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jenwexler
August 4th, 2011, 10:54 AM
So I'm going to be a Sophomore in college this year and I've been a member of LHC since my Freshman year. Living with others, like in a dorm, is very difficult when it comes to the things we do to make our hair healthy. I did SMT, W/O days, 1 week washes, dry shampoo, rag curls, clarifying with baking soda, sleeping with a bonnet, etc in my dorm last year...and I'm sure it looked awkward to my roommate. I was embarrassed of my unconventional hair habits so I'd try to keep to myself in my room when I was deep conditioning and experimenting and what not. It's one thing when you have privacy, But it's another when you have friends or roommates that see and think you're a little weird lol. So how about we all support each other this up coming school year and figure out ways to have our hair happy and how we deal with other people who happen to notice the LHC techniques we do. This year I'm in a suite, so that's a little more privacy...but the girls will notice eventually that I won't be using shampoo this year. Anyway, what are your feelings about mixing dorm/suite life with your hair care?

sarahbrownie
August 4th, 2011, 01:28 PM
I've lived in suites all through out college, the last two years in a double. A lot of my roommates had unusual habits so I wasn't concern when I walked around the apartment with henna or a deep conditioning treatment, which was pretty often, and never had anyone bothered by it. If it really bothers you what other people think than maybe buy a bottle of .99 cent shampoo for a decoy. I actually decided to buy all my roommates shampoo bars from Lush as a gift and also partly to understand different haircare methods when they asked me about all the unusual hair products I'm constantly trying out. I guess I go to an unconventional college since everyone had something going on with their hair weather it be dreadlocks or not washing their hair at all. If anyone has questions I'm always explaining and sharing my techniques, and if they think it's crazy then whatever, I'm not here to decorate their world. :D

jenwexler
August 4th, 2011, 01:46 PM
Luckily this year I'll be with girls with similar majors...artsy girls =] I think my roommates will be a bit open minded although it does still probably come off as strange. I'm thinking of just putting half of my oils in unmarked travel pumps and containers. At least it's not directly from the bottle where they're like....whyyyy are you putting grapeseed oil on your hair??? lol

Mairéad
August 4th, 2011, 01:51 PM
Hi, college junior here. I still live in the dorms because I love it, but mine are apartment style so the only girls I interact with on a regular basis are my roommates. So, it's similar to a suite but I imagine you'll have more "hallway interaction" than I do.

I've become more comfortable with my alternative haircare and have no problem yacking on an on about my henna, oils, and CO. If they ask questions I answer them. I have nothing to hide about my hair. But, I still have the decoy bar of soap and deodorant. My skin is so much softer and feels cleaner without soap and my pits really just don't stink. But I feel like they'd think I'm a smelly bum even though I don't smell the slightest. :o

This year I'm going to be with an international student and another girl. The other girl from instate sounds kind of like a college "princess," so I hope she doesn't think I've grown a second head. She wanted to bring her own bed. *face palm*

sarahbrownie
August 4th, 2011, 04:31 PM
This year I'm going to be with an international student and another girl. The other girl from instate sounds kind of like a college "princess," so I hope she doesn't think I've grown a second head. She wanted to bring her own bed. *face palm*

International students are great. They make good food. ;) I find them more independent and mature than other student depending on the culture they grew up in and the fact they are ambitious enough to study in another country.

Mairéad
August 4th, 2011, 04:36 PM
Yes, she's from China and I'm very excited to meet her. I think it will be her first time in the United States. I had a room mate from India last year and, oh my gosh, I love Indian food.

My other roommate is from Indiana just like I am and while she's not a freshman, she's new to campus too. I just can't get over it that she's expecting to bring her own bed. If she shows up with it...oh...I just don't know. :bigeyes:

sarahbrownie
August 4th, 2011, 05:43 PM
Yes, she's from China and I'm very excited to meet her. I think it will be her first time in the United States. I had a room mate from India last year and, oh my gosh, I love Indian food.

My other roommate is from Indiana just like I am and while she's not a freshman, she's new to campus too. I just can't get over it that she's expecting to bring her own bed. If she shows up with it...oh...I just don't know. :bigeyes:

I'd show up early, set up, and then when I was done I'd sit in the common room with some popcorn to watch the disappointment unfold.

jenwexler
August 4th, 2011, 06:48 PM
What are you guys bringing with you for your dorms/suites for haircare product wise? So far I've planned on bringing wen, VO5, Burt's bees moisturizing conditioner, grapeseed oil, coconut oil, jojoba oil, home made scalp oil, and baking soda. I hope I have enough room for these things lol.

Mairéad
August 4th, 2011, 07:07 PM
Hahaha, I'm showing up three days before she does so I'll have more than enough time.


I'd show up early, set up, and then when I was done I'd sit in the common room with some popcorn to watch the disappointment unfold.


Oh, jenwexler, I'm bringing my VO5 conditioner, my Yes to Carrots conditioner, my coconut oil, castor oil, my hemp seed oil, my clarifying shampoo, and ACV. No shame. I'll make room, hahaha. Now, where I go overboard is with my face products but I swear I wouldn't have it if I didn't use it, you know?

MajorasMask
August 4th, 2011, 07:10 PM
It's much too expensive for me to move out right now, and it wouldn't really make sense anyways since I'm going the cheaper route with a community college near my parent's place. Hopefully in two years, with the transfer, I'll be out!
I can totally empathize here. I walk around with EVOO or mayonaisse or Yogurt or Banana (not doing that again though, seeds..) OR some concoction on my face. And I'll get really funny looks and questions in my house. Or when someone brings a visitor I'll have to rush to the bathroom and wash it all off. I also wrap my hair now when i go to school. And that looks super weird. But. Hey. It keeps the creepy older men off you. Well. Some of them. *back flashback to last week* Ugh.

sarahbrownie
August 4th, 2011, 07:17 PM
What are you guys bringing with you for your dorms/suites for haircare product wise? So far I've planned on bringing wen, VO5, Burt's bees moisturizing conditioner, grapeseed oil, coconut oil, jojoba oil, home made scalp oil, and baking soda. I hope I have enough room for these things lol.

