Help for a newbie!

[deroumanie]

Hello ladies and hair experts extraordinare! I have been in search of the elusive waist length hair for a few years now, but I always run into the same problem: DYE!!! I have decided to swear it off for a while after the next time I color. (I am trying to return to a more natural shade that blends in.)

I really need your help starting a hair routine and keeping with it! I don't know where to begin!


Sorry if my post is long/weidly arranged haha.

A little about my hair:



Eastern European, thick with fine/medium strands, slightly wavy, past shoulders, extra frizzy, dull & extremely dry from going from brunette to blonde and brunette again.

It actually got damaged by switching hair stylists when I moved. Ugh!

Whatever I do I cannot seem to get moisture in it.

Currently I am using Redken Smoothdown Conditioner (like) and Redken Extreme Shampoo (do not like) every other day.

I leave coconut oil overnight once a week and clarify once a month.



For whatever reason this isn't working for me. Usually I have luck with Redken, and have for years, but...


I am looking to switch to more organic/natural products that actually work, I also live in Los Angeles and have terrible water despite the Aquasana shower filter.

Could you please make some recommendations? Thank you!


Peace & Love,

Lexy

[heidi w.]

Good for you. I like your plan. It's funny. I'm swearing off dye AFTER the next time I dye......

First, if you're going to dye your hair, it's important to use products that are intended for use on colored hair. Hair will tend to do a bit better. If you must, consult with a hair colorist on what to use and how to proceed to arrive at your intended goal of blending in real color with the dye colored hair. You may be able to change to use of rinses or semi-permanent colors, for example.

Colored hair MUST use a GREAT conditioner. The best you can afford. I swear by Biolage's Conditioning Balm, and have used this conditioner with great results for a decade or more by now. It's thick and most are put off by the viscousness, but I use it religiously and it works very well. I've tried other conditioners and none leaves my hair in the condition that this conditioner does, PLUS this conditioner is biodegradeable. I think it does have cones it it, but my hair is ok with cones. Oh, and I use a lot of it, leave it on for a little bit before rinsing it out.

You need to learn how to wash hair. Never pile it on your head and scramble about. Tangle city will be entered if you do so. Allow shampoo to fall down the length of the hair hanging down. Wash in a shower. Rinse super well, then condition; and same process with conditioner, only directly apply conditioner to wet hair.

Try to avoid detangling hair while wet as it's fully engorged in length and diameter when it's sopping wet. Allow it to air dry whenever possible, if not all the time.

Detangle with a wide-tooth comb.

After you get that down, consider adding oiling to your routine. For this, you must know what kind of hair texture you have as that changes the how to of oiling. Different hair types must proceed differently. I recommend only oiling the length and none of the scalp or scalp hair. Because sebum does the job for you on the scalp and related scalp hair.

Wear hair up whenever possible, away from the weather (wind, snow...windy). Eventually the shorter lengths will become the longest lengths and oldest length of hair and this hair must be preserved to sustain its integrity over time. My hair is over 16 years old, especially the region from about mid-thigh on down.

Treat hair like fine lace. Wash gently; comb gently. Take it easy. The goal is for it to last.

There's certainly a lot more to know, but that's where I'd start. And if you must choose what to spend your money on, spend it on a great conditioner.

heidi w.

[heidi w.]

Water quality can somewhat be helped by installing a shower head filter, which aren't that expensive nor difficult to install. If you're in a house, consider the idea of softening the water yet have a switch that stops the softening of the water if you soften all the water in the house. Most choose to simply soften the cool water; I softened all the house's water, hot included. I have a water filter to install in the sink which will take the salt out of the water so it's more pleasant for me to drink. But that is waiting for the affordability of an electrician. Long story.....

heidi w.

[heidi w.]

Oiling can help to resolve the problem between somewhat greasy scalp hair yet somewhat dry length. This is a way of balancing out this very common problem. If your hair is wavy or curly, there's a tendency with this hair type to be drier as it is. This hair type needs a boatload of conditioner, as does hair that is colored.

heidi w.

[caadam]

Hello ladies and hair experts extraordinare!

HI! :flower: Though I wouldn't call myself an expert, I'll do my best to help you out!




Eastern European, thick with fine/medium strands, slightly wavy, past shoulders, extra frizzy, dull & extremely dry from going from brunette to blonde and brunette again.

First off, if you need help typing your hair, feel free to take a picture of your hair and put it up on the boards for everyone to see! We'll help you out with that.

On another note, the first thing I notice is "extra frizzy, dull & extremely dry." I know you say you're already using coconut oil, but I really want to suggest another oil to you: mineral oil!

It's amazing stuff. From personal experience, and even more experience from a former member who did a lot of experimenting with the oil, it helps to lock in moisture and allow any new moisture to get to the hair shaft. Mineral oil can make hair soft and shiny, and you don't need a lot of it. Really—just 2-3 drops and that's it! It works for lots of people, but there are some people it doesn't work for. Keeping that in mind, I suggest you try it out and see what happens. Maybe put a few drops on your hair's length after it's damp from the shower, or even after it's dry.

