One of our fave forums for hair facts is The Long Hair Forum. If you want to grow your hair longer, it is THE site to see. They have a great list of tips that we’re sharing with you in today’s post. Click here to read their orginal list: “Keeping Splits At Bay: Secrets of Gently Handling Your Hair”
1) Move Your Mane
If your hair is long enough to get caught under coat collars or under shoulder straps (for Messenger bags, back pack, etc) then be sure to move your hair before putting on that bag.
2) Keep Air off Your Hair
Does your hair whip in the wind? Wind knots up hair. Knots damage length. Damaged length causes more splits. Eventually the damaged length splits. Restrain your hair when you are going to be in a lot of wind.
3) Wash Warily
Only apply shampoo to roots where it needs it. Avoid washing the dried out ends.
4) Be Picky About Piling Hair On Top
Do you pile your hair on top of your head when you shampoo? This creates MANY opportunities for splits. Shampoo really only needs to be applied to your roots. That’s where the grease/oil is. Personally, I condition the length of my hair, apply shampoo to my scalp (down to ears), rinse, then apply conditioner again, rinse. This is called CWC (Condition Wash Condition). All the while, the length of my hair just hangs down my back.
5) Towel Drying is Treacherous
When you dry your hair, do you scrub your scalp with a towel? It feels great, but it will rip, strip, pop, snap and fry your hair in no time! Many of us use some sort of a turbie type towel/turban for drying our hair. Others put a towel on their back and let the hair drip onto the towel.
6) Blow Off Blow Drying
Do you blow dry your hair? The heat and the wind created by the blowfryer (no that isn’t a typo) really damages hair, too. Any heat styling tool can potentially damage hair. If you feel you must use them, keep the temperature low and exposure time to your hair short.
7) Subdue Your Shampoo
How often do you shampoo? Regardless of HOW you shampoo, how OFTEN do you do it? Many of us have found that 2-3 shampooings per week is sufficient. It takes a few weeks to train your scalp to have fewer washings, but it helps protect the ends. Not everyone has success with fewer shampooings, though.
Condition, condition, condition
Do you use conditioner or a cream rinse when you shampoo? My personal belief is, if you want long hair you need to condition it EVERY time you shampoo. If nothing else, it helps detangle my hair. You also might consider using a leave in conditioner, especially one that helps detangle (and gives slip).
9) Oil Often
You can oil the length of your hair daily. Many long hairs do this. They put a small drop in the palm of their hand, rub their hands together and lightly apply the oil to the ends only of the hair. There is an abundance of oils that you can use, some are quite exotic. Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is probably the most common, but there is a long list of oils everyone has tried and ones that each person likes/doesn`t like.
10) Consider Combing Cautiously
After you’ve shampooed, when/how do you brush/comb your hair? Generally, brushing wet hair is bad for the hair. Hair is most delicate when wet. Brushing tends to stretch the strands. Stretching the strands puts wear and tear, which causes damage, which causes splits.
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Hi again—so do i need to go to my reg doctor for a thyroid check?…or can my derm doc do that?
thanks again!
I have knee length hair and I have done most of the things listed. I wash my hair every couple of days and let it air dry. But since I have chronic ear problems I am unable to get water in my ear and must wash it in the sink..I don’t typically brush or comb it, unless it starts to knot up. But when I do I use a large vent bruch with bristles that are far apart and only until it tangle free and only when it’s dry. We are currently stationed in Hawaii so my hair is pulled up in the horrible hair splitting contraptions also known as hair clips. Most people don’t even realize my hair is as long as it is since it’s never down (except to slept and then it’s in a hair band). Conditioner is great for those who have very little oil in their hair, but when it’s naturally oily it just makes the problem worse. I’m not sure who makes this product but it’s available in most wal-marts and it’s an oil neutralizer that you put into the conditioner and it does work wonders. It makes the oils in the conditioner less powerful without taking away the detangling effects of the product. I’d still be using it IF it were sold here.
I moved recently to a home with well water. Since then my hair has become very dry due to the mineral content in the water. My hairdresser suggested putting conditioner on my ends before I go to bed. By morning my hair has soaked it up. Ive seen a big improvement in dryness since I started this!
