Need basic tips to get started

[whit3c00ki3]

Hi I'm fairly new to this site and I'm finding it kind of hard to find tips on hair care (the search engine needs improvements or I'm just not doing something right). So far I've found out about cassia, SMT, apple cider vinegar rinses, and coconut oil. Pretty much what I'm asking for is what are some of the ways I can decrease frizziness, promote shine, and just make my hair healthier. I think I have 2b/2c/M/iii hair but I can't tell because the pictures wont show up on my computer and i can't look at ppl's profiles yet.
My current hair care regime starts off with a shower in the morning. I brush out my hair before getting in the shower. I wash my hair with Trader Joe's Refresh shampoo and I only use it on top of my hair. Then comes the conditioner. I can't find one that works for me (the tangles are easy to get out but my hair doesn't feel moisturized enough) so I've been using a bunch of different ones. I dry my hair put coconut oil on my ends and brush again. And that's it. Oh and I put my hair in pig tail braids at night with more coconut oil.
I just feel like my hair isn't as moisturized as it should be. I have to twirl my hair with my fingers into little ringlets in order for it to look less frizzy. *sigh* I just want silky hair like all of you girls/guys

[DreamDance]

Start in the articles section, there's tons of information and detailed tutorials on hair care, styles etc. When I first joined it was recommended to start with CWC - conditioner on your ends, shampoo only your scalp, rinse and condition again, and just stick with that until you read up and find something to try.

I personally recommend ACV rinses for frizz (I use about 2 tablespoons of ACV to about a quart of water, but my water is very hard).

Welcome and enjoy growing!

[SpinDance]

Welcome to the forums! If you are getting lots of frizz, you are probably curlier wavier than you might think. (We're all waiting for the new typing pictures, it's a work in progress as I understand.) Also, if you are able to get your hair into ringlets after brushing, wow, you must have some rather serious curl. I don't have the links handy, but look for the Curly Girl method, CO washing and information about combs in the Articles section.

Using a brush is probably contributing to your frizziness. I'm just wavy, not curly, but I only use fingers, very wide tooth combs or a hair fork to 'comb'/detangle my hair. Everyone is different and the only way you'll know what works for you, your hair and your skin is to try things. Slowly, keeping records so you can go back and figure out just what did/didn't work.. I've had good luck with going cone-free, using oils, especially Panacea, mostly CO with every week or so a CWC depending on what I'm doing and how my hair feels.

Good luck with your long hair journey!

[Anje]

Hello and welcome. Glad you're starting to find things. (And I agree, the search feature here can be rather clunky. Doing a Google site search can be a good alternative.) Stick around and keep posting -- pictures will come, but they're often set to a level of privacy that requires someone to be a member here for a while before they show up.

It's possible that your hair's got some buildup, and that's why it doesn't seem to moisturize very well. You might want to try clarifying, then give it a good deep moisture treatment (I like SMTs or just a warm blend of conditioner and a sugar syrup, myself).

Consider trying CWC to cleanse your hair, rather than standard shampooing and conditioning. It seems to make a difference for a lot of folks, and it's easy.

You mention that you dry your hair. How? Airdrying is generally better than blowdrying (aka blowfrying). Putting hair in a bun while it's still a little damp can encourage it to hold more moisture still.

How do you wear your hair during the day? If I wear mine loose, it tends to be more dried out than if I wear it up. That dryness can accumulate if you let it.

ETA: Ursula's Standard Newbie Advice (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=39) is a great place to start.

[Alvrodul]

When you describe your hair as feeling dry, that might mean there is buildup. I would suggest that you clarify, then perhaps do a SMT.

If your hair is wavy or curly, I would also suggest that you look into CO washing (that is conditioner only, skip the shampoo). Many with wavy and curly hair have a lot of success with this.

Last, be on the lookout for a couple of good, seamless combs - they will work better in your hair than your brush!

[whit3c00ki3]

I air dry but i like to touch it alot while it's drying or else my hair is just one big poof with no definition. i usually where my hair down if i can help it. Today I had to wear it in braided pig tails cause i think i put too much coconut oil or the conditioner made it look oily. Thanks for all of the tips. I'll have to try them all tmm.

[Jimothea]

As a fellow newbie, this place can be overwhelming! I'd recommend having a geek out session, starting with the Mane Forum's sticky note: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=7804 . Go through all of that, including all its links, and all the links' links, if you haven't yet. There's so much to read!

You mentioned wanting decreased frizziness, more shine and overall healthy hair, right? *scrolling* I'm right there with you!

I'm going to second nixing the brush--maybe not completely, if you're attached. I can use a boar bristle brush on mine without getting mad mad frizzies. NEVER WET! Most of the time I stick to a wide tooth comb, and then just smooth the top if I need to. Honestly, if I drip dry, I don't need to comb or brush my hair all day unless I'm in the elements(never thought I'd EVER be able to say that!). Basically, it seems like the more you mess with them, the more messed up they look (the curls and wurls I mean). By this I mean general brushing and blowfrying, because the curl pattern gets broken apart, and so the strands just look like frizz. Who knew?

The moisture thing will go into those issues; do you use cones? Not that they're bad--my bleached ends love cones, b/c it helps protect them and seal in moisture--but they do tend to block moisture uptake. Take a gander at your S and C bottles maybe? If you see silicones and decide you want to go off them for a while, you can always preshop via LHC Reviews tab up top there, so you have an idea of what you might like or not. Deep treatments and oilings have been much more effective on my hair after cutting the cones. Oh, and ditch sulfates if you can, or at least dilute them. They still work just fine diluted, in my experience.

Totally recommend CWC and CO. But everybody's head is different, so it basically just a bunch of guesswork, and take my so-called "advice" with a grain of salt. You could always peep at the avatars until you find someone with your ideal hair, and then either ask them what they do or quietly stalk their postings in the shadows of the internet. Lol. Not in a creepy way, of course.

HTH! Let us know what you figure out, when you do!