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View Full Version : How to get MOISTURE in your hair?



manderly
August 21st, 2008, 01:17 AM
Is there a way?

The last 1-2 inches of my hair is just dry and brittle. I've done (I think) everything I can think of, and I'm getting to the point where I think I either have to ignore it and put up with it or trim (after a year).

Here's what I have tried before you all start suggesting away!
Clarify (neutrogena anti-buildup and bs)
SMT (towel dried hair, loaded up the goodness and bunned for an hour)
Deep oiling (wet ends and heavy oil, coconut & EVOO)
Avoiding oilAnd my regular products and routine:
CV bars (olive and babassu/rosemary lavender aloe/extra honey & beer)
white vinegar rinse
Suave coconut conditioner (occasionally their humectress knockoff)
Giovanni direct leave in
coconut oilThat's all I put on my hair.


I don't think crunchy ends mean I need protein, do you?

So, is there any way to get MOISTURE into these ends?

NurseMama
August 21st, 2008, 01:21 AM
I think that I read in the hair diagnosis article that it could mean that you need protein. Have you clarified and done the strand test where you pull the hair to see how far it stretches? if it is damaged from chemicals than it probably needs protein before the moisture can get in and stay.

eadwine
August 21st, 2008, 01:26 AM
You can always try misting the ends multiple times a day and then putting it back up. Easiest to do :)

manderly
August 21st, 2008, 01:26 AM
Roger that, Nursemama. I will have to find wherever I stashed my aphogee and give myself a good protein treatment.

I have pulled on my hair, I always thought it stretched but I think I was just seeing it tense around the skin on my finger. I did it again using pens instead of my snausage fingers and it snapped.

manderly
August 21st, 2008, 01:27 AM
eadwine, misting and putting my hair up makes my ends go all weird and kinky. I get severe bends in my ends that act like velcro. I think it's due to the damage in my hair. It makes the majority of my hair feel nice, but destroys the ends.

ChatoyantLocks
August 21st, 2008, 01:31 AM
Since you are using the techniques that seem to be working for my hair already, I can't suggest those, so I'm going to be a rebel and suggest trying a conditioner containing cones just on the last two inches of your hair.

I also recommend getting a second opinion, since I've never tried this method.

Soniasonia
August 21st, 2008, 01:36 AM
Have you tried using jojoba oil? Its close to your natural hair oil so hair just drinks it up. Use it everyday. Use it heavily at night then during the day just add a little. Try that:)

manderly
August 21st, 2008, 01:37 AM
Since you are using the techniques that seem to be working for my hair already, I can't suggest those, so I'm going to be a rebel and suggest trying a conditioner containing cones just on the last two inches of your hair.

I also recommend getting a second opinion, since I've never tried this method.


Oooh, you rebel, you! Hehehehe, cones don't seem to agree with my hair anymore. I've tried them a few times (Redken All Soft, Garnier Fructis) and my hair was not very happy with me, but I have been toying with the idea. Maybe it takes a few uses to get coated enough to try. I'll consider it down the line.

Dyan
August 21st, 2008, 01:51 AM
I second the post that suggested jojoba oil. It's done wonders for my dry ends.

My hair is cone and sulfate free. I used to dye it using chemical dyes, so I have probably 6 inches of hair that is basically shot. While coconut oil worked, it never seemed to quite do the trick. And SMT's are a wonder and helps the newer (less damaged) growth, but again they didn't seem to really help the ends. Jojoba oil, on the other hand, appears to be the salvation for my ends (at least for now).

I put three or four drops on before bed, trying to focus on my ends and my hair seems to absorb it because I don't wake up to lank, oily hair. Mind you, my ends aren't perfect. But they are softer, and I see probably 75% fewer knots throughout the week.

Cinnamon.locks
August 21st, 2008, 02:19 AM
Manderly I second the idea of protein, your hair might need a little bit. Jojoba oil was a bit too oily for me but i guess i was always using it wrong.

Question? how often do you clarify? could it be that you are clarifying too often?

