Susan's Place Transgender Resources

So I've been told recently by a few people my hair is looking really damaged. What products should I use to help? I really don't think I can bring myself to get it cut or even trimmed :(

Three month Update! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7-0qBRqFEk#)

you can't really tell much here but this is a video I made last night. It should help show how bad it looks. :(

trimming off the split ends can make a real difference hun, plus if you have it done as a work in progress thing it'll mean that it grows out better as well towards a definite hairstyle goal. Me I'm aiming for a pixie bob and after 3 months and two hair trims it's well on it's way.

as for products i use shampoo and conditioners made by a uk company called lush...they love my hair and i love them...it may be worth splashing a wee bit of cash on something similar

http://www.lush.co.uk/ (http://www.lush.co.uk/)

it could also be far worse...back in my boy days i had a dread mohawk that i kept in for 3 months before giving up...my hair was the same consistency as straw...no word of a lie.

I'd love to see a picture of the mohawk haha

and I might give in for a trim when I see my friend. She's in beauty school and she's gonna take a look and see what she can get me but she's out of town for now. She might be able to trim it. I just want my hair to be long cuz I hate how it's short and ugly and I haven't cut it in almost a year. :( I hate hate hate it!

- Don't straighten it, this damages the frack out of your hair
- Use an organic shampoo + conditioner to try and avoid harsh chemicals
- Don't colour it or style it. Let it grow out naturally. If you need to control it, use pins, ties and clips instead of gels and product.
- Wash it less - let your natural oils come through to protect your hair. At the length it is now, you shouldn't wash it more than once every two-three days

The best advice really is to shave it all off and let it grow from scratch - several cis girlfriends of mine have done this. However, as a trans person, I realise that this probably isn't an option for you. Hormones may also help by changing the way your hair grows a little.

Quote from: Vexing on December 31, 2010, 04:22:19 PM
- Don't straighten it, this damages the frack out of your hair
- Use an organic shampoo + conditioner to try and avoid harsh chemicals
- Don't colour it or style it. Let it grow out naturally. If you need to control it, use pins, ties and clips instead of gels and product.
- Wash it less - let your natural oils come through to protect your hair. At the length it is now, you shouldn't wash it more than once every two-three days

The best advice really is to shave it all off and let it grow from scratch - several cis girlfriends of mine have done this. However, as a trans person, I realise that this probably isn't an option for you. Hormones may also help by changing the way your hair grows a little.

haha thanks for the advice but I'd rather cuz my head off before I shave my hair off.

Hey Brit!
First, hooray for making videos, awesome! I didn't see that you talked about how often you wash it, blow dry it, flat iron it, etc. How often do you do those? I'm by no means an expert on hair or anything but you might want to push the upper limits on how long you can go without washing/conditioning it. I typically go 3-4 days and I only blow dry/flat-iron the first day so the hair oil after day one or two doesn't toast my hair. Typically you don't want to flat iron after day two or the oil can fry the hair. Just let it grow and grow and grow. Take the finasteride to keep it all there, be patient with it and think positive, happy thoughts (don't get stressed!) :) Meghan

Yeah, I use an organic coconut shampoo and conditioner and never blow-dry.  Well really, I just try to avoid unnecessary heat on my hair as I heard that cause all types of problems!

Quote from: MeghanAndrews on December 31, 2010, 04:28:52 PM
Hey Brit!
First, hooray for making videos, awesome! I didn't see that you talked about how often you wash it, blow dry it, flat iron it, etc. How often do you do those? I'm by no means an expert on hair or anything but you might want to push the upper limits on how long you can go without washing/conditioning it. I typically go 3-4 days and I only blow dry/flat-iron the first day so the hair oil after day one or two doesn't toast my hair. Typically you don't want to flat iron after day two or the oil can fry the hair. Just let it grow and grow and grow. Take the finasteride to keep it all there, be patient with it and think positive, happy thoughts (don't get stressed!) :) Meghan

Hey! first off I feel like a celebrity is watching my video lol. I've been following you for a while:D

And I have been washing it less and using a dry shampoo for like the past week but it got really dry and felt kinda idk waxy so I'm gonna stop and just start washing it whenever it needs to be washed. I straighten like my bangs and the sides by my ears other wise they are too curly and just not cute. I haven't been using the heat protectant for who knows why but I'm gonna start again cuz I think that might be my downfall. I'm also gonna talk to my bestie. She is constantly dying her hair from dark brown to red, like red so it takes a lot and she always wears it straight, so I should ask what she does...idk why I didn't think of that lol.

Thanks for the advice. Once my hair gets longer, I'm hoping the weight will make it more wavy and less curly that way I can wear it natural most days.

Quote from: Double_Rainbow on December 31, 2010, 04:31:18 PM
Yeah, I use an organic coconut shampoo and conditioner and never blow-dry.  Well really, I just try to avoid unnecessary heat on my hair as I heard that cause all types of problems!

