its official I have to shave my head

[sss]

I have tried alot of shampoos and sulfate free shampoos and they all make my hair dry and poofy for like 4 days. It takes about 4 days to get my natural oils back and make my hair look back to normal. I do not no what to do I have tried co-washing but my scalp gets irritated so I think I have finally decided to shave my head becasue it does not seem I can have un poofy hair.

[ApatheticFairy]

If you're only a 2a your hair shouldn't really be all that "poofy." since you don't have much wave.

If your hair measures 15 inches you should be able to do a cinnamon bun and keep some olive or coconut oil on the shaft until about 4 inches from your roots and let it soak for a day and then condition it out.

Pictures would probably be helpful if you need advice.

[Maktub]

You are at the right place. If you want tips before shaving, stay a while longer. Many ideas could probably help you out ! We need a bit more details though

[henné]

How about trying water-only washing with a shampoo wash throw in once in a while kind of deal? You sound like a good candidate for it ... Pictures would help for sure.

[einna]

Oiling helps my hair from poofing. Olive or coconut are favorites. Also, try using a wide tooth comb instead of a brush. Maybe you have more wavy hair tha you think, andd brushing it makes it poofy?

[spidermom]

Did you have a bleach mishap?

[melusine963]

Shaving sounds a little drastic! In your place I would try oiling and changing shampoo/conditioner. Sulphate-free doesn't work for everyone's hair.

[akilina]

Shaving definitely sounds a bit drastic!
Is there any way you can just ignore it for a few days? Or get some S and C that actually works for you?
I wouldn't try to force your hair to use something just because someone might like the idea of going cone free, or sls free.
Going cone free never worked for me until just recently.
It sucks wishing you could have a certain routine with your hair because it sounds good, but then it ends up not working. Do what your hair likes most!

[Mindy]

Do you heat style? My hair type is similar to yours, and I used to have a ton of frizzies. I gave up heat styling about 6 months ago and it has made a drastic difference. It did take a few months to see an improvement, but my hair is so much smoother now. I also started using the CWC method for washing my hair which keeps the ends from drying out too much.

[ratgirldjh]

Try co washing with cones. That will weigh your hair down!
What is wrong with poofy hair? I love poofy hair :shrug:

[Kiwiwi]

If you get poofy hair you might be a curly!

Go get the book "The Curly Girl Handbook". Really.

Good luck!

[MrsGuther]

I don't think you should shave your head. If poofiness is your problem there are wayyyyyy more options than just shaving your head. Read through some articles and threads on LHC. Try out some new products, and learn some new hairstyles. Don't just shave your head out of frustration.

[Anje]

Have you tried any other wash methods? Washing with a blend of herbal ingredients like shikaikai is popular and works for many people who have problems with shampoo.

Have you tried diluting your shampoo?

Have you tried rinsing your scalp with diluted vinegar?

[sss]

Thanks for the help everyone. I have tried baking soda and vinegar, sls free shampoos, sls shampoos, oil treatments, and when I use conditioner on my scalp it gets irritated. I also barley use heat on my hair so I know that is not the problem. I have tried water only and then it gets too greasy and weighed down. I am frustrated because I see people around me with amazing hair and they just use traditional shampoo/conditioner. While I do all this next stuff and it is still frizzy and poofy

[spidermom]

dilute your shampoo
use conditioner on length only
stay away from baking soda

[akilina]

Have you tried using something semi coney (I know that sounds stupid), and a nice coney conditioner with a coney leave in?
I like cones, and I like them in moderation! I like products that don't have a ton of cones in them, maybe only one. Also, a coney leave in is definitely my friend.
Please don't shave your head! (unless you really want to)

I don't know how long you have been on your hairy journey..but from the looks you only just recently got to this website. Correct me if I am wrong and you spent a lot of time lurking before joining. I would spend some time here read threads and articles. Give your hair a chance

[Maktub]

if whatever you do you poof, I agree you might be curlier than you think. Don't brush, comb gently with a wide tooth comb only when wet & with lots of conditionner in it (so it doesn't rip your hair out) and then try to let your hair dry naturally (rinsed out, of course, but not re-combed or brushed).

When completely dry, take a picture from the back or side.

You might have lots of damage / hair porosity too, but I would definitively start by doing the above, as a first step !

Also, hair is often old. What you did to your hair 5 years ago might still show... so it's not only about what you do now. (ex. if you colored your hair in the past, etc.)

