Argh - clarifying help, please!

[Freija]

I had my hair cut a couple of days ago, and I'm having a horrible time with residue from the products used in the salon! I'd love some help, please? :flower:

Normally I CWC with diluted sulfate shampoo. I use ACV for my hard water, run a leave-in conditioner through when my hair is soaking wet, and seal with coconut oil. I occasionally use a tiny bit of silicone conditioner on my very tips, to protect them, but I've always had to be careful with how much 'cone-y stuff I let near my hair, because my lengths and roots hate it.

Unfortunately, the hairdresser applied so much synthetic product that my hair was literally glued together, and as sticky as honey to the touch when I walked out of the door - and one of the things used was 'Bumble & Bumble Hairdresser's Invisible oil', a finishing oil *full* of silicone. I looked up the ingredients when I got home, and the list is 'Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Ethylhexyl Olivate, Isododecane, Dimethiconol, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, Gardenia Tahitensis (Tiare) Flower Extract, Bis-Cetearyl Amodimethicone, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Squalane, Tocopherol, Linalool, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Fragrance.' Ugh!

I've washed my hair twice since Friday afternoon, when I had the appointment. I've used a full strength sls and sles shampoo both times, and the stickiness is gone - but the 'cones aren't shifting. I still have the tell-tale horrible flatness, the plasticky damp feel and the almost greasy, weighed-down lack of curl that I always seem to get from a silicone overload. But I've never had it this badly (or used a product *this* full of dimethicone) before.

Please, since just using a sulfate shampoo isn't working, is there any other way of stripping silicone back out of the hair - preferably without drying it out too much? Needless to say, I not intending to go back to this place - between their products, their rough detangling (the salon owner cut it and still ripped his paddle bursh through my wet, knotty hair), and the fact that I went in for some long, soft, shaped layers between BSL and waist and came out with the front of my hair cut just below my collarbone...

[lapushka]

Unfortunately, the hairdresser applied so much synthetic product that my hair was literally glued together, and as sticky as honey to the touch when I walked out of the door - and one of the things used was 'Bumble & Bumble Hairdresser's Invisible oil', a finishing oil *full* of silicone. I looked up the ingredients when I got home, and the list is 'Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Ethylhexyl Olivate, Isododecane, Dimethiconol, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, Gardenia Tahitensis (Tiare) Flower Extract, Bis-Cetearyl Amodimethicone, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Squalane, Tocopherol, Linalool, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Fragrance.' Ugh!

I've washed my hair twice since Friday afternoon, when I had the appointment. I've used a full strength sls and sles shampoo both times, and the stickiness is gone - but the 'cones aren't shifting. I still have the tell-tale horrible flatness, the plasticky damp feel and the almost greasy, weighed-down lack of curl that I always seem to get from a silicone overload. But I've never had it this badly (or used a product *this* full of dimethicone) before.

Maybe use a stronger clarifying shampoo? And minimally condition afterwards. The silicones should have long gone by now if you clarified (with a sulfate, non silicone shampoo).

[Freija]

Thank you. I know they should have gone by now - that is why I'm getting worried; because it's obvious that they haven't! I would try a stronger shampoo, too, but I'm already using Aussie Miracle Moist - despite the name, the first two ingredients after water are SLS and SLeS, and it has chelating properties from the EDTA - so I'm not sure what would be stronger than that.

I haven't used anything else with silicone in it since before Friday, either, so I know I'm not accidentally putting it back every time I wash. None of my usual products have any 'cones at all; the only thing that does is the conditioner that I use occasionally on my very ends - and I haven't used that in weeks.

[Anje]

I've heard good stuff about the Neutrogena Anti-Residue shampoo, if you're looking for something really clarifying. The ingredients list is informative, yes, but it doesn't tell you more than relative amounts, and your shampoo claims to be moisturizing right in its name -- not a good indicator for a clarifier. If that's not available where you are, Head & Shoulders is said to be quite stripping. There's also dish detergent, but I'd wait on that until you've exhausted other options.

[Freija]

Thank you! Yes, I think I'll leave the washing-up liquid for now (I think my scalp would throw a fit) - but I might go raid my boyfriend's bottle of Head and Shoulders. I think it does contain dimethicone, though - the UK version of the H&S apple that he uses does, anyway. Would that matter?

[Anje]

It might matter, but past experience says that while H&S isn't traditionally clarifying, it strips a LOT of stuff out. I figure it's worth a shot for a wash or two, right?

[Freija]

Right! It's definitely worth a try. : )

[ARG]

I've heard good stuff about the Neutrogena Anti-Residue shampoo, if you're looking for something really clarifying.

I can attest to the power of Neutrogena Anti-Residue shampoo. That stuff is crazy clarifying and gets anything and everything out of my hair and scalp. My hair squeaks after using it (it also gets super tangly).

[Freija]

Anje, thank you - I think the Head and Shoulders has helped a bit. It doesn't feel as plasticky as it did, although I won't know for sure until it's dried.

I can't seem to find the Neutrogena stuff in the UK, though. It's on Amazon, but it's £10 for a really tiny bottle. Has anyone tried the Pantene clarifying shampoo? I can walk into most chemists/supermarkets and pick some up, so I might give it a go tomorrow.

[ErinLeigh]

I have heard really good things about he Pantene shampoo but have not tried it myself. Have you tried deep conditioning after the clarifying wash? Maybe just give hair a break for a few days and try your CWC routine and your ACV rinses.. Maybe hair will start to feel normal if you give it a few days on your regular routine. I would think surely the cones are out by now and you may just be feeling the roughed up cuticle from all the shampoo your hair isn't used too.

Another option would be to add a chelating shampoo to the next clarifying wash. Maybe the buildup is mineral and not silicone?

My last stylist did the same thing to me. i brought in my own product so she wouldn't slather my hair with cones and she did it anyway. She used mine then snuck a huge palmful of her "Morracan Oil" which was just a bottle of dimeticone with a drop of argan. grrrr I was so annoyed and swore my hair was coated for days even though it probably washed out within 2 washes. I just get a little obsessive when sometime is put on my hair I do not want.

[Freija]

My hair is dry now... and it feels much more like mine again! :) I can tell it is still a little coated, as it still has that odd, slightly plastic slickness in places (and there are zero tangles, even with the Head and Shoulders shampoo, my lightest no-'cone conditioner and no leave in or oil), but it's now light and fluffy and curly, whereas a couple of hours ago it was limp, flat, and falling in almost-straight clumps.

I know what you mean about feeling obsessive, ErinLeigh - and I probably am a bit, too! - but I still can't believe just how much product the hairdresser was using. He actually poured a puddle of the dimethicone 'oil' into his hands, and used palmfuls of leave-in and styling fluid. So I guess I shouldn't be too surprised that it's been a struggle to get it all out again. I still might try the Pantene, once, but you're right about needing to deep condition and go back to my normal routine now.

Honestly, I don't know what I would do without the LHC. Thank you so, so, so much, for all of your help!

[jeanniet]

The cones listed really shouldn't be that difficult to get out, so maybe it was more a combination of ingredients rather than the cones themselves. Cones don't work at all well for me, but I never have any trouble getting them out. The Neutrogena shampoo is a good one, btw, but sounds like it's maybe not available to you.

[two_wheels]

Pantene Ice Shine has never failed me when I've made product mistakes in the past :) If the clarifying shampoo is even stronger, you should have no problems.

Edit: d'oh! Didn't see the second page! Glad you got most of it out :D

[Anje]

\o/ Glad it's working for you! Might take another wash or two, but it sounds like you're well on your way to normal.