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Hey i'm a teen guy with semi-short hair (it's about 2 inches long at the top). I had very soft, semi-long hair and absolutely no split ends when i was a kid, but now my hair is a god-awful mess. =( a friend recommended that i buy Aussie hair products, cuz i noticed he had good hair. i bought the deep moisturizing shampoo and conditioner in order to get my hair healthy, but i barely see any improvement. it's been about three months since i've been using this combination..
what i'd like to know is how you guys get your hair healthy and soft. i'm embarrassed to go outside with just my hair in its normal splendor, and i always require gel to style it; always end up using too much. i hate using gel now.. cuz everytime someone messes it up, or when it rains, my hair goes back to looking like a mess.
f.y.i., i bleached parts of the tops of my hair (which was black, but now it's orange), but the damage is the same as before i got it done. does anyone recommend that i shave it all off and grow my hair anew..? or can i mend the split-ends together..?
i'm really in a dilemna, and i really, really appreciate help from the guys and girls. i dunno if i should go to a hair styler cuz they would probably criticize me (the ones here anyway) or try to sell me useless products..
SHAVE IT OFF!
hmmm, remember when you use conditioner, you have to let it sit in your hair for a few minutes, dont just put it on and rinse it out. then put a LITTLE gel in your hair while its still wet, and let it dry naturally.
All products will be useless if you keep wrecking your hair by bleaching it.
Now would be a good time to sit down and think about a goal for your hair. It takes time to grow hair and planning ahead helps you take proper care of it...so that it stays around for awhile and gets longer.
Hi man, I understand your concern.
My hair during the "homonally challenged" teen years were as wiry and as messy as it could be. Never in my wildest dream would I think I can have hair like this now. Over the years, I've gathered that beautiful hair isn't god-given, it is through hard work and TLC (tender-loving care).
I've got two explanations for your symptoms. Firstly, being in your teens, your homones are developing in maddening speed. This often results in an over-production of oil and pore-clogging chemicals over your skin. Being a male, high production of Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) would mean extra dry, frizzy and "rigid" hair which, in rare cases, you would feel an increased rate of hair loss.
Secondly, you might have "over-shampooed" and "over-conditioned" your hair. The former strips away vital serum from your hair, which is naturally secreted by your hair glands to make your hair moisturized and soft. The latter clogs up your pores and creates horrendous build-up on your scalp. This prevents the beneficial serum from your pores to reach your hair shaft and in turn, results in "suffocated hair".
Unfortunately, you cannot do anything to the first problem as it is something that all teens go through. The only solution is to WAIT OUT.
What you can do is to solve the second problem (if this is ever your problem). For the "over-shampooing" one, you've got 2 choices... cut down your shampooing to at most alternate days (I know... you're protesting) OR BUY some "Jojoba Oil" or "Coconut Oil" or "Monoi Oil" to apply on as leave-in after your routine shampoo and condition. I personally recommend the Jojoba.
As for the "over-conditioning" case, avoid ALL 2-in-1 shampoos! Your hair can NEVER BENEFIT from those. The reason being that these products are loaded with "silicones", which seals up your hair pores and hair shaft and effectively, suffocates your hair in its entirety. Next, when you condition your hair, do it NOT on your scalp but on your hair shaft. If you have longer hair, a good guide line would be any portion below your ears. That is because, normal conditioners forms residues on any surface and you wouldn't want such things to block up your pores.
Finally, do a scalp clarification periodically (perhaps once every fortnight). This, as the name suggests, "clarifies" your scalp of all build ups. A simplest way to do it would be to mix lemon juice with vinegar and dilute it to 50% strength. After shampooing, pour this mixture on your scalp and massage gently for about 5 minutes. For a start, I would suggest you do it for your entire head of hair as I suspect it to be entirely clogged ;). After this clarification process, run water through your hair and clean it thoroughly (you wouldn't want your hair smelling like vinegar, LOL). Then, as a final step, condition your hair shaft. I am certain that this would improve your hair condition in the long run, making it softer and more manageable (mine's a testament).
And... ahh... the bleaching... this, to me, is the harshest thing that can happen to your hair. I suspect that the bleached portion could be damaged beyond repair but wait... do not jump on the barber's chair and buzz it all off, yet. Try the suggestions I mentioned above and if after one month, you still could not see any improvements to your hair, then reach for the buzzer.
I really hope my experience would help you in your quest for your "dream hair". Remember, no pain, no gain and if you wanna grow it out, why not do it in the best way you possibly can?
Cheerz,
Jin
hey Jin, thanks a lot for the advice! i saw some pics that u have of ur hair.. and i have to admit it looks great. =) i'm Asian too.. and it's weird i'm having this kinda problem. i'll try the scalp-clarification thing, although i'm kinda skeptic about it. =\ i heard that homemade-recipes don't often work, but i'm willing to try new stuff so i can get good hair again. do u mind explaining the amount of the lemon/vinegar/water combination i should use on my scalp?
oh and do u happen to have Aol Instant Messanger? i never had anyone to talk about this kinda stuff b4.. and you being a guy helps bigtime. =P
oh, and would u recommend a deep-conditioner of some sort which will help my hair out..? i also dunno if i should keep buying Aussie products, since they're off-the-shelve items. i heard that shampoo/conditioners containing exotic fruit extracts (or something like that) are the best types of products to use.. and dunno which designer's hair products i should be using either...
You can use one TABLESPOON of "Apple Cider Vinegar" and one TEASPOON of "100% pure lemon juice" (that is, freshly squeezed from a lemon!). The preferred type of lemon for this purpose would be the green colored type (but still, yellow is workable).
FYI, I'm currently using the Joico range which consists of a shampoo for damaged hair (K-Pak) and intense moisturizing conditioner. To me, these products actually sounded as great as their names suggest and I loved the results.
Many guys here uphold the Aussie product range. I personally haven't tried it (why should I when I've found a range that suits me ;)). But I should tell you that you MUST find a product that SUITS YOUR HAIR. Yes, some products may be good for some people, NOT ALL. Hence, absorb information from here, then decide and try them yourself. It is long process, man (it took me a good 6 years before I found Joico, LOL).
But if you insist on me giving you a rule of thumb, I say, avoid all products with SLS (Sodium Laureth/Lauryl Sulfate) as its main ingredient. The function of this chemical is to produce rich lather on your hair but at the same time, strips of all natural hair oils from you, leaving your hair dull and lifeless. But unfortunately, if you notice, nearly ALL shampoos in the market contains SLS, unless you buy those organic ones, which you need to make lots of adjustments to your hair routine. I suggest you try shampoos with ALS (Ammonium/Ammonia Laureth/Lauryl Sulfate). It is the less harsh form of SLS.
Lastly, may I suggest you to visit this great site. Go to the guestbook and read up on all the useful suggestions and tips provided by the ladies with great hair. You'll surely find it useful.
Take care!
Jin
I'm not going to sugar coat the truth for you, if you have naturally "bad" hair, that's the way it's going to be no matter what you do (Unless you straighten it, which may help). For the past year and a half I have taken EXCELLENT care of my hair, and it feels/looks like crap. I used to have really smooth hair but puberty changed that. You can use all the conditioners you want and start over as many times as you like but your hair is going to look the same. I tell you this from experience. I grew my hair out for about 10 months then shaved it and started over. At that point I came to this board and every time I asked for advice I got the usual "Condition" "Don't shampoo too often" "Stay out of the sun" "Don't dye it", I took all the advice and it never made a difference because it's genetic. I also know guys who are right in the middle of the awkward stage, constantly highlight their hair, shampoo daily and their hair looks awesome, it's all genetics!