So, I decided to go ahead and start a hair journal, mostly because I seem to be trying so much new stuff on my hair that I'm starting to lose track of what works and what doesn't!   :P  I've been looking at a lot of long hair websites for advice.  A lot of them say the same basic things, but there are a LOT of different methods and recipes and stuff to try.  So...I'm recording all of my experiments here.  ::bwah-hah-haa!::  I wonder, though...how much time should I give a product (or recipe or whatever) to work?  Will I be able to tell within a day to use it or lose it?  Or should I give it a week? Two weeks?  

An aside before I start recording:  My computer's 'r' key doesn't work, so I have to Copy & Paste all my 'r's.  If I skip one or two, I apologize.   ;)

Alright.  Where to start?  right now my hair is 20" from my hairline to the ends.  I just had the layering cut out at the start of this month, so it's all one length.  It's naturally blond, slightly wavy, fine, and about normal density.  

As for my routine, I wash & condition every other day (trying to stretch to two days between washings, but it gets very very oily) with Organix Coconut Milk Shampoo & conditioner--it's one of the few I could find without sulfates.  I would do CO washes, but the last one of those I did left my hair heavy, greasy, and all-around yucky.  When I run out of conditioner I'll have to get one that's better at cleansing.  I oil my ends at night with sweet almond oil, and I try to put on a good amount of oil the night before I wash.  I sleep with my hair French braided, as it's not quite long enough to braid just the length.  I rinse about once a week with DWV, but not really to remove buildup; the vinegar seems to help a little bit with my seborrheic dermatitis (I'll use 'SD' from now on).  I deep condition every week, but I've run out of my deep conditioner, and since my car's in the shop, I will be experimenting with other methods of deep conditioning this week.   :)  

A lot of my 'experimenting' here will be ways to improve the condition of my scalp as much as my hair.  I was diagnosed with SD as a teenager, and it hasn't improved much since then (I'm 25).  At that time, Head & Shoulders seemed to be the only thing that helped it at all.  I think I've developed a resistance to it, though, so I'm trying to find something that will help the SD but that's good for my hair (preferably something natural--and cheap!   ;)  ).  The SD really doesn't bother me much during the day--an itchy here or there, but at night it gets really bad.  So far the only thing that seems to help it is a DWV rinse, but I'm kind of concerned that doing a vinegar rinse every time I wash won't be good for my hair.  I've also read that ACV is good for SD, but I don't know that it's better than DWV.  Also, doing these rinses only seems to help a little; I'm trying to improve the SD a lot.  I'd like to try rosemary and peppermint rinses to see if that helps at all.  Tea tree is supposed to help too, but the oil is kind of expensive.  Aloe is also supposed to be helpful.  Organix makes a shampoo that has all four plant extracts in it, and I might try that if the rinses work.  Or I may just make my own shampoo.  Just how much buildup does castile soap cause?  :P  

As you can see, I've got a lot to try out here.  Wish me luck.  I just hope I don't mix the wrong herbs and make all my hair fall out or something!

Welcome to the wonderful, whiny world of hair journaling. ;)
My hair was about 20" when I started too.

Sorry to hear of your problems with seborrheic dermatitis. That sounds like quite the affliction. :( I think it would be wise to consult your dermatologist before trying any new haircare regimen or product just to ensure that you're not making things worse.

As for the difference bewteen DWV and ACV, there really aren't any. They both have 5% acidity. In my personal experience, I found that DWV seemed to leave my hair feeling cleaner while ACV left my hair feeling softer, but that might've just been my interpretation. http://www.smilieshq.com/smilies/confused0024.gif They both serve the same purpose.

Anyway, enjoy your journaling. http://www.smilieshq.com/smilies/happy0025.gif

Cute puppy avatar!

Enjoy your journaling!!!

Hi and welcome! :)  I know how hard it is to keep track of what works and doesn't in the beginning and sometimes you'll find that there are seasonal or other differences in what does or doesn't work.  It actually sounds like you have more control over your hair than I do.  

I washed and conditioned my hair yesterday morning (meaning I went three days without washing--hope I can stand to keep that up :P).  I wanted to see if fewer washes per week would help my scalp, and...

VOILA!  No more itchies!  I never in my wildest dreams thought that washing my hair less would make my scalp better.  Why would I?  One day without washing tended to make it worse.  Hopefully this is a permanent thing.  ::crosses fingers::  I can't believe that my scalp doesn't itch, even after washing.  This is like a miracle.  lol.

So...now I guess it's on to figuring out what works for my hair.  Yay!  The fun part!     ;D

Hallelujah!

I saw something on the TV yesterday that a few months ago I would have agreed with, but after joining this forum, I got really upset about & ended up changing the channel.  

I was watching the Tyra Banks Show where they were doing makeovers.  There was a woman there with hair literally to the floor, and part of her makeover was to cut her hair off to APL!  She was crying the whole time while they tied a ponytail holder on and cut the hair off right above it.  Now, granted, the last four feet of her hair were really damaged, and maybe they should have been cut off , but certainly not ALL of it!  All I could think of was how much work and time and care was being held in that stylist's hand afterward--all to make this girl fit into a mold.  I mean, I like watching makeover shows and stuff like that, but I'm starting to realize that people are all supposed to be different & to assume that we need to all fit into some predetermined box is not respectful to humanity or the One who created it.

Well, enough of my soapbox rant.   :P  Today I'm doing S&D while listening to the rain and Meerkat Manor.  In a few minutes I'm going to put some warm almond oil on my hair for 30 minutes and shampoo.  Maybe I'll boil some rosemary and put that in there, too.  I love days off!