Also have you thought of trying Kimo's Shea Butter, Aloe Vera Gel and Oil mix? you can use Jojoba oil in it or any other oil you desire.

I have been using it for 3 weeks and i am amazed that my hair, which was blow fried, chemically colored and generally abused is now soft, shiny and the ends are so wonderful! I used Henna the last time i evened out my natural color ( In February 2008 ) and my hair loves Kimo's recipe mix. I haven't abused it at all since February but i can feel the difference right now.

My hair in the last 7 months always felt greasy, lanky and blah! but i accepted it as the need for the products and recipes i have been trying to simply be accepted by my hair but today i changed the amount of Shea, Aloe, and Oil mix i use on skin and hair and Voila! silky, shiny, well behaved hair from roots to ends.


I highly recommend you try anything and everything if you desire. and ( pardon me if this offends anyone.) but the last resource is of course cutting the last 2 inches of your hair. ( please don't kill me for suggestiong this, it is as i said a last resource. one used when nothing else has worked.)



I hope i could help in some way. hope your hair feels better.

Arctic
August 21st, 2008, 02:59 AM
Well I DON*T second the protein. If your hair snapped easily without streching, that means it has too little moisture. Here's a great article (http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/278612/the_fine_art_of_protein_and_moisture.html?cat=69) about protein/moisture balance.

What recently helped me was to get a new better conditioner (I live in Finland so you propably won't get it there: KC Professional 4R Moisture treatment). Protein free at that. Then I have noticed that if I moist my ends with water, add aloe vera juice (I'm sure gel will do too), and little bit of watered down conditioner and/or oil, bun and tie a bandanna over it for a night, in the morning my hair feels wonderfully moisturized.

Olive oil has always left my hair feel more moisturized than coconut oil (coconut oil makes my hair feel stronger). I see you had tried oils and not oiling too... Maybe try different oils? I am not yet very experienced with many oils, I have mostly used coconut and olive oils. Lately I have been trying watermelonseed oil too, and it's complitely different than the other two. (still very little experience to say anything certain). Anyway I can easily assume that every oil has a slightly different feel and function. And only trying them you can know if and how they work with your individual hair.

ETA: If your last trim was a year ago, a small trim propably would make world of difference and would be good. I once went 9 months and that was tough for my ends

Arctic
August 21st, 2008, 03:08 AM
Oh, and I always leave a little conditioner in my hair when I wash it...

And, sometimes you need multiple clarifying shampoos (just the ends if you want). Follow with looong moisture treatment. I only recommend clarifying shampoo, not BS from my own experience. C. shampoo is so much more gentle for my hair and scalp, easier, no hassle, trustworthy, and does a much better job for me. It removed build-up BS didn't. I never go back to BS again :)

manderly
August 21st, 2008, 03:57 AM
I second the post that suggested jojoba oil. It's done wonders for my dry ends.

I put three or four drops on before bed, trying to focus on my ends and my hair seems to absorb it because I don't wake up to lank, oily hair. Mind you, my ends aren't perfect. But they are softer, and I see probably 75% fewer knots throughout the week.

Ok, I'll try using my jojoba oil more often. I'll put a nice amount on my ends tonight.



Question? how often do you clarify? could it be that you are clarifying too often?

Also have you thought of trying Kimo's Shea Butter, Aloe Vera Gel and Oil mix? you can use Jojoba oil in it or any other oil you desire.

but the last resource is of course cutting the last 2 inches of your hair. ( please don't kill me for suggestiong this, it is as i said a last resource. one used when nothing else has worked.)


I rarely clarify because I don't use any products that really build up. I usually only do it "just in case" when my hair is feeling crummy. Clarifying usually fixes most problems people are having with their hair, so it's usually the first thing I try if I'm having problems.

I will look into the mix you're using. I'm pretty much out of aloe and being unemployed with $2 in my account I can only use what I've got for now.

Cutting isn't the worst thing I could imagine. Sure, I'd hate to lose any length, but I think at some point you have to just give it up as hair that's been beaten to death.


