Bad hair day

Reen.Blom · 05-19-2008, 07:59 AM

Since we moved to UK, my hair got mad!

I think the water here is a bit hard ( need to invest in brita filter, because i really dislike the sight of some foamy oily layer on my coffee!).

Anyhow, my hair I think been burnt a bit by the sun but was ok till we moved. Now I really struggle to brush it as it TANGLES like hell

. I changed shampoo and I always use conditioner, but I think Im gonna go totally mad.

I really dunno what to do- I always try to apply masks and treatments, but at the moment I am so desperate, that if I had money for hairdresser, I would cut it short!!! Yes and that's after trying to grow it for years! It is really getting more damaged and frayed. I realy would love to have long hair, but if I have to struggle like that every day??? Maybe rather have a short start???

*curles in the corner and cries*

maylynn · 05-19-2008, 11:39 AM

Aw Reen, don't be sad! I went through something similar after moving to the UK - I think the hard water and air pollution in London make a huge difference to well-being. I definitely noticed my hair/skin/everything changed a LOT when I moved here.

I have very thick, quite coarse and curly/wavy hair and it is very prone to drying out in London conditions. I find the only way that I can keep it in decent condition is use very high quality shampoo/conditioner that doesn't dry it out (I use Aveda Be Curly or Damage Remedy), with an intensive conditioner once a week as well as putting a leave-in conditioner after I shower (again Aveda).

Also don't wash it every day if you can (the natural oils in your hair will protect & keep it hydrated), and don't blow dry if you can! The heat is very drying. The less you do to it the better it will hold up... Because of my curls I just leave mine to dry naturally, and I don't even brush it, I just comb through the leave-in conditioner with my fingers and that's it. If you have to brush your hair (you probably already know this but) never do it while it's wet, only use a wide-toothed comb to detangle wet hair. I also find I have to go for a trim way more often (although I still wait as long as I possibly can to save money) even though I do all of that.

Maybe you already do all of the above, but it took me ages to figure out for myself how to deal with my hair over here so I hope some of it is useful to you.

karena · 05-19-2008, 05:02 PM

You see you're in the wrong part of the UK. Up here we have lovely soft water. None of your southern rubbish. Did you know that Thames Water has none of its own water. It pillages from elsewhere in the UK.

Sorry to hear it though Reen

Caroline_afifi · 05-19-2008, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by karena

You see you're in the wrong part of the UK. Up here we have lovely soft water. None of your southern rubbish. Did you know that Thames Water has none of its own water. It pillages from elsewhere in the UK.

Sorry to hear it though Reen

there you go Reen! come North and try it, even if only to get a good hair do for a few days!

ps I dont know what my exuse is..

Shamsa · 05-21-2008, 11:42 AM

let me give you a good advice: always rinse your hair with mineral water after washing, it's like a miracle! helped me a lot, cause our water ain't that good too!

Moon · 05-21-2008, 09:10 PM

Reen, what is your hair type? (straight or curly? fine? etc.)

I agree with the others. Go as long as you can in between washes. Try to rinse with a softer water. Also, comb instead of brush, especially if your hair is curly. Use a wide tooth comb for detangling, it will be less damaging than brushing.
If you can find/afford it, use a little coconut- or jojoba oil on the length of your hair a few times a week.

And about the cutting, please use the 2 week rule (as is done on the long hair forum

) Think about it for 2 weeks if cutting is really what you want. As long as you're not sure, don't do it.
Remember, if the water is the problem, shorter hair won't make any difference.

Good luck! (and if you're interested: thelonghaircommunity.com)

belly_dancer · 05-21-2008, 10:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shamsa

let me give you a good advice: always rinse your hair with mineral water after washing, it's like a miracle! helped me a lot, cause our water ain't that good too!

what kind of mineral water????

