Dry hair, just around my face

December 2, 2014 9:25 AM

I have curly, dry hair, which I shampoo rarely and condition frequently (as per curly girl). The two locks of hair on either side of my face are MAD dry and damaged (probably from being in a ponytail all summer ... They're also two shades lighter than the rest of my hair from sun). What TLC does this hair need to start calming down and and regaining moisture? Drug store brands preferred as I am lazy.
posted by Eyebrows McGee to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (17 answers total)

Best answer: Any of the argon oils should be good. L'Oreal or Got2B.

Try Vaseline, I've used it.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 9:30 AM on December 2, 2014

Best answer: Argan oil. I believe the brand I am using now is the Moroccanoil stuff (it's normally much cheaper than this). I use the pure oil on my hair, not just the conditioner.

Also I found that my favourite conditioner was the ABBA deep moisture, but a cheaper and easier to find choice is the things they they have for black women's hair in the drugstore, which tends to the heavy moisturizing.
posted by jeather at 9:42 AM on December 2, 2014 [1 favorite]

I get this too, and I put a little oil (coconut or jojoba, usually, since I have both around) on before wetting/washing and argan oil after (right now I'm using this one but I have no real attachment - it's really silicone serum with a tiny bit of oil in it) all over.
posted by Lyn Never at 9:43 AM on December 2, 2014 [1 favorite]

Oh, and you may get better behavior out of it if you trim those pieces - just shave the tiniest bit off the ends - pretty often. Like, weekly. Ultimately you need to protect new growth as you get rid of the old, because damaged hair is never going to get back to good-as-new.
posted by Lyn Never at 9:49 AM on December 2, 2014 [1 favorite]

Yeah, it's not going to regain moisture because once it leaves your scalp it's basically dead. You can only make it appear to have moisture, temporarily lend it moisture, if you like, by putting things over it. Ime most drugstore brands are terrible at this illusion, with the possible exception of L'Oreal's hair creams (not conditioners, styling creams). I hate spending on grooming, but I do pay for decent conditioner. Right now, I like this

Coconut oil is good though, I agree.
posted by cotton dress sock at 10:13 AM on December 2, 2014

But as far as the new hair, it's worth looking into the reasons for the dryness. If it's because of a ponytail or sun damage, why just those sections? Same for chlorine damage from e.g. swimming. If you're not heat styling or colouring (e.g. highlighting) just those bits, it's possible there might be something systemic going on (thyroid issues, perimenopause, some imbalance of minerals or vitamins). When damage is because of exposure, it's often the top layer, around the crown, that gets it. (For protecting new growth, try styling products with spf in them if you're out in the sun, or with heat protecting mojo if you blow-dry.)
posted by cotton dress sock at 12:05 PM on December 2, 2014

Nthing coconut oil. Put it on damp hair (you'll have to soften it in the microwave first this time of the year), cover with a shower cap, and let sit for at least 30 minutes or as long as overnight. Shampoo twice with a clarifying shampoo and condition. Herbal Essences makes one called Kiwi Lime Squeeze that's cheap and works. Then rub just a bit of oil into your hair as it's air drying or before you heat dry. I've been using Aveda's new dry therapy oil and it seems to work well but coconut oil would also probably be fine.
posted by quiet coyote at 12:07 PM on December 2, 2014

I put coconut oil on hair like this and sleep overnight with it. Cheap and it works very well.
posted by quince at 12:08 PM on December 2, 2014

Response by poster: cotton dress sock: "If it's because of a ponytail or sun damage, why just those sections? Same for chlorine damage from e.g. swimming. If you're not heat styling or colouring (e.g. highlighting) just those bits,"

No coloring, no heatstyling ever, barely even bother to towel-dry. No products beyond conditioner (and a rare shampoo with baby shampoo). Those bits are the ones that, in a ponytail, end up on top of my head, exposed to the sun and the weather; when my hair is loose, they fall on either side of my face. They're markedly lighter than the rest of my hair in, I realized, exactly the pattern that I pull them up when I wear a ponytail ... which I did for almost three solid years because I had small children and no time and didn't want it yanked. So it's, uh, been baking up there a while.

