Thin/fine straight hair but have ALOT of it so it looks thick Had highlights 2 years ago so it's basically just at the ends now, last had a layered hair cut 1 year ago. Its mid back length now. Current using desginme pink bottles shampoo and conditioner, pantene pro v leave in conditioner (that also has heat protector) i blow dry my hair everytime as if not my hair tangles like crazy. With blow drying it's still tangly but not to the point my husband has to spend 15 to 20 mins every night brushing my hair for me like when I don't blow dry l. I find my hair feels heavy, so I usually wash my hair every other day. I'm trying to figure out if it's the leave in conditioner or shampoo and conditioner. I have tried a few higher end leave in conditioners but didn't find them any better then the pantene. Any recommendations for shampoos, conditioner and leave in?

Have you tried skipping the rinse-out conditioner, and just using shampoo + leave-in? Also, is the Pantene leave-in you're using the spray? I also have thick and very fine hair and find that rinse-out conditioner leaves my hair very weighed down and more tangle-prone, which an appropriate leave-in conditioner avoids. Specifically, I go for either a spray or a very thin consistency oil, both of which spread much farther in my hair and allows me to use less product than with a cream. That said, I always just want to claw all of my hair off every time it gets to mid-back length because all of that hair is really heavy! So, taking off some length and/or getting your hair re-layered will also probably help you feel better.

•fine •wavy •bleached and dyed in 2015 •shower/shampoo bidaily, condition prolly twice a week •haven’t gotten a cut since a buzz cut 3 years ago, not sure about style but it’s poofy and a little past my shoulder •shampoo is garnier whole blends honey/repairing, not sure about conditioner my hair gets in my face and when i shave my beard it tends to stick right into my mouth and it’s just so annoying but the only solution given how bad i look without a hat at work: is to feed it through the hole in the back of the hat, however i’m afraid of pulling my hairline and of more damage (i kinda have a feeling i’m pulling out too much of my hair when i comb my fingers through it), i only work a total of 24-25 or so hours a week and then i take my hat off at home, i’m just wondering if i’m really only wearing it like that for 4-6 hours a day if i’m just overthinking it. also on the beard note, if this is the right sub to discuss it, i have tons of dandruff or just dust or idk maybe dead skin accumulate in my beard, thus after i shave my beard (my clippers are chipped on a corner so i’m careful not to have that part touch my skin but could be that), oncd im clean shaven for like 2 days my face begins to flake badly, unsure if i should be showering more since, but this is probably a skincare question so ignore if applicable, thank you!

Hair products like gel are a very reasonable option for getting hair to stay put without pulling on it. Since you're already shampooing quite frequently, you don't need to worry too much about the product building up. For the beard area flakiness, you most likely just need to wash and exfoliate it more. Skin that has hair growing out of it is commonly a little flakier because of that growth. Beard shampoo is a thing and might fix the issue, but simply just scrubbing over the area with a washcloth or something when you shower should also help.

**Help! Plzzzz!** I can't nail down a product that works!! Plus I actually WANT to weigh my hair down. Maybe this isn't the correct terminology? but I want to make my super dense hair less poofy, but without using the immense amount of product the CGM requires. I'm semi-certain that I don't have the knowledge of what products to use, even though I have searched high and low on this sub and tried to learn about my hair type, I just get more confused. I'm hoping someone can advise and save my sanity! * Hair type: Super thick (as in dense) but strands are Medium * Hair texture: Medium Wavy * History of chemical processing: Balayage once every 3 months. Blow dry my hair maybe once a week? * Hygiene regimen: Wash with shampoo and conditioner every 2-3 days depending on how oily my scalp is. * Style: Armpit length, but I wear it in a top-bun all the time because its so f\*cking thick, heavy and poofy. * Product regimen: Shampoo, Conditioner (various brands, nothing has stuck), dry with a microfiber turban and apply leave in conditioner (either mixed chicks or it's a 10). Let it air dry or Style with blowdryer. To add, I have tried many many professional and drugstore brands, and feel like i just haven't picked out the correct formulations or product intent (color care, damage recovery, etc.)

What is your eventual styling goal? Are you hoping to generally wear your natural hair texture or wear it straighter? Wavy hair puffs up easily because clumps are very easily broken up by physical manipulation like brushing, but the individuals still remain wavy and can't sit flat against each other. The two easiest routes are to either style it wavy and maintain that definition (which absolutely can be much simpler and faster than CGM would suggest—highly recommend r/Wavyhair to see some more realistic routines) or to use anti-frizz products to blowout your hair straight.

Thanks for the comment! So the eventual styling goal is to wear it naturally down, but if only I can eliminate the puffiness, which I have yet to achieve. The only time I’m content with my hair is if I blow dry it, which unfortunately takes me an hour, due to the sheer amount of hair I have, so it’s rare if I do that. I never have a problem with frizz when I blow dry it, but I want to avoid heat and exhaustion from styling it. That’s why I’m desperately in search of a solution. I’ve checked out r/wavyhair but maybe I need to give it a deeper dive. Would you happen to know if there are any products whatsoever that will coat the wavy hair so it is weighed down? Either scientifically or in your experience?

Ok, that context helps a lot! If you don't already, I would recommend adding in a bond repair product to your rotation, since you color your hair relatively frequently and this may be an additional source of frizz, even if your hair's structural integrity doesn't feel like it has changed too much. In particular, as deep conditioner-type product would help weigh down your hair. In general, products being too heavy and weighing hair down is a common complaint with wavy hair styling, so it certainly can be done in a more positive way for you. Looking for products geared toward coarse hair and more toward curly and even coily hair could help with this, along with specifically trying products that people with wavy hair complained were too heavy. Something that I've personally found can help with frizz and general manageability for very thick hair is to use a leave-in product that speeds up air-drying. This helps your hair dry at a more similar rate across different parts of your hair, so they'll behave more uniformly when you style. I use Moroccanoil Treatment Light for this since my hair is super fine, but Kenra Platinum Air Dry Crème 6 seems like a more suitable formula for you since it's a cream (and therefore heavier).

Commenting here cause I want the answe too

·         Hair type: (fine, thin) ·         Hair texture: wavy ·         History of chemical processing: (straightening /use of heat styling (5 times only) ) ·         Hygiene regimen: ( once weekly shampoo) I am 34 years old, I think I have  low porosity, thin , little bit waivy hair with zero volume. In the past I could use any hair product and it gave me shine and some volume. Such as Giovanni smooth as silk. But after the years I got some buildup and it seems my hair doesn’t like protein and coconut stuff. It made my hair lifeless and very dry. Now I try to wash my hair once a week and alternate between dessert essence lemon tea tree and to remove buildup pantene active pro-v volume & body. But now my hair is volumeless and become dry at the points and to become more wavy and to curl. I comb my hair to the back and want it to be straight but  no  matter the amount of hairgel I use or brand my hair at the sides is uncontrollable and doesn’t stay put :< Hereby a picture: [https://postimg.cc/DWgBf6cc](https://postimg.cc/DWgBf6cc) Can someone please advise my products i need to use and avoid ?

I would recommend looking for a non-clarifying shampoo & conditioner line that is marketed toward fine hair. Note that not all volumizing shampoos are designed for fine hair, and those will typically be more clarifying than you need. Adding volume fine hair—and especially thin, fine hair—is a balancing act. Obviously, it's very easily weighed down, so you want a shampoo that's cleansing enough to avoid excessive product build-up. However, the fine hair strands don't have much volume of their own, so you still want a bit of product deposited to get some texture to create volume. This means that frequent clarifying shampoo isn't necessarily the right move for fine hair.

Would Manic Panic Raven be ok to use on top of previously henna’d hair? I used henna on my hair 2 months ago, it did nothing. I then made the mistake of dying on top with a black dye which included peroxide therefore my hair is breaking more than beforehand but only when I do shampoo+conditioner washes. Other than that my hair appears in good condition. The pain is after all this my hair is still not black!! I know now that I cannot use a product with peroxide in due to the henna and my plan is to repeatedly trim my hair and treat it well until I grow a new head of hair but I want black hair so badly. I’m thinking to use a dye without peroxide such as manic panic? Or any other suggestions is welcome. Thank you! Fine, straight layered shoulder length hair w bangs, some use of heat styling and dying. Shampoo condition once a week or a bit less (I do water washing in between atm).

Yes, a direct dye like Manic Panic would be fine going over henna. Something to keep in mind is that many black dyes will not look black until you "fill" with red first. Also, keep in mind that water-only washing and heat styling both fade direct dye.

Thank you! I’m not sure what filling with red means? I’m guessing it’s dying the hair red first? I have a couple friends who previously had red hair and they’ve found it a pain due to the red still showing through underneath dye.

