Questions you wanted too ask about haircare

[onepraying]

...but felt too much like a doofus to ask!

I liked this thread so much in OT that I figured I'd bring a variation of it here.

Post those questions you feel are "stupid or dumb"!

I'll go first:

1)What is a Steamer/Steam Machine and what does it do?

2) How does Keracare Silk and Seal really work?

3) What's the real purpose of a Reconstructor?

4) Which are the harder and lighter proteins: plant, silk, keratin, etc...??

I've got a few more, I just can't think of them right now!

~op~

 

[Poohbear]

How do you make your ends look really nice when you wear your hair straight??? Is it a certain product or technique???

How do you prevent shoulder-length hair from bending/sticking out at the shoulders??? How do you get it to lay down flat against your back???

Is it okay to use a clarifying shampoo once a week instead of a regular shampoo???

For those who are on the "no-poo/curly girl" method, what do you use to get rid of product buildup if you don't use a clarifying shampoo???

I'll probably have more questions later! Hee-hee!

 

[Avaya]

How do use a blow dryer?

Its like I'm all thumbs anytime I try to operate one of those things! And my hair always feels like crap and I have a bunch of broken hairs along the front. Anytime a beautician blows dry my hair; however, its flawless!

How the freak do you rollerset wet hair (or dry hair for that matter)?

I read post after post after post and see example after example after example and I feel like I am NEVER going to "get it."

 

[karezone]

Silk protein is a really light more moisturizing protein.
Hydrolyzed collagen or keratin is pretty strong depending on the brand
Just plain collagen or keratin is not that strong (lekair cholesterol)

I have a whole list on the differences in my room. I will get it later.

 

[Keen]

How do you make your ends look really nice when you wear your hair straight??? Is it a certain product or technique???

If you don't towel blot your hair after washing it, your ends will look straight. Also if you run a comb through hair half way through drying, it will get straigther. The only other method I can think of is to use a good flat iron.

How do you prevent shoulder-length hair from bending/sticking out at the shoulders??? How do you get it to lay down flat against your back???

I would like to know the answer to this myself

For those who are on the "no-poo/curly girl" method, what do you use to get rid of product buildup if you don't use a clarifying shampoo???

I only use shampoo before I deep condition. which is like every two weeks. I do so not because of product build up but I want my the conditioner to better penetrate. I conditioner wash 3X per week and I hardly use any product in between my washes. I don't really fell like I have product build up.

My question: If hair cuticle sealers like keracare silk and seal is suppose to seal your cuticle, what use will it be if you want to moisturize your hair later without washing first? If your cuticles are sealed how will product penetrate?

 

[brownhaired_bonanza]

How the freak do you rollerset wet hair (or dry hair for that matter)? I read post after post after post and see example after example after example and I feel like I am NEVER going to "get it."

Bumping for a response. Thanks for asking, Princess. I'm in the same boat as you are.

 

[onepraying]

Bumping for a response. Thanks for asking, Princess. I'm in the same boat as you are.

I part my hair down the middle.
Clip one side.
Take my blow dryer with comb attachment, turn it upside down, grab it with both hands (left hand on barrel, right hand on handle) and blowdry combing up first. Then do the same for the top of my head.. It looks retarded but it gets the job done!

My aim is to get it as dry and as straight as I can get it. Then I use the maxiglide to get it smooth and shiny. OR the ponytail method.
I really don't like that 'airy' feeling and dull look my hair has with just plain ole blowdried hair. That's how my first Dominican blowout turned out!
~op~

 

[brownhaired_bonanza]

Maxiglide... what is that again?

 

[cafe au lait]

What or who is avatar?
Can you use 2 diferent types of leave-in conditioner on your hair?

 

[onepraying]

Maxiglide... what is that again?

That's the ceramic steam flatiron with teeth.

Maxiglide

~op~

 

[IntelligenceisBeautiful]

How much protein does a relaxed head really need? Is it ok to rotate between protein and moisture every 2 weeks or do we need protein every week?

 

[ChosenbyGod]

What or who is avatar?
An avatar is a picture under your screen name.

Can you use 2 diferent types of leave-in conditioner on your hair?
yep

 

[onepraying]

What or who is avatar?
An avatar is a picture under your screen name.

Can you use 2 diferent types of leave-in conditioner on your hair?
yep

Yeah, but what does AVATAR mean or stand for?

~op~

 

[Leslie_C]

Do broken off areas eventually catch up with the rest of your hair?


How can u make fairly fine hair look thicker with more body?


How do some of the ladies here get the salon look at home?

