Length Picture for March 2014

So here I am at 74,5 cm:

The Results of Shedding

So this is what my hair looked like on Christmas Eve 2013

The waves were supposed to be "beach waves" which I tried to create with the Tony&Guy Casual Sea Salt Texturising Spray.

Now let's take a look at what my hair looked like on Christmas Eve 2012.

I think it's clearly visible how my hair has thinned out after three truly horrible shedding phases. It's just such a shame but there's nothing I can do about it. I guess I just have to carry on with what I have left.

Length Picture January 2014

So, here we go. Have a look at this:

Still pretty frizzy but it has improved nicely since I have changed my products and remorsefully returned to religiously pre-oil my hair with coconut oil before washing. What do you think?

My First French Braid

I was at the salon last Saturday to get my ends trimmed and my hairdresser did this lovely French braid. I never had a French braid before and I absolutely loved it!

 

New length pictures for January 2014 will be up soon.

New Products Based on my Hair Analysis

So here are my new products which I'm using now. The fat ingredients are the recommended ones.

Basler Protein Haarkur (German salon brand)

This is a protein treatment for fine, porous and stressed hair.

Ingredients:

Aqua, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Behentrimonium Chloride, Polyquaternium-37, Ceteareth-30, Amodimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Quaternium-91, Citric Acid, Isopropyl Alcohol, Cera Alba, Parfum, Laurdimonium Hydroxypropyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Cetrimonium Methosulfate, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Citronellol, Propylparaben, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, CI 16255, Sodium Sulfate, CI 47005

 

Basler Aleosan Stutenmilch Haarkur (German salon brand)

This is a treatment for dry, porous hair and sensitive scalp.

Ingredients:

Aqua, Cetyl Alcohol, Mare Milk, Cetrimonium Chloride, Behentrimonium Chloride, Ceteareth-25, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cocamide MIPA, Isopropyl Alcohol, Citric Acid, Parfum, Methylparaben, Panthenol, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Chloride, BHT, Propylparaben, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Linalool, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Eugenol

 

L'Oreal Nature's Therapy Mega Moisture Nurturing Creme

This is a treatment for very dry, chemically processed hair

Ingredients:

Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Glycerin, Amodimethicone, Cetyl Esters, Isopropyl Alcohol, Sodium PCA, Fragrance, Methylparaben, Trideceth-12, Sunflower Seed Oil, Hexyl Cinnamal, Chlorhexidine, Dihydrochloride, Cetrimonium Chloride, Yellow 5.

Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Moisture Mist

This is a hydrating spray for hair and body.

Ingredients:

Water, Propylene Glycol, Spirulina Maxima Extract, Plankton Extract, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, Hedychium Coronarium (White Ginger) Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Sodium PCA, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Polyquaternium-4, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Methylpropanediol, Lactic Acid , Bisamino PEG/PPG-41/3 Aminoethyl PG-Propyl Dimethicone, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Parfum, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Alcohol, Hydroxycitronellal

Udo Walz Keratin Spruehkur (German brand)
This is a pray leave-in for stressed to damaged hair.

Ingredients:

Aqua, Polyquaternium-16, Polyquaternium-6, Soluble Collagen, Triticum Vulgare (Bran Extract), Hydrolyzed Keratin, Hydrolyzed Silk, Trideceth-9, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, PEG-5 Ethylhexanoate, Parfum, Alcohol, Sodium Benzoate, Panthenol, VP/VA Copolymer, Potassium Sorbate, Propylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Linalool, Limonene, Butylphenyl Methylpropional.

My Hair Analysis Results

I have a feeling that this post is going to be the most important post I have ever written for this blog in all these years.
A couple of weeks ago I had sent some of my shedded hair strands to the US to have it analyzed by GoosefootPrints. Well I did already knew my hair is in pretty bad shape but I have to admit that I was a bit shocked when I finally got my results.

Here's the sad truth:
Hair strand thickness: medium
Hair elasticity dry: normal
Hair elasticity wet: low
Porosity: low at the roots, mostly normal to porous in the middle, porous to extremly porous on the ends

My hair is extremely dehydrated and needs protein!

What does this mean for me:
I had my ends trimmed at the salon last week (about 1")
I will go back to oiling my hair with coconut oil before washing it (something I used to do religiously but have neglected lately).
I will add honey to my conditioners and treatments
I won't comb my hair when it's wet (only gentle finger-combing)
I will only use products that has the recommended ingredients

It took me a couple of days to search through all the information this analysis provided and search for products with the recommended ingredients. That was a tough job mainly because it can sometimes be difficult to find full ingredients lists of products online.

However I did manage to find a couple of products (two of them had been on my wishlist for a while anyway) and I will introduce them to you soon.
In the meantime I have even found some more which is a good thing because you know how it is when you have found that one product that could be your holy grail and than it gets discontinued.

