Haircare in China

[heifeng]

Admin Note: Moved from this thread.

I did however invest in a shower head filter after my hair started turning green-ish and getting thinner. I am very happy with these investments -- my hair returned to normal within a few weeks and I sleep much better/have had no more big nasty sinus infections since I got the air purifier.

OMG, so true. My hair was really weird in China too..all the baby hair was falling out and my hair was so limp--I figured it's b/c BJ has really hard water--it even collects in the webs of your fingers! I use the 'bought' mystery water to rinse my hair after showering, but it didn't really work. Next time I'm going to totally invest in a filter--good to know! B)

[skylee]

Sorry to sidetrack, but when I was in Australia last time my scalp itched like hell no matter how I washed my hair. But the itch stopped once I arrived at Hongkong. I've been wondering if it had to do with the water there. Anyone knows? And is there anything one can do about the itching?

Again, sorry about getting off-topic.

[heifeng]

You were probably right under the hole in the ozone...and it is drier there. (pure guessing on my part)

BUT that is still related in my book, b/c FYI, Shampoo & Conditioner in China is expensive as H-E-double toothpicks!

I mean the cheapest (a few years ago) was like 9.8RMB. But if I had to pay close to 10USD for a bottle of mini shampoo in the US, it better turn my hair into gold filaments...seriously...

[xiaocai]

You can't compare the price like that, like you will not expect a car in China will only cost you 1/10 as it does in US, either. Cars are more expensive in China as a matter of fact. And now we have online shopping stores where you can get 750 ml Head & Shoulders for just 20 RMB if low price is your priority and you are willing to wait for just a few days. But my hair has never had any problem wherever I went. I know nothing about water supply and sanitation but in Australia they do rely a lot on desalinated sea water. I don't know if that can be related to your experience or not.

[heifeng]

um, yes, I can compare prices like that if it pleases me to do so (PS I am not talking about luxury items such as cars) ~and~ I don't think it's unreasonable to expect that there is decent, local, inexpensive shampoo. Besides, Chinese girls have much longer and luxurious hair than I do....and I am sure they go through shampoo a lot faster than me, and if you are a guy, than a heck of alot faster than you too! Is shampoo more expensive in China as a matter of fact? Is the secret combination of water and a lathering agent stumping all the minds at PKU, or is there some sort of lack of R&D into the miracle that is shampoo? Is Sodium laureth sulfate a banned chemical in China? Is there a shortage of cheap plastic bottles floating around the mainland? Throw it in a plastic bag like milk but make it cheaper please....don't even get me started on if I think that shampoo in the Head and Shoulders bottle is real or not...

So, yes, I think if I can pick one ^&(*)( item to complain about (I didn't pick cars, I didn't pick nice razors or foreign coffee) I'm talking about a toiletry that ~some~ people like to use once in a while--or even on a daily bases to keep his or her hair clean.

Rant over. I've had a long day Next time I am in China I'm going to take a chinchilla style dust bath and call it a day if need be. F online ordering.

(FYI You have just heard the thoughts that go on in my mind when I would see an expensive bottle of shampoo in China, not necessarily directed at the above post or poster, although I did have an image of using expensive shampoo to wash a car for a fraction of a second.)

[imron]

but in Australia they do rely a lot on desalinated sea water.

We do? There are desalination plants under construction (that were started when Australia was at the tail-end of a decade long drought) and couple more that have only just recently finished construction. It would be quite a stretch to say we rely on them. In fact, with the one currently being built in my home state it's looking more and more likely that once finished it will just be sitting idle - another giant waste of taxpayer's money.

[xiaocai]

Oh, so you don't on the east side. Sorry for the misinformation.

Talking about shampoo, I think there are cheap local decent ones, just they are normally called soap blocks...

