How do I get smooth and silky hair?

[CatherineL]

Pantene coats your hair with a substance called "salysilic acid" (sp?) that is also found in some other shampoos.

Salicylic Acid is used on the skin... and as the name 'acid' it breaks down the glue that holds the dead skin cells together - it is a form of exfoliation and is also known to be used to treat warts and fungal infections. It is not used in Pantene; it is however used in anti dandruff products and is not a 'bad' compound.

What Renee is meaning is that Pantene, among other products on the market (even some from hairdressers) leave a coating of silicone and also cause a protein build up. This build up is not removable other than growing the hair out and having it cut out. It causes problems with chemical treatments like perms and chemical straightening and hair colour isn't as effective as it should be. After a few weeks the silicone coating breaks down, leaving the hair unmanageable and damaged. You might see some women with beautiful roots and terrible lengths... above is the cause of this.

Not all products that leave a coating of silicone are bad, in many cases people with very damaged hair from excessive bleach etc. can actually leave a better result.
Products that give you that instant smooth and wow feeling, usually have left some form of silicone coating on the hair. Great hair isn't something that happens over night... it takes allot of maintenance. Using cold water when washing hair, towel drying hair before applying conditioner so it can be absorbed - otherwise the hair is full of water and can't absorb the product and so you’re basically just pouring your products down the drain. If you've got the coin, replace your conditioner with a treatment every wash - which should be every 3-4 days, not everyday and ensure it's not a protein treatment. Too much protein is norty. O o o... and the reason why the really cheap shampoo and conditioner is frowned upon is because it's basically detergent... you might as well grab your dish washing liquid and foam up the hair with that. That's why some people feel as though their hair isn't as 'clean' when they use a quality wash because it doesn't leave that squeaky feeling the cheaper ones do. It strips the hair of everything including all the good natural oils your hair should contain which is part of having healthy and beaut looking hair.

But in saying all that - I am just trying to be informative, each to their own and everyone should use what works for them... just because a gf recommends shampoo that works wonders for her doesn't mean it will for you - everyone's hair is different and needs different things.

Gidget - have you got some breakage?

[Amelia]

Also the silicone in pantene can coat your back when you are washing your hair and cause your pores to get blocked and cause pimples!!!

[Shanti]

damn! thats what i meant "silicone" not "salycilic acid" sorry girls!!! but you were knew what i meant.... LOL thanks Catherine!!! i knew it started with "s" haha! I wrote it in a hurry, as always!!

What catherine says i agree with too, and also try and avoid "Sodium Laureth/Lauryl Sulphate" it's naughty naughty...it's a poison (toxic) commonly used in soaps, shampoos and conditioners, that can lead to hair loss, skin irritation and so much more... lots of these effects occur after long term usage and over the years... initially we don't notice it. it's a toxic chemical (man-made) so you make up your mind if thats what you would like on your hair and body... i know i stay away from it... among other things too. Just check out your label on your products each time and be "aware" of what you are using... anyway i dont want to go on about it!!!! sorry its just my opinion too and from what i have researched... im just saying try and buy products that DO NOT have this in them.... they are also found in kids shampoos etc which i find frightening....

[GIDGET]

Oh ladies, thank you for so much great advice. Sorry, it would take me too long to thank you individually.

Okay, I only bought the Pantene because it was on special! So this will be the first and only bottle.

Catherine - I have just had a trim so I don't think there is much breakage.

I have very fine, limp, straight, hair - BORING! So it just flies all over the place. It also tends to be oily but goes dry on the ends - when I have tried leave-in conditioners in the past, it has just been grease on grease - yuck!

I am going to have fun looking at all the things you have suggested at the Supermarket on the weekend!

Ryn - thanks for the tip on the lip balm.

[CatherineL]

Gidget - i don't know how bad your fly aways are since i can't see you. But women with really bad fly aways usually have breakage which can be caused from your hair being stressed, hair ties or hair being damaged and over processed.