My shower rack is the most important thing. Nothing bugs me more than seeing my shampoo and conditioner knocked over in the shower. My things will be my hairtoys, stored in my ficcare boxes, my wide tooth comb and BB brush, suave professionals almond and shea butter poo and condish, Moroccan oil, Ojon restorative hair mask, Phyto's 9 serum and intense hair mask, and my nightblooming panacea. Yeah, I'm a product junkie. This usually stays in an small air tight container under my bed so I'm not worried about space.

Scarlet_Heart
August 4th, 2011, 07:38 PM
Hi jenwexler! :waving:

You know, I don't worry about that anymore whether it's family, friends, or acquaintances because it's hard to argue with the results, isn't it? I live with my husband so he's used to my haircapades. But if anyone says, "I love your hair! What do you do with it?" and I tell them and they react like I'm weird, I just think... well you just said my hair looks great so why are you looking at me like that? :p

Whatever, right? Keep your chin up! Your hair looks amazing! Sensational! :applause

The issues I had with my college roommate stemmed from issues of sanitation, personal hygiene, and consequent odors (the bodily kind... on her part). :brainbleach:

taimatsuko
August 4th, 2011, 08:46 PM
Welcome and go team college! I understand about not wanting to look crazy. That's why I'm doing all the experimenting I can over summer so I can have some sort of routine going when I get back to school. Then again my school is full of crazy people so I doubt anyone would really say anything about me washing my hair with vinegar in the sink.

Ithonna
August 4th, 2011, 11:38 PM
I am an Industrial Maintenance major, so it is all guys. As long as my hair 'looks cool' they really don't care. I am the only girl in the program and I am a senior, I have the option to not share a dorm. So, I say if it bothers them, show them how amazing your hair is. Show them the amazing hair on the LHC. Bring more to the cool kids party. ^-^

Can I just mention how awesome it is that I graduate in May 2012 when I just graduated high school in June 2010?

jenwexler
August 5th, 2011, 05:43 AM
Awesome! And if someone does say something I can say..."feel my hair. Just feel it."

RitaPG
August 5th, 2011, 11:14 AM
If you're embarrassed about your alternative routines, just keep a bottle of shampoo on your stash (even if you're not using it lol)
Also, if you don't want them asking why you put oil on your hair, just don't do it in front of them. Easy :p
As for SMTs, tell them you're doing a hairmask to make it soft and shiny.
Tell them the oils are for skin, that you use them on your dry feet/elbows/knees. I actually use jojoba oil as a face moisturizer, because most facial creams irritate my skin, I tell them I'm allergic to something they put on face creams, my mates understood it and don't ask questions. Works every time :D

tigereye
August 5th, 2011, 03:43 PM
I'm heading off to uni. Can I hang out here too?

I'm going to be living in halls, which means I get a room with a bed, a desk, a wardrobe and a single sink. Showers, toilets, cooking areas, etc are shared between every 6 or so rooms. I might start off kind of shy about it, but I think after a while of trying to avoid people, I think I will just give up and wander around with treatments on my hair. It's not like you can avoid seeing people when you've a pile of stuff on your head for ages if there are 15 people on a floor and only 3 showers.

I don't actually know how much hair stuff I'm going to be able to take with me, because I'm being restricted to 2 suitcases (plus my radio and laptop-thats all), one of which will be filled with duvets, pillows and sheets, but I could probably put half-finished things into smaller bottles and try and cram some hair things in the gaps. Thankfully, I'm great at packing large amounts of stuff into very small spaces-I once managed to fit a months supply of clothes into a small suitcase for a trip to australia, and also packed enough for a week in glasgow into one of those tiny ones you can take as hand-luggage on a plane. I'll definitely be taking my henna, sunflower oil, olive oil, tea tree oil, hairsticks, moonfork, hairbrush, combs, redbush tea, plenty coney-condish & cone-free condish, and one bottle of shampoo which I can dilute once I get there. Anything else I can cram in when I've finished the clothes, shoes and bedding is a bonus.

^ as for the above: I am actually allergic to a lot of normal make-up, make-up removers, and a lot of perfumes (along with pine nuts, some species of juniper bush, and rapeseed pollen-lucky me!). I already use OCM on my face, but with sunflower oil instead of olive oil, and tea tree oil. People mainly don't ask questions about my oil mix because they understand I have allergies, so they think it's only for my face. They don't even consider that I use exactly the same mixture on my hair. If I put enough on, then go out with it, It just looks like I have wet hair most of the time, until it becomes a bit odd that I seem to have been walking around with saturated hair for hours, and hours, and hours. :p Honestly though, even if you aren't allergic, it's still a good excuse for keeping unusual things in your stash.

Besides, our little (or big) hair rituals keep our hair looking and feeling in better condition than half the girls in the dorm/halls/flat/whatever, so as far as I'm concerned, they may think I'm weird, but I'll have nicer hair for it, and be happier with it in the long run.

Rosake
August 5th, 2011, 04:29 PM
Oh yeah I've had that, girls giggling about me putting a bunch of coconut oil in my hair, even though my school is full of alternative people! Oh well, I'm glad I finally have a room with my own sink, now I can also do my crazy natural skin treatments. And I'm sooo glad our school doesn't do shared dorm rooms, only if you really want to.