I rarely blow dry my hair especially since I started straightening it for work. It really helps me pass so I can't have it curly :(

Lol, oh stop Britney! I'm not a celebrity, but I do appreciate you watching the videos. I like that you are making your own so you can help people along the way :)

Definitely don't dye it too, too much. My hair is like yours, it's super curly and wavy but I almost always flat iron it. I used to use hair protectorant when it was shorter but not so much anymore. My hair is soooo different when I first get out of the shower and blow dry it from how most people usually see it. Here's a picture of it blow dried but not flat-ironed.

(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi184.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fx153%2Fmeghanandrews%2FPicture923.jpg&hash=ad75aed6eb492cd9a77e53e385a7b699d10d5348)

and then this is it when it's done (I hope you don't mind me putting these here for illustration purposes!)

(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi184.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fx153%2Fmeghanandrews%2FPicture878.jpg&hash=0c7ed747dcae8f9a3ee66fc9c1b809a7e0e8bce5)

My hair drives me CRAZY! Plus I'm super paranoid about thinning on my crown, which I had before HRT a little bit. Everyone tells me I'm insane and that it isn't noticeable but you know how it is! I'm convinced every person walking by looks back and is whispering to their friends "OMG! DID YOU SEE THAT! HE'S BALD! WAIT, IS THAT A GIRL THAT'S BALD? HOLD ON! OMG!!!!" and other such nonsense.

You are going to probably worry about your hair but it looks fine. Just take good care of it and rest assured, it'll grow and you'll get more comfortable doing whatever you want with it when you get some length behind it :)

Quote from: MeghanAndrews on December 31, 2010, 04:48:32 PM
Lol, oh stop Britney! I'm not a celebrity, but I do appreciate you watching the videos. I like that you are making your own so you can help people along the way :)

Definitely don't dye it too, too much. My hair is like yours, it's super curly and wavy but I almost always flat iron it. I used to use hair protectorant when it was shorter but not so much anymore. My hair is soooo different when I first get out of the shower and blow dry it from how most people usually see it. Here's a picture of it blow dried but not flat-ironed.


and then this is it when it's done (I hope you don't mind me putting these here for illustration purposes!)


My hair drives me CRAZY! Plus I'm super paranoid about thinning on my crown, which I had before HRT a little bit. Everyone tells me I'm insane and that it isn't noticeable but you know how it is! I'm convinced every person walking by looks back and is whispering to their friends "OMG! DID YOU SEE THAT! HE'S BALD! WAIT, IS THAT A GIRL THAT'S BALD? HOLD ON! OMG!!!!" and other such nonsense.

You are going to probably worry about your hair but it looks fine. Just take good care of it and rest assured, it'll grow and you'll get more comfortable doing whatever you want with it when you get some length behind it :)

haha yes I cannot wait until it gets down to like my back. I really want it down to my butt though haha. My bestie won't let me, she says I'll look too religious. And once it gets long I'm going blonde for a while no matter how bad it is. I must do it lol.

and yeah I was nervous about making videos but people like you and Jerica and this one girl Jordan and some others that I watched, really helped me a lot. :D So I wanted to put myself out there to do what you did for me for other people.

Megan.

I won't beat about the bush here, the first photo, your hair is a mess.

But strangely, you seem to be one of those people who still manages to look great.

Soyy, don't mean to embarrass you. Just had to say that.  :laugh:

Quote from: spacial on January 01, 2011, 05:49:05 AM
I won't beat about the bush here, the first photo, your hair is a mess.
Soyy, don't mean to embarrass you. Just had to say that.  :laugh:

Lol, I know, Spacial, that's why I included it. Dead ends, fly away, it looks blah. That's what I wanted BritBrit to see :)

Quote from: spacial on January 01, 2011, 05:49:05 AM
I won't beat about the bush here, the first photo, your hair is a mess.

You should see my birds nest in the mornings! eep! :o

Hey Britney

Hair advice can be kinda hard to give because not everyone has the same kind of hair texture, so it can depend on that to give the right advice for your hair. But when I was in girl mode, I had really long hair and my hair is thick and wavey, so I used to straighten it religiously! I admit that kills hair, and if you don't get those ends trimmed it will never grow because the ends are dead and your hair will start splitting. So as much as you don't want to, you might need it trimmed if you want it to grow. Also, I was like you, I couldn't go out without straightening my hair, so if you absolutely feel like you need to, then invest in a good flat iron like a Chi and use Chi products with it. I actually still straighten my hair at times and my hair is still soft

As for shampoo, well my mom loved us to have long hair (I have 5 sisters and they all have the long hair) so she bought the horse shampoo for us, sounds weird but its called Mane and Tail (which they have at Wal-Mart in the shampoo aisle) and it gives a good coat and makes your hair fuller, and my hair used to grow like crazy. But really any organic shampoo, as mentioned, can work because theres no harsh chemicals.

