Question

[cleolinda]

First of all, new Secret Life back thataway.

Second of all, I ended up adding/revising a bit on the Michael Jackson entry (you can skip down to "He was formally accused"), because I found out that something that had greatly shaped my opinion of that whole element wasn't true. And I wanted to expand just a touch on why that particular issue is such a problem for me. I don't think of it as backpedaling--it's actually a thornier issue to me than it was before, because I'm less sure now. But I just don't feel like I can say, "People couldn't have possibly been hurt because we want to like this man." But I don't have anything solid--outside of what was presented in court, which was then deemed insufficient to convict--to say positively that people were hurt. But I can't say they weren't either, etc., etc., around and around in circles we go. And that was the whole point of the entry in the first place, that there are all these puzzle pieces I can't make fit together, and I can't reconcile them into a whole. I don't think any of us can.

Third--I have no way to segue from something Profound and Philosophical, so this is necessarily going to sound frivolous and selfish. But: my hair is a wreck. It's brittle and bone-dry, which is making it tangle at the ends, which in turn is making it break off. I know that there's nothing really to fix that except to get the split ends lopped off, but I'd like to try to save the rest of my hair. And also, I'm afraid to go back and see my stylist because I know she'll chop off half of it, and it'll be so damaged I won't be able to argue. So I'd like to get some deep conditioning in before I try to get a trim. The problem is that my hair is naturally very fine and limp (not "thin" exactly--there's plenty of it), which means I have some wave put in about twice a year some to give it any body at all (read: my dirty secret, the Dread Word Perm).

So here's my actual question(s): please, please tell me you know of some kind of really good deep conditioning mask or treatment. The less expensive the better, and if can be made from common kitchen/produce section items, fantastic. Also, I generally use Pantene shampoo and conditioner, which I like, but which my stylist told me is full of protein, which can further dry out your hair--so if you know of something that's good for dry/processed hair (even though "hydrating curls" is the Pantene formula I already use), let me know.

Comments

[shadefell.livejournal.com]

Put olive oil in your hair/scalp, wrap your head in plastic wrap, and blow dry your head. The heat will open up your hair follicles and help your hair absorb the oil. Mashed up avocadoes are also a good hair treatment. You might also want to heat up some water and steep some chamomile (if you are blonde), lemon juice, and honey in the hot water. Let it cool, strain any chamomile bits out, and next time you wash your hair pour this slowly through it as a rinse. Honey's a natural humectant.

Pantene leaves build up all over my scalp, so I don't use it. I mean, I get cruds coating my scalp. It's really gross.

A wooden comb will have detangle your hair and also spread oils from your scalp to the ends. They aren't very expensive, either.

[lisa-zj.livejournal.com]

Cleo, I don't know of any homemade ones myself. I've always used Nexxus Therapy, which is really good (but not cheap). Out of all the stuff I Googled, these sound pretty good.

http://styles101.homestead.com/nathairrec.html#anchor_35838

[shiraz_wine]

I know mayonnaise is a natural way to deep condition hair. This website has a lot of different hair care treatments that you could try.

[ohkaye.livejournal.com]

My mom has unbelievably damaged hair; she treats it with Matrix CurlLife. Maybe try that? I have no idea how much it goes for, but I know that she absolutely loves it.

[lafemmezilla.livejournal.com]

There's a Dove conditioner that is really inexpensive and actually "repairs" hair. I don't know how much it is actually repairing because if I stop using it, my split ends are back in three days. But I've been using it daily for about two years now and haven't seen a split end since (except for when I run out and am lazy about replacing it). I think it's called Intensive Repair Therapy and it's in a blue bottle.

Good luck!

[majormeg7.livejournal.com]

My sister has really dry hair since she often straightens it. She also has very curly hair. She really likes Garnier Fructis' waves shampoo and conditioner and her hair looks and feels much healthier since she switched from Pantene.

[majormeg7.livejournal.com]

I would also try these shampoos in trial sizes to test them out.

