Shampoo

southernbelle0915

I don't know what's been up with my hair lately but it's been breaking and splitting like crazy. I don't color it and I only blow dry it or use heat on it once in a blue moon. 

Over the last few months, I've used Biolage strengthening, Redken extreme, and Purology hydrate. Nothing is really working. 

What shampoo/conditioner do y'all use? Or any suggestions on treatments?

labro

When my little sister starts having hair problems it's because she isn't getting enough/the right nutrition. She'll take Biotin for awhile to help and everything seems to get back to normal again.

For me lots of breakage and splitting means it's been WAY too long since I had a trim and the last few inches of my hair are getting unhealthy. Breakage/splitting does tend to happen less based on my shampoo though. I've been using Malin + Goetz for a few months now and really like it. Before that I was using a Tigi brand, I think Catwalk.

AddieCake

I've always been a Pantene girl. And I was voted "Best Hair" in my senior class, so clearly I'm an expert.

Maggie0829

I used Pantene for years and then I don't know what happened to it but it got kind of watered down and didn't seem to clean my hair as well as it used to.  So I switched to Dove 2-in-1 and love it.

randomslove

How often do you wash your hair? I went from having to wash it six times a week (I sweat enough that it would be gross otherwise due to my job) to washing it maybe twice a week (yay for indoors exercise and working from home/being a student!).

I noticed my hair became a lot healthier when I stopped washing it everyday.

If you don't shampoo often, can't shampoo less, or this advice doesn't help at all or you don't want to take it, good luck and I hope you find something that helps.

arrippa

I use whatever shampoo is on sale. To keep my hair healthy and soft, I condition my hair with coconut oil once a month. I put it on the ends and blow dry it for a bit. I usually leave it on for a few hours and then shampoo out. Sometimes, it takes a few shampoos to wash it out.

wandajune6

I'm much fussier about conditioners than shampoos. I usually use something cheap or a dandruff then use a great conditioner.

That said, I recently joined a BzzAgent campaign for this new Clairol Professional iThrive. I probably never would have tried it but I actually love the stuff enough that I went back and bought more. I tend to butcher my hair in the summer by washing it too much, plus I've been blowing it out/ironing it more lately because of work. It gets pretty frizzy, the tips break, and it looks horrid. The Keratin Rescue shampoo and conditioner seem to keep it pretty well at bay. Plus, it's pretty cheap -I got it free the first time but the second round was $8 with a B1G1 free deal at Sally Beauty.

It might be worth a shot.

kittykyat

Have you tried the Redken extreme mask? It's a treatment that you let sit in your hair for about 15 minutes a few times a week. It really helped my hair a lot! In addition to that the extreme line has something called "Anti-Snap" serum, that basically adds proteins and lipids into your hair. I used these in addition to the shampoo. I found that the shampoo was good for maintaining healthy hair, but to actually fix it I needed to use the treatments in addition to it for awhile.

novella1186

I bought avocado oil and hemp seed oil at the store, and added a little bit of each to some Redken leave-in conditioner. I put it just on my ends (if I put it on my roots then they look greasy) and it made a huge difference. 

I also go to my salon periodically for deep-conditioning treatments which seem to help a lot. 

mrsdee15

Ditto on washing only two or three times a week, and the Redken conditioner.  My favorite shampoo has been the Paul Mitchell Awapuhi, and I've also used coconut oil masks in the past which have helped.  I also take biotin and folic acid and that makes a difference.  I was just debating getting a keratin treatment, it's been a while.  I used to dye my hair red, so to get it back to my natural ash blond I had to strip a lot of color out, and the keratin treatments really helped with getting my hair back to normal.

southernbelle0915

I'm probably overwashing. I wash my hair at least 6 times a week, usually every day. It's never been a problem before, so I don't know why it is now... weird. Anyway, I'll give some of these things a shot. Thanks, y'all!

justsie

I know you've already got a lot of advice, but I recently started using a clarifying shampoo every few washes. If you use product at all sometimes the regular shampoo doesn't do the best job of getting everything off, so I'll do the nutragena clarifying shampoo and a hair mask of some sort and its like I got a new head of hair. 

blabla89

+1 for washing less often. It's made a big difference in the texture of my hair and it's so much more manageable now. Also, I swear by Aveda Damage Remedy shampoo and conditioner. It's pricey, but if you're only washing your hair once or twice a week then it lasts longer. Leave the conditioner on for 5-10 minutes before rinsing. There's also a salon Damage Remedy treatment but I'm not sure how well it works.

