new thread
Hey everyone,
I was on here briefly several years ago (I don't remember what I called myself) but I've been following some of the topics here for a while.
I'm 11 months in at the moment growing my hair from a buzzcut last year. It's been an awesome journey - I have wavy hair that looks different every day (or even every hour at times).
All this time I've been rinsing my hair and gently scrubbing my scalp with hot water in the shower on a daily basis. Every three or four days I rinse with a solution of baking soda, water and tea tree oil, and then follow it up with 50% diluted apple cider vinegar. Lately, however, my hair has become dry after the baking soda/vinegar washes and it's starting to tangle a lot more. I started working in a small amount of jojoba oil after gently patting my hair dry but it isn't working too well. I don't like all the chemicals in most commercial shampoos, so what are my alternatives?
Also, I'm worried about tangles and breakage happening with my very fine strands of hair. I've noticed a small bunch of much shorter hairs right in the middle of my hairline, and I'm concerned they could be from breakage either due to wearing hats or my bandana (I wear a bandana *a lot*). I also read somewhere that this is fairly common and that those particular follicles could be at terminal length. Anyone want to take a guess at what's going on here?
Anyway... I'll eventually muster up the courage to post a pic one of these days. Thanks everyone for sharing and reading! :)
Hi,I have midback length hair,wavy. I have learned to use ONLY WEN cleansing conditioner, and then while hair is wet, I put in OJON rare blend oil. Baking soda is rough, and will leave your hair dry as well. Vinegar and the rest, even though household items are still chemicals. WEN, is a glycerin and oil based cleanser which does NOT strip your hair nor dry it out. It works, I have used nothing else for years and have minimal breakage etc. It also helps with tangles a lot. Try it. I think you will like it. If your hair is dry use either the "pomegranate" or the "fig" as there are many options. Cheapest place to get it is on QVC.com. Good luck, sj
Vinegar is used for occasional clarifying. It removes helpful oils, buildup, etc..
Never "scrub" your scalp.
If you don't want to use gentle shampoo, then try the condioner only method.
You need to find a conditioner that works for your hair.
What you are currently doing is harming your hair and working against your goals.
Thanks for the responses!
Do you think it's a lost cause at this point or should I continue to let it grow and be gentler to it? It's kind of frizzy right now but after a day or two of only rinsing with water it is usually softer.
Hey Raedwulf - I find with haircare - less is more - less washing, less product, less fuss - clean scalp & conditioned hair & ends - use super gentle baby shampoo or anti-dandruff to keep scalp in check & deep conditioning by leaving the conditioner in a little longer if possible - use regular treatments: ( coconut oil fortnightly, monthly, bi-monthly - whatever schedule suits you ) - your haircare schedule will be unique to you - in relation to how often you wash, how long you condition, what products & oils suit you - personally I like anti-dandruff once weekly: ( I have gone 10 - 14 days without washing ) I like to condition for 5 - 15 mins. depending on schedule & I use coconut oil monthly as a treatment: ( I love the smell - it transports me to a secluded nudist beach in sunny far north Queensland where I swing from a hammock under two beautiful palm trees - sipping pina-colada ) ... I would eliminate all your other previously tried techniques & regimes - keeping it simple works - your hair will thank you & reward you with health & vitality cheers & good luck CEM.
Oh man you hit the spot with the imagery of far north Queensland... I lived in Central Queensland several years ago while going to uni and I know exactly what you mean (minus the nude beach, hehe).
I just bought some Everyday Coconut shampoo and conditioner by Alaffia - they have the fewest ingredients and I love their hand soap. I hopped in the shower right away and conditioned for a couple of minutes as you suggested, then gently rinsed and blotted dry with a towel. After some light combing with a bamboo comb my hair feels better than ever, but I have a feeling it'll take several days of "being nice" to it before it's all perfect.
Let me start by saying that men should never, ever use any product containing tea tree oil, no matter what good it does for your hair or any other part of your body, because it's a major endocrine disruptor. Studies have shown that pubescent boys who are exposed to products containing tea tree oil over an extended period of time can develop feminine physical characteristics. I've had unfortunate personal experience in this department. I used to use a tea tree oil based foot wash for athlete's foot, and after using it for several weeks I noticed swelling and tenderness in my chest reminiscent of breast growth. Even several months after ceasing use of the tea tree wash, my chest is still fuller than it used to be. So be very careful around that stuff!
As for the dry hair, I second what others have said about using conditioner rather than baking soda and vinegar. My conditioner of choice is Paul Mitchell's "the detangler", which can be bought at Wal-Mart in the hair salon.
Very interesting... I've never had a problem with tea tree oil and have used it quite a bit, but I'll definitely do some research on the subject. I probably won't use it in my hair again at any rate.
So far the conditioner is helping but I still have some stray strands flying around, especially in front where I part my hair in the middle. It keeps flying around in my eyes and it gets quite annoying.