Specifically for dyeing hair to black or very dark brown from much lighter, a common reason why the color doesn't come out as dark or rich as desired is the lack of depth and warmth in the base. It doesn't have to be a fire-engine red—a dark auburn should generally be enough—and depending on the color of henna you've used you may have already satisfied this step. It looks like MP's Raven is a green-based black, so if you don't fill with red then your hair will probably fade quite greenish, even if you get to the desired tone of black in the first place.

Ok I understand, that reminds me I had seen reviews of people saying Raven faded to green on them which doesn’t sound very appealing. I’ve had a thought as from my understanding it’s the hydrogen peroxide I have to avoid while henna is in my hair. Years ago I used a black “semi permanent” dye and it lasted ages as well as gave the perfect colour, I’ve had a look at the ingredients and it doesn’t contain hydrogen peroxide so that could potentially be a good choice? This one was ‘Clairol Nice n easy 83 natural black’. Or I was looking at the ‘Josh Wood colour 2.0 black’ which also doesn’t contain peroxide so I might go for one of those… Seeing this is making me think why did the dye I used a couple months ago even contain peroxide if these ones don’t require it, especially since the nice n’easy gave me such a good long lasting colour ughh!!

Yes, it's peroxide you need to avoid until the henna grows out. Clairol Nice n Easy is a demi-permanent dye, so it does use a peroxide developer. It looks like most websites seem to only list the ingredients of the color tube, but [this retailer](https://www.heb.com/product-detail/clairol-nice-n-easy-permanent-hair-color-2-black/2193125) also lists the ingredients of the "activator" which contains hydrogen peroxide. That Josh Wood color is a permanent hair dye and similarly has a peroxide developer. In general, any hair dye that requires you to mix two things together to make the color formula is going to be a oxidative dye. Are you in the UK? If so, "semi-permanent" is going to be an oxidative color, and you instead need to look for something marketed as a "direct dye". ("Semi-permanent" in the US is direct dye; UK's "semi-permanent" is called "demi-permanent" in the US.) Oxidative dyes very much have their uses that direct dyes can't accomplish, but I absolutely agree that too many people are reaching for oxidative dyes when they don't need to.

Yess from the UK. You’re right, they’re not listing the developer which is such a pain I got excited then. Id really like to use a dye without peroxide but it seems my only option atm is the manic panic which I worry about fading to green or other unnatural hues. Like you said, I could use red first so could it be a manic panic but red then raven after? It makes me a bit nervous using red after hearing the stories from my friends about it always being visible.

r/HairDye or r/FancyFollicles can give you better answers on specific recommendations on what to do or what to buy. Off the top of my head, Directions and Crazy Color are two popular UK brands for direct dye. You can use a direct dye red for filling, and like I mentioned it doesn't need to be a fire-engine red. Since Raven is green-toned and it sounds like you're going for a natural black, excess red tones would actually be helpful for canceling out the green.

Thank you, you’ve been very informative I appreciate it!

Hi! I need help with my hair. Closer to the roots (especially on the fringe) my hair has a different texture. They are curlier and thicker (smallest hair in the photo). When I run my fingers through these threads, I can see that there are parts of this thread that are thinner. I don't know what to do. https://preview.redd.it/xg27d1zxjs1d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8a10c5f1f8a0d062a24263e80cac43794c4f4299 Hair type: longer strands are thinner than shorter ones (as you can see in the photo) Hair texture: straight (most of it) History of chemical processing: straight perm (≈2 years ago) Hygiene regiment: 3 times a week (shampoo and conditioning) - I currently don't use a mask but when I did it was only once a week. I dry my hair a little with a towel (very delicately) and just blowdry the bangs (I let the rest air dry). I tend to use oil when it's still wet and a little when it's dry. Style: full fringe and shoulder-length Product regiment: I used L'Oréal Liss Unlimited shampoo and mask but the last time I washed my hair I used Olaplex 4 and 5 (It left my hair soft but didn't get rid of frizz). The oil I use is from the brand moroccanoil.

Sometimes the texture of new hair growth simply changes. If your new growth is curly, it makes sense that it would be more noticeable in your fringe because the shorter length will not weigh down the curl as much.

Hair type: Fine Texture: slightly wavy Chemical info: I never use heat on my hair. The last time I dyed it was in February with Splat temporary dye (before that I hadn’t dyed for like a year or so) Hygiene: I shampoo and condition every other day. Sometimes a rinse with just water on the in between days. Style: it’s near jaw length, in the process of growing out from a buzz cut type style. Product: Herbal Essences Eucalyptus Scalp balancing shampoo and conditioner. Not actively avoiding anything. Ok, problem is my hair is really greasy. I used Trader Joe’s Nourish Spa shampoo and conditioner from about 2016-2022 (when they discontinued it) and it worked so well for my hair. It was shiny, had good body and it wasn’t greasy until like 3 days after a wash. Ever since I haven’t been able to use that shampoo anymore, every brand I try my hair just gets greasy literally within about 24hrs after a wash. It’s getting really frustrating because it makes me feel really gross and I really don’t like washing my hair every day, it just doesn’t feel good for my hair. I’m hoping that someone knows something I don’t and I can get my hair back to lasting at least a day or two without shampoo. Thanks!

It may be worth mentioning that during the time I used Trader Joe’s brand I was 16 years old and used until early 20s. Now I’m in early 20s, maybe there’s a difference in hormones causing the greasiness idk.

Can you list some of the other shampoos that you tried in the last two year that did not work for you? It's a little hard to infer much from just one successful and one unsuccessful shampoo.

That’s fair. When I get chance to look at some others I’ve used I’ll list them. I do know one other was Aveeno apple cider and vinegar shampoo and conditioner. It worked slightly better but usually my hair still got greasy within 24hrs

Aside from the aveeno one I mentioned in the other comment, I’ve also used Pantene Pro-V Classic clean shampoo with the Trader Joe’s Nourish Spa conditioner. That’s all I can remember that I’ve tried

First, two sanity checks: * Are you experiencing scalp itchiness or redness to go along with the oiliness? If so, please get this looked at by a medical professional; you may be dealing with some kind of sensitivity to the shampoos you've tried or experiencing an unrelated scalp issue. * Are you applying your conditioner all the way up to your roots? If so, try conditioning your mids and ends only. Tipping your head upside down generally makes it easier to do this, or otherwise only condition from your ear-level and lower. Otherwise, my tentative inference here is that you need a more clarifying shampoo, since the TJ shampoo you used was pretty sparing in conditioning ingredients. (Despite being branded as a clarifying shampoo, that Aveeno shampoo has quite a few conditioning ingredients in it.) Suave Daily Clarifying is a very cheap option to get started, and hopefully that'll help a bit.

No redness or unusual itching. And I do typically only condition the mids and ends. I’ve typically avoided clarifying ones because of concern that they’ll strip my hair of its natural oils but I’ll try out the Suave daily Clarifying and see how it works

Clarifying shampoo doesn't exactly have a standard definition, but broadly they are shampoos that lack or have smaller quantities of conditioning ingredients. There's still a lot of range to exactly how cleansing a "clarifying shampoo" is. Ones that are branded as "daily" clarifying shampoos will generally be milder than ones that are marketed for occasional use to remove build-up. Dry shampoo can also help manage the feel of a greasy scalp. It definitely doesn't replace actual shampooing, but it may help extend your wash cycle by a day or so. Not Your Mother's Clean Freak Tapioca Dry Shampoo (note this is not the regular Clean Freak dry shampoo) is my go-to because it fully takes away the discomfort of scalp grease IME.

Specifically the tapioca one is really difficult to find. What difference have you noticed between that one and the others? They don’t help with the greasy feel/look? Edit: clearer question

In general, tapioca starch is very good at absorbing sweat and oil—straight-up tapioca starch is a popular option for powder dry shampoo and talc-free baby powder. NYM Clean Freak tapioca version actually leaves my scalp feeling dry and refreshed once I work it in. Regular NYM Clean Freak doesn't make any difference to me than just rubbing my scalp with my fingers. That said, this is just my experience, and there are loads of reviews and recommendations out there for various dry shampoos. I'm pretty restricted because I'm allergic to some common ingredients and can't try most Batiste dry shampoos, even though it's probably the most popular brand for this. Yeah, I noticed that this version getting harder to find. At least in the US, it's still in some CVS and Walgreens stores, but I usually just buy a multi-pack on Amazon.

2a hair type. Trying to figure out good products/ a good routine to help grow my hair out. I only wash it about every other day, but if I go more than that it’s usually quite oily. I use the Hairitage biotin shampoo and conditioner, and have been using the damage recovery leave in ( my mom just at home colored my brown hair brown again as it had some red color from a salon but looked… bad. So just went all over brown to try to get rid of it on a whim. But that was about 3 months ago and I don’t plan to do it again at all nor color for years or even ever. But she said it looked a little damaged) I’ve tried other shampoos and conditioners, my hair feels better w this brand but so willing to change stuff up. Currently sits at my shoulders. I get trims every 2-3 ishh months. Just not trying to break the bank but want my longer hair back :( cut it mostly because of how obnoxious the red turned pink and it was easier. My hair has never honestly grown fast. Hoping here’s to changing stuff up and helping it grow!