Oy, I could not agree more! Makeover shows are painful to watch when they insist on cutting off someone's long hair to make them look trendy. Gah! :P

Though, if that particular woman's hair was four feet of damage, she probably didn't put as much care and time into it as you think. Many people with hair that length just let it grow without getting trims or minding the ends at all and it looks dreadful. Perhaps they were doing her a favor. :-/

If she is the long hair type, she will just grow it back. There's nothing a salon can do that nature can't undo.
   But you're quite right about fitting into the fashion mold. Balderdash! If The Creator wanted us all to be Barbie clones, we would've been made that way. I can understand trying to help someone who is hurting themselves or others with their habits, but conforming to trends solely to please other people is suicide.

If you personally favor short hair then that's fine with me but I hate how women are "bullied" into having their hair cut for x number of reasons that are based on myths and misconceptions and strange fashion notions.

If The Creator wanted us all to be Barbie clones, we would've been made that way. I can understand trying to help someone who is hurting themselves or others with their habits, but conforming to trends solely to please other people is suicide.

I could not agree more!

So, maybe I was too quick to assume my problems with my scalp were over with.   :'(
Today, even after a few days of not washing it still itches around the hairline in the back.  I suppose that I'm going to have to do a vinegar rinse every time I wash, which kind of makes me sad, because my shampoo smells really good.  

On the plus side, my hair looks great when I wash it less, and it feels really good after being washed, as opposed to feeling dried out, which is what it felt like before.  I'm hoping, though, that my hair doesn't smell funny after a few days without washing.  I need an opinion on this, but I don't really want to ask my boyfriend--he doesn't need to know that I go three, sometimes four days without washing my hair, does he?   :P  I read somewhere recently that you can put perfume in your hair by spraying it on your brush first (to avoid putting alcohol directly on your hair), so maybe I'll try that.  I'd just hate for it to smell like perfume and dirty hair.  

Speaking of my brush...
I walked into my bedroom the other day to find my beagle Gadget chewing on my boar bristle brush!!   >:(  I don't even know how she got it!  I took it away from her to assess the damage, and luckily (for her) it wasn't hurt too badly.  But now it has little teeth marks all over the handle and head, and it did have tricolor dog hairs and spit in it until I washed it out.   ::)  

right now I'm pretty sure she's attacking my clothes hamper.  I'd better go save it...

I washed my hair last night and then decided to rag curl it.   ::)  I don't know why anybody would want to do that on a daily basis.  lol.  It took me forever to figure out how to make the rags stay inside the curls, and then I couldn't get the things tied!  After an hour and a few choice words, I got my whole head done (because after all that, there was no way I wasn't finishing what I'd started).

So, this morning I took out the rags, and after attempting to comb it to take out a little of the curl, I looked like a blonde Carrot Top!   In a slight panic (because I had to go out and face the real world later) and stubbornly refusing to give up on the poodle sitting on my head, I called my mother.  Having been a pin curl girl, she had no advice to offer.  So, I started looking for a product that would tame the frizz.  I had previously thrown out all of my hair products besides--you know it--oil.  I put a few drops on the curls from the ear down, and immediately they started to settle into nice, behaved coils.  Success!!  I was able to pull the top half back and get a really nice hairstyle out of what had been a huge rat's nest.  

I now have a healthy respect for all of you curly girls out there, especially the ones that are growing their hair long.  More power to you!

I don't know about rag curling but some women can actually absentmindedly pin curl their hair while watching the news and then wrap it all up for the night.  I admirer retro/vintage ladies who are into this for their devotion to style and they say it gets easier the more often you do it but I have ten thumbs and an easily irritable scalp so an easy routine that requires the least messing with my hair is best for me.  Some control the frizz with pomade. :o  Okay, if it works for them...Some say setting lotion prevents the frizz.  I haven't been able to find any locally, have recently thrown away all my styling products and I just don't want to mess up my hair now that it's so well behaved.

I now have a healthy respect for all of you curly girls out there, especially the ones that are growing their hair long.  More power to you!

Thanks!  Ah yes those "poodle moments" as I call them, always happen on important days! lol! ;D

So today I was getting ready for work, and I realized that I only had 5 minutes left before I had to leave, and my hair was all oily, since it's my third day after washing.  I had to throw it up in a pair of low French braids into buns, which ended up looking terrible and loopy because I only had 5 minutes to do it.  Plus it keeps trying to fall out.  My usual style when I have oily hair is a classic, because it binds up my bangs (which are the oiliest part of my hair) and hides the grease.  It's also MUCH easier to do on oily hair.

So here's a question for all of you reading my journal here--What's your cutest 'go-to' style the day before you wash?  You get bonus points if you have bangs.   ;)

I have been an admirer of the Victoria's Secret models' hair for a long time, since it's so long and tousled and pretty (even though I know the vast majority of them have extensions--one can dream, no?).  It's actually not that hard to achieve the basic look of it.  But I was looking at the online catalog today, and all I could think was, 'Gah! What a tangled mess that would be at the end of the day.  Those girls must have a heck of a time combing that out.'  lol.  

I read an article recently that said men prefer women to look more natural, as opposed to done up.  I mean, they like women to look like they put a little effort into their appearance, but most could care less about what's 'fashionable.' Go men!  :P  It's funny to me, though, because the VS models spend literally hours with hair and makeup artists, plus tons of money on spray tans, implants (in some cases), highlights, extensions, and also(to my amusement) I found out today that in order to get their famous cleavage, most of them have to tape their chests as well as wearing push-ups and cookies.  Plus, after their photographed, they're airbrushed, photoshopped, and molded into 'perfection.'  So much for natural, right?  