I don't know if any of this will really help, but hair can be tricky anyways, so good luck. BTW thanks for the shout out again (; lol

Quote from: MeghanAndrews on January 01, 2011, 10:31:55 AM
Lol, I know, Spacial, that's why I included it. Dead ends, fly away, it looks blah. That's what I wanted BritBrit to see :)

So all you do is straighten it?
& yay for being called BritBrit that's so cute! :D

Quote from: Helena on January 01, 2011, 10:48:52 AM
You should see my birds nest in the mornings! eep! :o

I think mine takes the cake, or whatever you wanna say lol. Mine is usually curly and frizzy on top and half the time sticking straight up and on the sides same thing kinda. Today the sides are curling out in huge curls it's so ugly :(

Quote from: James42 on January 01, 2011, 12:22:59 PM
Hey Britney

Hair advice can be kinda hard to give because not everyone has the same kind of hair texture, so it can depend on that to give the right advice for your hair. But when I was in girl mode, I had really long hair and my hair is thick and wavey, so I used to straighten it religiously! I admit that kills hair, and if you don't get those ends trimmed it will never grow because the ends are dead and your hair will start splitting. So as much as you don't want to, you might need it trimmed if you want it to grow. Also, I was like you, I couldn't go out without straightening my hair, so if you absolutely feel like you need to, then invest in a good flat iron like a Chi and use Chi products with it. I actually still straighten my hair at times and my hair is still soft

As for shampoo, well my mom loved us to have long hair (I have 5 sisters and they all have the long hair) so she bought the horse shampoo for us, sounds weird but its called Mane and Tail (which they have at Wal-Mart in the shampoo aisle) and it gives a good coat and makes your hair fuller, and my hair used to grow like crazy. But really any organic shampoo, as mentioned, can work because theres no harsh chemicals.

I don't know if any of this will really help, but hair can be tricky anyways, so good luck. BTW thanks for the shout out again (; lol

Well I'll see about getting it trimmed. :'(

Finding the right hairstyle and learning how to care for it can be tough. Basically I'd practice a lot until you are find something you're satisfied with and can reproduce on a fairly consistent basis. A stylist is great for ideas and whatnot and having a properly shaped cut makes a world of difference, but don't think you'll be able to reproduce the effects of a salon without a lot of practice beforehand.

If you are going to straighten your hair, make sure its protected. Echoing what others have said, heat destroys your hair, especially without some sort of protection. Lately I've been using Morrocan Oil and have really enjoyed the results.

Also, the right shampoo/conditioner will help immensely as well. Unfortunately the only real way to figure out what works for you is to try it.

Britney, just get the split ends trimmed off, even though you don't want a haircut. It will make a big difference. Use a conditioner sparingly and don't overload your hair with products, they can have a drying effect.

Both you and Meghan have beautiful, feminine smiles.

Quote from: Kaelleria on January 01, 2011, 01:19:01 PM
Finding the right hairstyle and learning how to care for it can be tough. Basically I'd practice a lot until you are find something you're satisfied with and can reproduce on a fairly consistent basis. A stylist is great for ideas and whatnot and having a properly shaped cut makes a world of difference, but don't think you'll be able to reproduce the effects of a salon without a lot of practice beforehand.

If you are going to straighten your hair, make sure its protected. Echoing what others have said, heat destroys your hair, especially without some sort of protection. Lately I've been using Morrocan Oil and have really enjoyed the results.

Also, the right shampoo/conditioner will help immensely as well. Unfortunately the only real way to figure out what works for you is to try it.

Yeah I'm going to be using the heat protector everytime I use heat on it from now on. :(

Quote from: JohnR on January 01, 2011, 05:39:15 PM
Britney, just get the split ends trimmed off, even though you don't want a haircut. It will make a big difference. Use a conditioner sparingly and don't overload your hair with products, they can have a drying effect.

Both you and Meghan have beautiful, feminine smiles.

Aww thank you. I talked to my mom and she's gonna trim my hair. She said she'll try half an inch and see if that helps.

Hey they all had great suggestions so I don't have much too add. The stuff my mom uses works and lasts a long time but it's ridiculously priced so I can find out if you want but I doubt it.

I was just going to mention that I noticed you were very worried about trimming it. I'm guessing it's because it does not grow very fast? Prenatal vitamins can help hair grow faster also I think biotin works as well. You'd want to check with a doctor or pharmacist most likely before taking that just to make sure it's alright but it seems to work for a few girls I know. 

Quote from: Andrew Scott on January 01, 2011, 06:37:17 PM
Hey they all had great suggestions so I don't have much too add. The stuff my mom uses works and lasts a long time but it's ridiculously priced so I can find out if you want but I doubt it.

