Any hair experts here?? Is Pantene really bad for your hair?

[northern*treasure]

I have been told now by 2 different beauticians not to use Pantene and that it is really damaging to hair. I love the Pantene Pro-V conditioner for dry/damaged hair. Is it really that bad? It seems like the only conditioner that has done my hair good. I have long fine blonde hair. I recently got a perm and the beautician told me that it even could strip out my perm if I used it. I would really like some info on this if anyone knows anything about it. Thanks in advance for any advice.

[northern*treasure]

Wow, lot's of interesting information. Thanks everyone for the replies. My beautician wasn't trying to push her products off on me. In fact I always buy my shampoo at the Wal-mart beauty store they have in our town. I love the Biolage hydrating shampoo and occasionally use Nexxus Therape. It is just the Pantene conditioner that works for me. I haven't found any expensive salon conditioners that I really like. My hair is really hard to brush when it is wet and tangles easy and Pantene always seemed to work best for it. Thanks again everyone.

[iheartdragonflies]

northern, have you tried a leave-in conditioner before? My hair is hard to comb through when wet as well and I use VO5 Detangle & Shine before I comb/blow dry. I've tried the Pantene Leave-In spray but it doesn't work well with my hair.

[boss*mare]

The Ph of a product has everything to do with the products performance.

Can you recommend a brand name? Something to help dry brittle hair? My hair is natural, not chemically treated, but is still ridiculously dry and the ends keep snapping of (in spite of regular trimming).

I had one stylist tell me the same thing, but all they carried was Paul Mitchell so of course she told me to use Paul Mitchell. Another place carries Back to Basics so of course they tell me to buy Back to Basics...and etc etc. These stores want me to buy what they specifically carry, but none of the bottles I looked at said anything about balancing ph. I get the impression all they want is the commission.

[janielee777]

Hi...I have been a hair designer for 20+ years and Iam not the roller set queen:-p...lol! What will help dry brittle hair is not to shampoo it everyday...and before you condition it.. towel dry it (squeezing not rubbing) then apply the conditioner. Choose between color or perm...never both...
Its been awhile since I have tested any shampoo PH levels but I do know that Suave (really inexpensive) is safe. Baby shampoo, Pert, VO5, Salon Selectives,or Pantene did not test well.
I like for myself Self Absorbed (Bedhead), or Tex Smoothing.
But you know...switch around and see what works.
I do get a commission for product I sell but I never recommend something that I dont like. I allways offer alternatives and have my clients best interest at heart.
Janie

[janielee777]

OOps I forhot to mention that in my opinion Aussie products totally rock...they are easy on the hair and the pocketbook!

This has been a fun topic for me...have great day girls...
Janie

[janielee777]

ummm...
forhot=forgot
Janie

[jetscreameryouareadreamer]

Janie

I was waiting for someone to get around to singing the praises of Aussie products.

A stylist recommended it to me 20 years ago. Every now and then I try something else....always go back.

I use Aussie Mega and The 3 Minute Miracle. I've not ever found anything that consistently performs better.

[midnight*raven]

Not to long ago I found that Aussie 3 minute miracle at the dollar store. Only 2 bottles though but I bought them both :).

I have mixed results with salan vs drug store vs beauty supply.

I love Ion products found at the beauty supply. I also like Salon brands like Nexxus and Regis Design line. Their olive oil conditioner is amazing.

I also really liked Suave's biobasics which is a biolage knock off.

I hated Bed Head self absorbed. I honestly would choose Suave over that stuff. Just didn't do anything for me. I don't like Paul Mitchell either and wouldn't touch VO5 with a 10 foot pole. I used to use that Mane and Tail and really liked that stuff but haven't tried it in a while.

---

I'm thinking.....

[dull*women*have*immaculate*homes]

What a great, informative discussion. I just completed a section of the Human anatomy classes that dealt with the epidermis and dermis. The advice here was right one. hair originates in the hair bulb in the dermis (the deeper layer of the skin) and is keratin. The hair shaft is dead, so it is not going to synthesize anything to repair whatever is wrong. Anything that you put onto the shaft is going to coat and exterior of the shaft, and that is it.

Our skin is dead too. It consists of epidermal cells that are filled with a waxy substance called keratin that makes us sorta watertight. The interesting thing I found out in class was that the wrinkles in our skin originate in the deeper dermal layer-so you can't "scrub" them away. My professor recommended lots of SPF and lots of moisturizer. She says wrinkles are caused by 2 things: UV rays and heredity.

[midnight*raven]

Somewhat OT but their are a lot of myths about nails too. I kept hearing over and over that you can't wear polish on them all the time because they need to breathe. Well the nails are dead they don't need to breathe. They don't yellow because they aren't getting oxygen, they yellow because of fungus.

---

I'm thinking.....

[iluvmygirls]

I am 40+ and have used non-salon products most of the time and have no trouble. Like everything else about us, I imagine everyone has different reactions to things, including hair products. I use shampoo and conditioner on my hair EVERY day. I have had the same hairdresser for about 8 years and have my hair colored regularly. She is always telling me it's bad to wash my hair every day and especially to use conditioner every day. Well, honestly, I have never had any trouble with it and fortunately have very nice, silky, smooth straight hair.

I have a sister-in-law who heard you change your shampoo every day and I am telling you the honest truth that she has 7 bottles of different shampoo in her shower for each day of the week. Must be fun to go on a trip with her LOL!

[midnight*raven]

I have also heard that you should change your shampoos every so often. No idea if it's true or not. SOmething about build up when using the same brand or something like that. I also use different kinds regularly. I probably have about 10 different brands of shampoo and about 15 conditioners.

---

I'm thinking.....

[northern*treasure]

Heartdragonflies, no I don't use a leave in conditioner. My hair tends to go flat pretty easy. I have baby fine hair but lots of it. I always use different shampoos but it seems the conditioners is what I tend to have problems with. Pantene has always been good on my hair and makes it really easy to comb through. My youngest daughter has naturally curly baby fine hair and I use it on her and it seems like the only conditioner that makes her curls really curl. All the others I have tried on her seems to relax them to much. I did worry about using Pantene on her hair though after I heard it wasn't good. If her hair is already healthy how can it damage it? Is it just bad on already damaged hair? I don't get it. Thanks everyone for the great replies.

[northern*treasure]

I love the aussie shampoos and conditioners too! I haven't used them for awhile. Maybe I will get a few bottles and see how they work with hair now that it is permed.

[*dipipi*]

I have to say I've always disliked it when a stylist pushes a salon product on me with dire warnings about the terrible things my grocery store 2-in-1s are doing to my hair.

BUT... my current stylist sometimes gives me products to try with never a hard sell or scare tactic. The latest product she gave me was Sebastian's Raw Hair moisturizing shampoo and conditioner. I put them in my travel bag to use on the road. I've started noticing that my hair looks so much better (smoother, shinier, and takes to styling much better) when I'm on the road! I can only attribute it to this shampoo and conditioner.

So...even though I've been a lifelong skeptic, I'm now starting to be persuaded that salon products can indeed be superior to the less expensive products you get at the grocery store.

There is no spork.