Sudden change in hair manageability -- suggestions?

[Medievalmaniac]

Hey, all - we moved to a new city in August, and after the first few washings my daughter's waist-length blonde, 2A iii hair (Yes, I'm mother to Disney's Aurora) became completely unmanageable, and nothing we have tried has made a difference. It never used to tangle beyond the occasional fairy knot or a small tangle or two that came out easily with conditioner and combing, but now the hair closest to her neck snarls up terribly no matter how much conditioner, leave-in conditioner, or coconut oil we use, and it's impossible to comb it completely tangle free - as soon as we get the snarl out, it's already building back up again lower on the shaft. I've done ACV rinses, changed shampoos, tried CO -- but despite all the knowledge I've gleaned from LHC, I have yet to find a solution. Has anyone experienced this kind of sudden hair change after a move? Her younger sister's 1b i baby fine hair has also breaking and tangling a little where it never has before, so I'm almost 100% certain it's the water, but what can we do to combat it that I haven't tried already (short of cutting - she won't.)? After 5 months of tears and marathon combing sessions that get us nowhere, I'm so frustrated. Ideas?

[melusine963]

I would also guess that it's the water. I have no advice on what products to use, but can you keep her hair in a permanent braid or updo, even to sleep in? This would stop some of the tangles from developping, but of course it won't help when you need to wash it. Perhaps also use a chelating shampoo to get rid of any mineral build-up that's accumulated over the past five months, and then follow that up straight away with a moisturising treatment. Good luck! I hope someone here has some better ideas!

[Sharysa]

Where did you move from and to? If I'd moved from the SF Bay Area to Florida, that would be a ridiculous change in climate and humidity. I might like the change, but my hair would definitely need lots of adjustment time.

[Sillage]

If it's the water have you tried a chelating (swimmer's) shampoo? If that works a shower filter might also be a good investment.

[Alexblue]

Yes, if it's the change in the water buy a good swimmer's shampoo to remove the mineral deposits. You also do not need to use it every wash. I have very hard water and use Joico Chelating Shampoo once every 3-4 weeks depending on how I feel.

Hope that helps :-)

[Yozhik]

I'm so sorry to hear about your daughters' hair troubles. :grouphug:

I'm not clear from your post - have you tried using filtered or distilled water or putting a filter on your showerhead? I know there are charts floating around about water hardness in different parts of the US - perhaps that would help determine your water quality? Or you could probably call up your local water plant and also find out.

I remember how differently my hair used to behave when I moved from Central Virginia to Williamsburg, right near the coast (and that's only a change of a few hundred miles) . . . it wasn't fun, but I eventually learned how to change my routine. Do the ingredients you usually use contain any humectants? Maybe they're behaving differently because of slight climate changes.

Have you tried clarifying and chelating her hair? Maybe if you start from a clean slate and then very slowly add back simple portions of her usual hair routine, you can figure out what the trouble product might be.

HTH! :flower:

ETA: 3000th post! :cheese:

[jacqueline101]

I agree swimmer shampoo could help.

[Medievalmaniac]

Sharysa -- We moved from a small town in Virginia to Winston Salem, North Carolina, about three hours away, but in a different state. We've used ordinary clarifying shampoos and conditioners, but I hadn't thought of a chelating swimmer's shampoo -- I will pick some up and see if that helps. Thank you for the advice, ladies -- it's been an odyssey! lol

[Neecola]

I have really hard water and find citric acid rinses helpful. Also, any shampoo using saponified oils like a shampoo bar are a big no-no for me.

[Medievalmaniac]

Neecola - how do you do your citric acid rinses?

[patienceneeded]

I would look into a water purifier for your showerhead, something to filter out the minerals that hard water are depositing onto her hair. A chelating (swimmers) shampoo is a good idea too. It may take 2-3 washes (make sure to get the ends of her hair) to get rid of the crud on her hair.

[Neecola]

Neecola - how do you do your citric acid rinses?

I will either use the miracle water recipe, which is 1/4 tsp citric acid to one gallon distilled water or sometimes I will do 1/8 tsp per 2 cups water. Here's a thread with some notes about citric acid: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=1689

Also, I don't know how you feel about cones but being a fine hair myself and very prone to tangles, I find Pantene Ice Shine conditioner very effective for detangling. People smarter than myself (ie Luxepiggy) have determined that the type of silicone in this product does not build up and so far, this has been my experience as well.

[Neecola]

Ooops duplicate post