Well I DON*T second the protein. If your hair snapped easily without streching, that means it has too little moisture. Here's a great article (http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/278612/the_fine_art_of_protein_and_moisture.html?cat=69) about protein/moisture balance.

Then I have noticed that if I moist my ends with water, add aloe vera juice (I'm sure gel will do too), and little bit of watered down conditioner and/or oil, bun and tie a bandanna over it for a night, in the morning my hair feels wonderfully moisturized.

Maybe try different oils?

ETA: If your last trim was a year ago, a small trim propably would make world of difference and would be good. I once went 9 months and that was tough for my ends

Thanks, I thought the easy snapping meant I didn't need protein but I couldn't remember.

Again, I'd love to try different oils (had my eye on camelia for ages) but I'm dirt poor right now, so I have to make due with what I have.

I'll try your technique in conjunction w/Dyan's suggestion tonight.


Oh, and I always leave a little conditioner in my hair when I wash it...

And, sometimes you need multiple clarifying shampoos (just the ends if you want). Follow with looong moisture treatment.

I found leaving a little of my conditioner in to work just like the giovanni leave in, but I'll try doing that again and see if there's any change.

When I clarified last night I washed 2 times with my neutrogena ant-buildup and followed with an hour long SMT :D



Thanks for the suggestions everyone, I've got some experimenting to do tonight!

minkstole
August 21st, 2008, 04:01 AM
Maybe you should leave your hair alone? Seriously, you may be doing too much with your hair (even with the "right" products). Just a thought.

Curlsgirl
August 21st, 2008, 06:11 AM
You may have too much protein if your hair snaps that easily. Sounds like your mix of moisture/protein is off balance. Have you tried any other leave-ins besides Giovanni direct? I like that but it does have protein if I am not mistaken. I use BWC (Beauty Without Cruelty) leave-in or Biolage conditioning balm concentrating on my ends and then follow with oil to help seal the moisture in. I don't like just "leaving some conditioner in" because you can't tell exactly how much. Also perhaps just a tiny trim of 1/2 inch could help tremendously.

Edited to add: I just looked and BWC leave-in must have protein because it's not on the "no-protein list". BUT Biolage Conditioning balm is. It is my favorite currently.

Lamb
August 21st, 2008, 06:18 AM
I second the trim idea. I have been having problems with knotting and tangles and dry ends lately. Following advice on the curly thread, I did a tiny trim (more like a dusting) last night, perhaps that will help, my ends sure feel better.
1/2", even less, will suffice.

heidi w.
August 21st, 2008, 08:49 AM
Take a close look at those last 1-2 inches under extremely strong light such as sunlight or a halogen light (not dim lit or yellow-y light such as from bulbs or in the evening inside a dwelling -- this isn't bright enough!), and do so against a backdrop that's opposite your hair color (so dark hair in that siggy pix? -- use a white backdrop or very light backdrop). Do you see splits? Do you see white dots where the hair bends at 90 degrees (hair doesn't bend, it curves)? Is it a lot compared to the rest of your hair?

If yes, this is damage. It's pretty common that the last inch or so of hair is more damaged than the overall majority. This is the oldest hair, has withstood many hair combings, washings -- even with good care. Sometimes that cuticle layer (the outer layer) just is too broken down and needs to be trimmed, or at minimum a dusting (what folks here call an S&D where you remove, one at a time, points of damage).

When the cuticle is damaged so, it just doesn't hold on to moisture so well. In that possibility of this type of damage, applying protein is not the answer.

If the majority of your hair is fine, then it has enough protein.

Take a look under strong light against an opposing color background (to your hair) and report back.

You can opt to do a microtrim....a super small trim, and then dust. Do not aim to get rid of it all unless it's really in bad shape. Just aim to maintain, and soon enough, those ends will take up applied moisture just fine.

IF you tried clarifying already on these ends, then my money's on a high percent of burst cuticle (white dots). Some of those may be white on the tippy ends of hair strands.....barely discernable baby splits in some cases.

heidi w.

