Co washing but my hair is still dry and stringy?

[lole18]

I have very fine thin short hair that breaks A LOT! i never use chemicals or heat and take good care of it! I've switched to co-washing but i don't see any difference in my hair? It's still breaking it's still stringy and it's still really dry? What else can i do? I'm using tresemme silicone free conditioner and i use shampoo every once and a while also my curls didn't get back to the way they used to be (i used to have really curly hair now it's wavy\damaged looking and they said co-washing would help but it didn't) should i give it more time? or should i add more things to my routine? Any suggestions? I don't use any silicone products so it's not buildup! and i have very low porosity hair :) PLEAS HELP

[Rio040113]

I know you said you don't use 'cones but it could still be worth using a clarifying and chelating shampoo (especially if you have hard water). I use Joico's (clarifying and chelating) shampoo as needed and love it :) I'm guessing your low porosity is somewhat to blame for the dryness you mentioned but don't quote me on that... Do you use oils/butters etc? Avocado oil is one of the penetrating oils I do believe, it could be worth considering? I know things like shea butter (also mango and cocoa) are popular for layering over oil or using alone. Jojoba and mineral oil are great sealing oils (jojoba is actually a wax ester and is said to closely mimic/be very similar to our own natural sebum). Erm, not sure what else to suggest off the top of my head, I'm sure you'll get plenty more suggestions though :D

[Kaelee]

Sounds like you could have protein overload as well. If it were me I would try clarifying/chelating and then moisturize the crap out of it.

I seem to recall my hair hating Tresseme. Maybe try something else?

[Madora]

Clarify first to remove the residue. Be sure to follow with a conditioning treatment afterwards.

I would suggest to use shampoo (diluted) and do not CO first. You can use a conditioner after you shampoo (dilute it as well).

Also, how do you actually shampoo..i.e. how do you use your fingers? I hope you do not "scrub" your hair (like a mop). That is an open invitation to breakage and general unpleasantness.

Less is more is better for your hair because everything you put on it leaves a trace behind...which, in time, can lead to lanky hair (too much stuff weighs down the strand(s).

Try to comb your hair gently, but thoroughly before shampooing. If you can keep each side separate (instead of washing all over) that helps too.

[lole18]

I know you said you don't use 'cones but it could still be worth using a clarifying and chelating shampoo (especially if you have hard water). I use Joico's (clarifying and chelating) shampoo as needed and love it :) I'm guessing your low porosity is somewhat to blame for the dryness you mentioned but don't quote me on that... Do you use oils/butters etc? Avocado oil is one of the penetrating oils I do believe, it could be worth considering? I know things like shea butter (also mango and cocoa) are popular for layering over oil or using alone. Jojoba and mineral oil are great sealing oils (jojoba is actually a wax ester and is said to closely mimic/be very similar to our own natural sebum). Erm, not sure what else to suggest off the top of my head, I'm sure you'll get plenty more suggestions though :D

I clarify using a regular shampoo every once and a while this didn't start when i started co-washing i've been having these problems for a long time i hoped that co-washing would help moisturize it and lessen the breakage but it didnt :( i tried some oils as a pre-wash treatment but saw no difference so i stopped! butters are too heavy for my hair since it's very fine and thin :(


Sounds like you could have protein overload as well. If it were me I would try clarifying/chelating and then moisturize the crap out of it.

I seem to recall my hair hating Tresseme. Maybe try something else?

what's chelating? and i tried different shampoos\conditioners before and nothing changed! im not using protein either


Clarify first to remove the residue. Be sure to follow with a conditioning treatment afterwards.

I would suggest to use shampoo (diluted) and do not CO first. You can use a conditioner after you shampoo (dilute it as well).

Also, how do you actually shampoo..i.e. how do you use your fingers? I hope you do not "scrub" your hair (like a mop). That is an open invitation to breakage and general unpleasantness.

Less is more is better for your hair because everything you put on it leaves a trace behind...which, in time, can lead to lanky hair (too much stuff weighs down the strand(s).

Try to comb your hair gently, but thoroughly before shampooing. If you can keep each side separate (instead of washing all over) that helps too.

even when i used to shampoo i still had this problem so it isn't build up! and no matter how much i condition it it's still dry maybe cause it's low porosity? i don't know :( no i don't scrub it like a mop Lol i try to be really gentle but it still breaks all the time!