[Deleted User]

How can you guys not wash your hair every day?  My hair is still so greasy it's like I'm still going through puberty.  Once I was so tired I forgot to shampoo my hair in the morning.  As in, I got in the shower, wet it down, and just got distracted by shaving or whatever that I forgot to shampoo.  My hair was naaaaasty.  People kept asking if I dyed my hair or did something different, "nope, just trying a new style".  I was actually so grossed out by myself that I took a shower when I got home from work and took another one again the next morning to get ready.

teddygirl9

Your hair may have too much protein now. I believe both of those redken & biolage add protein, which when you add too much can make hair brittle. I'd probably lay off the protein ones and use more moisturizing ones for now. You can also clarify which might help get rid of any build up you have.

randomslove

@adk19 I still have acne and I'm 26 (not that it's bad now). I've had it since I was nine. I never thought I could go without shampooing everyday. I used to be like you-- I -had- to shampoo or I'd be disgusted with myself.

Then I decided to try shampooing only on days I went to school or was going out. And then I realized my hair wasn't so gross a few days after I shampooed. In fact, if I did it less often, my hair was prettier for about four days after shampooing, though I find it terribly dry the day of. I get compliments on it constantly. Usually it's the color, but people who know what you have to do to get hair this color are always impressed by how absolutely soft my hair is. I can go months without cutting it and my ends don't split. This is after bleaching it, toning it, dying it every 5 weeks (just the roots now).

I've also realised showering everyday isn't a necessity. We really do encourage overproduction of natural oils by over showering. So I shower before I go out and if I get really sweaty (usually just on run days for that). My skin is still naturally oily, but less oily than it used to be. I don't smell gross (I still wear deodorant and when I feel stinky, I shower), but I understand this isn't for everyone.

mrsdee15

adk19 said:

How can you guys not wash your hair every day?  My hair is still so greasy it's like I'm still going through puberty.  Once I was so tired I forgot to shampoo my hair in the morning.  As in, I got in the shower, wet it down, and just got distracted by shaving or whatever that I forgot to shampoo.  My hair was naaaaasty.  People kept asking if I dyed my hair or did something different, "nope, just trying a new style".  I was actually so grossed out by myself that I took a shower when I got home from work and took another one again the next morning to get ready.

...Box?...

My hair used to be really oily, but I trained it by going every other day without washing, then longer without washing for a few weeks.  I also use dry shampoo on the 2nd day, that helps a lot.

WinstonsGirl

I'm a Pantene gril, the green one for long thick hair.  I can't stand other conditions cos they're not as thick and it feels like they don't soak in as well.  They just seem to disappear.  And they changed the smell recently, and it's so much nicer than the original!!

I wash once a week, occasionally 2, though I do my bangs every 2 days

themosthappy91

adk19 said:

How can you guys not wash your hair every day?  My hair is still so greasy it's like I'm still going through puberty.  Once I was so tired I forgot to shampoo my hair in the morning.  As in, I got in the shower, wet it down, and just got distracted by shaving or whatever that I forgot to shampoo.  My hair was naaaaasty.  People kept asking if I dyed my hair or did something different, "nope, just trying a new style".  I was actually so grossed out by myself that I took a shower when I got home from work and took another one again the next morning to get ready.

Echoing what others are saying, you really have to give your hair time to rebalance when you go from washing every day to less frequently. It's going to be super gross the first time you go a day without washing, but that will change if you stick with it.

When we wash our hair excessively, we "teach" it that needs to be constantly regenerating a bunch of oils to keep from drying out. I highly recommend if you have a few consecutive days in a row you don't have to go out you suck it up and just start breaking the cycle, because I've seen from experience how much healthier my hair (and skin) is now that it's adjusted to less washing!