Velouria
August 21st, 2008, 10:22 AM
You may have too much protein if your hair snaps that easily. Sounds like your mix of moisture/protein is off balance. Have you tried any other leave-ins besides Giovanni direct? I like that but it does have protein if I am not mistaken.



The GD leave-in certainly does have protein, and a lot of it. It's the 3rd ingredient. I like it too, but I've had to space out my use of it. I think it could be part of your problem, Manderly (the rest being dye-damage).

plainjanegirl
August 21st, 2008, 10:39 AM
You may have too much protein if your hair snaps that easily. Sounds like your mix of moisture/protein is off balance. Have you tried any other leave-ins besides Giovanni direct? I like that but it does have protein if I am not mistaken. I use BWC (Beauty Without Cruelty) leave-in or Biolage conditioning balm concentrating on my ends and then follow with oil to help seal the moisture in. I don't like just "leaving some conditioner in" because you can't tell exactly how much. Also perhaps just a tiny trim of 1/2 inch could help tremendously.

Edited to add: I just looked and BWC leave-in must have protein because it's not on the "no-protein list". BUT Biolage Conditioning balm is. It is my favorite currently.


I didn't know there was a no protein list. Where is it located?
Well I am off to look for it so I can see if Dove has protein.

Curlsgirl
August 21st, 2008, 10:44 AM
I didn't know there was a no protein list. Where is it located?
Well I am off to look for it so I can see if Dove has protein.

Here (http://archive.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=46633) ya go!

detritus
August 21st, 2008, 10:49 AM
I agree you could have too much protein... I know coconut oil doesn't contain protein, but it made my hair feel over-proteiny. Maybe try a different oil for a while. As far as adding moisture, the thing that works best for me is the caramel treatment. Whenever my ends start feeling funky, that's what I try first. If that doesn't help, I clarify.

My mixture looks like this:
One small jar baby food bananas
1-2 tablespoons of honey
3 tablespoons of oil (I used a combination of camellia, avocado and olive last time)
a dash of ACV

Sometimes I'll add a little cassia too, but lately I've been leaving it out. Others use molasses too, but I don't since I have blonde hair. Leave that on your head for 30-60 minutes, rinse. Shampoo or CO out (usually I do this twice). Then I use a conditioner to detangle, but I know a lot of other people don't. It feels a little weird when it's wet and won't have a lot of slip, so don't try to comb while wet. Once it's dry, though, wow! Such shine and volume. My ends always feel super soft after doing one of these.

Arctic
August 21st, 2008, 10:56 AM
I agree you could have too much protein... I know coconut oil doesn't contain protein, but it made my hair feel over-proteiny. Maybe try a different oil for a while.


A-HA! Thanks for bringing this up, Detritus! :flowers:
I almost forgot this! Coconut oil is said to prevent protein loss from hair shaft :) So if too much protein is a problem, coconut oil propably is not good oil at that time.

manderly
August 21st, 2008, 08:58 PM
Thanks for all the input everyone!

I tried the Kimo's mix thing last night (aloe, shea, jojoba) after misting my ends. There was a little improvement this morning, but not too much.

I think it was just time to say goodbye to those ends. They've been with me for years, and they've suffered through bleach and daily blow drying.

So I gave them a memorial and sent them out to sea. I did about a 1/4"-1/2" Feyes U trim. I also made a big U on my crown and trimmed my layers (which is some of the most damaged hair I have). I followed with a healthy dose of silicones with Bead Head's Afterparty just because :D

I had really just been dragging my feet about trimming because 1)I was coming up to my anniversary and didn't want to lose any length and 2)I figured Feye's trim would be tricky until my hair got a little longer.

My hair looks and feels much better. There's still some crummy bits, but they'll go away slowly as I continue to dust.

Thanks again to everyone!

Kirin
August 21st, 2008, 09:07 PM
Too late, but i was going to say, the trim might be the option. Sometimes the ends are just done for, and refuse to accept any of the goodness we try so hard to lavish on it. I just did a 1/4 trim myself.......... ahhh, the goodness has returned.

manderly
August 21st, 2008, 09:09 PM
Too late, but i was going to say, the trim might be the option. Sometimes the ends are just done for, and refuse to accept any of the goodness we try so hard to lavish on it. I just did a 1/4 trim myself.......... ahhh, the goodness has returned.

