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



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/

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.



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

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. 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. 

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. 

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!

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!

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

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. =/