[florenonite]

what's chelating? and i tried different shampoos\conditioners before and nothing changed! im not using protein either

Chelating is removing mineral deposits, for instance from hard water. Look for a shampoo that contains Disodium EDTA or Tetrasodium EDTA. It's not uncommon for conditioners to have these, and when I was a lifeguard I used to CO with an EDTA-containing conditioner on days I didn't shampoo to remove the pool water, but I don't know if there's enough for it to qualify as a chelator itself or if it, like diluted citric acid, is something you can use to stop minerals from building up.

[lole18]

Chelating is removing mineral deposits, for instance from hard water. Look for a shampoo that contains Disodium EDTA or Tetrasodium EDTA. It's not uncommon for conditioners to have these, and when I was a lifeguard I used to CO with an EDTA-containing conditioner on days I didn't shampoo to remove the pool water, but I don't know if there's enough for it to qualify as a chelator itself or if it, like diluted citric acid, is something you can use to stop minerals from building up.

Oh! I think this might be what i'm suffering from! Is there a natural way to clarify meniral build up naturally?

[Ambystoma]

I'm not sure if there's a natural way to do it, but the shampoo Rio040133 mentioned is pretty amazing, and it will take care of conditioner/product build up as well as mineral deposits. I have hair that behaves as if it's low porosity too, the problems you're describing sounds a lot like how mine can get, and I find the only way to properly get moisture into it is to use gentle heat, like body heat, and lots of extra time. Every time I wash, I do it at the start of the shower and then put all my hair under a shower cap with the conditioner on and leave it until the very end to rinse, the heat from the shower and your scalp helps it sink in. When I do an SMT treatment (which I do after every use of chelating shampoo) I put it under the shower cap and then wrap a warm towel straight from the dryer over my head and leave it for at least 30 minutes. Sometimes I even warm up another towel and replace the first one once it's cooled down and let it really sit for ages! I also make sure I rinse really really well, for some reason my hair gets dull and weird if there's too much conditioner residue left over from washing, and leave ins cause the same problem.
Have a go at doing a chelating/clarifying wash right down to the tips, then following it with a long SMT and no leave ins or oils and see how it feels :)

[thirstylocks]

I second the protein overload!! Cut out all proteins from your hair care routine for a month and see if the general condition of your hair changes!! Mine did a bit - I have natural, heat free chemical free hair but I had some manual damage. It was REALLY dry and unhealthy and I didn't know why, and I think now the culprit was protein. My hair isn't 100% better so it will need a trim. When is the last time you trimmed??

[Hootenanny]

I'd recommend chelating first, as others here have said, but then I also recommend that you try a different conditioner for CO washing. Tresemme made my curls look flat and horrible. Try VO5 or Suave. :)

[Rio040113]

I clarify using a regular shampoo every once and a while this didn't start when i started co-washing i've been having these problems for a long time i hoped that co-washing would help moisturize it and lessen the breakage but it didn't :( i tried some oils as a pre-wash treatment but saw no difference so i stopped! butters are too heavy for my hair since it's very fine and thin :(


Regulars shampoos, even with sulphates aren't quite the same as a true clarifying one as far as I know, I shampoo roughly once a week but still clarify as I feel I need to and I always notice a nice improvement even if my hair didn't seem super built up (I co-wash normally and oil, I use no styling products at all). Have you tried oiling on lightly damp hair after your wash? I get a lot more (noticeable) benefit from that versus a pre-wash oiling, although YMMV and I often still do both (coconut oil pre-wash for less protein loss). My hair is spider web fine and currently also thin (although pre-hair loss it was 'average' thickness) and I'd say it's more about the amount of oil/butter you use :) You can always add more so start with barely a coating on your palms and smooth it over the ends first, working up your hair in stages. Failing that, slather it on as a deep treatment, either for an overnight soak or just bun your hair. Hope something here helps you :D

[Firefox7275]

It's not just silicones that can build up, also waxes such as cetyl esters, butters, some polyquats, petrolatum, proteins and minerals from hard water. Another possibility is poor diet or an undiagnosed health problem.

Co-washing cannot repair badly damaged hair, nothing can, just reduce further damage. It took me a year to really reap the rewards of a gentler haircare routine including co-washing.