information stashed on this massive site!

From a fellow new girl's p.ov., here's what I would do:

Go to the hair typing section, and check out that and then let people on here know. You might find someone with the same exact kind of hair, living in the same exact kind of environment, who has overcome very similar issues. Then you can buddy up and pick their brain, lol.

Second thing--after you've read through the articles, and figured out your hair type (or maybe you know it already?), and what ticks it off/makes it happy, there's a list on here--I think it's by ktani????--of shampoos and conditioners members like and dislike, and they are categorized by ingredients. Happily, it's VERY comprehensive and a lot of them seem to be on the cheap end, like VO5 and Suave. You can print the list for the next time you go to the drugstore for products!

Third thing--though I agree to cease dying your hair is best, there are head-healthy alternatives for whenever your next dye-time comes around. Check out all the henna heads on here in the Hair Recipes section; since you've been aiming for auburn this whole time I think you might find some really interesting stuff. That way you can get your hair healthy and at the same time tweak the color.

Try this link: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=7805

o!--and yeah, Colorsilk is permanent

o, o--I'm currently finishing off the same hair conditioner; my hair likes it too, though I suspect the reason my hair likes it is because the bottom half is fried and it needs cones to weigh it down/smooth it. I don't think it's packed with bad stuff by any means though; I seem to remember rosemary and, hmm, well, something else good for hair, lol, on the label.

Good luck!:hifive:

Dark Queen
January 19th, 2011, 04:18 PM
Hi there! New member, long time lurker here, hehe.
Honestly, chemicals are harsh no matter what so you'll probably always have at least some degree of dryness if you dye regularly. That being said, do you use any deep conditioning or oils to keep the dryness in check? It may still not be as moist as virgin hair, but it will help significantly.