If you have problems finding the right products for your hair and you don't feel like spending years trying them all I highly recommend to invest the money. It's really as fair price for what you get in return. Of course there aren't any guarantees that these new products will work magic on my hair but right now I think my hair can't get much worse so it's always worth a try. I don't have anything to loose.

To see the full analysis click on the pictures below to inlarge them!

 

Length Picture for October

I think it's unnecessary to say that I'm still not happy with what I see there.

Let's hope my hairy transformation will take place soon since the results of my GoosefootPrints hair analysis have arrived which means I see a glimmer of hope on the horizon for a change. ;-)

It's been a while.....

I've been so frustrated with my hair lately that I wasn't really in the mood for an update.
So what's new? Let's see....

1.
I had to end my cone-free project early because my hair was a dry and breaking mess. I could barely comb my hair and I got so scared that I went straight back to cones. Yes, I'm weak!
I've been using the L'Oreal EverRich conditioners lately and they make my hair smooth, manageable and easy to comb, just as I like it.

2.
My shedding has somewhat increased. It's still in a range where I can live with it but I'm praying it doesn't increase since I still have no idea what causes this and what I can do to slow it down or even stop it!

3.
The lovely Anita from the UK was kind enough to send me a bottle of Suave Almond + Shea butter condtioner which will be tested tonight. This brand isn't available in Germany. It smells awesome. Can't wait to try it!

4.
I have ordered an hair analysis from GoosfootPrints on Etsy at the beginning of September. Unfortunately my hair sample which I had sent to the US was sent back to me. Apparently there was something wrong with the address. I put it back in the mail last Saturday and I'm now desperately waiting for the results.

5.
My scalp is as flakey and itchy as it has always been. I'm currently using my Ketmed shampoo again. It's a special treatment shampoo which I have to use two times a week for four weeks. It's supposed to help with the kind of scalp eczema which I'm suffering from.


I will update soon with new length pictures.

Project #1, Part 1: Cone-free

I start with cone-free because I have never been a big fan of this so I want to get this over with as soon as possible.
I started with my usual clarifying wash which I do once a month anyway to get rid of all the cones that are currently in my hair.

These are the products I will use!


Shampoo:
- Vichy Dercos Anti-Dandruff Shampoo Sensitive (sulfate-free)
- Alpecin Schuppen-Killer Shampoo (SLES)

Conditioner / Treatment:
- Balea Professional Repair + Pflege Spuelung
- Balea Professional Repair + Pflege 1-Minute Intensivkur
- Balea Professional Repair + Pflege Express Kur

Leave-in:
- The Body Shop Rainforest Moisture Hair Butter 
- L'Oreal Oilixir

Additional products:
- Seborin Anti-Dandruff Lotion (pre-wash)
- Sante Hair Wax

Changes to my usual routine:

- ACV-Rinse after each washing.
- No pre-shampoo treatments.
- I will leave my treatments on for an hour.


I started this routine on Tuesday, 30th July and will follow this for 8 weeks!

Length Picture July 2013

I'm so sad right now I don't feel like commenting this horrible picture. :-(

  

My hair once used to cover my entire back. Now see what's left after two horrific shedding phases. It's pathetic and makes me wanna cry. My hair has never before been in such a terrible state and I have no idea why that is. I feel kinda betrayed since I've really been good to my hair. My long hair journey might be over soon.......

Upcoming Projects

Since my hair is far away from looking beautiful at the moment and I have absolutely no idea what in the world is wrong with it, I will start three long-term projects to find out what my hair wants from me.

#1 Cone-free vs. Cones

#2 Pre-oil vs. Pre-condition

#3 Blow Drying vs. Air Drying

 

Hairy Frustrations

It's been a while since I posted anything. That's because I was kinda feeling down for the following reasons:

I have been going through another horrible shedding phase over the last couple of weeks. I'd say it's back to normal by now but I'm once again super-sad and frustrated. My hair seems to be so thin right now it makes me wanna cry. :-(

Also my hair doesn't seem to grow at them moment. I had a much needed trim recently but really only a little bit. I'm kinda stuck with my current length. I hope this will change soon and my hair will continue to grow again.

I have finally managed to stretch the days between my washings from four to five day but my scalp still hasn't adjusted to it properly yet. I guess the shampoo-change didn't help with this either. So the fifth day is really hard and I'm always glad when it's over.

So this is it from me for today. I really hope things will improve soon hair-wise. In the meantime, take care of your precious tresses, ladies (and gents)! ;-)

My Shrine in July 2013

Well, you can call me a lot of things but I'm certainly no "product-junkie". This is what my hair care shrine looks at the moment:

The white tub on the left holds my coconut oil

My newest products are:

  
L'Oreal EverRich Masque
Although this is actually a deep treatment I use this as my regular conditioner since my hair is pretty dry.


