CO hair freak out

**ghilliegirl_an** · September 1st, 2011, 08:43 PM

I've been COing for probably about a month now, clarifying approximately once a week or so. I started out with the Tresemme conditioner I already had(I know cones are not good for CO) just to try it out and my hair was soooo happy for the two weeks I did it.

After I ran out of this conditioner I bought the new cone free tresemme naturals and I loved it for the first week I used it and while I could tell the difference between the two I liked them both.

Fast forward to this past week, after a medium oiling of olive oil I COed but my hair was flat and lank so I ended up clarifying shampooing it the next day.

The next day I go back to my regular CO wash because I expected it was just the olive oil, same greasy lank result as before.

The next day I give up and go back to my original CWC but my ends are sooooo dry and crunchy

They are way worse than they have been ever since coming to LHC.

I really wanted CO to work and it was working great for a while and now I just don't know what happened. I was figuring that after I finish with this bottle I would go back to tresemme with cones and just continue clarifying because that worked but I don't think I want to let my ends be so brittle and dry for that long.

So all you LHC CO experts does this sound like a common rookie mistake? Any suggestions or ideas? Any advice is greatly appreciated by both me and my hair.

-Ashley

**virgo75** · September 1st, 2011, 09:14 PM

It could be the olive oil. It can take me 3 or 4 shampoo washings spread out over a week or so to get it out. It never seems to come out of my hair in 1 day even if I wash multiple times on that day with clarifying shampoo.

If CO was working for you then maybe give your hair a couple of shampoo washings to make sure all the olive oil is out then go back to what you were doing: CO washing and clarifying once per week.

**julierockhead** · September 1st, 2011, 10:43 PM

Originally Posted by ghilliegirl_an

I've been COing for probably about a month now, clarifying approximately once a week or so.

What are you clarifying with?

**darklion** · September 1st, 2011, 11:48 PM

when I CWC, I start off like CO.
I completely soak my entire head of hair in conditioner, tie it up, and let it soak for about an hour.
Then in the shower, I do a quick rinse; protecting the conditioned ends; and wash only my scalp with a sulfate free shampoo. I do a more thorough rinse (still protecting the conditioned ends). Then I apply conditioner from the ears down (like a normal conditioning cycle). A thorough rinse of entire head.
Lastly, I do a acv dunk and completely rinse my hair out in cool water.
This is how I semi CO and avoid the lankies.

**Desideira** · September 2nd, 2011, 02:06 AM

Originally Posted by darklion

when I CWC, I start off like CO.
I completely soak my entire head of hair in conditioner, tie it up, and let it soak for about an hour.
Then in the shower, I do a quick rinse; protecting the conditioned ends; and wash only my scalp with a sulfate free shampoo. I do a more thorough rinse (still protecting the conditioned ends). Then I apply conditioner from the ears down (like a normal conditioning cycle). A thorough rinse of entire head.
Lastly, I do a acv dunk and completely rinse my hair out in cool water.
This is how I semi CO and avoid the lankies.

I like your routine

I tired CO once or twice but my ahir was limp.

I think I will try out yout routine, you inspired me to try, thank you

**alwayssmiling** · September 2nd, 2011, 02:14 AM

I suspect you used too much oil. Try clarifying again and doing a deep moisture treatment. Leave it covered for as long as possible before rinsing, then use some leave in. Too much oil makes my hair really crunchy, really suddenly.

**pepperminttea** · September 2nd, 2011, 03:05 AM

Tresemme Naturals is too heavy for me to CO with - I wash with a lighter conditioner and just use TN on the length, from about the chin down. Do you have a lighter 'cone-free condish you could try?

**tigereye** · September 2nd, 2011, 03:25 AM

To be honest I think it's the oil. My hair gets horrible after oiling and my usual CWC nor the often suggested CO actually gets it out. It takes 2 straight shampoos and a clarifying to get olive oil or sunflower oil out of my hair. I did a coconut treatment last week. I have now washed my hair twice (I normally only wash it once a week) and there's still residue in it. I figure I'm not going to go near oil anymore. The torture it goes through to get it out cancels out any benefit. And I always have to do another really long DT just to put in the moisture that the shampoo has taken out.

**Alvrodul** · September 2nd, 2011, 05:11 AM

I too think it probably is the oil. Olive oil is one I have had bad experiences with - my hair became a sticky, lanky mess, and it was very hard to get rid of the oil. So that is one oil I am happy to let remain in the kitchen.
But don't discount the possibility that it also could be the CO - or the combination of olive oil and CO!
I hope you figure it out, so that your hair can be happy and pretty again!

**celebriangel** · September 2nd, 2011, 10:20 AM

I'd also like to add that if you're using conefree products to CO, then there is no need to clarify anything like once a week. Cones need clarifying, and some conefree conditioners are a bit gunky but they tend not to be ones that work well for CO.

Too much clarifying can dry out your hair. I would do an SMT to see how your ends react (once you've removed the oil). And then don't clarify until you feel like your hair needs it - it will likely take some months.