I see most people asking for help and they say if their hair is curley, or frizzy, but they’re not stating if it’s fine, limp, coarse etc. That really makes a difference in what products people are suggesting.
I’ve alot of hair, down to my butt, it’s baby fine and limp. If I were to use oil on it, it would probably track back to my scalp over the course of a day. I do use olive oil on my salads and and take vit E and fish oil, or flax seed oil pills. I believe that helps from the inside out for supplying oils to that get distributed to skin and scalp.
Short or long it seems to hang limp and stringy and flat to my head. Long is just easier for me to care for. I never apply shampoo directly to my scalp, I rub between my palm first, then apply to the surface of the hair on my head and work into the wet hair that way. Applied directly to the scalp may make the hair lay even flatter to the scalp. I never wash the ends and always condition the ends only. I put it on and rinse about 10 to 30 seconds later. During that ‘fly-away’ season, as I’m first starting the rinse, I take the ends and quickly slide them once from forehead back down to where the conditioner was applied and continue rinsing. Anything more and it’s conditioner overkill for me. I use one of those wide toothed brushes with the little balls on the ends and usually don’t have split ends and brush when it’s wet (It’s rare that I ever have any tangles) I wrap it up in a towel, turbin style, then just let the towel soak up most of the moisture. Dries by itself in 10 min on a warm day, 1/2 hour on cold days. When younger, I used to have so much oil that I would wash once, or twice a day. Now, I wash every 2-3 days, unless I have a date, then I wash it before going out.
A satin pillowcase helps to avoid tangles during the night, hair just slides over it. Since my hair is so long, I use satin sheets too. That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it LOL. Don’t wear satin night clothing though, or you’ll be slipping right out of bed and don’t be confused by those nylon stretch sheets that they sell as satin.
I bought the wrong type of shampoo for my hair this last time and now I’m in desperate need of a trim. The last product I used (was a pantene product) they’ve relabled and put in a new bottle, so I’m lost till I find a new one. I’m 55 natural brunette and have a few grey hairs, but not enough to color yet and I’m not interested in anything that’s gonna make them show up more LOL. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
i have long, thick, coarse hair, well past the middle of my back, waist and hips. It gets costly to wash and conditon hair this long and thick, plus keeping it managable. Heres my little secret…I buy a cheaper shampoo such as suave, sells for 1.46$ at my walmart for a family sized bottle of 32 oz. Then i spend a little more on conditionar, like tresemme colour revitalize with vitamin E and aleo sell for almost 5$ for a 32 oz botle. I alternate every few weeks between brands as my hair gets accustumed to the ph levels in the shampoo and conditionar. i go through a bottle of each every other week, but for under 7$ every two week i have nice, soft, managable hair. will this work for everyone, no im sure it wont. i HAD naturally greasy roots and dry ends,but not so much anyone. when it comes to washing i do it every other day. i stay clear from hairspray and gel, i let it air dry and wait the 4-5 hours before brushing, when im dressed to impress ill use got2B frizzie oil on my hair from the middle to the ends which is very inexpensive, since a dime size drop will go a long way. i believe i paid almost 8$ for a 2 or 3 oz bottle, but ive had it over a year now. my other piece of adivce is to get rid of the hair ties (skruncis) they cause breakage from being taken out. hair gets tangled around them and when you take them out theres hair on them each time. Try to use clips, i went from skruncis to clips and in a month the results was very impressive. the longer the hair the bigger the clip needed but they can be picked up at dollar stores for a dollar for 2. just a few loose twists and its off my neck, out of reach of my little one and a nice little flow of hair around the clip, taking it out take a simple pinch of the clip and it comes down untangled. Yes nice hair can be nice and atractive, but i think people who have long hair and its baby thin at the ends is not so nice looking as having thick hair from root to end.
