new thread
I'm growing my hair out for the first time.
Couple of questions---
1) My girlfriend measured my hair. It's currently an old fashioned long on top shorter in back style but she measured from the top of the head and six inches from there would be well below my shoulders. Do you think I could have it that length by a year, long enough to pull into a decent ponytail?
2) What advice do you give me on hair care as I grow it out? How often should I wash/shampoo it? What are some dos and don'ts? For example, is it fact or a myth that you shouldn't brush your hair when it's wet?
3) What are good things to tie your hair back with once it's long that won't damage it? I'd like to have it in a ponytail but worry about traction alopecia.
4) Can I keep the hair gelled and slicked back as it's growing or will that damage the hair and slow down growth? I use Brylcreem.
5) What shampoos/conditioners do you guys suggest? I use V05 currently.
My ideal long is just a little longer than shoulder length--nothing more.
Hi, whats up!
1 ) This will depend on how fast your hair grows I guess. Everybodys hair grows in a different speed.
2 ) This also depends on your hair type. What kind of hair do you have? Is it super thin and straight? Is it wavy and curly ?
In general, hair that is wavy or and curly tend to be dry. Hair that is straight and thin has a lot more moisture.
If your hair is curly or wavy, washing your hair everyday with shampoo will damage it. Shampoo is basically detergent and contains really harsh products for your hair.
If your hair is already dry, by washing it everyday with shampoo, you will over-dry it. If you over dry it, then it will get very poofy or unmanageable. So its better to wash it once or twice a week, so that all natural oils come out and make your hair look better.
If your hair is naturally straight , then you will probably need to wash it every other day.
Thats the secret: the more oil your hair produces, the straighter it is. Thats why people with straight hair can wash their hair every day and not damage it. But if its dry - that means that oils take too long to appear after you wash it- its better to not wash it EVERY day.
3) I dont know haha i havent gotten to that part yet. When I do, i wont use ponytails i guess.
4) Gel cointains alcohol. Alcohol damages your hair. I used gel all my life since I was a teenager, and now I regret because it dried out my hair. I would not recommend gel.
5) Any sulfate-free shampoo & conditioner will be perfect for your hair. Sulfates are WAY TOO HARSH for hair, so try to avoid them .
I hope these tips help.
Before I start, I'd like to say that any time I offer an opinion on aesthetics or appearance, it's just that, an opinion. You may agree or disagree with me as you like. Depending on taste, certain styles or qualities can be either a good or bad thing.
If I understand you correctly, then yes. You are probably able to do a fairly good topknot right now, and a high pony in a month or so. You may need to wait a year or more to be able to do a low pony that doesn't look a little goofy.
As a bit of personal bias, I highly recommend the topknot. It's easier to do with shorter hair, and it looks more impressive in my opinion. (And more masculine, if you're worried about that.) Just be sure to tie it near the front of the crown of your head. (The crown is the area where the top curves down to the back.) The further forward you go, the more you run the risk of looking like Pebbles Flinstone or Cyndi-Lou Who. (Who is no more than two.)
This depends on your hair type. If you have straight hair, congratulations! Straight hair is pretty much the easiest hair to care for, though you may need to wash it every two or three days to keep from feeling "greasy".
Straight hair doesn't have much "volume" (how much hair you look like you have, or "puffiness") because it doesn't stand very well on its own. As such, straight hair is often described as "thin" by people who don't know any better.
Straight hair often looks better when it's spread out, giving the impression of a cascade of hair falling from your head. This is called "body" (how your hair moves and reacts, or how "alive" it seems) Having your hair bunch into clumps, where several strands stick to one another to form a large grouped strand, will make your hair seem limp, and can give the appearance of being "greasy" or "slimy".
Speaking of which, be on the watch for criticism. People will often try to shame you into getting rid of your hair. Instead of saying "It's too long!" they'll go for words like "thin" to make you feel like you're balding, or "greasy" to make you feel like you don't know how to care for yourself.
Tools are your friend. With straight hair, you've got a wide range of combs and brushes to choose from, though the more narrow the gaps between comb teeth become, the greater the chance of snags. Other than that, pretty much anything you see in the pharmacy will work. Just remember to be gentle, you don't want to rip your hair out!
Difficulty progresses as you move from wavy, to curly, to kinky. As the only major difference between these types is the width of the curl, I'll just refer to them as curly-types. You see, the reason that hair curls is because instead of being round, like straight hair, it's oblong. This weakens the structure of the follicles. Also, you'll be more inclined to snags and tangles, as your hair swirls and winds around itself. As for washing, you may be able to spread out your dedicated cleanings to weekly, though every three or four days is best. For me personally, my hair feels kind of dry after a few days, so I wet it in the sink between washings.
While curly-types have more volume, they are more prone to breakage, and have to be more careful when caring for their hair. With this greater volume comes less apparent length. Though your hair will be physically as long as a straight hair who started growing at the same time as you, it won't look that way because the curls use that length to fill up more space.
Curly-types are pretty much the opposite of straight, body wise. Hair curls often look better when they group together to form bigger curls, like some kind of hair-based Megazord. When curly hair spreads out on its own, it turns into frizz, which is great if your going for a mad scientist look, but people rarely do these days...
Criticism for curly-types comes with the watch-words "shaggy", which, like "greasy" above, is supposed to make you seem dirty and uncared for, and "poofy", which I guess is supposed to make your hair feel fat... I've even heard the word "crunchy", which confused me more than anything, as the person refused to elaborate.
As for hair tools, I'd recommend a wide toothed comb, or an afro pick, for your styling needs. Try to stay away from brushes, as they'll just break up your curls, and are more likely to snag on tangles. Speaking of which, stay away from thin toothed combs like the plague! You might as well comb your hair with scissors, the way those things pull out curls...
Wet hair is weaker than dry hair, so it is definitely NOT a myth. Though wet hair can oftentimes be easier to work with, this ease comes with the danger of increased breakage. That includes combing and brushing, with brushes being harsher. Something you'll want to be cautious of if you have curly-type hair, for sure!
Cheapest thing you can get is soft elastic bands with no metal connectors. Anything with metal is bound to catch and snag, no matter how careful you are. And don't even think about using a rubber band! I picked up a pack of fourteen elastics for around $3 at my local dollar store.
Just remember, if your hair hurts, the tail is too tight. Take it out and give yourself more slack between root and binding.
Brylcreem is safer than most modern gels, which are predominantly alcohol-based. Alcohol-based products will seriously damage your hair. I wouldn't recommend wearing it all day, though. The chemistry that maintains your hair's health can be precarious at times, and using too many products, whether natural or synthetic, can permanently damage it.
This one, sadly, I can't offer much help on. I've got pretty bad dandruff, and have for a while, so I use an anti-dandruff shampoo. As such, I'm afraid that I can't recommend any brands, or specific products. Sorry.
I've heard that there are lots of great "natural" shampoos and such that you can make out of kitchen ingredients, but I don't have any such recipes on hand. Google is your friend, though!
While it always makes me a little sad to see folks decide to stop "short" as it were, I welcome anyone who likes their hair longer than the norm. And I always hold out hope they'll change their mind later on!
I hope that some of this has helped you, and I hope you have a great time growing your hair!
Thanks for the excellent dissertation on the subject of hair care Septet! I really enjoyed reading this and learned a lot from it. Keep up the good work my friend!
Ted
This my hair texture. These aren't recent pix, from last year.
This my hair texture. These aren't recent pix, from last year.
This is my hair texture, from last year