CMGragain

Your hair is made up of dead cells.  They cannot be "nourished", anymore than your fingernails can be nourished.  You can damage your hair  like I did in January with an overheated curing iron.  (Stupid me!)  Dyes and perms affect it, too.  Once it has been damaged, the damage cannot be repaired, only replaced by growing new hair.  Your diet affects your hair appearance more than anything you put on it.  Some pregnant ladies will tell you that the hormonal changes affected their hair growth. 
I learned seven years ago to never complain about my hair because God might just take it away.  (Chemo joke.)

kvruns

adk19 said:

How can you guys not wash your hair every day?  My hair is still so greasy it's like I'm still going through puberty.  Once I was so tired I forgot to shampoo my hair in the morning.  As in, I got in the shower, wet it down, and just got distracted by shaving or whatever that I forgot to shampoo.  My hair was naaaaasty.  People kept asking if I dyed my hair or did something different, "nope, just trying a new style".  I was actually so grossed out by myself that I took a shower when I got home from work and took another one again the next morning to get ready.

I don't get it either.  Maybe it is because I work out most days and therefore get sweaty but my hair would be pretty gross not washing it after exercise! Every once in a while if I don't work out then I wont wash it the next morning but that is rare

emmaaa

teddygirl9 said:

Your hair may have too much protein now. I believe both of those redken & biolage add protein, which when you add too much can make hair brittle. I'd probably lay off the protein ones and use more moisturizing ones for now. You can also clarify which might help get rid of any build up you have.

This is a good point. I used "It's a 10" with protein in it and it caused a lot of breakage in my hair, which is usually very healthy. Try shampoos with low sulfate and similar conditioner. I like Big Sexy Hair products the best but when I'm on a budget I use Dove. 

I wash and condition my hair usually once per week (sometimes every five days). After washing I use coconut oil on the ends and do a deep conditioner treatment with Not Your Mother's hair deep conditioner about every other week.

sheknows6

kvruns said:

adk19 said:

How can you guys not wash your hair every day?  My hair is still so greasy it's like I'm still going through puberty.  Once I was so tired I forgot to shampoo my hair in the morning.  As in, I got in the shower, wet it down, and just got distracted by shaving or whatever that I forgot to shampoo.  My hair was naaaaasty.  People kept asking if I dyed my hair or did something different, "nope, just trying a new style".  I was actually so grossed out by myself that I took a shower when I got home from work and took another one again the next morning to get ready.

I don't get it either.  Maybe it is because I work out most days and therefore get sweaty but my hair would be pretty gross not washing it after exercise! Every once in a while if I don't work out then I wont wash it the next morning but that is rare

Your scalp is living skin with glands that secrete oils to keep your head and hair healthy- when you wash your hair every day, you are stripping away the "good" and telling your head "create more oil to replace what I just washed off!"

When you stop washing your hair every day (I used to do this as well), your hair will seem "dirtier" for a little while until your oil production adjusts. Ease into it- go from every day to every other day. Then after a few weeks wash every two days. Ideally you don't want to wash your hair more than three times a week and that's coming from a hair stylist not just my opinion. 

I don't wash more than two or three times a week and my hair is healthier, softer, and shinier than ever- it doesn't get greasy like it used to and with regular trims I don't see breakage anymore either. I regularly color my hair and it still looks amazing.

I also invested in good products- find a shampoo/conditioner that is sulfate-free. It won't lather and you'll swear it's not working, but trust me, it is. The brand I use is Brazilian Blowout Acai Anti-Frizz Shampoo & Conditioner- it has keratin in it which is also great for hair damage!

The quality of your hair will always be dictated by how you treat it and what you put on it!

bizzy592

I take these every day:

http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=530029&catid=183269&aid=338666&aparam=530029&kpid=530029&CAWELAID=120142990000087143&CAGPSPN=pla&kpid=530029

And only wash my hair every other day, from the roots to my chin (never getting shampoo on the ends).

southernbelle0915

bizzy592 said:

I take these every day:

http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=530029&catid=183269&aid=338666&aparam=530029&kpid=530029&CAWELAID=120142990000087143&CAGPSPN=pla&kpid=530029

And only wash my hair every other day, from the roots to my chin (never getting shampoo on the ends).

Ok do these actually work? Someone else was telling me about these and talking them up. 

I've always taken a multi-vitamin and I'm taking prenatals now. But I've never gotten into the whole supplement thing on a very deep level, so I don't know much about it.

