stretching washes bad?

[kam.pearson]

I have wavy hair that is on the drier side, it never gets oily. I can easily go for a week between washes if I wear it natural. It's a tiny bit longer than bsl and has some old damage from dye. I've been trying to stretch my washes it because I am afraid washing it too much wool make it worse and it looks fine, but I trimmed it just about a week ago and haven't used heat and been very gentle and I already have dry split ends again. I feel like it just gets dryer the longer I wait to wash it. Is this possible? I used a leave in spray when it was wet, and a tiny bit of coconut oil everyday and it still was dry? Could washing more often be better for my ends?

[biogirl87]

kam.pearson, I don't know the answer to this question but my hair type is similar to yours, so I'd be interested in finding out. I'll be watching this thread to see if other members chime in with their thoughts or opinions.

[Babzilla]

I know what you mean! If I go too long between co-washes, I get that "crispy" feeling.

I now do a heavy oiling once a week and one co-wash. The discontinuation of shampoo will help. I use a homemade mix of herbs to get the coconut oil out and I follow up with a catnip conditioner.

Catnip seems to seal the moisture in like nothing else I have tried. It's the greatest thing.

Have you tried giving up shampoo and trying any herbs?

[Tattersail]

have you ever tried conditioner only (co) washing? its much gentler on you hair and scalp, here's a thread about it http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=2898
i've been doing it for about 3 weeks now and i'm liking it. my hair is also very fine and wavy; my scalp doesn't get very oily either, and i reckon what happens is this: when i don't wash it for a few days some sebum/oil travels down the hair, making the first few inches/centimetres look nice and soft and healthy; in contrast to that my ends still look dry and weird, which results in my hair looking very weird in whole. i've tried going water only/sebum only, but just can't deal with the transitional phase and my scalp doesn't like it at all. the whole co-washing thing is working for me, i think because it doesn't remove all the good oil/sebum from my hair and scalp and conditions my hair at the same time. if you do decide to try it make sure you: read some of the thread i pointed out above; clarify first; use a conditioner thats silicone free; use no more silicones on your hair at all; enjoy the results :)

[kam.pearson]

I have done Co-washing for a little while. I would shampoo about once a week and Co-wash any other time that I washed my hair. Usually once or twice more a week. Co-washing does seem to help a bit, but if I stretch more than a day or so it feels dry again. Crispy is a very good way to describe it! Light oiling helps for about half a day and then I feel like I want to add more, and deep oilings don't really seem to make much difference. I don't know if it's something that I'm doing or if I'm just going to have to wait for the dye to grow out? Yesterday I took my bun down at work and was very carefully finger combing my hair (it wasnt tangled or anything) and looked down at my pants and had a bunch of little one inch pieces of my hair that just broke off! My hair has never done that! It's only been a week since I trimmed an inch off, and I just don't feel like it should already be bad again!

[kam.pearson]

Thank you for your reply tattersail :)

How often do you Co wash? If I am very gentle and careful and don't use heat, would it be horrible to wash every other day or so?

[Babzilla]

[QUOTE=kam.pearson;2515628]I have done Co-washing for a little while. I would shampoo about once a week and Co-wash any other time that I washed my hair. Usually once or twice more a week. Co-washing does seem to help a bit, but if I stretch more than a day or so it feels dry again. Crispy is a very good way to describe it! Light oiling helps for about half a day and then I feel like I want to add more, and deep oilings don't really seem to make much difference. I don't know if it's something that I'm doing or if I'm just going to have to wait for the dye to grow out? Yesterday I took my bun down at work and was very carefully finger combing my hair (it wasnt tangled or anything) and looked down at my pants and had a bunch of little one inch pieces of my hair that just broke off! My hair has never done that! It's only been a week since I trimmed an inch off, and I just don't feel like it should already be bad again![/]


Ooh! I feel your pain. Are you using silicone conditioners? They make my hair feel nice for 24 hours and then it's breakage city!
I was using $35 co-wash from DevaCurl and switched to the el cheapo Suave method that many of us swear by! Silicone free and cheap.
Catnip tea rinses. I swear. It sounds stupid. Try it!

[kam.pearson]

Right now I have been trying to use up a giant bottle of garnier fall fight. It probably has tons of bad stuff. I'm not very good at identifying ingredients yet. It's so so confusing! I do think I have a suave underneath my sink though!

Stupid question, how do you do a catnip rinse? And where do you buy it?

[Leeloo]

Have you tried using a heat cap with heavy oiling? Sometimes it make a difference in oil penetration into the hair shaft (I'm talking about overnight before wash coconut oil on length and heat cap an hour before wash).

