I have color-treated, highlighted, limp hair and don't even know where to begin. I thought that there was no hope for me and have been wearing it constantly in two pony-tails for years.

Where do I begin? How do I start taking care of my hair? I currently wash every day with shampoo for color treated hair and condition with a detangler.

Hair dressers have always told me that I have a lot of hair but that it is extremely fine. To me it just looks limp and stringy and horrible.

I have read on these posts that I should just use conditioner and not shampoo. What kind of conditioner is best? I am quite nervous about it looking oily. What kind of hair brush? What kind of oil and when?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Hello, Ccbyrd  :)

The Ultimate Guide To Growing Long Hair is a great place to start for so many questions as you have.

Also, pleeease do your hair a favor and stop wearing the ponytails all the time. Putting hairties in the same spot every day can break the hair. Especially fine hair!

As for your wash method of choice, that's entirely up to you. Don't let anyone else tell you what's right for your hair - figure it out for yourself. It's all about trial and error. Eventually, you'll learn what your hair needs and can tolerate.

When it comes to detangling, a lot of the ladies here don't use brushes at all. Just seamless combs. If we do use brushes, they are usually BBB's - boar bristle brushes. The gentler the bristles, the better.

As an added note, coloring and especially highlighting are damaging. I do suggest that you stop these processes unless you absolutely cannot stand your natural color. It's always best to just accept the color and texture that Nature gave you, and work with that, not against it.

I also have extremely fine hair, so I know all about the "limp and stringy" look.  ::)  Keeping a seamless comb handy or wearing your hair in contained styles can really help with that.

HTH

Hi and welcome, Ccbyrd!

If you do just one thing, stop wearing those pony tails!!!  I'd suggest a head band or a scarf to keep your hair out of your face and give you some sense of a 'do.

I do not have really fine hair, so all I can say is listen to Angel Spun.

How long is your hair now and how long do you want to grow it?

Angelspun and Sakina, thank you so much for responding. I did not wear ponytails to bed last night. And wore my hair down all day! I will try the headband thing. The reason I wear it up is partly because I don't like it in my face. Any other tools/clips I could use that wouldn't hurt my hair?

I really do dislike my natural color, a dark blonde. But I think I am going to give my hair a break from the chemicals.

My hair is in a layered, texturized bob. It isn't so much that I want to grow it long as I just want it to be shiny and healthy. Of course if it were healthy and shiny I would love to have gorgeous long beautiful hair, it just seems impossible at this point.

What is a seamless comb and where could I find one?

Sure thing, Ccbyrd.  :)

Sounds to me like you're the victim of trendy hair - snipped, colored and styled to the mainstream idea of fashionable. This is a terrible trap because you become dependent upon salons to maintain your look - that's how they make money. They keep you coming back.

Long, healthy hair is not impossible. You just might have to start from scratch...which sucks, believe me. I had to do the same thing 8 years ago.

The healthiest thing that you can do for your hair is to accept its natural color and texture. Dark blonde is a lovely color and there's absolutely nothing wrong with it. Tell yourself this every morning in the mirror if you must. I'm not a big fan of my natural color either, but I also don't want to commit myself to coloring it all the time. Too bloody expensive!  ;D

Seamless combs are cut from a single piece of material - usually acrylic or cellulose - so there are no seams on them. Look closely at the combs or brushes you're currently using. The teeth of conventional combs are especially obvious. This is because they are made by machines for mass production where 2 pieces of a mold are pressed together and filled with plastic. The seams on regular combs & brushes act like little knives against hair and hair can get caught on them.

You could try doing a search for seamless combs, or you could try sites like
tenderheaded.com
Creative Products
Kent (UK)

You can also find seamless combs made of bone and wood.

Anyway, HTH.  :)

there are many alternatives to chemical coloring, natural ones like henna. henna comes in many diffrent colors and acctualy increases hair volume because of the way it coats the hair.

Angel Spun,

You are absolutely right. I have been spending a fortune on trendy cuts and color treatments every 5 weeks! And my husband kept saying, "We are spending how much for you to hate your hair?!"  :) He is thrilled with the idea of my going natural :D

And I honestly don't mind starting from scratch. The very hope that I might have something nice underneath is very encouraging.

I am going to look into Henna. Thanks Rapunzelintraining.

Hey girl, guys love long, natural, healthy hair. It's a fact.  ;)