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Hair Help!

shawnieshawnie Raw Newbie

This will be my second attempt at the “no shampoo” thing. I’m really going to try this time. I’ve even made my boyfriend hide the shampoo, conditioner and hair straightener on me. My only problem is, my hair is FRIED! I’ve dyed it and straightened it SO many times.

From what I’ve read my hair should be getting back to its natural wavy state, but it just looks like a mess. It’s so hard to brush in the morning. I’m using a Boar bristle and a regular plastic one and the plastic one seems to be better at taking out the tangles.

Is anyone here with very damaged hair doing the no shampoo successfully? Should I give it the chop (really don’t want to)??

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Comments

  • queenfluffqueenfluff Raw Newbie

    Hey Valeria,

    Any help you want just let me know (my email is on my profile page). I have been doing the no poo for a year and a half and one thing I have learn is that yeah, unfortunately you should cut off your damaged parts. I didn’t even have chemically treated hair when I started and I could even tell the “old poo-ed area” from the “no pooed areas”. Honestly I could. It is like half my hair is “virgin” hair and half is not. I didn’t cut off all my hair because I just hate myself with short hair but I have been trimming up a storm (I cut my own hair so it is easier for me). I cut about two inches off the other day. I can tell and I only have a few inches of old pooed hair left.

    How long is your hair? My advice to you would be to either have it cut short (or at least as short as you can stand it) OR do the conditioner only no poo. The conditioner only no poo means you can use conditioner but no shampoo – it works well for lots of people. This way until the damaged hair grows out you can keep it sleeker and more controlled looking. You will be able to tell the outgrowth by the color difference obviously – so when you get to the point where you don’t have all your natural color, you can stop the conditioner if you want to.

    I would seriously consider a good trim at least. But yes, “giving it the chop” will make it easier for you. I know how you feel though – I am so picky about my hair – doing the trims was as much as I could deal with.

    Let me know if you need anymore help!

  • Queenfluffy, you used to put poo in your hair? Why would you do that? That just sounds sick.

  • Wait, my girlfriend didn’t say anything about shampoo being bad. What’s the deal with that?

    And Queenfluff, why is conditioner okay but shampoo is bad? Sorry if that is a dumb question.

  • noebones: you better hope I never find you. I will knock that stupid grin off your retarded looking face. I will beat you into a true raw lifestyle. They’ll have to feed you with a straw.

  • raw_willis, why are you being mean to me? I don’t like violence, it scares me, and makes me feel bad when you yell.

  • I’m getting the feeling that you may not be as serious about this lifestyle as the rest of us. If I am incorrect, I truly am sorry, but you seem to be provoking the members of this board that have offered their time and experiences to people like myself that are struggling with this choice.

    Maybe I need a drink.

  • shawnieshawnie Raw Newbie

    Thanks for responding Queenfluff, I was hoping to get a response from you specifically too haha! My hair is about shoulder length. Same as in my profile. I only have about 1cm of un-dyed hair. I would have to cut it at least chin length, and even then the front of my hair is worse than the back.

    I’ve tried the conditioner only, but I don’t like to wash my hair everyday, and I found that I needed to with that method.

    I think giving it “the chop” is my best bet. I’d love to just shave my head and start from scratch, but I don’t think my boyfriend would be too into it, haha.

    Do you know any good “shampoo” recipes, or have any advice as to how often I should be washing it?

  • Please don’t fight. I have seen too much fighting in real life to be driven away from a real nice place to be on the interwebs. Mum and dad used to fight a lot and it confuses me when people fight. When I’m confused bad things happen to me. Please don’t do it.

  • raw_willis maybe you are mad at me because I am much like yourself, struggling with this lifestyle, and the need to eliminate certain things and behaviors. I think you are just frustrated and are picking on me. Please stop.

