My Current Routine In Summary.

I've been asked by a reader to summarize my current hair routine and treatment program in one post. So of course, I'm going to do that. Now, I know how drastically different every head of hair is, even people with hair of my own hair type, but I'll do the summary of my regimen for the record. I'll be making a page with this summary for ease of access.

Washing: Every 2 or 3 days (I try to stretch it to 3): I wash my hair using the CO method. I am currently using cone-free conditioner, usually the inexpensive Suave Naturals.

I then rinse with a mild apple cider vinegar rinse. I use about 5 or 6 tablespoons of vinegar to 2 litres, or approximately 8 cups of water. I use that as a final rinse right before getting out of the shower.

I leave the towel on my hair for no more than 10 minutes and then I add a pea-sized amount of conditioner to my length as a leave-in. I'm currently using Burt's Bees Super Shiny Grapefruit and Sugar Beet conditioner.

I do not comb or brush my hair when it is wet or damp, with the exception of my bangs, which are short. I let my hair air dry and then I begin to finger comb it as it dries. Only after my hair is dry will I comb it with a horn comb.

Nightly: I put my hair in a bun on the top of my head after a short session with a boar bristle brush. I secure it with a scrunchie or a clip.

Oiling: I use a total of 6 drops of jojoba oil to my hair from the ears down when my hair is almost dry. I put 2 drops in my hands, rub them together and smooth the hair from one side of the head between my hands. I repeat with the other side and then repeat with the back.

I use the same amount of oil again right before bed, and lightly brush it through with a boar bristle brush. I do that each night until the next wash.

Deep Oiling: I like to do a deep oil treatment once every 2 weeks or so. I soak my hair in either extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil for at least an hour, sometime for several hours. About an hour before I wash, I put conditioner on my dry, oiled hair, bun it up, and leave it until I wash. This ensures that the excess oil comes out. Because oil and water don't mix, it's best to add the conditioner first, rather than wetting the hair and trying to shampoo it out.

Protein Treatment: About once a month I do a protein treatment. I like Joico K-Pak. I like to leave it on my hair for an hour before COing.

Deep moisture treatment: I also do this every two weeks or so. I use one part honey (I microwave it for about 30 seconds so that it doesn't lighten my hair) to 2, 3 or 4 parts of conditioner, depending on how I make it that day. I put that in my dry hair (sometimes I dampen it lightly with spray bottle of distilled water), and completely saturate my hair with it from root to tip. I cover it with a plastic grocery bag and then cover that with a towel. I leave it in for at least an hour. When I get into the shower, I add some water to my scalp, work it in well, and treat the mixture as a CO. I rinse it out as I would a usual CO.

Occasional treatments: When my ends feel crunchy or velcro-like, or if my hair is getting very dull, I will clarify my hair. The shampoo I use for that is Herbal Essences Drama Clean. I always moisturize my hair very well after clarifying.

Sometimes I do a coconut milk soak. I soak my hair in full fat coconut milk, cover it with a plastic bag, and cover that with a towel. I use CO to remove it.

Once in a while, I do a mayonnaise treatment. This would be in the place of a deep oiling, and has the added benefit of protein as well as being a very good pH for the hair and scalp. I use full fat mayonnaise and I wash it out with conditioner only.

Colouring my hair: My hair is dyed, and I touch up my roots only every 4 to 6 weeks. I always coat my hair in coconut oil overnight or for at least two hours before the touch-up, in order to help prevent peroxide damage.

I think that's pretty much it. It sounds like a lot when all written out, but really, it's not a lot in terms of actual time spent or dollars spent.


Well, we had quite a storm last night, and it brought on a major migraine. It will be early to bed for me, as I try to banish this latest bout, which is a real blaster.

I am happy to say that despite this migraine, my spirits are much better in general today than they had been for a couple of weeks.

