Blog readers, occasionally bloggers check their blog statistics - how many people are reading the blog, from which sites did they come? Where in the world are they?
I research hair information and share it via this blog hoping people can benefit from it. Link to the blog if you find it helpful. Share it with people who might find it useful. Bookmark blog posts. If you don't read English, there is a Google Translate link over on the right and you can have a good laugh at how Google translates the page into whichever language you prefer.
Obviously I want people to use this information and I tell you where I get my information so you can go find it yourself and make your own conclusions if you like. If I have information which isn't common knowledge or isn't taken from dozens of "hear-say" sources, I put it in the references. I don't usually do in-line citations because this is an informal blog and I think they're distracting when you want to read quickly.
I say this information is free for you to use and I'm happy for you to use it. But if you reproduce it and don't say where it came from, you have stolen it because you were not the one who compiled it. In the age of the internet, plagiarism looks different. It's not uncommon to see the exact same words repeated on website after website and that isn't necessarily wrong unless the original source was never cited. If you don't say where you got it, you telling the world you created it. And that is theft - you are taking credit for the product of somebody else's work. It's illegal too, even on the internet.
I have a "Creative Commons" copyright for this blog (click this link if you want to know what that means for this blog), and I often put copyright labels on photos. I even put copyright notices within the text. It's not as though I'm not aware of this problem. In fact, that same Creative Commons notice (top right of the page) has a copy-and-paste citation for this blog "Based on a work at http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.com/" - so it couldn't be easier to show where you got the information.
I found this blog creating hits on my blog via links between posts. Imagine my surprise to find - my blog! Only with a different title. And with ads! In other words - somebody swiped my blog and they actually have the gall to try to profit from it. I'm really annoyed. If somebody wants to translate a post from my blog in another language, all they need to do is leave a comment on a post asking me about that. I read blog comments before posting them so I can delete the spam - so I see all the comments.
If I were merely reporting other people's research, that would be one thing. But I actually cobble together information from multiple sources and add in my own understanding of biology and chemistry and comments and observations I have read people make about their hair and those I have made myself - to fill in the gaps. Sometimes I hypothesize. I share recipes. This blog is an original creation. Please acknowledge that and refer to this blog if you use information from here - including the recipes. A link and mention the blog name is adequate.
Oh look, it happened again!
May 2016: http://treatmentfordryhair.blogspot.com/
I can't understand the brashness of some people. :-( I have referred others to this blog directly. I think your research and information is amazing. Even if can't personally use it, you do a great job of presenting it for others.
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteI went to the hair dresser recently to dye my hair and it was just a disaster. To make a long story short he dyed my hair 4 times in a row and added som chemical in between the dyes. My hair is now super dry and that really makes me sad as my narural hair is actually soft.
How would u recommend me to care for my hair to reverse the damage if that is possible?
I have read about a product called Olaplex which chemically links the broken bonds in the hair. Is that even possible to do? What is your opinion?
Thank you al lot in advance!! :-)
Hello Salli, I'm sorry to head you had a bad experience with hair dye. Hair dye tends to make hair more porous, so it might be best to do things to manage porosity in your hair. I will put some links to blog posts here, you'll have to copy and paste them in the browser address bar. 1) Oil pre-wash treatments with penetrating oils can be very helpful in managing damage from hair dye by balancing out porosity: http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.com/2014/03/oil-pre-shampoo-or-pre-wash.html You can use them before each wash, every other wash or every 1-2 weeks, depending on the result you get. 2) Deep conditioning is also helpful to restore softness: http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.com/2014/01/deep-conditioning-part-ii.html
Delete3)Protein can also help balance out porosity and hydrate hair. Not everybody's hair does well with protein and it's best to start with smaller proteins like keratin or collagen if you don't usually use protein in your hair: http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.com/2013/09/more-about-protein.html
-Olaplex is used while the hair is being dyed (or lightened). It can help in 2 ways. It helps with lubrication, which is extremely important when hair is damaged. And it provides something (a molecule) for un-bonded sulfur molecules in hair to bond with - ostensibly so they don't form undesirable bonds on their own. From the few reviews I've read - for some people there seems to be less damage but in general the hair ends up feeling nicer for some people (not everybody). I don't think things like Olaplex should take the place of good hair care, I think they should be used in addition to good hair care habits.