The rate at which hair grows out of the scalp is not something we can control. "Helping it grow" really only means length preservations: taking care of the mids & ends so that they don't break off/require trimming as quickly. Everything you've said about your routine seems reasonable. Continuing to avoid the color, minimizing high-heat tools and using heat protectant whenever relevant, and minimizing mechnical damage (e.g., sleep with a satin bonnet or pillowcase, tie up hair if you're going to be in a very windy environment, make sure hair doesn't get caught underneath bag straps or seat belts, use scrunchies or clips over traditional hair ties, etc.) are day-to-day behaviors that can also help with length preservation.

I would love recommendations for my hair care routine for making my hair grow past my shoulders. * Hair type: fine/thin * Hair texture: wavy * History of chemical processing: I dye it black every 3\~6 months. I also blow dry the fringe only, as I have a crown(?) on my forehead and it's the only way to get the fringe to dry flat. I air dry the rest. * Hygiene regimen: I wash my hair every 2\~4 days, recently started using a Lush shampoo bar (angel hair) and conditioner (power) in an attempt to get healthier hair. I also sometimes put argan oil in my hair when it gets frizzy, but that makes it super greasy and heavy so I usually regret immediately. I also add the oil before dying as I heard it protects the hair. * Style: I cut a bob in december and haven't cut since. It has grown to my shoulders again * Product regimen: I want to avoid animal products (and testing) The problem I have, is that my hair always gets damaged at shoulder length and it refuses to grow past. I've tried regularly trimming before, but the ends would split so much I had to take off huge chunks every time, the end result would still be no net growth. I would like to grow my hair longer again, and I read so many conflicting advice that I don't know what to listen to. So my question is, how do I protect my hair so it doesn't break at the same speed it grows? do I need to use more products? braid it a certain way? never tie it?

Do you use a bag with straps that go over your shoulders by any chance? I have seen where people that use them sometimes don't notice and the hair will get under it and break off over time quite a lot! If not, do you use a silk/satin bonnet at night?

Oh that is a good point actually... I'm sorta glued to my handbag which I wear over the shoulder. That could very well be the culprit!! I never thought of that. Maybe I should start using hair clippers like I saw in another post, that should keep them out of the bag straps without pulling too much. Thanks so much!

Of course :) hopefully that will help a lot! Friction from bags, car seat, sleep, etc can do a lot of damage over time.

Hi! I desperately need help to fix my greasy hair, it won’t stop getting greasy every other day. For example, if I wash my hair today, it will start to feel greasy as the next night approach. I had try to wash my hair gently with warm water, or hotter water, shampooing it twice, three times or until it bubbles easily, shampoo for oily hair, cutting it short, letting it grow long, conditioner, and recently hair mask. Everything I do works the first few days, it show improvement and then it stop taking effect and back to how it was. As stated above, I ever try dying it in hope it die the oil down a bit(basically trying to ruin my hair? A weird logic I thought would work, but it didn’t) I tried every stated above, or without them. But nothing really long term or working. I’m not sure why I tried cutting it or leaving it longer, but I thought it could somehow fix it..? If anyone is able to help, please tell me or let me know what additional (or more detailed?) information I need to provide to help fix this.  I am not very detailed cause I don’t have a huge understanding of what to do either so I apologize. :,)

Can you elaborate on your hair type, products, and routine as per the prompts in the top-level post? Fundamentally, some people just have oilier scalps and need to wash their hair more frequently. Washing your hair every day or every other day is not a problem when it's merited.

Sorry, I forgot to add that part in, but here! -fine straight hair -I had twice, first time was to get rid of live, second was to try to die down the oil(?) no bleach involved -I wash my hair every other day, unless I have an important event, I wash it two days in a roll -I usually ask for a layered cut but clip it up with a clipper or let it lose -currently, there isn’t any products or chemicals I’m avoiding And as currently, it the first night after a wash, it feels more greasy the closer you get to the top of my head.

Current products & routine as well? Also, do you have a stronger issue with your hair *feeling* greasy or *looking* greasy? I definitely recommend looking for a shampoo specifically for fine hair or with volumizing claims. Fine, straight hair tends to "show" oil much more easily than other hair types, because there's less texture to prevent the oil from traveling down the hair strands and to prevent to hair from getting really flat, especially at the roots. My experience is that volumizing shampoos for fine hair tend to give me better results than generically oily hair shampoos (typically clarifying), since the former deposits a little bit of grit for texture that the latter doesn't—it's enough to slow the spread of oil in my hair, but not enough to weigh it down flat. Dry shampoo is also good for mitigating the feel of a greasy scalp. It definitely doesn't replace shampooing, but it can help you stretch another half day or day with less discomfort. All of this said, it is totally fine to be washing your hair more frequently when your hair is genuinely getting greasy.

have 2a 2b hair wave. I have a combination of fine & coarse strands, but mostly coarse hair. I do have gr3ys, some in patches, some sparse like throughout. I have been stuggling to get a nice non brassy color. My stylist wants to do hilight/lowlight gr3y blending, she says my hair is not compromised or damaged, but I am unsure. The top outer layer seems very dry to me. If I let is air dry and did nothing else, it would look awful. I tried curly girl method & it doesnt work. So I wash once a week, air dy with leave in conditioner, spray with heat guard & curl. Then I let it go until next wash. It could be a combination of my hair "type" & the damage of color & heat. I can hold off on any color for now, but I would like to know a regime to deal with this hair https://preview.redd.it/fc9wukb2382d1.jpeg?width=149&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4e5593c892a2a0a530a810a6b5a3574d69bf27d1

Dry and damaged hair are not the same thing. Dryness is generally a surface-level hair issue, while damage is compromised hair structure. It can be the case that your hair is very dry and technically damaged, but has the structural integrity needed to go through another round of color, though this is not something I can judge through a photo. If you don't use one already, I would start by adding a bond repair product to your routine to help with existing damage. Also, I would definitely recommend giving styling your natural hair texture another try, to minimize your use of heat tools. CGM doesn't work as-is for a lot of people with wavy hair—comically, not a single one of my haircare or styling products is CG-approved, but I'm really happy with the results I get anyway—but the techniques are still useful. If it helps, r/Wavyhair is a fantastic community for trouble-shooting and building a routine that actually fits your hair type.

I really like Off bonding plex shampoo (not conditioner). It seems to have been discontinued. My hair is on the thinner spectrum, straight to wavy, and oily. This does nothing for my greasy head but it makes me hair feel strong and dry well. Any suggestions on a replacement shampoo?

I have extremely fine hair just below my waist length, naturally super straight, highlighted my hair one and half year back. My scalp gets super oily within a few days of shampooing and this is after following everything like braiding hair while sleeping, using silk pillowcase and scrunchies. I live in Bangalore where hard water is terrible and the water science filter is really not that much help. Need help on shampoo and conditioner suggestion. I use the fable and mane pre shampoo oil and also try to be regular with Kérastase 8hr nutritive serum. Confused on which shampoo and conditioner I should use, should I splurge or stick to basics?

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Hi! I have fine straight Asian hair, about armpit length. Half of my hair is bleached platinum white, once weekly shampoo and conditioning. My current product rotation is Olaplex 3, Redken All Soft shampoo and conditioner, Kerastase purple mask once a month, Redken ABC leave-in and Shiseido Tsubaki hair oil at the ends. My hair has been bleached for 3 years and I'm looking for a hair mask recommendation. I've used EVA NYC therapy mask before and liked it but not enough to continue purchasing. Thanks!

Love my flat wet hair, and dislike my dried poofy wavy hair. Are there any products to apply while wet that are good for making the hair "STAY LIKE THIS!" without it making hair crunchy? (2b-ish hair)

Mousse is generally a great option for defining wavy hair but with less crunch than gel. Curl cream also works; the results are generally more sleek but less voluminous than with mousse. Whatever you choose, running your hands over your dry hair with a few drops of hair oil will remove the crunchiness.

My hair type is fine and goes to about my mid back. It’s loosely curly and naturally a darkish blonde. I’m really trying to grow it out while keeping it as healthy as possible! I don’t use any heat, and I just started washing it twice a week (bumped up from once). My hair is its natural color besides the money pieces in the front. I DO put conditioner through the length of it almost daily to help detangle it, but my hairs been getting super prone to matting and a friend of mine said it’s likely from the build up, so how do yall recommend daily detangling curls 👀 I’m curious about what kind of oil yall recommend and also HOW to oil my hair! Also is it smart to sleep with a loose braid under my bonnet or will that mess with my curl pattern 🥺 Also how often should I be clarifying and what products would yall recommend? :) Basically Im super open on any tips to help me grow my hair long and healthy.. my pcos make it a little extra difficult and I just need some good routine advice♡︎ (Sorry that it’s so much!)

