Hair Health

[Neser Boha]

I'm soooo bored I decided to start this thread (looking for a job is the most boring thing I've ever had to do...)

Topic: Hair and Scalp health: Common Sense Tips

I've always been a bit of a health freak. I've also always thought that my hair is probably the best thing about the way I look. So when I started loosing my hair after moving to the USA due to all the overwhelming stress that was associated with it and terrible homesickness that I was experiencing... it gave me a pause and I started researching everything about hair-care.

First some don'ts:
1. Don't confuse dry scalp with dandruff. Using dandruff shampoos on dry scalp will only exacerbate the problem in the long run. The little dry flakes they show in commercials to be 'dandruff' are usually symptoms of dry scalp. Dandruff flakes are more of a waxy yellow consistence.

2. Don't use shampoos with SLS in it (sodium lauryl/laureth sulphate) as they irritate and dry out your scalp - yeah every single commercial shampoo has SLS in them. In other words - fuck commercial shampoos.

3. Don't color your hair with commercial dyes. If you really must, have it done professionally. If you like red and don't have completely white hair, use henna - it's freakin' amazing - and, unlike commercial hair dyes, it is actually good for your hair and scalp.

4. Don't use tons of hair products, especially that reaches your scalp - that's how dandruff and dry scalp start. Use as little as you can...

Now some do's:
1. If you have chronic dry scalp or mild dandruff (not honeycomb dandruff as I'm not really a dermatologist - I wish) use shampoo with tea tree oil and it should take care of it. The best shampoo out there (at least in my experience) is the Dessert Essence Tea Tree Shampoo - it doesn't have any SLS and has tons of tea tree oil. I also like the Giovanni Tea Tree Triple Treat shampoo. When you lather your hair with the shampoo, leave it on for a while so that it can do its magic... about 3 minutes. I always double-lather.

2. Unless you really have to, don't wash your hair every day - it dries it out and is too much of a shock for your scalp to deal with. I wash my hair 2-3 times a week, but I know everyone has different needs.

3. Once a week, treat your hair to an oil wrap. You can use just your regular olive oil that you have in your kitchen, or jojoba oil, avocado butter, amla oil (found in indian stores)... Massage it into your scalp and hair and let it sit for a couple of hours. Then wash it out really well. It supports hair growth, moisturizes hair, and all that jazz. There are some great oil treatments out there - I only go with natural/organic ones...

4. After you're done washing your hair and putting conditioner in, rinse it out with cold water - it stimulates blood circulation in your scalp, which makes it easier for hair to get all the nutrients, etc.

5. If you have long hair and it is getting a bit too dry at the ends, use a little bit of unrefined cocoa/shea butter in it... just the ends... it works wonders. The silk products are also great, true that.

6. Get a really nice boar bristle hair brush and while brushing your hair, make sure the bristles reach the scalp...

Henna

Henna is the best thing that ever happened to me - hair-wise. I get stopped every week with people asking me how the hell did I get such a beautiful color - or telling me they love my hair. So if you wanna know how to go about it, all you gotta do is ask. (in the picture above - that is my henna-dyed hair ) I'm a proud owner.

Bleaching one's hair

I understand the obsession with blond hair... it's pretty... but I'd never risk the health of my hair and future hair-loss to looking pretty for about a decade... My mother used to have the thickest most beautiful hair when she was my age, but started dying it blond and by 40, she had about 50% of her previous hair-volume.

I'd love any of your advice/suggestions... I'm a hair-tip collector

 

[Sarah G]

I'm soooo bored I decided to start this thread (looking for a job is the most boring thing I've ever had to do...)

Topic: Hair and Scalp health: Common Sense Tips

I've always been a bit of a health freak. I've also always thought that my hair is probably the best thing about the way I look. So when I started loosing my hair after moving to the USA due to all the overwhelming stress that was associated with it and terrible homesickness that I was experiencing... it gave me a pause and I started researching everything about hair-care.

First some don'ts:
1. Don't confuse dry scalp with dandruff. Using dandruff shampoos on dry scalp will only exacerbate the problem in the long run. The little dry flakes they show in commercials to be 'dandruff' are usually symptoms of dry scalp. Dandruff flakes are more of a waxy yellow consistence.

