Let's talk hair!

kuwisdelu said:

I know I should probably go to the salon more often.

But how do you women keep up with all these things anyway?

I decided to start shaving my legs recently, and it's a pain to keep up...

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I go to my hairdresser and she says, "Oh, you again. I thought you switched salons." And I'm like IT'S ONLY BEEN A FEW MONTHS OKAY.

Some of us quit shaving in the winter. Long pants and all.

Lillith1991 said:

Hmmm. Deffinitly recomend leave-ins and sealing then. Are the conditioners you use more on the heavier side or the lighter one? Because you may actually just need a couple really good conditioner and a few drops of oil to seal once your hair is rinsed. It could also be how often you wash, but I'm not sure. To me it sounds like you wash 1x-2x weekly, so it seems more like a product issue as supposed to overwashing.

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I used to wash it about 2x weekly. As I mentioned, I wash it a lot more often now, but I've noticed no difference between before and now in terms of how it falls.

ViridianChick said:

I go to my hairdresser and she says, "Oh, you again. I thought you switched salons." And I'm like IT'S ONLY BEEN A FEW MONTHS OKAY.

Some of us quit shaving in the winter. Long pants and all.

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I don't own a single pair of shorts because I think hairy boy legs are ugly.

Lillith1991 said:

Hmmm. Deffinitly recomend leave-ins and sealing then. Are the conditioners you use more on the heavier side or the lighter one? Because you may actually just need a couple really good conditioner and a few drops of oil to seal once your hair is rinsed. It could also be how often you wash, but I'm not sure. To me it sounds like you wash 1x-2x weekly, so it seems more like a product issue as supposed to overwashing.

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I'm never really sure what to look for in a conditioner.

The one I'm using now says "nourishing moisture" with aloe vera and avocado.

I think that's good, right? It's also silicone-free.

Lillith1991 said:

What are you using for shampoo and conditioner? My hair hates silicones and sulfates so I just don't use them. I've found that sulfate/silicone free shampoos and conditioners are what my hair likes best. Maybe your hair thinks like mine?

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Um. You're going to scold me, but uh, Pantene. I KNOW I KNOW it's probably terrible. I'll see what else I can find here that are free of sulfates and silicone.

Oooh, a hair thread! I like hair. Has anyone tried Dove's new curly line? I'm a sucker for cute advertisements, but I don't want to waste my money. I haven't looked into whether it's sulfate free.

kuwisdelu said:

I know I should probably go to the salon more often.

But how do you women keep up with all these things anyway?

I decided to start shaving my legs recently, and it's a pain to keep up...

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I NEVER go to the salon. Once a year, tops. They always charge me like $100 because my hair is a long, thick, hot mess (and I usually leave looking even worse, because they don't know how to style it).

I also shave my legs only *slightly* more than once a year

ETA: To answer the OP's question, my hair is a huge part of my cultural identity. I became comfortable with my racial heritage around the same time I learned how to manage my curls (and be proud of them and love them).

Kuwi - leg-shaving is a total frikkin' pain in the ass. I stopped doing that years ago, but luckily my legs are pretty hairless anyway, so nobody's even noticed. Have you tried waxing?

Lillith1991 said:

It's what I use! I use that and Kiss My Face whenever shampoo, or a cleansing conditioner to wash my hair. Makes a good leave in for me as well, though I'm thinking of trying something designed to be one again. Also makes a good base for deep conditioning btw. I like ayurvedic oils, or coconut to add to it if I need a boost of moisture and slip.

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Hmm maybe I should just try leaving some conditioner in my hair then.

Putputt said:

Kuwi - leg-shaving is a total frikkin' pain in the ass. I stopped doing that years ago, but luckily my legs are pretty hairless anyway, so nobody's even noticed. Have you tried waxing?

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No, waxing sounds a bit scary. I don't even use a real razor, just an electric razor.

Fortunately, my legs and feet are the only parts of my (other than my head) that are hairy.

Does it kind of poof like a triangle, Kuwi? In my experience, that really can be just from having a lot of hair. Growing it even longer will help that, too, if that's it.

The product I mentioned is not available any more (Garnier Polishing Wax). You could just use a little on the bottom half of the hair and it kept it from having the excess volume if you didn't try to fluff your hair or anything while you put in on. Maybe it was the hold in it that made it work?

