new thread
Well I'd like to start off and say that my name is Jake, I'm 15, and this is my first time on this website. I've always had a lot of questions about my hair, and it's kind of an obsessive thing about me (I have OCD) and I always felt uncomfortable talking about hair on other websites because it's mostly girls giving me advice, and I'm not looking for girls hair, just long natural hair. Because I like how it looks.
Anyways, I had very long hair about a year ago, maybe a few inches past my shoulders. In the past year I've had several haircuts because I wasn't satisfied with my hair anymore, and It was very damaged because how i washed it. I got two haircuts for it to be above my shoulders, one haircut like down to my eyebrows, then finally i shaved it all off to a shorter haircut, twice.
Here's the real problem, during this one year, and probably a few years before that, I washed my hair obsessively everyday, sometimes twice a day. This is actually why I started getting it cut off piece by piece, it was incredibly damaged and dried out and didn't look good at all. Now I'm ready to grow it out again, hopefully just as long. But I think what I've done to my hair and scalp in the past damaged the pores or whatever, and I fear that my hair will always be permanently damaged now no matter how many times i get it cut.
So my real question is, does washing your hair this much, and I mean a lot, have any long term or lifetime effects? And is there anyway to fix these effects? Or am I just doomed to shave my head for the rest of my life? Thanks.
You cut the hair, so you will start with fresh, undamaged hair.
There are longterm effects though. Your scalp is going to produce more oil to make up for the ammount of washing. But just like you increased the ammount of oil production, you can lower it by washing it less.
So yes, that will be a longterm effect. Longterm. But not permanent :)
Do you have any idea how long that might take? My first short haircut was in like January of this year, and I've been tending to wash my hair only once a week since it's short. But I don't know how it'll be once its long again.
Hi Jake,
First of all, Welcome to MLHH! You'll find this place to be a great opportunity to ask a lot of questions; but even more importantly, you'll learn a lot from reading a great VARIETY of answers...
I think Jarvis already shared some great comments and advise below, and my guess is that there will be others who will add in their $.02 later on as well.
Don't spend too much time worrying about your hair. Chances are that things aren't usually quite as bad as most people believe they might be. I say this because most human beings have some degree of obsessive-compulsive thoughts and/or behaviors in them (I know I do, at least). So, if you keep that in mind, eventually you will probably discover that as you grow out your new batch of fresh hair, allowing it to get longer and longer, by the time it is back to your former old length, if you visit here often, you will be well-armored with a lot of good hair information that will help you keep your hair in good shape this time!
In Y2K, I impulsively cut off my waist-length hair on June 21st of that year -- and deeply DEEPLY regretted it almost immediately after having done it. But that was over 10 years ago! Yet even more amazing is the fact that my hair is now not only longer than I've ever had it before (it now reaches an inch or 2 past my belt); it is also in better condition than it was before that fateful Y2k haircut.
Worst-case-scenario, if you feel there are valid reasons to be seriously concerned that you might have maybe damaged your scalp, let's say from peroxide or some other chemical-type of hair treatment, then in that case I advise you see a dermatologist. But, in your introduction, that doesn't sound like the case.
I guess that means that my #1 tidbit of advise I'd like to share with you now is this: Just relax, have fun growing your hair back out again, and read as much hair info as you can here by stopping by this board in your spare time as often as possible, including posting any questions you have along your longhaired journey way.... We always like seeing updates, anyway!
Take care, -- and my best to you in your happy return to Longhairedom!
- Ken in San Francisco
Yeah I agree that you need to have fun with your hair and just enjoy watching it grow with ya. I know it can be hard. First time I grew my hair was later in high school so I had an established circle of friends and whatnot and I went to an alternative liberal arts college so most people had crazier hair than me.
Now, I am in veterinary school and most people are tight-asses, pardon my french. Probably wouldn't ever have started growing my hair out again if it wasn't for the encouragement (and support) of my then girlfriend. Now I'm single and it was initially a bit harder to walk through the hospital halls with my hair flying... and harder still when I first started wearing it pulled back. But, you gotta ask yourself why you are growing your hair out - because you want to, and that's enough, and then you also have to say screw what others think, it's my head.
This site is also extremely helpful. I've said before, I've hit some walls where I was considering chopping the forest down, but this site saved me time after time! Great community here!
Good luck!
-Ian
If you haven't already I highly recommend you read the information here about long hair:
On Being A Longhair
Hello Jake,
Don't worry about growing your hair again, the number of time you wash your hair is not the most important part, it is how you wash your hair.
You have to be gentle, (don't break your hair while you are combing it, wash only the roots of your hair as the shampoo will go down and wash the lengh, use conditioner everytime ect…)
On Being a Longhair - Bill Choisser
And you can also read some article in the link section, it is very informative.
I understand the fact you don't feel comfortable talking about hair with girls, most of them had long hair all their life so thing that appear evident for them can be unknown for new grower, plus there are only few girls with natural hair (not dyed, straitened ect…)
Now don't cut your hair anymore and be gentle with it, it is only a matter of time before you get a wonderful mane.
If you are patient, you can do it !
Yes - If you think you have OCD and have focussed on your hair rather than washing your hands 20 million times a day - you are doomed. If you think you have OCD and have focussed on washing your hands 20 million times a day - you are doomed.
OR You could get a grip of your life, stop hyper ventilating and get a life. OCD is crap - its for weak people who have no life or those who choose NOT to have a life because they cant be arsed breaking a habit. OCD is all about habit. Change it. Get a grip and stop wasting your life.. and leave your bloody hair alone - weak is not good - get over it - and YOU tell your brain what to do if you have one - are you up for a challenge?
eek! that sounded cruel
Back to you.
" I washed my hair obsessively everyday, sometimes twice a day"
Why?? Stop it!! Listen to the guys on here and dont do the whole Obsessive Compulsive Thing - it's crap!
It turns out this is exactly what I needed to hear, thank you. Thank you everybody who gave me their 2 cents, all of it helped a lot and I will use all the advice I was given, because really you all helped me out a lot. But I have to say this message effected me the most. I've never been talked to about it like this before, but I'm glad you did. You've all been too kind, really I'm overwhelmed right now, that you would all take time out of your day to listen to my problems. And all the advice is just what I needed to turn my life around. Thank you everybody here for their advice, I will never forget.