I was just going to mention that I noticed you were very worried about trimming it. I'm guessing it's because it does not grow very fast? Prenatal vitamins can help hair grow faster also I think biotin works as well. You'd want to check with a doctor or pharmacist most likely before taking that just to make sure it's alright but it seems to work for a few girls I know.

I don't have the money to take any supplements or anything. And it seems to be growing fine, but I feel like a trim will make it so much shorter. Thing is I've wanted long hair all my life and I started to wear it longer in high school but I always cut it because ya know I was a "boy" and that's what was normal. But now it's longer than it's ever been and I've just become so attached to it emotionally..and physically obviously. I'm just scared of it getting too short. But a trim is needed or else it could get worse and force me to cut off more. I'm gonna try to get a trim tomorrow if my mom isn't busy. =/

Quote from: Britney♥Bieber on January 01, 2011, 12:50:12 PM
So all you do is straighten it?
Today the sides are curling out in huge curls it's so ugly :(
Well I'll see about getting it trimmed. :'(

Yes, all I do is straighten it. I blow dry it, but I don't use heat protectorant (I used to when it was your length and first growing out but by the time I wasn't anymore). Heat protectant, although I LOVE the way it adds shine and makes it look healthy, really weighs my hair down after like day two.

The things with your sides being curly, it's that in between stage. OMG, I remember when my hair was growing out during my andro period before transition, like when I knew I was transitioning but took a year or so to grow hair and get electro, it was the same way! Here's a pic:

Like this was at that crazy in between stage, like the I-have-no-clue-what-to-do-with-this-hair stage
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi184.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fx153%2Fmeghanandrews%2FP1010008.jpg&hash=a6e6d4abf448b0a80b3ba5ab2058999fad866216)

This picture is like 4-5 months later I think (both pre-FFS pics so don't be scurred, lol)

Then as it gets longer you can do different things with it (lol, that's my andro look, in the boy's bathroom at work (see the urinal off to the left there?) that was the stage where I was getting weird looks from guys, like 'this dude is soooo gay.' But at this point I was flat-ironing it and I got it styled by a girl, came out to her (she was lesbian, she was cool) and I said 'please just make it feminine a little bit" and she suggested the style, which is similar to yours now, Britney, where the part is. Once it gets longer you can flat-iron it, just get a little 1" ceramic flat-iron to put the shorter length hair in there.
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi184.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fx153%2Fmeghanandrews%2F1209340230.jpg&hash=f2c53a34ae1859c99d47cdeb1b129262904973d9)

Another suggestion I have it to use a hair band or something to put in your hair and not pull it back from your face but wear it like a little higher up like these two girls:

(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi184.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fx153%2Fmeghanandrews%2Fgossip-girls2.jpg&hash=afe7fb33ca1dc49084ef9e97154679dc95e2d95d)

or use these or fabric:

(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi184.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fx153%2Fmeghanandrews%2Fcadb_1_b.jpg&hash=b496841773f8f3be32dc24d7678b170a28c7c02e)

Again, I'm not an expert by a long stretch, but it's just kind of stuff I did myself when I was at the in between hair. Give the hair time to grow, in another year or two (I know, but it will FLY by and you'll be there before you KNOW IT!) it'll be where you want it. All my best, Meghan

Wow you've come so far! It's incredible how gorgeous you are in your new avatar!!! :o
And thanks for the tips, I was recently looking at head bands at target to see which where cute. Are you suggesting I get one and wear it with my hair straight?

And I already bought the shampoo James suggested, since he used it pre transition. I felt a difference immediately after rinsing the conditioner out. And I'm probably gonna get it trimmed today after my mom is done cleaning.

Hey Britney, I was suggesting wearing it NOW and experimenting and seeing how you like it. I can almost guarantee that you will change your hairstyles about 472 times in the next few years :)

(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi56.tinypic.com%2F6pwayu.jpg&hash=88ab2b7ff79dfba1c2becb2ebfae22b89b24180c)
Here's what my hair looks like when it's natural, air dried, not product etc. I just washed it this morning and it let it dry.
I don't think their is anything I could do that would look good, unless I straighten it and that doesn't even look great. I'm just going to take advantage of days in and not do anything lol. And I trust you. Once my hairs long enough I'm going crazy I cannot wait!

Quote from: Britney♥Bieber on January 02, 2011, 03:29:24 PM
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi56.tinypic.com%2F6pwayu.jpg&hash=88ab2b7ff79dfba1c2becb2ebfae22b89b24180c)
Here's what my hair looks like when it's natural, air dried, not product etc. I just washed it this morning and it let it dry.
I don't think their is anything I could do that would look good, unless I straighten it and that doesn't even look great. I'm just going to take advantage of days in and not do anything lol. And I trust you. Once my hairs long enough I'm going crazy I cannot wait!