:sun:

[kam.pearson]

I have not tried a heat cap yet, thanks for the suggestion! I've tried a warm towel a long time ago by it was big and bulky and hurt my neck and I only made it a couple of minutes before I got frustrated and it came off lol. I didn't think to try something like that again!

[Tattersail]

@kam.pearson, washing with normal shampoo will strip your hair of all the good sebum/oil, it has way too much detergent in it. most shampoos and conditioners have some sort of silicone in it, which masks the hair's bad condition. the point of co-washing is, to get rid of any silicones from your hair (clarifying) first so they don't hang around and make your hair look crap after a day, like Babzilla said. Then you use a cheap silicone free conditioner (i use tresemme naturals, we don't have suave here), cos you'll need ****loads of it. I use a bit of my conditioner diluted with water in a spray bottle as a leave-in, because my hair is too dry/ frizzy if i don't. then i use low/medium heat blow drying to dry it. i can't not blow dry it, cos i need to look presentable for work, but i try to be as gentle as possible. i co-wash about every 2-3 days and wash with normal shampoo maybe every 4 weeks, if i feel there is build up of grease/dirt. but usually co-washing is enough, cos you massage your scalp quite thoroughly to remove any dirt. sometimes i use an acv rinse to clarify in between

[Babzilla]

Garner is a prime offender. Hardcore silicones. Here is a link to a list of silicone-free conditioners http://healthycurls.net/product-lists/silicone-free-conditioners/

The dry catnip you get at the pet store or supermarket works wonders. I simply boil two cups of water, add a heaping tablespoon of the loose catnip, simmer for 15 minutes with a cover on top, shake the drops of water off the lid into the pot, let cool and strain. Pour the cooled tea over the hair as a final rinse after your normal condish. You can save half the tea for your next wash in the fridge or add it to a bottle of conditioner and use that as your co-wash. I haven't had it spoil my conditioner and my hair is happy. So are my cats.

[TheHowlingWolf]

My hair is the same way. & then my dry ends start to tangle and knot and it leads to breakage. But my scalp gets oily & itchy too. So I have an oily/itchy scalp and dry ends if I don't wash regularly. I wash my hair 3 times a week.

[Babzilla]

Tattersall is right about getting the silicone off and Apple Cider Vinegar diluted in water will restore your hair's pH and tighten the cuticle, to protect from damage.

I followed this method with co-washing to get from shoulder to bra strap length.

Now it's catnip, co-wash with Suave, herbs and coconut oil.

[Tattersail]

Tattersall is right about getting the silicone off and Apple Cider Vinegar diluted in water will restore your hair's pH and tighten the cuticle, to protect from damage.

I followed this method with co-washing to get from shoulder to bra strap length.

Now it's catnip, co-wash with Suave, herbs and coconut oil.

agree completely re: acv rinse, its great, doesn't even smell :) (once its out that is)

[WilfredAllen]

This happens to me. For me, it's build up from oils and conditioners (even 'cone free conditioners). I have low porosity hair which is more prone to build up.

I also have oily, straight hair, so I can get away with just washing with a diluted SLS-free shampoo whenever I need it. (no oils or conditioner, ever). The other option for me is washing more often to wash out the build up, which isn't bad, but I prefer the way I do it.

Good luck figuring what's up with your ends

[Panth]

Just to throw in a completely different idea - is it possible that you trimmed with blunt scissors? That would damage the ends, making splits very likely. The fix would be to trim again (it can be a microtrim of ~1/4") with sharp, perfect scissors that are good quality and have never been used on anything except hair.

[Flor]

I wish I had your problem ;)

You could try aloe gel/water spray on the ends (I read you could also add glycerin for more slippage). If your scalp is feeling just fine without washing, then moisturizing the ends should do the trick in between washes. Oils on completely dry hair wouldn't have a lasting effect.

[Jenny31557]

I know when I use coconut oil it makes my ends dry so I don't use it very often at all.
It might be the same for you, I would suggest laying off the coconut oil for a bit to see if that helps.
It doesn't work for everyone. :)

[cranberrymoonz]

Yu crunchyness may be due to protein build-up. Try to get some products without protein, do a nice clarifying wash and go without protein for a few weeks. Coconut oil may also contribute to this because it does something with protein too (can't recall what exactly). Oiling hair that is allready dry and crunchy is a bad idea anyway, because it locks out the moisture rather than seal it in. So lightly oil freshly washed damp hair only.

It is very normal for damaged or dry hair to split. Try to do microtrims every other month or so to get rid of the damage. Furthermore, forget about your ends a bit. In my experience, my ends get worse the more I fiddle with them.

