Let's talk about hair..

I won't lie. My hair is a wreck, and when I say wreck, I mean a train wreck. It's highly damaged, frizzy, unmanageable, and lifeless. I have a ton of products, most of which do nothing for it, which is why I'm making this post.

I use Herbal Essences Shampoo--Hello Hydration. It seems to really help my hair, and it smells awesome. It's about $5-$6 at Wal Mart.

Once a week I use Shimmer Lights purple shampoo to keep my hair white. I bought this on Amazon for $9.

I use Aussie--Moist 3 minute miracle conditioner every day, and it also seems to help and smells like coconut. Plus, it's only $3 at Wal Mart.

One to two times a week I use Brazilian Keratin Therapy Deep Conditioning treatment on my hair. Sometimes it seems to make a difference, other times it doesn't. It's around $8 at Wal Mart.

I use heat protectant, even when I tan or go outside.

I use got2b Guardian Angel for blow drying and straightening my hair.

I use Tresemme for going outside and tanning.

I also use Living Proof Frizz Control Leave in Conditioner and Coconut Milk Leave in Conditioner.

When I blow dry my hair I also use DesignLine Shine Spray, and if you use too much, it makes your hair extremely greasy, and I hate the smell.

Occasionally I use Suave Sleek anti-frizz lotion for my hair. It also seems to make my hair really greasy, and I don't like the smell.

It's 100% my fault that my hair is the way it is. I didn't take care of it. I've been bleaching and dying it since I was 12 years old. That was 13 years ago, by the way.

I've bleached it, dyed over it, re-bleached it multiple times to get it back to white, and repeated that cycle for the last 7 years. Until that point I had always dyed my hair red, still damaging but not quite so much. 

This is going to be picture heavy, so the link will be below the "like" button to keep reading!

Here is an example of the things I've done to my hair.

 First, the only picture I have of my natural hair color.

All through 10th grade I had platinum red hair, but I have no pictures. 

11th grade Brown with red and black streaks

11th grade dark brown

I don't have a picture from the beginning of my senior year, but my hair was short and platinum blonde.

Fall (October 2005): dark brown again

March 2006, after dying and bleaching through many terrible orange stages, it's medium blonde

August 2006

 dark brown/almost black

March 2007 medium ash blonde

June 2007 light blonde/platinum

August 2007 light blonde/platinum

March 2008 medium brown

September 2008 light blonde

November 2008 dark brown

May 2008 medium blonde with red underneath

September 2008 light blonde with brown underneath

January 2009 light blonde with red underneath

November 2009 light blonde with dark blonde underneath

February 2010 light-ish red brown

May 2010 blonde with brown underneath

November 2010 dark blonde/light brown

January 2011 dark blonde

July 2011--blonde

September 2011--platinum with red

October 2011--dark brown

November 2011--dark brown, platinum underneath

December 2011--hot pink, bleached to white first!!

Also December..Platinum/white

March or April 2012, platinum/ light pink underneath

August 2012

Currently...platinum/white

I'm doing my hair a favor and going to a salon to have it professionally dyed, for the first time in 6 years, back to a color as close to my natural color as I can get, with a few little highlights and lowlights. At that point, I won't be touching it with dye for at least 6 months, and then only to touch up the highlights.

You see, I haven't had really long hair since I was 14, and I want really long hair again. I miss my hair. I love short hair, and I kept my hair at a short to medium length for years, but now that I want long hair, I can't get it. It seems that my hair won't grow, although I know that isn't the case. The problem is it's breaking off faster than it can grow.

I use a blow dryer to dry it every other day, and I straighten it almost daily. Yes, I use a heat protector. Yes, I use leave in conditioners, heat serums, and oils, but it's still frizzy, and it's so unmanageable that it won't even straighten anymore.

I've bounced back and forth between products, but nothing seems to make a huge difference. I've had little success with any products, as you cannot actually repair damaged ends, you can only mask the problem and prevent further damage. Many people think that you can heal your hair, but you cannot! Your hair is already dead, it isn't a living part of you, therefore, it cannot repair itself.

As you can tell, I bleach my hair quite often, and it's not only ruined the texture of my hair, but it's also made the individual strands significantly thinner, and therefore they break much more often.

To explain more, after I take a shower, if I run my fingers through my hair, I get handfuls of hair. It's gross.

I love having my hair white, but it's too damaging even though I only touch up the roots, and I feel extra un-natural with white hair in the fall/winter months. Although, I don't know why it bothers me considering I tan year round. =x

Okay Guys, please answer these few questions below! I honestly need your input, and the others are just for fun, but answer anyway if you can!

I truly appreciate it, and I love when you guys give feedback!

Let me know what products work for you, or if I'm doing something wrong.

I'm on a tight budget, so it's hard for me to buy high end products.

For fun, why don't you guys tell me which color you like my hair best?!

I'm also considering growing out my bangs that I've had for years, what do you guys think?

I'll do a post about tanning if you guys want to see it, just let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading!

xx