Hi Iris, your regular doctor can do this. Its a very easy, cheap test. I would guess a dermatologist can too although the ones I’ve seen stick to skin conditions and may refer you to your reg doctor. My sister had all kinds of health problems and after years of dr’s one finally did a thyroid test and she was underactive as well and it solved a lot of her problems too,. My husbad has an an underactive thyroid and so does his mother, so it does seem to run in families. There is also a test you can do at home using a thermometer under the arm in the morning. I have read about it but never used it as I prefer the blood test but I am sure you can find about in on the internet. My doctor says everyone should have a thyroid test at some point as we don’t get enough iodine in our food any more and it can create all kinds of health problems as it effects hormones, metabolism, energy, hair growth etc. I lost a lot of hair before I got diagnosed. One doctor told me not to worry about it as I had a lot of hair. I used to have really thick hair. Nice guy! Glad I finally found one who was wiser. It also helps with weight gain which is a nice plus. I am 57; with dark brown hair to the middle of my back and very little gray. One of the down sides to menopause for me as I did have some hair loss again, hair thins out, and I use a bio-identical hormone cream and that stopped that loss too. Copper and Zinc are both good to keep your hair from turing gray. My brother is 59 and has no gray, still blonde and told us about this. My husband who had gone complety white, not gray, started copper and zinc and his hair is gone back to salt and pepper, I can’t believe how much darker its become and he looks better. Darkened his mustache hair too. Hope this helps. Get that blood test, you will be glad you did.
Hi,
I just wanted to say that I do a lot of the suggested tips to prevent my hair from breaking, getting split ends, and such as this. But, I also suffer from SLE (Systemic Lupus Erythematosis) which has played havoc with my hair and skin. My hair falls out on one side more than on the other, my skin is drier than ever, my nails break, etc… my doctor has repeatedly checked my thyroid with no indication that there may be anything going wrong there.
I’ve enjoyed reading everyone’s responses and ideas. Some I’ve never thought of doing, but plan to try in the future. I play with lots of different oils as one of my favorite hobbies is soapmaking. I’ve even made my own shampoo, which I loved and need to make more, but am uncertain what the “detergent” effect would be on the colorant that I put into my hair that covers the gray.
Y’all have a great day and a Merry Christmas!
Debbie
Thanks for posting this I have really long hair and I’m always drying to find out how to make my hair look healthier so I try straightening my hair every other day and I didn’t know alot of this tips so thanks!
Comment to Iris: My sister and I had shoulder length hair all our lives. I am 40 and she is 47. While I continue with my long hair, she has lost hers. I believe (but she says not true) that when her hair dresser told her to sleep with conditioner in her hair, her hair would not be damaged from the chlorine in swimming pools. I always thought it was strange but she never listened to me (the little sister). Now her hair barely touches her shoulder. Iris, if you are sleeping with hair conditioner, that may be your problem.
Also, does anyone know the answer to this question: The hair can only grow so long. After that, it will no longer grow. True or false? Does anyone know if this is true or false?
Hi Chris—thanks for comment. I dont sleep w/conditioner in my hair that woudl require my hair to be wet. I do believe hair is weakest while wet…which is why i never sleep on wet hair. I think that even though ones hair might be soaking up the conditioner, it’s also breaking while you sleep on it…wet.
Also…many articles i’ve read say that hair only grows a certain amount a year, but i don’t really believe that. Prior to my current problem, my hair would grow healthy & strong all the time, i had to get frequent cuts ( i like healthy long hair) not long hair w/splits…lol!
After stopped drinking alcohol and add magneisuim supplement too my diet my hair be came so thick. My hair dresser streches before a color weave it’s so much work
To Chris: There is actually a pre-determined genetic “limit” on an individual’s hair growth. With maximum care, your hair will grow to this length. After it reaches it, the amount of breakage matches the amount of new growth, which is why it doesn’t get any longer. Some people are lucky enough to have a longer “limit” than others.
Also, to everyone above who commented on shampoo: My only advice is to avoid shampoos with ingredients ending in -cone. You’d be shocked how many this eliminates. Most of those ingredients are harmful if you’re planning on growing out healthy hair, which I assume most people commenting here are. Pantene may leave hair smooth and sleek, but that’s because it’s the equivalent of stripping your hair of all its essential oils and moisture, and then coating it in a type of “wax”. It’s fine for short hair, but when you’re going for health and length…it’s less than ideal.
