Best Advice

[xltorresx]

Ladies, what is your top 5 tips to anyone to improve their hairs health?

[AnnaB]

1. do not use any heat on the hair. No blow dryer, no straighteners. no hair chemical dyes.
2. Moisturise, do weekly masks.
3. Eat healthy and take some vitamins.
4. Oil the hair. Which oil is best, is different for everyone. Argan for me :)
5. Protect hair from sun/wind/rain and wear it in protective hair styles.

[gillybeanxo3921]

Don't try to change your hair (perms, coloring, irons);
eat healthy, take vitamins, and drink lots of water;
give up a brush for a comb;
massage your scalp: the stimulation helps blood flow;
Don't over wash your hair, 2-3 times a week is good.

[Rufflebutt]

1. Work with your hair, not against it. ex: If you have curly hair, don't insist straightening it every day and vise versa. You just end up with a lot of damage and heartache. It's so much better to simply learn how to care for your natural texture than to constantly try to change it.

2. Conditioner is amazing. Moisturized hair is happy hair.

3. Learning pretty updos. A plain bun with a hair stick gets the job done, but it doesn't flatter me very well. And I like to look fabulous. Learning how to do maiden braids, Gibson tucks, and several kinds of fancy buns makes me love to wear my hair up. Plus my hair is more protected!

4. Using a sleep cap and wearing braids when you sleep. I love waking up to soft tangle-free hair. :)

5. Stop flat-ironing. Stop flat ironing. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD STOP FLAT IRONING. So much breakage. D:

[Dziip]

Be happy of your hair type ! Don't be harsh with it.
Use a BBB
Do iron/heat them
Braid or make updos to protect them
Use a satin pillowcase

[MeowScat]

1. Satin sleep cap! It's amazing how few tangles I have now.

2. S & D. It improves the look and feel of your hair and less tangling.

3. CWC. It protects your length while shampooing and conditions your hair twice.

4. Wide tooth comb. So much gentler than brushing.

5. Zero heat. It makes a huge difference in the condition of your hair.

:)

[xltorresx]

Wow, awesome advice. What is BBB?

[Madora]

Wow, awesome advice. What is BBB?

bbb...boar bristle brush. The most natural brush to use on your hair since it is made of hair itself.

More info here:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=229

[Madora]

1. Diet is paramount!
2. Brushing every day with a bbb (unless you're a curly)
3. Detangle slowly with a wide tooth comb.
4. Wear it up!
5. Treat it like antique lace.

[earthnut]

1. no heat
2. no bleach or dye
3. protein treatments, as needed
4. deep conditioning
5. not too much shampoo, if any!

[Asprettyasme]

#error

#An error occurred.

[GALISH]

I think the main are: no heat, no chemicals, no excesses in washing or brushing, protective styles when needed, getting rid of damage

Genetics play a very important role though and depending on them you may need or not to have a particular diet and a healthier lifestyle, moisture treatments, etc.

[GALISH]

Forgot about mind

[sarah112786]

Don't brush to detangl, use a comb. And use a bbb to bring oils from your scalp through you hair

[Bianca]

1. No bleach or dye.
2. Co-washing and sulfate free shampoo once in a while.
3. Comb only.
4. No heat.
5. Oiling.

[dwell_in_safety]

1. Learn to love your natural hair type. If you can't do that, treat it the way that it should be treated in order for your type of hair to have optimal health, and slowly, you may just appreciate it.
2. No heat. Ever.
3. Wear it up all or most of the time.
4. Detangle gently, from the bottoms up, with fingers and a wide-tooth comb only. (Or Tangle Teezer.)
5. Moisture, moisture, moisture! (For most non-damaged hair.) Do regular strand tests to see if a protein treatment is needed. Otherwise, moisture is key!

[jojo]

1) eat a balanced diet and keep hydrated
2) detangle with a seamless comb, never a brush
3) use a BBB daily to help spread sebum down the hair shaft, sebum is mother natures serum!
4) don't be upset if you have to trim dry or split ends, you hair will thank you for it
5) don't be in such a rush, enjoy every stage, growing hair is not a race it's a lifetime investment so slow down and enjoy!

[SerinaDaith]

Benign neglect.
Oil for me coconut is my best friend.
CWC
WO
Stop dumping chemicals on my head and wondering why my hair wasn't magically pretty.

[Calaelen]

1. Very few, to no chemical treatments ESPECIALLY perm, relaxer, or bleach. The only thing you could do that is more damaging would be to set your hair on fire, or throw sulphuric acid on it...(take it from a hairstylist)

2. Give up the brush. Use a very wide toothed comb for all detangling, and a boar bristle brush sparingly to spread oils/sebum, or to smooth hair.

3. Find out what oils your hair likes, and use them for deep treatments, pre-wash treatment, or as a leave in. Some collective favourites are EVOO, coconut oil, jojoba, coco or shea butter.

