Hair conditioner/moisturiser

[divingdancer]

I have noticed since the cold weather arrived and the air con went on at work that my hair has really dried out.  I have a humidifier in my office to counter some of the dryness.

Can anyone in the UK recommend a good moisturiser/conditioner that i can try.   I have got one of the Aussie Miracle sachet conditioners to try but if anyone has tried something they can recommend.  I'm using Neutrogena T-Gel as a shampoo as it calms my itchy scalp.

Thanks

Amanda

[arina83]

I don't believe it is available in any stores in the UK, but I have a shampoo and conditioner made by Giovanni cosmetics that are super moisturizing that I think you could find online.

During the winter, I'll use the Giovanni Smooth as Silk shampoo and conditioner, and they also have a nice leave in conditioner too. No parabens or SLS too.

[Dolly Dimples]

 Arina try this,
                  Wet the hair with as hot as comfortable water, quickly squeeze out excess water ,
        take a large spoonful of pure olive oil and work all over the hair, wrap hair in a hot towel for as long as possible,
      at least an hour, then shampoo with a good moisture shampoo, then conditioner..
               Do this  quite often to keep it good.  Dolly

[Corella]

I don't know if it works as I have not tried it yet but my friend who lost her hair for another reason, used AVEDA products - they have a 'drench' shampoo/conditioner for brittle hair.

I have just ordered a shampoo and conditioner, plus a UV protector spray from them - I havent used them yet but will let you know how I get on.  On one review I read about AVEDA, a lady with Sjogrens said it was a miracle on her hair which gave me hope.

Now for moisturiser, I use a total sunblock during the day - because I dont want to expose myself to UV if I can help it and at night I use Palmers Coco Butter Night face cream which I am finding quite good.

I also take 4 Omega 3 cod liver oil capsules as well, which I may have to increase because my body appears to be challenging that dose.

[Ripvanann]

Hello. Before our twins came, and the Sjogren's hit, I was a hair stylist for 20 years. I worked in upscale salons, where we had the best hair products money can buy, and I had a six wk waiting list. I tell you this, not to toot my horn, but to let you know that I have some experience and expertise in this area. What Dolly suggested, the olive oil, is by far, the best conditioner that money can buy! Now, the AVEDA can be very good, but it's also extremely pricey, and often times people are allergic, due to the fact that they use only plant and flower extracts. It also does not work as well as the olive oil (AVEDA does smell heavenly though!). Nothing I've tried has worked as well as the olive oil.

The olive oil is also the best for your skin. Try using a salt scrub in the shower. Plain old table salt on a wash cloth is just perfect, but if you want to get fancy, you can use sea salt. After getting out of the shower and drying off, with skin as warm as can be from the shower, rub the olive oil everywhere. It will quickly soak into your skin, allowing you to get dressed, or even apply some nice smelling lotion on yourself afterward. Your skin will be unbelievable smooth and hydrated! Of course, the Sjogren's is getting you from the inside, so drink lots of water... as if you'd need to be reminded of that! 

Hope that helps! ~Andrea

[Corella]

Hello. Before our twins came, and the Sjogren's hit, I was a hair stylist for 20 years. I worked in upscale salons, where we had the best hair products money can buy, and I had a six wk waiting list. I tell you this, not to toot my horn, but to let you know that I have some experience and expertise in this area. What Dolly suggested, the olive oil, is by far, the best conditioner that money can buy! Now, the AVEDA can be very good, but it's also extremely pricey, and often times people are allergic, due to the fact that they use only plant and flower extracts. It also does not work as well as the olive oil (AVEDA does smell heavenly though!). Nothing I've tried has worked as well as the olive oil.

The olive oil is also the best for your skin. Try using a salt scrub in the shower. Plain old table salt on a wash cloth is just perfect, but if you want to get fancy, you can use sea salt. After getting out of the shower and drying off, with skin as warm as can be from the shower, rub the olive oil everywhere. It will quickly soak into your skin, allowing you to get dressed, or even apply some nice smelling lotion on yourself afterward. Your skin will be unbelievable smooth and hydrated! Of course, the Sjogren's is getting you from the inside, so drink lots of water... as if you'd need to be reminded of that! 

Hope that helps! ~Andrea

I might try the olive oil, is it hard to wash out? I have visions of it being hard to rinse out.

[Jenny]

Thanks for reminding me. I used to do this all the time with great results. Sometimes I would add an egg yolk too. It washes out easily with warm water and two shampoos. I'm going to try it again right now. My hair has gotten so dry and lifeless.

[Mrs.Crary]

Olive oil washes out surprisingly easy. My daughters are half African and have very dry and brittle hair. We use olive oil as suggested, but we also make a mix of hair conditioner, olive oil, and water (an my mom likes to add a little vanilla extract for scent), and we use that as a leave-in treatment. I suppose it would be a bit heavy on very fine hair, but you really don't need much. It leaves the hair glossy, but not greasy.

-Mrs. Crary

[Sooki]

This sounds counterintuitive, but an apple cider vinegar rinse helps a lot.  I use Bragg's ACV, maybe 2 T diluted to about 1/2 c.   I shampoo my hair, rinse with the vinegar, and rinse it out again.  If I were writing an ad, I would say it "seals the cuticle".  I don't really know any such thing, but my hair stops feeling dry and feels "sealed".   

Over time, it also lightens it a very little bit.  I was tending towards "salt and pepper".  Now I'd like to think I'm heading more towards "silver threads among the gold".  lol

[gold55]

I'm not from the UK but since you're using Neutrogena products I found Neutrogena Triple Moisture Daily Deep Conditioner helps my scalp and keeps my hair shining.

[DragonflyC]

Argan oil (aka Moroccan oil) is a fair trade product that benefits women in Morocco and works beautifully without weighing your hair down. You can use it on wet and/or dry hair.

The brand sold in salons is quite expensive, but there are generic versions in health food stores and blends (that I like even better) at the drugstore. The L'Oreal EverSleek silicone-free smoothing serum is an argan oil blend.

I used to have bouncy manageable hair before Sjogren's, and while this doesn't bring it back completely, it makes my hair more like it used to be then anything else I've tried.

[torkie]

Hi, I'm based in the UK and have SJ since 2002. I work in the hair industry so have had access to all products. Fudge Torture Tonic shampoo and conditioner and Fudge Headbath treatment are great

[gold55]

they both sound good to eat too!

[Narablueeyes]

Argan oil (aka Moroccan oil) is a fair trade product that benefits women in Morocco and works beautifully without weighing your hair down. You can use it on wet and/or dry hair.

The brand sold in salons is quite expensive, but there are generic versions in health food stores and blends (that I like even better) at the drugstore. The L'Oreal EverSleek silicone-free smoothing serum is an argan oil blend.

I used to have bouncy manageable hair before Sjogren's, and while this doesn't bring it back completely, it makes my hair more like it used to be then anything else I've tried.

I have some.  I like it but use it sparingly because it is a bit pricey.  I'll have to try the L'Oreal brand. 

[Corella]

Well I used my AVEDA shampoo and conditioner and whilst my hair feels soft, the ends are like straw.  So next wash I will do the olive oil thing and i have upped my cod liver oil/omega 3 to 8 capsules a day as it says on the tin take 4 tablets up to 3 times a day for arthritis.

Can I ask, I may have to try again with the plaquenil but on half a tablet working up till I tolerate it without embracing the toilet as my best mate.  Is it a given that you lose your hair with plaqeunil? Is it possible to keep your hair?