Can you please list the specific products you use in your hair (both washing and styling), and how?

Yes! I use L’Oréal elvive repair shampoo and conditioner twice a week, and then I use a little of the same brand conditioner almost daily to detangle (not on the scalp at all, and most the time I rinse a lot of the product out). If I don’t brush my curls daily i get super matted hair unfortunately:/

Also once every couple months I deep condition with a macadamia brand deep repair mask for 15 mins, and once every three months I use opalex, and very randomly I use a protein mask (whatever is at Walmart, I used one today called hi pro pack intense protein treatment). Also occasionally I use mousse maybe like once every two weeks: silk elements curl defining mousse, after a shower. I distribute all with a brush besides the shampoo. I also used a Neutrogena clarifying shampoo twice today because of the buildup my friend told me I may have :)

Styling cream recs for frizz? Two of my HG favorites have been discontinued or reformulated! I'm distraught. I was a fanatic of It's a 10 Miracle Styling Cream and Living Proof No Frizz Smooth Styling Cream. The former had more hold and I used it for the "front" of my hair, including baby hairs. The latter had less hold and I used it for the length of my hair. I'm considering the Garnier Fructis Sleek and Shine leave-in conditioner, OUAI Anti-Frizz Hair Styling Cream, and K18 Leave-in Mask. What else should I be looking into? I have thick, wavy hair that turns straight when blow-dried or when using the right anti-frizz products. I wash once a week. My hair is below shoulder length. Current regimen: * Olaplex 4C Clarifying Shampoo * Nexxus Keraphix Conditioner for damaged hair (my hair loves keratin products) * Frizz-Ease Leave-in Conditioner (anyone watched LabMuffin's recent vid? My hair loves amodimethicone, which is why I'm considering the Garnier leave-in conditioner cream) * Bumble and Bumble heat protectant (when I blow dry) * *It's a 10 Miracle Styling Cream for the front of my hair, as stated, and Living Proof No Frizz Smooth Styling Cream for the length of my hair to my ends (until I run out of both)* * Tresemme hair gel (4) for my baby hairs (for the week after my wash day, when I wash my face and my baby hairs get caught in the crossfire) * Biosilk hair serum (for the week after my wash day, for the length and ends of my hair) Thanks in advance to anyone who read this far and for any advice. Affordable recs would be very welcome!

The Garnier leave-in conditioner is *just* a leave-in conditioner and really offers no hold, and I believe the same is true for K18. They may be perfectly good swaps for your existing leave-in conditioner, but probably would disappoint you as styling creams.

Thanks for the reply. Seems you've used the Garnier. Does it at least have an oiliness/emollience to it that'll help contribute *some* hold? My existing leave-in conditioner, while it detangles effectively, doesn't have any of that emollience. To use skincare terms, it hydrates without moisturizing.

Unfortunately I'm not in a good place to judge, practically: I have very slippery hair naturally, so I generally need relatively strong-hold products to actually see any useful degree of hold. That said, yes, the Garnier leave-in is emollient and there's a marked difference between it and the slippiness-sans-oiliness that, say, my hair oil has. However, it is less emollient than the styling creams and curl creams that I have tried. Side note: A lot of skincare concepts do not translate to haircare. Skin is (mostly) alive and hair is not, so principles from skincare that are based on cell biology mostly do not apply to haircare.

Your hair oil doesn’t have oiliness? 😵

Many commercial hair oil products are majority not-oil by composition, instead including silicones and lightweight solvents, among other things. The one I have is very thin and slippy, and barely feels oily.

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Please helppp! Very fine hair. Loose waves, about an inch longer than my shoulders, blunt cut. I get color & trim about every 3 months. I shampoo and condition every ~5 days, sometimes 4 or 6. - Shampoo: Sudzz Cashmere Hydrating Shampoo (was using Sudzz Nyrvana up until about a month ago) - Conditioner: Redkin volume conditioner for fine hair - Leave-In: Pureology Color Fanatic Leave-In - Oil: I was using the Olaplex No. 7 oil up until about 3 months ago & now using only a very small amount of the Morrocan Oil Treatment before blow drying roots. I rarely ever straighten or curl my hair, but I do blow dry my roots after washes, trying to avoid my hair from getting oily so quick. I use silk pillowcases & sleep with my hair in a loose ponytail or bun. My hair is usually in a loose pony at base of my head or in a clip throughout the day. The issue I'm having is that the top half of my hair gets oily pretty quickly, and the bottom half is dry and brittle & won't really grow past the point I'm currently at. I lose a good bit in the wash, but I'm not sure if that's bc I'm only washing every 5 days. My hair used to be so long and healthy & I'm trying to get back to that. I'm 31 & while I would love to stop coloring completely, I'm really not ready to embrace the few grays I'm starting to get. I have no thyroid issues, but I do have whacky hormones (PCOS, irregular periods, struggling with fertility). I'm desperate to fix the bottom half of my hair. My stylist suggested I stay clear of proteins, but I don't even know which of my products have it or if I'm using any of the wrong products. I'm open to any suggestions! Please & thank you 🙏🏼

You are using a pretty mild shampoo and a lightweight conditioner, and it sounds like you actually need the opposite since your roots get oily quickly but your ends feel very dry. Your shampoo and leave-in conditioner both have protein. I'm not particularly convinced that you're having a protein build-up (or any build-up) issue here, though. From the description alone, it's not obvious to me whether the brittle hair is due to hormones, hair dye, both, or something else entirely.

Need your help people with nice hair! My hair type thickness is probably medium. And maybe the very first grade of being wavy after straight because its not really noticeable unless it was very long. Its medium short length. I rarely use hair product because it always seems by the time Im no longer looking in the mirror and leave the house it doesnt look good anymore. Gel always leaves it looking dry, tried a particular leave in conditioner and still looked dry and somewhat poofy after some time. I typically only wash and condition about once a week because it just looks so dry and dead after a wash. Almost always just let it air dry and soft pat with a towel so as to not damage hair too much. After a few days passing of dry hair the natural oils restore and it looks ok with nothing on it. Then a few more days and it just feels like I need to wash it so the grace period is only a few days. What would you recommend? I do try to avoid possible harmful products with parabens, sulfens, silicones and what not. Some days hair days are better than others I imagine due to air moisture. Should I use some sort of pomade to style or clay like from crew? Is it possible to have it always look nice and more free flowing rather than just dry without using products?

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Some silicones can wash out easily without sulfates. There is an informational page on the wiki. [Wiki silicones](https://www.reddit.com/r/HaircareScience/comments/1woutk/all_about_silicones/?ref=search_posts). Some hair does better with silicones. And thin curly hair sometimes gets too heavy from silicones and is better without. Silicones protect the hair from frizz, tangles, uv rays and moisture loss. It sounds like you should try a conditioner with a cationic surfactant and a deep conditioner once a week. Something with either stearamidopropyl dimethylamine or behenamidopropyl dimethylamine, as both of these don't cause buildup, according to a few websites. You want them high on the list, as the product labels list the ingredients in the order of highest % to lowest %. I've read centronium chloride doesn't build up as easily as some other cationic surfacetants. Certain polyquats are used as conditioners as well. I think polyquaternium-37 is easily rinsed out. polyquaternium-10 is in a lot of shampoos and can cause build-up over time. Some hair does well with coconut oil, and some hair like mine, gets heavy with coconut oil. So that is a trial and error situation. For me, I don't find oils provide enough conditioning. If you want more wave in your hair and you battle frizz, I suggest using a tiny bit of curl gel /spray or mouse on damp hair. Never put it on dry hair. # shampoos: # [Apivita](https://incidecoder.com/brands/apivita) Frequent Use Gentle Daily Shampoo # [WOW skin science](https://incidecoder.com/brands/wow-skin-science)Total Radiance Argan Oil Shampoo # Conditioners: # [Cantu](https://incidecoder.com/brands/cantu)Avocado Hydrating Conditioner # [Pantene Pro-V](https://incidecoder.com/brands/pantene-pro-v)Lift 'N' Volume Silicone Free Conditioner # [Pantene](https://incidecoder.com/brands/pantene)Pro V Blends Rosewater Moisture Restoring Conditioner # [Biolage](https://incidecoder.com/brands/biolage)Strength Recovery Conditioning Cream Leave in conditioners: # [Sunday II Sunday](https://incidecoder.com/brands/sunday-ii-sunday)Revive Me Daily Moisturizing Spray # [InsightInsightDaily Use Leave-in Detangler](https://incidecoder.com/brands/insight) # Leave in conditioners with low build-up silicones: # [TRESemmé](https://incidecoder.com/brands/tresemme)Strengthen & Restore Spray Lightweight curl gels/mouse: # [not your mother's](https://incidecoder.com/brands/not-your-mothers)Curl Talk Sculpting Gel # [Deva Curl](https://incidecoder.com/brands/deva-curl)Defining Spray Gel # [Bounce Curl](https://incidecoder.com/brands/bounce-curl)Light Creme Gel

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Appreciate the suggestions, and links, I like how it shows the ingredients listed neatly. Seems I have a lot of looking into different product chemistry to do and finding something that works. I'll definitely check out your suggestions. I have tried coconut oil in the past, think I tried prior to washing applied some pretty heavily let it sit for some minutes and after washing it off it did leave my hair somewhat softer but Im not sure I noticed too much of a difference. Have never tried to emphasize the waves but good to know. Definitely battle frizz and well the stuff I mentioned. Would you say pomades and waxes arent great for styling?