This kind of illusion makes me very sad, because a lot of women look at that and say, "I want to look like that."  But the reality is that not even the women that 'look like that' look like that.  I wish that more women would look at themselves and see the beauty that's already there.   ;D

Kind of a weird topic, I know, and not exactly hair, but this is something I feel strongly about.

CHEER!

I'm glad VS isn't really known by most over here.  Men don't think as deeply as "we" do about these things so they just see someone who they may think appears naturally attractive and not think of the effort put into that video/photo shoot and they don't think of how unrealistic it is for average women with ordinary means to achieve those looks.  The models don't even really look like themselves as models.  I hope the last part made sense.  Thankfully, most mature men know these things and don't have these expectations of women and there are *shock!* men who aren't attracted to so called "perfect" models who actually find them repulsive.  I find most male models and their "perfection" repulsive or at least unattractive so I do believe men who genuinely aren't attracted to women like VS models.  In reality, it isn't that simple what men find attractive.  To insinuate that everyone of the same gender has the same attraction criterias is some what insulting.  That's one of many reasons why I don't read women's mags anymore and never have been a regular reader.

I went through a similar stage with Bollywood actresses and then someone pointed out to me that it's not even their real hair we're looking at.  Shock to me! ;D  Well they have been known to use hair pieces and wigs in the movies.  Sorry, it wasn't my intention to hi-jack your journal. :-[

Please.  Hijack away!   :D

I heard that they're trying to ban airbrushing in the U.K., because of a recent Twiggy ad.  Personally, I believe that it should be banned everywhere, it's so fake. :P  

Ok, this may be the jaded SoCalian in me, but...it's called marketing. If companies advertised their products from a realistic standpoint, they wouldn't make a dime. So of course it's all hyped, enhanced, air brushed, digitally retouched and fake. And people are shocked by this? Really?? The word is DUH. ::) But we all have to find out the ugly truth sooner or later, don't we?

Hey, Yesitsreal, I know its a bit late for a congrats on the journal but...
Congrats! :)
Anyways, about the fakey airbrush Victoria Secret models, I'd say I kind of agree with all of you. I think its kind of the sad truth that no one would make a dime if they never touched up anything on anyone or used any type of special effects whatsoever, but at the same time it kind of presents an unrealistic outlook about beauty and looks in general, you know? Especially for young girls nowadays, it just puts more pressure on them to look perfect...and we know that not everyone is perfect, and barely anyone on this planet looks naturally like a Victoria's Secret model. But they don't know that, either. I think it's a pretty big issue, and everyone has different opinions. But that's just my 2 cents.
Have fun journaling!  :)

Angel,

No offense meant, but I disagree.  Dove launched its campaign for real beauty a few years ago, in which they used models of every age, shape, and size, and they promoted loving one's body for the way it really is.  Their campaign emphasizes self-esteem and the fact that every woman is beautiful the way she is.  As far as I can tell, it was a huge success.

Here's the site for their mission statement:

http://www.dove.us/#/CFRB/arti_CFRB.aspx[cp-documentid=7049726]/

I do agree that a certain amount of advertisement is required to sell a product, but I think that the degree to which the advertisers push it is terrible.  I mean, not only does the public feel as though it can't 'measure up' to the standards presented in these ads, but the models themselves must never feel like they're good enough either--they're not only made up and coiffed and primped for hours, but after they're photographed, their pictures are airbrushed, photoshopped, and augmented.  How must that make them feel?

No offense taken. Like I said, growing up 3 hours from Tinsel Town has probably made me immune to the whole "omg body image!!!" phenom. They're just trying to sell. The illusion of perfection can only bother you if you let it. ::) We're not Barbie clones. Weren't meant to be, never will be. It's a silly thing to want to live up to.

(after further thought)...

And, I think that the public 'knows' that this stuff is augmented, but I'm not sure they always realize to what degree on both sides of the camera.  I know I didn't.  Plus, if you see this stuff all the time--ad after ad and commercial after commercial, you really do genuinely start to believe that it's normal to look that way.  I can't tell you how many girls at my workplace (I work at a vet school) have either said that they want to look 'that way,' while pointing at an ad.  And these are intelligent, independent women.  I just feel like they take a woman who was already beautiful and tell her she's not good enough the way she is, whether she's a model or a consumer.

I know that I can't really change the whole advertising system.  It's been the same for a very long time.  But I would like to change the way people, especially women and girls, view it.  I wish that the advertisers would use minimally retouched photos and people who looked more normal, especially clothing advertisers, but I realize that that's unlikely to happen.  I just wish I could change the destructiveness of it.  And I want people to understand that what we're presented with in magazines and on TV every day is not the only way to be beautiful.  I think real beauty shows up in people's little imperfections.  Those are what make us us.  

Angel,

Of course you're right.  Eleanor Roosevelt said that no one can make you feel inferior without your permission.  I just feel really strongly about it because I've seen it hurt a lot of people.  Everybody has a soapbox topic.  This is mine.   :)

After a brief rebellion from hair growing (I had that itch to cut it off again), I have decided to resume my hair care regimen.  Frankly, my hair looked better when I was taking care of it (duh).  However, I've made a couple of changes, since my hair was getting a little rough, and with the humidity it's getting bigger and bigger.