How often do you wash your hair if you don't mind me asking? And if your hair is like that on any shampoo and conditioner, then it's not working for you and get off it. When you wash your hair, you only shampoo the roots? Don't apply shampoo anywhere but the roots, the shampoo rinsing through the ends is enough to clean the ends unless you have a product build up it's good to do it every now and then. When you condition, do you apply to the roots? If you do, don't only apply to the lengths and keep it away from the scalp. It's really the lengths that need that nourishment as they don't get enough oils from the scalp. And lastly, what leave in hair treatments did you use that didn't work out for you? When you do apply your leave in products, don't apply too much (when you touch your hair again, you shouldn't be able to feel the product on there i.e. wet or slimmey, always warm it in your hands first so it's thinner and again only apply to lengths - you should find doing all those things will help your roots not get so oily. Don't bother wasting your coin on leave-ins at the supermarket - because most of them do cause product build up, and if your hair is fine the last thing you need is build up and coating that will just weigh your hair down. I know many women just love those schwarzkopf leave-in sprays you can get from supermarkets, but leave them alone, they aren't suitable for your hair type. A serum will give you shine, but again will weigh you down with build up and leave you feeling a little oily the next day. If your hair isn't damaged, you just need a basic quality moisturiser - and since your hair is fine if you pick up a good one, it will last you about a year because you really don't need as much as you think.

[Hollybolly]

Gidget,

Now this may sound strange, but I can promise you it works, I have been doing it for a while now, and it has made a HUGE difference!!!

Once a week I mash up an avocado and put it through my hair!!!
Shampoo, then mash the avocado through your hair, leave for 5 mins, rinse out and then condition as normal.

You will see & feel the results as soon as you have dried your hair - It makes my hair shinier and silkier... and keeps it from being crazy & frazzled with the horrible wind & weather!!!!
My hair ATM is waaaay overdue for a cut, colour & treatment - I just haven't had the time, but I have had so many people comment on how healthy my hair looks - all this week - and I put the avocado through it on Monday.

It is apparently full of natural oils & replenishes the oils back into your hair & scalp that the shampoo & other hair products strip it of.

Just a little tip I picked up a while back, but my hair loves it

Love Holly
xxx

[Shanti]

egg and lemon juice mixed together are great for your hair too!! (once a month)

[GIDGET]

Thanks for all your advice Catherine. I take it that you have professional knowledge of this stuff. I wash my hair every second day because of the oiliness - too much? I am probably guilty of over washing with crap shampoos - hair damage? I don't use hair ties - haven't put my hair up in ages, it is short now and not long enough! No, I shampoo all over, never knew about just doing the roots and rinsing through the ends - geez - I could save so much in shampoo! I can't remember what leave-in products I used because it was so long ago and it didn't work so I never went back! Next time I go for a trim I'll ask my hairdresser what she recommends!

Hollybolly - avocado - sounds messy! But I am sick of looking crazy and frazzled!

Renstar - egg and lemon juice, I am going to have to go grocery shopping for my hair!

Thanks for your help!

[CatherineL]

Gidget - You’re washing your hair too much, which is also probably why you have such a problem with your roots getting oily! You've overstimulated the glans in your scalp. Washing the hair strips the hair and scalp of all the good oils it produces and so if your wash it too often your glands think 'uh o too dry, not producing enough oil' and go a bit crazy. But in saying that, if you've just had a baby or are pregnant, we all know that wreaks havoc also. There are all sorts of products you could try for greasy roots, keep it simple and easy. Firstly cut back on washing your hair, every three to four days is plenty. You will find however that it will take your hair a couple of weeks to get used to the change. So start with washing your hair every three days and then take it back to every four days until your hair starts to produce less oil. Wash your hair in cold water.. I’m not sure where you live, it may be freezing where you are... but try not have the water too hot on your hair and when you get out of the shower, if you can rinse your hair in cold water it will do the world of good for your hair. Make sure you quickly towel dry hair before you condition and keep conditioner away from the scalp and only use it on the ends, I’m not sure how short your hair is, but try just rubbing a small amount over the back of the head and then liberally apply from the nape down. Other little things you might like to do to help your oily situations which might seem a bit yucky.. but leave your hair oily for a few days (if you can do it in a couple or washes in a row - I think you'll see an improvement in oil production) when you don't have anything planned, make sure your brushing the oil through and wear a hat or tie the hair up if you can. Or another old one you could try, is using a little almond or olive oil in your hair, to make it artificially oily and confuse the glands. At first it will be yuck, but persevere with it! When you go into a salon, they will only try and sell you product to rectify your problem, but I’m confident if you try these things you will see a great difference. Try and use a nice gentle shampoo also, not one that's too stripping I think you will find once you cut back on washes and your hair starts to find a good ground again, your issue with fly always won't be so bad.

[GIDGET]

Oh Catherine - I have been washing my hair every second day since puberty because of the oiliness. That is over half a lifetime of retraining!! Really!! It would only take a couple of weeks! I will have to plan my shopping trips, the kids activities and generally when I can avoid being seen in public to those days were the hair is going unwashed - I really can't stand the grease! I am guilty as charged of overwashing!