I’m nineteen and have had long hair since I was eight. It’s been mid-back to thigh-length for the past eleven years. After a trim of about nine inches last January, which left it just above the small of my back, it’s now down to mid-butt level and still growing. My goal? Knees. ^_^ It’s a very thick, wavy dark brown and is naturally highlighted with reds and golds. You wouldn’t believe the amount of comments I’ve gotten on it.
My last suggestion to anyone honestly interested in caring for their long hair: Find the longhair livejournal community. This article covers only the tip of the iceberg of information that these folks can give you.
Go to your regular doctor and ask about a thyroid test. Both low thyroid and high thyroid cause hair to fall out , nails to get thin and all kinds strange symtoms. It is an easy way to find out what’s up.
PS : my hair turned gray almost over night before the thyroid problem was taken care of.
thank you fro the hair tips. like them alot.
I have had long hair my whole life and it’s very healthy. I don’t blow dry, only air dry. I use conditioner every time I wash, which is every day. You don’t have to use expensive conditioner. I only use White Rain (original only) it’s the best! You can also use mayo. every once in awhile. Mainly, I cut my hair every couple of weeks. Just a half an inch. People always want long beautiful hair but they never cut it. Big mistake! That’s how it says long and healthy and doesn’t die on the ends. Long, stringy, dead hair looks terrible. If it starts to look dead or dry on the ends, give it a good cut. It will look so much better and trust me it will grow. It will look thicker also. By the way, if you decide to color it, go to a salon. Oil it every time you wash, or you will end up with Barbie hair!
Lori-
some of these tips seem very good, however others sound impossible for people with my hair type, like not brushing your hair when damp or wet, thats the only way my crazy curly hair can be untangled, do you have a solution for people like me?
I had to cut my hair a couple of years ago due to a shoulder problem (couldn’t even get it in a clip. I has grown quite a bit, but I have a problem not addressed here. I’m a nurse in the operating room, and I have to wear a “shower cap” all day long at work. Since I wear that cap, why fix the hair? So I put it up in a ponytail, they add the shower cap. If I wear the paper ones that you see on a lot of TV shows, it gets really greasy (I only wash it every other day). I also like to show my personality with my caps, so I wear fabric ones. The biggest problems with any cap, is that it seems to break off around my face. I have fine, reasonably thick hair, that incidently is thinning some as I get older (40), as well as getting wavier. Any ideas on how to help prevent the breakage around the face?
Have had long, long hair most of my life. Have very thick, fine hair with a lot of natural curl that used to be a nightmare to comb out when wet…even after conditioning. Finally found the best conditioner for my hair was a product from Abba….TruMint conditioner. Is wonderful @ detangling & leaves hair with a wonderful fresh minty smell. I always get compliments on it. Have found all the other Abba products I’ve tried to also be excellent, but I can’t live without their conditioner!!
after growing my hair out for around 3 years, having lower-back length hair, i cut off a full 15″ inches for locks of love. i almost cried when it all came off. any tips for speedy re-growth? pretty much all i have heard for that are myths. but if there is anything i can do, please share. my hair grows so slowly. the tying up thing is one of the biggest tips i used, and it helped alot. i go to school at Central Michigan, and its so windy. i wore my hair in long pigtail braids for about the entire year. not also to mention, braid when dry, a couple hours in the braids, then afterwards i had the most beautiful wavy look, i had so many compliments!
This sounds like good advice, but how practical is it for the working woman? I have no choice but to wash my hair every weekday morning, and there’s no time to let it just hang dry. On that same note, I use a blow dryer on high and even on high it takes me a good 14 minutes to get my hair fully dried, I can only imagine how long it would take me on a low setting!
I towel dry after showering and then blow dry. I have colored my hair, it’s long, medium thickness and does in fact have split ends. Can’t someone find practical advice for the working woman?
