New Hair Care Routine & Questions

[Heian Beauty]

So, I'm starting a new haircare routine in hopes of minimizing damage to the overprocessed half of my hair and reduce grease in the undyed half.

My hair is just long enough to go past my collar bone, and it's fine with a slight wave. Not enough conditioning makes it dry and flyaway and too much makes it limp and greasy. With my previous routine (any shampoo and conditioner that says it's good for damage), I've had a random mix of limp/oily hair days and good hair days, and it's usually greasy again after about three days.

I've decided to avoid sulfates to see if it helps with my dry ends and oily roots, and to avoid silicones to prevent build-up on the length because I'll only be shampooing my scalp.
I'm going to use the Body Shop Rainforest products, and probably some Dr. Organic products too.

I'll keep everyone updated about if this makes my hair healthier!
I'm hoping that my hair won't get oily so quickly, that it won't be either limp or flyaway as often, and that my waves will be more defined.

Now, a few questions:
Wet combing with fingers then a wide-tooth comb, is this ok?
Are hot baths bad for your hair?
Are trims necessary for healthy hair?
Cyclopentasiloxane - it's a 'cone, but does it build up?

[kidari]

I think with an oily scalp sometimes you have to "train" your hair to do less frequent washes or a new non-shampoo method. Once you wash your hair avoid touching it, which stimulates the scalp to produce more oils. Dry shampoos and such also help. You can lightly oil the ends daily or do more frequent heavy oilings. However, I wouldn't do a drastic 180 degree change right away. Start out with one thing at a time and wait to see if it works for you before incorporating something else and do your research before hand. I love the articles on here. I recommend reading the articles in the section for newbies under useful links. My favorite article may be Nightshade's article on damage. Good luck!

[Zesty]

Wet combing with fingers then a wide-tooth comb, is this ok?
Yes, as long as you're gentle. What I do is gently comb with my fingers as it's drying, to help separate the strands and let it dry faster. Then when it's 80% dry (and easier to get a comb through) I carefully comb with my seamless wide-tooth comb.
Are hot baths bad for your hair?
I don't see how it would be. Do you mean is getting your hair wet with hot water bad for hair? Because I take hot showers, and see no ill effects. If it's safe for the rest of your body, it's probably safe for your hair. That being said, some people like to wash their hair with cold water or rinse at the end with cold water (I do a rinse at the end).
Are trims necessary for healthy hair?
It depends. If you have a lot of damage, you'll probably need regular trims to keep your hair looking nice and to avoid tangles that can damage it further, etc. Also, there's no good reason (other than wanting more length) to keep damaged hair, because it can never be fixed. BUT if your hair isn't extremely damaged, you don't necessarily have to trim a lot. I just S&D to keep splits down.
Cyclopentasiloxane - it's a 'cone, but does it build up?
I don't know the answer to this, but there's this article about cone solubility you might want to look at: http://archive.longhaircommunity.com...98&postcount=2
However, I would just listen to your hair. If you start to see buildup from using this, then stop. If you see no ill effects, your hair might like it. Personally, I use cones because my hair likes it and it keeps it from tangling and causing damage to my fragile hairs. So cones are not necessarily evil -- they're just evil for some people's hair.

[GoatLady]

Good luck with your new routine. Sometimes you just have to try all the different types of products and regimens to see what works for you and your scalp and hair. I've been at this a month and have finally got my unique situation figured out. Lots of trial and error. You need to know what doesn't work to be able to recognize when something finally does.

[jacqueline101]

I do wish you good luck with your hair care routine. I'm in the same boat as you trying to undo bad hair care habbits. My hair was in bad shape and I lost almost all of my new growth.

[Heian Beauty]

Thanks so much for the tips and support, everyone!

kidari, I've heard about having to re-train oily hair before. I'm off to find Nightshade's article now. ^_^

Zesty, thanks!
I wondered about the hot water because I know that hair can have heat damage from styling tools. That's something I haven't done, but I do love my hot baths.
It's good to get some non-hairdresser advice on trims, my hairdresser told me that if I don't get a regular trim, my hair will never grow. I knew there was something fishy there. I'll be getting some hair scissors for splits instead!
I'm going to try avoiding 'cones to see if my hair isn't as limp, but I'll bear that in mind if I start seeing more frizz and split ends.

crazihippichic, it's great to hear that it's possible to get things worked out for hair.

jacqueline101, thankfully my hair isn't as badly damaged, so I don't think I'll need to restart. Good luck, I hope you can find a routine that works for you!

[Zesty]

Your hair will grow no matter what, barring health problems. What CAN happen is that the ends break off so you make no progress on your length. Regular trims can help keep your hair looking nice, but not everyone does them. It's been over a year since my last trim, and my hair hasn't suffered, it's shiny and soft all the way to the ends. What I have noticed since I stopped going to the salon is that my hair has grown a ton -- because there was no hairstylist cutting too much off and setting me back. So now I S&D and maybe in another 6-8 months I'll do a small self-trim on the ends so I can control how much comes off. As a note, make sure to get good sharp hair scissors.

I think a lot of people with fine, thin hair can benefit from no cones, so that would be a good thing for you to experiment with. I hope you find what works for you.

Good luck on your hair journey. When you get enough posts, you should leave me a profile visitor message.

[LoversLullaby]

Wet combing with fingers then a wide-tooth comb, is this ok?
Definitely. That's probably the best way to comb wet

Are hot baths bad for your hair?
They might dry out your hair if you have EXTREMELY, but I don't think they'd damage your hair. If you find that they end up making your hair drier, you can try to keep your hair out of the warm water and wash it in lukewarm water (cold water really isn't that necessary, though some people find it helps with shiny hair)

Are trims necessary for healthy hair?
Everyone's hair has some splits in it. I don't cut my hair for religious reasons, and so far my hair is pretty healthy. If you like fairytale ends and treat your hair VERY gently, you might not have to trim that often, but if you want a blunt hair line, trims are a must.

Cyclopentasiloxane - it's a 'cone, but does it build up?
I'm pretty sure it builds up like dimethicone and keeps putting on different layers each time you use it. However, if your hair likes this cone, there's no reason not to use it. Cones don't really damage hair, but some people find they do better without them