The care and keeping of long hair

[Antisocial_Worker]

Any tips for a guy growing his hair out? I've had long hair twice in my life and cut it short twice. Last time I cut it short it was almost to my waist. The problem I'm encountering now that I'm growing it out again is that I pull out a handful every time I wash my hair, which is making it both frizzy and thin. Currently it's down to my shoulders. Almost, but not... quite... long enough to pull back comfortably.

On a friend's advice, I'm trying to only wash it every other day now, plus I got some de-frizz conditioner to go along with my dandruff shampoo, which I don't really have much of a choice but to use.

I'm using a boar-'s bristle brush rather than anything plastic, because I've heard those kinds of brushes are the best for one's hair.

Any advice is appreciated! Thanks...

[Green_Fairy]

i used to have hair down to my butt, then cut it off. now i'm growing it back out. here's some rules for ya

rule 1: never brush your hair wet. always use a comb. using a brush, even boar bristle can really damage your hair
rule 2: try to let it air dry as much as possible. using a hair dryer every day can damage it.
rule 3: if you can, try using a shampoo and conditioner that are for weak hair. you mentioned dandruff and i'm pretty sure head and shoulders has one for brittle hair.

good luck!

[Cazzi]

I'm having the same problem at the moment. I've found "leave in" conditioner or hair serum helpful with the frizzies & keeps tangles down to a minimum.

I've also become a fan of the Aussie Moist conditioners & serum.. little bit pricey but good

[JoitheArtist]

Unsurprisingly, I am a huge fan of Lush hair products--I find that their Jungle conditioner keeps my flyaway hair detangled for days, leading to fewer split ends and damaged hair. Make sure that when you're combing your hair, you start at the ends and work your way up to the roots.

Another thing: you can actually lose a fair amount of hair during sleep because of friction with the pillowcase. For the last few years, I've take to tucking my hair up in a cap at night--makes it less tangled in the morning, and reduces friction.

You might also join the forums at www.longhairloom.com, they have great advice there (and they looooove long-haired men! )

[Cat]

I had a problem with hair fallin out......I'm taking some B12 (they are cherry flavored!) and my hair is all happy now

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Hmmm...is your hair falling out, or breaking off? What is the texture of your hair, is it coarse or fine?

I am a hair farmer from way back. My hair is currently about the legnth that a bra strap hits my back and it's shorter than I used to keep it. Your hair will thin as you age (I mean the hair shafts themselves) and the texture will change. So you will have less hair. But if you are losing handfulls of it, we probably ought to figure out why.

I dont' even wash mine that often, I wash it once, maybe twice, a week. I have no dryness and no split ends. That boar bristle brush will help spread your natural oils around. I second that you should never brush it wet. And use a wide tooth comb.

[Antisocial_Worker]

It's not so much a handful per se as much as enough to roll into a little ball. Sometimes a ball of frightening size, but still a little ball. My hair seems neither fine nor coarse... just average, but perhaps I'm misunderstanding you.

Sorry to say, I've been brushing my hair wet the entire time with the boar's bristle brush. However, my hair has ended up curly and shiny so I'd like to hope there's been no harm done.

The basic procedure for washing is I apply the dandruff glop and wash, then apply a goodly amount of conditioner and smooth it from top to bottom, then finger-comb it until I'm sure it's there from scalp to tip. It's in this finger-combing process that the hair comes out.

I keep telling myself that the average person loses a hundred hairs a day and I'm just noticing them because they're longer and rollable, but still... It would appear that the hair is coming out from the roots, because I have hair of different lengths growing out all over my head, hence frizz. It doesn't seem to be breaking off all that much.

What I've gleaned from the answers so far is that I need to buy a good comb and perhaps think about taking B-12, plus look into a strengthening shampoo. Does anyone have anything to say about Mane and Tail Shampoo? I know a lot of long-haired women who swear by it.

Sorry to ramble, but I just worked 12 hours and I'm typing this before bed.

Edit: I just checked into Lush haircare products. The one and only store in North Carolina that sells them is about six hours away from me. No go, unless I want to order online, which I don't really feel comfortable doing... I want to be able to check out my options in person.

[iradney]

I'm busy growing my hair out at the moment too (from a short pixie cut, to a jaw length right now). I use Redken Extreme Anti-split. Bout a dime sized dollop sorts my hair out - put it in towel dried hair and leave it. Doesn't seem to leave any build up that I can find, and my hair doesn't break that easily anymore, plus no split ends! I never blow dry, and I very rarely flat iron as well.

I also swear by hair masks - if you go to a gym that has a sauna, you don't even need to buy a horribly expensive hair mask. Just get some good conditioner, massage it in, and sit in the sauna for a few minutes - when I do that, my hair seems to literally soak it up, and it's hair-product-ad shiny and swishy afterwards....

[Jack]

When I was growing my hair out I found the MLHH useful.

[Green_Fairy]

Another thing: you can actually lose a fair amount of hair during sleep because of friction with the pillowcase. For the last few years, I've take to tucking my hair up in a cap at night--makes it less tangled in the morning, and reduces friction.

another solution...satin or silk pillow case. you're hair will slide all over that like fish on a deck.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Oh, wait a minute...you have curly hair?

How curly is it? If your hair is curly enough, the curls will impede natural hairfall. You do lose hair every day, but if you have very curly hair, it won't fall. It will just hang in the curls till you wash, pull, or brush them out.

Half my family and my husband have telephone cable ringlets. You'd think my husband was going bald by the hair he leaves in the shower, but he isn't.

[Antisocial_Worker]

Oh, wait a minute...you have curly hair?

How curly is it?

It's curly enough to be wavy and do that 1800's sausage curl thing at the ends.

[Food Lady]

Haunted, your hair is like mine, then. Stop brushing it. It already tends toward frizz, and brushing doesn't help. It's true you'll lose a lot when washing because the loose hair gets all stuck in the rest. I wash 2 or 3 times a week, and spray down with water the other days and let dry. When I wash I pull out the loose hair w/ my hands (I have a drain cover to catch.) I let conditioner sit to detangle, and pull more loose hair out before rinsing. I always squeeze some leave-in condtioner into my sopping wet hair and then wrap a towel around it while still in shower. Weird? Yes. Does it work? Yes. And you can also check out www.naturallycurly.com

[Magpie]

I know that it's been mentioned that every other day is too often to wash hair, but I recall hearing that curly hair should be washed even less often than other hair types. Anyone know yea or nay on that?

[taurinejunkie]

it's been mentioned that every other day is too often to wash hair

What the?
What I've been told is that washing it every single day is absolutely mandatory. Can someone clarify this, tell me why I should/shouldn't wash every day like I've been doing for quite some time?
I'm OK with the hair I have the way I do things, but if changing my habits will make things better I'd like to know.