I have very thick, curly, bleached hair, which is about as "hard mode" as you can get. I have gotten so much bad advice from people about how to care for it. After a few years and some tips from friends, here's the system I've ended up with!
I've added products I use in the toggle elements below, since I think providing specific examples can be useful, but I don't want this to come across as too much of an endorsement. I know enough about this topic to solve problems, but I'm not 100% sure I've landed on the best set of products for my hair. You, dear reader, likely have different hair with different needs anyway.
Last year at the University Rover Challenge. I've grown out my hair quite a bit since then!
Link to this section Requirements
To give some context, here are the requirements I have for my hair routine:
- It must actually solve the tangle problem (this one is very hard)
- Regular maintenance must be a reasonably straightforward process, since I am lazy
- Products should be as easy to get as possible (ideally, I should be able to get everything from a CVS or Target)
- The process should not impede my ability to travel -- I should easily be able to pack a small, TSA-legal bag for week-long trips with necessities
Link to this section Regular maintenance
Whenever I shower, there are two main hair-related tasks I focus on. Detangling is the endless struggle I face, and what the majority of my routine is built around. Washing ends up essentially being a by-product of the detangling process, not the other way around.
I generally almost never use shampoo! My regular process consists of two steps: a washing conditioner (aka "cowash") and a leave-in conditioner. I first add the washing conditioner at the roots of my hair, scrub it in, let it sit while I wash my body, loosely detangle my hair with my fingers, then rinse it out. Then, I add leave-in conditioner, focusing on the roots of my hair, and use a wide-tooth comb to continue detangling.
Often when I mention that I don't use shampoo, the response I hear is "my hair is so oily, I could never," and this is often valid! I am lucky that oily hair is a problem that I do not face, and I find cowash to help with tangles much more, so it is the solution I use.
Products
I use As I Am Coconut Cowash as my washing conditioner. For leave-in conditioner, I use either As I Am Classic Leave-In Conditioner or Kinky-Curly Knot Today. I use a Wet Brush Detangling Comb with the zig-zag teeth.
Link to this section Less frequent maintenance
Very occasionally, I will use shampoo if I need to clean my hair more vigorously than washing conditioner allows. I've heard that sulfate-free types are better for "low-shampoo" routines like mine, since they don't leave oils as much.
I do also have a styling cream I can use, but I don't find myself reaching for it very much.
Products
The shampoo I use is Herbal Essences Bio Renew Aloe + Eucalyptus Scalp Balance Shampoo. The styling cream is Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie.
Link to this section Coloring
Me in 2021 at the start of college -- I looked pretty different at the time!
Unfortunately, bright pink is not the natural color of my hair, so I need to dye it every month or so to keep it colorful!
I dye my hair DIY-style, for two main reasons. The most obvious is that I started off with hair dye as a student -- I can afford to get it professionally dyed now, but I couldn't back then. But more importantly, I view it as a really fun activity to do with people I'm close with. The joy of doing it with someone I know vastly outweighs the somewhat inconsistent results I get :)
I don't always use the same shade of dye each time, but the resulting color stays pretty consistent since it blends with the residual color from prior applications.
Every few dye sessions, I touch-up bleach the roots of my hair. The first initial bleach was a massive ordeal that took three boxes, but since then, I've just used one box every few months.
I also dye my girlfriend Ava's hair with the same setup.
An older shade of dye I previously used. Picture from 2023.
I use a semi-permanent dye (doesn't require developer) since it's much less stressful and easier to apply, and it seems to last as long as the "permanent" ones I've used. (I've accidentally fallen asleep with hair dye in and been fine!) I used to use a boxed "permanent" dye (and even once went on a 2+ hour bus journey into the a CVS in the Boston suburbs when the chain stopped stopped carrying it just so I could buy up the remaining stock), but in hindsight I didn't like the color it gave as much.
Products
I use Arctic Fox dyes, mostly Virgin Pink but sometimes Electric Paradise. I've tried Girls Night and Porange but haven't continued to use them. Ava's hair is Purple AF. I also use a mixing bowl and brush from Arctic Fox.
For bleach, I usually buy a generic boxed kind such as Colorista All Over. I don't use the included toner since I'll immediately put color on top of it anyway.
The original box dye I used was got2b Metallics Sakura Pink.
Link to this section Color conditioner
A few people I know have recommended creating a color conditioner by combining my conditioner with a few drops of hair dye. I'm interested in this idea to supplement my regular re-dye process, but there are a few reasons I've held off:
- I worry about color bleed from my hair staining things -- currently this is only a problem for the first few washes after a dye session, but if I am constantly reapplying dye, it could cause more problems
- I like being able to loan my hair products to friends who are staying the night, etc., most of whom do not want pink hair
- I'm happy with the way my two types of conditioner work, and I don't want to mess with the system :)
That said, I will probably still try this at some point once the time is right!
Link to this section Travel
Me this summer traveling for the University Rover Challenge.
I take a lot of overnight or weekend trips, and I like not having to worry about having my favorite hair stuff with me, so I keep my hair products in 3oz travel containers. It's also quite helpful for fitting all of the containers onto limited shower shelf space, and for dispensing small amounts of cowash (since mine comes in a tub).
I haven't found a good solution for labeling these yet, and I'm worried that I'll eventually mistake two similar-looking products, but so far I've been getting by with occasionally re-writing labels on them with sharpie.
Products
I just bought a random set of containers from Target, I can't find the exact one I got anywhere. But the important part is just that it's 3-4 small bottles with squirt lids. Search "TSA Travel Container Set" or "TSA Travel Bag Kit" on the website and you'll find similar stuff.
Link to this section Conclusion
This system has worked for me for the past ~4 years! I think it balances my needs well and I'm proud that I've found something that works.
A recent-ish picture of me having fun in the Rover lab, with a slightly oranger shade of dye.