2. Don't use shampoos with SLS in it (sodium lauryl/laureth sulphate) as they irritate and dry out your scalp - yeah every single commercial shampoo has SLS in them. In other words - fuck commercial shampoos.

3. Don't color your hair with commercial dyes. If you really must, have it done professionally. If you like red and don't have completely white hair, use henna - it's freakin' amazing - and, unlike commercial hair dyes, it is actually good for your hair and scalp.

4. Don't use tons of hair products, especially that reaches your scalp - that's how dandruff and dry scalp start. Use as little as you can...

Now some do's:
1. If you have chronic dry scalp or mild dandruff (not honeycomb dandruff as I'm not really a dermatologist - I wish) use shampoo with tea tree oil and it should take care of it. The best shampoo out there (at least in my experience) is the Dessert Essence Tea Tree Shampoo - it doesn't have any SLS and has tons of tea tree oil. I also like the Giovanni Tea Tree Triple Treat shampoo. When you lather your hair with the shampoo, leave it on for a while so that it can do its magic... about 3 minutes. I always double-lather.

2. Unless you really have to, don't wash your hair every day - it dries it out and is too much of a shock for your scalp to deal with. I wash my hair 2-3 times a week, but I know everyone has different needs.

3. Once a week, treat your hair to an oil wrap. You can use just your regular olive oil that you have in your kitchen, or jojoba oil, avocado butter, amla oil (found in indian stores)... Massage it into your scalp and hair and let it sit for a couple of hours. Then wash it out really well. It supports hair growth, moisturizes hair, and all that jazz. There are some great oil treatments out there - I only go with natural/organic ones...

4. After you're done washing your hair and putting conditioner in, rinse it out with cold water - it stimulates blood circulation in your scalp, which makes it easier for hair to get all the nutrients, etc.

5. If you have long hair and it is getting a bit too dry at the ends, use a little bit of unrefined cocoa/shea butter in it... just the ends... it works wonders. The silk products are also great, true that.

6. Get a really nice boar bristle hair brush and while brushing your hair, make sure the bristles reach the scalp...

Henna

Henna is the best thing that ever happened to me - hair-wise. I get stopped every week with people asking me how the hell did I get such a beautiful color - or telling me they love my hair. So if you wanna know how to go about it, all you gotta do is ask. (in the picture above - that is my henna-dyed hair ) I'm a proud owner.

Bleaching one's hair

I understand the obsession with blond hair... it's pretty... but I'd never risk the health of my hair and future hair-loss to looking pretty for about a decade... My mother used to have the thickest most beautiful hair when she was my age, but started dying it blond and by 40, she had about 50% of her previous hair-volume.

I'd love any of your advice/suggestions... I'm a hair-tip collector

I love coconut oil and use it once a week as a deep conditioner and then after my facial, I put it on my face and just let it sink in. I eat coconut oil too.

Melt about 3 tablespoons of it in the microwave, add a little splenda, cinnamon and put it into the fridge for a few minutes. It's like candy. You could also use cocoa. Cut it into thirds, don't eat three tablespoons at once.

Thanks for all the tips.

 

[Neser Boha]

I love coconut oil and use it once a week as a deep conditioner and then after my facial, I put it on my face and just let it sink in. I eat coconut oil too.

Melt about 3 tablespoons of it in the microwave, add a little splenda, cinnamon and put it into the fridge for a few minutes. It's like candy. You could also use cocoa. Cut it into thirds, don't eat three tablespoons at once.

Thanks for all the tips.

Sounds awesome and fun I will definitely do that

I could definitely use some tips for facials... do you do it yourself or do you go to a professional to have it done? I've only had it done about three times in a salon and it's quite expensive... especially here in Sweden (more so than in the US - ATL) So if you have any do-it-yourself facial tips, I'd LOVE to read them

 

[Sarah G]

I love coconut oil and use it once a week as a deep conditioner and then after my facial, I put it on my face and just let it sink in. I eat coconut oil too.

Melt about 3 tablespoons of it in the microwave, add a little splenda, cinnamon and put it into the fridge for a few minutes. It's like candy. You could also use cocoa. Cut it into thirds, don't eat three tablespoons at once.

Thanks for all the tips.