  • shawnieshawnie Raw Newbie

    If you don’t have anything helpful or insightful to post about THIS HAIR TOPIC, please don’t post anything at all, it’s a waste of everyones, and especially your time ;)

    Thank you.

  • Valeria, I am sorry you feel that way. I won’t bother your conversations again.

  • queenfluffqueenfluff Raw Newbie

    Valeria,

    What sort of style do you have now? Can’t tell from your pic. I think I remember your old pic though. Is it all one length (not layered)? If it it not layered, you can get more of the damage cut off and still keep your length if you do some layers. Yeah, they can be a pain to style and even more of a pain to grow out but at least you will get rid of more damage.

    Maybe you can sit down with your boyfriend and find out what sort of cut he would like on you. :) Find one you both agree on.

    How often you “wash” is really up to you. I water rinse at least every other day. But if you need to do it every day that is fine too. The longer you do this method the less you will need to do the washes. When I first started I was doing every day and it still felt gross but that is totally normal in the beginning. I prefer my hair to be very clean and fluffy so I rinse more often. General rule is if you feel that your hair is gross and too oily, go ahead and do your wash.

    For the “shampoo” recipes, I am guessing you mean more “natural” one you can make yourself at home? There are all sort of things you can to help your hair feel cleaner. Rosemary is really good for getting rid of the oilies (make a tea and let it cool and pour through your hair and rinse out). Lemon is good too – but because of your fragile hair state I would dilute alot. Sea salt with water is also good too but in your case use not too much sea salt because it can be drying.

    Here is a link with great homemade recipes for hair and skin. Some of the shampoo recipes do contain soap though – I would try the rosemary one. What you do can do is use the soap ones highly diluted with water – meaning too use as little as possible just to get your hair clean and that is it. Plus only lather for a sec and rinse right away. The hair really doesn’t need a ton of shampoo to get clean. Most people use WAY to much and they end up with dry hair.

    Here is the link: http://www.longlocks.com/hair-care-recipes-cook…

    Edit: Oops, I forget to mention this. I rinse my hair out for 10 minutes usually. I use a massage setting on my showerhead and it help get anything off the scalp and help remove buildup from the hairs themselves. Your hair will get cleaner if you rinse longer. I wasn’t doing this in beginning when I started and soon figured it out by experimenting. If I don’t rinse for my ten minutes, my hair doesn’t seem clean enough. I also have a shower filter. Very important to have one of those if you have chlorine in your water.

  • What’s wrong with shampoo?

  • rawmamarawmama Raw Newbie

    Valeria – I was reading in a book that raw honey is an amazing treatment for damaged, dry hair. You need to keep it on your hair for 30 minutes and it is supposed to really help repair damaged hair. I don’t know how easy it will be to wash out without shampoo, but am guessing that it will come out easier than olive oil. Warm olive oil also is an amazing hair treatment, but is difficult to get out, probably very hard with just warm water and no shampoo. Hope this helps…

  • queenfluffqueenfluff Raw Newbie

    rawmamma – Good suggestion. Honey WILL be hard to get out of the hair without shampoo. Mostly because it will get sticky and hardened and dry up. If you use it, I would mix it with something else and you will need to keep it moisturized (like with water) so it doesn’t dry out.

    Once hair is damaged you really can’t technically “repair it”. Yeah, I know the hair companies say you can but you can’t – They are just trying to sell you yet another product – once you change the structure with straightening and coloring the damage is not reversable – that is why they call it “permanent” hair coloring or “permanent” wave. The products that say they can “repair” your hair are just articifal coatings meant to make your hair look better so it LOOKS “repaired”.

    I used to believe I could “repair” my hair too and I used to be a hair dresser so yeah, I had like 30 bottles of stuff in my shower. Not saying it didn’t work to temporarily make my hair look better but you still have to continually use the stuff until you grow the damaged hair out and cut it off.

    I have tried a few “deep conditioning” methods and they do make your hair look and feel better while you are waiting for new healthy hair to grow in but just so you know you haven’t really “repaired” anything because it really isn’t possible.