4. Apple cider vinegar rinses mixed 2bps to 4 cups of water after washing hair in place of, or after, conditioning.

5. Overall, imagine your hair to be like fine antique lace, and treat it with care and respect. Detangle it carefully, use less harsh treatments and products wherever possible, and make it a goal to give up heat styling and blow drying except on very important occasions.

[Macaroni]

1. Once you've found a hair care regime that suits you, stop experimenting.

2. Step away from the scissors. bleach and dyes.

3. 4. and 5. Repeat 1. and 2.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Ditto to Macaroni's comment.;)

[tambalina]

1. Growing hair is like running a marathon - there are no "quick fixes."

2. Stay away from heat styling and drying.

3. S & Ds will get you through those tough times you want to hack your hair off.

4. Chemical treatments weaken your hair.

5. Condition, condition, condition!

[Fairlight63]

Don't put hair up in too tight pony tails, braids or buns.
Don't use hair toys that get caught in your hair & pull.
Don't wear the same bun in the same place all of the time - vary it.
Don't worry about how much your hair grows a month or don't grow - it will get there without worrying about it, before you know it your hair will be long.
Quit dyeing it!! it ruins the texture of your hair.

[Diamond.Eyes]

1. A healthy diet with plenty of vitamins, protein, and water.
2. No heat at all.
3. Practice gentle brushing methods using a wide-tooth comb.
4. Frequent moisture treatments are a must. At least where I live they are...
5. CO washing with the occasional clarifying/ACV treatment.
6. Vrigin Coconut oil, Vatika oil, or virgin Argan oil as a leave-in. :flower:

[meteor]

Awesome thread!:)
1) for hair length: super-gentle handling (combs instead of brushes for thick and/or curly hair, wearing hair up to avoid tangles, oils and leave-ins to provide slip...)
2) for scalp: washing only when needed with gentle shampoos to keep the ph mantle in optimal condition, massaging and periodic scritching.
3) overall: no heat, no chemicals, balanced diet, benign neglect, avoiding styling products, avoiding conventional hair salons.

[Redhead Rebel]

1. No heat!!!
2. Curly Hair needs moisture, so again no heat, Rinsing out conditioner with cold water makes your hair feel better
3. S&D’s help get rid of the damage while keeping the length the same
4. Taking certain vitamins may help
5. Don’t do hair modeling for people with scissors, chemical dye, bleach, hair dryers and straightners! They will kill your hair :justy:

[TheMechaGinger]

1. Diet Diet Diet!!!
2. No chemical treatments (perms/relaxers/dyes)
3. No heat
4. Satin pillow case/sleep cap
5. Load up on the conditioner :D

[battles]

1. Research. Learn your hair type, learn it well. Learn your hair porosity, strand thickness and texture. Base what you try first off of that. If I had done this when I first signed up, I would have saved a year and a half and.. I won't even tell you how much money. :o Experimenting all over the place is fun, but costly.

2. Keep in mind that everyone has different hair types, and something that works for someone else may not work for you. Even if it sounds fabulous and their hair is fabulous and you want hair like that. :laugh: See #1.

3. Don't try a permanent hair dye like henna or henndigo if you aren't 200% sure about it. Just trust me on that one.

4. Ditch the ponytails. Invest in a hairfork once you're between shoulder and APL. It makes a world of difference.

5. Enjoy the journey. Fretting about how freakin' sloooow your hair is growing isn't going to help a darn thing, so be thankful for what you have and remember that good things take time!

[SerinaDaith]

1. Research. Learn your hair type, learn it well. Learn your hair porosity, strand thickness and texture. Base what you try first off of that. If I had done this when I first signed up, I would have saved a year and a half and.. I won't even tell you how much money. :o Experimenting all over the place is fun, but costly.

2. Keep in mind that everyone has different hair types, and something that works for someone else may not work for you. Even if it sounds fabulous and their hair is fabulous and you want hair like that. :laugh: See #1.

3. Don't try a permanent hair dye like henna or henndigo if you aren't 200% sure about it. Just trust me on that one.

4. Ditch the ponytails. Invest in a hairfork once you're between shoulder and APL. It makes a world of difference.

5. Enjoy the journey. Fretting about how freakin' sloooow your hair is growing isn't going to help a darn thing, so be thankful for what you have and remember that good things take time!

How do you find out about porosity? I have always assumed that my hair is porous but I have no clue how to confirm it.

[battles]

How do you find out about porosity? I have always assumed that my hair is porous but I have no clue how to confirm it.

Try floating a clean strand of hair in a glass of water. Hair that sinks quickly is high porosity. Hair that floats is low porosity, and hair that takes a little while and then sinks is normal. HTH!

[SerinaDaith]

Try floating a clean strand of hair in a glass of water. Hair that sinks quickly is high porosity. Hair that floats is low porosity, and hair that takes a little while and then sinks is normal. HTH!