Sounds awesome and fun I will definitely do that

I could definitely use some tips for facials... do you do it yourself or do you go to a professional to have it done? I've only had it done about three times in a salon and it's quite expensive... especially here in Sweden (more so than in the US - ATL) So if you have any do-it-yourself facial tips, I'd LOVE to read them

I wash my face with regular product, anything that your skin likes, then steam for about 10 minutes. I put whatever facial stuff I have on hand for 20 minutes. I used to use eggs but it really dried my skin so I use whatever facial I find at the store and that feels good. Rinse off.

Then I use organic vinegar on a cotton ball and wipe all over my face and neck. It stings slightly and closes all the pores. You can feel it closing the pores. It gives you a nice glow as well.

Then put the coconut oil on. What we don't go through, huh?

 

[Agnapostate]

Oooh! Oooh! Does this work for pubes?

 

[RodISHI]

When the children were small we lived in a place that had a large bed of mint. A mint rinse leaves long hair with an awesome shine and it makes it easier to comb tangles out. (just boil the mint into a tea and use it as a last rinse) My hair has always been below my waist or longer. I wash it every day. I found the cleaner it is the less split ends I get. At this point I have to trim several inches off every few months to prevent sitting on it.

Sun, perms and chemicals are always bad for hair. Swimming pools with chlorine will dry out hair. Lemon juice is a natural lightener for anyone wishing to lighten their hair or put highlights in it. And as you mentioned Henna will bring out the red tones in hair. If you have gray hair old fashion bluing is the best thing to use to keep the white white and the yellow look out of your hair. Just add a few drops to your shampoo. Many people go prematurely gray if they are not getting enough vitamin B. When I don't take my vitamins my hair will start getting more gray. I start back taking them and many hairs turn back to the color.

 

[editec]

I have what a college girlfriend called "wash and wear hair"

so I don't have any tips about hair care except this:

I totally agreeabout dandruff shampoos --they cause dandruff.

Here's another personal hygene tip

Deoderants CAUSE body odor.

They're also poison.

Aluminum compounds are NOT a good thing to put on your underarms, folks

 

[Neser Boha]

I have what a college girlfriend called "wash and wear hair"

so I don't have any tips about hair care except this:

I totally agreeabout dandruff shampoos --they cause dandruff.

Here's another personal hygene tip

Deoderants CAUSE body odor.

They're also poison.

Aluminum compounds are NOT a good thing to put on your underarms, folks

Totally agree about deodorants... I've never used them and never actually understood the obsession with them. I know though that there are folks out there that do have serious problems with body odor - however I have no clue as to how to address that... I have a deodorant that use from time to time (I think it smells nice) from Jason (natural/organic) that doesn't contain any aluminum... I wonder if it would work for them.

 

[Agnapostate]

I see that my pertinent concerns have gone unaddressed.

 

[Neser Boha]

When the children were small we lived in a place that had a large bed of mint. A mint rinse leaves long hair with an awesome shine and it makes it easier to comb tangles out. (just boil the mint into a tea and use it as a last rinse) My hair has always been below my waist or longer. I wash it every day. I found the cleaner it is the less split ends I get. At this point I have to trim several inches off every few months to prevent sitting on it.

Sun, perms and chemicals are always bad for hair. Swimming pools with chlorine will dry out hair. Lemon juice is a natural lightener for anyone wishing to lighten their hair or put highlights in it. And as you mentioned Henna will bring out the red tones in hair. If you have gray hair old fashion bluing is the best thing to use to keep the white white and the yellow look out of your hair. Just add a few drops to your shampoo. Many people go prematurely gray if they are not getting enough vitamin B. When I don't take my vitamins my hair will start getting more gray. I start back taking them and many hairs turn back to the color.

I've also heard about lemon juice... How would one apply it? I also heard that chamomile lightens hair - via chamomile tea rinses.

About henna - I use it in such a way where it makes my hair completely red. My original hair color is light brown/dirty blond.

You say you wash it every day... hm, I'd be scared it would dry out my hair... but I guess everyone's hair and scalp is different.... mine is extremely sensitive and reacts to everything.

 

[Neser Boha]

Oooh! Oooh! Does this work for pubes?

What, are you experiencing a pube loss?