(unfortunately i just got a haircut so any pictures i might take wouldn't really showcase the problem)
so
my favorite hairstyle, generally, is reasonably short- a 2 clipper on the sides and back, with the top scissor cut shortish
it pretty much looks like this:
when my hair is like this, i am mostly fine. i've used a few different shampoos (usually with tea tree oil), and as long as i shampoo pretty regularly i can keep my flakes at bay
but
a.) eventually i start to develop 'real' bangs and general length, and i don't want to have to get a haircut every few weeks
b.) eventually i want to 'try' other hairstyles
and the issue is that my hair gets brittle
it starts to look kind of dry and frayed and like hay- i don't really know the terminology, but i guess it has no 'body'
sort of like when you're out in a really harsh wind and afterwards your hair looks kind of beat up and dead?
that's how my hair often looks, when i let it get some length/weight
this is with like, hair cream- and soon after a shower, so it's not so bad
but if i ever let my hair get that long, i pretty much have to choose between
a.) flakey
or
b.) dead looking
how do i get the best of both worlds? what practices or products do i need to implement?
Posts
gotta say though
you look good in those pictures, 'chu
you can be my frankenstein anyday
It's pretty epic and don't let the campfire smell dissuade you.
First off, your regular drugstore dandruff shampoo is murder on dry hair. I used this instead:
Second, I don't use it every time I shampoo. Do you shampoo every day? You probably shouldn't. Shampoo every other day, and then alternate between a dandruff shampoo and good moisturizing shampoo. I like this stuff.
Finally, are you exercising right now? I find my dandruff gets worse when I'm not sweating on a regular basis.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
yeah feral i'm running around 30 miles a week
There are basically four active ingredients on the market for dandruff:
- Pyrithione zinc (Head and Shoulders)
- Selenium sulfide (Selsun Blue)
- Coal Tar (T-Gel)
- Ketoconazole (Nizoral)
Try each one! One of them is going to work better than the others.
I personally find that pyrithione zinc and coal tar work best for me. Nizoral makes it a lot worse, and selenium sulfide doesn't work quite as well as the others. But YMMV.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
Especially this:
This is the best stuff ever for dry fine brittle hair.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
These are all great recommendations and I would try them in the order that Feral has them listed. The thing to remember with the head and shoulders and selsun blue is to make sure you shampoo them in and then leave it on for at least 5 minutes before washing it off. If you don't let it absorb into your scalp it won't do anything for you.
I'm not sure if you're using conditioner, unless "hair cream" is conditioner. If you aren't, then you should since that's the best defense against the whole brittle hair thing.
One more thing: Tea tree oil can be allergenic and can actually be worsening your condition so I would use that with caution.
Also what helps is NOT shampooing your hair every day. You can get it wet, run your hands through it, get the water all over your head, but dont use shampoo. Everyones a bit different in how long they can get away with it, but i generally only shampoo every 4th day or so. If you have really oily hair you might only be able to skip one day, if you have really really dry hair you might be able to go a full week. Not shampooing every day has drastically improved my hair and my scalp, i used to have pretty bad dandruff, now i dont really have any.
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Well, I tried them all, in that order actually and the only one that worked for me is Nizoral. I used to have it really bad, but I used Nizoral daily until it went away and now I just use it once a week with that Biolage Matrix shampoo listed above for the other days. My hair is the best its ever been.
As her hair grows out it is brittle and her curls fray out. The only thing that has helped her is to use aloe vera gel (100%) on her damp hair (as if it were product), and her hair markedly improved. She now occasionally uses an alojoba shampoo/conditioner since the aloe was such a success, i think its bumblebumble brand.
I have pretty good like with the otc t-gel shampoo; I also often carry some facial lotion to rub on my frontal scalp when it gets really dried out.
The advice about not shampooing every day is also good. Skin is pretty decent at regulating moisture, but washing too often can throw things off.
If you really want to wear your hair longer, it might be best to seek the advice of a professional stylist. That'll be expensive and you'll probably wind up spending to try a bunch of different product, but it really is a matter of finding something that works for you.
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
After Selsun blue/Head and shoulders did nothing for me (my head would stay itchy even while I was washing it), I tried a shampoo called "Nourish + Moisturize" and it was like a lightbulb appeared over my head. Its by Aveeno who is, apparently, really well known for their products for treatment of skin conditions or some such (this knowledge later came in handy when I got shingles).
Another thing you can do which seems to help is coconut oil. You put enough virgin coconut oil in to coat your hair and leave it in for anywhere from an hour to over night, and wash it out. Seriously. Just try it.
http://www.ehow.com/how_5000732_use-coconut-oil-hair-treatment.html
-Current W.I.P.
I'd also worry that you're apparently about to be killed!
I think it eventually turned into that Matrix product someone else linked. Try that.
In my experience, some of the shampoos have made the condition worse, some of them have made it better for a bit and then stopped working, and some of them smelled fruity, but did nothing else. Nothing worked the way it was advertised, (denorex smelled nasty and made the condition worse) so I got a prescription that works wonders.
-Current W.I.P.