HI, i am new here i love it here!!!! i have learned a lot from y'all, i have a lot of problems with my hair.
my first question: i have very dry, damaged, full of split ends hair, i mean to actually make it look like hair i have to straighten it once it dries, after i take a shower and i know this damages it badly, but if i dont do that it will look like i have some dead pouffy THING on my head, please, please help?????!!!

Do you use a deep conditoner? Sometimes those will help with making your hair more manageable. I'm new at this so maybe some of the others will give you better advice than I can.

yes i do use a deep conditioner but it still does not make a very big difference the damage and split ends are still there

Once the hair is damaged, you are limited as to what you can do to improve the condition.  It sounds like your hair is very dry and brittle.  Deep conditioning and regular oiling will help restore the moisture that the hair desparately needs.

The other side of the equation, is to prevent further damage.  
-  Minimizing the use of heated appliances (hair dryers, curling irons, hair straighteners) is a big part of that.  

-  Paying attention to the types of shampoos and conditioners you use could also help - be sure it is a gentle, moisturizing type.  

-  Try to determine if your hair can handle the silicones or not.  These ingredients can coat the hair to look smooth and sleek initially, but can cause dry and brittle hair if not removed regularly.  Vinegar rinses can be great for removing product build up.  

-  Be gentle with your hair.  Don't brush it when it is damp or wet.  Make sure your comb and/or brush is not causing more damage.  Seams on combs can cut thru your hair.

Make sure you have read thru the Ultimate Guide to Growing Long Hair on this site.  There are many excellent suggestions for improving your hair's condition.

I'm sure others will jump in with their suggestions as well, I'm just giving you a few ideas to start with.

i heard that vinegar dries the hair more, but it seems lots of people here use it

Quote:

Posted by: Beesan16 Posted on: Today at 1:18pm i heard that vinegar dries the hair more, but it seems lots of people here use it

Remember that most of us only use an ACV (apple cider vinegar) rinse once or twice a week so there's no drying out of the hair.  Perhaps if you tell us more about what type of hair you have we can help more.  For instance, how long is your hair?  Is sit straight?  Curly?  Thick or thin?  Ethnicity plays a part in it, too.  Oh, and welcome, by the way!   :)

my hair is about 2or 3 inches from my tailbone (at its longest point i have 2 layers, they start at the shoulder)
its slightly wavy (it used to be straight, you know like asian hair when i was a little kid, but as i got older it got wavier)

I usually do my vinegar rinse after shampooing and before conditioning.  This allows the vinegar to open the cuticle of the hair to so that the moisture from the conditioner can access the hair better.  The vinegar ultimately is counteracted by the conditioner, so that it does not dry out the hair.

With tailbone length hair, I would highly recommend oiling the ends of the hair.  Jojoba oil works well for my fine, slightly wavy hair.  I oil my hair at night before I go to bed.  I apply the oil to my hands, then run my hands down the length of the hair.  I then braid my hair for sleeping.  In the morning it is soft and managable.

Are you trying to grow your hair longer? I would try trimming your hair if you are unhappy with the splits. Also, if you have had the splits a long time, they could have traveled up the hair shaft, causing lots of frizz.

Once your hair is damaged there is no going back, but there are things you could do to improve the manageability. Oiling will definitely help with dry, frizzy hair. Extra Virgin Olive Oil is cheap and easy to find at grocery stores, if the smell bothers you, there is 100% Pure Olive you could use.

Heat styling is very bad for the hair. Hair was not meant to be altered with heat and chemicals. It will not withstand the process and eventually will do things you do not like...Split, become frizzy/dry.

Finding out if your hair likes cones could help, deep conditioning, oiling, trimming off as many split ends as you can, combing in place of brushing, and treating your hand as delicately as it is. But above all, heated appliances should be avoided.

If you are unhappy with the natural appearance of your hair after it is dried...Braiding leaves lovely waves and damp bunning also creates a nice wave effect.

Good Luck.  ;)

how much vinegar should i use, or do i mix it with anything else?
and i heard that jojoba oil isexpensive so how much does it exactly cost?(or an estimation)

i was just reading around and it said that mental health affects hair severly, and now that i think about it, when my hair started getting very bad, i had 2 deaths in the family and i guess my grief and stress did not help very much, and i guess since then i've been under a lot of stress from moving and school.  :'(  :-/

I'm sorry you had to go through all that. I hope things are getting better for you!

About the ACV rinses, I've found that 1/4 cup vinegar to 2 cups water works for me. However, I clarify my roots first and then add 1-2 tablespoons of conditioner to the rest of the rinse, shake it, and then use that to clarify the length. My length was bleached once and dyed three times in the span of a year and so the ACV and water alone made my hair rather dry.

Besides oiling and deep conditioning, you might want to start doing CWC washes. You can find the directions for that on Anais Satin's website. It's made quite a difference in my hair since I started doing that in June.

I don't use jojoba so I'm not too sure how much it costs, but you can check out www.mountainroseherbs.com.

What is Anais Satin's website? I have been wanting to try a CWC ever since I started posting here, but I just haven't had the time until now.

mind my asking but what is a cwc wash? :-/

Millie Belle--I tried typing the link, but it wasn't working for me. You can get to Anais's site by clicking on the link she has under her signature.

