Your Hair Goals!
And I will make YOU random citizen achieve the hair you've been dreaming of! All of it is connected to ditching your unhealthy habits, mainstream products, and the majority of chemicals/styling methods so get ready.
We discussed our: hair types | hair journey
Now let's see what everyone is visually aiming for. So, pictures welcome! Maybe someone else wants the same, had the same, has valuable advice + precautions. So this would be a cool exchange.
I listed tips below that might be helpful to get the look you desire. IMPORTANT PARTS ARE RED.
— If you want more volume:
Forget all "volumizing" products. They usually suck since they only weigh down your hair even more. It's a trap!
Cutting 2-3 layers is magic. Attention: if your hair is coily/curly/wavy getting layers has to be in a dry cut. Find a proper stylist for that, someone you really trust to do it right. No layer cutting at home, you set yourself up for a less than optimal result. Because making layers needs a lot of sectioning and angle work at the back. Also remember that a wave has to be cut where it starts or ends, aka the widest part of the S shape, not in between.
Dry the hair with clips at the crown of your head. Be careful since the heat makes metal clips vicious. Air drying preferred. It looks really weird but you can shape the hair like that, turns out fantastic.
— If you want fast growth:
A scalp massage stimulates blood flow. Blood flow carries nutrients to the hair, stimulating activity. 10 minutes! If you own a shampoo brush, do that in the shower.
Raw oils for that massage which promote growth: Jamaican Black Castor Oil, Argan Oil.
No dry shampoo. It takes away the natural oils that help the hair production.
Taking certain vitamins will help a bit. Vitamin B is effective.
To prevent breakage: no thin hair ties, especially rubber. Only silky smooth scrunchies, cloth preferred.
Counterintuitive! Get rid of split ends first. Even a big chop will do. Why? If you grow out hair with split ends the latter will move up and up and up...break the hair... and then it's even shorter. Healthier hair is better than longer hair. And if it's healthy, it grows faster.
Again for coily/curly/wavy hair: when trimming, you will lose so much length if it's cut wet since obviously the curl springs up so much more.
— If you want to go shorter:
Do it step by step first. I was glad to have a chin-length trial period before having my sides shaved for an undercut.
If you only want to get rid of damage at the ends, 2 inches/5 cm have to be cut at least. The hair is already damaged far more up/inside than it is visible when the split or broken etc end is already there.
— If you want shinier hair:
Do not use "gloss" products. They are pumped with silicones which are essentially plastic. Check the ingredients, they all end in -cone like Dimethicone for instance. It'll build a barrier around your hair, preventing water/moisture to go in. That dims the shine because the hair becomes extra dry.
Use gel instead. Or, for thin hair: a mousse! Right after the shower.
Rice water and rosehip oil/ rose water are excellent! Check out Arab and Indian hair care tutorials for details, they know their shit.
No hairspray. Hairspray ingredients are SATAN and give you the opposite of what it promises. Especially the alcohol that also dries everything out. Plus the promotion of breakage when your hair gets stiff, ugh. No brushing out either. Do nature a favor. No hairspray for shine or anything else. Just moisture.
— If you want to get rid of frizz:
Aloe vera is a miracle. Straight from the plant at best.
Ditch heat-styling. Why? Frizz is just hair begging for moisture. Heat-styling has no benefits. Airdrying with some styling product on will seal in moisture and give definition without the little flyaways and frizzy parts. Cool water helps to close the hair shaft when washing so this has to be the last step before styling.
Sleep with a satin scarf around your head, keeping the hair together. Add a spritz of water before going to bed. Again, moisture.
Brush less. The common saying it to help distribute the oil/sebum from your scalp downwards. But! Let the scalp do its job by itself. Detangle only with a conditioner in the shower. Straight hair can be brushed more but with a brush that does not conduct electricity — bristles are better than plastic and metal. Add an ionic blow dryer to get the static charge in check.
Satin pillow case -> reduces friction at night.
Deep condition once a week. DIY immediate use conditioner with natural ingredients here. 20 minutes, 45 minutes, or even over night depending on what you use.
If your ends are still dry an oil helps. Jojoba oil in particular imitates our natural sebum so it'll be a good helper.
When shampooing, only use it at the roots, rinsing will clean the ends enough but won't strip them off oils/moisture i.e. lack of frizz.
A diffuser is better than a blow-dryer. Especially for curls and waves. Much more control, hair doesn't go into all directions, it's gentle. Low heat setting needed of course.
— If you want less dandruff:
See oil recommendations. Tea tree oil, watered down to make it less harsh, that is good.
Throw away your shampoos with sulfates in them. Of course you get dandruff when you put literal, strong detergent on your scalp.
— If you want color:
Don't do it. Don't dye. Less destruction, more beauty. I'll personally show up at your door to talk you out of it. Bleach in particular is liquid poison. All dye does more harm than good to the hair: The way it looks, feels, and IS on a microscopic level. Dark dye might conceal it but the truth comes out anyways. Dye breaks up everything and sets you up for a vicious cycle. Thin hair is especially vulnerable. And coarse hair is a tough job to dye so you need more color, so the result is the same. It won't look good. Especially your new roots. EW.
Ombre, dip-dye, balayage and so on... don't. Hair ends are sensitive. Dye is aggressive. Not a good couple.
Even tints are extremely damaging. Your natural color is good and meant to be.
If you really want to use dye, there are temporary sprays on the market. Again, be careful with the ingredients there, and your lungs.
When you're bored of your color maybe try getting layers first to add excitement, then we'll talk!
Chances are the hue you want doesn't match your overall look in the first place. Like if your skin has cool undertones and you dye your hair a warm orange you'll look dead. Just like your hair and scalp. Don't do it.
— If you want overall healthier hair:
Ditch the following ingredients in all of your products. Silicones, parabens, alcohol, mineral oil, perfume, sulfates. There are more but those are the main bad boys. They fuck you up and make you buy more products to fix it. Stick to oils and everything that moisturizes while reducing all heat drying and styling.
Split ends must go, you can't glue them together with whatever miracle goo you bought. Before they travel up to your scalp: Chop, chop!
PS: Why on earth am I talking so much about hair you ask. Easy! My mom's a hairdresser. But still, disclaimer: I'm not perfectly knowledgeable, everything works differently for people. Like some can use coconut oil for deep conditioning and for others it is hard to handle. Again it depends on hair porosity, thickness, and how sensitive to protein you are. Check the newer posts of the hair type thread for that.
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Originally Posted by idontgiveaf
