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View Full Version : Best Thing You've Done For Your Hair



blaketob
July 1st, 2012, 02:55 PM
Hello everyone!!!

So recently I've been thinking about what works best/worse for what types of hair. I'm still new in the LHC so it's a little overwhelming to me that there are so many products, oils, coning vs. not coning, sulfate vs. non sulfate shampoos, etc.

So here's my question... what one thing have you done differently to your hair that has helped it grow/be in great condition :)

personally, I think that using no heat products has definitely effected my hair greatly the most.. what about you?

Shiranshoku
July 1st, 2012, 03:03 PM
Using 2 drops of baby oil after washing when damp, and one drop or so for my tassel when I braid. My hair wasn't very split-prone to begin with, but it's been 9 months since the last trim and I've only found 2 splits since. They're still nice and blunt :)

Dragon Faery
July 1st, 2012, 03:23 PM
Being a dry curly, the first best thing I've done was switch to CO washing. (Silicone and sulfate-free, as well.)

This has made it possible to do other things that never worked when I was still using shampoo:
1. Fingercomb only
2. Oil
3. Style my hair curly
4. Grow past BSL without tons of splits. :D

It has also cut down on my dandruff and given me shinier, more manageable hair. Yay!

Other good things for me have been
S&D-ing
Microtrims/dustings
Using a bit of satin ribbon underneath elastics to protect my hair from damage and breakage. (Thanks to Spidermom for suggesting it in some other thread!)

catamonica
July 1st, 2012, 03:35 PM
The best thing I've used is horse shampoo. It grew to waist from past midback, after years of not growing. Also a spray bottle mixed with olive oil & water. And adding olive oil to my shampoo & conditioner. And Aloe Vera to my conditioner. One more thing, I have been wearing a braided bun, since November 2011. In March, my hair grew four inches to hip. So wearing it up protects & keeps the hair in good condition.

rach
July 1st, 2012, 03:44 PM
say good bye to heat on regular basis
Using my S & D method (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=146) which minimises length loss.
Henna made me fall in love with my hair again.
Hair sticks and ficcares with new updos for fun saving tangle issues

Madora
July 1st, 2012, 03:47 PM
Brushing 100 strokes daily with my pure bbb!

Seeshami
July 1st, 2012, 03:56 PM
Using the fancy pantsy olive oil we got as a wedding gift in my hair instead of for cooking

Miss Maisie
July 1st, 2012, 03:57 PM
Jojoba oil.

Kaelee
July 1st, 2012, 03:58 PM
Henna, hands down!

blaketob
July 1st, 2012, 04:03 PM
The best thing I've used is horse shampoo. It grew to waist from past midback, after years of not growing. Also a spray bottle mixed with olive oil & water. And adding olive oil to my shampoo & conditioner. And Aloe Vera to my conditioner. One more thing, I have been wearing a braided bun, since November 2011. In March, my hair grew four inches to hip. So wearing it up protects & keeps the hair in good condition.

I just started to use horse shampoo last week. I plan on using it for the whole summer. I hope it helps my growth!!! :)

Mrsbaybeegurl
July 1st, 2012, 04:19 PM
I believe henna (although I was doing that 2+ years before coming to LHC) has helped me keep my hair healthy and strong and has allowed me to fully grow out all of my processed/bleached hair and have what I consider to be Virgin hair (as in no chemicals - henna doesn't count in my book lol but it's not my natural color so it's not truly virgin)

Since coming to LHC I believe no heat has made a HUGE improvement in my hair. I was a daily blow fryer...and my hair would often tangle and be ripped out while styling :mad: BUT Now I hardly ever get tangles and haven't had a rip a chuck of hair out since giving up the heat! WHEW!!

Lastly hair oilings are something I NEVER did pre LHC and now do them all the time - I actually have some Dabur coconut oil mixed with castor on my head right now lol I do mostly heavy oilings and found my hair really only does well with a drop or two of Moroccan oil if I'm just light oiling...everything else makes it look unwearable in public. I co-wash my heavy oilings out, letting the conditioner soak for about 45 mins before rinsing and my hair comes out great and in awesome condition and I believe it has magical powers on my scalp b/c it's never behaved so good!!