[Firefox7275]

I have wavy hair that is on the drier side, it never gets oily. I can easily go for a week between washes if I wear it natural. It's a tiny bit longer than bsl and has some old damage from dye. I've been trying to stretch my washes it because I am afraid washing it too much wool make it worse and it looks fine, but I trimmed it just about a week ago and haven't used heat and been very gentle and I already have dry split ends again. I feel like it just gets dryer the longer I wait to wash it. Is this possible? I used a leave in spray when it was wet, and a tiny bit of coconut oil everyday and it still was dry? Could washing more often be better for my ends?

I have done Co-washing for a little while. I would shampoo about once a week and Co-wash any other time that I washed my hair. Usually once or twice more a week. Co-washing does seem to help a bit, but if I stretch more than a day or so it feels dry again. Crispy is a very good way to describe it! Light oiling helps for about half a day and then I feel like I want to add more, and deep oilings don't really seem to make much difference. I don't know if it's something that I'm doing or if I'm just going to have to wait for the dye to grow out? Yesterday I took my bun down at work and was very carefully finger combing my hair (it wasnt tangled or anything) and looked down at my pants and had a bunch of little one inch pieces of my hair that just broke off! My hair has never done that! It's only been a week since I trimmed an inch off, and I just don't feel like it should already be bad again!

Maybe you simply didn't trim enough off? Splits usually mean the entire protective cuticle is gone and this can extend higher up the hair, sadly there is no way back from that you can't patch repair hair that is totally fried. If your conditioner isn't giving lasting results try a richer one and/ or a proper leave in conditioner - sprays are generally detanglers or moisturisers not conditioners. You might consider the Curly Girl method since you are a wavy.

Proven beneficial ingredients for damaged hair include coconut oil, hydrolysed protein, ceramides, 18-MEA and panthenol. You may not get amazing results from a single protein or coconut oil treatment you may need to stick with it over time, instant gratification generally comes from silicones conferring faux shine and slip. Do be aware that oils don't moisturise (add or increase water), they are occlusive/ sealants/ anti humectants, this is a good thing since too much water is damaging to hair (hygral fatigue).

[jacqueline101]

I have dry hair I stretch washed I use a little extra oil you can try it if it's not for you drop it.

[Komao]

Garner is a prime offender. Hardcore silicones. Here is a link to a list of silicone-free conditioners http://healthycurls.net/product-lists/silicone-free-conditioners/

The dry catnip you get at the pet store or supermarket works wonders. I simply boil two cups of water, add a heaping tablespoon of the loose catnip, simmer for 15 minutes with a cover on top, shake the drops of water off the lid into the pot, let cool and strain. Pour the cooled tea over the hair as a final rinse after your normal condish. You can save half the tea for your next wash in the fridge or add it to a bottle of conditioner and use that as your co-wash. I haven't had it spoil my conditioner and my hair is happy. So are my cats.

Thanks for the link. That will be really helpful. I have a herb garden. Lately I've been using rosemary and sage. I use to grow catnip but my cat was weird but oh so adorable and she didn't like it. I thought I would never get rid of it as the seeds spread every year, very prolific, but now that I've learned people use it for hair as it would figure, it finally after years has gone.
Next year, I will grow some but perhaps in a container as its so invasive to my other plants. Have you ever tried Thyme?
I heard some people love that. I did make a tea with lavender and my hair felt great and the smell was out of this world, wonderful!

[Temme]

I think that the reason your hair gets drier the longer you go between washes isn't that it needs shampoo but it needs moisture(water). I beleive that over time, moisture escapes the hair shaft, and it will need more moisture. I think co-washing would be perfect for you because your hair doesn't get greasy, but it needs some kind of wash frequently, it needs moisture. I would at least do co-washing on the ends, meaning only shampooing your scalp. That was probably the best thing I've done for my hair.

[Kelikea]

Stretching washes didn't work for me, I tried it this summer. My scalp and first 2 inches of hair would become an oil slick, while my length and ends got dry. It also made my face breakout. My hair does better with a shampoo 1-2 times a week, and CO washes in-between, not necessarily every day, but at least every other. I guess it depends on my morning workout. Extra sweaty workout=co-wash, yoga or pilates=no wash that day, then a shampoo on the weekend and maybe one other day during the week, probably after one of those sweat sessions:) I am really liking my super cheap strawberry suave shampoo, slightly diluted, or Vo5 kiwi lime shampoo, and suave coconut conditioner slightly diluted for co-washes and conditioning after shampoo.

[Killahkurlz]

Why not try washing it with a moisturizing conditioner only?
example
Regularly wash hair with shampoo (or with whatever you wash it with) 1x a week or 2 weeks then wash hair with conditioner only (just the ends of course) maybe once or twice in between washes.