(Actually it'd be good if the rest of my hair lightened up the same amount, I really like the COLOR of the front pieces ....)

Lyn Never: "Oh, and you may get better behavior out of it if you trim those pieces - just shave the tiniest bit off the ends - pretty often. Like, weekly. "

I just realized what a problem it was because I got it cut today -- it was getting too long and scraggly -- and freed of the weight of all that extra hair my face-pieces went "WE'RE FREEEEEEEEE! IT'S A FRIZZ FESTIVAL! STATIC ELECTRICITY! YAAAAAAAY!"

I will look for "argan oil" and coconut oil when I'm at Walgreens later this week ... this is a BIG COMMITMENT for me, a whole special hair product!
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 12:46 PM on December 2, 2014

I'm frizzy/curly too, and I apply whatever gel or styling creme I have when my hair is dripping wet, just out of the shower. I read this tip on one of the curly forums and I'm amazed how well it works. I like Pantene BB Creme, but I think the product matters less than putting it on when your hair is wet.
posted by Violet Hour at 1:12 PM on December 2, 2014

Hey! I have a hair person license. I echo some of the advice above re: making sure the ends of those pieces have been trimmed and using an argan oil and/or coconut oil preparation. You can actually use plain ol' coconut oil as either a pre-shampoo sort of mask or verrrry sparingly as a leave-in treatment. Bonus: you can cook with it. Extra bonus: it's great for your dry elbows and such, too.

There are some remarkably good salon treatments (including take-home components) that'd fix you right up, but it sounds like those'd be too high-mai for you.

Apply stuff like that when your hair is damp. Kind of press and squeeze it into your hair. No rubbing! Put your treatments in, put your styling stuff in, and then don't touch it til it's dry.

Instead of ponytails, might I suggest twists or buns using pins?
posted by houseofdanie at 3:04 PM on December 2, 2014 [1 favorite]

If you don't like the idea of an oil, just get yourself a hair mask. L'oreal makes a nice one, most brands do. Use it exactly like you would a conditioner. Once a week. Done.
posted by shazzam! at 4:43 PM on December 2, 2014

Response by poster: houseofdanie: "There are some remarkably good salon treatments (including take-home components) that'd fix you right up, but it sounds like those'd be too high-mai for you."

Definitely willing to do one-time high-maintenance things and would love suggestions -- just not willing to add very much time to my daily routine, or to have to go out of my way every month to buy special stuff. If just this one time I have to go to some schmancy hair place or website to buy a special treatment, and spend 3 hours one Saturday dorking around with it, that's fine. But for daily maintenance I want to be able to grab it at Walgreens or Target or whatever, and add no more than 60 seconds to my routine or I won't bother.

"Instead of ponytails, might I suggest twists or buns using pins?"

I probably do those about 30% of the time, same hair ends up on top, though, getting all the sun. I am trying to be better about not pulling it back ALL the time now that my kids don't yank on it incessantly!
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 4:53 PM on December 2, 2014

I will look for "argan oil" and coconut oil when I'm at Walgreens later this week ...

I only ever buy it at the grocery store (in the cooking oil aisle) but YMMV.
posted by quiet coyote at 3:56 PM on December 3, 2014

Pick coconut oil over argan oil if you want a deep oil treatment (argan will do a good job of sealing, but not as good a job at moisturizing). Coconut oil is a thing of wonder for improving the condition of your hair.

If you really want to go all out, you can fill in your hair with a protein, as well. To stay full-on grocery, you can try the home-made gelatin treatment a teensy bit down the page here. If you prefer not to DIY, you can probably get Joico K-pak Reconstructor at Walgreen's. From Sally's, I can recommend their generic GVP "Reconstructing Conditioner" or the less intensive Ion Effective Care.
posted by moira at 7:25 PM on December 3, 2014

Oh, with the possible exception of Ion Effective Care, the protein treatments are something you'd do every once in a while rather than on a daily basis, so you wouldn't be restocking very often.
posted by moira at 7:29 PM on December 3, 2014

Response by poster: Argan Oil has definitely been helping. It's a work in progress, but it's coming along!
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 6:27 PM on January 25, 2015 [1 favorite]