But.. the shower heads are still SUCKY ;P quite annoying when you have a lot of hair, and also other people keep ruining the filters, which makes me get filtered water in a bottle whenever I wash my hair hahaha, probably quite weird but oh well :] otherwise the water is so harsh.

I like my privacy too, but I actually don't think it's something to be conscious or worried about if it's all girls.

taimatsuko
August 5th, 2011, 05:02 PM
I'm totally feeling what Rosake just said about the shower heads. They are truly heinous. I would love to hear what people are planning to do about any less than Ideal water conditions they run into. I think it would be a bit crazy to buy huge packs of water bottles just to dump on my hair. Not to mention the environmental impact...

I also wonder if someone wouldn't like to start an official thread for this. I'm sure there are lots of awesome things us college people have to share with one another. What do you guys think?

Mairéad
August 5th, 2011, 05:18 PM
The water at my school is extremely hard and since I can't switch the shower head to a filtered one, I opt to do an ACV rinse absolutely anytime I let my hair get wet from the shower head at my dorm. The dorm my boyfriend lives in has pleasant water though so I try to wash my hair there. :p

Are there any filters you can attach to the existing shower head?

taimatsuko
August 5th, 2011, 05:49 PM
ACV rinses are really my staple way of "washing" my hair so If they sort of cancel out the mineral build up than I guess I'll just stick it out. it would be awesome if I could find a filter to attach though!

jenwexler
August 5th, 2011, 07:49 PM
I go to Penn State so of course, the valley has hard water with minerals haha. So my hair did adjust to that during the year, but was NOT used to my water at home that is softened with a type of salt. I hope my hair doesn't have to readjust when I go back to school.

Rosake
August 6th, 2011, 10:47 AM
I'm totally feeling what Rosake just said about the shower heads. They are truly heinous. I would love to hear what people are planning to do about any less than Ideal water conditions they run into. I think it would be a bit crazy to buy huge packs of water bottles just to dump on my hair. Not to mention the environmental impact...

I also wonder if someone wouldn't like to start an official thread for this. I'm sure there are lots of awesome things us college people have to share with one another. What do you guys think?

We have a filtered tab in the building, so I just only rinse my hair with that after I washed it in the shower. So no, I wouldnt buy huge water bottles either.

jenwexler
August 7th, 2011, 07:24 AM
I have no idea if the shower heads in my new building will be filtered. It's a newer building than the rest of the on campus living, but I think I'll still have to assume the water will be full of minerals. My hair didn't suffer from it though so I don't think it's an issue. If you guys DO wash with water bottles...buy a brita filter or a water bobble. They're amazing.

katythegreat
August 7th, 2011, 08:48 PM
This shower head looks kind of expensive, but easily detachable:

http://www.organicexcellence.com/chemical-free-products/chlorine-filter-shower-head.php

Does it look practical? I'm not sure yet ;)

jenwexler
August 7th, 2011, 08:59 PM
That looks really cool =]

taimatsuko
August 7th, 2011, 09:12 PM
That shower head looks awesome! I'm not sure if it would be practical to attach and detach every time I wanted a shower though...

jenwexler
August 26th, 2011, 02:46 PM
So who goes to Penn State and wants to start a LHC club? haha.

hannagrrl
August 26th, 2011, 04:04 PM
I'm slightly beyond college aged, but if you go to any of the satellite campuses near Pittsburgh, I'm game.

jenwexler
August 26th, 2011, 04:07 PM
Ah I'm main campus. I'd love to make the group but definitely need some people to join me so I'm not forever alone.

hannagrrl
August 26th, 2011, 04:18 PM
http://blog.itsnotadam.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/forever-alone-guy-painting.jpg

IcarusBride
August 27th, 2011, 01:00 AM
Good luck! I lived in the dorms one semester but I ended up totally alienating all my suitemates and had a terrible experience. I actually ended up dropping out of college at that time because of it. I went back to another school a few years later and now I live off campus and have a very very good experience. Luckily all my room mates are men so the only people to be freaked out about my hair habits are their girlfriends when they shower here for the first time and there isn't any shampoo to be found but 8 different brands of conditioner and a bottle of ACV rinse in the shower... (My male room mates all seem to be the 'why waste money buying shampoo, you can use a bar of soap for that!' type).

jenwexler
August 27th, 2011, 01:02 AM
I live in a suite now. I really love it. But I do want an apartment.

Auburn_locks
August 27th, 2011, 06:03 AM
I live in a rented house with 4 others (quite lucky for missing out on Halls of Residence (around 8 people sharing) in terms of weird hair stuff!)

I haven't been doing 'strange' things with my hair for very long but at first I was quite embarrassed about some of them (bottles of BS and ACV in the bathroom when I went poo-free a few months ago) and walking around with rag curls all over my head :D I've only just started with deep conditioning treaments and henna so we will see how that goes next year (mostly same housemates, thank goodness!)

tigereye
August 27th, 2011, 06:55 AM
I'll be living in uni halls in aberdeen, so the water should be quite soft. Here's hoping. I move in on September 17th. An LHC club would be cool. I don't know if there's anyone else around there though..

celebriangel
August 27th, 2011, 10:06 AM
Eh. I'm lucky to live with another longhair who is perfectly accepting (and enabling!) of my weird habits. So yay!

But if they weren't, I probably wouldn't give it more than a second's consideration. I also do not use either deodorant or soap (sometimes soap on my feet, as I like to go barefoot), but there is so much stuff in the shower that no one bothers to keep track of whose is what. I also have some CV body bars from before I discovered that my skin much prefers not to be soaped. Actually, I think that's probably why I do so well on any hair washing method that doesn't involve shampoo - my skin, whether on my scalp or elsewhere, just doesn't like soap.