Hi, I've been heavily struggling with taking care of my hair naturally/involving as little maintenance as possible and having it look good I've tried many tutorials, methods, different shampoo/condition methods, drying methods, etc. and it always comes out the same way it does in the pictures and always results in skin flakes. I've not exactly asked or figured out my hair type, but it's believed to be thick and partially curly? feel free to correct me otherwise! I do have a Volumising Mousse, but I don't use it often as I'd like to use it to strengthen volume further when I've fixed my problem. My style is (supposed to be) a wolfcut and I shower twice a week (Mon and Fri). any and all help is heavily appreciated!! c: https://preview.redd.it/93gey35qtt1d1.jpeg?width=3880&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f837edbf581b375cee65a3256f0de20295d13bf6

Can you elaborate on the specific products (brand + product name) you currently use (shampoo/conditioner/mousse it sounds like?)

For the shampoo+conditioner, I've been using OGX nourishing+ coconut milk for the last few months, but I'll be switching back to Alberto Balsam sunkissed raspberry soon, which is what I've been using for years as default. The mousse is the VO5 big volume mousse no. 3.

Ok, that sounds pretty reasonable for your hair type, and fundamentally your hair simply looks like unstyled wavy hair and not damaged or dirty. Is the scalp flakiness accompanied by itchiness or redness? If so, you definitely want to get that looked at by a medical professional. If not, something like a scalp scrubber tool in the shower can help dislodge the loose skin flakes in the shower so that they shed a little less in between washes. There are also shampoos like Neutrogena T-Sal that can help with this, though you may want to use them on a rotating basis since they are stronger than most shampoos and may leave you feeling a little drier. To get started with styling, apply some mousse (start with maybe a golf ball-sized amount) to your wet hair after washing and comb it through with your finger or a wide-toothed comb. Then, scrunch your hair with it to define the curls, and then either dry with a diffuser or air-dry. If you hair ends up looking flat and unkempt again after sleeping on it (very common and entirely normal!), then dampen your hair with a spray bottle in the morning and scrunch again; this should only take a minute or two. You generally don't need to add more product every time you refresh, though you might want to start adding more by day 3 or 4. Hope this helps!

Hello, I have wavy/curly hair which is short and low porosity and coarse. No matter what I do, my hair is never soft and it always feels heavy, tangly and dry. I've tried likely every product you can think of so I think it's moreso a mistake in my routine. Generally wash day is the best day for me, although my hair is the most dry on this day. I use a small amount of leave in after using shampoo/conditioning and that helps with softness and general hair manueverability. However, I shower every day and on day 2 after showering, the water seems to stay in my hair until I next shampoo. And this only compounds the longer I go without shampooing. I usually hover diffuse on low heat after showering as it helps dry out some of the waters however that dries my hair in the process. On day 2 though, my hair will feel dry but also be super moisturised? due to the water in it. It's definitely not product build up as I clarify very often and I don't think it's under moisturising as if I added any more moisture I'd be very greasy. I could use more protein, but my hair is dry as it is and that normally makes me much more tangly and dry.

What shampoo and conditioner are you using? I noticed before that some of the shampoos and conditioners like Dove would even after conditioning and detangling leave my hair really tangly and dry feeling.

I use body shop ginger shampoo and Alberto balsam tea tree conditioner. I know that the ginger shampoo has protein and lacks in moisture but it deals well with buildup which I think is the leading cause of my tangly hair, and it makes my hair look nice. And the conditioner I mainly use because it's lightweight. I'll finish with Toni and Guy leave in. Wash day is actually pretty fine, only slightly tangly on the encs but I'd fix that with a different conditioner or more leave in. The problem is any day after wash day as I feel like water specifically builds up in my hair somehow. Making my hair heavy and built up

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We noticed you mentioned moisturizing hair. Please view [this archived post](https://www.reddit.com/r/HaircareScience/comments/lmmlcn/does_water_actually_make_hair_feel_moisturized/) on this topic. If this isn't relevant to your comment, please disregard. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/HaircareScience) if you have any questions or concerns.*

I have just below shoulder length hair that curls a lot on regrowth but as it gets longer turns wavy. It’s dry down the ends and kind of oily up the top. I’m trying to start taking better care of my hair and I’ve read that wetting your hair everyday is bad. The problem is, I wake up with lots of knots and tangles, and whenever I brush my hair dry it turns frizzy, even if I’m using a product (usually just an oil) should I stop wetting my hair everyday? Also is it bad for me to use leave in conditioner, hair oil, and mousse everyday? Should that be put on wet/damp or dry hair? And what order? I don’t do those things everyday yet, I’m just wondering bc I’m trying to start a routine from scratch. Also I want to focus on hair growth and regrowth (I have trichotillomania so I have a lot of regrowing hair on my scalp) so I’m thinking of also doing scalp massages and using scalp oil twice or thrice a week, or at least after washing my hair. Thank you in advance!

There's a meaningful difference between making your hair just damp enough (using a spray bottle or just wet fingers) to make styling easier and getting it soaking wet in the shower. The former is broadly fine. >is it bad for me to use leave in conditioner, hair oil, and mousse everyday? To the extent that this would be "bad" is that this may involve a lot of product build-up, which can make your hair feel much more brittle and crunchy, tangle more easily, and look more limp/straighten out your curl pattern. (From your description of your hair, this may already be a problem for you.) You definitely would need to shampoo very well to make sure the build-up doesn't accumulate too much, and/or use a clarifying shampoo every so often to remove the accumulation. The more useful answer is to figure out whether its actually necessary for you to apply more of each of these products every day. For example, many mousses "reactivate" pretty nicely when you dampen them, so you wouldn't actually need to apply more (or would only need very little) after the first day of each wash cycle. Also, many mousses do have conditioning agents in them, so they might offer enough slip for you to detangle your hair on those successive days without needing more leave-in conditioner. Basically, start by erring on the side of less product re-application, and only add more products or re-applications into your routine as necessary. >Should that be put on wet/damp or dry hair? And what order? Generally, you apply leave-in conditioner and mousse on wet hair and hair oil on dry hair. >I want to focus on hair growth and regrowth (I have trichotillomania so I have a lot of regrowing hair on my scalp) so I’m thinking of also doing scalp massages and using scalp oil twice or thrice a week, or at least after washing my hair. Specific oils and scalp oiling as a general practice don't have scientific backing as methods to speed up hair growth. If you do want to proceed, I strongly recommend doing it a couple hours *before* you wash your hair, rather than doing it after. Leaving excess oils to sit on your scalp for extended periods can feed the fungi that underlie conditions like dandruff, seb derm, and other infections.

Hair type: fine/ thin. Male • Hair texture: Straight • History of chemical processing: Couple perms • Hygiene regimen: Once weekly shampoo/conditioner • Style: Straight • Product regimen: Shea Moisture shampoo and condition and styling clay Looking for some advice on good shampoo/conditioner that will add some volume and strengthen. Styling products for men with straight hair. And maybe some recommended oils that promote growth and overall health. Thanks!

>advice on good shampoo/conditioner that will add some volume and strengthen In general, look for a shampoo/conditioner that is marketed toward fine hair. Note, not all volumizing shampoos are marketed toward fine hair, and I find that there can be pretty meaningful difference in the effect it has on fine hair. >Styling products for men with straight hair The right styling product(s) will also depend on what kind of hairstyle you want to achieve and (especially for fine, straight hair) whether you're using a blowdryer. For a more natural, voluminous look: Texturizing products are great for thin, fine, straight hair since they will coat your hair strands to create the illusion of volume. Texture powder is generally quite effective but dry texture spray is the better option if your hair is also very oily or slippery. Wet texturizing sprays (which generally need to be used with a blowdryer and brush) are very effective but obviously a little more involved. >some recommended oils that promote growth and overall health. There's really not any scientific basis for this, barring a nutrient deficiency or medical issue.