[elizardbits.livejournal.com]

I've had awesome results from products in the Redken extreme (http://www.redken.com/products/haircare/extreme) line, although I am not particularly crazy about the smell. Also, in the summer, I'll use their overnight treatment (http://www.redken.com/products/haircare/realcontrol/overnight-treat-night-recovery-treatment) thingy once a week or so, depending on the sun damage to my hair and how much time I've spent at the beach.

Unfortunately, none of this stuff is particularly cheap unless you have a salon supply shop nearby and can buy it in bulk.

[graydown.livejournal.com]

The two things that have really made a difference for my hair are 1) no heat and 2) no shampoo. Either of those makes my hair go all dry and frizzy and evil.

And I love Pantene. I use their "moisture renewal" conditioner every day.

[aquagirl77.livejournal.com]

gahh! don't use mayonnaise, it's really hard to rinse out.

This works great for me, and it's super-cheap:

http://www.amazon.com/Neutrogena-Triple-Moisture-Deep-Recovery/dp/B000GCT6Z2/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1246118927&sr=1-6

[lisa-zj.livejournal.com]

Wow, I'm finding all kinds of cool stuff. Here's a recipe for dry hair shampoo. I'm going to try this.

Ingredients
1/4 cup liquid Castile Soap
1/4 cup aloe vera gel
1 teaspoon glycerin
1/4 teaspoon avocado oil or other light vegetable oil (suggest sunflower)

Directions
Mix together all the ingredients. Store in a bottle and always shake well before using. Apply to hair and allow to sit for a few minutes. Rinse well with cool water.

[misssara11.livejournal.com]

I have dry, curly hair, so I feel your pain. Honestly, if you want something cheap that works like a wonder, try Queen Helene Cholesterol Hair Conditioning Cream (http://www.walgreens.com/store/product.jsp?id=prod8899&CATID=304637&skuid=sku308899&V=G&ec=frgl_737745&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=sku308899) (you don't have to get it from Walgreens, it was just an easy link). It's cheap, it works like a wonder, and one container will last for a long time. You will have to set aside time to use it but it's worth it. Or something that costs more but still it great is Burt's Bees Avocado Butter Pre-Shampoo Hair Treatment (http://www.burtsbees.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=-65&catalogId=10051&storeId=10001&langId=-1). Another one that a little goes a long way.

Also, as one cursed with the dry, damaged hair, I've learned not to wash it every day. Every other day at most. I do two to three times a week (my scalp is not oily or greasy, so I'm not working the slacker hair, promise).

As far as all the time shampoos and conditioners, Sunsilk is great, as is Dove, and Herbal Essences.

Do you use stuff afterwards? Like a leave-in conditioner or serums? I'd do that as well. As said above, air dry, don't blow dry if you can. Wash it the night before and let it dry while you sleep. This helps with not playing with wet hair, which causes frizz. Hopefully, you'll get some ideas!

[opheliet.livejournal.com]

Produce wise, you can use mayo or vinegar. Both work really well.

Store wise, Garnier has some deep conditioning for curly hair that I always use and like- it's a three minute masque and is usually only a few bucks where I am.

There's also v05 hot oil conditioning, which can help some hair types.

[shiraz_wine]

Ooh, that sounds really good. I may try that!

[germankitty]

Well ... I have fine, straight hair (but a lot of it), I've had a perm for 30 years and was sick of it, so what I do now is this -- invest in a GOOD haircut that's determined by my hair, not by fashion/what I would like to have (ie, a chin- to shoulder-length bob somewhere between Katie Holmes and Barbra Streisand). I need a trim every two months, and my stylist trims my bangs in between for free, which works out great. Secondly, I splurge on a good, salon-quality shampoo (by l'Oréal, for chemically-treated hair because of regular coloring) and NO conditioner at all, as too much product makes my hair soggy and limp, and use a good, fine hairspray after styling it myself. Wash every other day, let it dry mostly on its own and just do the final touches for body/contours with a good quality round hairbrush.

In the long run, that's what damages my hair least, is the least work, I CAN style it easily by myself and I like the look.

[hazakaza.livejournal.com]

(I'm not a stalker, I found your lj through your Twilight writings and figured I should follow along since you're fabulous!)

I have hair EXACTLy like yours, and I really like Lush products. Using henna on my hair made it seriously amazing. Henna coats your hair follicile, and Lush Henna stuff is suspended in cocoa butter, so you moisturize the crap out of it. It's seriously good shit.

