Hey Folks

Okay... I took myself to the edge by "overmaintenance". After much hassle and lots of experimenting through the past two weeks, I'm going back to my Neutrogena conditioner routine and coconut oiling... having learned the nature of my Asian hair.  

(1) Asian hair has got to be the most low-maintenance of all types. It's easier to detangle than finer hair, splits can be extremely rare if you care properly, mine apparently loves silicone, and weathers really really well. Sure, there's the post-wet frizz, but it does go away after a few hours. and the poofiness, that goes away too.

(2) Asian hair is, in general, extremely porous. I'm not encouraging anyone to do this frequently, but pinch your hair lightly and run your fingers upward on the hair shaft. You should get lots of friction and strands will buckle upward (it shows that the hair cuticle scales are not closed tightly). People say Asian hair doesn't hold curls well, but scientifically it should take (a) less processing time, and (b) milder solution. Just calling a myth to question. Many Asians overperm.

(4) Most Asian hair LOVES silicone and I am going to stop kidding myself (hair "suffocation" isn't a problem as long as I do vinegar rinses every couple weeks). Thick, gooey conditioner that actually sticks to your hand seems to work best. Anais Satin and friends have tried everything, and Neutrogena and Bed Head products are favorites.

Being porous, oiling will just soak right in; even the kind of coconut oil with the biggest molecules... (which??) The friction stays after oiling though. I've found that oiling doesn't work as a leavein conditioner if there is not already silicone conditioner in my hair. The silicone seals the hair shaft, keeping the oil on the outside as a lubricant (or it otherwise minimizes oil absorption).  

I've officially reached Hair Nirvana and found what my hair loves best. Good luck to all.

Anais

Hair today grown tomorrow

Congratulations on finding your best hair care routine!  You are a lucky person.

Anais-

How often do you oil your hair with coconut oil, and how oily does it get? What do you use to wash it out?

I've been using Parachute brand coconut oil on my hair and skin lately.

Hi eKatherine


I oil my hair with Spectrum Essentials coconut oil the day after shampooing... using an amount the size of half a classic yellow pencil's eraser. As long as I stick with my "comfort amount", it doesn't make my hair oily at all. Just smooth and soft, to make combing a little easier. Then I just wait until shampoo day (one or two days after oiling). I rotate among Paul Mitchell, Pert Plus, Finesse, and a cheap Neutrogena variety (counterfeit, it turns out). and an occasional vinegar rinse.

What kind of hair do you have?

Anais

My hair is fine and silky, with a little bit of a wave that goes away when it dries. Medium-thick, natural dark brown, but now that I got tired of gray, I color it medium auburn.

I CO wash it in the evening so it will be dry enough to put up in the morning. I wear a bun when I'm in a hurry, but if I'm not, I do a crown braid, or what I call a double half crown, which is parted down the middle, then braided from the back to the front on both sides. The braids cross in front, and get pinned up on top. I get lots of looks when I do something sculptural like this. A woman I stopped in to work for asked me, "Don't I know you?", then when I said no, said, "Oh, I remember, I saw your hair the other day."  :D ::)

WOW eKatherine... Your hair sounds beautiful. I really admire you for your patience, too. I could never sit down long enough to do a hairdo like you described.

Anais

Anais, what do you use to put silicone in your hair? I noticed silicone is the best but I've only used glossing polish by Sexy Hair line. Your hair's very beautiful, btw.

I'm a new member and I wish I'd read this less than ten minutes ago.  I took drastic and desperate measures in an attempt to control the electric static state of my hair >:(  So I lightly spritzed my hair with olive oil.  First time I did it, it seemed like it worked but I've tried it a couple of times since and it's let me down every since :(  I guess I'll have to accept that my hair prefers silicone based conditioners because that appears to be my experience too and thanks for the tip about the vinegar 8-)  I'll use that every 1-2 weeks from now on :)

My hair isn't really long right now, just above mid back length and I have layers and long bangs.  I'm not confident enough to change at this time but I am working on growing the longest layers longer.  My hair grows really fast so it's not too difficult for me to change length and style.  

I've been using a 3 mins. deep conditioner once a week and a 1 minute deep conditioner every day but my hair still doesn't seem silky smooth and bouncy.

Here in Denmark most haircare products seem to be aimed at people with fine Scandinavian hair types and from a profit point of view of course it makes sense but I can't seem to find any products for those of us with straight, coarse/individually thick strands, porous, sparse hair.