Okay thanks!

[Embrace1913]

1) Wear it up a lot more often.

2) Lay off the heat!

3) Conditioner is your best friend :)

[Simone_Fatale]

1. If you're growing out a pixie and your hair is a mess, use everything that can get you through that phase - products, heat, anything. Don't worry about damage - deep conditioning will help to slow down the damage process and make hair manageable until it gets long enough to comfortably cut off the damage. Better a bit damaged than cutting it off when it gets too awkward and chaotic.

2. Not everything works for everybody. Test on a strand and see what works for you.

3. Be GENTLE to your hair.

4. Try balanced B complex vitamins. They can really make a difference, and not for your hair only.

5. Choose dye, or heat. But not both at the same time. :)

[ladylowtide]

If I posted in this thread before... sorry I forgot about it.

1. Don't cut it.

2. Don't cut it.

3. Don't cut it.

4. Less washing = happier hair

5. Don't fight it.

[Fairlight63]

When my hair has the frizzies I wet it and put olive oil on it & bun my hair. When I take it down it is soft and not fly-away-frizz.

[jacqueline101]

Hair skin nail vitamins are grand
Wide tooth comb
Be gentle
Oil is grand
Monistat is grand for growth
Bbb is wonderful
Deep conditioning is awesome
Wear it up
No heat coloring perms
Wash and condition little as possible natural oils are good too

[Miss Catrina]

- No heat ever
- Silk pillowcases
- Good vitamin intake
- Wide-toothed combs
- Benign neglect

[rock007junkie]

My top five are:

1-If there's no damage there's no need to trim it.
2-No heat
3-Deep condition often
4-Up your protein intake
5-Keep hair moisturized with either oils or butters


These have made a tremendous difference in my hair. Thanks LHC friends :-)

[racrane]

My five tips:

1) stick with what works for you, and don't get sucked into trendy things that won't work

2) no heat whatsoever

3) Use a solid, quality comb and be gentle

4) splurge a little on quality hairstyling tools because they will last

5) Be nice to your hair, even when rushed

*I think these tips work no matter your hair type or lifestyle

[torrilin]

Benign neglect.

Do absolutely as little as you possibly can. Then look for ways to do even less! A lot of things (like blow dryers, perms, straighteners, regular haircuts etc) don't do good things to my hair. Even things that are beneficial like washing and conditioning work better when I do them as little as possible.

As a teen I'd use a palmful of shampoo and wash every centimeter of my hair every day. These days, I use more like a dime's worth, and I just wash my scalp, perhaps as often as once a week. I didn't get there cold turkey. I just lazily looked for opportunities to do less.

I've got a lot of fragrance allergies, so while I'd happily use ordinary drugstore stuff as a teen, these days I use fragrance free products. Less fragrance means less itching. Less itching means I handle my hair less.

I don't really worry about it. I just look for ways to do less, and proceed gradually. I don't think changing cold turkey is very productive. Big dramatic changes rarely produce big dramatic results. And the one thing I found that produced a dramatic change in my hair did not do so quickly... it took around five years for the results to be noticeable to hair stylists.

[mzBANGBANG]

1) Understand that it could take months even years to undo any previous damage.
2) Commit to accepting your hair in its natural, untouched state.
3) Do your research on your hair type and plan to treat hair accordingly.
4) Invest in the proper tools and "foods" for your hair type, experiment and see what works for you.
5) If you feel the urge to cut your hair, wait at least two months. A small trim is a lot easier to grow back than a large one.

[~honeyflower~]

My top tips are...
1. Silk sleep caps
2. CWC
3. When you're outside and it's snowing,windy,cold. Wear a coat with a hood to eliminate exposure to harsh weather.
4. Split ends cant be repaired, its better to S&D or trim them off.
5." A little goes a long way" that's my motto for oiling use about 1-2 drops of oil thats in liquid form or 1-2 scraping with your fingernail if its solid

[starry]

1. Cut off severe damage- don't hold onto rubbish hair for the sake of length

2. try things out slowly- some things your hair will love but if you're trying 10 things at once you'll bombard your hair- try something for a few weeks.

3. make time to relax- stress has an impact on hair health

4. scalp massage- dont scratch or move the follicles too much (rubbing) planting the fingers on is better, then just manipulate the skin without moving the fingers on the surface. A trichologist a friend knew said that this is the best thing to stimulate growth along with organic/natural oils.

5. Aloe vera is awesome!

[Sarahlabyrinth]

It has all been said already, now just add patience to the mix. :)

[vamq]

1) Avoid stress, and try to live a happy live. As stupid as it sounds, your hair WILL react to stress in a bad way, specially prolonged stress.
2)Have a healthy diet. For the same reason as above.
3)Realize that your hair won't grow long overnight.
3)Put your hair up often - this will minimize damage.
4)Don't use heat or harsh chemicals on your hair - do I even need to explain why?;)