Protein/Moisture balance: have I tipped the balance too far

[biogirl87]

I know there are threads on this already, so I apologize if I'm starting a thread on this topic unnecessarily. But even now this is a confusing topic for me as my hair seems to stretch different amount/different length when it's wet and when it's dry. After writing a blog post about this and not receiving any replies about it, I thought about posting this in the main forums. So, I'm hoping for some help here.

Ever since I started following up shampoo with conditioner on wash days around the time I joined LHC, I've been using protein-free shampoo and conditioner (first Suave Naturals Lavender and Lilac from September to November 2012, then Garnier Fructis Fall Fight from December 2012 until February/March 2013, and VO5 Island Coconut Moisturizing shampoo and conditioner from about March 2012 on). Currently I'm still using VO5 Island Coconut Moisturizing shampoo and conditioner. What has prompted me to think about the protein/moisture balance in my hair is that the past few times I've washed my hair, it felt really, really soft when I was washing out the conditioner.

Early yesterday morning, when I used the VO5 Island Coconut conditioner to try to wash the coconut oil out of my greasy/oily hair (I suspect this was from over-oiling although it's possible that my hair doesn't like coconut oil), I began to wonder if I've upset the protein/moisture balance too much for my hair. When I put conditioner into my hair after shampoo, it seems to soak up the conditioner if I separate the clumps to distribute conditioner evenly. Then when I wash out the conditioner, I've been noticing that the past couple of wash days my hair has felt really really soft (getting to the point of almost too soft) and this morning when I tried doing the stretch test in the shower with my shed hairs, they seemed to stretch and not really spring back (although I was holding both ends of my hairs in my hands so that I wouldn't mistake my hands slipping off my shed hairs for my shed hairs actually stretching and I didn't really release my hairs when I was doing the stretch test in the shower). That afternoon, I tried repeating the stretch test with shed hairs from previous wash days with shed hairs that I don't think I did the stretch test with and they seemed to spring back somewhat after wetting them and trying to stretch them. However, when I try to stretch my hair when it's dry, it doesn't seem to stretch much, if at all.

This is making it difficult for me to tell if I've put too much moisture into my hair over the past year or so and I need help with this. So, I need your wonderful help ladies (and gentlemen). What do you ladies think? Have I tipped the protein and moisture balance too far? Do you think my hair is telling me to start using conditioners with protein again? Do you have any suggestions for how I could try to restore the balance in my hair if I have indeed tipped it too far? I appreciate the time you take to read this and would really appreciate any thoughts, comments, or opinions you may have. Thank you in advance.

[wavykisses]

When my hair was overcondition it felt really soft but mushy like bubblegum.
It will stretch and stretch and was limp. When it has a protein overload it will be dry, brittle and would brake easy.

Your hair sounds like it needs some protein I will clarify and do a protein deep treatment of choice.
On the mainstream side of deep conditioners there are some like joico k pack, babyface which some people here have use successfully, if you prefer the natural side there is mayo, eggs, cassia.

A good clarifying rinse and some of the above would help

[wavykisses]

You can go to Sally's they have this little packages like henna and placenta which is a protein treatment that doesn't deposit any color for like $2-3 enough for one or two applications, they have other brands too

[spidermom]

Clarify, then test. You probably have a buildup of conditioner.
I do a deep treatment about once per month that gives me both protein and moisture.

[Kaelee]

My hair stretches slightly when dry (and springs back) and slightly more when wet (and springs back unless I stretch it to breaking). I can't tell if this is good or bad, but my hair is in amazing condition so I guess it's not bad? :shrug:

[Firefox7275]

I know there are threads on this already, so I apologize if I'm starting a thread on this topic unnecessarily. But even now this is a confusing topic for me as my hair seems to stretch different amount/different length when it's wet and when it's dry. After writing a blog post about this and not receiving any replies about it, I thought about posting this in the main forums. So, I'm hoping for some help here.

Ever since I started following up shampoo with conditioner on wash days around the time I joined LHC, I've been using protein-free shampoo and conditioner (first Suave Naturals Lavender and Lilac from September to November 2012, then Garnier Fructis Fall Fight from December 2012 until February/March 2013, and VO5 Island Coconut Moisturizing shampoo and conditioner from about March 2012 on). Currently I'm still using VO5 Island Coconut Moisturizing shampoo and conditioner. What has prompted me to think about the protein/moisture balance in my hair is that the past few times I've washed my hair, it felt really, really soft when I was washing out the conditioner.