Anais Satin wrote on May 30^th, 2004 at 1:25am:

I've found that oiling doesn't work as a leavein conditioner if there is not already silicone conditioner in my hair. The silicone seals the hair shaft, keeping the oil on the outside as a lubricant (or it otherwise minimizes oil absorption).   I've officially reached Hair Nirvana and found what my hair loves best. Good luck to all. Anais Hair today grown tomorrow

Thanks! I've just tried this and it seems to work for me as well :)  After normal shampoo and 1 minute deep condition, air dry natural, then I rubbed 1 drop of olive oil between palms and actually used most of it for my hands before I smoothed my hair with it.  It feels so smooth and there are no fly-aways and so far no static but it's still too early in the day for a final verdict.  I'm 9 hrs. ahead of California time (dad's American and lives there so I only know that time).

im asian myself and i 1/2 love my hair and i 1/2 hate it. one the plus side its very manageable and can train it to do mostly whatever i want to do except for that damn part in the middle. i also like how my hair takes on ashy tones in haircolors well. the thing i hate about my asian hair is how fine limp and lifeless it can be. and how oily and greasy it can get. i wash my hair once every few days or every other day with a solid shampoo from lush called new, it has cinnamon and peppermint oils to stimulate your follicles to grow faster. it really works, plus i dont have to condition after. i also stopped coloring my hair, too much damage. im thinking maybe about natural hair dyes..anyone have suggestions on those?

Hey, Soglam! I have Asian hair as well. What kind of color are you looking for? If you're looking for a subtle change in red or brown tones, henna is a good way to go. Henna for Hair has a lot of information about henna as well as indigo. Other plants (such as sage, rosemary) can be used to alter hair color, but I don't think it would be as noticeable as henna.

I use a rosemary, nettle, and lavender rinse every time I wash my hair, but I haven't seen any color difference except on the bottom portion of my hair that has been chemically damaged. The change has been gradual, but the colored portions that took on a orangy-brown tone look darker and blend in more with my natural hair color.

Another good news is that Asian hair is generally the fastest growing hair type and has the longest growth cycle.  Some Asians have a 9 years growth cycle.  I don't know what mine is because I've never let my hair grow longer than waist length and it hasn't been longer than bra length for over 20 years.

Why is it good news that Asian hair grows fast?  Because I have Asian hair but it's no longer long due to some stupid words that came out of my mouth at the end of December ::)  I'd been to a 75th birthday on the 4th of December and I'd spent ½ hr. just trying to pull my hair into a formal looking ponytail.  Forget formal looking twist or bun, that would've been another hour!  Long Mongolid hair with lots of layers really isn't practical for putting it up in my experience.  At the time my hair was bra length because that's the length I'd held on to for three years.

I lost my temper and booked an appointment at the hairdresser at the end of December.  With no plan in mind I walked into the salon without a plan and I can't believe today but I actually said:  "I want a bob, yeah...that's it, I want a bob" :o  I didn't stop there though, no I added that: "I'd like an asymmetrical bob, yes asymmetrical with asymmetrical bangs" :o  So I had a mid-neck bob cut in asymmetrical shape with asymmetrical bangs! :o ::) :-[

I loved it for about two weeks but I was too proud to admit my mistake so I went back and had it trimmed after 7 weeks where it had really grown out of shape.  After another seven weeks at least I was humble enough to admit that I didn't like the shape so she cut the sides graduated so it flows backwards.  This is a small improvement!  It also makes it easier to grow out without too many corrective trims and I'm no longer too proud to admit that the bob or shorter lengths will never be me as long as my hair's in decent shape.

Here nearly two weeks after I had my hair trimmed it's near the bottom of my neck and I expect it to be shoulder length some time during May or at least at the end of May.  By the end of summer I'll be shocked if it's not at least a little past shoulder length.  It still won't be long but at least it's a beginning and I keep reminding myself that at least I have fast growing hair.

I've learnt my lesson and will go back to trimming my hair 2, max four times a year and only let them take off ½ cm each time :)  I don't know if I'm brave enough to see how long it can actually grow though or if I can commit myself to the care and keep of it.  Sorry this is a bit mixed and not much about hair properties.  I got carried away :-[

Drear, your post shows that everyone has their weak moments and frustrations, even when they posses what many of us can only dream of - fast growing, strong hair!

I'm sorry you've regretted the drastic cut, but now you can grow it out fresh with a new level of appreciation.  Good luck!