[Henrietta]

Thanks for the help everyone. I have tried baking soda and vinegar, sls free shampoos, sls shampoos, oil treatments, and when I use conditioner on my scalp it gets irritated. I also barley use heat on my hair so I know that is not the problem. I have tried water only and then it gets too greasy and weighed down. I am frustrated because I see people around me with amazing hair and they just use traditional shampoo/conditioner. While I do all this next stuff and it is still frizzy and poofy

And what about brushing? Do you brush your hair? What happens if you let it air dry after washing it, with no brushing, neither when it's wet, not when it's dry?

[ratgirldjh]

Have you tried egg washes? I recently started this and my hair loves them. My scalp also does not like conditioner and I have wavy hair also.

Some people find that using a few drops of baby oil on their damp hair can help stop frizz. Some people like aloe vera gel after washing. Some use conditioner as a leave in. Some use a silicone containing serum or even mousse.

There are still lots of things you can try :)

But if you want to shave your head or go short by all mean do it! It is very liberating and I myself have done it often when I was younger. But you will always come again to the point where you need to learn to take care of your particular hair and now is as good of a time as any! Good luck :)

[lapushka]

I think it's the best thing for you, to stop you from having to shave, to post a picture of your hair, so we can help you better. :flower:

[raingirl]

I think you need to do an official hair-typing. I was told to clarify, don't use conditioner, let it air dry without touching after your final shower rinse, then take a pic. And by no touching, none at all, no running fingers through it, no brushing, no combing, nothing. Just rinse in the shower and let it drip dry. What I did is lifted my hair up a bit and just put a towel around my shoulders to soak up the water.

Once I found out I had actual real waves, I've been doing the no-touch thing after drying every time. I used to have puffy frizzy hair, but now I have shiney, sleek hair.

I think we would all love to see what it looks like right now as well.

[sss]

Thanks for the help everyone I will try and post a photo as soon as I get my camera back from my friend, I will try co- washing once more and see how I will do with that. Some questions though, 1. does co-wash clean your hair like get rid of dandruff in stuff and get rid of the grease. 2. Does it weigh down your hair

[DancingQueen]

My hair was a mess until I hit collarbone. Frizzy and poofy was my middle names. I really second coconut oil, and the wide toothed comb. Those two made an amazing difference in my hair. I use coconut as a prewash treatment; I let it sit for two hours (more if possible) and wash out with shampoo and conditioner.*You might have to shampoo twice. Let it airdry, and you end up with nice and glossy hair without frizz.

By the way, how much do you do to it while it dries? If you touch the hair while wet, that might be the cause of the poofines.

Please wait a bit before you shave, we can help you :)

[katfemme89]

Thanks for the help everyone I will try and post a photo as soon as I get my camera back from my friend, I will try co- washing once more and see how I will do with that. Some questions though, 1. does co-wash clean your hair like get rid of dandruff in stuff and get rid of the grease. 2. Does it weigh down your hair

I don't recommend putting conditioner on your scalp. It can disrupt the pH balance of your scalp and cause irritation, hair to fall out, and clogged follicles. Put it from the ponytail down, and then when you've smoothed it through the length, take what's remaining on your hands and quickly smooth it over the top layer of your hair lightly.

Yes, heavy conditioners will weigh down hair.

Can you give us your hair history? Like how often do you heat style specifically? (be more specific than 'not often' give us an actual schedule)

[Milui Elenath]

Unless you plan on shaving your head for the rest of your life it might be better if you persist now to find out what works otherwise you will be in the same position later. :(

I am sure there is something here that can help so hang in there.

Also when you say your hair is poofy and your scalp irritated - is your scalp oily or dry?

[Gogobaby]

I recently used Shikakai powder - to keep all the oils - it was messy but totally worked! Clean and no stripping! I agree with everyone else.. Try a comb, not too many strokes, oiling while wet and putting it up then ignoring it for a while until it needs washing.