'Til tomorrow, my friends. Much love to all.
xo

Sometimes It Really IS Hard To Trim

Thank you for the nice comments to yesterday's blog entry. I really am happy with my colour, my hair is shiny and I have no split ends. I don't know why I felt the need to apologize for the photo just because the ends looked uneven due to bun dents, but that's how it is sometimes in the world of Crazy Longhairs; we are our own worst critics.

Lulu made a very interesting point in her comment yesterday. She said that having a small trim seems like such a big decision all of a sudden. I don't think that there is any committed longhair who can't relate to how you feel.

Now, in my first year of growing, I had considerable damage from the days before I knew how to care for my hair. My hair had previously been blow-dried, hot-ironed and over-lightened. It's not surprising that after 9 months of growing without any trims, my hair was covered with splits and was extremely thin at the ends. I was just a whisper away from waist length, but the bottom 6 inches were see-through.

My decision to dye my hair medium brown, which required two full-head dyes did not help matters. My hair looked pitiful and felt like straw. It was the easiest decision of my life to cut off those six inches and have a fresh start.

A year later when it took repeated dyeing to get back to my blonde shade (before I knew about the wonders of coconut oil protecting from peroxide damage), again, it was easy to chop off six inches of visible damage once again. I even cut off a further two or three inches. For the next year and a half, I merely maintained my above APL length, so I was trimming frequently.

Once my hair felt healthy enough to start growing again, this past January, suddenly trimming has become very difficult. Logically, I know that for me, trims are essential. My hair is so fine and so straight that any true unevenness shows up like crazy and thin ends simply are not for me. Yet doing that mandatory trim is getting harder and harder to want to do.

My head and mind know very well from experience that where my hair is concerned, the old saw, "A stitch in time saves nine.", surely applies. My emotions and my heart on the other hand, are getting excited about reaching that next goal.

And so with that disconnect between head and heart, the decision to trim when necessary suddenly becomes huge.

The bottom line is that I have to be strict with myself, assess my needs honestly and be disciplined enough to trim when it's time to trim.

In my case, I trim when my hair begins to look uneven. Other times, it may be that I can simply feel with my own hands that it's time to trim.

If my ends feel like velcro and I've tried the usual first aid of clarifying and then doing a deep moisturizing treatment and that hasn't worked, then chances are that it's time to trim.

Having learned the skill of trimming and cutting my own hair and bangs has proved to be invaluable. As I've mentioned before, I use Feye's Self-Trim Method, with excellent results. It still amazes me that I, who can't draw a straight line to save my life, or cut a straight line freehand on a piece of paper, can cut my hair successfully.

To this day, I've never unintentionally cut more hair off than I wanted.

In any case, this month was slated to be my trim month, but since my growth rate has been slower than normal this summer, I may hold off until October. I've given my hair an extra day of rest since I touched up my roots on Monday, so I won't be washing until tomorrow morning. I'm going to do a deep moisture treatment, comb my hair straight down and really look at my ends. If they're uneven, then I trim this month. If they're still okay, no trim until October.

I think I'll have a photo taken of my ends combed down so that I can really see it clearly before I make my decision. Whichever decision needs to be made, I'm going to make sure that I post about it and stick to it, without regret.

I have realized that I really do have to let my brain do the talking when it comes to my hair and not my emotions.

I think it's hysterical that I've written so much on the topic of trimming just a half of an inch, but that's the way it can be with Crazy Longhairs. In any case, I'll let you know tomorrow what the verdict is.

'Til then, my friends. Love to all, and extra hugs to anyone in pain.

Another Rainy Sunday

I was hoping to touch up my roots today, (it's been 5 weeks already), but I still have the combination migraine and cluster headache that I woke up with on Sunday. So I haven't even been able to drag myself into the shower as yet today, let alone think about colouring my hair.

The weather this summer has been the absolute worst for a migraineur, and I hate to say it, but this year I really won't be sorry to say goodbye to the summer.