MY story... when we remodeled we moved across town (like 1/2 mile away) for 1.5 YEARS (yeah we are slow!) & my outside water I would notice a chlorine smell when I 1st turned on...
but the REAL issue happened when I got back "home"
after about 2 months (& noticing my son's dirty blonde hair was seeming sort of "rough/sticky/a tad brassy but dull" & accusing him of not rinsing the shampoo out enough) I noticed my hair was GREEN!!!!! yes f-ing GREEN....
like it was in High School when I was a swimmer... of course swimmers shampoo did not help as I was rinsing in the stuff... got a water filter from the health food store (the kind you put in between your shower nozzle & the wall)... it took about 3 months for ALL the green to go away... the filter was supposed to last 1 year... before replacement... but after about 9 months.. noticed the greenness coming back... did not delay this time.. so it went away in about 1 month....
what gets me is... what happened to the water?? when I lived there before= NO prob.... smelled chlorine at the interim house... but no greenness...
& plus BOTH houses are supposedly on the same water supply... so all I can figure is the NEW pipes????? (do not know what they are made from)

ANYHOW>>>> MORAL OF THE STORY>>> try a water filter for YOUR specific problem (when I inquired at the LOCAL health store... she said ... oh yeah... I get a lot of blondes in here!!!!).... another reason to shop local (political message!!)... so maybe your LOCAL store will know the problem???
btw... mine cost about $32.00.. the replacement filter (save the kind you need!!!!) was about $20....

belly_dancer · 05-21-2008, 10:33 PM

oh yeah... but my hair still seems to be breaking off way easier (like it is more damaged than it was/should be)... anyone know of any remedies/supplements/treatments for this????
I am a minimal "suicide blonde"... (just use sun-in to brighten... no HEAVY bleaching/coloring)... my hair is very fine & straight but not totally wimpy (have seen a lot finer!!)

khanjar · 05-22-2008, 02:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reen.Blom

Since we moved to UK, my hair got mad!

I think the water here is a bit hard ( need to invest in brita filter, because i really dislike the sight of some foamy oily layer on my coffee!).

Anyhow, my hair I think been burnt a bit by the sun but was ok till we moved. Now I really struggle to brush it as it TANGLES like hell

. I changed shampoo and I always use conditioner, but I think Im gonna go totally mad.

I really dunno what to do- I always try to apply masks and treatments, but at the moment I am so desperate, that if I had money for hairdresser, I would cut it short!!! Yes and that's after trying to grow it for years! It is really getting more damaged and frayed. I realy would love to have long hair, but if I have to struggle like that every day??? Maybe rather have a short start???

*curles in the corner and cries*

What the UK does to hair, I well know as mine is also long, past shoulder length, thick and wavy which curls and the bottom within a day leading to tangles. Generally, I keep my hair covered, from the sun and chemical laden rain by wearing a hat. Other than that, on advice from;

The LongLocks Salon - Message Boards for Long Hair Care, Hairstyles and Beauty

I massage in Jojoba oil to help with the retention of moisture.

I have just this day tried to straighten my hair with tongs, but am a bit alarmed by how dry it is, not sure I will continue with doing that.

Yes, the oily film on the surface of a coffee, a water filter is the way to go, it does also improve the taste and hopefully removes any residual heavy metals in the water caused by our lead pipes.

Moon · 05-22-2008, 10:02 PM

I forgot another important aspect: minimise use of shampoo on the length of your hair. Only the scalp needs to be washed. If you feel the length really has to be washed, use a very mild shampoo.

What also helps against breakage is not wearing your hair loose during sleeping or when it's windy outside. And if you bleach, only bleach the different coloured roots of your hair and not all your hair each time.