Here's what I use: H'suan Wen Hua (http://www.lushusa.com/shop/products/hair/hair-treatments/hsuan-wen-hua) is awesome for once a week, Fluff Eaze (http://www.lushusa.com/shop/products/hair/hair-treatments/jasmine-and-henna-fluff-eaze) is good if you're willing to leave it on for longer than the reccomended 20 minutes, and if you're dark-haired (it won't alter your hair color much at all) you should try the henna. (http://www.lushusa.com/shop/products/hair/henna-hair-dyes) I leave mine on for 6-8 hours or so and it really works wonders.

[despairfaery.livejournal.com]

Step over into the african american hair care product section and get yourself some Cholesterol. You may find a lot that will help in that section.

[flossiepots.livejournal.com]

I don't know if they have it in the US but in the UK we have this hot oil stuff which you put on and it brings your hair back to life and its amazing. So you could look out for a similar kind of thing?

[flossiepots.livejournal.com]

v05 hot oil conditioning Thats the one! Get that, its brilliant.

[acaciakitty.livejournal.com]

I had a problem like that. My hair felt like straw! I used the Pantene shampoo and conditioner that is part of the "restorative" line. It says on the bottle that it will repair up to two years of damage within one month. It worked for me.

As for home made stuff, everyone else seems to have suggested most of the things I have heard of. And when all else fails... I google.

[wiliqueen.livejournal.com]

gahh! don't use mayonnaise, it's really hard to rinse out.

It can be, but it's also the only thing that really reliably works for my own very dry, ridiculously fine hair.

I shampoo lightly (mostly at the roots) after leaving it in under plastic wrap for at least half an hour (preferably under a bonnet dryer for the heat, if I can afford to sit still that long and/or if it's not redonkulously hot in my house), and use my regular conditioner and go as usual. Makes a HUGE difference.

The other thing is that I color and have all sorts of weird product things happening due to acting, so I can't make the no-shampooing-at-all thing work, but I can and do frequently skip shampoo and just at the roots with conditioner before distributing it to leave in as usual. It's enough to keep it from getting greasy for several days at a time (at least for me, and it sounds like Cleo's is similar), and avoids the constant stripping of daily shampooing.

[juushika.livejournal.com]

Alternatively, jojoba oil may work better for thin hair, because it's a much lighter oil—the only catch is that you'll probably have to go out and buy it, and it's not as cheap or easy to find as olive oil. But I second an oil treatment, heated or otherwise. Hair will look a bit strange and limp immediately after, but give it a few days and it'll be much improved.

Alternatively also to a wooden comb is a boar bristle brush, which does the same thing but also works more like a common brush, giving hair an all-over smoothness—which can also mean "static" for some folk, but be forewarned. However, do throw away any round paddle brushes or any brushes with offset bristles (where they don't line up in a straight line through the brush). Those are special made for grabbing, pulling, and tearing hair, and can cause breakage and damage like you'd not believe.

The best long run solutions are all preventative—make sure you're only washing the scalp and conditioning the length, decrease the frequency of washings, rinse the length in cool/cold water at the end of your shower, never brush when wet, never use a paddle brush, avoid the repetitive stress of hair elastics. Do that and your hair will be too healthy, in the long run, to require deep conditioning. But failing that and with where you are now, I second this comment.

[tephra]

I have to second this. I have baby fine hair which I color (yay for going gray starting in your early 20s) and Redken Extreme products are wonderful. Also as mentioned, not cheap, but since I keep my hair "short" in an above the collar bob I don't have to use much.

[flutterby456.livejournal.com]

Do you have Herbal Essences in the US? The conditioners are amazing, they work wonders on my hair. I've heard of this 'Vidal Sassoon Deep Conditioning Treatment' thing my friend bought and she said it was really good, but I don't know the cost.
This is a really good recipe for avocado hair conditioner which you can make at home.
http://www.skin-care-recipes-and-remedies.com/hair-conditioner.html

[flutterby456.livejournal.com]

I think that's VO5 Hot Oil? Yeah, I agree, it is amazing.