new thread
I am a 46 yr old male and this month marks my 2 year anniversary of "scissor allergies". I haven't even trimmed the ends even though my wife keeps asking me too. The last time it was cut it was done with a number 2 guard so it was pretty much a crew cut. I will take a pic later today to let you see.
I usually wash it twice a week and let it dry on its own. I use Garnier Fructis shampoo and their sleek & Shine leave in conditioner. Never use hair dryer or curling iron (lots of natural curls that never showed until it got length...go figure)but it STILL seems very dry. I work in IT so there is not dirt or sweat involved except on weekends when I do videography work.
Would you recommend a heavier conditioner or maybe a hot oil treatment or what do you all think!!
Thanks in advance!
Dugger
It seems as though we have the same type of hair. I also use the same leave-in conditioner that you do, as well. I often times feel as though my hair is dry.
What I do twice a week is mash up a 1/4 of an avacado, a few tablespoons of olive oil, same amount as coconut oil, and a little bit of honey. Mix it all together and put it in my hair for about 30 minutes before a shower. It makes my hair feel great for a day or two, but then I go back to feeling it dry and frizzy.
I look forward to hearing what others have to say!
Follow your leave-in conditioner with Aloe Vera gel. It is a natural humectant that is very inexpensive, you can find it in the skin care aisle. Humectants help hold-in and retain moisture, if your hair is feeling dry that means it's losing moisture.
You could try a hot-oil treatment, or do a homemade deep conditioning one. One you could try is to mix mayo that has been warmed up in your hair, let it sit for at least 5 minutes, than shampoo and condition as normal.
Many posters swear by oiling, you might want to try coconut, jojoba or even almond or olive oil. If your hair is coarse as well as dry, oiling might work for you.
BTW, Aloe gel can be applied as often as you want/need and does not leave any build-up in hair, nor does it make hair stiff. It may be a yellow or green color, due to a weak dye added for aesthetic purposes; but the dye has no effect on your hair, any more than a dye in shampoo would.
I have fine fly-away hair, and Aloe really controls that, because it helps the hair shaft retain vital moisture by swelling the cuticle. My hair would build-up static, I could literally hear it zap. Aloe stopped that.
Avoid hair products that contain isopropyl alcohol, as it is a very drying product. Stearyl and cetyl alcohols are okay, as they moisturize. Isopropyl is typically found in gels and sprays, but many companies make isoproply-free gels, Pantene being one brand.
HTH!
----------------------------------------------------------------I am a male 47 and have thick blonde hair to my shoulders.
I only wash my hair with S+C (matirix) 1x per week, before I wash I put Vatika in my hair and let it set for 2-3hrs sit in the sun have a few beers, then wash. I let it air dry and don't use any blow dryers or product in my hair.I only comb my hair with a wide tooth wooden comb when it is dry. I use a small amount of parachute pure coconut oil if it is a bit dry. Vatika is great stuff and you can buy it at an Indian grocery store for cheap, it makes my hair strong and very shiny and with a little water I can finger comb my hair into different styles lol
I also discovered the same kind of hair, at age 44, when I started growing mine in August of 2009 (or stopped cutting it I should say). I was using a #3 guard, so mine was very short also. I knew I had some wave to my hair, but now almost 2" or so from the shoulders my hair is very curly.
Here's the important thing to remember, curly hair is almost always drier than straight hair. The natural oils produced by your scalp have a more difficult time getting down the shaft of curly hair as opposed to straight hair. As you are doing, always let it air dry and do not touch it or definitely not comb it, you'll have lots of frizz if you do. Stay away from any heating appliances.
I have completely stopped using shampoo for a year now, use only conditioner to wash my hair (use Suave coconut conditioner). It's cheap and it works well. I love the results, not using any sulfates in my hair. The other nice thing about Suave is there is no silicones in this product, which will ultimately dry your hair out more over time. I unfortunately have to "condition/wash" my hair every morning, as I swim in a chlorinated pool... however I don't wash on the days I don't swim. Immediately after towel drying my hair, I add a few drops of Jojo oil, or sometimes olive oil. I do this daily and it makes my hair very soft and shiny, just don't over do it, or your hair will look very greasy.
Best of luck... would love to see a picture! I should be positing a picture soon!
Kenny