Though it likes proper soap much better than fake SLS soap, and I still use my CV bars if I'm really icky for some reason. No one knows that I don't own any deodorant/antiperspirant except DBF. I found that antiperspirant made my sweating much, much worse rather than better, and I don't smell (yes, I have asked) so there is no need for icky fake scent.

Oh, I'm at uni and living in a house in the UK. It seems kinda funny to me that in the US you guys have *roommates* (as opposed to just flatmates), as if it were boarding school.

But I wouldn't worry about your roommates/flatmates. I'm pretty sure my flatmates thought I was pretty weird when I was in halls (maybe like a suite? Not sure) but most of my friends were from my course and various clubs, rather than flatmates. So I didn't really care that they thought I was a total freak, though for reasons unrelated to personal care :)

SkinnyCookie
August 27th, 2011, 10:11 AM
Not in college, but when my friends heard that my hair was suddenly so much nicer because I put oil blends/honey/shea/little shampoo (unless oiling)/whatever in it, they were pretty weirded out, But the facts don't lie, and as much as they judge me for it, I have the healthiest hair around, and a few of my friends ventured to try it. I just asked them if all that weird oil/infrequent shampooing made my hair looked greasy. It didn't.

SkinnyCookie
August 27th, 2011, 10:17 AM
Oh, I'm at uni and living in a house in the UK. It seems kinda funny to me that in the US you guys have *roommates* (as opposed to just flatmates), as if it were boarding school.



In america, you do kind of "board" at school. It's a lot cheaper (and more therefor more popular among poor college students) to live in the on-campus dorms where you either share a room w/ someone and/or a kitchen and bathroom w/ lots of people. You can live off campus, or in suites where you have your own room(Jealousy! I'm only looking at dorm prices in my college budgeting right now), but that can really stretch a budget.

sarahbrownie
August 27th, 2011, 10:56 AM
In america, you do kind of "board" at school. It's a lot cheaper (and more therefor more popular among poor college students) to live in the on-campus dorms where you either share a room w/ someone and/or a kitchen and bathroom w/ lots of people. You can live off campus, or in suites where you have your own room(Jealousy! I'm only looking at dorm prices in my college budgeting right now), but that can really stretch a budget.

It's strange out my college. We have the traditional dorms where it's four people, 2 bunk beds, and a communal shower/bathroom. Then there are suites, where it's 3 rooms, two beds, and one bathroom and common room. Then there are apartment complexes, usually for people 21+ which it can be 6 doubles, a living room, kitchen, and 2 bathrooms. The one apartment complex I was in was 1 double, two singles, bathroom, living room, and kitchen. I lived there for two years and of course had the double both times. This year I got senior housing which is 4 singles, kitchen, common room, and 2 bathrooms. Strangely enough, apartment living cost less than dorming for my college. I think because there is no staff coming in to clean and there is less electricity used.

getoffmyskittle
August 27th, 2011, 10:58 AM
I doubt they'll notice, honestly.

I just graduated. My first two years I was sneaky, but the last two years I lived with people who knew of my hairy ways. I even got one of my roommates to experiment with me. ;)

racrane
August 27th, 2011, 01:49 PM
Aw, yay! I like this thread! I live in a single dorm room, so it's not like people question my habits constantly. BUT once I started to experiment with CWC, CO, no heat and oils last semester, my hair dramatically improved. All my friends wanted to know what I did, and once I told them, they either were curious or grossed out. I don't care either way, but it's nice to know even others noticed how great my hair started to look. :D

Melanie Marie
August 27th, 2011, 02:08 PM
THANK you so much for this!!! Really, this is so good!


I'm a first year at my college, and I was just thinking about how difficult it was going to be to take care of my hair properly when I'm in a room and sharing a bathroom with two girls I don't know. I just washed my hair today for the first time in a week, and I know that once I get back into my routine that they are probably going to comment on my habits. They are both pretty outspoken, and I would go so far as to call one of them a loudmouth. They don't have particularly refined styles of speech, and I'm just bracing myself for if/when one of them decides to remark.

I've made up my mind that I don't care what they say about me or what I do. I'm a pretty discreet person and I try not to advertise what I do, and if anyone is rude about it I'll just be a snob (which comes naturally) and act like everyone that knows about hair does what I do. ;)

Melanie Marie
August 27th, 2011, 02:20 PM
I'm totally feeling what Rosake just said about the shower heads. They are truly heinous. I would love to hear what people are planning to do about any less than Ideal water conditions they run into. I think it would be a bit crazy to buy huge packs of water bottles just to dump on my hair. Not to mention the environmental impact...

I also wonder if someone wouldn't like to start an official thread for this. I'm sure there are lots of awesome things us college people have to share with one another. What do you guys think?

We unscrewed the shower nozzle in our bathroom and replaced it with one that filters the water as it passes through. :)

celebriangel
August 27th, 2011, 02:33 PM
THANK you so much for this!!! Really, this is so good!


I'm a first year at my college, and I was just thinking about how difficult it was going to be to take care of my hair properly when I'm in a room and sharing a bathroom with two girls I don't know. I just washed my hair today for the first time in a week, and I know that once I get back into my routine that they are probably going to comment on my habits. They are both pretty outspoken, and I would go so far as to call one of them a loudmouth. They don't have particularly refined styles of speech, and I'm just bracing myself for if/when one of them decides to remark.

