How would you deal with this?

[LadyCelestina]

My ends are damaged (dye and stuff) to the point of needing completely different care than my length.

Since winter started,I made some changes to my routine.I wash my length very infrequently and only do scalp washes in between.I also stopped using conditioner and use oil+aloe+acidic rinse instead. Not because I think "natural" ingredients are superior to chemicals.I just decided if I'm not getting good results from cone free conditioner and I am getting average results from coney conditioners,there is no point to do the same thing over and over and expect a different result.So I tried using only ingredients I know work for me and,big surprise,they actually worked.
Well,close enough,it worked for my length.

The thing is,my ends like being wet down and conditioned frequently with a coney conditioner.Otherwise,they feel rough.I washed my hair on Wednesday and they are rough already.


Now,what should I do? Wet my ends and condition them separately?If that,any ideas to avoid damage from frequent wetting?
Also,my ends seem to not react well to protein anymore...

[truepeacenik]

My ends are like that from age and exposure. I'd say I'm dealing with 4-6 inches of drier, unhappy hair. Which I refuse to chop.
So, yes, I treat them differently. Heavier oils, the conditioner they like, leave ins in protective styles (leave ins left loose get icky), whatever works.
It all takes place over the sink.

Which reminds me, I wanted to gloss the ends as they are a bit too golden red. Or orange.

[RancheroTheBee]

I don't know if this would help, but maybe you could keep the same routine for your scalp and length, and use a coney leave-in afterwards? If your ends react well to 'cones, it might be a good compromise. On that note, I know a lot of leave-ins are a) filled with protein and b) tend to not be as effective as an actual conditioner. If a leave-in doesn't work, maybe wetting the ends and conditioning them separately would work. It does seem like a lot of work, but it seems better than aggravating your scalp so that your ends are happier.

[spidermom]

Hard one. Wetting the ends really isn't good for them. I understand that doing so makes them feel better temporarily, but it's also drying them out even more because wetting opens the cuticle and over time the cuticle won't close tightly anymore, and you'll get cracks, splits, kinks, etc.

The only "cure" is to cut off the ends, which you can do gradually or immediately - your choice.

[patienceneeded]

My hair was similar - old damage ends from chemical dyes and heat. I bit the bullet and cut them off finally in August. Yes, I went from just shy of Hip back to BSL with that chop but it made my life (regarding haircare) much easier. (I cut almost 5") I'm not patient enough to do two different routines. Not even remotely.

I don't regret the cut one bit. I miss the length, but my hair is so much healthier. I'm hard-pressed to find splits or damage now, where before all I could find was damaged hair. I'm already brushing waist length again and should be back to where I was by June (I hope).

[meteor]

It really depends on how damaged the ends are.
First, I'd clarify and use a quality conditioner with the appropriate mix of hydrolyzed proteins, panthenol, other humectants, 18-MEA, peptides, ceramides, fatty acids and silicones. I would add just a drop of oil (mineral, coconut, argan, etc) almost every day on damaged ends or even a coney serum.
If after a month of applying a tiny bit of oil and protecting ends with updos and silk no improvement is noticed, I'd trim the ends.

[LadyCelestina]

Thanks for your replies!

I came to the conclusion I need to completely re-schedule my washes for a while.I need to wash my hair all over twice a week as I did before.I'll wash my scalp separately,use aloe + acidic rinse on the whole length and then condition my ends separately as they like and see how it works over time.I guess if it works out,they are going to need some clarifying after a while,but I can deal with that.
Also,I don't want to do a big cut.I am at a very comfortable length right now,I have no desire to go any shorter.If my ends are even somewhat salvageable,I'll rather temporarily alter my routine so that it keeps them decent until I cut them out gradually with trims.
It should be gone by the end of this year or so.Plus I can't see the demarcation line clearly enough to really get all the dye out at once.

[Firefox7275]

My ends are damaged (dye and stuff) to the point of needing completely different care than my length.

Since winter started,I made some changes to my routine.I wash my length very infrequently and only do scalp washes in between.I also stopped using conditioner and use oil+aloe+acidic rinse instead. Not because I think "natural" ingredients are superior to chemicals.I just decided if I'm not getting good results from cone free conditioner and I am getting average results from coney conditioners,there is no point to do the same thing over and over and expect a different result.So I tried using only ingredients I know work for me and,big surprise,they actually worked.
Well,close enough,it worked for my length.

The thing is,my ends like being wet down and conditioned frequently with a coney conditioner.Otherwise,they feel rough.I washed my hair on Wednesday and they are rough already.


Now,what should I do? Wet my ends and condition them separately?If that,any ideas to avoid damage from frequent wetting?
Also,my ends seem to not react well to protein anymore...

If you remove silicones from your routine you often need to replace them with other ingredients, especially for damaged hair. Hydrolysed protein can easily be overused and can be drying in lower dews/ winter. Proven ingredients for dye damaged hair include coconut oil, ceramides, 18-MEA and panthenol. Leave in conditioner (product marketed as a rinse out) helps my dyed hair stay soft and shiny longest.

Don't confuse aesthetics or even softness with hair health: there is overlap but acid rinses can be drying if used too frequently, damp hair is weak hair and can lead to hygral fatigue (water damage). Have you tested the pH of your concoction and your shampoo? Plain AV is naturally acidic IIRC.

You might consider a hair analysis under the microscope (Komaza Care, Goosefooprints on Etsy) to see if you simply need a trim, it may be you have no protective cuticle left at all so there really is nothing to patch repair.

[Agnes Hannah]

I have dyed ends too and I treat them by conditioning twice after shampooing, the first condish is a lighter coney free one, and the second well, sometimes I use a coney one, as I hope it seals the goodness of the first condish treatment. Before rinsing I put a shower cap on whilst washing the rest of me, and put my head under the warm running water, as this helps the hair with the uptake of the condition treatment. After about four or five minutes, I rinse the whole lot off. This seems to help my ends. I also oil them with argan every night, and evoo the night before washing. Finally, I use a silk sleep cap and pillowcase to sleep on, and a tee shirt to dry my hair. Try not to keep it wet for too long as this is when hair is weakest. I air dry so avoid any heat appliances altogether. This has helped my ends and splits have so far stayed away. Good luck.