Um Brit!!!

I'd kill for bouncy curly natural hair like that.  Let it grow and leave it alone for god sakes.  It's beautiful and stop straightening it and adding product.  Your hair in that picture is full and shiny and healthy looking and you are so pretty with that natural look!


Hugs you tight while mumbling in jealousy.
Simone

Quote from: Simone V on January 02, 2011, 09:49:59 PM

Um Brit!!!

I'd kill for bouncy curly natural hair like that.  Let it grow and leave it alone for god sakes.  It's beautiful and stop straightening it and adding product.  Your hair in that picture is full and shiny and healthy looking and you are so pretty with that natural look!


Hugs you tight while mumbling in jealousy.
Simone

I think it looks terrible, that picture of me is awful :'(
So frizzy!
But thanks!

Wow, Britney, you're going to have beautifully curly, long hair once it's grown out! I'd play that up if I were you... but unfortunately you're going to be fighting the frizzies. If it was long and you left it curly, but de-frizzed it, it would be fantastic. It looks cute short too, very 1920's!  All you need is a cloche hat, and you'd be the bee's knees!  :)

My hair is not curly on top, but is curly on the sides and back, and quite thick, and dry.. so I fight the frizzies too. My hair kind of looks like Meghan's morning picture, actually, if I don't do anything to it. Mine's a bit wavier, but it looks frizzy like that.

I'm with everyone else about not washing your hair much. In the winter when it's cold, and I'm always inside, I only wash my hair maybe 1x a week. I'm not sweating, it doesn't get oily (especially on HRT), it doesn't get dirty... so why wash it?

I'd just trim the split ends, make sure you're using products designed for your hair type, and use a deep conditioner once every few shampoos. Just make sure you use a clarifying shampoo before you deep condition to remove product buildup, especially if you use anti-frizz serums and the like, because they contain silicone, which coats and seals up hair shafts.

I know you have visions of what you want to look like but I think you should let your hair be natural and wash it less.  I thought that last photo make you look like more of a classic beauty.  It's not long enough yet but in the mean time you can get some headbands and maybe use a fall to help the front a little. It'd be updo-ey.  Kind of like this but longer in the back? Windswept Bride (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeremyhall/3048382860/#) Think Meg Ryan.

You shouldn't damage it with flat irons or product..try to be patient and let it grow grow grow then get obsessed.

Quote from: VeronikaFTH on January 03, 2011, 01:29:15 AM
Wow, Britney, you're going to have beautifully curly, long hair once it's grown out! I'd play that up if I were you... but unfortunately you're going to be fighting the frizzies. If it was long and you left it curly, but de-frizzed it, it would be fantastic. It looks cute short too, very 1920's!  All you need is a cloche hat, and you'd be the bee's knees!  :)

My hair is not curly on top, but is curly on the sides and back, and quite thick, and dry.. so I fight the frizzies too. My hair kind of looks like Meghan's morning picture, actually, if I don't do anything to it. Mine's a bit wavier, but it looks frizzy like that.

I'm with everyone else about not washing your hair much. In the winter when it's cold, and I'm always inside, I only wash my hair maybe 1x a week. I'm not sweating, it doesn't get oily (especially on HRT), it doesn't get dirty... so why wash it?

I'd just trim the split ends, make sure you're using products designed for your hair type, and use a deep conditioner once every few shampoos. Just make sure you use a clarifying shampoo before you deep condition to remove product buildup, especially if you use anti-frizz serums and the like, because they contain silicone, which coats and seals up hair shafts.

Yeah I'm going to get a trim soon. I've gotten a really good shampoo that helps prevent damage and split ends. After washing it, it felt so much softer and even looked a little better when it dried. And it's funny you mention that hat. I've tried a few on and I really like them but I don't think they'd match anything I wear. I think I'll buy one though. I do need a hat that I can wear on bad hair days. Until I can put it all in a pony tail =X

And I am excited for it to get long, so I can leave it curly. I love it but I just think the curls look sloppy and not very cute at this length. Probably just a bit of my hair dysphoria. That's been one of my biggest negatives about myself for a long time. I've envied girls and even boys with long hair and I always tried to grow it out but I always got fed up with it looking ugly and cut it, it's longer than it's ever been though! :D

Quote from: japple on January 03, 2011, 01:44:55 AM
I know you have visions of what you want to look like but I think you should let your hair be natural and wash it less.  I thought that last photo make you look like more of a classic beauty.  It's not long enough yet but in the mean time you can get some headbands and maybe use a fall to help the front a little. It'd be updo-ey.  Kind of like this but longer in the back? Windswept Bride (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeremyhall/3048382860/#) Think Meg Ryan.

You shouldn't damage it with flat irons or product..try to be patient and let it grow grow grow then get obsessed.