So yes, Lulu, we did get the rain last night, overnight and into today. It was really coming down last evening. I hope that you got the rain in your neck of the woods. I'm about halfway between Toronto and Niagara Falls, at the inner elbow of the lake, and where we are positioned geographically, the weather that hits Toronto or Niagara Falls sometimes bypasses us due to lake effect. Not this time though. I hope that you got the rain that the Niagara Region so needs right now.

As far as the coconut oil that I use, I use a very common brand, Spectrum. I found it at a local health food store, but since then I have found it in regular grocery stores as well. Although unrefined coconut oil is the preferred oil by most people, I don't like the coconut odour, so I use refined oil. Clearly it is still effective for me.

I should make it clear though that coconut oil doesn't generally thicken one's hair. In my case, I believe that it has protected my hair against the peroxide damage from hair dye, thus preventing the early breakage that I used to get.

Coconut oil also helps hair, whether coloured or natural, to retain protein. If you don't colour your hair, or use a permanent wave or straightener, it's unlikely that you will suffer any severe protein loss.

A lot of people like to use coconut oil on their ends daily, but it's too rich for everyday use for me. However, different hair types like different oils. Also, many people, including myself, like to use it as a pre-wash deep oiling treatment. I have found that it can make my hair feel softer.

If you have crunchy or velcro ends, remember that usually that's a sign of buildup and the go-to first step to remedy that would be to clarify your hair and then use a deep moisturizing treatment such as a cone-free conditioner mixed with honey.

AutumnLeaves, I agree that it's best to leave well enough alone, but I'm here if the siren call really gets to you.

Thank you again to everyone for your well wishes and kind comments.

'Til tomorrow. Much love to all.

Protein Overload.

An anonymous commenter mentioned yesterday that her hair was feeling crunchy from having too much protein in her hair.  While we need both protein and moisture in our hair, we can overdo it at times.

Products with protein can be a lifesaver for people with over-processed hair.  If you have a perm, or if you've coloured your hair one too many times, your hair may feel spongey or sticky when it's wet. This is a sign of protein loss. If you stretch a wet hair and it doesn't spring back to shape, then your hair is likely lacking in protein as well.

There are a lot of excellent products that contain hydrolyzed protein and help to make protein-deficient hair look and feel more healthy. One of the best upscale products of this nature is Joico's K-Pak.  It's a deep moisture and protein treatment. The protein in it is hydrolyzed, meaning that the protein has been processed in such a way that it can penetrate the hair shaft. There is protein hidden in many other regular drugstore brands too.  If you look at an ingredients list and see the word "hydrolyzed" in it, then it's likely that it contains a protein.  Some proteins come from soy, silk, whey and wheat.

While protein is essential to hair, if you don't need protein, and you continually use protein products, you can end up with protein overload, which will result in your hair feeling crunchy at the ends or having velcro-like ends.  This is much the same as the result of silicone build-up.

A lot of people are baffled when their hair seems to have a lot of buildup, even if they don't use silicones.  Too much protein is frequently the culprit.

If you have protein overload, then it's a good idea to clarify your hair as I described in this entry. Then make sure to moisturize well with a deep treatment, like the conditioner and honey treatment described in that entry as well.  Make sure that the conditioner you use to make the deep treatment contains neither silicones or protein.  There are several inexpensive conditioners that do not have silicones or protein, so it's not an expensive proposition to use this deep moisture treatment.

Once you've rinsed out the deep treatment, then you can use a silicone conditioner if that's your preference.  Discontinue using any conditioners with protein until and unless you need it.  And remember, if you do use silicones, you will have to clarify and deep moisturize from time to time.

I wish to extend my thanks once again to my faithful readers and to my new readers.  You will never know the depth of my gratitude. Love to all.

'Til tomorrow, my friends.