I'm using a shampoo with sodium laureth sulfate.  I tried the sulfate-free thing, and maybe it was that particular shampoo, but my hair had more frizzies and flyaways than ever.  So...I'm using a L'Oreal Natural shampoo.  It's got a lot of plant extracts, and the cleansers are pretty mild, so I'm using that right now.  It's also got dimethicone in it (I'm pretty sure that my hair loves cones). I think I'm going to try Nature's Gate shampoo next, but I have to order it, and I don't have a lot of money at the moment, even money to spend on my hair.   ;)

I got the layers put back in my hair.  I know, I know...probably not the greatest idea ever, as it makes braiding and such difficult, but it looks a LOT better around my face, and it looks neater when it's down.  When it gets to about mid-back it might look better all one length, but for now I like the layering.  I also asked my stylist about my little fuzzies all over my head--she told me that they weren't broken hairs, that's just how my hair is.  I think it must be new growth or something.  My hair has a natural wave, so it makes sense that the baby hairs would be curly, right?  And they only really stick up when my hair is freshly cleaned and dry (which is when the rest of it is at its puffiest), so I'm not terribly worried about it.

Anniversary celebration with my boyfriend tomorrow.  I'm still wondering what I should do with my hair.  I'm wearing a red cotton halter maxi dress...any suggestions would be helpful.   ;D

Hmm...red cotton halter maxi dress says "summer" to me.  Maybe a simple ponytail?  You mentioned you got layers cut in.  Maybe you could have some tendrils around your face to dress it up a little.  

http://hairstyleschat.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/ponytail-hairstyles2.jpg

http://www.jenniferanistonhairstyles.com/pictures/jenniferanistonponytail.jpg

Hope that helps.  Have fun with your celebration!  

Quote:

I also asked my stylist about my little fuzzies all over my head--she told me that they weren't broken hairs, that's just how my hair is.  I think it must be new growth or something.  My hair has a natural wave, so it makes sense that the baby hairs would be curly, right?  And they only really stick up when my hair is freshly cleaned and dry (which is when the rest of it is at its puffiest), so I'm not terribly worried about it.

My hair has the same thing and it's stick straight. I'm not sure I buy the "new growth" theory. :-/ But I do S&D's sometimes to keep them at bay.


Quote:

I'm still wondering what I should do with my hair.  I'm wearing a red cotton halter maxi dress...any suggestions would be helpful. ;D

Sexy, sistah. ;) A ponytail would be cute, or one of those loop ponytail bun things where you don't pull it all the way through at the end. Big earrings and definitely a fun bracelet. ;)

My former hairdresser said it was new growth too.  Whatever, I still hate the look of it!  On my head anyway.

Thanks so much for the suggestions!  I ended up wearing a low messy bun, large gold hoop earrings, and a set of gold bangles.  Looked great!  The bf almost ran off the road staring at me!   ::)

;D You go, girl! ;)

I'm getting tired of the waiting again.  Maybe I should set a mini-goal and reward myself for reaching it, kind of like my weight-loss program.  Waiting around for waist-length hair can be exhausting!   :P  

I've come back down to two days between washings, instead of three.  My hair wasn't getting any less oily after about 3-4 months of stretching days between, and really, on the third day it starts to look like I haven't had access to a shower in a week.  I get tired of doing Dutch braids to keep my oily bangs out of my face, and cornstarch has never worked tremendously well.  I wonder if my hair is long enough to do scalp-only washes?

I'm still using my sulfate-ridden shampoo, but it doesn't seem to do better with my hair (or my scalp) than any other.  In fact, the only shampoo (and really, the only treatment) in the last few months that genuinely seemed to improve the condition of my hair was that Aveeno sample I got in the mail.  But that stuff has ALL KINDS of sulfates and salts and dyes and perfumes.  Ick.  Maybe I'll try Nature's Gate shampoos next.  I wish I could just get a sample, instead of buying a whole bottle though.  

I'm getting kind of impatient with hair care in general lately.  It seems so much easier to just blow-dry it.  And my bangs would look much better.  They have this sort of weird wave when I let them dry by themselves.  Plus, all of my hair just POOFs when I air-dry it.  Wish I could harness its power for good instead of evil.   ;D  And the tangles!!  If I leave my hair down for a couple of hours I can forget about combing it comfortably, especially when it's clean.  I know I shouldn't rip at knots, but it seems sometimes like there are so many that I can't prevent it.  Maybe I need to just do some major S&D.  My hair tends to knot more when it has split ends.  

Wow...sorry about my rant.  I guess I'm just having a 'bad hair month.'  I won't do anything drastic.  I'm just frustrated at the moment.  Does everybody get to that point?  Do you just get over it?
!

I am also frustrated with my hair length, I just think its par for the course.  I do suggest breaking your goals into smaller ones, and rewarding yourself sounds great!

If the Aveeno gave you results you like, I say use it.  Everyone is so unique, who knows why you do well with that product??  Also, I say blow dry your bangs sometimes if it gives you the result you want.  Bangs need trimming most anyway, so why not?  Unless you don't plan on keeping them, of course.

I also have trouble with knots when my ends are split.  If that's not the culprit, look for a detangling spray.  I like the one from Mop Top.  Also, maybe you need more conditioner or to leave a little in your hair (don't rinse it all out) and that will help.

(((hugs))) we're all in this together, no?

Quote:

Does everybody get to that point?  Do you just get over it?

Yes and yes.

In all honesty, it sounds like you may be taking "hair advice" a bit too literally. They are guidelines - that's all! Moreover, they are guidelines that work for other people - not necessarily for you. There's no such thing as "one size fits all" haircare.

There are those who swear by natural products and only washing once a week, and that's fine for them, but it could sound like a nightmare to others. It's your hair, hon. Do what works for you. If that doesn't match up with the naturalist "ideal," then too bad. If you intend to keep your bangs and want to curl or blowfry them, do it. If you need to wash every day, do it. If sulfates or cones work better for you, use them. There really aren't any rules.