[Bagginslover]

You say you have tried all those thoings, but did you just truy them for one wash each? Or for at least a month each? The first time trying anything, it will feel different, and not at all like it will feel if you continue doing it.
I recommend you going back to square one, do a hair typing (even a camera phone photo will do in good lighting) then perhaps start off with CWC washing to begin with, with a leave-in conditioner or oil.
You say your hair is 'poofy' but then complain things weigh it down. If its not 'poofy' (which I interpret as frizzy, combed out waves or curls?) its going to appear weighed down til you get used to it, there is no way you'll have the same volume with tamed hair ;)

[Henrietta]

I don't recommend putting conditioner on your scalp. It can disrupt the pH balance of your scalp and cause irritation, hair to fall out, and clogged follicles. Put it from the ponytail down, and then when you've smoothed it through the length, take what's remaining on your hands and quickly smooth it over the top layer of your hair lightly.

Yes, heavy conditioners will weigh down hair.

Can you give us your hair history? Like how often do you heat style specifically? (be more specific than 'not often' give us an actual schedule)

I agree that for some people CO does not work but it's not like majority gets those side effects from CO wash. katfemme89's post may seem scary, but CO is not something generally dangerous ;)
We have a thread here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=2898) for it, with tons of happy people. Unless you know your scalp is sensitive, you may give it a go.

[katfemme89]

I agree that for some people CO does not work but it's not like majority gets those side effects from CO wash. katfemme89's post may seem scary, but CO is not something generally dangerous ;)
We have a thread here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=2898) for it, with tons of happy people. Unless you know your scalp is sensitive, you may give it a go.

That's a good point I didn't mean to make it sound so scary (I need to re-read my posts before I post them LOL) what I meant was using a heavy, very coney condish can have those results, especially for those that do have sensitive scalps. But the conditioners that experienced COers use on here, are lighter, less coney and probably wouldn't do that, even with a sensitive scalp. Thanks for pointing that out, Henrietta, I definitely needed to clarify that. (no pun intended lol)

[Alvrodul]

sss, if you are busily and aggressively experimenting with your routine, I recommend you taking a deep breath and step back a pace or two. Pouring a ton of changes over your poor hair and scalp is guaranteed to freak it out! If you have some products that your hair is sort of okay with, you can start with those, and slowly replace the things that aren't so good with what works better.
If you are a wavy or a curly, chances are good that your hair will love COwashing. And if you are curlier than you think, this is also likely to bring out more of your curls. :)

[sss]

So bottom line is that every time I wash my hair with shampoo sulfate free or with sulfates my hair becomes so poofy and dry. So is there any way to clean your hair without making it dry and brittle. It seems like there are alot of co-washing lovers here is this the answer to make hair clean without making it poofy and dry? and yes it seems my hair is curlier then I might have thought as-well.

[tambalina]

When I started the Curly Girl Method this site (http://dormroomcurly.blogspot.com/2008/12/style-definitions-table.html) helped me A LOT! Just keep in mind that it can take 6 weeks before you see the results you want, but it'll be worth it if your hair is curly!!

[Mesmerise]

Have you tried putting a little mineral oil on your hair before it's dry? I find that it helps keep my hair less poofy and frizzy too. Also, even if you don't use a lot of heat or whatever on your hair, as someone else said, what you did in the past can STILL impact your hair today. My hair is still affected by previous heat straightening, and I stopped doing that a good 17 months ago!

[hairhair]

My hair is only 1a/1b, but I did find that using silicone free conditioner helped reduce my triangle-head-ness. On the other hand, I also deliberately go after the "big fluffy ponytail" look some days (like today) by increasing my volume with braidwaves. I love big ponytails! :D

[sss]

so can I use a clarifying shampoo to remove the cones out of my head and then my hair is going to be stripped dry/poofy and then follow up with a co-wash? Also I have not put mineral oil in before its dry I will try that as-well.

[Shepherdess]

Check out the ingredients in your conditioner and shampoo, and then see if any are the same as the warnings area of this article (it shows the different names of silicones and sulfates that are not healthy for hair).

http://www.wikihow.com/Follow-the-Curly-Girl-Method-for-Curly-Hair#Warnings

I have curly poofy hair, and I have found that the best way to keep it from being that way is to wash it less frequently with shampoos and use light oils in it. Keeping it up in a bun or braided while it is still wet and letting it dry that way will also help take away some of the frizz, or at least for me.

Another thing to consider is, if your hair is naturally poofy. It wouldn't be a good idea to shave it off and retry again, since you will find yourself with the same problem as before. Using a regular hairbrush on that hair type will also make it even frizzier than before, so it is best to only use a wide tooth comb if you aren't already. :) I have found that the longer my hair has become, the less poofy it is since the weight of the hair helps pull it down. This type of hair just takes a lot of time, care and patience!