Mayonnaise Treatment For Hair

Chances are that you've heard about using mayonnaise as a deep treatment for your hair.  Chances are that you've never tried it. I remember first reading about mayonnaise treatments in my teens, and I did try it back then on my perm-damaged hair. I liked the results then, but I forgot about it along the way until just a few years ago.

A mayonnaise treatment is an excellent choice for when your hair is feeling dry or damaged. It has a perfect balance of moisture, protein, oil and pH level. Some people think it works like a miracle. I wouldn't go that far, but it is a great go-to treatment for when your hair is stressed for any reason. It's also very easy to use, as it's pre-mixed and you don't have to have any preparation time.

I do suggest this treatment for when you're home alone, unless you share a home with people who don't mind your minor eccentricities.

The next time you see Hellman's (or Best Brands) Mayonnaise on sale at your grocery store, pick up a jar. Consider marking the label with an indelible pen, so that you remember that this jar is for your hair only. This is purely for sanitary reasons.

The treatment is best done on clean, damp, but not wet, hair. If you use silicone-based products, be sure to clarify first, as I described in this entry.

When your hair is damp, just start slathering on the mayonnaise from the roots to the tips of the hair.I always use more than is probably necessary, but that's okay. Your hair will only absorb so much.

After the mayo is worked through your hair, loosely bun your hair on top of your head and cover with plastic. I like to use plastic grocery store bags that may be hanging around the house, because I can handily tie the bag up with the handles.  Sometimes, I then cover the bag with aluminum foil.  This really helps hold the heat in, and allows for even better absorption.

Cover the whole mess with a towel, and as with the coconut milk soak, it's a good idea to have an extra towel to drape over your shoulders, to catch any drips.  And there will be drips.  This is not pretty.  The results are worth it though.

Try to keep the mayonnaise on your hair for an hour or so.  Then shampoo out with your regular shampoo. If you use conditioner only, you can also use just the conditioner to wash it out.

You may want to shampoo it twice.  Don't panic if your hair still feels oily after the second shampooing. Shampoo does not get oil out of the hair as well as conditioner does. While it sounds counterintuitive, oilier products actually remove oil better than shampoo does.

Make sure that you use a lot of conditioner.  You'll need it to remove the excess mayonnaise.  Work the conditioner into your hair well, and try to leave it on as long as possible.

Rinse for at least three minutes with lukewarm or cool water, and follow if you like with an Apple Cider Vinegar rinse.

That's it!  I suggest keeping a jar of mayonnaise on hand for one of those days that you feel like giving your hair a treat. You will find that your hair is smooth, shiny and healthier feeling for it.

Coconut Milk Soak

Now that the weather is getting humid, even I, with my usually flat hair find that my hair poufs out a bit, and my new growth surrounds my head like a halo.


For me, this is the perfect time for a coconut milk soak. There are few deep treatments any easier than this one, but it does do a lot for my hair. It’s moisturizing, oil replenishing, and leaves me with very smooth and shiny hair.

This is a treatment that I learned from Stephanie, at The Long Hair Community.

I buy regular full-fat coconut milk from the grocery store. Some people use half-fat, but my hair can take full-fat at this point, especially as I still have chemical damage on the ends. Full-fat really gives the most benefit.

I don’t like getting too much on my scalp. I like to focus on the length of my hair. I would suggest that for people with a dry scalp, you may want to use a full head treatment.

After opening the can of coconut milk, I find that the fat has separated from the milk, so I pour it all in a bowl and whisk it all together.  Then I put the bowl in a sink and dip the length of my hair in the coconut milk.  I gently work the coconut milk into my hair until it is saturated. 

Usually at that point, I gently bun my hair and cover it with a plastic bag, and then cover that with an old towel.

I like to leave it on for an hour or so.  It can be a bit drippy, so I like to have another old towel to put over my shoulders, just in case.

If I am in the mood for a long bath, I will pour any remaining coconut milk in the bath, which makes a very nice moisturizing body soak and naturally, the dripping doesn’t matter.