[amandagmu]

I buy all my shampoo and conditioner and lug it back with me in my suitcase each time... yes, it's one of those "natural" products just made (basically) with a combination of natural oils (and with no extra "filler" chemicals). I switched to this product over a year ago and have noticed a big difference in my hair quality (shine, volume, less dry ETC) and I don't even need to condition every day anymore. Bottom line: If I could find such a product in China it would cost me an arm and a leg (imported, of course), but since at home it only costs 1,95 euros per 250 mL bottle (so less than 20 RMB) it makes it worth buying there.

@xiaocai: I've noticed that a lot of people in Beijing don't seem to have problems with their hair, but consider that not everyone grew up with Beijing water. This isn't the first time I've noticed hard water (other cities have it too, and I've had skin problems in those places) but it IS the first time my hair started turning color and falling out (!). Perhaps because I have blonde hair I noticed the green-ish tint a lot sooner than someone with darker hair might have noticed.....

[xiaocai]

Maybe. I've only been to Beijing for short trips so have not been aware of the long term effect of the local water can have on one's hair. I guess I'm just lucky to have hair which is very easy to take care of. I remember using soap blocks a lot when I was little to wash my hair, and of course there was no such a thing as "conditioner". And I lived at countryside for more than eight years and you will not believe how hard the water there is. We had to clean the limescale in our kettles every month. But my hair was still fine and never tangled. (I had short hair though, I have to admit.) It does fall out everyday, but it grows back as well. As for colour changes, because it is jet black (well typical chinese hair colour) so I don't think I will notice any colour change ever until it starts to turn white. When it comes to shampoo selection, my only criterion is whichever one is on special...

[skylee]

because it is jet black (well typical chinese hair colour) so I don't think I will notice any colour change ever until it starts to turn white.

You are lucky. Much of mine has turned white. And because it grows so fast, and the remaining black hair stays so black, it gets quite troublesome. But of course this has nothing to do with "cost of living rises".

[xiaocai]

Well I don't know. In a sense maybe I am. But I have always found my hair colour boring, very boring. I tried to dye my hair to lighter colours twice before, but ended up having skin reactions (only minor ones though, just redness and itch, but no blisters), so I figured that it was not worth it and gave up. Oh and speaking of natural shampoo, I don't know if anyone here has heard about 皂荚 or not. I used to use the extract from the pods to wash hair, sometimes. It has a unique smell, does not lather as much as soap and shampoo, and is very easy to rinse off. But I don't know how to make the extract from the pods, and it is quite painful if it gets into your eyes, and the biggest problem is that it seems like no one is making it now... Alright, I think I will stop here before going too far off topic.

[heifeng]

Actually these are great hair discussions...we just need a dedicated hair thread (cough cough moderators...work your magic). Inquiring minds need to know these hair fixes! (Why suffer alone in our hair woes)

I tried to dye my hair to lighter colours twice before, but ended up having skin reactions (only minor ones though, just redness and itch, but no blisters), so I figured that it was not worth it and gave up.

uh oh...make sure you do the patch test before you dye your hair. maybe you are allergic to something or just have sensitive skin. Sometimes if you are getting to much along your hairline you can put vaseline or something so it doesn't touch your scalp...but be careful, don't give yourself a stripe along your hairline!

But, back on topic (sorta) hairdye seems to come in a range of prices in China...the foreign brands (such as L'Oreal) seem to be about 50RMB a box. At that price, it's still sort of better to pack it up and drag it to China...if you really need a hair dye fix that is...

[xiaocai]

In this case I will just keep going then. I didn't do patch test for the first time and I had skin reaction but still got my hair dyed. I did patch test for the second time and had skin reaction. So I threw the box of hair dye away, didn't get my hair dyed, and was angry... My skin is generally "insensitive", but just to hair dyes, I don't know what could be wrong. I used Garnier, which was around 35 RMB per box.

[imron]

cough cough moderators...work your magic

Done.

[Saxondale]

Is there a shower filter that fits all? My hair became extremely dry when i was out in Shanghai for 6 months.

[Friday]

What kind of filter did you buy? How much did it cost? I only found some filter called a "medical stone water strainer" for about 10-15 RMB.