Hair type 1a,F,i help please! thin, fine, straight and greasy

[tennies]

Hi all;

I have thin, greasy, stick straight fine hair. I recently managed to get it to collar length, and have been using all natural shampoos for the past few months.

Do you have any recommendations for helping it grow longer? I recently henna'd, and that helped condition it.

I am looking for natural solutions if possible, to combat the greasies and keep my hair strong and add body.

Thank you!

[Blueglass]

I've basically the same type, though it's changed, because of some coarse, wavy grays. You really need to wash daily. I've tryed both Casile soap and Morrocco method shampoos. They just don't work on our type. These days I like Dove foaming facial cleanser.

[momma smurf]

Conditioner Only washes with Suave Naturals 2-3 times a week gave my limp hair some great body and shine.

[Urchin]

My hair is also stick straight and fairly fine. I have a greasy scalp.

Try, when you wash, only to wash the scalp directly, not the length. This gets easier as you grow longer. Henna is very helpful, as are CO washes. If you learn not to wash everyday, your head goes a little less crazy with the oil production. I've gotten myself down to a wash every other day and a condition every day. When you condition, focus on the ends and length of your hair, and avoid the scalp. This has made it feel a bit less greasy in my experience.

Wear your hair up all the time to keep it from breaking. Fine hair breaks easily, so protect it. Don't comb or brush it when it's wet, don't towel it off roughly, and don't blow dry it.

Lastly, don't give up. Try new things to see what works for you. Good luck!

[Stephanie]

You already have some great advice here. My hair tends to go all stringy and greasy when I wash and condition in hot water. It stimulates the oil production like nothing else on me, which is really too bad, since I adore my super hot showers. I just have to remember to keep the water cool/warm when I wash and rinse my hair.

Could your conditioner be too heavy for your hair? Are you applying it to your scalp?

My other favorite tip for growing is to put it up while damp, keeping the moisture in, and forget about it. I do this whenever I'm frustrated with my hair and it works wonders. When you finally start wearing it down again, it'll be longer and in better condition.

Anyway, again, you've already had some great advice. I hope this helps and welcome to the boards!

[naomimcc]

What Stephanie said :P

[Lisa-Maria]

I have more or less the same problem, try CO washing (conditioner only). Using a schampo might be drying out your scalp forcing it too produce even more sebum/oil

[Loops]

Hi -

I find my hair has more body doing CO washes as well. Overwashing made my hair very flat.

[freznow]

I find with mine, the less washing the better. And CO was the best routine for getting rid of it. I washed once, sometimes twice, a week.

[Katja]

I find with mine, the less washing the better. And CO was the best routine for getting rid of it. I washed once, sometimes twice, a week.

I agree with freznow. I also have fine, oily hair, and what has made the biggest difference for me in growing longer, healthier hair has been to taper off the frequency of washing. I used to shampoo and condition every day, but little by little, I cut back to every other day, and eventually down to 2X per week, sometimes 1X.

The key to less frequent washing for me was tapering off slowly. It took time for my scalp to cut back on sebum production, but it truly has. However, I do still have some oiliness that starts on non-wash days, so I have another trick: oil-absorbing powder on the roots.

At first, I used cornstarch only, then I moved to a mixture of cornstarch and orris root powder, with some essential oils blended in. I dust a bit on the roots where it is starting to look greasy, leave it on for 20 minutes or so, then use a BBB to brush out the excess powder.

This may sound like a hassle, but it has made an enormous difference in keeping my hair healthy as it grows. HTH!