Best hair care tips/advice you've ever gotten?

[HoneyBunBun]

Please share some of the best hair tips you've ever tried =) Here are some of mine:

1. Add a little honey to your conditioner to give your hair extra shine
2. Try henna
3. Brush your hair before getting in the shower to loosen dead skin and oils
4. Squeeze out excess water from your hair before putting on conditioner so water doesn't dilute it
5. Avoid sulfates

[jacqueline101]

Don't brush wet hair comb from ends to scalp wear your hair up don't use dull shears for s&d or trims. Oils are good for the hair.

[afu]

My biggest tip would be to remember everyone's hair is slightly different, so the perfect regime may take a bit of experimentation, one thing won't work for everyone.

My other tip would be to not be afraid to try 'unconventional' methods, just because you're friends do something one way or you've always been taught one way doesn't mean it's the only way

[Dang3rousB3auty]

Please share some of the best hair tips you've ever tried =) Here are some of mine:

1. Add a little honey to your conditioner to give your hair extra shine
2. Try henna
3. Brush your hair before getting in the shower to loosen dead skin and oils
4. Squeeze out excess water from your hair before putting on conditioner so water doesn't dilute it
5. Avoid sulfates

My mom was so not a hair person. She got perms that made her hair look like some furry rug, till she just decided it lop it all off and has kept it super short since then. Needless to say I never got any good hair advice from her. I hope if I have a daughter to actually be able to give her some good advice. I think most of my "advice" I have read in books. They would have to be:

~Scalp massages
~Using coconut oil to deep condition
~Drink plenty of water
~Accept your hair for how it is and don't try to change it into something it is not (ie perms, dyeing, using massive heat to make it curly/straight every single day)
~Being gentle to your hair when you are washing/drying/brushing it

[HoneyBunBun]

My mom was so not a hair person. She got perms that made her hair look like some furry rug, till she just decided it lop it all off and has kept it super short since then. Needless to say I never got any good hair advice from her. I hope if I have a daughter to actually be able to give her some good advice. I think most of my "advice" I have read in books. They would have to be:

~Scalp massages
~Using coconut oil to deep condition
~Drink plenty of water
~Accept your hair for how it is and don't try to change it into something it is not (ie perms, dyeing, using massive heat to make it curly/straight every single day)
~Being gentle to your hair when you are washing/drying/brushing it

I read "Scalp massages" and "coconut oil" and turned into Homer Simpson looking at a doughnut. My favorite is to combine the two and get a scalp massage using coconut oil. I usually have my boyfriend do it, but I have had a 'real' scalp massage at a spa and it was glorious.

[Dang3rousB3auty]

I read "Scalp massages" and "coconut oil" and turned into Homer Simpson looking at a doughnut. My favorite is to combine the two and get a scalp massage using coconut oil. I usually have my boyfriend do it, but I have had a 'real' scalp massage at a spa and it was glorious.

ooh I bet. It always feels so much nicer to have someone else do it for you and in a spa environment it is so relaxing and peaceful.

[Madora]

From LHC folks:

wearing hair in a loosely braided bun on top of my head to avoid tangles

EVOO treatment

using mineral oil (baby oil) to help with detangling and frizzies

Other:

Taking care of my hair properly via the Dr. George Michael method for healthy, beautiful hair.

[MaryMarx]

Best tip for me personally; stay AWAY from heat and chemicals.
Some peoples hair can handle it, mine can't. :p

[blondie9912]

Best tip for me personally; stay AWAY from heat and chemicals.
Some peoples hair can handle it, mine can't. :p

I second that! Also, just generally leaving my hair alone. I used to comb/brush like four times a day! Now, once or at most twice is plenty for me :)

[HoneyBunBun]

One more tip that, while excellent, has turned me into a bit of a googling madwoman.

Cut and style your hair to work with your natural features, including hair texture, thickness and face shape.

Now I spend copious amounts of time on the internet researching the "perfect" cut for my thick, wavy hair and roundish face. Good grief.

[~honeyflower~]

Hmm... Mine has to be oiling your hair, I never thought that was the answer to achieve shiny soft hair before I found LHC. Also brushing your hair with a boar bristle brush starting 20 strokes and add about five strokes each day after that until you find the right amount that you like. But the best one of all is treating it like your grandmothers lace, being gentle and patience is the key to long beautiful hair.

[Venefica]

I think the best advice I got was to start using biosilk, it is a lifesaver and have helped me avoid so many tangles, now I just can not do without the stuff.