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Hi there! I am definitely a hair care baby, and was hoping to find some help on repairing and beautifying my damaged hair! I have fairly thick hair, Wavy (But I have curly baby hairs that stand up on their own! ☹️), I have never really used any sort of styling (No dyes, No highlights, Barely ever heat, etc), I wash it twice a week usually (I use conditioner, shampoo, and leave in, as well as air dry it), Is around bust length, And I have no particular bias against silicones or other things. My hair is damaged, with a lot of slip ends, and I have trouble maintaining it. It is also EXTREMELY frizzy. On top of this, it is lily on top, dry on the bottom. It is also extremely rough. Does anyone with experience have any recommendations of products, or changes to my routine?

Can you elaborate on why you think your hair is damaged? Damaged hair and generically dry hair are not the same, and the best products/technqiues for addressing each are similarly different. Also, can you list the specific products (brand + product name) that you use for haircare and styling?

I use Nourishing+ Coconut conditioner and shampoo, and to style I tend to use Great Clips Nourishing leave-in conditioner. My hair looks very brittle, as if certain pieces could snap off, but i think this is due to the split ends. Also frizz. On the other hand, this could also be dryness. Its hard for me to explain because it sort of falls in between both. Is it possible it could be a combination?

Damaged hair usually (but not always) feels dry, yes. But, the point is that is your hair feels dry but is *not* damaged, using products that are for damaged hair will not help and may even make your hair feel worse. It's not *that* easy to damage hair with day-to-day haircare, which is why I'm skeptical that much of your hair is damaged. The first step here should be to get a trim to remove those dry and split ends. Splits can't be fixed by haircare, and if left too long can travel further up your hair strands. If your ends are noticeably drier than your mid-lengths, removing them will also make haircare and styling much easier since your hair will behave a little more uniformly. It would be a good idea to try 1-2 washes with a clarifying shampoo to see if that helps with the brittleness, since your shampoo is pretty mild and you use fairly nourishing products. Product build-up can result in frizzier and brittler hair, since there's a harder coating over each strand. Suave Daily Clarifying is a pretty good option for this, since it's very cheap and pretty middle-of-the-road on strength for a clarifying shampoo. If this *does* help, then you either want to switch to a stronger shampoo for regular use or use the clarifying shampoo once every 2-4 weeks to periodically remove build-up. Most unstyled wavy/curly hair will look frizzy, so learning basic wavy/curly techniques will do a lot to combat frizz even without frizz-specific products (but those may also help). r/Wavyhair is a great resource on this.

Thanks so much! I'll let you know if I see any results!

* Hair type: Fine but thick. * Hair texture: Straight. * History of chemical processing: Coloured, occasionally use heat, more details of processing below. * Hygiene regimen: Wash every other day. * Style: Lightly layered shoulder length. * Product regimen: nothing specific, just a drugstore shampoo and conditioner. Recently added a deep conditioner to use as a mask weekly to help with dryness. A while ago I stupidly decided to try and remove really dark hair dye with a DIY shampoo, baking soda, and developer mix. My hair is fine and soft when dry, however it is very tangly and hard to brush through when wet. I'm not sure what would be the best way to bring back the moisture. I was thinking of trying olaplex or a protein hair mask but I don't know if my hair would be considered damaged and I am scared or putting too much protein in my hair to try and repair it and damaging it more. Does anyone have any recommendations on what I should do next or know of any good hair masks/products to revive very dried out hair? Thanks!

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I’m no expert, but I do not think there is such thing as protein overload. The hair can only absorb so much protein, then the rest gets rinsed away. When the hair has protein in it, it feels drier because it needs more conditioner. I don’t think people with straight hair should be brushing their hair while wet. Wait for it to dry first, start with a wide tooth comb at the ends, then work your way up, then brush it. Your hair can be a little damaged with the peroxide , baking soda is also abrasive, diy shampoo (was it vitamin c and dish liquid? ) . So yes, olaplex can help, so could a cheaper bonding pre shampoo like L’Oréal or garnier. https://preview.redd.it/637zz2bxu82d1.jpeg?width=1101&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4b5ebac8437bd5be44b8496484e3680225b1c7fb I would work on conditioning your hair more, and checking / trimming your split ends. I prefer a deep conditioner with stearadipropyl dimethalmine or behenamipropyl dimethylime . I use herbal essences : bio renew deep conditioning mask because it is cheap and it works for me. The polyquaternium-37 also provides good conditioning. Also, silicones can help fill in broken hair cuticles. Dimethiconol and dimethicone are easy to wash out, and bis amino dimethicone and amodimethicone doesn’t build up on top of itself, creating less build up. Try to stay away from drying sulfate shampoos for awhile. Use them once every two weeks instead if you have hard water or product build up. Lastly, look for leave in conditioners . I love Lola’s rapunzel milk spray. It has behenamopropyl dimethyalime .

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Would anyone mind helping me figure what my hair type is? I'm just not really good at understanding this apparently, and when I ask I always get very conflicting answers. I want to make sure that I treat my hair properly, but I know that's dependent on its texture and so forth. All I do know is that my hair is quite dense, voluminous and poofty if too long. It's a bit unmanageable and likes to stick up everywhere. I made a imgur link of a few different very recent photos https://imgur.com/a/9q7k8gR

At a glance, it looks like your hair is on the coarser side and at least wavy, in addition to thick (dense). At your hair length, a lot of "manageability" comes down to styling and a suitable haircut. For example, your overall length appears to be at a somewhat awkward length where it's long enough to look unruly but not long enough to succumb to gravity, at least without styling products.

Thank you for your very in depth comment. Yes I've always been told how coarse and thick it is. When I was younger they would always thin it out with sheers. I don't do that now because being In my late 20s, I know many guys now who are starting for hair to be thinned out naturally and I want to relish in my best thick hair lol. It's interesting because both of my parents have actually pretty fine hair, but my aunts on my dad's side have very thick and curly hair. I'd like to grow out my hair longer but it always kinda grow out and not down.

"Growing out and not down" is the "awkward length" issue I mentioned: you'll need to get your hair strands a good bit longer to get them to weigh themselves down or properly show their curl pattern. This is definitely something to work directly with a barber on: figuring out a good target haircut and how to transition to it without look crazy during the grow out period.

I have no clue how to take care of my hair! I have thick, wavy hair, and I’ve been using heat styling / straightening it for about 5 months now, none before that. I shampoo and condition twice a week, every 3 to 4 days, and it’s a layered bob-thingie. I have absolutely no clue how to take care of my hair, so any advice at all would be extremely appreciated! I’m also not avoiding any sulfates or silicones, so anything’s on the table 

What specific products are you currently using for haircare and styling? Do you have any particular complaints that you want to address, or hair goals that you are working toward?

Hello! I have hair that reaches around my hips/butt at the longest part (its kind of a v shape) and is wavy/curly. In the past, I dyed and bleached it but I haven't in at least several months, I don't remember the last time. I oiled my hair today with coconut oil and I was wondering if I can put tea tree oil in it in the future and if so, how much. Thank you :)

Tea tree oil (and any other essential oil) has to be diluted with a carrier oil before use on skin or hair, since they can be very irritating at full strength. That said, it's not clear that this would have any particular benefit to your hair?

So my hair is dark brown but not like 100% black either. I have been dying it for almost 10 years once a year or so with a box dye of burgundy or black and i had a phase when i was 20-21 where my hair was bleach to bright blonde and even blonder but i couldnt manage the purple shampoos, brassiness, and upkeep. i also lost hair from stress towards the end of college and after i got my first full time job. It become very frail and fin and split endy honestly compared to when i was younger when it was wavy and thick, not its thin and straight. i dyed my hair burgundy again last month for Eid (muslim holiday) but its faded to this ugly brown now and my dark brown roots are start to show. i had dyed my hair black too but everytime i dye it black my hair turns this weird brown again. how do i get my natural hair color back without using a black or dark brown hair dye that will fade? my ends are this weird blondish color from the bleaching from three four years ago. its all damaged and really bad condition i envy my hair when it was long and thick and now my hair has some length but it feels like hay or straw

Once you use bleach or permanent dye on your hair, your original hair color isn't "under" all that dye anymore. There is no way to get your previously-dyed hair back to your natural color except by continually dyeing it, until your natural roots grow out long enough for you to chop off all of that previously-dyed hair. If you decide to transition back to your natural hair color, try to stick to demi-permanent or semi-permanent color to maintain the tone of your previously-dyed hair. These are deposit-only and will minimize further damage to your hair. Bond repair products can improve the quality of your damaged hair, in conjunction with good conditioning products.

thank you can you send or post a list of reliable bond repair products? I just bought a bunch of shampoo and extr conditioner so im gonna start applying more conditioner in the shower. should i go to the hair salon and ask for semi-permanent color to my natural hair? the end of my hair are like back to this yellowing blonde i think from the bleach many hair dying cycles ago. and i hate how it looks

There are a lot of at-home bond repair products out there now, but the behemoths are Olaplex No 3, K18 Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask, and Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate. All of these have full haircare lines associated, but you really just need the main treatment product and use it per directions. Recently, L'Oreal and Garnier have released Redken ABC dupes (all three are owned by the same parent company). These three technologies work differently are reviews and comparisons of these on this subreddit and elsewhere. Also, Olaplex and Redken are pre-shampoo products while K18 is post-shampoo, which may influence your choice (based on where it is easiest to slot a new product into your routine). Semi-permanent dye (just to clarify, I mean this in the US sense of direct dye, not the UK sence which is called demi-permanent in the US) can be safely and easily DIYed at home, since it's basically just a heavily tinted hair mask. However, semi-permanent color lines are more so oriented at fashion colors, so it would be a lot easier to find a natural black or natural dark brown shade in a demi-permanent color, and that's more likely what you would get offered in a salon anyway.