The first thing to help my start growing again was to stop highlighting it and let it go back to my natural color. I colored it back with permanent color the first time and used a protein filler. Now I touch it up periodically with “Natural Instincts which contains no peroxide or damaging coloring agents. I wash every 2-3 days, and to avoid that dirty feeling, I put it in a shower cap, and wash my hairline and my ears, it feels alot better and I have found that my former days of daily washing are over. I also use a pick to comb throughit when wet and avoid using a hair dryer, although sometimes my schedule wont permit this and I have to dry it. There are also alot of good leave in ends conditioners that help with dryness.
ooo I read Cindy’s comment. Careful with those vitamins and minerals that are not water soluble (not expelled from the body with water intake and output, so to speak). It’s possible to overdose on them and can make you very ill. Zinc you get from everywhere, even the air, most make-ups, and if your water pipes are made of copper. It’s rare to have a zinc deficiency unless you’re in an underdeveloped country. Copper is in veggies, fruit, grains, nuts, and shellfish. Yes, we probably don’t get enough copper, but don’t overdose on these things either. Look up the RDA’s on these things.
Iodine can be obtained from iodized salt, meat, chicken, eggs, milk, low fat yogurt, fish and sea vegetables (seaweeds, like sushi is wrapped in, or Miso soup) . It’s also in most animal feed, so you can get it that way as well.
As suggested, have your doctor check you out for thyroid and anything else you might be lacking as far as supliments are concerned.
Supliments fall under the catagory of food, not drugs, therefore they don’t have to report to a government agency and also don’t have to report ill effects caused by overdosing on them.
p.s. reply to Stephanie the nurse. if you know someone who can french braid, look up “dutch crowns”. they are wonderful for long hair. i had them done all the time when i was in dance, because the huge bun on the back of my head literally threw me off balance. for a visual of the look, think of madame giry (the dance instructer in “phantom of the opera” how its wound around the head.) the breakage i’m not so sure about htough, sorry.
I am a former hairdresser and I can tell you from experience that the number one destroyer of hair is heat. Heat heat Heat! Number two would be Brushes. But alot of us cannot get by without using a blowdryer or curling iron. The key is to do either or! If you are going to use intense heat to blow dry your hair then use medium to low heat to curl or vice versa! Using super hot blowdryer combined with super hot irons are a no no!
For the person who wanted a few other oils to use, here’s some.
Almond, Apricot oil, grapeseed oil, coconut oil(this is the one I use, it’s solid at room tempature, scape a little bit off rub my hands together to melt, smooth other hair, leaving it nice and soft and shiny)
if you have to wash everyday, dilute your shampoo, it works just as well, if not better, at least for me. plus it saves A TON on shampoo!!
wow, great tips everyone…seems like i have been trying to grow my hair longer forever….it is to my mid to low back…but even if i get it cut “straight across”, it always ends up gowing “in a v shape”, because of breakage etc, i’m sure..
i have wavy to curly blonde (although it is getting darker and “greyer” now..lol) and have been coloring it forever i am 36..
i do alot of the tips, but the one i could never seem to stick to was brushing it dry…my hair is sort of confusing to categorize…everyone comments on “how much hair i have”..but if it is in a pony tail, it is as big around as say, maybe a little bigger than a bic lighter..so i guess it is fine, but i have alot of it?…
it gets VERY tangled, i could have dreadlocks in 3 days…so the only way i can brush it, is wet with lots of condtioner, and frizz tamer etc…when i brush my hair dry, friends have commented that it sounds like i am ripping it out…lol (yes i start at the bottom etc..)
i have switched between many products…suave, paul mitchell, pantene, matrix etc..all i can say is none have been GREAT, but some have definitely been bad (none of these per se. i am currently using pantene “blonde” and paul mitchell “skinny”)…any CLARIFYING shampoo i ever used seemed to takes months to recover from..haven’t used any of those again in years!!!
ok so i guess i DO have a question…i have heard the ‘CONE’ thing before, and agree that many products do the opposite of what they should..stripping waxing etc..