I've made up my mind that I don't care what they say about me or what I do. I'm a pretty discreet person and I try not to advertise what I do, and if anyone is rude about it I'll just be a snob (which comes naturally) and act like everyone that knows about hair does what I do. ;)

I'm aware I'm a bit of a rare breed, but when people make those sorts of remarks to me I tend to raise one eyebrow and politely convey that I don't give a hoot what they think (normally by cheerfully explaining that what I like what I'm doing/it gives great results/whatever).

I wouldn't stress about it. Go serenely about your business, and if they comment, smile cheerily. There's nothing that disconcerts people who are trying to be snide than the recipient appearing happily unaffected :)

Lianna
August 27th, 2011, 03:07 PM
Like others said, just buy some decoys, shampoo or any other thing you don't use and are expected to use (leave the shampoo half full or something).

SMT's aren't that different, it's just a homemade mask, there's several kinds in the internet, you could just say you bought it (and don't remember where).

The bonnet might be a little difficult, you could just say your hair tangles a lot in your sleep? It is somewhat popular in the african american community though.

About oils, mainstream have "hair oils" too. Don't say it's grapeseed (or whatever) oil, say it's hair oil. Aloe vera gel is hair gel, etc (which really is, just natural).

I don't live in a dorm though.

pes3108
August 27th, 2011, 03:57 PM
Great thread, wish I had found it sooner! I'm a senior this year and by now all of my friends are used to my odd hair habits. Its great now too because I've been dating a guy with dreadlocks for the past year and when I got a week without washing my hair, he doesn't even notice :P

GRU
August 27th, 2011, 08:26 PM
The issues I had with my college roommate stemmed from issues of sanitation, personal hygiene, and consequent odors (the bodily kind... on her part). :brainbleach:

Oh, the memories.... my first roommate had a weird odor, not exactly B.O., but not exactly pleasant, either.

And I was NOT pleased to walk into our room one evening to find her soaking her "poor sore feet" (after a THREE HOUR catering shift :rolleyes:) in my popcorn bowl!
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/ImaHockeyMom/boards/emoticons/puke-1.gif

ibleedlipstick
August 27th, 2011, 09:34 PM
I'm going into my third year, and will be living with my boyfriend in our own apartment this year. There are not words to describe my excitement. My hair won't be an issue, but it never has.

Frankly, with everyone I live with it has been the same: I go in, I CO, use a bunch of different oils/treatments, and do my own thing. No one has ever cared, because I'm not ashamed of it and it doesn't get in their way.

I make sure to keep my hair oil separate from the kitchen oil, to avoid moments of "Why is there a black hair in my curry?" and make sure to clean out the shower/drain after showering to avoid conditioner slickness and hair buildup.

People tend not to care too much as long as it doesn't directly affect them and you don't act ashamed of it. My hair looks, feels, and smells freaking amazing a majority of the time. There is no reason for someone to be weirded out by it.

The only hair-related requests by my roommates have been this:
Use a shower drain cover to capture hair/run Drano down it once a month because my hair loves to clog.
Rinse the tub out after I shower/bathe to keep the people who shower after me from skiing.
Pour half my coconut oil into a separate jar so that some of it can be used for cooking (my boyfriend loves to cook. I have never cooked with coconut oil before.)

I also use black towels and black bedding so that any dye bleeding doesn't damage it (bottle blue-black hair ftw) and keep it up on my wet days (it takes two days to dry) so as not to leave blue smudges on the furniture.

I don't think people are so bothered by it as we think. In fact, I lived with my 80 year old grandmum over the summer, and she told me stories about her grandmum who had hip-length grey hair that she would wear in a bun during the day, braid for sleeping, and all the little treatments that she did on it way back then.


*My boyfriend does have one complaint: My hair is freaking everywhere. I haven't moved in yet, I have been working about an hour away over the summer and have spent maybe four nights there, and yet he finds my hair everywhere. It amuses him and me greatly, because my hair is *always* up. Seriously, I brush it in the bathroom before braiding it at night, and then brush it in the bathroom before showering/while styling. I usually vacuum once a week or more when I'm there. And yet my hair haunts us.

jenwexler
August 27th, 2011, 09:55 PM
It's a lot easier than I thought it would be. The bathroom is private with a lock and my roommates are barely in. If they notice and say something I'll say "do the results lie? Touch my hair. touch it."

Melanie Marie
September 3rd, 2011, 07:21 PM
I wouldn't stress about it. Go serenely about your business, and if they comment, smile cheerily. There's nothing that disconcerts people who are trying to be snide than the recipient appearing happily unaffected :)

This is a really good point. I generally try to go by this rule, but sometimes I can't help being a little snarly if someone is being particularly nasty. :rolleyes: Oh well, I have a lifetime to work on that particular trait of mine. ;)

I really agree with what ibleedlipstick said. If you act ashamed of what you do, people will notice your uneasiness. Of course we all have moments of insecurity, but I would say that I'm pretty secure of myself, and I just go about my business as I normally would.

I was actually really relieved today because I did a black tea rinse and I walked into the bathroom with a pot of tea and locked the door, and the roommate who was in the room at the time didn't say anything! :cheese: I'm starting to think I was overreacting just a bit, but I still feel the need to be wary around my roommates (in general, not merely about hair; I can't quite place my finger on it).

Melanie Marie
September 3rd, 2011, 07:25 PM
And I was NOT pleased to walk into our room one evening to find her soaking her "poor sore feet" (after a THREE HOUR catering shift :rolleyes:) in my popcorn bowl!
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/ImaHockeyMom/boards/emoticons/puke-1.gif
shudder:

I don't even know what I would have done in that situation...

GRU
September 4th, 2011, 07:23 AM
shudder:

I don't even know what I would have done in that situation...

