Questions on dealing with long hair for guys.

January 13, 2009 1:02 PM

Do you use conditioner? Hair Dryer? How can I prevent my shower from clogging up with my hair? How do you prevent/stop your hair from being frizzy?

I have a bit more than shoulder length hair and I'm wondering if I should be using conditioner and a hair dryer? I seem to be getting what appears to be dandruff on my hair but sometimes its in clumps. I'm thinking it may be that I may not be rinsing the shampoo off completely during my shower, though I'm not sure. I was wondering if anyone else has had this? I'm also thinking is because I don't dry my hair with anything, I just keep going about my day.

Also a question that I have about shedding, which I couldn't find an answer in this thread.

http://ask.metafilter.com/39988/A-Human-Shedding-Hair-Like-a-Cat

I seem to be clogging up my shower with my hair getting inside, is there something people do to prevent this sort of thing?

And lastly, how does one get their hair to stop being frizzy? I live in a very humid climate and my hair seems to just get more frizzy through the day. What can I do to stop this?

posted by spacesbetween to clothing, beauty, & fashion (16 answers total)

For the shower issue: have you tried a mesh drain trap? You can buy them anywhere (got mine at Target), but here's an example.
posted by ALongDecember at 1:10 PM on January 13, 2009

To prevent your hair from clogging the drain, buy a catcher, like this.

Back when I had hair nearly to my butt (thick, dark, and with a tendency to frizz), I only washed it every other day or so (but rinsed with water daily) and used conditioner most frequently in the winter. I put the conditioner on the longest parts of my hair, not on my scalp. I never used a hair dryer.

Can't help with the frizzies. I just lived with mine.
posted by rtha at 1:12 PM on January 13, 2009

To fight frizzies: yes, use conditioner (doesn't have to be expensive but try a lot of brands to find one that works for you) and do not use a blow dryer. I recently started having to blow dry my hair again (since it is so damn cold waiting for the Metro) and it is frizz city.

You might want to also try a leave-in spray conditioner.
posted by JoanArkham at 1:17 PM on January 13, 2009

Also, to minimize frizzies, NEVER ever touch your hair, especially the top, with your hands while it's drying. If you see frizzies forming your first thought is to smooth it down, but don't! Wait it out and then when your hair is dry run a brush through the top of your hair, the frizzies will go away. And if you have curly or pretty wave hair, don't brush your hair when it's dry, only brush once when it's still soaking wet and then air dry. Brushing it makes curles and waves pouff up and get frizzy.
posted by KateHasQuestions at 1:23 PM on January 13, 2009

Is your hair curly or straight? Curly hair is more likely to be dry because it is harder for natural oils to penetrate/distribute along the shaft. Either way, making sure your scalp and/or hair isn't overly dry and a good cut will help the frizziness- a cut that allows the hair to lie closer to the nautral growth pattern is more likely to look smooth. For instance, curly hair with raggedy ends (as opposed to well cut layers or a blunt cut) will look messy all the way up, not just at the bottom because the hairs making up each curl will be different lengths and therefore weights, and thus uncoil at different lengths.

Re: shedding, a balanced diet (enough zinc and protein especially) and the time of year are the main influences I have found. The one thing that bothered me in your question is the description of your hair loss as being in 'clumps'. This is a little more significant because the health of your hair and nails can be an indicator of what else is going on with you. Medication side effects or a health issue you may or may not be aware of could be the problem.

Past all of that, a styling product containing silicone (I think) is supposed to smooth out hairstyles- can be found in many drugstore brand products.
posted by variella at 1:25 PM on January 13, 2009

Definitely start using conditioner. Even the cheapest stuff will dramatically improve the appearance of your hair. If you still have frizz, try applying a hair serum or a spray-on conditioner while your hair is still damp.

For shedding and dandruff clumps, the best solution I've found is to spend 5-10 minutes combing my (dry) hair and scalp before my shower a couple times a week. Doing this keeps dead skin cells from building up and becoming dandruff, and sweeping up the dry hair that falls out is easier than dealing with shower clogs.
posted by homuncula at 1:25 PM on January 13, 2009

Yes to a drain trap and double yes to conditioner. As for the frizzies, whether or not to blow dry depends on your hair texture. My hair is thick but very, very fine. If I air dry it, every strand basically wants to go in a different direction, whereas if I blow dry with a brush, I can get it all much smoother and less frizzy. However, if you have curly hair, airdrying is probably a much better bet. Either way, there are serums and creams (most have silicone in them) to put in after your shower to add smoothness. These will also help with, but not eliminate, humidity frizz. My hair is extremely humidity sensitive, so on very humid days, I've just learned to put on a bit more serum and live with it.
posted by mostlymartha at 1:41 PM on January 13, 2009

I once had hair so long I could sit on it. In addition to a good conditioner (and no, you don't have to get the super-expensive kind - Aussie and Garnier Fructis are two good drugstore brands) and a drain trap, brush or comb your hair gently every day.