Early yesterday morning, when I used the VO5 Island Coconut conditioner to try to wash the coconut oil out of my greasy/oily hair (I suspect this was from over-oiling although it's possible that my hair doesn't like coconut oil), I began to wonder if I've upset the protein/moisture balance too much for my hair. When I put conditioner into my hair after shampoo, it seems to soak up the conditioner if I separate the clumps to distribute conditioner evenly. Then when I wash out the conditioner, I've been noticing that the past couple of wash days my hair has felt really really soft (getting to the point of almost too soft) and this morning when I tried doing the stretch test in the shower with my shed hairs, they seemed to stretch and not really spring back (although I was holding both ends of my hairs in my hands so that I wouldn't mistake my hands slipping off my shed hairs for my shed hairs actually stretching and I didn't really release my hairs when I was doing the stretch test in the shower). That afternoon, I tried repeating the stretch test with shed hairs from previous wash days with shed hairs that I don't think I did the stretch test with and they seemed to spring back somewhat after wetting them and trying to stretch them. However, when I try to stretch my hair when it's dry, it doesn't seem to stretch much, if at all.

This is making it difficult for me to tell if I've put too much moisture into my hair over the past year or so and I need help with this. So, I need your wonderful help ladies (and gentlemen). What do you ladies think? Have I tipped the protein and moisture balance too far? Do you think my hair is telling me to start using conditioners with protein again? Do you have any suggestions for how I could try to restore the balance in my hair if I have indeed tipped it too far? I appreciate the time you take to read this and would really appreciate any thoughts, comments, or opinions you may have. Thank you in advance.

Stretching different amounts wet and dry is completely normal and expected.

Coconut oil does not provide moisture (= water) it penetrates reducing porosity and increasing elasticity, so helps porous hair hold less water. That is beneficial because water entering and leaving the hair is damaging (hygral fatigue). It's is possible to overdo coconut oil soaks and end up with 'saturated' hair, doesn't necessarily mean hair does not like coconut oil if treatments have been fine before just that you need a better balance as you say.

I'd actually start with clarifying and using the lightest possible conditioner for a couple of washes to either reduce the coconut oil or any conditioner build up. If you load protein on top of coconut oil overload or conditioner build up you could end up with a sticky mess. The only food item with a worthwhile amount of hydrolysed protein is gelatin, egg protein is too large to penetrate, commercial mayonnaise is not rich in protein it is an oil treatment which sounds like it is not what you need right now.

[Coolcombination]

My hair needs moisture otherwise it's flyaway, occasionally I use a protein shampoo, to which my hair gets wirey, more like horse hair, then I do an intensive conditioning treatment

[biogirl87]

Ladies, thank you all for your replies.

wavykisses and spidermom, for clarifying should I get VO5 Kiwi and Lime shampoo or would I be able to just use baking soda and ACV to clarify? Also, after shampooing my hair with clarifying shampoo (if I don't go the baking soda/ACV route), should I follow it up with clarifying condiitoner before I do the stretch test/test for moisture overload?

Kaelee, thing is that when my hair is dry it springs back immediately after I let go when I stretch/try to stretch it but when it's wet it can stretch quite a bit.

Firefox, this was the first time I tried putting coconut oil on my hair (I don't have it at home and when I was having lunch with a friend a few days ago, she had some coconut oil that used for cooking and I asked her if I could try putting it on my hair, which she let me try towards the end of our lunch). The reason I decided to try oiling my hair was because I've read in another thread that light oiling could help determine if hair prefers cones or not (I originally read this before I knew coconut oil may not work best for this, so once I get the protein/moisture balance under control I may try lightly oiling my hair with sunflower oil and see how my hair likes it or if it prefers cones).

[wavykisses]

For clarifying I prefer shampoo and I use neutrogena anti residue for me is easier to grab the shampoo than anything else.
Baking soda I never use it before maybe someone else can help with that one and ACV when my hair was really porous and damaged it absorbed all the red tint from it so I particularly don't like it.

For the stretch test I certainly noticed when my hair was overcontioned from the gummy feeling it had, even after clarifying the feeling was still there and no you don't need to use a clarifying conditioner, follow with your treatment of choice you could do a protein treatment then use your favorite conditioner

[biogirl87]

I clarified my hair yesterday with VO5 Kiwi Lime Clarifying shampoo, shampooing twice. Then, while still in the shower I did the stretch test with the shed hairs that came out in the shower (didn't want to try to comb my hair when it was wet, especially since I didn't conditioner in it) and my hair barely stretched any but seemed to spring back to around its original length very quickly. I remember when I was washing out the shampoo, my hair felt soft but not as soft as it did the past couple of times when I washed my hair when I was washing the conditioner out of my hair. Interestingly enough, today when I tried to comb my hair, I could fingercomb it but could barely get a comb through it. I don't know if it was because of the tangles though. I think the reason why my hair felt really really soft (getting to the point of almost too soft) before may be because of conditioner build-up. Except for the tangles, my hair feels fine now, so I don't know for sure if clarifying reset the protein/moisture balance but it does seem to be this way. What do you ladies think? If I do condition my hair tonight, do you think I should use the same conditioner I was using before (VO5 Island Coconut) or what should I use to condition my hair?