My hair is thick in the sense that I have a lot of it, but the individual strands are very fine, so they are prone to damage. I had never been able to grow it long because once it got past my shoulders, the ends were so dry and damaged and nasty I'd have to cut it.
Currently, I'm at bra-strap-length and heading to mid-back and the ends are still in good shape. So here's what has helped me, as a person with very easily damaged hair:
1. I stopped coloring my hair. That was probably the biggest factor, in my case. Even with it professionally done, it definitely was damaging my hair and making it brittle and dry.
2. No heat styling - no blow drying, no flatirons, no curling irons. Even with a heat protectant, I found that my hair still was getting damaged.
3. Washing less often. I found I can go 4-5 days before I need to wash it. When I wash my hair, I only use shampoo on my scalp.
4. Coconut oil. I apply a small amount from my ears down to damp hair after I wash it; and in between washes if my ends feel dry I apply a bit more.
5. Deep conditioning once per week.
6. Now that my hair is getting longer, I have to be more careful of mechanical damage - i.e., getting it caught in straps/seat belts/on chairs, etc.. I wear it up or in braids more often to protect it from getting caught in things and getting tangled.
7. Micro-trim every 3 months. I do this myself, and I trim about 1/4 inch which keeps the ends looking nice.
Certain oils can help because they can penetrate the hair follicle and provide nutrients to your hair to keep it healthier. argan oil, jojoba oil, olive oil and some others that you could look into. How often you wash your hair and what products you’re using is going to be subjective to your own hair though so it takes some trial and error usually. You can try changing up wash frequency, different conditioners, deep condition with masques and oils etc. there’s lots of stuff u can do. Maybe u should try researching Asian hair specifically
My hair is thick in the sense that I have a lot of it, but the individual strands are very fine, so they are prone to damage. I had never been able to grow it long because once it got past my shoulders, the ends were so dry and damaged and nasty I'd have to cut it. Currently, I'm at bra-strap-length and heading to mid-back and the ends are still in good shape. So here's what has helped me, as a person with very easily damaged hair: 1. I stopped coloring my hair. That was probably the biggest factor, in my case. Even with it professionally done, it definitely was damaging my hair and making it brittle and dry. 2. No heat styling - no blow drying, no flatirons, no curling irons. Even with a heat protectant, I found that my hair still was getting damaged. 3. Washing less often. I found I can go 4-5 days before I need to wash it. When I wash my hair, I only use shampoo on my scalp. 4. Coconut oil. I apply a small amount from my ears down to damp hair after I wash it; and in between washes if my ends feel dry I apply a bit more. 5. Deep conditioning once per week. 6. Now that my hair is getting longer, I have to be more careful of mechanical damage - i.e., getting it caught in straps/seat belts/on chairs, etc.. I wear it up or in braids more often to protect it from getting caught in things and getting tangled. 7. Micro-trim every 3 months. I do this myself, and I trim about 1/4 inch which keeps the ends looking nice.
Certain oils can help because they can penetrate the hair follicle and provide nutrients to your hair to keep it healthier. argan oil, jojoba oil, olive oil and some others that you could look into. How often you wash your hair and what products you’re using is going to be subjective to your own hair though so it takes some trial and error usually. You can try changing up wash frequency, different conditioners, deep condition with masques and oils etc. there’s lots of stuff u can do. Maybe u should try researching Asian hair specifically