I couldn't wash my hair everyday and still can't, because it turns into hay on my head. But I use a natural-bristle brush or wide-tooth comb and gently brush or comb it. The hair (and scalp flakes, ick) that naturally shed wound up in my comb or brush and not the drain or vacuum cleaner. If your hair has a tendency to frizz, a comb or "hair pick" might be better for you.

Now if you are shedding "clumps" of hair or big chunks of dandruff you might want to see a doctor. You could have a scalp condition, endocrine imbalance, or dietary deficiency.
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 2:08 PM on January 13, 2009

To prevent getting too much hair in the drain, comb your hair before you get in the shower, and then run your fingers through your hair to catch any loose hair. Ideally, you should do this outside or on a tile floor because long hair is a pain to get out of the carpet.

Also, nthing the drain trap. I find that it helps to clean it every day, otherwise it gets really gross.
posted by hooray at 3:46 PM on January 13, 2009

Yes, use conditioner. 'moonMan's hair is longer than mine and he uses conditioner religiously. The man has some seriously great hair. (He has brand loyalty to TresEmme and buys it practically by the gallon.)

Though I do wish there was a way to keep it from ending up in the shower drain. *sigh* You can get those hair-catcher thingums, which will at least stop it from *clogging* the drain, but you're still going to have to remove yucky hair blobs. Such is the price of beauty.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 4:05 PM on January 13, 2009

I really, really like Frizz Ease Secret Weapon Flawless Finishing Cream to control frizz, and so does my boyfriend, who swims and has chlorine hair. It's cheap and you can get it at the drugstore. It's the only thing I've found like it: no hold or stickiness or mousse-iness; it's just like your normal hair but not frizzy. There's a whole range of Frizz Ease stuff, but you only need the finishing cream. Highly recommended.
posted by miriam at 5:12 PM on January 13, 2009

For shedding -- remove hair from your drain every time you use the shower, or as often as possible. Take Biotin and a multivitamin.

Towel-dry your hair and apply a teaspoon-sized amount of a silicone-based styling product or a hair straightener and work through your strands. You may opt to blow-dry.
posted by bondgirl53001 at 6:45 PM on January 13, 2009

Okay, this sounds gross and IS gross to people who don't have long, sheddy hair, but whenever hair comes off in my hands when I'm in the shower, I stick it to the shower wall rather than rinsing it off. I just grab it all off the wall at the end and toss it in the trash. I've been doing this for years and haven't had a sink clog since. I guess it's like having a drain trap, but you're the trap. Skip the middleman!

I think this is a trichotillomania thing...I have known several people with some form of hair pulling or skin picking habit and we all do this. I guess it goes hand in hand with obsessing over pulling out your hair. Anyway, my husband finds it disgusting, but I figure we both prefer hair on the wall to unclogging the sink.

I like the Dove Damage Therapy shampoo and conditioner a lot. They make my hair straighter and much more manageable. My uber-fine hair is very prone to frizz and Dove products keep it under control. Don't blow it dry unless you're cold...it hurts your hair.
posted by crinklebat at 10:21 PM on January 13, 2009

Took me ages to figure out how to keep my hair from getting frizzy. I have extremely fine hair. As it dries, the dry hairs separate from the moist hairs and frizz out. The trick I found is to wear a hat while it dries. Not a baseball cap, but like a knitted winter hat. That holds the hair together while it dries itself and when I take off the hat its all nice and sleek.
posted by valadil at 8:11 AM on January 14, 2009

When you use conditioner, let it sit in your hair for a couple minutes to soak in. Get a good smoothing serum to control flyaways and apply it to air-dried hair. Dry with a towel, NEVER with a blow dryer. There are serums and shampoos made for curly hair - another thing you may consider is finding a stylist adept at cutting curly hair. It may just be a matter of thinning it out to minimize pouf. But I'm just guessing your hair type.

Check out Makeupalley for product reviews - It'll get you headed in the right direction.

Oh yeah, and valadil's hat trick works well for me too. :)

And I second the motion to get your scalp checked out - lots of shedding and dandruff, unless you've had it all your life, could be indicative of something funky going on in your body.
posted by HolyWood at 4:20 PM on January 15, 2009

This is how I prevent my shoulder length, curly, thick hair from frizzing.
1. After I shampoo, I don't towel-dry my hair. I comb it with a wide-toothed comb and part it where I want.
2. Then I take normal conditioner (not leave-in, but the normal kind that you would usually rinse out) and work that into my hair from the middle to the end of its length. I put a tiny bit above that, but definitely not much. I don't rinse it out.
3. Then I either air-dry, or blast it with a hair-dryer. The conditioner prevents it from frizzing too much in the heat of the dryer. But it generally turns out better if I air-dry.
4. I wash my hair every other day. On in between days, I put a bit of conditioner onto my (dry) hair.

The conditioner is my secret weapon! It doesn't matter what brand you use, I use cheap brands. Frizz-ease is good too.

Use a hair-catcher to catch your hair as suggested by other posters. I also second crinklebat's idea of putting hair on the wall. I thought I was the only person who did that.
posted by Ziggy500 at 8:02 AM on January 16, 2009