[HoneyBunBun]

Hmm... Mine has to be oiling your hair, I never thought that was the answer to achieve shiny soft hair before I found LHC. Also brushing your hair with a boar bristle brush starting 20 strokes and add about five strokes each day after that until you find the right amount that you like. But the best one of all is treating it like your grandmothers lace, being gentle and patience is the key to long beautiful hair.

I've been reluctant to try oiling because of my experience with an olive oil and honey deep conditioning treatment. It seemed like no matter how long and how thoroughly I rinsed or shampooed my hair came out stringy and unpleasant. Which is unfortunate because I've heard really good things about castor oil and I do want to try.

[sakuraemily]

Using olive oil on length. It makes hair so shiny!

[beautifulending]

Less is more.

[xnibn]

weekly protein treatments, my hair is so fine that it gets damaged without them

[kidari]

Protective updos, self-trims, no heat... lately I've been trying to go as low-poo as possible and my hair is so much more what I want it to be: softer, shinier, more voluminous, and holds my heat-free curls without the aid of any product. The only trick to it is the troubleshooting part: you have to find what works best for your hair and scalp.

[akilina]

My absolute favorite thing that I have picked up here is simply- oiling your hair, or using a little oil as a leave in :)
As well as all the other great knowledge I have stumbled upon here. You guys are great!

[lapushka]

The curly girl book was an eye opener for me. And the info from here and from sites such as naturallycurly.com.

[ladylowtide]

1. Don't cut it!
2. If you have healthy ends.... don't trim!

These seem obvious, but I was the kind of person who would go to a salon every 6 months and have 4-5 inches lopped off to maintain my hair cut.

oh and if you wan't to have massive hair...

3. don't let someone cut layers into it!

4. PUT those Scissors down!

5. Don't cut it ever. :D

[Rufflebutt]

Stop using paper scissors to S&D! Stop it right now! I used to do this all of the time and wonder why my hair was always damaged. :x Finally I bought myself a pair of barber sheers and I can totally feel the difference!

[HoneyBunBun]

The curly girl book was an eye opener for me. And the info from here and from sites such as naturallycurly.com.

I read that book as well! I think the book that turned me towards Natural Hair Care was "The Truth About Beauty: Transform Your Looks and Your Life from the Inside Out" by Kat James. I read books like that voraciously in high school because I was really obsessed with "becoming pretty". It's been very helpful over the years though. I think I took away a lot.

[blaketob]

1. no heat styling
2. experimenting to see what works best for your hair
3. comb, no brush unless its a BBB
4. stretch washes
5. patience

[starlamelissa]

Hmmm, best Ive ever gotten?

detangle with a wide tooth comb, on wet hair.

Only brush dry hair, and use a good brush (good meaning, feels good, not a price indicator) (I like my denman)

Bun your hair to sleep

Its not the products as much as the handling that makes for pretty hair. I am currently loving a conditioner I got at dollar tree. I treat my hair gently, and I feel that shows.

Forgot to add-
hair only grows so much, so if you "only" get 3 inches trimmed off 2 times a year, it wont get long!

Baby oil on the hair. I tried coconut ( not impressed) and olive (good!) but baby oil just rocks. Period.

How to request a cut at a salon, and communicate with a hair dresser for maximum happiness with a hair cut.

[AutumnLocks]

The best advice I ever got was just stuff I figured out on my own long before I ever came to LHC.
Stay away from heat. That means blow dryers, curling irons, curling brushes, and hot rollers. No perms! Ever! Any chemical that changes the structure of your hair causes damage. It's the way it works.
Stop with the chemical hair colors. I may possibly try some henna before too long but the jury is out on that.
I feel like the least I can do to my hair the more healthy it is.

[Auksaplauke]

Do not wash hair often
do not dye hair
CO wash

[Jenny31557]

The best advice I have ever heard is "What you put in is what you get out".
That really helps me to stay healthy, eating right and exercising.
And growing my hair has really taught me to be more patient.
So being healthy and patient. Time grows hair.

[chen bao jun]

Wearing hair up most of the time to protect the ends, without damaging hair toys.
Finger detangling rather than comb or brush (I'm a super curly).
SMTs for moisturizing (with molasses, not honey) as a prewash treatment. Leave in conditioner for moisturizing. Moisture, moisture, moisture (curly hair can't get enough).
Protein treatments.
Silk pilowcases, silk scarves at night, silk scarf around neck of coat in winter and satin cap worn under wool hats.
Search and destroy.

