The CO (conditioner only) washing thread

[DaniVerde]

I'm going to back up what DaniVerde said, and give you even more of the same.

For starters, DV is NOT the most patient person around (seriously, you should see how much stuff she was enabled into buying her first month here! She's pretty much an "OMG-WANT+BUY!" person, at least where her hair is concerned! ), so for her to be telling you to calm down, it REALLY means something. Like if a professional body builder tells you that you're working out too much, it really means something because they know what they're talking about, you know?

Well, GRU, just for the record, I picked CO when I first got here and have stuck with it...and of course, I was helped by The Enablinator herself

But I agree..Hollyfire, if I'm telling you to relax, it's a big thing indeed

But it's true, I'm veeeeery impatient (I am after all, Italian, and we're not known for our patience). However, I do understand that there are things outside my control...like the already existing damage on my hair. I can just take care of it and hope for the best. And I think that's what Hollyfire3 needs to realize....

[Hollyfire3]

Yes, it is quite childish, but if it makes you feel better, then it makes you feel better.

And there is no reason to be mad at your hair, because frankly, you have damaged it. And now it's recovering, which will take a while. What caused the damage?

Have you been on this crusade since you joined the forum in November? And if you think your hair has some imbalance, have you considered a trichologist?

You're welcome for the book

I damaged it with a flat iron and a bad run in with protein for weeks this summer. Yes, I have been on this crusade since November and since the summer before this. I will consider a trichologist, I never even thought of that.

[Linika]

wow, i got away to a conference for a couple of days and this thread suddenly explodes!

I can't believe the amount of conditioner most of you have to use - i use a palmful of a thin, cheap conditioner and that does the whole of my hair, although i do make sure i get a lot of water into my hair so i guess thats basically diluting it and making it go further (i'll admit most of you have thicker hair than me though). I also don't need a second conditioner, i get better results in terms of condition and curls if i just do a one stage and add a bit of conditioner afterwards as a leave in. I also only leave it in my hair for max 5mins and i'm never left with a greasy/dirty scalp, even if i've done a heavy pre-oil with coconut.

If you are getting flat hair as a result of CO it might be worth trying a one stage wash

I use a one step wash too! Though I let mine stay in 15-30 min ^^;

I am trying...but why be patient I wonder? Its obvious this is for my hair I am trying to get back to (crazy, poofy, frizzy, in need of the grease CO gives) unlike my hair now that NEEDS volume and poof and curl and...wow I never thought my stupid hair would come to NEEDING volume...just wow....now I want to cry, again

Wow, I needed that, seriously, I did. It was blunt but I understood your point and am sorry for being so impatient. It just frusterates me because I know my hair can curl, it has before and then the next hair wash gone wonky again. It is not too damaged to curl, it is too damaged to balance itself and STAY curly. I just get so mad and angry knowing the curl is there but won't come out knowing that my perfect hair can be accieved but it needs X Y or Z to do so, it might be moisture or protein, I'll never know, thats why I try so many different things, in the past, the perfect hair days have come from trying one thing 2-3 times and having it correct whatever inbalance was causing the problem. I hate having to wear my hair up, I also worry about this huge scrunchie looped thing causing breakage and I worry i will never fix this. I just wonder if I try something else, in this case, shampoo, will it fix the malfunction? I will CO again tonight because I need to at least prove I can stick to something for 2 weeks, but its killing me not knowing if something else could have worked. I hope this works, really I do, because if not, its back to the drawing board when in reality i just need some sort of easy test to see what my stupid hair wants this moment, I am sick of guessing and sick of failed attempts no matter how many I have tried for short amounts of time, I will stick to this, but it'll be hard and I know it won't work, but I will just deal with it, and pretend I LOVE wearing my stupid hair up (and just for the record, hair, I HATE you with a burning passion, stop being stupid and ruining my confidence!) sorry, its childish, but that helped. Sorry for the book but than you for the one you wrote above, it has helped.

Everyone has said it already so I will not repeat their wise words. I'll just encourage you to hang in there. Give your hair an honest chance to get back into the fight!

When it comes to the scrunchie looped thing. I don't really understand how you are wearing your hair, but have you concidered hair sticks/hair forks? If they are well sanded and polished they have a very soft surface that doesn't catch the hair and they keep hair up fairly secure.
If you don't want to spend money on sticks before you know how they work and how it feels to have hair up with them, perhaps chopsticks or painting brushes could be an alternative?

I also don't see why a scrunchie has to be damaging. Maybe the updo (as I said, I don't even understand how you are wearing it) but you can always find other updos that are not so damaging.