05-19-2008, 07:59 AM	#1 (permalink)
Reen.Blom V.I.P. Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: SA now UK(Newmarket) Posts: 2,262	Bad hair day Since we moved to UK, my hair got mad! I think the water here is a bit hard ( need to invest in brita filter, because i really dislike the sight of some foamy oily layer on my coffee!). Anyhow, my hair I think been burnt a bit by the sun but was ok till we moved. Now I really struggle to brush it as it TANGLES like hell . I changed shampoo and I always use conditioner, but I think Im gonna go totally mad. I really dunno what to do- I always try to apply masks and treatments, but at the moment I am so desperate, that if I had money for hairdresser, I would cut it short!!! Yes and that's after trying to grow it for years! It is really getting more damaged and frayed. I realy would love to have long hair, but if I have to struggle like that every day??? Maybe rather have a short start??? curles in the corner and cries __________________ Join WORLD BELLY DANCE DAY! www.worldbellydanceday.com

05-19-2008, 11:39 AM	#2 (permalink)
maylynn Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: London Posts: 214	Aw Reen, don't be sad! I went through something similar after moving to the UK - I think the hard water and air pollution in London make a huge difference to well-being. I definitely noticed my hair/skin/everything changed a LOT when I moved here. I have very thick, quite coarse and curly/wavy hair and it is very prone to drying out in London conditions. I find the only way that I can keep it in decent condition is use very high quality shampoo/conditioner that doesn't dry it out (I use Aveda Be Curly or Damage Remedy), with an intensive conditioner once a week as well as putting a leave-in conditioner after I shower (again Aveda). Also don't wash it every day if you can (the natural oils in your hair will protect & keep it hydrated), and don't blow dry if you can! The heat is very drying. The less you do to it the better it will hold up... Because of my curls I just leave mine to dry naturally, and I don't even brush it, I just comb through the leave-in conditioner with my fingers and that's it. If you have to brush your hair (you probably already know this but) never do it while it's wet, only use a wide-toothed comb to detangle wet hair. I also find I have to go for a trim way more often (although I still wait as long as I possibly can to save money) even though I do all of that. Maybe you already do all of the above, but it took me ages to figure out for myself how to deal with my hair over here so I hope some of it is useful to you. __________________ http://www.urbanamazon.co.uk

05-19-2008, 05:02 PM	#3 (permalink)
karena Moderator Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: The North, UK Posts: 703	You see you're in the wrong part of the UK. Up here we have lovely soft water. None of your southern rubbish. Did you know that Thames Water has none of its own water. It pillages from elsewhere in the UK. Sorry to hear it though Reen __________________ "Nothing is black and white, it's all shades of grey" Me

05-21-2008, 11:42 AM	#5 (permalink)
Shamsa Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: France Posts: 54	let me give you a good advice: always rinse your hair with mineral water after washing, it's like a miracle! helped me a lot, cause our water ain't that good too! __________________ a belly dancer is a queen, and queens never go on the floor.

05-21-2008, 09:10 PM	#6 (permalink)
Moon V.I.P. Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: the Netherlands Posts: 3,567	Reen, what is your hair type? (straight or curly? fine? etc.) I agree with the others. Go as long as you can in between washes. Try to rinse with a softer water. Also, comb instead of brush, especially if your hair is curly. Use a wide tooth comb for detangling, it will be less damaging than brushing. If you can find/afford it, use a little coconut- or jojoba oil on the length of your hair a few times a week. And about the cutting, please use the 2 week rule (as is done on the long hair forum ) Think about it for 2 weeks if cutting is really what you want. As long as you're not sure, don't do it. Remember, if the water is the problem, shorter hair won't make any difference. Good luck! (and if you're interested: thelonghaircommunity.com)

05-21-2008, 10:33 PM	#8 (permalink)
belly_dancer Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: central coast, California Posts: 569	oh yeah... but my hair still seems to be breaking off way easier (like it is more damaged than it was/should be)... anyone know of any remedies/supplements/treatments for this???? I am a minimal "suicide blonde"... (just use sun-in to brighten... no HEAVY bleaching/coloring)... my hair is very fine & straight but not totally wimpy (have seen a lot finer!!)

05-22-2008, 10:02 PM	#10 (permalink)
Moon V.I.P. Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: the Netherlands Posts: 3,567	I forgot another important aspect: minimise use of shampoo on the length of your hair. Only the scalp needs to be washed. If you feel the length really has to be washed, use a very mild shampoo. What also helps against breakage is not wearing your hair loose during sleeping or when it's windy outside. And if you bleach, only bleach the different coloured roots of your hair and not all your hair each time.