    If you do the honey use very little and mix it with something like bananna. I made a bananna/coconut milk mix and put it on for about 15 minutes and my hair was nice and soft. Yes, it took longer to get out so you have to rinse very well but it was a nice “treatment” to do. I also juat put coconut oil on my dry area (you only need to use very little). One time, I put a whole avocado in my hair and it turned out too oily. It took a few day for the oilies to go away but my hair was nice and sleek. Use less avocado next time! :)

  • raw_willis – to answer your question about what is wrong with shampoo, just read the label. There are so many chemicals in shampoo, and it is really unnecessary. When people eat a raw diet, they eventually lose the stinky body odor and their hair usually gets less oily. Many people try to limit the amount of chemicals that enter their body, whether eating them or putting them on their hair and body which gets into their blood stream.

    Using shampoo isn’t the end of the world… you don’t have to avoid it. But you might find one day that you don’t need it like you used to.

  • Thank you. I just shaved my head. It seemed easier.

  • I’d love it if my chick shaved her head. Heck yes! I’d do it without telling him. If he hits you for cutting your hair, you know he wasn’t meant for you.

  • I’d love it if my girlfriend shaved ANYTHING. She hasn’t shaved her legs or armpits in years. It kind of grosses me out, but it sort of turns me on, too.

  • raw_willis, please don’t get mad at me, but maybe if you shaved yourself all over, she might do it too. I was told by someone here to be nice, and being shaved is very nice.

  • Wait, are you guys saying no to shampoo, does that mean duche is bad for us woman too? Forgive me if my question is out of line, I really am trying to be healthy. I dont think my girlfriend will mind if I cut my hair real short, but I do not know if being intimate would be the same if we cant shampoo or use our lady products.

  • KevlarKevlar Raw Newbie

    Idk, if I go a week without shampooing, I start to develop this cheese-like crap on my scalp, so I’ve just been using Avalon Organics’ all-natural shampoo.

    Thanks for those recipes, queenfluff. ;-)

  • Dr. Bronner’s. Organic, free trade, vegetable oil soap. Good stuff.

  • shawnieshawnie Raw Newbie

    Queenfluff- my hair is pretty layered right now, and I also have bangs that I usually just sweep to the side.

    Rawmama- I’ll have to try the honey thing, thanks!

    My boyfriend told me last night that he really doesn’t want to me to cut my hair, I tried to explain everything to him but I don’t think he understands (or cares).

    Rawry- maybe I should ask you out instead? Haha.

    One thing I’ve heard is that the damage from your hair will travel up your hair shaft and eventually it will all “split” and end up with frizzy hair. Anyone know if this is true?? I don’t have too many split ends, but they are there. My ends are so damaged that everytime I brush my hair, small pieces will just snap off the ends, so it’s really just getting shorter everytime I brush it!

    If I cut my hair, massage my scalp regularly, and eat well do you think my hair might have a chance of growing faster? It seems to grow so slow now (no doubt it’s the dying and straigtening).

  • You look pretty attractive from your picture, but I’m afraid that it wouldn’t last long-term. I most certainly wouldn’t care if you cut your hair off, that would be awesome. All sorts of great fantasies revolve around a woman with a shaved head. I’m sure your hair would grow back in without all that damage as well. That too would be hawt (or do we say rawt here?). But I’m also an American, you’re a Canadian. That’s like oil and water, or a medium-rare filet and raw peas. Something like that. If you need me to talk to your boyfriend, I guess I could do that, but it sounds like you need to find someone more like me.

  • Hi Rawry! Earlier you asked me ASL? I don’t have ASL I have DSL.

  • That’s great, NB. Is your connection raw?

  • No, it’s wireless.

  • Lol, that noebones picture makes me laugh. I like him.

  • Rawry, what is that on your plate? I’m really hungry now.

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