I'm trying not to straighten it anymore. It makes no sense to do it for work since I wear a hat. =X haha. I just finally got to a point where I didn't despise my hair and appearance when it was straight so I went crazy and straightened it wherever I went. =/

Quote from: Britney♥Bieber on January 02, 2011, 03:29:24 PM
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi56.tinypic.com%2F6pwayu.jpg&hash=88ab2b7ff79dfba1c2becb2ebfae22b89b24180c)
Here's what my hair looks like when it's natural, air dried, not product etc. I just washed it this morning and it let it dry.
I don't think their is anything I could do that would look good, unless I straighten it and that doesn't even look great. I'm just going to take advantage of days in and not do anything lol. And I trust you. Once my hairs long enough I'm going crazy I cannot wait!

I actually like you hair like this.

hey there , i know what your going through with damaged hair believe me i have been through my fair share of peroxide and straighteners , im trying to recover my hair now, but before i used to trim my hair all the time thinking it would stop the damage but guess where it got me, my hair is still the same length after 5 years lol
heres somethings ive done to my hair , this is just the tip of the iceberg believe me ! lmao
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi300.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fnn31%2Foxc4ndiikissesxo%2Fpink.jpg&hash=534a8e856684955729b55633e0935ac8943d6cff)
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi300.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fnn31%2Foxc4ndiikissesxo%2Fmeblonde.jpg&hash=cd274c530a1dcb60c05e7a9935c47b54950f9910)

if you know anything about being platinum blonde its that it damages your hair so badddd, bleaching and perms/relaxers are the most damaging , so avoid those with all costs!
right now im using "Carol's daughter Hair balm", i like it alot as my hair get very dry i use "sebastian conditioning treatment" after i shampoo with garnier damage control and a few drops of tea tree oil to clean my scalp, that one thing too, your beautiful hair begins at your scalp, alot of balding its caused by a build up of sebrum, so its best to try to keep your scalp clean. i only wash my hair like once a week tho, if that, shampoo is basically a detergent so it drys out your hair , sometimes when i wash my hair i just wash it with conditioner and no shampoo unless my hair is really dirty like i got some nut in it or something lmao. thats a thing that alot of curly hair grils do , bc curly hair is much dryer. any who i wont talk forever so good luck on your journey sis.

Quote from: Vexing on January 03, 2011, 05:39:18 AM
I actually like you hair like this.

Aww thanks. :D

and @BridgetBby thanks for the info! :D You're cute. :)

Quote from: Helena on December 31, 2010, 04:11:41 PM


as for products i use shampoo and conditioners made by a uk company called lush...they love my hair and i love them...it may be worth splashing a wee bit of cash on something similar

http://www.lush.co.uk/ (http://www.lush.co.uk/)

I 2nd this! Such wonderful products, all natural! I use the "BIG" shampoo. Make a trip into NYC every time I need a new supply :P

i've wandered over from dude-land to come share the things that i used to do with my hair when i was presenting as female - hope i'm not butting in!

anyway. i've gone through my fair share of damaging hair products, and i can tell you that there was nothing that ever worked better for me than a good trim and an even better conditioner. i used to use the herbal essences "hello hydration" conditioner, and i swear that stuff worked miracles. not only that, but you can get it at the drugstore.

a few ladies have said that you should wash your hair less - i've never lived by that rule. i still wash my hair every time i shower, which is usually every day. i've never found reducing the amount of times i wash my hair to be helpful, in fact it just makes my hair more greasy. on that note, when i had long hair, i would avoid the "deeper-cleaning" sort of shampoos, such as head & shoulders. when my hair was long i found that using head & shoulders would dry out my hair more than washing it every day did. hence why i'm going to stress the importance of using a conditioner! i went through a wide array of conditioners, and my hair always looked better when i used them. my favorites though were frizz-tamers by companies like pantene, and ones that included hydration formulas by herbal essences. suave also has some pretty good conditioners, the strawberry one in particular was a favorite of mine :P

about the trim - i can definitely see why you're hesitant about it, but i learned the hard way that sometimes you have to sacrifice length for style. before coming out, and when i still presented as female, i had my hair the same length as yours, and let me tell you - the possibilities for hair that length are endless. not to mention the fact that your hair will grow faster once it's healthier ;)

i used to straighten my hair, but i didn't use a flat iron... i used a curling iron. haha i know it sounds weird, but the results, at least for me, were much more desirable than those a flat iron could have given me. when i used the curling iron to straighten my hair, my hair ended up being more bouncy and easier to style, whereas with a flat iron it just turned rod straight and lifeless. i used to do this every day, so when i started to see my hair slowly getting frizzier... and frizzier... and frizzier, i decided to try out a few products. i found the alberto miracle  mist heat defence worked like a dream, and not only did it protect and defrizz my hair, but made it glossy, too.

that's all the stuff i can think of right now, but if you want to know anything else, just send a pm my way!

p.s. you're stunning, and you look absolutely gorgeous with curly hair!