Do you use any leave-in's at all? They're invaluable if your hair tangles a lot. Some people use leave-in conditioners, some use creams or serums, some use oils. You may benefit from one or a combination of those. I know there are other curly girls here who could probably make some good recommendations.

Also, do you know how to do CWC's or scalp washes? They can be great time/hair savers. ;)

Yes,we all get fustrated and tired of waiting!  Just be diligent and take care of your hair.  Use what works for you.  Like the ladies have said,they are just guidelines......not set in stone.  What works for some,doesn't work for others.  It's part of the journey!  Learn from your experiences,enjoy the healthy growth,get wiser from any "different choices" you make along the way!

I don't see a problem with blow drying just your bangs; like Sakina said, you have to trim them often anyway to keep the length where you want it, and plus, it's such a small portion of your hair.  My bangs do the same thing if I don't blow dry them.  It doesn't take much from the hair dryer to dry them, so I think any damage is minimal.  It's not like you're blow drying for 10-15 minutes like you would if you were doing your whole head.  

You all do have a point.  I was taking everything a bit too literally and trying to do everything at once.  I tend to be perfectionistic, so this is a common theme for me.   :P  

So, I think I'm going to minimize to stuff I know works; otherwise I think I might go crazy.  

Blow-drying just my bangs really seems to help.  I look more put-together just from doing that.  And I'm increasing my washes to every other day or so.  I like to look clean.  Doing CWCs will hopefully offset some of the drying from washing more often.  I really don't think my hair is quite long enough yet to do scalp washes without getting the rest wet.

The 'regular' shampoo that I started using seems to be helping my hair stay on my head.  That is, less seems to be falling out than when I was using the sulfate-free stuff.  Maybe my head just likes chemicals and additives--who knows?

In a side note, I got a new comb yesterday, since my other one broke.  It's textured plastic with these little round nubs on the teeth.  I examined it closely & couldn't find seams.  So far, I love it.  I combed my hair out with it yesterday and only lost three hairs, which is pretty much unheard of.  And I love even more the fact that I only paid $.99 for it!  Yay for sales at Sally!

When I first joined LL, I also tried to do everything all at once.  When you do that, you can't tell what works!  I want perfect hair, too, but honestly-what does that mean??  I've spent a lot of frustration on the idea w/o knowing what it really means.  4 (5?) years later I still don't know!

I'm glad doing your bangs makes you happy-which is really what counts.  My guess is the shedding you experienced from trying the sulfate free stuff was just part of your scalp adjusting.  Could also be time of year or time of month shedding.

Well, I've always been a big shedder, but I started following the advice on this website a few years ago, and at that time a lot of my shedding stopped.  I suppose that the shedding this time could be due to a number of reasons, including that I started working night shifts about 6 months ago.  Working this shift is affecting the rest of my body--why not my hair, right (sorry for the sarcasm; I'm frustrated with my job right now)?  

I will say, though, that leave-in conditioners are AWESOME!!  I went to Sally last week and got the Biotera leave-in because Angel suggested it for my tangles.  It works like a charm!  So for right now, my routine is going to be to CWC every other day or so, with the final conditioning being the leave-in, vinegar rinses every week, and just being super-gentle with my hair.  These are the things that I know work, so I'm going to stick with this for a while.  Winter will bring a whole new set of challenges, since my scalp acts up then, but for now I'm going to give my hair a break from changing products and routines so much.  

Oh, and before I forget--does anybody know of a way to straighten one's hair without using a flatiron?  I like the look of my hair straightened, but I don't want to pay the price in damage.  Thanks!

I'm afraid I don't know of any way to straighten hair that is not damaging.

I've been leaving my hair down a lot lately--whenever I want to put it up, I never seem to have a stick or hair elastic handy.  I don't like using pencils or pens; they catch my hair on the way through.  Really, though, I think I'm just being lazy.  Maybe I just need a few new hair toys.  I've lost my favorite stick in the move from one apartment to another, and I'm losing hope that I'll ever see it again.  It was a cedar stick that I carved myself, and it was nice and thick so it stayed really well in my fine, slippery hair.  Also, I like the feel and the look of my hair down, but it gets so darn tangled.  I think I'll go to Claire's and see what they have in the way of toys.  The one here has stopped stocking sticks.  I think they must be "out of style."    :'(  I might have to get on the Internet to perpetuate my stick habit.  

The once-per-week honey and vinegar rinses combined with the CWCs with the leave-in are working really well.  My scalp loves honey and vinegar!  The vinegar can be a bit drying to my ends, but the leave-in and almond oil help with that.  It's worth my scalp not itching.  Plus, I think it's time for a trim anyway.  My ends feel a bit rough.  I think it's been almost two months, so I'm not surprised.

I wonder, though...my hair and scalp seem like they 'adapt' themselves to any product I use very quickly--like, in a couple of weeks.  Though the leave-in has helped with tangling, it doesn't seem to work quite as well as it did when I first bought it.  I dunno; maybe I'm just being paranoid.

I love fall!  Especially the food!  Already I've made a ton of butternut squash soup, and am in the process of making chicken soup in the CrockPot.  I'm trying to save money, so I think I'm going to start baking my own bread, too.  That will go nicely with all the soup!

I'm also very excited about Halloween coming up.  I'm going as a rocker chick--hence the question about hair straightening.  I'm usually pretty laid-back about fashion and makeup--most of the time I go pretty natural, so it'll be fun to wear black eye makeup and have hot-pink hair pieces and such.  Halloween is so much fun!  