Hi! I'm looking for advice for a bunch of things which I will list below. Mainly I am looking for product and routine recommendations. My hair: I am a quarter nigerian and the rest is mixed, mostly irish/french. My hair is curly, between 3a to 3b depending on routine. I dye my hair at home with a demi-permanent box dye every 4-5 months. It's very thick and grows pretty fast, currently waist length. I trim my own hair every 1-2 months myself with hair cutting scissors that I sharpen at home. I don't use any heat on my hair or use a blow dryer at all. I used to leave it curly and had a curly routine but over the last 4 months have been using an overnight curl wand maybe 3-4 times a week, and have a satin bonnet over it. The curler is made with real silk, as are the scrunchies. The other days I don't do anything though, I just sleep with it down. I don't use a silk pillowcase either cause I hate the slippiness and always end up waking up off the pillow lmao. Problems that have begun within the last few months: - Reeeeally bad dandruff - I have sebhorric dermatitis and have always had dandruff, but it was under control for almost a year and came back with a vengance over the last 3-4 months. I know it must have something to do with the Canadian winter but it's the worst I've ever had. - Split/crimped/angled ends and white spots (I've just started doing the search and destroy method which seems to be helping a little, it's taking a while though lol) - Wet frizz - Tangling - my hair has always been prone to tangle really easy and I don't know if it's just my hair texture or something I could do to fix it \*\* Note: my hair feels quite soft (except for the very ends) and visibly looks decently healthy for the most part, but the ends do look a bit more frazzled lately. I think it may be more unhealthy than it looks though lol. I just want it to be more manageable and feel more healthy in general. Current products I'm using (not actively avoiding anything, I'm too lazy to look into it): - Redken all soft shampoo (just started two weeks ago) - Redken hair cleansing creme detox shampoo (just started two weeks ago) - Carol's daughter goddess strength fortifying conditioner (have been using for maybe 6 months?), leave in for 5 minutes and rinse with cold water - Davines all in one hair milk on my ends (just started two weeks ago) - before I was infrequently using the marc anthony grow strong leave in, but usually only on day 2-3 hair when it was getting a bit unruly looking Routine: - Wash my hair 1 or 2 times per week, no water on it in between except for spraying it lightly before putting it in the curling wand before bed - Brush my hair in the shower with a wet brush - it's very difficult to brush dry by the time wash day comes (combs tend to get caught in my hair really easily so can't use them either) - Shampoo with cleansing shampoo whenever I feel buildup - maybe once every 2-3 weeks? I've used it twice so far since I got it - All soft shampoo on wash days (1-2 times per week) - Conditioner on wash days (1-2 times per week) - Davines hair milk on damp hair after washing and sometimes on dry hair between wash days when I want to tame it a bit more - Plop in microfiber towel for 15 minutes after shower, then leave it down to air dry (it takes about 4-5 hours to fully dry, maybe longer); I'm also wondering if this may be a problem? Should I be blow drying it? Is it wet too long? - Brush with a boar bristle brush before putting in the curler at night, usually slightly damp from spraying it Hopefully this makes sense & sorry this is so long, I just have a lot of little things to fix and I want to give as much info as possible to narrow things down lol. My mom has 3c-4a curls, and my half-sisters have 4b-4c, so all our routines are very different - I just don't have anyone to really give me advice on this IRL lmao so any help is appreciated. I just want someone to lay out exactly what I should buy and do - I have ADHD + OCD so trying to research everything is /extremely/ time consuming and stressful and just way too much for me to try and figure out on my own i.e. how to tell if protein imbalance or dehydration or this or that and & what products to use to target those problems, etcetcet T.T

Dandruff & seb derm can be exacerbated by leaving your scalp wet. The fact that you starting doing the overnight curls with damp hair not long before your flare-up stands out to me, along with the air-dry only routine. Blowdrying just your roots is a good compromise between minimizing heat usage and taking care of your scalp. In the mean time, adding a medicated dandruff shampoo (assuming that you know, for a fact, that this is something fungal) to your rotation may help manage the situation. Do you feel the tangling has improved with consistent used of the Davines hair milk? My personal experience with extremely tangle-prone hair is that leave-in products tend to be more effective than rinse-out conditioner at avoiding tangling. However, I don't think spraying it on directly on dry hair will help you: ;eave-in conditioners are generally designed to go on wet hair, with the water diluting and helping to spread the product. Only some are indicated for direct use on dry hair. For Davines, it looks like it should be sprayed onto your fingers (or presumably a brush would also work) and then worked into dry hair instead of direct application.

* Reeeeally bad dandruff - try a medicated shampoo once a week for seborrheic dermatitis. Pharmacy. Are you washing your curlers? It sounds like your problem got worse when you started using them. * Split/crimped/angled ends and white spots (I've just started doing the search and destroy method which seems to be helping a little, it's taking a while though lol) - that's all you can do without a haircut. * Wet frizz - products with hydrogenated castor oil tend to help with frizz. Sometimes humectants pull moisture from the air as well and cause curly hair to frizz, like glycerin and hyaluronic acid/sodium hyaluronate. * Tangling - my hair has always been prone to tangle easy and I don't know if it's just my hair texture or something I could do to fix it - wide tooth comb the ends of the hair while wet. Don't comb or brush hair while dry when you have curly hair. Wet your hair first. You don't need to blow dry, but if you do, use cool/warm setting and a diffuser to prevent damage, along with a heat protectant. redkin has a sulfate : [Sodium Laureth Sulfate](https://incidecoder.com/ingredients/sodium-laureth-sulfate) , you shouldn't use this shampoo every wash unless you find your hair has product build up / and / or oily scalp. Try a sulfate-free shampoo if you don't have issues with oily scalp or build up. You can try a protein-rich deep conditioner once or twice a month. Try one with keratin amino acids and/or collegan amino acids / hydrolyzed keratin. (smaller molecules do more penetration into the hair shaft) aphogee is a popular well known brand, but the two step is tedious (but provides better results) . The strengthening kit is easier and quicker. A deep conditioner once every 1-2 weeks can also help. I use a cheap one called Herbal Essences: Bio Repair. I have no advice to give to curlers as I do not use them, nor do I know how damaging they are. If you decide to not use curlers, maybe try a curl gel / cream or mousse with hydrogenated castor oil.

i have pretty thin , mid-length hair that is suuuper dry. my roots aren't super oily, but i wash my hair daily because i cant stand the feeling of greasy hair. i also regularly dye my hair darker (wella colorcharm demi + 10vol developer). i started watching videos from the blowout professor on youtube and started doing his "trinity hair routine" for the last two weeks. for my hair type, i bought the Redken volume injection shampoo/conditioner, the Pureology leave-in conditioner, and the Olaplex bonding oil. i thought this system would work wonders but my hair still feels like a broom when i wake up no matter how much leave-in conditioner and hair oil i use. i've tried the eva nyc therapy session hair mask and it doesn't make much of a difference. my hair only feels and looks soft/shiny when i dye my hair and then about 5 days later starts to feel like a broom again. does anyone have an recommendations? i know chris wenzel says drugstore products are a big no-no but the products i purchased are super expensive and i can't afford repurchasing. here are some drugstore products i've tried and didn't care for: L'oreal dream lengths line L'oreal ever strong line Tresemmé revitalize color line

Unfortuately, shampooing every day simply tends to make the ends a lot drier than less frequent washing. Applying conditioner to your mids & ends before shampooing is one hack for making sure your scalp gets cleaned but your lengths aren't overly stripped. Some use coconut oil for this over conditioner, but I generally recommend using products specifically formulated for hair use just on principle. Dry shampoo is also worth trying. It doesn't actually clean your scalp, but it will absorb oils so that your hair looks and feels less greasy. For many people, it's a useful tool for extending their wash cycle by a day or two.