How often and how much should one trim when trying to grow out their hair?



HOW DO U GROW OUT LAYERS???
My hair is just natually layered so it seems impossible! the bottom is always way longer than the top!

 

[luvSLave]

Yeah, but what does AVATAR mean or stand for?

~op~

It's not an acronym. It just means what it means. From dictionary.com: 1. <chat, virtual reality> An image representing a user in a multi-user virtual reality.

 

[Crystalicequeen123]

My question is:

If the length and health of your hair is determined by how well you take care of your hair, why does it seem like "mixed" girls, or black women with "mixed" heritage seem to grow hair longer and faster? I always seem to see many lighter skinned girls with long hair. I'm not saying that darker-skinned girls don't/cant' grow their hair, but if hair length depends on how WELL you take care of your hair, then how come girls who are of a "mixed" race can grow their hair long...seemingly effortlessly?

I mean, they can't be doing anything different than what I'm doing. Do they REALLY take so much better care of their hair than "non-mixed" girls?? [Notice...I use some terms above very lightly...which is why they're in "quotation marks".]

 

[luvSLave]

How much protein does a relaxed head really need? Is it ok to rotate between protein and moisture every 2 weeks or do we need protein every week?

This depends on the head of hair in question. Some use protein, albeit a light one, at every wash. Others only use a hardcore one at touch up time. Initially it may take some trial and error to figure out what works best for you. After a while you can tell what your hair needs by how it feels, the amount it sheds/breaks and how easy it is to style.

 

[luvSLave]

My question is:

If the length and health of your hair is determined by how well you take care of your hair, why does it seem like "mixed" girls, or black women with "mixed" heritage seem to grow hair longer and faster? I always seem to see many lighter skinned girls with long hair. I'm not saying that darker-skinned girls don't/cant' grow their hair, but if hair length depends on how WELL you take care of your hair, then how come girls who are of a "mixed" race can grow their hair long...seemingly effortlessly?

I mean, they can't be doing anything different than what I'm doing. Do they REALLY take so much better care of their hair than "non-mixed" girls?? [Notice...I use some terms above very lightly...which is why they're in "quotation marks".]

How well you take care of your hair is just one factor. You also have to consider your hair growth cycle and your hair type. That being said, I think what you're referring to has more to do with hair type than ethnicity. Straighter hair isn't as dry because natural oils can more easily move down the hair shaft. As such, it doesn't break as much so it may seem to be growing more.

 

[vangrey]

My question is:

If the length and health of your hair is determined by how well you take care of your hair, why does it seem like "mixed" girls, or black women with "mixed" heritage seem to grow hair longer and faster? I always seem to see many lighter skinned girls with long hair. I'm not saying that darker-skinned girls don't/cant' grow their hair, but if hair length depends on how WELL you take care of your hair, then how come girls who are of a "mixed" race can grow their hair long...seemingly effortlessly?

I mean, they can't be doing anything different than what I'm doing. Do they REALLY take so much better care of their hair than "non-mixed" girls?? [Notice...I use some terms above very lightly...which is why they're in "quotation marks".]

the main reason some ppl have long hair and others dont is simply bc of genetics. to me that is the number one reason, our hair is already "genetically programmed" to reach a certain length. i new this girl in college, who never trimmed her hair, and took pretty good care of it but it never got longer than shoulder length. so as far as hair goes i think nature rules over nuture. but that is not to say dark skinned girls can not grow long hair or light skin girls can. i know several light skin girls with thin shoulder length hair and dark girls with long hair. its not skin color but rather genetics.
HTH

 

[vangrey]

my ?: has anyone with bsl done sylver's method and not gotten bent hair at the bottom? i still dont understand how you let your hair just hang in the bonnet... mine always bends under

 

[Poohbear]

My question is:

If the length and health of your hair is determined by how well you take care of your hair, why does it seem like "mixed" girls, or black women with "mixed" heritage seem to grow hair longer and faster? I always seem to see many lighter skinned girls with long hair. I'm not saying that darker-skinned girls don't/cant' grow their hair, but if hair length depends on how WELL you take care of your hair, then how come girls who are of a "mixed" race can grow their hair long...seemingly effortlessly?

I mean, they can't be doing anything different than what I'm doing. Do they REALLY take so much better care of their hair than "non-mixed" girls?? [Notice...I use some terms above very lightly...which is why they're in "quotation marks".]

I think this depends on where you live because from my experience, It's even between the races...there's light skinned women with short and long hair, and there's dark skinned women with short and long hair... I don't see any extremes. I think I've said this in another board before but everyone is mixed, so it all depends on your genes when it comes to faster hair growth.