Beesan--Sorry to confuse you! I've been here for a while so I forget that not everyone knows the terminology yet. CWC is a type of wash where you put a cheap, light conditioner on the length and then wash the scalp only with shampoo. After that, rinse off the shampoo and conditioner. The last step is to condition the length one more time. I thought it sounded weird when I first heard about it, but I've found that my hair feels a lot better than when I would just shampoo and then condition.

wrote on Aug 1^st, 2005 at 7:24pm:

What is Anais Satin's website? I have been wanting to try a CWC ever since I started posting here, but I just haven't had the time until now.

If you click on the "Medusa" in my signature, it will take you to the website.

Hugs
Anais

so basicaly a cwc is when you only shampoo your scalp and only condiyion length :-/

wrote on Aug 1^st, 2005 at 8:23pm:

so basicaly a cwc is when you only shampoo your scalp and only condiyion length :-/

Mmm, yes?  It might help to think of it this way:
1st C = Condition length
W = Wash scalp (then rinse everything off)
2nd C = Condition length again.

Check out Anais's site. It explains things much better than I can. :)

Anais, I love your site!!! It is so much help to me!!!

I love Anais's site.  One of these days I'm going to try those sock curls!

Beesan, good luck with your hair.  I can't really give any tips because I don't have the same hair problems, but everyone here is so knowledgable that I'm sure you'll find something that works.  

Cynde

Welcome Beesan.
Jojoba oil is rather expensive, but you only need a little bit - kind of like Elmer's glue  "a little dab will do ya'"

I've found some at The Vitamin Shoppe for about $7 for 4 ounces.  There is a retail store near me so I didn't have to order on-line. 8)

Hope you are finding some solutions to your dilemma.  Sounds like you are in a vicious cycle right now.  >:( I haven't had the problems you are, but from reading the posts many have.  They also find that following the advice has made a HUGE improvement within a few days to a week.   :D

Next time you reach for that dryer or straightener, STOP and grab some oil instead and then braid or bun your hair so you don't have to look at the damaged ends ;D

i really can't thank all of enough for your support, cuz whenever i say my hair needs help, everyone just says that i'm exagerating and that it's fine.

actually Preciouslocks yesterday, and today when i took a shower i did exactly what u said, i only put a little bit of oil on my bangs and on the ends, and it actually looks good!  :D :D :D

thank you again!

[hijack]

Juri, MilleBelle, Khrome... thank you so much :)

[end hijack]

Beesan, A CO-wash or a C-COW-C wash (both are cleansing methods) will minimize that "poof" after the shower.... I get the same thing if I don't comb profusely with a seamless comb until JUST dry, then "immobilize" my hair with a single braid, a bun, or sock curls. "Immobilizing" my hair helps SO MUCH in keeping the poof away.

HTH ;)
Anais

I just tried the CWC wash, and I think it worked wonders for my hair. It feels softer already and it isn't all the way dry yet!!

I just LOVE your website Anais Satin!  ;D

While I agree with everyone that Anais's website is great, I wanted to add my 2 cents on ACV. This is an excellent treatment to restore hair, especially, if you have product build up. The key with ACV rinses is finding the mix that works for your hair. For example, the first time I did one, my hair was a complete mess: very dry and brittle feeling. The 2nd time (because you have to give the homemade recipes a couple of tries), I diluted the ACV much more and it worked wonderful. It all comes down to finding what works on your hair.

Another example is jojoba. Many, many longhairs extoll the virtues; however, this oil doesn't work as well for me as on others. I have better luck with coconut oil. Why? I haven't a clue, but my hair does like it.

Morale of the story: try all the good advice these long haired goddesses impart. Find what works for you hair and in some cases you may have to alter the methods and ingredients to find what suits your hair best.

Enjoy the journey and remember, everyone at Longlocks is incredibly helpful.

wrote on Aug 2^nd, 2005 at 12:29am:

actually Preciouslocks yesterday, and today when i took a shower i did exactly what u said, i only put a little bit of oil on my bangs and on the ends, and it actually looks good!  :D :D :D!

Yeah!  Yippee!
Glad I could help.
;D ;D ;D ;D

I am posotive everybody here is helpful, i hang on to everyadvise like a life line, and i won't let go as long as it does my hair any good.

you can not imagine how much i appreciate what all of you are saying, and how much i'v suffered from my hair troubles, i would't let anybody touch it because then they could feel and see how bad my hair is :P

Awww, Beesan, you're so sweet! I hope the advice you get here really does help you. I think after a little while you will see improvment in your hair and you'll start to feel better about it. Don't be too hard on yourself!

Beesan - just another variation you might not have come across - I put honey into my vinegar rinses - without changing the dilution, just add honey.

That worked for me ...g

wrote on Aug 3^rd, 2005 at 7:49am:

Beesan - just another variation you might not have come across - I put honey into my vinegar rinses - without changing the dilution, just add honey. That worked for me ...g

i did use honey on my hair, i put a liitle of it in my chamomile rinse, and it did help a lot!
i still haven't done an ACV, on account that i need a conditioner and i now have a 2in1 shampoo

wrote on Aug 3^rd, 2005 at 10:08am:

i did use honey on my hair, i put a liitle of it in my chamomile rinse, and it did help a lot! i still haven't done an ACV, on account that i need a conditioner and i now have a 2in1 shampoo

You can still do ACV over the 2 in 1 - I have to admit that I generally (personally) do think seperate Shampoo and Conditioner are overall better; I've know long haired people who like them a lot though ... enjoy experimenting...g