Frequently Asked Questions

No, and we say so on every page that carries picks. There is no testing panel and no lab. Products are chosen from formulation research — what is in them, what those ingredients are documented to do, and whether that matches the problem the page is about. Every product links to the manufacturer's own page so you can check. The full method is here.

Because a score implies a measurement, and there is none. We have no first-party rating data. Each pick gets an editorial role instead — the drugstore option, the one for high porosity — which is a claim traceable to the formulation.

Because we do not have verified live price data, and a price quoted from memory or left to go stale is a small lie. When live pricing is available it will appear with the date it was checked, and anything older than 48 hours will disappear rather than mislead you.

Affiliate commission on product links, at no extra cost to you. No brand pays for inclusion or placement, and we name cheap products as the top pick on plenty of pages where a salon brand would pay more. Full disclosure here.

Janet H., who owns and runs it. She holds no cosmetology, trichology or dermatology credential, and the site will never imply otherwise. More on the about page.

The porosity test. It takes about five minutes and it changes what you should buy across the whole site. Pair it with rolling a single strand between your fingers to judge thickness, and you have the two answers that matter most.

It depends on your hair type, and the range is wide — daily for straight hair with an oily scalp, as little as every two to three weeks for dry, textured or thick hair. The full answer, with the AAD's guidance, is here.

Stretch a shed strand. If it stretches a long way and does not spring back, it needs protein or bond work. If it snaps quickly with no stretch, it needs moisture. If you have bleached in the last year, assume damage. The dry and damaged section starts there.

If your hair is colored, bleached, curly or dry, it is the highest-value change available. If your hair is fine, straight and greasy, it may make things worse. The full answer is here.

Contact time, almost always — heavily pigmented toners on porous hair deposit fast. Start at one minute with any new product. A clarifying wash lifts it out. More here.

Look at the brass, not your hair color. Yellow brass needs violet; orange brass needs blue. Blonde usually goes yellow, brunette usually goes orange. The comparison is here.

Not for the hair. The concern is the scalp with heavy continuous use — buildup, clogged follicles, irritation. Two days between washes keeps it a useful product. Full answer here.

Buildup, nine times out of ten — particularly on a sulfate-free or curly routine. One clarifying wash usually restores everything. The clarifying shortlist is here.

The evidence is weaker than the marketing, and none of them treats hair loss. If your hair is thinning or shedding, the right first step is a board-certified dermatologist. We go through the evidence here.

There is one small randomized trial behind the claim, and it is cited far beyond what it supports. We explain what it found and what it did not.

Sometimes — for patented bond chemistry, sensitive formulations and very specific hair types. For clarifying, volumizing and anti-dandruff, generally not. The drugstore shortlist covers where the line is.

Thinnest to thickest, and water before oil. Treatment, shampoo, conditioner, leave-in on damp hair, cream, gel, oil last. The full sequence is here.

No. There are no testimonials or user reviews anywhere on this site. We have none that are real, and inventing them would be both dishonest and against the rules we hold ourselves to.

We are not qualified to give personal advice, and anything about shedding, a sore scalp or a sudden change belongs with a doctor. For product questions, the shortlists are organized by problem and hair type precisely so you can find the answer yourself.

Please tell us — at contact@strandandsuds.com or through the contact form. Corrections are made and dated on the page rather than quietly edited.