but i heard not to use ANY MINERAL OIL based products, that it actually DRIES OUT THE HAIR…does anyone know if this is true?…also
JENN- could you please tell which product you found without the -cone?…lol..since you said it is so hard to find one without…
OH…and my mother swears by Almond oil, or coconut oil..now i don’t know if i could put a bunch on and walk out the door…but i like to put a bunch on, (MY FACE TOO)and then workout…then shower…although sure you are sweating it off..but the body heat does seem to still kind of help…
also, to the people who couldn’t go 1 day w/o washing there hair..i understand, my friend has the finest thinnest straight hair..and this would not work for her…but i can go 3 days at least..and you would never know…OK, sorry for the long posting…
I have past the shoulder length fine but curly hair. I love how my hair looks long and healthy but I’ve found I cannot put conditioner or other styling products in my hair without chancing very bad acne or some such bumps under each side of my face.
Do any of you have similar problems? Any product recommendations?? Even “natural” products seem to cause this problem.
Kittie
Do not use mineral oil. Made from crude oil, same stuff used to make gasoline. Try more natural oils like almond or oilve!
Love these tips, and all the comments! I do most of these already but am anxious to try oiling my dry ends.
I have light brown/blonde, straight, fine, medium thick hair which is now to the middle of my back. Due to a friend’s extreme sensitivity to fragrances I’ve gone to using non-fragranced shampoo and conditioner, which actually work well to ‘lighten up’ my hair texture. I love them: Earthscience’s “pure essentials” fragrance-free shampoo and conditioner, which I find in grocery stores specializing in healthy, organic foods and products. Generally I air-dry my hair by leaning over, finger-fluffing and scrunching at the roots. However, the conditioner does not leave my hair very silky so I take care to comb it out (wet, with a plastic hair pick) from the ends to the top. I used to use a great Pantene product, “lightweight conditioning foam” or/and their “volumizing hairspray,” but these are too perfumed for my friend. Does anyone have a suggestion for a fragrance-free conditioning product? (I’m asking the earthsciences company as well.) Thanks!
I do agree with the wind comment, one of the worst things I ever did was ride a motorcycle with my hair down. It took me hours to brush it out. I wash my hair every day, more in the summer (especially swimming) and never found it a problem. I only towel dry wrapping the towel around the long hair and gently squeezing. Long hair does get dirty from second hand smoke, polution,… I like to keep it up when cleaning and cooking. It will stay clean that way and still smells of shampoo when you take it down. I condition and put it in a braid while swimming, then wash and condition after. I’m 44 and still have lond healthy hair. So does my daughter and the boys. It can be work, but it’s worth it.
Another great product to use on the ends of your hair is “Ojon” – it is a solid packed nut oil that you put a dab in your hands and rub together and it becomes a light oil to rub in your hair prior to shampooing. You leave it in for approx. 20-30 minutes. For really damaged hair, you can put in your hair, cover with a shower cap and sleep on it and shampoo in the morning. Use less if you want to use without shampoo. Puts on a nice sheen, too. One place you can purchase it is online at http://www.QVC.com. It has a nice scent, too, almost exotic.
If you can’t brush your hair when it is wet, then when do you brush it? If it’s towel dried then brush it your hair gets all nappy and nasty.
I am of native american, african and european descent and I have curly/wavy thick, medium- long hair (down my back an inch and half above my bra line). In the past my hair was at the middle of my back, but that was when I was taking care of it ( washing it 2-3 times a week, conditioning with a concoction of a deep conditioner (containing no alcohol, as alcohol tends to dry out hair), extra virgin olive oil , oiling it with a concoction of hair food( TBC)and extra virgin olive oil, braiding or wraping it and using a satin scraf to retent moisture and prevent breakage).
Olive oil really! keeps my hair moisturized, soft, shiny and very managable. Now, I want longer hair, so I am starting to reimplement my old system. My hair grows really fast, but I was not taking care of it. But since I started reimplementing my old system its growing nicely, with very little breakage.
I never use a comb or pick. I finger comb in the shower after conditioning to help with tangels and remove lose hair. I use a large nylon brush with long bristles the I get from a beauty supply store. They can be expensive but my hair is very thick so I can’t use cheap brushes. Make sure you keep them clean with hot soapy water. Don’t let anyone else use your brush, if they do, use soup and boiling water.