 

[Crystalicequeen123]

the main reason some ppl have long hair and others dont is simply bc of genetics. to me that is the number one reason, our hair is already "genetically programmed" to reach a certain length. i new this girl in college, who never trimmed her hair, and took pretty good care of it but it never got longer than shoulder length. so as far as hair goes i think nature rules over nuture. but that is not to say dark skinned girls can not grow long hair or light skin girls can. i know several light skin girls with thin shoulder length hair and dark girls with long hair. its not skin color but rather genetics.
HTH

Hmm...interesting.

But what I don't understand is...if your hair is always growing, how can there be a pre-determined "stop length" for hair?? If I never cut my hair and continued to take VERY good care of it, who's to say that my hair couldn't grow all the way down to my lower back?? LOL*

I think you're right about ethnicity and that some people's hair just grows faster than others. But how do you know how long your hair was meant to be? How do you know for example that shoulder length hair is the length your hair will reach no matter how well you care for your hair in the future?

I always thought of hair like your fingernails. If you take care of them and don't cut them, then they can grow to be really LONG without stop.

 

[divinefavor]

My question is:

What is considered pre poo and why is this important?

 

[vangrey]

@crystal: like another lady stated before me all hair has cycles. we do not know our cycle. you can not grow long hair if your hair has a cycle of two years. hair with a cycle of two years is about bsl... meaning once your hair has grown for two years it sheds. if you never cut your hair, that does not mean it will stay longer... it will just eventually fall out with shed or wear of the hair.

HTH

 

[ChosenbyGod]

1. Do conditioners with labels that read," Leave on for 3 minutes and rinse" really do anything? I mean, is 3 minutes enough? It seems like a waste of product.

2. Why does Aussie Moist shampoo have Ammonium Laureth Sulfate AND Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate in it?? Aren't these VERY drying ingredients?? They are #2 and 3 on the list on ingredients.

 

[ChosenbyGod]

My question is:

What is considered pre poo and why is this important?

A pre-poo is a moisturizing hair treatment before you shampoo. What you do during your pre-poo can vary, some ladies apply a cheap conditioner such as V05 w/some kind of oil, like EVOO, and sit under the dryer for 15-30 minutes or wear a plastic cap for 30 min to an hour. Or for some ladies, a pre-poo is a hot oil treatment under the dryer for 30 minutes.
The purpose is to supply the hair with moisture.

 

[Poohbear]

1. Do conditioners with labels that read," Leave on for 3 minutes and rinse" really do anything? I mean, is 3 minutes enough? It seems like a waste of product.

I would like to know this too!!!

 

[vangrey]

@crystal: here is an article on hair growth
at http://www.skinbiology.com

Hair length and growth

Hair grows at a faster rate in the spring and summer than in autumn and winter - a fact that often is used to "prove" that certain hair growth remedies stimulate hair growth. The growth rate is however very much related to the individual person, his age, his diet etc. The lifetime of the anagen phase is responsible for the maximum of hair length you can have. Waist length hair takes about 5 years to grow out from a short hair cut, periodic trims included. If your hair has a lifecyle of 2 years, you will never achieve a nice waist length mane. In rare families, long hair cycles are combined with rapid hair growth - producing floor length hair in women.

 

[onepraying]

My question is:

What is considered pre poo and why is this important?

When I first started I thought prepoos were redundant. However, they have been a key to my success in obtaining healthy hair!

It is used to add moisture, oil and/or strength to your hair. It is sort of a variation of a hot oil treatment, except some of us add cond. like VO5/suave etc. for strength and extra moisture. Then follow with moisturizing poos/cond. and then deep condition.

As relaxed heads, we need all the moisture and strengthening we can get because of the broken protein bonds. Not saying that naturals don't need to prepoo, you prepoo according to the condition of your hair. My daughter has extremely dry natural hair and we prepoo once a week. Her hair has been so soft and moist since.

My hair has never had this much sheen, been this soft or strong on a consistent basis....

I hope this makes sense.

 

[divinefavor]

A pre-poo is a moisturizing hair treatment before you shampoo. What you do during your pre-poo can vary, some ladies apply a cheap conditioner such as V05 w/some kind of oil, like EVOO, and sit under the dryer for 15-30 minutes or wear a plastic cap for 30 min to an hour. Or for some ladies, a pre-poo is a hot oil treatment under the dryer for 30 minutes.
The purpose is to supply the hair with moisture.

Thanks ChosenbyGod. Is this done by wetting your hair first or just applying the oil to the scalp before putting on a cap?