[Hollyfire3]

Well, GRU, just for the record, I picked CO when I first got here and have stuck with it...and of course, I was helped by The Enablinator herself

But I agree..Hollyfire, if I'm telling you to relax, it's a big thing indeed

But it's true, I'm veeeeery impatient (I am after all, Italian, and we're not known for our patience). However, I do understand that there are things outside my control...like the already existing damage on my hair. I can just take care of it and hope for the best. And I think that's what Hollyfire3 needs to realize....

I am realizing this...its hard though...

[Linika]

Well, GRU, just for the record, I picked CO when I first got here and have stuck with it...and of course, I was helped by The Enablinator herself

The first thing I found here was CO... I tried it and it has worked so well that I don't really dare to try other stuff. At least not for washing ^^'

[DaniVerde]

I damaged it with a flat iron and a bad run in with protein for weeks this summer. Yes, I have been on this crusade since November and since the summer before this. I will consider a trichologist, I never even thought of that.

So in other words...a long time. Have you ever stopped to consider that since this crusade is taking you so long, you may be approaching it in the wrong manner? Just food for thought.

Or could your hair not be as curly as you thought? Do you have any pictures of it?

[Hollyfire3]

I use a one step wash too! Though I let mine stay in 15-30 min ^^;





Everyone has said it already so I will not repeat their wise words. I'll just encourage you to hang in there. Give your hair an honest chance to get back into the fight!

When it comes to the scrunchie looped thing. I don't really understand how you are wearing your hair, but have you concidered hair sticks/hair forks? If they are well sanded and polished they have a very soft surface that doesn't catch the hair and they keep hair up fairly secure.
If you don't want to spend money on sticks before you know how they work and how it feels to have hair up with them, perhaps chopsticks or painting brushes could be an alternative?

I also don't see why a scrunchie has to be damaging. Maybe the updo (as I said, I don't even understand how you are wearing it) but you can always find other updos that are not so damaging.

My hair is so flat my buns looks bad, so I refuse to wear my hair like that...I make a ponytail with my hands, put the scrunchie on and twist it to make a ponytail but only pull it part of the way through. It is a loop looking thing when done. I am just not confident with my hair in a bun...its terrible. Maybe to tide myself over, I can do bantu knots (I have tried them before with some success) to get some curl back in my hair? Or would this disturb the curl pattern trying to come back? Maybe braid waves? I just need something so I don't feel like I'm failing SO much..my anger comes from me feeling hopless and out of control with my hair, I feel like it is not worth it to keep trying, I;m sorry I come off as impatient and I am, but it it only because I am trying SO hard and I just...I am failing myself, my confidence and my hair

[Hollyfire3]

So in other words...a long time. Have you ever stopped to consider that since this crusade is taking you so long, you may be approaching it in the wrong manner? Just food for thought.

Or could your hair not be as curly as you thought? Do you have any pictures of it?

I have pictures, many pictures(I just don't really want to share them online...privacy issues), I am not seeing things and my hair really is different according to what I do, it just seems to be so...wonky. I don't know how to regulate ANYTHING not even routines that worked in the past work and nothing that should work does, its all very frusterating. What other approach do you suggest? Also, i want to make note that I have HAD successes in the near past, few and far between but I have had them. It is a miracle when these days come and I am SO happy but after, it just all goes down hill. But its not like my hair just isn't curly or full anymore, its some sort of chemical or moisture or protein balance thrown off. I don't understand it, I have tried. I have had days when it is its thick, crazy poofy self, and it is curly and beautiful and I just LOVE it, then using the same stuff the next wash in the same way it just...ugh, goes bad.

[Hollyfire3]

The first thing I found here was CO... I tried it and it has worked so well that I don't really dare to try other stuff. At least not for washing ^^'

Lol, it has been so succesful for others, so i am giving it 2 weeks, not to worry.

[DaniVerde]

I just need something so I don't feel like I'm failing SO much..my anger comes from me feeling hopless and out of control with my hair, I feel like it is not worth it to keep trying, I;m sorry I come off as impatient and I am, but it it only because I am trying SO hard and I just...I am failing myself, my confidence and my hair

I know this won't go over well on a hair forum, but Hollyfire, it's hair. Not a cure for cancer. There is no failing. It's a matter of time and wait and put up with the suck of the funky hair and get on with life. It'll grow.

(NB: I do not mean to reference cancer in any kind of disrespectful way. In fact, that's the reason I have short hair now, so I mean no disrespect to our members currently in recovery)