For the working girl: When I was in school or when I’m at work (according to what kind of work I’m doing) I put my hair in a wet braid. It stays clean and out of the way. It is some times damp when I take it out, then it has beautiful soft curls that I let air dry the rest of the way. No, it has never damaged my hair, but I have healthy, thick, hair. I also use hair ties that are made from the same stuff as stockings with no metal clips, so my hair doesn’t damage or break.
women can also go bald just like men do its in the family
Don’t use soup, use soap, please
I am not African American but there are wonderful hair products meant for Afrian Amercan hair that are good for all hair types.
There is another fabulous site besides the one in the article over at Naturallycurly.com. It has a wonderful forum and a wealth of information on how to care for naturally wavy and curly hair for any ethnicity. Alot of the tips given here are great for straight hair, but us wavy/curlies have other hair issues that go beyond what was mentioned in this article.
I have had long straight hair 90% of my life. I do very little with it and this works best. I can use just about any shampoo. I generally only condition the ends and not all the time. I have untreated well water so at least once a week I use a well water action shampoo. I wash it every other day unless activity requires more. I use a hair dryer or hot rollers only when needed for a special function. I shower and wash my hair at the same time and never shampoo my hair all on top the head. I wrap my hair in a super absorbant hair towel then turn my head upside down and shake fluff away from the scalp and go. I do not even comb it. I never comb when wet. Most of the tips given are the best way to maintain healthly smooth locks.
Hello everyone, I wanted to say thank you for the excellent suggestions. Iris, I am sort of in the same place as you. Except, my hair has always been falling out, since I was about 18, I am now 37. I had many Thyroid tests done, no indications of a problem. I have not been to a dermatologist as of yet. I may need to check into that. I had a hysterectomy when I was 26, so I think that made my situation a lot worse. Then I had gastric bypass surgery 2 years ago, ever since then I have noticed very fine areas through out my scalp. It is very depressing. It seems to be mostly in the front, near my hair line. There are no women in my immediate family with this problem. The doctors that I have seen said I wasn’t getting enough protein, due to the gastric bypass surgery. I then started religiously taking protein supplements and many vitamins. One doctor did recommend zinc, although, I have not noticed any change. I have always had fine, wavy hair. It never seems to get longer than shoulder length. It is chemically treated. I do use a lot of the tips that previous people have mentioned. I am just at my wits end about the hair loss. I wake up to tons of hair on my pillow. In my shower drain, all over the place. I have a wool coat, big mistake there..lol…I don’t really have any suggestions, just wanted you to know that you aren’t alone. If anyone out there has any other ideas or advice, I am open for it. Iris, just don’t give up, I have thought about extensions, but my stylist said that would make matters worse and it is very costly to maintain. I just want a permanent solution. Even if my hair didn’t ever get long, just to have it stop falling out would be a blessing. Thanks to all
Happy Holidays ~^~PeacE~^~
To Iris: What you are describing sounds like a form of alopecia… are you having any trouble with losing the hair from your eyebrows or eyelashes? Please go see the best dermatologist that you can find; she/he should be able to help you with your problem. It may surprise you, but your problem is far more common than you realize… there are many people out there who are wearing wigs and extensions to cover up the problem. The dermatologist can also prescribe any meds that some of the other ladies are recommending you try. BEST OF LUCK, AND THINK POSITIVE!!!
For those with really thick, curly and coarse hair who want to be able to straighten it and have it silky and soft here’s a tip:
You can use a flat iron (as long as it’s ceramic)(the thinner the flat iron, the better). Put it on high but use Dove “Sheer Moisture” Leave-In Replenishing Mist on each portion of hair that goes through the flat-iron. It prevents damage, dryness and split-ends. For an alternate product, try Biosilk Silk Therapy. However, I find the Dove Replenishing Leave-In smells much better.
I used to have my mother straighten my hair with an iron and handkerchief, but decided to invest in a flat-iron.
Also, when blow-drying my hair so I don’t get any damage, I use the Dove Replenishing Leave-In Mist.