Quote from: Helena on December 31, 2010, 04:11:41 PM
as for products i use shampoo and conditioners made by a uk company called lush...they love my hair and i love them...it may be worth splashing a wee bit of cash on something similar

http://www.lush.co.uk/ (http://www.lush.co.uk/)

I've used one or two of their products, they are very nice.. the problem is that they don't store any of their product in packaging in the stores, and walking in the door is like being hit in the face by an invisible, perfumed boxing glove. I can only stand to be in there for about a minute before I have to leave, or my eyes will start burning. Most of their products smell lovely, but it's just overwhelming in the store... .

Quote from: Rye on January 04, 2011, 12:49:22 PM
i've wandered over from dude-land to come share the things that i used to do with my hair when i was presenting as female - hope i'm not butting in!

anyway. i've gone through my fair share of damaging hair products, and i can tell you that there was nothing that ever worked better for me than a good trim and an even better conditioner. i used to use the herbal essences "hello hydration" conditioner, and i swear that stuff worked miracles. not only that, but you can get it at the drugstore.

a few ladies have said that you should wash your hair less - i've never lived by that rule. i still wash my hair every time i shower, which is usually every day. i've never found reducing the amount of times i wash my hair to be helpful, in fact it just makes my hair more greasy. on that note, when i had long hair, i would avoid the "deeper-cleaning" sort of shampoos, such as head & shoulders. when my hair was long i found that using head & shoulders would dry out my hair more than washing it every day did. hence why i'm going to stress the importance of using a conditioner! i went through a wide array of conditioners, and my hair always looked better when i used them. my favorites though were frizz-tamers by companies like pantene, and ones that included hydration formulas by herbal essences. suave also has some pretty good conditioners, the strawberry one in particular was a favorite of mine :P

about the trim - i can definitely see why you're hesitant about it, but i learned the hard way that sometimes you have to sacrifice length for style. before coming out, and when i still presented as female, i had my hair the same length as yours, and let me tell you - the possibilities for hair that length are endless. not to mention the fact that your hair will grow faster once it's healthier ;)

i used to straighten my hair, but i didn't use a flat iron... i used a curling iron. haha i know it sounds weird, but the results, at least for me, were much more desirable than those a flat iron could have given me. when i used the curling iron to straighten my hair, my hair ended up being more bouncy and easier to style, whereas with a flat iron it just turned rod straight and lifeless. i used to do this every day, so when i started to see my hair slowly getting frizzier... and frizzier... and frizzier, i decided to try out a few products. i found the alberto miracle  mist heat defence worked like a dream, and not only did it protect and defrizz my hair, but made it glossy, too.

that's all the stuff i can think of right now, but if you want to know anything else, just send a pm my way!

p.s. you're stunning, and you look absolutely gorgeous with curly hair!

Aww thank you!! :D I won't mind having curly hair once it's long I just hate hate hate the way it looks now, even when it's straight but when it's straight it's a little better. I've always been nuts over my hair =/
And I'll look into those products if I need to in the future. I bought mane n tail and it says to leave the conditioner in for 2 minutes so I left it in and after rinsing it felt noticeably softer and smoother, even when it dried out. BUT if in the long run it does nothing for me, then I'll look into something else :)

Quote from: Britney♥Bieber on December 31, 2010, 05:11:43 PM
and yeah I was nervous about making videos but people like you and Jerica and this one girl Jordan and some others that I watched, really helped me a lot. :D So I wanted to put myself out there to do what you did for me for other people.

awwww yay! =)

Quote from: Jerica on January 07, 2011, 05:31:18 PM

awwww yay! =)

<333

Britney, I also recommend these two remarkable hair care companies:
Ojon http://www.ojon.com/ (http://www.ojon.com/)
Wen http://www.wenhaircare.com/ (http://www.wenhaircare.com/)
Their products are godly! x

Yep, I'll butt into your thread as well, Britney.
I currently use the shampoo cake Soak 'n Float, made by Lush. A shampoo cake is actually just like a bar of soap, but it's shampoo in bar form instead of soap. This shampoo smells like tar, smoke, bacon and newly-laden asphalt; the smell might freak you out. It works well with my hair, though. I've got dandruff problems and also greasy hair (the typical teenage problems, along with lots of acne, heh). This shampoo has made my hair feel nicer somehow, less prone to be dandruffy and fall off. Yeah, when I was in middle school, I had awful amounts of dandruff, my scalp itched all the time and my hair kept falling out (like a cat or something, I left hair wherever I went).
Now, with the Lush shampoo, it feels somehow healthier. This could also be due to high school being less stressing, but I think the shampoo also plays a part in it.
It's also a relaxing feeling to rub the shampoo into your hair, it's more like a scalp massage than when you use regular, liquid shampoo. The Lush products are not tested on animals and enviroment-friendly as well. Expensive but good.