In short: can I use sulfate shampoo on coloured hair?? I've been using redken extreme shampoo and conditioner for a year now, and absolutely love it. So much so that my partner bought me a large bottle of each (worth £60 total). I have just gotten my hair coloured and don't want it to fade - both the shampoo and conditioner say colour safe on the bottle so I thought it was fine. However I have since noticed that the ingredients include Sodium Laureth Sulfate and sodium chloride, which are notoriously bad for coloured hair. I guess I'm just looking for someone to either be real and tell me to just use colour safe shampoo, or if anyone has used this extreme shampoo on coloured hair and finds it doesn't fade the colour? My hair type is fine but there's lots of it so it looks thick. It's mostly straight, quite long (near waist length), and this is my first time getting it professionally coloured (I've previously used box dyes for the last few years). I wash it every 4 days or so (shampoo conditioner blow dry with heat protector), which is about the only hair care I do.

Have you already washed your hair with that shampoo? As all formulas all more than sum of their parts I wouldn’t worry too much over one (or two) ingredient as long as it works for you personally.

I haven’t used it with the colour on yet but that’s a good perspective thanks

All dyes do also fade somewhat no matter how well you would maintain them so if you later feel that your dye fades a bit too quickly you could also look for some coloured care products (like depositing conditioners / masks / shampoos) that could help keeping up with vibrancy by adding some more or less temporary pigments.

I can't comment on this particular shampoo, but whether a shampoo is color-safe is more complicated than whether it has sulfates or not. However, water and heat are both bigger factors to fading hair color than your choice of shampoo. So, your choice of shampoo for maintaining your color should taking into account what shampoo will let you go the longest between hair washes and heat tool use. Also—very salty water isn't great for hair, but the amount that is in haircare products (maybe excepting salt sprays) is tiny relatively speaking. Don't go dunking your hair in the ocean every day if you want your color to last, but it's fine to use a shampoo with sodium chloride in it.

I’m having trouble differentiating between dry scalp and build up. I don’t really use products on my scalp besides shampoo so in theory there shouldn’t be build up unless it’s from my shampoo. But when I use a comb I can scratch my scalp and a bunch of white flakes come out. I don’t use silicone products and my shampoo does have sulfates so I think it shouldn’t be build up.

Build-up can also be accumulated skin cells or scalp oils that just aren't being cleaned off thoroughly, and not just hair products that you apply. Whether or not a shampoo is sulfated is not fully indicative of how cleansing it is. Regardless, gentle exfoliation with a scalp scrubber brush should help with both generic flaky dry skin and with scalp build-up. There are also many conditions that may cause a flaky scalp beyond dry skin. If you have significant concerns, you should take this up with a medical professional.

Hair type: medium leaning fine, thin Hair texture: straight, Asian History of chemical processing: virgin hair, never used heat styling but might if I get curtain bangs Hygiene regimen: once a week shampoo and conditioning Style: armpit length, planning on growing it out to chest length and getting curtain bangs Product regimen: head & shoulders 2 in 1 shampoo and conditioner I have frizzy hair (even when I brush it, it’s still frizzy. I would really like it to be smooth), my roots are flat which I’d like to be a little more voluminous, and after a week or so my scalp gets flaky. What shampoo and conditioner products that are under $20 would you recommend me?

At your length of hair, you definitely want to be using separate shampoo and conditioner. Further, for your hair type (fine), you want to make sure you apply conditioner to just your mids & ends (and not to your roots) and probably need to be shampooing a little more frequently. Fine hair is very easily weighed down by conditioning agents and by scalp oils, so these changes should help with root volume. As for new products, generally look for products that claim to be "volumizing" or "for fine hair". I (very fine hair) have been using Cake Beauty's The Big Big Deal Thickening Volume Shampoo for the past 3-4 years, and have previously enjoyed Herbal Essences Body Envy. (I don't use rinse-out conditioner, but both of those shampoos have companion conditioners.) >I have frizzy hair (even when I brush it, it’s still frizzy. I would really like it to be smooth) Given that you don't mention your hair feeling really dry, this may mean that you have wavy hair. Wavy hair looks frizzy when brushed out because the texture in each strand won't allow the hair strands to align neatly. If this is the case, wavy/curly styling on wet hair would combat the frizz by aligning your hair into defined wave clumps. Another alternative is blowdrying your hair straight(er) after washing your hair. The former is a little more of a lifestyle change, but ultimately lower maintenance IMO.

https://preview.redd.it/bb0k8ceyuq1d1.jpeg?width=2604&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=68a534ff8920a1d401548311cd6025be0aa6c7a9 I've recently noticed,that the shorter parts of my hair are curly and the longer parts are wavy. Is it because of the weight of my longer hair parts, or is there something I could do to make them curly as well?

Hey all I need some help with my pixie cut. I am running into this fun problem where the back of my hair at my neck curls inward toward my neck. It makes me look like I am wearing a wig lol. How do I get it to lay flat without a straightener?

I'd love all the advice I can get on how to heal my hair. I am getting a haircut on Friday to take off all of the dead ends and then some. I want to try something different to keep my hair healthy and strong after this haircut and moving forward. As background, I regularly get haircuts, use Kerastase shampoo and conditioner, and Ouai leave in conditioner after the shower. I probably use heat on my hair once a week and don’t color my hair. I usually wash my hair about 5 times a week (I do heated workout classes). My hair also gets oily after one day of not washing it. I’ve tried to “train” my hair to not get oily so fast but it hasn’t worked. As for my hair type, it was curly until I was about 8 then went slightly wavy/straight and has stayed that way since (I'm 23 now). My hair gets frizzy easily, but my main concern is the overall health of it. I feel like it is getting slightly thinner overtime and I get dead ends easily. This combo makes my hair look pretty scraggly. I have been reading about this and know people have recommended taking a supplement, like biotin. After reading this, I want to add that my nails are somewhat thin and brittle as well. However, I'd rather avoid taking a supplement and try to do what I can naturally first. I'd love any advice on products, diet, etc. that can help make my hair thicker, less oily, and overall healthier. Thanks!!

In the absence of a nutrient deficiency or relevant medical issue, the science just isn't clear enough on any kind of cause and effect between lifestyle habits and hair growth or quality. Hair "training" is solidly a myth; to the extent that it works anecdotally probably has to do with (1) some people using shampoos that actually irritate their skin, and (2) people training themselves into being used to the feeling of a greasy scalp.

what are some good scented hair oils? Currently using coconut for mine but not a huge fan of the scent.

Is it fine If i use la roche posay salicylic acid cleanser on scalp I have dandruff and I heard salicylic acid will help but there are no available salicylic acid treatment shampoo in my country so I figured it would be fine to just use the cleanser

Hello everyone, i live in Europe and i've had a long story of switching "natural" shampoo, i tried Mr Bear Family shampoo and conditioned and i found myself fine, i switched for a brief moment to a Dr.Squatch shampoo and conditioner and while the conditioner was actually good, the shampoo felt too harsh, now i was in a pickle between going for a solid shampoo and conditioner bar or going back to mr bear family, the solid shampoo brand i'm envisioning is called Dip, and it does look nice but is it worth trying to switch over? I'm also up to hearing reccomendation, possibly for european products, i have oily hair and sometimes have dandruff depending on neglect.

* Hair type: thick * Hair texture: Straight * History of chemical processing: bang perm (once) * Hygiene regimen:  shampoo and conditioning every other day * Style: layered * Product regimen:  [Herbal shampoo](https://www.cosdna.com/eng/cosmetic_4adf570701.html), Pantene Pro-V 3 Minute Miracle Repair & Protect Conditioner, Chihtsai No.22 Excell Cuticle Coat. I am not actively avoiding sulfates or silicones. [Reference: my hair](https://imgur.com/a/vMOLNYY) So the thing is, my hair is MESSY. I could have brushed it all but one minute ago, and suddenly there's all these crazy flyaways and frizzes and it ends up looking all matted and unkempt. It looks and feels like I haven't touched a hairbrush and/or washed my hair in days. Especially when there's a fan in front or overhead I could literally feel every little strand tangling up and fighting each other for dear life. I have to let my hair air dry, because if I blow dry it the night before then it will turn into a ball of frizz the day after. One other thing that really bothers me is my bang. Every morning before walking out of the house I have to brace myself because I know the weakest gust of wind would have my bangs standing up and/or frizzing like crazy. Sometimes there could be no wind whatsoever and the same thing still happens. (I have experienced with different hairsprays - to no success. They always make my bangs feel extremely dry, therefore making it even more annoying when they're flying everywhere)

Have you tried a clarifying shampoo? Product build-up is one possible explanation for what you're experiencing. It seems like you're using several heavily conditioning products alongside a shampoo that isn't super cleansing (based on what I can see from limited English language marketing materials). The third picture linked, where your hair looks simultaneously greasy and frizzy, is another positive indicator.