Tips on getting my hair healthy again

[RandyOrtonFan4Life]

I used to dye my hair alot,but I haven't in four months. I really want my hair to grow,because I'm tired of short hair.I really need tips on getting my hair to be healthy again. I plan to not dye it at all and go back to being natural.

[Floriferous]

I know at Great Clips (I think, either that or Hair Cuttery, I always get them confused because they're right across from each other in my town.) they have a repair and cut package, it did wonders to my hair. Also if you like to straighten, blow dry, crimp, or curl your hair I would suggest getting a heat protection spray.
I use this to protect my hair if I ever have the time to straighten it, it also helps with frizz so if you have curly frizzy hair it's really useful:


These are the 10 things that it does:
Repairs dry, damaged hair
Adds shine
Detangles
Controls frizz
Seals & protects hair color
Prevents split ends
Stops hair breakage
Creates silkiness
Enhances natural body
Flat iron spray & thermal protector

It is pretty expensive though. They have it at most hair places and we also saw it at Ulta for less then those hair places.

I also use this once a week:


It helps put protein back in your hair, which my hair was damaged from washing it too often, getting highlights, and putting it in ponytails while wet, so I don't know if your hair is lacking protein (Or at least too much, because I could barely pull a brush through my hair) but it might be something to look into. I believe this is also at Ulta if you have one near you.. (Face it, those hair salon places charge WAY too much for their products, but they work like magic.)

Hope that helped. =)

[Ngikhona]

I'm also quite the dying fiend, trying to go back to natural.

Honestly, it all depends on the route you want to take as far as what products you use. One of the first things you should decide is whether you want to go organic or not. Organic products tend to be best for extremely damaged hair, but you can always use them even if you'd only consider it "moderately" damaged. Organic products can be very hit or miss if you have sensitive skin, as they can either be much less irritating than non-organic products, or more irritating. I'll be honest, I only have ever had three products that were organic for my hair and people have always given me compliments. It's almost an ethical decision, as both are pretty equal. If you do choose organic, I'd highly recommend Giovanni and Alba products. I love the Giovanni silky smooth protein hair masque and the Alba Hawaiian line.

Another decision worth making is whether you want to go sulfate-free or not. Some people will attempt to use hair products without sulfates, especially sodium laureth sulfate, because they think it's harsh on hair. I'll be honest, after taking Chemistry this year, I don't understand why people don't want sulfates on their hair. Sulfates are really good at cleaning, so unless you have a really dry scalp, they can be great. I got more irritation out of one of the sulfate-free products I tried than any other hair product I've ever used that had sulfates. If you choose to go sulfate-free, I did have some luck with L'Oreal's EverStrong line (I used the Reconstructing conditioner, which smelled killer and worked nice).

My biggest advice to you is to invest in a good daily conditioner. If you don't get a good conditioner, everything's really just a waste. The conditioner doesn't have to be expensive, but you're going to have to invest some time and research into them if you're dedicated to getting your hair back to normal. Here are some conditioners I've had good luck with and some general thoughts about them:

EverStrong Reconstructing conditioner:
Smells great and works amazingly for a month or two, but then it stopped working after a while. It was sulfate-free and didn't irritate my generally sensitive skin.

Dove Intensive Repair Daily Treatment and conditioner:
Both work amazingly and I'm pretty sure I'll keep using them for a long, long time. They're also insanely cheap.

Hair Rules Quench Conditioner:
Absolutely amazing. I used to use it daily when my hair was more damaged, but now I only use it once or twice a week because it almost makes my hair too soft now. This is an expensive conditioner, but I think the results are well worth the money.

As far as other products go, it's kind of your call. You need to make sure you're using a shampoo that's for your scalp type and hair type. At this point, you may want to go for either a reconstructing shampoo or a gentle shampoo for damaged hair. I'd also recommend using some kind of oil on your hair to give it some moisture. Argan/Moroccan oil is kind of the hype right now (and they're finally making cheaper versions of them for people who can't afford to spend $50 on 2 fl oz.), and I use some that I got as a gift, but coconut oil and olive oil are cheap and great to leave on your hair for a while and then wash out if you put a lot in. Leave-in conditioners will also be your friend. I'm currently using one by Matrix and it's called Instacure from the Solutionist line that was recommended to me by my stylist that I've been using for ages and like. Leave-ins are awesome because I'm too lazy to deep condition every week, so the leave-in kind of compensates for it. You can try deep conditioning, but I'll admit that I've never found it worth the time or money for the results achieved. Pretty much every brand has one, so go with a brand you trust.