The Official Hair Thread

stifler said:

Anyone here had a hair transplant? If so, are you happy with the results?

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ShadowSkulkerer said:

Hello. I found my way here in my search for forums where I could read and ask for hair style advice. I too have straight hair and I need to wash my hair daily (I started using a dog shampoo that's natural and leaves it feather soft) or I get a nasty greasy matted look out of bed that brushing won't fix. My hair sticks straight out around my cow lick too...

Here are some pictures. It's not even 2 inches on top yet but this is as thick as I've gone and I have to get a trim on the sides before I return to work. I'll have to wait until I'm out of the military.

Then I also have a picture of the only thing I have done with my hair before and that's some american crew fiber ... I'd love to do something different but my hair doesn't want to go far in any direction before forcing itself back straight and I don't care for a sticky product like got2be... I'm just looking for suggestions on what I can do and how to achieve it.

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patrickBOOTH said:

I've done a fair amount of researching the chemistry behind shampoos, conditioners, and other styling products. It is very interesting stuff. All of the hate of detergents, or certain surfactants in shampoos are largely unfounded. Below I will disclose, at its most basic level the different ingredients in shampoos and conditioners, which make them effective.

The active ingredients in shampoo is some form of detergent to emulsify oil and dirt so it can be washed away from the hair. The anti-sulphate phenomenon is responsible for shunning of Sodium laureth sulfate, or "SLES". Sulphates are used in shampoos not because they are cheaper, or any of those evil rumors that you hear of, but rather because they are extremely effective. Some people have certain reactions to them if they are not rinsed well and remain on the skin, but from what I understand those people are few and far between. All detergents are not made equally, however. An example of a less "harsh" detergent would be sodium lauryl sulfate, or "SLS". Some supposedly "sulphate free" detergents might include sodium cocoyl sulfate, which is used to trick folks who don't like to see the words "laurel", or "laureth" in their shampoo, but it is very, very similar to sodium lauryl sulphate.

Some other premium detergents that are very mild for hair include Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Dosodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, and Sodium Laurel Sarcosinate and sodium isethionate.

Along with the detergent in shampoos there will be a melange of other conditioners that deposit on the hair. These conditioners can be silicones, proteins, or Polyquaterniums. Silicones are meant to coat the hair and offer shine, protection, manageability. Most silicones are non-polar and hydrophobic, meaning they don't have an electrical charge and they repel water. They are generally suspended in an emulsion that when you rinse your hair the silicone gets deposited on the hair shaft and repels the water (because it is hydrophobic) this is called "dilution deposition".

Some silicones can be formulated with a charge that sticks to hair, however. The silicones that have a change, like the polyquaterniums work well as conditioners because they carry a positive electrical charge that is attracted to the hair's negative electrical charge. When in the presence of each other they hydrogen bond together. Damaged parts of the hair that has some of the hair's core exposed are even more negatively charged than the cuticle so these types of conditioners do a great job of attracting themselves to the hair and providing slip, and anti-static properties.

Examples of some silicones include, Amodimethicone, Dimethicone, Dimethiconol, Cyclopentasiloxane.
Examples of cationic conditioners include: Polyquaterniums, Benentrimonium Chloride, Cetrimonium Chloride

Generally, Polyquaterniums will have a number after it. The number is only the order in which it was formulated so it doesn't tell you anything about its behavior, unfortunately. All Polyquaterniums have slightly different properties.


If anybody has any direct questions about product ingredients I think I could be a good resource as I have developed a keen interest in cosmetic chemistry.

Your friend,
patrickBOOTH

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patrickBOOTH said:

Well, I know for a fact that some testing has been done on apple cider vinegar and its ability to clean. A recent study I heard about on a podcast showed that apple cider vinegar pretty much does nothing in terms of removal of styling products, or dirt, oil, and the like. Baking soda is not great for hair because it has a high pH relative to where your hair wants to be. Your hair wants to be acidic at a pH of about 5.5 and baking soda is around 9. Alkalinity opens up the hair's cuticle and makes it frizzy and makes it prone to breakage (this is why most shaving creams are highly alkaline, makes cutting the hair easier). The only thing the apple cider vinegar is helpful for in this case is bringing the pH down and smoothing the cuticle of the hair. Also, the low pH is helpful to remove any mineral deposits that hard water might impart on your hair, but not any more than using a chelating shampoo would. Also, if you have hard water and use baking soda you're creating an environment for more mineral buildup, so you're effectively creating mineral build up and then rinsing it away all while not really cleaning your hair and potentially causing breakage from opening the cuticle AND the the physically aggressive properties baking soda.

I think you might be benefiting from the apple cider vinegar because the acid is causing your scalp to turn over cells at a faster rate. You might benefit from Neutrogena T/Sal shampoo, which has 3% Salicylic Acid, which does the same thing and is much better for your hair, while having anti-inflammatory effects (salicylic acid is what gives aspirin its anti-inflammatory properties).

Like you, I tried these kinds of more natural regiments and found it make my scalp, much more fickle. After using simple shampoo/condition regiments with more gentle detergents like I mentioned above I haven't experienced any dandruff like I used to.

I hope this helps.

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patrickBOOTH said:

Living Proof

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patrickBOOTH said:

Honestly big name brands are very good, double blind testing Pantene always comes out on top as number 1. Aesop conditioners aren’t very good, they have silicone alternatives that don’t do as good of a job. In terms of good smells and efficacy Davines makes great products

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ordinarypleasure said:

Hey y'all, I have not cared about looking after my hair for the longest time. Usually I just get a buzz cut when it gets long because at that point I have no idea what to do. Lately people have been telling me start styling my hair and keep it at a good length. I've been doing some research on people who have a similar hair type and came across Matthew McCounaughey. Think I can pull it off if I head to a hair salon and show them his pictures?

View attachment 1587820 View attachment 1587821 View attachment 1587822 View attachment 1587823 After shower View attachment 1587824 Normal dried front view View attachment 1587825 Normal dried side view 1 View attachment 1587826 Normal dried side view 2

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mhip said:

Pretty sure McCounaughey has some kind of 3rd party vendor wizardry going on, because he was seriously balding 15 years ago...

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