 

Wow...I just read my last post.  Sorry for all the jumping around.  It's four in the morning and I'm at work; I get a bit random.   :P

Aww, too bad you don't live closer. I'd let you borrow some of the stuff I wear onstage and even help do your makeup. ;)

Aww, that's so sweet!  Thanks!   :D

I am having a little trouble with finding a good outfit.  Suggestions would be helpful if you have any.

Do I ever! I just sent you a lengthy PM. Your eyeballs may fall out while reading it. ;)

Lol...No, my eyeballs did not fall out.  Thanks so much for the help!

I've been going through this sort of awkward curly/wavy/fuzzy/flat phase for a few months, and I'm kind of getting tired of it.  My hair looks depressed.  Today out of hair-boredom I started looking at articles on flat ironing safely.  Is there such a thing??

The problem is that I really like my hair layered when it's down, but when I put it up it gets these little pokey-outey parts that are kind of unattractive.  Plus, I have a lot of new growth that makes my scalp fuzzy.  Blowfrying gets rid of that, but we all know about blowfrying...

Maybe I'm just in one of those awkward stages.  I need to get a trim soon; my ends are feeling a little rough.  I should try asking my stylist for suggestions.  She's been pretty sympathetic to my long-hair aspirations so far.  Of course, I think she still thinks I'm going to be donating it.  Hm.  Maybe we should clear that up, too.  

On the plus side, I found a really fun website!  It's called makeupgeek.com.  I found it while I was looking at Torrin Paige's (I really like her) tutorials on YouTube.  MakeupGeek has a ton of really cool makeup tutorials put together by a makeup artist.  She uses more expensive brands, like MAC and Urban Decay, but most of her looks can be adapted to drug-store brands (which is all I buy).  I've tried one or two of her looks and managed to duplicate them pretty closely.  I mean, it helps if you have all the right brushes and stuff, which I don't, but I've had fun playing around.  Anyone who's into makeup should check it out!

In other news, I've started using witch hazel on my skin as an astringent, and it seems to be working very well.  I read that it can be used to help minor skin irritations, bug bites, cuts, etc., so I applied it to some of the patches of dermatitis on my scalp (since the weather turned cooler, my scalp's been acting up).  I think it might actually be helping the spots.  But I was wondering--could it be damaging to my hair?  The formula has something like 19% alcohol.  Is it possible to get witch hazel without alcohol?  

I've decided I'm going to dress my dog up for Halloween, too.  She's a beagle, so I was thinking maybe Underdog?  But maybe I should try to match her to my costume...hmm.  So many possibilities...  

Maybe if you apply the witch hazel with a q-tip so as to avoid getting it on the hair as much as possible?  Maybe someone else will have more advise about this.  Good luck!

Quote:

Lol...No, my eyeballs did not fall out.  Thanks so much for the help!

Hehe. Anytime, hon. ;)


Quote:

Today out of hair-boredom I started looking at articles on flat ironing safely.  Is there such a thing??

No. Perhaps a good clarifying and a deep conditioning might help? A fresh start, you know?


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The problem is that I really like my hair layered when it's down, but when I put it up it gets these little pokey-outey parts that are kind of unattractive.

Hmm...as I see it, you have 2 options: 1. Accentuate the parts that stick out...spike them and make them look intentional, like they're part of the overall look, or 2. lose the layers. Of course, I know next to nothing about layers and even less about curls/waves, so you're on your own there.


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Plus, I have a lot of new growth that makes my scalp fuzzy.  Blowfrying gets rid of that, but we all know about blowfrying...

I have the same thing. Whether it's actually new growth or breakage, I can't be sure, but blowfrying does not hide them. So I just leave them be. My hair is usually braided or twisted up in some strange way as it is, so if pieces fall or stick out, I just let them. Whatever. Not worth worrying about. ::)

Sorry about your scalp. I have no experience with dermatitis, so I'm no help there either. :-[

YesitsReal wrote on Oct 20^th, 2009 at 10:51pm:

Is it possible to get witch hazel without alcohol?

Try googling no alcohol or alcohol free witch hazel.  I came up with a couple of websites.

http://www.naturesgift.com/hydrosol/witchHazelHydrosol.htm

http://bestgroomingtools.com/thayers-alcohol-free-witch-hazel-p-1133.html

Looks like you can get the Thayer's products on Amazon as well:

http://www.amazon.com/Witch-Hazel-Unscented-Aloe-Ounces/dp/B001BR6FWS/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1256144845&sr=1-15

Thayer's has a few different alcohol-free witch hazels on Amazon: aloe, lavender, lemon, rose etc.

Good luck!

Quote:

The problem is that I really like my hair layered when it's down, but when I put it up it gets these little pokey-outey parts that are kind of unattractive.  Plus, I have a lot of new growth that makes my scalp fuzzy.  Blowfrying gets rid of that, but we all know about blowfrying...

I tried to fake those parts when I had no layers.  I haven't tried putting my hair up since my cut beause I'm just loving my layers this time.  My hair isn't wavy though so I've no idea how it looks.  I can't advice you one way or another because I've been happy and unhappy with layers and happy and unhappy layerless.  But I think layers can make updos appear softer and casual in an attractive way.  Can be romantic or perky.  