[ghost]

CWC and CO-washing
Oiling as a leave-in protectant, or before using hair color
Satin pillow cases
S&D
Microtrims
Trimming and coloring with the moon

[rowie]

Benign neglect the LHC way.

While I'm ignoring my hair I practice the following:

-using oils like extra virgin coconut oil whenever my ends feel dry.

-protective updos, even if it is just a half-up, and trying my best to mix styles and positions to balance out stress points.

-S&D only when I need it, in my case if I stumble upon a split end, which is rare for me.

-Most important, treating my hair with lots of TLC, from detangling my hair all the way to doing protective updos.

[rock007junkie]

- S & Ds can help you avoid unnecessary trims
-Keep your hair oiled
-Stay away from silicones and sulphates (works for me)
-Cassia and Henna and Amla can save your hair
-Pre-oiling hair before washing
-Upping your protein intake
-Staying away from heat

[earthnut]

The first tip that revolutionized my hair care was: Shampoo dries out your hair. Don't use very much, if any, of it.
The second tip that revolutionized my hair care was: Leave some conditioner in your hair, don't rinse it all out.
The third tip that perfected my current routine was: Your hair might need more protein treatments.
I've gone from shampoo-only to conditioner-only and my hair is much much happier for it.

And also:
It's OK not to brush or comb at all!
Scritch and preen!
You can cut your own layers by cutting your hair upsidedown!
Learning about oils and how to use them
Satin pillowcases!

I always knew it was bad for my hair to use heat and chemicals, but otherwise I was clueless until I found this forum many years ago and my hair suffered from my ignorance.

[Eireann]

Stop commercial shampoos and box dye. I shed a tenth of what I used to, and my hair is so much healthier!

[UP Lisa]

My hair is baby fine. May I ask more about the protein treatments you do?



weekly protein treatments, my hair is so fine that it gets damaged without them

[UP Lisa]

Wear it up.

[melusine963]

- Wear it up
- Oil regularly
- Stop straightening it
- Brush GENTLY
- Bin all damaging hair ties

[dulce]

I think it was Madora that mentioned using a floor fan to dry hair,it works so well!!

[Dutchesse]

1. Brushing your hair actually damages it. Do it GENTLY, if at all. A wide tooth comb works best, or just your fingers.
2. Satin pillowcases prevent many splits, as does a bun on top of the head (lying on your hair breaks it)
3. Shampoo isn't as great as it used to seem. The scalp is a thing that exists and it gets really unhappy from shampoo
4. If you cut bangs you can change your looks if you get the itch again, but don't need to cut the length of your hair.
5. You can opt to dye only a section of hair. Bangs are short enough to dye without suffering the damage and it looks great!

[victorian girl]

1. Brush gently, always detangle beforehand, TLC in general is a must!
2. Dry your hair with a t-shirt and don't rub
3. Co-washing is a real thing
4. Wear it up!
5. Benign neglect doesn't equal real neglect
6. Scrunchies are a girl's best friend (and satin pillowcases too)

[TheCurlyMermaid]

1. No more heat. No more bleach.
2. Protein treatments. I have rather fine curly hair and I thought my curl pattern was just gone and damaged beyond repair. With regular use of protein treatments (while being careful to also keep my hair moisturized, don't want to have an overload on either) my curls are coming back beautifully! Curling all the way to the ends!
3. Sleeping on a satin/silk pillowcase or wrapping your hair in that fabric.
4. Keeping the application of most hair products/oils from the ears down so you don't lose volume/weigh down your hair.
5. The inversion method & scalp massages. It just works. I plan on doing it every month of 2018 and seeing how much my hair can grow!
6. Hair "growth" is more often about length retention. It's not that your hair isn't growing- it's that it's breaking off at the same point or you're over-trimming. Learning how to moisturize and then seal your ends and keep them up to prevent breakage.
7. On the same note as length retention, finger detangling! No matter how gentle you are with your brush or comb, you're going to lose more hair than if you did it with your fingers. You can feel how much pressure is needed, and instead of raking through to break a knot, you can unravel it and lose less/if any hair.
8. DIY scalp oils. Research and learn which herbs can stimulate growth/blood flow to the scalp! My favorites are rosemary, basil and oregano but I always end up throwing half the garden in there. :o

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Always handle it gently, as if it is antique lace, and wear it up in protective styles. Basically don't do anything that will damage your hair :)

[Dark40]

The best tips I've ever gotten was from youtube. Some youtubers say, "Not to trim here too often if you want to grow extremely long hair," and one youtuber said, "You should mix an oil with your deep conditioner for extra moisture." I have tried both of these tips and they both work tremendously well on my hair!!! My hair is much happier before I have ever heard of these tips!!!