I told her she could keep the bowl... I sure wasn't ever gonna use it again after that!

Melanie Marie
September 4th, 2011, 08:10 AM
I told her she could keep the bowl... I sure wasn't ever gonna use it again after that!

Ha ha, good call. :p

racrane
September 4th, 2011, 10:27 AM
"Ewww" about the popcorn bowl. I'm glad I don't have a roommate. But I had someone notice who lives next door to me that I don't use shampoo, just conditioner. She was a little weirded out but she said "Well, you have pretty hair so I guess that's awesome." Made my day. :)

PineappleJello
September 4th, 2011, 10:35 AM
I sat and visited with my roomate for a few hours on Thursday. We talked about nails, and drinking escapades, tv and of course hair.

It was so cute she was telling me about the last time she got her hair cut and said 'please don't think I'm weird, I haven't had my hair cut since February'

I laughed and told her that my last hair cut was in April, and the one before was in July 2010

Foxy_Booker
September 4th, 2011, 11:05 AM
Last year I was in a student house and was actually accused of stealing someone elses shampoo. I didn't want to exactly tell them that I don't use shampoo but it made things difficult. It was insulting especially because it wasn't even good shampoo that I wouldn't put close to my hair but apparently her shampoo bottle emptied too fast so it was my fault. When people ask about my strange hair habits I always just explain why its good for hair and they seem to understand enough.

GRU
September 4th, 2011, 11:15 AM
Last year I was in a student house and was actually accused of stealing someone elses shampoo. I didn't want to exactly tell them that I don't use shampoo but it made things difficult. It was insulting especially because it wasn't even good shampoo that I wouldn't put close to my hair but apparently her shampoo bottle emptied too fast so it was my fault. When people ask about my strange hair habits I always just explain why its good for hair and they seem to understand enough.


If she's that worried about it, she should have kept it in her bedroom instead of the bathroom. How odd.....

(And at the rate I go through conditioner, I'd never be able to tell if anyone else was using it or not! :lol: )

Tabihito
September 4th, 2011, 01:39 PM
I CO-wash, and just don't say anything. I carry a bottle of VO5 and a bottle of GFTN to the shower, and nobody's called me out on it yet. I peeled the label off the jar of coconut oil and my dorm room is absolutely frigid, so it stays hard; I think my roommate thinks it's either a gel or styling wax of some sort or a leave-in conditioner. Again, the less said, the better.

As for the rest, I try to do SMTs and the like when my roommates aren't around. Some things, there's just no getting around.

Melanie Marie
September 4th, 2011, 01:40 PM
It was insulting especially because it wasn't even good shampoo

I had to laugh at this. :p

But so sorry you had to go through that. :( We have an Honor Code at our college, but I still try to keep my things as close to me as possible/reasonable.

Maverick494
September 4th, 2011, 03:48 PM
I used to worry myself silly about other people's thoughts and opinions in highschool. I always tried to adapt to the norm, only to find out that there was no norm and that by thinking that there was, I stood out like a sore thumb.

So when I was 16 I vowed not to care about that anymore and this mindset really made living much more pleasant and easy. I'm never going to be normal and I will always have my quirks, among them:

- Being a virgin at 23. Yes. I'm one of the few left. And I don't lie to cover it up either (but nor do I broadcast it.)
- Using coconut oil, like the majority of LHC-ers here.
- Mixing lemon juice, sugar and honey to make my own facial scrub (leaves your skin ultrasoft!)
- Using Garnier Sunscreen bodymilk to moisturize my face as everything else either doesn't work or is too expensive. (I have extremely dry skin)
- Mixing Cassia and Rhubarb root for hair treatment every 2/3 weeks
- Going out for a run at 5:30 in the morning and doing my workout after that or late in the evening/night.
- Not allowing people near my laptop or Ipod. I'm a privacy nut.

Anyway, there are many more 'oddities' about me, but because I never acted like they were weird everyone accepted me without a fuss. If you draw attention to your 'quirks' or habits you are basically pushing people to confirm your beliefs.

So just keep your rituals and habits and as long as you're not hurting anyone with it I see no problem. Just explain when people ask. They might learn something. :D

Mairéad
September 4th, 2011, 04:08 PM
So far my roommates seem rather accepting of my hair ways. We'll see what happens as soon as I have to bust out the henna, but so far explaining my CO hasn't made their eyes bulge out and they were rather understanding that my hair is way too dry to shampoo often.

Both of them eat a lot of sea food though and I had to hang up a sign to remind them that all dishes, pans, and counters sea food has come in contact with must be washed immediately as I am extremely, extremely allergic to sea food. I can't even so much as touch it.

Actually, I'm bugged because it appears neither of my roommates have heard of taking out trash, doing dishes, and cleaning up spills. I had to kindly ask my DBF to clean the stove and do my dishes because I could tell my shellfish protocol had been thoroughly ignored. I may have to take it up with my RA because this is NOT anything I can mess around with.

Melanie Marie
September 9th, 2011, 11:32 AM
I've noticed that my hair is frizzier ever since I came to college. :confused: It might just be the humidity, but I'm not sure...

Hopefully things will get better with time! :D

racrane
September 9th, 2011, 11:40 AM
I've noticed my hair looks duller since using the showers here. I really don't know what to do.

09robiha
September 9th, 2011, 01:18 PM
college in america is similar to university in the uk right??
If so count me into this thread!