Yeah, I'd tried most of the basic methods....they were just done for. Feels better now :)

Moral of the story: Don't be afraid to cut sometimes, it's not the worst thing in the world. Just don't hack it all off, the smallest amounts can do the most good!

Delila
August 21st, 2008, 09:11 PM
Oh, guess I'm late to the party. :)

I do think sometimes that a bit of a trim is what's needed, but I do mean a 'bit' of a trim, not a major chop.

What seems to work, maintenance-wise for my hair is to do a fairly small trim about every three or four months, and to do a deep treatment once in a while, maybe once a month or six weeks. Somehow, I get along best with this, instead of trying never, ever to trim my hair. The struggle isn't worth it.

For me, a protein-then-moisture routine seems to work fine, followed by a touch of oil or leave in conditioner before it dries. I do use a clarifying shampoo first, before I do the deep treatment, just to make sure there's no unsuspected buildup lurking on my ends.

Do you keep a calendar of trims and treatments? Sometimes I find it useful to have a reference of what I did and when, so I can look back over time and see if there's a useful pattern emerging. HTH!

chloeishere
August 22nd, 2008, 03:23 AM
I was going to suggest a trim too, but I see you already did that! That's the only thing that worked for me a few months ago, when I had pretty much gone down that list you had (minus the SMT, which indubitably makes my hair feel awful), and still had crappy feeling ends. It was the right choice, my ends felt so much better afterwards, and they weren't tangling at all! I could probably use another trim (not as badly as I needed that one)... but I'm going to wait until after my LHC anniversary. :o

That said, the Giovanni leave-in has protein (probably a lot, Giovanni products tend to be protein heavy), and I strongly believe that the Suave Coconut conditioner also has protein. It might be good to pick up a cheapie conditioner without protein, and give your hair a protein break every now and then, just to see if it reduces the snapping issues. :flower: Suave refreshing tangerine and juicy green apple are both cone-and-protein-free. There are probably more protein free versions, but those are the only ones I have, so I can't check ingredients lists. There are also several VO5s that are protein free, but I'm not sure how you feel about VO5.

The Biolage balm is delightful, and protein and cone free, but it's very costly. I have the generic Sally's version (do you have Sally's in Hawaii? Maybe not, oops!) which was still around seven dollars, but much better than $22 for half as much. :p It is a very rich conditioner.

manderly
August 22nd, 2008, 03:32 AM
Thanks everyone. I had no idea the Giovanni had protein. That could be a culprit. Also the Suave coconut.....I'll try another flavor. VO5 is iffy for me, I can take it or leave it.

My ends feel great but I'm getting matting and big tangles in my shorter layers. I'm trying to trim them out but it's tricky. I'll keep at it :)

missy60
August 22nd, 2008, 04:43 AM
Have you tried the pony tail on top of your head and just snipping the ends off? Like a small dusting I use to do this when I had so much damage, and my layer were ragged. Someone recommended that on here for cutting layers. I really helped but my hair is sort of curly so its forgiving of gaps, except on the bottom hemline.

heidi w.
August 22nd, 2008, 08:16 AM
Thanks everyone. I had no idea the Giovanni had protein. That could be a culprit. Also the Suave coconut.....I'll try another flavor. VO5 is iffy for me, I can take it or leave it.

My ends feel great but I'm getting matting and big tangles in my shorter layers. I'm trying to trim them out but it's tricky. I'll keep at it :)

At a certain length, most everyone tends to experience tangles and a kind of matt or balling at the back of the neck when wearing hair down for a duration of time.

My hair is so fine that each movement just draws the strands up higher and higher and next thing I know, I have a ball, a loose kind of matt at the back of the neck area. There might be several if I let it go.

This is a main reason I don't wear my hair down every day. Of course, I'm at a length that it wouldn't be wise to do that for a myriad of other reasons.

Just thought I'd mention this in case this is what you're experiencing.

heidi w.