Best practices for long hair care?
August 31, 2024 10:19 AM   Subscribe

Middle-aged white woman with color treated hair here; what products should I be using for my hair type and goals?

Background: as a teen in the midwest I had long hair, then cut it when I went to college, and already by my early 20's it was too late to grow it out again as anything past shoulder length would get dry and frizzy. So I simply resigned myself to short hair for my entire 20's and 30's. Then Covid happened, hairdressers disappeared, and I had no choice but to grow it out. Turns out, though, that now that I live in Florida, with insane humidity year round, my hair isn't dry and frizzy anymore! Now my hair is mid-back length, the longest it's been since I was 17, but I'm not doing a great job caring for it. The good news is that I only wash it a couple times a week and never blow dry or straighten, and don't use any styling products. The bad news is that I've just been using random drugstore shampoo and conditioner, I color it regularly (salon usually, or Natural Instincts), and I'm in the wind a lot so even though I usually wear it up I have significant breakage, especially around my face.

In spite of basically doing nothing, I'm actually pretty pleased with my hair overall. I can wash it, put it into a bun while wet, and wake up to casual beachy-waves, which is exactly what I'm going for. But I'd like to take my look from good to great. What shampoo and conditioner should I be using, ideally both to protect/prevent damage, and also to add volume and waves? Suggestions under $20 appreciated. Also, what about any other products for those purposes, like leave-in treatments, styling products, or conditioning masks? I don't ever see myself doing any actual styling like curlers or anything requiring effort, but I could handle something like an occasional coconut oil mask or clarifying shampoo, or a product to apply post-wash. Thanks for any product recommendations or advice you can give!
posted by storminator7 to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (8 answers total) 10 users marked this as a favorite
 
Get a few satin pillowcases! Minimizes tangling, moisture loss, and breakage from rubbing against cotton all night.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 10:22 AM on August 31, 2024 [2 favorites]


This is drug store still, but I use the John Frieda PROfiller+ line. I use the shampoo, conditioner, and spray. I'm going through a medication related hair loss situation and it really does make a visible difference.
posted by atomicstone at 10:56 AM on August 31, 2024


Best answer: ... and don't use any styling products.

The product I like best and use regularly is Eleven's Miracle Hair Treatment. It's a leave in conditioner, but it also adds a tiny bit of hold (you can refresh waves the next day with a spritz of water and some scrunching). I use with a few drops of hair oil from Silk Naturals blended together for some extra softness and moisture. I very rarely dry my hair with a blowdryer, and wash it a couple times a week. My hair is very fine and this treatment doesn't weight it down. I've been skipping regular, wash out conditioner altogether and my hair is in great shape.

As far as shampoo goes, I haven't been liking any of the many products I've bought recently, but I tried this Raw Sugar Truly Unruly Shampoo while on vacation and recently ordered a bottle. It boosted my waves, and they were still around the next day after sleeping.
posted by oneirodynia at 11:27 AM on August 31, 2024 [2 favorites]


Best answer: I too am a middle-aged white woman with long hair (although not color treated). I have been deep in the hair care advice rabbit hole for the last six months or so and can pass along what I've learned.

1) Ulta's liberal return policy is your friend.
2) Salon products really are more effective. Sad but true. Including shampoo.
3) The new generation of bond repair products are amazing. The best one for me is still Olaplex 3 but there are others such as Redken's Acidic Bond Treatment that work better for some people.
4) I haven't tried it myself but I have read enough enthusiastic endorsements of SILK (satin refers to the weave, silk refers to the fiber) pillowcases to say this is worth trying and it's next on my list.
5) This guy The Blowout Professor has a lot of good advice (and not just for blowouts). I don't use all of the specific products he recommends but trying them led me to the ones that are best for me.
6) A Wet Brush is amazing for preventing snagging and breakage.
posted by HotToddy at 11:40 AM on August 31, 2024 [1 favorite]



... and don't use any styling products.


Not sure why I left this snippet of quote in my comment! Please ignore :-)
posted by oneirodynia at 12:28 PM on August 31, 2024


I swear by a silk cap for sleeping. Has made a huge difference in frizz and breakage. I also second the comments about salon products being better and olaplex 3 being a really good treatment option.

I also started shampooing less in favor of using a co-wash. My current favorite is Aveda.

Olaplex shampoo and conditioner are really good and last a long time, you need so much less product with a pricey shampoo.
posted by dazedandconfused at 12:59 PM on August 31, 2024


n-thing Eleven's Miracle Hair Treatment. It is broad spectrum and high performance. Light and bouncy. Very mild and inoffensive, if any, smell. Detangles dried out super bleached-out and tired hair.

It's like $30 (CAD) on Amazon. I started using every other day at the beginning of the year and i'm close to finishing my first bottle.

My only complaint is that the nozzle gets messily clogged easily. But whatever. I'll clean it off with my hands, wring them a bit, and work into my (damp, already spritzed) hair.
posted by porpoise at 8:22 PM on August 31, 2024 [1 favorite]


Best answer: Another vote for a silk bonnet. Biggest change I’ve ever seen in my hair was after wearing one for about a month. No more fly aways and rarely any frizz anymore. I use a very light, dry oil twice a week and that’s been beneficial as well.
posted by pearlybob at 2:49 AM on September 1, 2024


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