On a very obvious note, yet still important to mention...learning to only mico-trim vs hacking off 2+ inches at a time helped tremendously!! I was always one to wait until my hair "felt" like it needed a trim, which meant the damage was already pretty bad, then I'd whack n hack it...now I micro trim every 4-8 weeks and have had steady growth!! I've grown almost three inches since joining in Feb (that's about 5 months) and that's not including all my micro trims!! My hair used to never grow that fast!

Rufflebutt
July 1st, 2012, 04:23 PM
I think switching to a better shampoo/conditioner was the best thing I've ever done for my hair. I used to use V05. I know a lot of people here use it, but it just makes my hair feel like straw and it would just cause my hair to break. I switched to tresseme with beautiful results. My hair was 10x softer and easier to detangle after the first wash.

jojo
July 1st, 2012, 04:40 PM
Using a BBB, baby oil and getting rid of all the hendigo out of my hair, oh and growing it long :)

ladylowtide
July 1st, 2012, 04:48 PM
I would say henna. Its helped me save my processed ends. Its made my hair a lot shinier and less tangly. And it is really good for my scalp. But make sure you don't undertake undertake hennaing your hair unless you are ready to commit what usually a permanent change.

jeanniet
July 1st, 2012, 04:58 PM
Remembering that YMMV (your mileage may vary). Everybody's hair (and water) is different, and what works for one person (or ten, or twenty) won't necessarily work for you. For instance, Mane N Tail shampoo has done wonders for catamonica, but I've tried it in the past and it was horrible for my hair. You'll find this is true of anything out there--some people swear by coconut oil, others hate it; some love Suave conditioners, others hate 'em. There simply aren't any miracle products that will do the job for everyone. It's a good idea to keep a journal of what you use and how it worked for you, so you can start paying attention to ingredients. Often it's just one or two ingredients that cause problems, so if you know that, you can shop for products more carefully. Learning about ingredients and what is best for my hair has probably been the most important thing overall I've done.

And after that--updos, silk pillowcase/sleep cap, oiling, citric acid rinses. Anything that reduces tangling is a good thing!

blondebazinga
July 1st, 2012, 05:03 PM
Probably Maine and Tail with added EVOO

petali
July 1st, 2012, 05:06 PM
Finger comb+wide tooth combs only (no brushing)
switching to Dove nutritive therapy conditioner (more shiny, easier to detangle)
MICRO TRIMS!

Kibeth
July 1st, 2012, 05:44 PM
I stopped handling my hair while it's wet. I used to comb it a little and braid it while it was damp - no more.

Mrsbaybeegurl
July 1st, 2012, 05:47 PM
Oh how could I forget...silk pillowcases!!! No more bedhead hair...no more tangles after a night of tossing and turning...just detangle before bed and wake up tangle free all the time!

JellyBene
July 1st, 2012, 06:03 PM
#1 for me is DEFINATELY henna, it has made my hir so strong and has increased the shine exponentially.

SerinaDaith
July 1st, 2012, 06:10 PM
Oh my gosh I have learned so much from this site on what to do to my hair and what to avoid it's crazy. I think there are the general consensus things like stop using heat, stop going to the hair dresser (I keep hearing horror stories that support my memories of horrible hair cuts). Don't handle your hair while it's wet, everything else has been so individual. I WO with a light oil then heavy oil once a week followed by a wash and condition and another light oil. I haven't been a big user of heat but I "lost" my heating implements or gave them to people who cannot stop talking about how much better my hair looks but will not listen when I tell them what I am doing to make such drastic change in a month and a half. Satin pillowcases until I make my satin sleep cap and there are so many more things I can't wait to try but will so I know what's really giving me growth!

Bopoluchi
July 1st, 2012, 09:29 PM
finger-combing, s&d, sealing my ends, smp, silk pillowcases, switching to a NW/SO method - these have all been amazing for the health and appearance of my hair. I've recently discovered braided updos which have been fantastic for protecting my hair and retaining moisture without causing tension in my scalp. But I think the best thing has been finding a regime which i actually enjoy and take pleasure in.

owlathena
July 1st, 2012, 09:38 PM
Quitting heat and chemical dye/bleach has done more for my hair than anything else

Tisiloves
July 1st, 2012, 09:54 PM
Henna, the pretty shininess :redgrin:

Sarahlabyrinth
July 2nd, 2012, 05:06 AM
For me the Best things have been getting a silk sleeping cap - and learning to oil my hair, just makes it so shiny and tangle - free!

AdaClare
July 2nd, 2012, 06:28 AM
Started oiling with jojoba oil. :)