You can find mineral oil in baby oil (most baby oils are just fragrance and mineral oil), or you can find it where all the laxatives are in the pharmacy section of a grocery store. If you find castor oil, then mineral oil is not too far off.


It actually got damaged by switching hair stylists when I moved. Ugh!

Nooo! :( Well, now it's the best time to really pamper it. Be gentle with your hair, put it up, keep it out of the way. No heat styling if you can help it. When brushing your hair, always be careful, and start from the bottom up. When working through tangles, never pull through them. If you don't have one already, try to invest in a wide-toothed comb. Conair has a nice wide-toothed comb for cheap:

http://www.amazon.com/14388-PRO-STYLE-WIDE-TOOTH/dp/B001UO8A6G

If you don't want to use that, you can try a Hair Sense comb. They're made out of a resin that's anti-static. I have one myself and it's all I use besides my boar bristle brush:

http://hairsense.com/bone_combs.php (take your pick! lol Just remember to choose something that has wide teeth. Item 232 "palm pic" looks good, and the comb I use is item 215)

You can also use a wooden comb (I got two myself, but they're fine tooth combs) or a horn comb. Just ask around and figure out what you want to get. :)


Whatever I do I cannot seem to get moisture in it.

If you're having problems with moisture, then you might have to work on finding ways to get more moisture in it (dur lol I'm just stating the obvious here). I suggested mineral oil, so there's an option. :D Also, you can try the famous SMT (Snowy's Moisture Treatment (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=128)), or a regular conditioning treatment from a conditioner of your choice.

You might also try to up your coconut oil treatment to 2 times a week and see how that helps. I find that doing an overnight treatment with olive oil is VERY effective, so you got plenty of methods to try! Just remember to try them all within a reasonable amount of time (1-2 weeks per method, I say).


Currently I am using Redken Smoothdown Conditioner (like) and Redken Extreme Shampoo (do not like) every other day.

I say throw away the shampoo if you don't like it, or give it to someone else who might! lol And it just crossed my mind: you might want to try the CO method, or the Conditioner Only method. It might help with the dryness of your hair! If you want to know more about it, here's the link to the official thread:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=2898

Come and say hello, ask questions, and hang out. :)


I leave coconut oil overnight once a week and clarify once a month.

Yeah... the once a week oil treatment just might not be enough, but that's my opinion. *nods*


For whatever reason this isn't working for me. Usually I have luck with Redken, and have for years, but...


I am looking to switch to more organic/natural products that actually work, I also live in Los Angeles and have terrible water despite the Aquasana shower filter.


If you're having problems with your water, the nice thing about a lot of conditioners is that they usually have a water softener in them called disodium EDTA. So if you want to consider COing, then that's a bonus. lol I don't have problems with my water when I'm CO, and my water is HARD. Like, it leaves residue everywhere. :( But with my conditioner, my hair doesn't have to suffer from all of it! Yaaay. As do a lot of people who use certain shampoos, but it's mostly conditioners that have this magic ingredient.

But if you're wanting to use more natural/organic products... well, you might not be able to find disodium EDTA in those. Instead, you'll have to rely on some extra work on your part, which includes chelating. You can chelate mineral deposits from your hair usually with certain kinds of citric acid rinses. Lemon juice in water works well, but there are some ladies who use what's called Miracle water. For the past four months, I was only washing with water (and since you know I have hard water, you can imagine that disaster. blugh), and Miracle water really saved my hair from getting dull and gross. Here's a link to the thread:

http://www.longhaircommunity.com/archive/showthread.php?t=51184

And I say, just for emergencies, have some kind of clarifying shampoo on hand at all times. Just in case. You can just dilute it in water and use it that way so you're not striping your hair TOO much, but just enough to remove everything, you know? You can also use baking soda (diluted in water, of course), but that should only be used for clarifying no more than once a month, maybe twice, but really no more than that. It's VERY drying for most people, and can be damaging. Just because it's "natural" doesn't mean it can be used all the time.

Anyway... I think that's all I can tell you on my end. Hope you find some answers and recommendations and lots of help! Good luck! :cheese:

[caadam]

Heidi to the rescue! lol

[caadam]

Colored hair MUST use a GREAT conditioner. The best you can afford. I swear by Biolage's Conditioning Balm, and have used this conditioner with great results for a decade or more by now. It's thick and most are put off by the viscousness, but I use it religiously and it works very well. I've tried other conditioners and none leaves my hair in the condition that this conditioner does, PLUS this conditioner is biodegradeable. I think it does have cones it it, but my hair is ok with cones. Oh, and I use a lot of it, leave it on for a little bit before rinsing it out.

heidi w.

I have the generic form of this balm from Walgreens, and I know it's not EXACTLY the same, but I totally agree with you, Heidi. I love it, and it has protein, and my hair usually doesn't take well to protein. But for some reason my hair will take it from this stuff. lol Loooooove it. ♥ Leaves my hair soft, strong, and shiny. :D