PamBeesly524

I'm one of those people who washes her hair everyday.. especially when I work out. For those of you who have cut back on washing, do you at least get your hair wet when you shower or do you put a cap on it? If you keep it dry, what do you do after you work out? I definitely wouldn't want to keep all of that sweat build up on my head - I feel like I would break out and/or get itchy, even if I did wet it down.

sheknows6

kikilamp said:

I'm one of those people who washes her hair everyday.. especially when I work out. For those of you who have cut back on washing, do you at least get your hair wet when you shower or do you put a cap on it? If you keep it dry, what do you do after you work out? I definitely wouldn't want to keep all of that sweat build up on my head - I feel like I would break out and/or get itchy, even if I did wet it down.

I rinse my hair with hot water if I got really sweaty and had just washed it- if I don't get super sweaty from working out I just put it up and keep it dry. There's also headbands and different up-styles to help keep your hair dry when you're getting sweaty

novella1186

southernbelle0915 said:

bizzy592 said:

I take these every day:

http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=530029&catid=183269&aid=338666&aparam=530029&kpid=530029&CAWELAID=120142990000087143&CAGPSPN=pla&kpid=530029

And only wash my hair every other day, from the roots to my chin (never getting shampoo on the ends).

Ok do these actually work? Someone else was telling me about these and talking them up. 

I've always taken a multi-vitamin and I'm taking prenatals now. But I've never gotten into the whole supplement thing on a very deep level, so I don't know much about it.

Look at the ingredients in these: 

Supplement Facts
Serving Size:	3 Gummies
Servings Per Container:		40
Amount per Serving
Calories Total	30
Amount per Serving		% Daily Value+
Total Carbohydrate	7 g	2
Sugars	5 g
		% Daily Value
Vitamin A as Retinyl Palmitate	6000 IU	120
Vitamin C as Ascorbic Acid	90 mg	150
Vitamin D as Cholecalciferol	600 IU	150
Vitamin E as DL-Tocopheryl Acetate	60 IU	200
Niacin (B3) as Inositol Niacinate	18 mg	90
Vitamin B6 as Pyridoxine HCl	3 mg	150
Folate,Folic Acid,Folacin	71 mcg	20
Vitamin B12 as Cyanocobalamin	9 mcg	150
Biotin	4500 mcg	1500
Pantothenic acid as Calcium D-Pantothenate	15 mg	150
Calcium as Tricalcium Phosphate	150 mg	8
Phosphorus as Tricalcium Phosphate	75 mg	8
Iodine as Potassium Iodide	120 mcg	80
Zinc as Zinc Gluconate	7.5 mg	50

Vitamins C, D, E, and Biotin have all shown possible links to healthier skin and nails when ingested (although it's suggested that vitamin E is more effective when applied topically) 

I'm not sure about all the other vitamins' effects of hair and nails but they're almost all things that are good to take anyway; like zinc, which is good for your immune system (but if you have a sensitive stomach like me, probably don't do that) and calcium. 

The only nonsense vitamin I see on there is B12. It's one of those vitamins that is only effective in improving your health if you have a deficiency, which your doctor can test you for. Recent clinical studies have shown that there's no benefit to taking it otherwise, as people used to think.  

teddygirl9

Biotin can also make people break out and/or grow extra hair where not wanted. I've not taken it myself, but I know some folks who do. Not always so pretty haha.

NowIAmSyp

Speaking of supplements, I recommend Viviscal... besides using a good shampoo/conditioner, I feel like this has helped repair my hair from the inside-out...  

lovesclimbing

I use Aussie shampoo, but no one should really take my advice when it comes to here.  I literally do nothing to it.  I bought a dryer and round brush and haven't used it since about three weeks after  I got it. I literally never brush my hair.  I lost my hair brush in our move over a year ago, and I haven't bought one since. My hair is straight and does not tangle. H brushes his hair (which he keeps short. It never gets more than a couple inches long) more than I brush mine.

I currently am trying to wash my hair every other day. I was doing good and my hair had adjusted to be less oily, and then I cut off about four inches and my hair was oily again, I think because it was still producing enough oil for the full length. 

I almost always pull it back in a pony tail the second day. I don't like it any other way and I feel like it looks greasy. Sometimes I can get by with using dry shampoo the second day and not pull it back. Also, I feel like I can start to smell the oil sometimes and the dry shampoo masks the smell.

My mom swears by flax oil to reduce the amount of hair that falls out and keep it healthy.  I took it as a kid but don't remember.  I do know it really helps your nails. I really need to start taking it again. I would love it if I lost less hair in the shower.