I move in a week and i have to admit...im nervous my housemates wont be accepting of hair routine. Actually im nervous of them being accepting of me all round...Like maverick494 mention i have a few quirks or differances myself (LGBT, lots of thick curly hair i like to detangle in the shower, using oils on my skin and hair, slightly picky food habits, privacy nut, very close and somewhat odd relationship with my best friend who is also living there). All that added to the fact my showers take me forever thanks to my tangly curls and styling and im pretty sure its a recipe for my fellow flatmates (7 other girls) to take against me.

I dont want to annoy anyone or feel embarrased about my routine because it works for me and in the end i get great hair! but i think to the world outside LHC it will be deemed odd. Im hoping since were all girls no one will care!! If they do they ahve too much time on their hands and can be using it to make me a cuppa instead :p

09robiha
September 9th, 2011, 01:19 PM
I've noticed my hair looks duller since using the showers here. I really don't know what to do.

the water might have changed in hardness! or you may have mineral build up i would suggest clarifying every know and then :)

Foxy_Booker
September 9th, 2011, 01:43 PM
Speaking about University. Its my first class and I can't seem to get off of LHC instead of actually listening or something. Bad distraction!

Melanie Marie
September 9th, 2011, 03:57 PM
college in america is similar to university in the uk right??

It's exactly the same thing. :p

What I did with my roommates (we call them roommates instead of flatmates) was arrange a loose shower schedule with them for Saturdays, the day I wash my hair. Maybe you can try that if you know your showers take a long time.

racrane
September 9th, 2011, 09:16 PM
the water might have changed in hardness! or you may have mineral build up i would suggest clarifying every know and then :)

Yeah, I've been clarifying once a week now as opposed to once a month. I don't like it because my hair is so fine, but it's better than having blah hair. *shrugs*

Rebeccalaurenxx
September 9th, 2011, 10:43 PM
Im a freshman in college, though i do not live in the dorms, i do live with family and they have just adapted to the odd things i do. Afterall, my mother tends to be the one to buy me the oils and such. My father ignores it, my sister goes "...okay." And at first my mother was semi-shocked, but after was actually happy because she would much rather me do deep conditioning's and oils, then coloring my hair.

Just be open with what you do. Why hide it? Hey, who knows, maybe your roomies will want to join you after seeing how fab your hair looks :) Ive gotten my sister to come to the dark side once, im sure you could get your roomies to join in too lol

eiwonob
September 10th, 2011, 12:29 AM
In my country, if you aren't from a different country or state where your college is, you usually just continue to live with your parents. That's my case. I can relate to the feeling that I get from people: my heair being very long and unusual. Most people like it, though, but it's very hard to find someone with similar hairstyle views.

Neneka
September 10th, 2011, 02:28 AM
Uuh... This is my fifth year at the university. 2 years ago I lived with two flatmates. I wasn't in LHC at that time but I used to put some oil treatments (it was some oil mixed with cones) in my hair and they always complained about the smell. It was kind of overly sweet. We also had a hair growing competition with my flatmates' boyfriend. He won. Probably because I was eating like nothing and he was trying to eat as healthy as possible.

Now I live with my SO and he doesn't understand my hair things at all. He thinks that hair doesn't really need conditioner and using oils is just weird and especially using castor oil is disgusting.

Melanie Marie
September 16th, 2011, 08:26 AM
I've been ordering a lot of hair-related items online ever since I got to college, so I've made a rule that I can buy $25 worth of hair toys, etc. every 2 months (excluding tax :D).

Managing my money is something really difficult since I have a natural inclination to shop, more so than the average person, but I dare say that I'm doing relatively well (even though my credit card bills make me want to cry). Does anyone else have this problem?

jenwexler
October 18th, 2011, 04:07 PM
I've been very discrete this year. I've been doing C/O and make sure I have the bathroom to myself when I get my hair stuff done. My boyfriend hasn't even noticed I wash with only conditioner.

Melanie Marie
October 18th, 2011, 07:28 PM
I'm still trying to set a fixed routine, but I'm seeing slightly better results in my hair lately; I think my hair has adjusted to the water. :cheese:

supercupcakexx
October 18th, 2011, 08:05 PM
I'm only a freshman, but luckily at my university, every room in the Freshman Dorms has its own bathroom. So I only have to share it with my roommate (who just happens to be my best friend too!) She and her boyfriend (also a good friend) are the only ones over that often, and I don't really care how they see me, so it's really a great set up. :cheese:

...Still, they do give me some weird looks when I'm all donned with my shower cap and bottles of oil all over the place and whatnot. :p

jenwexler
October 18th, 2011, 09:09 PM
I'm waiting for the day someone says something about my routine haha. Patiently waiting...

racrane
October 18th, 2011, 11:48 PM
No one has said anything about my routine yet, which is nice. But I have started to use heat styling for a show I'm in and it kills me every time the hot rollers are on. I can only think of hair damage, not how pretty it does look. (I kind of have to, unfortunately.)

Anyway, I'm planning on pampering my hair this upcoming month from all the bad things I'm doing to my hair.

jenwexler
October 19th, 2011, 07:15 AM
Definitely need to start doing the SMTs once your show is done =].

alxardnax
October 19th, 2011, 03:25 PM
Hi!

I have my own place this year but I used to do those sort of things when my roommate was in class or something as opposed to at night when everybody is home studying or hanging out. However, I don't think anyone should be embarrassed to do those sort of things in front of roommates, but I know from experience that that is easier said than done.

Mairéad
October 19th, 2011, 04:17 PM
My roommates have seemed rather accepting of my hair care, either that, or they keep it to themselves (which I can appreciate). I'm not discrete simply because I don't have the time to be secretive. I leave the conditioner for my CO on dry hair for twenty minutes and if the only time I have to do that is while simultaneously eating oatmeal, then that's when I'm doing it.

