Hello everyone! :-)

[Brunette2021]

Hi everyone,

I discovered this community a couple of weeks ago after years of ignoring my slightly wavy brown hair. The last time it was dyed was 18 months ago when I put a semi-permanent through it to darken it. This actually caused some damage so I didn't dye again.

My husband trims a couple of centimetres off the ends for me several times a year when I think to ask him. Besides shampooing and conditioning every other day followed by patting with a towel and air-drying, I do nothing else with my hair. The way it is when I wake up in the morning is the way it stays because I work and study and am usually far too busy to be bothered with it.

A few months ago, my husband, my mother, and my co-workers started exclaiming, "Your hair is so long!" I looked at it objectively in a full length mirror and realised with a shock that it is now waist length. I knew I didn't want to cut it short, so I started to think about ways to make it healthier.

Unfortunately, my first foray into the hair products aisle at my local supermarket saw me leaving with a bottle of hair mask called Schwarzkopf Extra Care Hair Repair Anti-Damage Mask Ultimate Repair Keratin Serum + 3 x Liquid Keratin, which I imagined would make my hair softer, silkier, and stronger. I was horrified to discover that it made my hair incredibly frizzy after only using it twice, and my hair became brittle and began to break. It took three washes over the course of a week to remove the incredibly strong fragrance and feeling of thick residue that product left in my hair. This disappointment made me realise the extent of my ignorance when it comes to long hair care, so I am here to learn from the members of this community.

I am also getting my first grey hairs (I think I have about 10 at the moment) and would love to hear from women who have gone grey naturally or transitioned from hair dye to grey while keeping their hair long. I feel as though I won't like the way my hair looks as a mixture of grey and brown and wish I could fast-forward to the fully grey stage because I think long, healthy grey hair is gorgeous. Does anyone have any tips for surviving the in-between grey/brown mix?

Thanks so much!

[lapushka]

Yeah, gotta watch out with protein (keratin = protein). If you don't overuse it, and use it only when your hair has seen too much moisture, there is absolutely no problem with it; but you have to know when to use these things.

Doesn't mean drugstore, or Schwarzkopf = bad. In fact, I use plenty of that brand and never had issues. And I also have my keratine laden products, but I am careful with them, usually.

Most regular conditioners or masks are quite balanced, even when you go for things for dry/damaged hair, only gotta be careful it's not a protein overload.

We also have the salt 'n pepper thread here for those going gray. So check that out, there's literally thousands of threads here already to browse, if you just take your time to read a bit. Good luck!

Anyway, welcome!

[Brunette2021]

Yeah, gotta watch out with protein (keratin = protein). If you don't overuse it, and use it only when your hair has seen too much moisture, there is absolutely no problem with it; but you have to know when to use these things.

Doesn't mean drugstore, or Schwarzkopf = bad. In fact, I use plenty of that brand and never had issues. And I also have my keratine laden products, but I am careful with them, usually.

Most regular conditioners or masks are quite balanced, even when you go for things for dry/damaged hair, only gotta be careful it's not a protein overload.

We also have the salt 'n pepper thread here for those going gray. So check that out, there's literally thousands of threads here already to browse, if you just take your time to read a bit. Good luck!

Anyway, welcome!

Thank you so much for the welcome and the product advice, lapushka! I will look for that thread.

[Feral_]

Welcome You’ll be able to do lots of protective styles at that length. I have greys coming in but as my hair is multiple shades of browns it doesn’t look too bad (I hope?) what’s one more shade when there’s already so many

[Garnetgem]

Hi welcome!

[leafygreens18]

Hey there, welcome!

[shelomit]

Howdy, nice to meet you : ) Aside from the mishap with the serum, it sounds like you are very much on the right track. Ignoring your hair makes it grow faster than anything else, in my experience!

As you're recovering from the protein overload, you'll want to be extra-gentle with your hair until it gets past that brittle, snappy stage. If you're having trouble detangling it without breakage, you might try detangling wet for a while. (By which I mean: getting your hair completely soaked in the shower/bath, and only then detangling it.) If your hair absorbs moisture well, that can help speed up the recovery. Most conditioners are meant primarily to deliver moisture, but you can check if yours is by seeing how far up the ingredient list the humectants are. And, of course, you can get moisturizing-type masks or other temporary treatments. Many people here swear by the Garnier Fructis "hair food" or "hair treats" type, which come in a little pot that probably has enough for two or three applications on your length of hair.

[DweamGoiL]

Hi Brunette2021 and welcome!

I wanted to make you aware that we have a Random Act of Kindness (RAOK) thread for new members. It's a great way to begin a hairtoy collection when first starting out. If you are interested in checking it out, the offer may be found here.

If you have any questions on joining the RAOK list, please do not hesitate to PM me.