I only use products for hold now on my baby hairs. They are the craziest part of my hair I have to use super-hold products to get them to behave. In the sweaty summers, they still boing up and do their own thing I wouldn't mind if all my hair were like that, but it looks silly to have such tight curls only by my forehead!

backslashbaby said:

Does it kind of poof like a triangle, Kuwi? In my experience, that really can be just from having a lot of hair. Growing it even longer will help that, too, if that's it.

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Yeah. It's probably just from having too much.

It sounds like you are talking about Cassia or Henna (reddish dye). I did try it for a few months. It loosened the curl pattern in my hair and gave it massive shine but it was very drying and time consuming.

My mom likes the John Feida anti frizz spray when she is down south, but her hair is shorter than mine. I usually find a conditioner that works for a short span of time, and then does nothing.

I will keep an eye on this thread for suggestions! It isn't just summer either; it's winter with the dry heat.

It's the humidity or any moisture that does mine in, so I love the winter, lol. The suggestions I use for myself for frizz are too much for thin hair or hair that isn't frizzycurly, though. I literally use Neutrogena dry body oil on my hair and it works better than any 'heavy-duty' leave in conditioners

I have lots of hair, too, and it's courseness varies from coarse to fine. The strands are lots of colors as well (but they blend together en masse). I'm like a calico!

thisprovinciallife said:

I also shave my legs only *slightly* more than once a year

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That's about my leg-shaving schedule. I tend to shave in summer, when I want to wear skirts and remember that I haven't shaved in a while. In winter, it's another layer of insulation.

kuwisdelu said:

Actually, I have a question on my half-Zuni, half-white hair.

I need something to weigh it down. I like wearing my hair down when I can, but I have so much volume, it has a tendency to poof out.

I always ask stylists to thin it as much as they can because I have too much, but even then, it just goes out, despite being very fine, straight, and smooth.

Any suggestions?

Edit: I actually like how it looks after I've worked out, because the sweat weighs it down. Of course, then it's sweaty, which is icky, so I don't want to leave it like that!

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I'm wondering if your hair is similar to mine. How long is your hair? My hair is straight when it's short and straight when it's past shoulder length, but in between it goes crazy without intense styling because there's enough hair for there to be a wave to it but not enough weight to weigh it down, and thus it poofs and sticks up at odd angles.

The solution in my case was to either have really long or really short hair. You might decide to style it, but I found it too much of a pain.

Hapax Legomenon said:

I'm wondering if your hair is similar to mine. How long is your hair? My hair is straight when it's short and straight when it's past shoulder length, but in between it goes crazy without intense styling because there's enough hair for there to be a wave to it but not enough weight to weigh it down, and thus it poofs and sticks up at odd angles.

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Trying to style my hair is pretty futile.

I usually like to wear it medium-length (right at my shoulders).

My hair never sticks out. It just goes out, due to too much volume.

My husband has too much hair and I don't understand why they can't just transfer some of it to my head. Why wouldn't I be able to carry his hair when I can carry his babies. (the doctor said no way).

Kuwi, try Moroccan oil. My sister owns a salon, so I get to try a ton of products. I have a lot of hair. I'm blonde, and my hair is extremely thick, but fine, if that makes sense. When I use Moroccan oil after a proper blow dry, it just lays better, and has better movement. Plus it smells really good. I recommend getting the good stuff from a salon though. At least a small bottle or a sample to give it a try.

Kuwi, have you ever had longer hair, though, or would you be willing to try it out? It still may be a matter of weight with your hair. Also, do you blow-dry your hair, or can you try it?

Have you guys read about whatever Giuliana Skeleton Rancic said about Zendaya's dreads at Oscars? Here's an article about the whole thing here.

I've been following this thread, but haven't had much to add, and I hadn't heard of Zendaya before this popped up on my homepage this morning, but Zendaya's statement reminded me of the things y'all have been discussing.

"There is already harsh criticism of African American hair in society without the help of ignorant people who choose to judge others based on the curl of their hair. My wearing my hair in locs on an Oscar red carpet was to showcase them in a positive light, to remind people of color that our hair is good enough. To me, locs are a symbol of strength and beauty, almost like a lion's mane."

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