I decided that you were right--I'm doing more 'romantic' updos and hairstyles--working with my hair instead of against it, you know?  I'm liking it a lot better now that I'm not fighting the layers.  I leave my braids with longer tails and pull more pieces around my face, that sort of thing.  I like it.  I feel like hitting myself in the forehead: Duh!!   :D

I've also been conditioning my ends like crazy to get them a little softer.  I ran out of my Organix conditioner, so I switched to Pantene Beautiful Lengths conditioner.  It's a much richer formula, so it's good for the first condition in my CWC.  Still using the Biolage leave-in, and right now I'm liking the combo.  My leave-in can't be too heavy, or my fine hair looks really greasy.  The Biolage is nice and lightweight, but still detangles and leaves it soft.  I recommend it for anyone needing a good leave-in.  No cones, either!

For Halloween I had to put a lot of product in my hair, so I conditioned the stew out of it beforehand, and I think it came out looking better than when it went in.   :P  The costume was a huge success.  I wore a purple Fender t-shirt over a long black camisole, a cutoff denim miniskirt with black wet-look stretch leggings (little zippers near the cuffs--very cool!), and black high-heel peep toe pumps.  I also put a couple of hot-pink clip-in hair pieces in and wore a bunch of hot pink jelly bangles and really big silver hoop earrings.  Topped it off with a lot of black eye makeup.  It looked great!  My boyfriend was very impressed.   ;)

I'm going for a trim tomorrow.  This is going to be interesting, as I work nights and my appointment is at 1:30pm--right in the middle of my sleep time.  Hopefully I don't tell her to give me a bob or something dumb like that.  I need a good trim, though.  I have a tendency to go too long without trimming, and my ends show it.  My last stylist actually bawled me out because she had to cut off almost an inch of growth.  I think she was more upset than I was.  Since then, I've tried to be really regular about trims, but my paycheck has been stretched really thin lately, and layers are not self-cut friendly.  Plus, I think my shears need sharpening.  I'm not cutting my hair with them until I get them sharpened.  I'll just cause more damage.  On the upside, though, I think the economy is beginning to turn around some; my paycheck has been going farther for the last month or so.  I was finally able to take my cat to the vet!  Not that he's really needed it; he just needed shots, but he's a completely indoor cat, so it's not as if he was exposed to anything.  It just makes me feel better to have him vaccinated, just in case.

It's good he had the shots though because though he doesn't go out,you do.  You might,God forbid bring in a flea or some other little annoyance on your shoes.

Cute costume, chica. ;)

Learn to play for real and I can put you to work. ;D

Thanks.  Dunno how to play a guitar yet.  I do, however, play piano.  Maybe I'll play keyboard for you someday.   :P

I got my trim today.  The ends were pretty damaged, due to the length of time between my last trim and now, so I think she took off about 3/4".  That's ok, though, because it really needed it, and my hair has been growing almost an inch per month.  I'm going to try to 'start over' with my new ends and be gentler with them.  I mean, I was trying to be gentle with them, but I wasn't always very conscientious about keeping my hair from tangling.  Boy, I will now!  I asked the stylist what the longest I should go (with my hair type) without a trim is, if I'm actively growing.  She told me about 12 weeks.  So...my goal is for her to have to cut off less hair at my next trim.  I guess that's kind of everybody's goal, though, right?   ;D

Wow, it's been a long time since I've posted!  For some reason the site hasn't been letting me have a "Reply" button on any of the posts.  Go figure.

Anyway, I'm still at 22".  I think that my measurements haven't been quite accurate.  I changed my methods, and came up with a much shorter length--about an inch.  I feel like I've been cheating.   :D

I just started a new hobby, though--belly dancing!  I did an episode of "Shimmy" on FitTV, and now I'm thoroughly addicted.  I've tried several different kinds of dance, but this one is probably my favorite.  It actually helps me to like my body more. I'm trying to find an instructor around here, but I'm not having very much luck.  The university's gym is supposed to have a class, but it's not mentioned on the daily schedule.  I think I'll have to make a phone call.

I urge anyone who has ever thought about trying this dancing to go ahead and do it!  It's low-impact and really fun.  And the best thing?  Most belly dancers have long hair!! ;D

*waves*  Hello, fellow belly dancer here!  Lisa, Melusine and La Diosa also belly dance if I remember correctly.

I have taken lessons at my local YMCA and at Parks and Rec, so check yours out for affordable classes!!!

I recommend www.moondancebellydance.com for inexpensive costume pieces.

Oh, that's so exciting!  Thanks for telling me!  I'm having an absolute blast with it, but I really wish I had an instructor.  There's no YMCA near here (which tells you just how remote the part of MS where I live is), so right now I'm kind of winging it with videos and tutorials online.  Within the year I hope to be in a more developed part of the country.

You perform, don't you?  How did you get into that?  How long have you been dancing?

So far I think I'm doing ok, but I'm having a little trouble with a few of my hip isolations, especially twisting: I can't do them without my shoulders moving.  I mean, I can put my hands on my shoulders and do it that way, but when I take them off, the shoulders sort of twist in opposite directions than my hips.  It's like I need leverage!   ;D  I don't know if it's because my rear is large in proportion to the rest of me and sort of moves everything with it, or if my abdominal muscles and obliques aren't quite developed enough, or both.  Oh, well, practice, practice I guess.  The mirror is helping.

Anyway...back to my hair.  I think I'm having some seasonal shedding.  At least, I seem to be losing quite a bit of hair, and it's whole, not broken.  In any case, I think I'm going to switch back to more "natural" moisturization methods for the winter--oil and cone-free conditioner.  I wonder if the cone-ridden Pantene conditioner has contributed at all to my slightly rough ends.  Argh!  I seem to have the worst time with my ends!  It's like if you look at them wrong they split! >:(  The rest of my hair looks great--all smooth and shiny.  Somebody tell my ends that if they keep getting cut off, we're never going to make any progress!