L'Oreal Elvital Oil Magique
Don't be fooled by the word "oil", this is a silicone serum!
Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethiconol, Chamomilla Recutita (Extract)/ Matricaria (Flower Extract), Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Nelumbium Speciosum (Flower Extract), Benzyl Alcohol, Cinnamal, Linalool, Linum Usitatissimum (Flower Extract), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Gardenia Tahitensis (Flower Extract), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Gardenia Tahitensis (Flower Extract), Rosa Canina (Flower Extract), Bisabolol, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Parfum.

I like both of these products very much so far. I haven't actually been using them long enough for a proper review.

Vichy Dercos Anti-Dandruff Sensitive Shampoo

Aqua/Water, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Laureth-5 Carboxylic Acid, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Chloride, Bisabolol, Farnesol, Hexylene Glycol, Lactic Acid, Peg-150 Distearate, Peg-55 Propylene Glycol Oleate, Piroctone Olamine, Polyquaternium-10, Propylene Glycol, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Parfum/Fragrance

Since the sulfate-free hypo-sensitive Alpecin shampoo I used to use was discontinued I thought I'd give this a try. It's acutally pretty hard to find a sulfate-free anti-dandruff shampoo. So I'm really glad I found this one.

New Products

I've been going a little bit crazy lately on the hair-care-products-front. Here's what I got recently:

Lush "No Drought" Dry Shampoo
Ingredients:  Zea Mays Cob Powder, Magnesium Carbonate, Talc, Parfüm, Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantifolia Oil, Citral, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool.

I have to admit I'm not a massive fan of dry shampoos but I also have to admit that they come in handy sometimes. I had one in a spray bottle which worked alright but I always had the feeling that a lot more of this stuff ends up on my bathroom tiles and the floor than on my hair. So I thought I give this a try. It can be applied with your fingers or even a powder brush. I have only tried this once since I bought it so I can't really say much about it yet.

The Body Shop Rainforest Moisture Hair Butter
Ingredients: Aqua, Cetearyl Alcohol, Distearoylethyl Hydroxyethylmonium Methosulfate, Olea Europaea (Fruit Oil), Parfum, Phenoxyethanol, Cetyl Esters, Glycerin, Schinziophyton Rautanenii (Kernel Oil), Benzoic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Salicylic Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Mel, Pentaclethra Macroloba (Seed Oil), Sodium Benzoate, Tocopherol

Before my dandruff problems have started I have been using the Rainforest Moisture shampoo for quite a while and I really liked it a lot. I've never tried the hair butter so here we go! I haven't tried this yet.

Weleda Weizen Shampoo (anti-dandruff)
Ingredients: Water, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Disodium Coco-Glucoside Citrate, Sodium Lauroyl Oat Amino Acids, Alcohol, Glycerin, Fragrance, Xanthan Gum, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Germ Oil, Glyceryl Caprylate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium PCA, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract, Ruscus Aculeatus Root Extract, Viola Tricolor Extract, Lactic Acid, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sucrose Laurate, PCA Glyceryl Oleate, Arginine, Sodium Phytate, Limonene, Linalool, Geraniol, Coumarin.

My beloved Alpecin Hypo-Sensitive shampoo which I have been using for a while now is discontinued and I wasn't even able to get it online. So it's time to move on and find a decent match which isn't so easy. If I want a sulfate-free one again I have to go for an organic product. I found out that much. I'm not sure if an organic product will be quite as effective since Alpecin is a company that has been making anti-dandruff products for many years. So when I found this little sample of the Weleda Weizen shampoo yesterday I thought this was perfect. This way I can try it and see how my scalp reacts to it without having to spend a lot of money for a big bottle.

Waist Length Reached!

Here are my latest length pictures:

(with flash)

As you can see, I have finally reached waist length.

(with flash)

I'm happy and thrilled to have achieved this wonderful length but I have bad news as well. I'm currently going through another horrible shedding phase similar to the one I had last fall. It's extremely frustrating and scary and I really hope this will stop soon. :-(

My Hair Oils

These are the oils I'm using right now for my hair:

Khadi Balsam Hair Oil
"Ingredients: Brassica juncea (Mustard oil) • Citrus medica limonum oil (Lemon) • Sesamum indicum (Sesame oil) • Cinnamomum camphora (Camphor) • Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tee Tree oil) • Azadirachta indica (Neem)

Directions: Part your hair and apply oil all over the scalp. Massage the scalp gently with fingers in a circular motion so that the oil gradually gets absorbed into the scalp.