Is anyone having non-hair related roommate issues?

Mine keeps leaving containers that had shellfish in the sink and leaves it on the counter, too. That makes doing the dishes or touching the counters a life and death situation for me, so I can't do my dishes if she's doesn't do her's (which she never does). I always have to ask my boyfriend to do the dishes and well, that's just not supposed to be his responsibility. I've told her time and time again but BAM, shellfish in the sink. She also does things like take my umbrella without asking leaving me to walk around all day in the freezing rain without it. :rolleyes:

Melanie Marie
October 19th, 2011, 04:59 PM
Is anyone having non-hair related roommate issues?


I've had quite a few, to be honest, but it's too much energy to go into everything. :rolleyes: Even thought we don't like each other, I have forgiven them, and I'm at peace with myself, at the very least.

GRU
October 19th, 2011, 05:38 PM
Is anyone having non-hair related roommate issues?

Mine keeps leaving containers that had shellfish in the sink and leaves it on the counter, too. That makes doing the dishes or touching the counters a life and death situation for me, so I can't do my dishes if she's doesn't do her's (which she never does). I always have to ask my boyfriend to do the dishes and well, that's just not supposed to be his responsibility. I've told her time and time again but BAM, shellfish in the sink. She also does things like take my umbrella without asking leaving me to walk around all day in the freezing rain without it. :rolleyes:

Is this university-supplied housing, or an apartment you rent on your own? If the uni is supplying it, they have to provide you with a SAFE housing situation. I'd contact the housing department and ask them to provide you with a single room since your current situation is unsafe. (This is probably even an ADA-related issue.... check it out, b/c nobody should have to live in constant fear for their life in their own home!)

Mairéad
October 19th, 2011, 06:04 PM
It is a campus apartment. I've just tried being civilized about it and I've already gone to the RA on occasion. I have signs plastered all over the kitchen. I'll go to my RA again. There really is no such thing as a single room in my dorm.

Melanie Marie
October 22nd, 2011, 09:02 PM
It is a campus apartment. I've just tried being civilized about it and I've already gone to the RA on occasion. I have signs plastered all over the kitchen. I'll go to my RA again. There really is no such thing as a single room in my dorm.

Good luck with your roommate situation!! Hopefully you can resolve the issue once and for all.

jenwexler
January 17th, 2012, 09:44 AM
I have a roommate agreement where everyone agrees we should all do the cleaning evenly this year. However, one girl, who shockingly doesn't follow it even though she has been in the suites for 4 years, is piling on the garbage to capacity, leaves pizza out in the common room, never throws out her trash, and completely stinks up the bathroom is starting to become an annoyance. She also has vodka in her room which is against the rules and it just makes me uncomfortable. I won't turn her in for the alcohol but the smelly bathroom garbage is annoying. I don't want to be the one the throw it away because then it sends her the message I'm the one who cleans up, but it stinks and I end up doing it anyway even though I don't even use that garbage can. I already clean up and throw out garbage for me and the girl I share my room with so it really frustrates me. I feel weird to talk to her about it though because she gives me the worst attitude.

Alix
January 17th, 2012, 09:50 AM
It is a campus apartment. I've just tried being civilized about it and I've already gone to the RA on occasion. I have signs plastered all over the kitchen. I'll go to my RA again. There really is no such thing as a single room in my dorm.

Go above your RA if you have to, I am an RA and sometimes we just can't do much and our hands are tied. If you go above them sometimes someone higher up can help get you situated.

Mairéad
January 17th, 2012, 11:23 AM
I have a roommate agreement where everyone agrees we should all do the cleaning evenly this year. However, one girl, who shockingly doesn't follow it even though she has been in the suites for 4 years, is piling on the garbage to capacity, leaves pizza out in the common room, never throws out her trash, and completely stinks up the bathroom is starting to become an annoyance. She also has vodka in her room which is against the rules and it just makes me uncomfortable. I won't turn her in for the alcohol but the smelly bathroom garbage is annoying. I don't want to be the one the throw it away because then it sends her the message I'm the one who cleans up, but it stinks and I end up doing it anyway even though I don't even use that garbage can. I already clean up and throw out garbage for me and the girl I share my room with so it really frustrates me. I feel weird to talk to her about it though because she gives me the worst attitude.

Tell me about it. I've been living with this girl for what, 5 months now? And, I just taught her where the dumpster was. As if THAT'S the reason she didn't want to take the trash out. If she were really that interested in helping me keep the place clean she would have asked me that the first time the trash can got full and not just set it next to the trash can and start throwing her new trash in an unlined can. First day I met her she said, "I don't clean."

Which really confuses me because the university is supposed to match us with people who have similar habits.

jenwexler
January 17th, 2012, 01:36 PM
Tell me about it. I've been living with this girl for what, 5 months now? And, I just taught her where the dumpster was. As if THAT'S the reason she didn't want to take the trash out. If she were really that interested in helping me keep the place clean she would have asked me that the first time the trash can got full and not just set it next to the trash can and start throwing her new trash in an unlined can. First day I met her she said, "I don't clean."

Which really confuses me because the university is supposed to match us with people who have similar habits.

I know what you mean. Agh I never signed an agreement that said only i take the trash out. Hate to give tmi but one of my roommates had her period last week. Completely filled up and stank up the bathroom with her disposables that week and would NOT take the trash out. I didn't to make a point. apparently she didn't notice the rotting smell from her own damn body...so i finally gave in. but i did not put a trash bag on it. There are 2 trash cans in the bathroom. Funny thing is, since there was no bag on it, she just filled up the other trash can instead and didn't put a bag in the other one lol. So there's one empty trash can now and one over flowing one...