I am in Melbourne, so the cold water thing might be a little unbearable ATM - can I leave that one until summer? I'll just try to have the water not too hot - I am definitely guilty of that one!

I never knew that you were meant to towel dry before conditioning - geez, this is so much more complicated than I ever knew - no wonder my hair is not very compliant!

Olive Oil - I am right out of olive oil right now - I will have to go grocery shopping. I will leave that until tomorrow - I am trying the not washing the hair thing today, so that tomorrow it will be three days between washes!

[Bathsheba]

Haven't read the whole thread so sorry if I'm just repeating everyone else.

Best way for healthy hair is to avoid "supermarket" shampoos and hot styling tools. Keep it simple and as close to nature as possible. I think a lot of hair products just provide short term "quick fixes" that impress the consumer at first but leaves them unhappy with the result in the long term.

One product i do love though is MooGoo shampoo. It has the same irritation factor as water. But it still lathers nicely and smells gorgeous. Check out their website. I don't have shares in the company just a very very happy customer.

ETA: if you are wondering what the cleaning agent is: (from their site)
Our main cleanser, Capric Glucoside, is made by combining glucose with a fatty alcohol. This cleanser was originally developed for baby wipes. It has virtually the same irritancy as water, and is safer in the body then coffee, salt, baking soda or aspirin, according to LD>50 tests. Unfortunately it does not taste too good.

We add another coconut derived cleanser called Sodium Lauroamphoactetate. This is a patented way of making the blend of cleansers even more gentle on the skin.

[GIDGET]

Thanks for the tip Bathsheba - I'll check the website.

ATM I am trying Catherine's scalp gland retraining trick - it is driving me nuts - now I am off to wash my hair before the kids wake-up. Hey Catherine, yes - it has been 3 whole days!!

[CatherineL]

Nice work Gidget!!

[GIDGET]

Bathsheba - I checked out the website - looks like they have some good stuff and ethics too! My hair is oily - so natural cleansers struggle to cope - when my scalp glands get retrained maybe then I can look at something like MooGoo!

Another tip from their website:

An excellent way to have really shiny hair is to rinse the hair with some apple cider vinegar (or normal vinegar but it smells) and water once a week. Then shampoo as normal

Catherine - I did the only washing the roots thing - towel drying and then conditioning. Okay - I did NOT do the cold water thing - sorry, just too cold, but had the water not as hot! When DH came home last night he commented how clean my hair looked - he NEVER does that. I don't know if that is because it was looking so shockingly dirty and greasy the day before because I hadn't washed it for 3 days or whether all this stuff is making a difference. Nice to get a positive comment though!

[Jodie259]

WooHoo for getting a comment from the DH. I cut half my hair off at times, and my DH either hasn't noticed, or hasn't commented

It's a hard transition to go for every 2nd day to every 3-4 day washing... but it's worth it (and you save a fortune in shampoo too!). I used to wash my hair every day (years ago)... and it would have oily roots. Now I can go for 4-5 days and it still looks fine! Mind you, I only blow dry it when I'm going out somewhere special.

I think the main consensus from most of the posts is to get some quality shampoo & conditioner. This will be easier to justify if you don't need to use it every second day. And also - you really don't need to use much of it. I have noticed that with shampoo and skincare products... you seem to need more of the 'cheaper' stuff to feel like it is working.

[Bathsheba]

I wash my hair once a week... usually on a Friday...it's not as oily as it used to be when I was younger and when I used to wash it every day. I agree, I don't mind spending $17 on a bottle of shampoo if i only use it once a week.

[Jodie259]

Know where you're coming from Jelvie!
But you may have some excema on your scalp which could be causing the itching.
And it would be difficult for you to go from daily washing to 3-4 days in one hit. I would suggest a transition. Every 2nd day for a few weeks, then every 3rd day.

And again - what shampoo are you using? If there is a chance that you've got excema on your scalp - you may need a special shampoo. I can't be sure - but I think the anti-dandruff shampoo may be able to help ?? I would talk to a chemist or maybe a GP about it. Either way - avoid the supermarket shampoos. I would also avoid blow drying if you can. Definately don't blow dry your hair daily!! That would make your head itchy, your hair oily and your scalp working overtime in oil production.

[Bathsheba]

MY DH used to wash daily because of his psorasis for the same reason until he started using MooGoo shampoo and it improved, now I think he just rinses it in the shower every 2nd day. It seems to come back when he is stressed though.