[chou]

Like others have said, do not try too many things at once! That said, I'm about to give you some more advice for cleansing options. :)
In answer to your question above, yes co-washing does clean the scalp quite effectively. Just be sure to really scrub your scalp with your fingertips to dissolve the oils. There are excellent tutorials on this site for co-washing techniques in the articles section, you should check them out. I do want to warn you about something that doesn't come up much with co-washing and that is protein build-up. If you have thick wavy hair, you might be particularly susceptible to this. Make sure your conditioner of choice does not have ANY ingredients that contain the word "hydrolyzed." Those are proteins and they could make your hair very dry, frizzy and rough--basically exacerbating the problems you have now. You might want to try eliminating protein from your routine to see if that makes a difference. I successfully cowashed with herbal essences hello hydration which is protein-free but contain cones. The particularly type of cones doesn't build up much at all and it sounds like you might need a little extra weight on your hair anyway.

If after a few weeks cowashing doesn't work for you, I would suggest shampoo bars. Every liquid shampoo in the world dries out my hair, no matter how sulfate-free and gentle they are. Shampoo bars are the most moisturizing cleanser I have ever used, even more so that co-washing. This is because natural soap is gentle in the first place and shampoo bars contain extra oils to condition your hair. Chagrin Valley is a good company that makes them.

[sss]

alot of good info here, so I will try co-washing with Suave Tropical Coconut Conditioner since it is a cheap and popular cone free conditioner. The ingridents in canada are listed as followed:

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Cetyl Alcohol, Cetrimonium Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Fragrance (Parfum), Distearyldimonium Chloride, Disodium EDTA, Glycerin, 2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1,3-Diol, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Propylene Glycol,Trocopheryl Acetate [Vitamin E Acetate], Silk Amino Acids, Honey, Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Extract

I believe that is cone free and I believe this would not cause build-up correct? Also chou if co-washing does not work for me then would a traditional shampoo bar dry out my hair?

[chou]

alot of good info here, so I will try co-washing with Suave Tropical Coconut Conditioner since it is a cheap and popular cone free conditioner. The ingridents in canada are listed as followed:

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Cetyl Alcohol, Cetrimonium Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Fragrance (Parfum), Distearyldimonium Chloride, Disodium EDTA, Glycerin, 2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1,3-Diol, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Propylene Glycol,Trocopheryl Acetate [Vitamin E Acetate], Silk Amino Acids, Honey, Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Extract

I believe that is cone free and I believe this would not cause build-up correct? Also chou if co-washing does not work for me then would a traditional shampoo bar dry out my hair?

The silk amino acids on that list are a sneaky protein. Proteins might not be a problem for you at all, but your hair symptoms (dry, poofy) sound like potential protein overload. No one ever warned me explicitly about proteins and co-washing so I just want to let you about this because it seems like we have similar hair types and I don't want you to shave off your hair out of frustration! Suave coconut actually made my hair totally freak out after two co-washes.

Going by my own experience, shampoo bars are far from drying. I don't even need conditioner anymore which is totally nuts given how dry my hair used to be. They vary by type and by the company that makes them though. If I use a very moisturizing shampoo bar my hair can actually turn quite greasy and that's with no extra conditioner! If you are in Canada I don't know what shampoo bars are available locally or shipped but the shampoo bar thread here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=74) would be a good place to ask.

[sss]

seems like I will try shampoo bars first and then co wash

[Ravenwind]

I agree with what everyone is saying. I sometimes think I should shave my head and start over, but there are so many other things I can do (and have done) to make my hair better. Have you also thought that maybe if you did shave your head that your hair will grow back and have the same texture?

[terylenerose]

I have tried water only and then it gets too greasy and weighed down.
How long did you try it for? There's a transition period with WO of about 1.5 months (someone correct me if I'm wrong), and if you didn't do it that long then you may not have found out if it would work for you.

sss, if you are busily and aggressively experimenting with your routine, I recommend you taking a deep breath and step back a pace or two. Pouring a ton of changes over your poor hair and scalp is guaranteed to freak it out! If you have some products that your hair is sort of okay with, you can start with those, and slowly replace the things that aren't so good with what works better. [snip]
This, too.

[sss]

water only i did about 2 weeks I gave in because it got too greasy and my scalp started to itch.