After I’ve had my hour’s soak, I wash my hair with my usual conditioner only method. Of course if you are a shampoo and conditioner person, by all means, shampoo your hair first. Make sure to use a lot of conditioner though, because conditioner removes the excess oil better than shampoo does.

It’s one of those treatments that is especially good during the change of seasons, when in winter the heat goes on in your home or at work, or in summer when the air conditioning is starting up everywhere, but it’s hot and humid or even hot and dry outdoors.  It always seems for me at least that there is an adjustment period for my hair during these times.

This treatment is so simple, but it really is a treat for the hair. If you give it a try, let me know how you like it.

Love to all!

The Silicone Debate

A lot of people don't realize that most hair products contain silicones.  There is a lot of debate as to whether using silicone-containing products is good for the hair or not.

There are benefits to silicones and there are drawbacks.  Having an informed opinion, and knowing how to care for your hair if you use silicones is very important.

Silicones do provide a lot of slip to hair, and prevent tangles very well.  They can provide shine, smoothness and they seal in moisture.  They can also help hide chemical damage and split ends.

The downside is that they also seal moisture out, and they do create buildup.  Eventually, this can lead to dull hair and potential breakage.

So if you feel that silicone products are beneficial for you, here are some tips on how to prevent problems down the line.

1.  Clarify hair.  I wrote an entry on April 9, 2010 that explains how to clarify your hair.

2.  Do a deep moisture treatment with a non-silicone based moisturizing conditioner.  I described a good moisturizing treatment in that same April 9, 2010 entry.

3.  When that is rinsed out, use the silicone-based conditioner of your choice.  There are also many smoothing and shining serums that contain silicones as well.

4.  Periodically, repeat the clarifying and deep moisture treatment process.  This will prevent the hair from damaging buildup, dullness and dryness that can occur with regular silicone usage.


I myself was on a regimen of non-silicone based products for about 2 years.  After dying my hair from dark brown back to blonde, I incurred damage that still remains in the last several inches of my hair.  It will be some time before it's all trimmed out. So I do use silicones now, and will likely until the damage is gone.

Most hair products these days have a full list of ingredients on the bottle.  Here is a comprehensive list, compiled by Nightshade from the Long Hair Community, of most of the most common silicones that are found in hair products.

There is no right or wrong when it comes to silicones.  It's all about what works for you and your hair, and knowing how to care for your hair if you use them.

Wishing everyone a wonderful Earth Day!

Beautiful Quiet Spring Sunday

Well, it was pretty quiet until a black squirrel started making all kinds of noise on the deck. I thought it was a crow, it was so loud.

Anyway, lots of sunshine and it finally feels as though spring is really here.

I did do my deep moisture treatment with 1 part honey and 2 parts conditioner today. My hair isn't completely dry yet, but I can really feel the difference. Nice and silky smooth again.

As a timesaver, instead of rinsing my hair prior to applying the moisture treatment, I thoroughly dampened my hair with a spray bottle of distilled water. When I got into the shower I added a bit of water, worked the conditioner with my fingertips and then put my hair up in a clip while I did my remaining showerly duties. I then rinsed my hair for about 3 minutes and finished of with a mild apple cider vinegar rinse. I use just a few tablespoons of ACV in a pitcher of water. It not only gets rid of the excess conditioner, but restores the natural acid mantle of the scalp. It also tends to close the cuticle of the hair, thus creating more shine.

I also cut my bangs. I think that I may have cut off about 1/8 of an inch too much, but that will take care of itself in about a week.

I think tomorrow I'll post a hairstyle photo here and add it to my website. I don't know yet what style I'm going to do, but I think I'll do a half-updo. Half-ups are a great way to protect the top layers of the hair (or the canopy) from damage. They're also a great way to do updos that your hair is too short for.

For example, at the moment I can't do a Figure 8 bun at my current length, but I can do a figure 8 half-up style. I love going through the various phases of growth and seeing what hairstyles do and don't work.