Because my husband prefers curly hair, and it takes much less time to get ready by leaving it curly, I don’t straighten it very often.
I’ve seen in drugstores whole aisles devoted to African-American hair care.
For those with terribly oily hair: Try the Shampoo and Conditioners in one. They skimp on the conditioner so my hair turns out knotty, but they are great for really oily scalp.
For those with scalp sores and other problems: Try washing your scalp with Tersaseptic antibacterial medicated soap. It worked wonders on my male friend’s scalp which was full of sores due to health problems.
For those who have really dry hair: On damp hair, slather Bag Balm and put a handkerchief over your hair when you go to bed(otherwise it’ll stain your pillowcase) If you repeat this for awhile your hair will be soft and moisturized. Otherwise, definitely use a leave-in conditioner when you sleep at night.
I usually use brushes with plastic tips so my scalp gets a massage and no skin breaks. As well, when I’m going curly I don’t brush my hair lest I get frizz-galore. I finger-comb my hair to get rid of the excess hair that’s fallen out, and then style and go.
For those who get acne: To prevent pimples along my hairline or on my scalp, I use either Thermasilk or Pantene Pro-V Shine(the blue one). I try not to overdo it on products as well. But, if you get pimples, then use the Tersaseptic as it will clear up the acne but make sure to use a conditioner on your hands.
Sorry so long-winded, but when I get going on my tips I don’t shut up, apparently.
duh… “be sure to use a conditioner after using tersaseptic on your ENDS” not hands. HAHA
hi… ihave plm my hair scalp and itch.. i did use all shampoo . still little good . but gel and mouse gave me itch and scalp . now i use shampoo neutrogena t/gel is ok … my hair is curlS.. i loved use gel .. but itch and scalp .. pls help me … and how and what name shampoo ?? ok thanks
I have very long hair (about two inches above my waist.) It is very fine and silky and naturally wavy to curly depending on the weather. I have very few split ends and ironically I brush it when it is wet and I blow dryer and curl or straighten almost everyday. Not only that I use a two-in-one shampoo and conditioner and I have to wash it every day or it become too oily.
I used to spend tons of money on expensive shampoo and I still swear by Biosilk shine serum. One day I ran out of shampoo and I missed getting to Ulta so I was forced to buy the “evil” cheap shampoo. It works much better on my hair type because cheap shampoos have more detergent. I don’t wash my tips – just the roots every day and sometimes twice a day. (I wish I didn’t have to do this.)
I have been using Fructis Long and Strong/Length and Strenght products. I started with the shampoo and conditioner and switched to the two in one. I still use a deep conditioner on the roots once a month – for those of you that like oils – I have used the V05 – hot oil treatment. I like the warmth on my shoulders. I also use the Fructis leave-in Length and Strength split end repair.
All that being said – I admit I am blessed with good hair but I recently underwent a low dosage chemotherapy treatment and I began losing my hair. (Didn’t go bald but I could pull small chunks out while running my hands through my hair) What has helped me regain the lost hair is the vitamin supplement Biotin. It also assists with nails and it’s cheap in the vitamin aisle.
I am an african american and have hair hanging down the middle of my back. My hair is all on length all over,I have a terrific beautician who takes good care of my hair. I go every two weeks,I only get soft sets done on my hair. My hair is a pretty good grade so I don’t have to do anything special to it doing the week. I do use pomade by motions on my ends doing the week just to keep them soft . My hair is also extremely thick so I think that helps alot in never having problems with split ends. I always get deep conditioners every time I get my hair washed.I think women in general
Hi
Olivia,
I have the same longer/shoulder length blonde hair that is flat/greasy if I over-condition it. I do have to condition it because I color it at home (I know ouch!) and do wash it every other day. I have learned if I condition just the ends then wash just my roots then condition ends again that works. Also try a volumizing shampoo/conditioner. I like Matrix products and really like Paul Mitchells extra body thicken up on roots. I plan on letting the color grow natural (dark reddish blonde) and only get highlights done by the pros–just so darn expensive at times though.
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