Need a new hair care routine

[raingirl]

Well...what I really need is a job that doesn't get me up at 4AM but that's a different issue....I love my job completely and 100%, just not the shift work part.

Currently I work a rotating shift. Anywhere from a 7AM start to a 12AM (midnight) finish any day of the week. It's a 9 week rotation. 3 of the weeks I work 7AM-3PM, which means I get up at 4AM (or 4:30 if I'm lazy).

So far in the last 2-3 weeks I've only heat styled twice. I'm trying to like my natural waves more and not heat style, but the problem is my hair takes forever to dry if I'm doing the "don't touch it" method. Literally, it can take 4-5 hours to dry.

I live in Canada and I take transit to work, which means I'm outside in the frozen cold walking to and from trains/buses/work. I will be wearing a knit wool hat as well. I've already noticed the cooler weather is starting so I'm just trying to be prepared.

Right now I shower in the morning daily, wash with a biodegradable paraben and SLS free shampoo, condition (trying Pantene Ice Shine), and use a leave-in spray (Infusium). It works and I'm liking how my hair feels the last week. I need a trim though so I can start S&D because I have quit a few split ends in the bottom inch because my hair tangles and gets broken easily.

I have extremely fast sebum production on my face and scalp which is why I shower in the morning. When I shower in the morning, my hair is already greasy by the time I leave work and I have to blot oil off my face all day long. If I shower the night before, my hair and skin probably won't make it through the day without me feeling incredibly gross and greasy.

How can I take care of my hair naturally in the winter so that it dries in under an hour?

Also, what type of safe headwear should I be wearing to protect my hair? I knit the hat I use myself, so I can knit or crochet something. Or would it be better to move to a microfleece hat instead?

[coneyisland]

Unless it is especially porous, your fine hair of i thickness classification should dry very readily.

The Infusium leave-in may be keeping it from drying readily and may be making it feel oilier than it would otherwise. I used a spray nozzle with it, and no matter how sparingly I used it, it made my hair feel oily. I stopped using it when I saw justgreen's post complaining of its having caused damage to her hair. I have since seen on another website that others have had trouble with it that they attributed to its protein content.

As for the drying, I suggest that you discontinue the Infusium leave-in and wear a microfiber turban to wick away dampness for a while following your final rinse after conditioning and detangling.

You might want to wear a silk or satin scarf under any unlined hats to make them slide on and off instead of having their fibers drag and wear against your hair. There are also wool felt winter hats ready-made with satin lining. Wear wraps over your hats too, when necessary, to keep your hair from freezing.

I suggest you try a 2% Salicylic Acid liquid face wash. Neutrogena makes one, and some stores have equivalent store brand products. Use as directed, do ten or more rinses, and your face will be free of oil then, and it will be more comfortable (less oily) for longer times following washing. These face wash products are sold in small pump bottles. You could take some along on cotton pads in baggies for use at your workplace.

[katfemme89]

Perhaps your hair and skin are responding to daily washing with heavy oil production? I know, it's a catch 22, but maybe just try to lay off the washing so much, or perhaps just don't massage your scalp so much when you do wash. Massaging the scalp triggers oil production. I only wash my hair once a week, and when I wash my face I try to go quickly and just use a tiny bit of gentle soap and mostly water. You wanna wash the dirt off, not necessarily the oil. Oil is what hydrates your skin and makes it supple and youthful. I would recommend against using a surfactant on your face that eliminates the oil--that's just going to make your skin produce even more oil overtime. Also, why not just stop washing your hair every day, and leave it in a bun? That way, you won't even have to worry about drying it, and no one can tell your hair is oily in a bun :-) Try to start washing it less and I can almost guarantee that the oil production will slow down quite a bit. It may take time to see results, but it is worth it.