Well, it Sunday, it's a beautiful day, all is right with the world and that's about all I have to say for today.

Bangs, Fringe--It's All The Same

I've had bangs all of my life, with the exception of about 2 years from 2006-2008 when I grew them out. I loved the way they look grown out, but with my fine, straight hair, they were always in my face, and I had to clip them back, even when they were well grown out. I finally caved and cut bangs again.

Not everyone is a fan of the fringe, but I guess it's just part of my identity. I'm including a photo of me at the age of 10. Basically, I have the same hair style now as I had then. After years of perms, curling irons and even crimpers (yipes) in an effort to have bigger, wavier hair, I've finally come to love my straight hair, and I find it ironic that I wear my hair the way I did when I was 10. It's all come full circle.

My hair grows fairly quickly, so I need to trim my bangs every 2-3 weeks. Fortunately, I have a good pair of scissors and I've learned to trim them myself. It's quite easy. In fact I cut the bangs I have now from the grown out bangs myself. I am quite pleased that I don't have to worry about going to salons for those trims anymore.

So, today, the bangs are falling in my eyes, and I guess it's time for a trim. Again.


The clarifying yesterday went well. I didn't end up having time to do the hour-long deep conditioning, so I loaded my hair with a ton of conditioner in the shower and left it for about 5 minutes. I'll have to do the deep conditioning tomorrow.

Nonetheless, my velcro ends are gone, and my hair feels less tangly. So if you ever find that your ends are tangling, don't forget; clarify before doing anything else, like getting a trim.

I can't say that my hair looks any different after clarifying, but it feels different and is better behaved. So much about hair is not visible to the eye but is visible to the touch.


After a gloomy week of rain here in Southern Ontario, I'm delighted that the sun is out again. It looks to be a promising week of Spring weather. I hope that everyone is having a great weekend.

Off to trim the bangs.

Velcro Ends OR: Time to Clarify

Every few weeks, no matter how well I care for my hair, the ends tend to get a bit tangly or "velcro-like". Usually this means that there is buildup on my hair, and that means it's time to clarify and deep moisturize my hair. Today, I'm noticing velcro ends, so I think it's clarifying time.

It's easy to clarify one's hair. Some people mix a bit of baking soda with their regular shampoo to clarify. While that works well for some, it's too harsh for my hair.

Many drugstore brands have special clarifying shampoos, which is what I use. They basically strip all of the buildup from product, environment, and even some elements of hard water from the hair. I no longer use mousse, gel, or hairspray, but buildup is pretty much inevitable. Clarifying is very easy and fairly quick. I rinse my hair very well, apply clarifying shampoo and work the lather through to the ends. I leave it for about 3 minutes and rinse extremely well, making sure as I can that every trace of shampoo is gone.

Of course now my hair is stripped and exposed, so this means a very deep conditioning treatment. My favourite is a blend of moisturizing conditioner and honey. I use a mix of about 2 parts conditioner to one part honey. I warm the mixture up in the microwave for just about 15 seconds. This prevents the honey from lightening my hair, which can occur.

I apply a generous amount, (about 1/2 cup for my hair's current length). I work the conditioner through to the ends, and then I cover it with plastic. I often use a plastic grocery store bag, as it's easy to tie around my hair. I cover that with aluminum foil and cover that whole mess with a towel. It's not exactly a pretty sight, and is best done when I'm home alone. Of course, it doesn't always work out that way, so I do get a bit of teasing once in a while.

I leave the deep conditioner on for an hour at least, and then rinse it out completely. The difference in my hair is amazing afterwards. It's soft and silky and feels like new hair.

It sounds like a lot of work to some, but it's just like a spa treatment for my hair that I only need to do every few weeks.

So that's what I'll be doing either tonight or tomorrow. I'll let you know how it goes.

Now if I could just figure out what to do about these dishpan hands.