new thread
Hey folks,
I knew that subject line would catch your eye! Seriously though, I _did_ get my hair cut - my hair is now 1/8th of an inch less long than when I started the weekend. I also had it thinned a bit.
This was the first time the I went into the salon in, oh, about five months. Mainly I went in there to ask my "hair care professional" her opinion on hair care and maintenance.
So far, I have been using the same shampoo that I have always used. Just shampoo, no conditioner. Well, now that my hair is as long as it is, I knew I needed something more.
She suggested that I use a moisturizing shampoo as well as a conditioner. I agreed and bought a bottle of each. The brand name of which is "Crew" - anyone hear of that? Is it effective?
She also suggested I try something else to help control the fuzzies and decrease the volume of my hair. For this she suggested some stuff called "Flat Out." She said that was a bit expensive so she gave me some sample packs to try before I bought the full bottle. Any thoughts here? Does this stuff work well? Is this stuff in general a good idea?
I told her that I have noticed a buildup of some gunk on the combs and brushes that I use. She said that is most likely shampoo residue and suggested that I use a specific type of shampoo every once in a while to clean my usual shampoo out of my hair. Any thoughts on this?
Finally, I have noticed a bunch of hair on my wide toothed comb that I use after showering. I am not too keen on seeing that much of my hair wind up on a comb and not on my scalp. She said this was actually normal and that we lose an average of one hundred hairs a day. That seems a bit excessive. What is your collective experience with that? Is 100 per day a real number or just an old wives (or old hairdresser's) tale?
That's it for now. I appreciate your comments and help.
Thanks,
Madoc
Good advice- some people can get away with just shampoo. I for one am not one of them. I find that the longer my hair gets, the less shampoo and more conditioner I need. My hair is about waist length now, and I find that shampooing every 2-3 days and conditioning daily works quite nicely. I'm not familiar with the brand in question, but in general I notice stuff from salons is expensive and not noticeably better than the stuff you can get in stores. For myself, I use Pantene shampoos (of various sorts), Suave Salon Formula conditioner (reasonably strong and cheap, so I don't feel bad about using a lot), and Aussie Slip detangler.
Using plenty of conditioner and less shampoo will go a long way towards reducing frizziness... I have the same problem myself if I shampoo too often. Plus, as the hair gets longer the weight of the hair helps hold it down.
Again, minimize your shampoo usage. She's probably talking about a clarifying shampoo.... maybe it would work, but I've never had much luck with them.
You are probably losing the same number of hairs each day as before. It just seems like a lot more because the hairs are longer. I lose tons of hair every day, and have been for years now, yet it never gets any thinner, and my mother and girlfriend are both the same way. Don't worry too much about it. Just detangle your hair before showering, use plenty of conditioner and a detangler if necessary, and be gentle with your hair when it's wet to minimize breakage.
Hope to have been of assistance.
MJ
Dear MJ, Rob H., and Silvermane,
Thanks gang! I appreciate the tips. I kindof thought that the stuff I was buying from the salon would be a bit more expensive than elsewhere. However, for the advice that went along with it, I felt it worth it. I am certainly not dropping as much money with Jennifer (my Haircare Professional) as I used to because I haven't been going in to have my hair cut every three weeks.
I have noticed a distinct improvement since I started using the new stuff. My hair feels a helluva lot better. It was almost sticky with the other stuff I was using. Now, this might be the result of the conditioner, the moisturizing shampoo, or of the Flat Out stuff. In any event, I like what I am getting now. I have also noticed less gunk building up on my combs.
I think I will try the clarifying shampoo next. Keep on changing things and experimenting. I appreciate your tips guys (are you all guys?) and will be checking back to let you know the longer term results.
Until later,
Madoc
I've not heard of it. I'm quite fond of Citré Shine Reconstructing Conditioner, myself - but a lot depends on the type of hair you have. Clairol has a nice online diagnostic form (http://www.clairol.com/haircareprescription/haircareprescription.html) that will help you decide if yours is fine, thick, oily, etc., if you're not sure. (They'll then suggest some Clairol products you can use. :)
If your hair/scalp is dry, you can shampoo less often. I have such an oily scalp I have to wash my hair every day, but I try to keep the shampoo close to my head and make no attempt to wash the ends. I use conditioner all over, making sure the ends are covered.
I don't like to put extra goop on my hair, but on humid days a de-frizzer really helps. The only one I've liked is L'Oreal Studio Anti-Frizz - and even that doesn't work any miracles.
Are you putting any styling goop on your hair? It sounds like you're not, but that would be my first thought. One thing to keep in mind would be to rinse really well - somewhere I read to rinse another 30 seconds after you think the hair's clean - and not use more shampoo than you need to begin with.
I did try a "clarifying" shampoo for a while, but I couldn't really see any difference, for good or bad.
I've been afraid to count mine because it's thinned a bit on top, but they're everywhere. I think 100/day sounds reasonable. They do show much more when they're longer than a few inches.
(In fact, you may want to get some kind of filter for your tub and sink drains, if you can find anything that'll fit - drugstores usually sell a few plastic ones. I've dredged some nasty hairballs out of sluggish drains.)
This isn't an expensive salon brand, but I just recently purchased a new shampoo & conditioner that I'm really happy with - CitréShine. I got the "Revitalizing" shampoo and "Reconstructing" conditioner. The shampoo by itself leaves my hair feeling very smooth, and despite the name, the conditioner is very lightweight - more like a creme rinse that just slicks away any tangles. And the stuff smells great - like citrus fruit, as the name implies.
I shampoo about 3 - 4 times a week and had been using Pantene's clarifying shampoo every time, but I think it was too drying for my hair to be used on a regular basis, so I'm just going to use it once or twice a month now. You might give it a shot for infrequent use to rid your hair of the buildup that is winding up on your combs & brushes.
To clean your combs & brushes, mix a little ammonia with water in your bathroom sink, swish 'em around and let them soak a while. If you have a bristly type of brush, use it to sorta scrub your combs and other brushes with. That'll get 'em clean.
100 hairs per day is just about right. You tend to lose more in the autumn (fall) and spring. At these times of year you would expect to lose about twice as much as usual.
Jason (barber)
http://www.hackersbarbershop.co.uk