I love your hair when it's curly, don't straighten it! You look like a femme fatale, like I've said before. The kind of hair many women would love to have, those beautiful curls. It doesn't look frissy or "random", it looks like a "planned" hairstyle. Very pretty.

Quote from: VeronikaFTH on January 04, 2011, 01:04:58 PM
I've used one or two of their products, they are very nice.. the problem is that they don't store any of their product in packaging in the stores, and walking in the door is like being hit in the face by an invisible, perfumed boxing glove. I can only stand to be in there for about a minute before I have to leave, or my eyes will start burning. Most of their products smell lovely, but it's just overwhelming in the store... .

This has started to be more of a problem as my sense f smell has improved. I used to be fine but it can smell the shop from down the street now.

Quote from: PixieBoy on January 08, 2011, 02:33:28 PM
Yep, I'll butt into your thread as well, Britney.
I currently use the shampoo cake Soak 'n Float, made by Lush. A shampoo cake is actually just like a bar of soap, but it's shampoo in bar form instead of soap. This shampoo smells like tar, smoke, bacon and newly-laden asphalt; the smell might freak you out. It works well with my hair, though. I've got dandruff problems and also greasy hair (the typical teenage problems, along with lots of acne, heh). This shampoo has made my hair feel nicer somehow, less prone to be dandruffy and fall off. Yeah, when I was in middle school, I had awful amounts of dandruff, my scalp itched all the time and my hair kept falling out (like a cat or something, I left hair wherever I went).
Now, with the Lush shampoo, it feels somehow healthier. This could also be due to high school being less stressing, but I think the shampoo also plays a part in it.
It's also a relaxing feeling to rub the shampoo into your hair, it's more like a scalp massage than when you use regular, liquid shampoo. The Lush products are not tested on animals and enviroment-friendly as well. Expensive but good.

I love your hair when it's curly, don't straighten it! You look like a femme fatale, like I've said before. The kind of hair many women would love to have, those beautiful curls. It doesn't look frissy or "random", it looks like a "planned" hairstyle. Very pretty.

I'm glad its not falling out anymore! :)
And I probably will almost never straighten it when it's longer, it's just so annoying and unmanageable at this length. =/

Probably not what you want to hear but the only way to "fix" hair is to cut it off. Then condition it really well, especially at the ends. Trust me, it helps keep the split ends away as your hair is growing.

Also, if you are going to straighten it, I suggest you invest in some sort of heat protectant. It helps to stop your hair from getting fried. Personally, I would not recommend straightening it though. I have pretty curly hair and when it was long, it looked really great. I got a ton of compliments.

Quote from: Shai on January 08, 2011, 06:37:18 PM
Probably not what you want to hear but the only way to "fix" hair is to cut it off. Then condition it really well, especially at the ends. Trust me, it helps keep the split ends away as your hair is growing.

Also, if you are going to straighten it, I suggest you invest in some sort of heat protectant. It helps to stop your hair from getting fried. Personally, I would not recommend straightening it though. I have pretty curly hair and when it was long, it looked really great. I got a ton of compliments.

I love my curls but not at this length. One day when it's longer I'll likely put my straightener in storage. But for now I prefer it straight. I'm straightening it a lot less now though and I plan on getting a trim sometime soon :'( I'm trying to put it off as long as I can, so that I won't cry or something lol. =/

Quote from: Britney♥Bieber on January 08, 2011, 06:51:03 PM
I love my curls but not at this length. One day when it's longer I'll likely put my straightener in storage. But for now I prefer it straight. I'm straightening it a lot less now though and I plan on getting a trim sometime soon :'( I'm trying to put it off as long as I can, so that I won't cry or something lol. =/

I completely understand your reasoning for not wanting to cut it off. Honestly though, I think your hair looks fine. It's cute.  :)

You have my sympaties Britney, It seems as though my hair has been at that 'awkward stage' forever now but yours really will look sensational given time  ;D

M x

Quote from: Shai on January 08, 2011, 06:58:02 PM
I completely understand your reasoning for not wanting to cut it off. Honestly though, I think your hair looks fine. It's cute.  :)

Aww thanks. I mean at the end of the day I know I'm a friggen DRAMA QUEEN, story of my life bb lemme tell ya, lol. So I know I'll get over it once it's been trimmed. My mom said she can start with a quarter inch and see if that gets the split ends off, that won't be too terrible. I wanna wait longer though. Idk I'm really so attached to my hair.

Quote from: MillieB on January 08, 2011, 06:59:13 PM
You have my sympaties Britney, It seems as though my hair has been at that 'awkward stage' forever now but yours really will look sensational given time  ;D

M x

Thanks girl <3