[Rehab350]

Oil your hair.
Scalp shampooing only
Comb before shower
Wear protective styles. I can't believe I was sleeping with my hair down every night, even when my hair up I bring it down OMG.
Comb your hair every night before sleeping, since keeping the same style for long period of time will cause hair to tangle.
Try different products and read ingredients before buying any product.
Be gentle with your hair. I was rough!

[Jo Ann]

For my hair, you can't get there on shampoo and conditioner alone!

1.) Use oil
2.) It's OK to condition TWICE after shampooing
3.) LOC method
4.) ROO method
5.) Benign neglect
6.) Protective styles are a MUST!
7.) Any instructions/guides that start with "First you cut your hair..." (I found THAT a lot when I was researching going grey) is NOT your friend!

[RedStripe]

Probably the best thing is the advice I've received on LHC about how to henna your hair. My henna routine has evolved over time, but the ongoing henna discussions have been helpful in deciding what to try.

[Sunkissedhair]

This is what I found useful :

1. Do not wash your hair everyday, I usually wash it on the third or fourth day, depends on my hair's condition.
2. Coconut oil is AMAZING ! Especially if you leave it overnight, but if you don't want to you can put it on 30-40 minutes before washing your hair and thank me later.
3. Do not trim every two months if you want to grow it longer. I used to do that in the hopes of maintaining a thicker hemline, however I decided to grow it longer than the intended length and then cut it for it to look thicker.
4. I do not dye my hair, but I do Henna and I love it it makes my hair feel thicker and creates a beautiful auburn tint to my already brown-reddish hair.

[restless]

Ive gotten a lot of good advice from this site, but my no1 favourite is: "Use coconut oil". Ive tried several oils throughout the years, but nothing beats the coconut one when it comes to hair care.

[gustavonut]

My best tips that I’ve learned on here have to be:

1. Pre-poo oiling the night before wash day with COCONUT OIL!!!
2. Finger comb and then use a wide tooth comb *exclusively*
3. Scalp massages :love:
4. Condition-wash-condition makes my hair so much less tangly.
5. Comb before showering
6. Bun or braid before bed for less birdnesty hair
7. Protective styles (of course)
8. Clarifying and deep conditioning
9. Do not ponytail unless you want broken hair. (For my hair)
10. And this very obvious tip: never ever use a straightener or hot blow dryer. This was a staple in my past “routine” and my hair showed how much it was in pain. Never again. :)

[Alysia]

Best advice so far:
Silk pillowcases.
Silicones don't work for everybody.
Henna can make your hair stronger.
Protective styles.

[Groovy Granny]

1 - Self trims
2 - Best handling/products for my hair type (1c-2c :p )
3 - Styling ideas/tools/hair toys

Thank you LHC :flowers:

[Corvana]

"Put oil in your gosh darned hair" :laugh: I'd started doing it before LHC, but as an occasionally "oh I've got frizz" kind of thing. But now it's after every wash, and a couple times before the next (lightly).

[Cg]

No words, but the gentle way my grandmother detangled, brushed, and styled my hair exemplified how to treat hair.

[Dendra]

Oil, CWCC and protective styles were big ones for me BUT the catalyst for getting better hair was to accept the hair I have. I spent years being ashamed of the colour and dyeing to cover it up as it was 'wrong', but as soon as I started to enjoy the colour the desire came to treat it better.

[leayellena]

1. silicones are not bad, there are water soluble cones, cones makes hair manageable
2. self micro trim and normal trim at home to save money, nerves and time
3. the every day hairstyle is not boring as most people claim. some girls walk around with that top knot, me - with a cinna or a beebutt.
4. bun or braid before sleep
5. no more ponytails. ever!
6. no more heat style. yes, it works. I am glad my man didn't have a blowdryer from the beginning. planned to buy one for winter but before I had time to lurk trough some beauty shops in the city I found out that blow drying is not good. oh and this advice came from my man himself :)

[Stray_mind]

Trimming your hair every month Won't make it grow Faster.