Thnx a lot for ur advice I will follow them the best way I can. My only worry is the oil treatments. I wash my hair with conditioner only (no shampoo). Is that enough to remove excess oil during washing???
ReplyDeleteSalli, many people can conditioner-wash out oil treatments. It depends on how dry your hair is and how much oil you used. If you use a hair-penetrating oil, some of it will have "soaked in" and won't need to be washed out. Start with less oil (enough to add a little shine and weight) and see how it goes. Work the conditioner well into your hair to help remove excess oil - gently squeeze and scrunch your hair to help the conditioner "blend" with the oil and remove what it can.
DeleteThanx! I guess the trick is not to use too much oil and it now works for me - I rinse the oil using only conditioner :-)
ReplyDeleteI feel my hair is very damaged though. Despite doing an olaplex treatment, doing coconut oil treatments as well as applying more conditioner and gel to my hair on a daily basis I end up with puffy hair once it dries. Is puffy hair a 'symptom' of something specific? Do I need to target this in a certain way??
Salli, Sometimes puffy hair needs products with protein in a rinse-out conditioner or a deep conditioner. If you have wavy or curly hair, puffy hair can mean you're not using products that have enough "hold" or else you need to use products that help your hair stick together well. Thick gels are better than liquid or runny gels at helping hair cling together while it dries. Some people get good hold while their hair dries, but when they do some final "finishing" steps to take out the gelled, crunchy look - hair goes fluffy again. That can happen when you use too much leave-in conditioner when a gel or if you are over-conditioning.
DeleteIf it were my hair, because you've already used coconut oil and extra conditioner, I'd try a product with some protein and then work through other ideas after that. Good luck!
Yes, I have curly hair. It just didn't occur to me that my hair lacks protein, but what you are describing is exactly what I experience. My hair is very soft when wet, and I do achieve some hold during drying. Once dry or if I touch it just turns puffy. This is a very sudden change in the way my hair behaves and only occured after the unsuccessful dyings my hair has been through.
ReplyDeleteDo you have any suggestions of thick gels?
The thickest I have is kinky curly curling custard.
Should I skip using coconut oil as prewash treatment for a while?
Thanx - I'll give it a try with protein conditioners. Your advices are very appreciated!! :-)
You might wait a while before doing another coconut oil treatment and try protein first. Protein is especially good for dyed hair. Kinky Curly Curling custard is certainly thick. Styling products with film forming humectants (on the Product by Ingredient Category page of this blog) can be thick. Eco brand gels are thick, La Looks hair gels are also thick (LA Looks Nutra Curl is fairly popular).
DeleteThank you - your help is very appreciated :-)
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteMaybe you remember my 'case'. My hair was dyed several times plus a bleach. My hair has felt very damaged and last time I contacted you, you recommended me to do protein treatments and use thick gels.
I do a protein treatment almost every week, and I have cut down on using coconut oil, pree poing and leaving too much conditioner in my hair.
My curl pattern seems to become better when I use protein - but my hair is still puffy when it is completely dry. I don't really achieve crunchy and dry curls. My curls look crunchy when wet, but once dry they turn puffy. Curl definition and softness does not last - it seems that any hydration in my hair disappears as it dries. My hair is better than last time I contacted you, but is there more I can do?
Thank you for your help in advance
BR Salli
Hello Salli,
DeleteAre you using any products that have "strong hold?" If not, that might be what you need to keep your hair from becoming puffy once dry. If you are, and you're still having this problem, it might be that one of the products is building up in your hair or leaving a residue that makes your hairs repel each other. That can be ingredients like glycerin or Polyquaternium ingredients. I hope that helps!
Hi, Science-y Hair Blog!
ReplyDeleteI found some of your blog content on another website, and thought you might want to know about it. Here's a link to the site: http://treatmentfordryhair.blogspot.com/2014/07/film-forming-humectants-what-they-are.html
Thank you for bringing that to my attention.
DeleteYou're welcome! I'm so sorry this happens to you.
DeleteThat is too bad about your content being robbed. This blog is not just putting out facts, it is obviously a painstaking synthesis and interpretation of tons of information--a labor of love--with the individual instruction found in your responses to comments being just as valuable!
ReplyDeleteIf it is feasible, I would love to see a table of contents for this blog or a list of all the article titles (at least I can't seem to find one on the 'home' page). I find myself bookmarking too many pages because they are all so good.