Leave for an hour or more before washing. Keeping it overnight is also very beneficial."

I don't use this very often. It smells horrible and I'm not sure if it actually does anything at all for my scalp. More info here.


Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
I oil the ponytail section of my dry hair with this in the morning, bun it and wash my hair in the evening. Love the smell!

Extra Virgin Jojoba Oil
I use this on the end of my sleeping braid, as a leave-in on damp hair to seal in moisture or as a de-frizz lotion on dry hair. A very good beginners oil since it's very light.

Argan Oil
I use this in the same way as I use the jojoba oil.

L'Oreal Professionnel Oilixier
Ingredients: Olea Europea Oil (Olive Fruit Oil), Isopropyl Palmitate, Argana Spinosa Oil (Argana Spinosa Kernel Oil), Lavandula Angustifola Oil (Lavender Oil), Linalool, Limonene

I love this stuff!! I use this as a pre-wash treatment on dry hair and a leave-in on damp hair. The lavender smell is SO soothing.

On a new path....

So I thought it was time to give these fancy expensive salon products a go and after quite a bit of online research decided to give the L'Oreal Mythic Oil conditioner and treatment a go. It looks like this:

I paid 17 Euro (22 USD) for the conditioner and 19 Euro (24 USD) for the treatment which is, as I think, quite a lot of money. At least a hell of a lot more as I have ever spent before for hair care products. 



I also bought argan oil and the L'Oreal Oilixir oil which is from their Nature line and is an organic product with the following ingredients:
Olea Europea Oil (Olive Fruit Oil), Isopropyl Palmitate, Argana Spinosa Oil (Argana Spinosa Kernel Oil), Lavandula Angustifola Oil (Lavender Oil), Linalool, Limonene
It looks like this: 

I paid 5 Euro (50 ml) for the argan oil and 11 Euro (50 ml) for the Oilixier. So far I have used the Oilixier as a pre-wash treatment and a leave-in after washing and I love the results and the lavendar smell. The argan oil I have used on my dry ends before I go to bed and also as a leave-in after washing.


And last but not least for extra dry ends protection I got the Sante Natural Wax. It's actualy a styling wax but can also be used to protect your ends. This also is an organic product with the following ingredients:
Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Lanolin, Cera Alba (Beeswax), Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Behenyl Alcohol, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Parfum (Essential oils)

I paid 5 Euro for 50 ml and I suppose it will last me forever. The smell is absolutely gorgeous, like coconut and vanilla!!


Conclusion (so far):
I don't think I will re-buy the Mythic Oil products again since after using these two products for the past three weeks I can tell you they are definitely no miracle products. My hair doesn't feel any different than after using a cheaper drugstore conditioner and treatment. Plus I'm not exactly pleased with the smell and this is something that matters a lot to me.

The Oilixier and the argan oil are good products which, I think, are worth the money. I will definitely continue to use them and experiment a little bit more with the argan oil to see what this can do for my hair.

The Sante Wax is also an awesome product which protects my ends from friction at night without making them look greasy the other day. You get a lot of an awesome smelling product for a small price so thumbs up!

My shrine in March 2013

It was about time for another shrine picture since I have bought a lot of new products recently. So here we go!

This is just a teaser for my next post which will hopefully be up in a couple of days. As you can see I have finally crumbled and have bought three expensive L'Oreal salon products and the argan oil which I have been dying to try for ages. There you have it, I'm going all posh! lol

First Length Picture for 2013

So here we are at 27" (69 cm). Have a look!

 It used to look like this at the beginning of 2012:

There is a noticible difference. Don't you think so? However it's still a bit to go until I reach hip length.

Two New Products and Christmas Hair

Since it's been a while since I have bought new hair products I thought it was about time to do that. I made sure to stick with the sachet-/travel sizes because I don't like being forced to use up products that just don't work on my hair.

So I got an intensive treatment and the Lee Stafford Poker Straight Conditioner. That 'Artist' brand is a German brand so don't go looking for that at your local Wal-Mart. lol
I have already used the Lee Stafford Hair Growth Treatment a while ago and although it didn't make my hair grow faster it conditioned it well but I don't think it's worth to spend 11 Euro for it. I can't wait to use the Poker Straight Conditioner. For those of you who aren't familiar with these Lee Stafford products, they smell extremely good (well, if you like perfumy products that is). If you have a sensitive nose or don't want your hair care products to clash with you perfume you better stay away from these products.


And finally look at my Christmas hair!!! I was suprised myself by the length and fullness after so many weeks of excessive shedding not long ago. I really don't want to sound vain but it's pictures like this that keep me motivated. Hopefully it inspires you too!

I'm wishing you all the best for 2013. May it be a good year for you and all your loved ones. Keep growing!