Belly dancing is really cool! I've always thought about picking it up; a bunch of friends of mine love their belly dancing classes. Alas, I just don't seem to have the time.

Are the ends splitting, or just rough? Maybe a session of S&D would be better than going to get a trim. If they're just rough, maybe a nice deep conditioning can help with your ends. I like to really layer on oil the night before I'm going to wash my hair and just let it sit overnight. It's really keep my ends from getting all velcro-y feeling.  :)

YesitsReal wrote on Dec 12^th, 2009 at 11:42pm:

You perform, don't you?  How did you get into that?  How long have you been dancing?

I am a performer.  I started with singing early on, all through school and into college, including touring with The St. Charles Children's Choir (which became the Young Singers of Missouri) and Up With People.  I've also done plays and musicals.  I didn't start belly dancing until I moved to Arizona.  I'd have to guess that I've been dancing off and on for 6 years now?  I did dance with a belly dance troupe for awhile, until I got injured.  I stopped dancing with them and now just go to class occasionally and do videos at home.

I don't know if you know about her, but this is a good resource: http://www.ansuya.com/
I saw her perform in the Bellydance Superstars show a few years ago.  (Talk about long hair!!)  I have two of her videos and I think her instruction is exceptionally good.

To get a handle on your twists, I have two suggestions.  One, is to go into an open door way and grab hold of the door way on each side.  Using the door way to hold your upper body still, work on twisting your hips.  Another is to really squeeze your butt cheek and straighten the leg on the side you're twisting forward, letting the opposite knee be soft.  Imagine your upper body in encased in cement so it can't move.  My old teacher and troupe leader liked to use that visualization a lot.  It helped me when I was just starting.  You can also use the cement idea to keep your lower body quiet when working on upper body isolations.  Be really vigilant about your basic belly dance stance-it is the key to executing all movements and keeping your lower back and knees safe.

Hope that wasn't too much!

Nope, it wasn't too much at all!  Thanks for the help!

I am trying to be really vigilant about my stance--especially with my lower back.  The reason I started dancing is because I'm on my feet a lot of the day and my lower back hurts anyway.  I'm trying to strengthen the muscles there.  The good thing, though, is that I 'tuck' my pelvis when I stand naturally (this phenomenon has been extremely useful in horseback riding competitions).  I barely have to make any adjustment when I belly dance, because my pelvis naturally falls where it's supposed to.  I just have a little trouble keeping my rear under control!   :D  I'll try what you said about squeezing and keeping my leg straight.  I've been trying to twist evenly on both sides.  Maybe it's just supposed to look like you're even on both sides?  Also, a couple of websites have mentioned using your glutes, but when I try doing that, it just messes me up.  Any suggestions?

I'll try the cement thing and the doorjamb thing, too.  I think the visualization will help especially.  It's helped me with dance steps and things before.  A lot of the videos show you what the movement looks like and how to move your body, but they don't necessarily tell you what it's supposed to feel like.  That's where I think I need an instructor.

Thanks so much for the help!!

You're welcome!

I suggest "legs up the wall" yoga pose (Viparita Karani in Sanskrit) to ease your lower back stress and take pressure off of your legs.  I won't type it all here, but these are good instructions: http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/690

Because of an accident I had many years ago, the pelvic tuck is very challenging for me-so lucky you!!  I used to ride horses, too, way before my accident.  I never competed with horses, though.

It is important to work both sides of your body equally, and one side will always be easier to do.  For the glute squeeze, go real slow so you can get the hang of it and only squeeze at the top of the movement-the moment you bring your hip forward.  For me, it feels like the squeeze "pops" the hip into the twist.  Try this: stand in front of a wall and the do the hip twist trying to touch the wall with the hip as you bring it forward.  Have you done figure 8's on the floor yet?  They may also help you find the movement.

Can you describe for me how using the glute squeeze is messing you up?  I suspect you're moving the hip out to the side into a hip bump instead of twisting the hip forward on the diagonal at the same time you squeeze.

Let me know how you do and what works for you!!

Reading your comment about Viparita Karani made me think of a student I had that had Sciatica so bad that it took me weeks to get her on the floor in this pose,but once there I almost had to bribe her to get her on her feet.  She so needed this pose to get her functioning again.  I swear by this pose as one of the main poses for maintaining back health!

Lol...I think I was trying to squeeze all the way through the movement, as in keep squeezing the whole time.  No wonder my rhythm was off! :D  Also, I have problems squeezing my glutes without squeezing my thighs too.  I think I see what you mean, though.  Unfortunately, practice will have to wait for a while.  I'm applying to grad schools, and some of their deadlines are approaching.  I'm working like crazy to make sure I have everything I need.

I have yet to try that yoga pose, but I really want to.  It looks like it would feel good.  A question, though:  Can I elevate my head on a pillow?  I tend to get headaches and vertigo when I lie on the floor for any length of time.  I have weird inner ears.

I can see where continual squeezing would limit your range of motion and ability to keep time.  It is super common to squeeze your thighs at the same time you squeeze your glutes.  I have a dvd I'd recommend that has good glute isolations:
http://www.amazon.com/Drills-complete-workout-cymbals-dancers/dp/B00144Y8XG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1261376392&sr=1-1


Regarding Viparita Karani: As long as your spine stays in a straight line I think you could put a folded blanket under your head.  I wouldn't put a big fat pillow under your head that would lift your head higher than your heart.  However, you might first try it w/o for 3-5 minutes.  The posture itself might not trigger a headache or vertigo.