I hate my hair. I don't know what to do

[sarahthegemini]

I'm so unhappy at the moment. I hate, actually I despise my hair. There is nothing about it that I like. I hate the fact that it is greasy so much. I have to use dry shampoo on my scalp the day after washing and then I end up having white flecks in my roots underneath, my length is dirty looking by day 2 - it doesn't look stringy anymore (this occurred for couple weeks but now it doesn't look stringy/piece-y but it looks dull but with a dirty sheen if that makes sense. This is all new. 2 months ago, I was able to wash every 5th day and it looked great every day (yes I still had to use dry shampoo on my scalp but my length looked wonderfully glossy and smooth and lovely) I hate the length of my hair. Shoulder length is ugly on me, it just emphasises the thinness and just hangs there. I hate that since clarifying a few weeks ago, my waves aren't back to normal, the parts near my ears look frizzy whereas before there was big waves there. Do I condition this area more? That will just make me greasy even quicker, or do I continue with what I'm doing and hope they come back.

I hate that I can do nothing with it in terms of styling. Braids look pathetic, and I can't bun my hair either because a) my hair is too short, and b) nothing works to secure them. Spin pins just do not work. I've tried bunning tigtly and spin pins don't secure. I've tried bunning loosely, still no security. My hair just slips out of it. All I can do is a pony tail or wearing my hair in a claw clip which I'm worried will cause breakage. Wearing my hair down isn't an option because as I said, it looks short, thin and greasy after the first day. I refuse to wash my hair daily or every other day. I feel this would just dry my hair out. My hair was fine, I had no issues whatsoever until I chopped from APL to SL and all this crap started. I only chopped to get rid of thin ends but I wiah I hadn't bothered! Nothing else apart from my chop, has changed. The weather hasn't changed drastically either.

I'm just lost, I don't know what to do :(

[Nightshade]

:grouphug: That's so frustrating! I think you could get away with washing a little more often and be okay. I wash every other day, for example. You could always dilute whatever shampoo you have and to an extra mild wash every few days.

For styles, what about a tucked under French braid (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q-A22eX21AQ/TuQYSH72T4I/AAAAAAAAAPs/zN936k4YpG4/s1600/tucked+under+braid.jpg)? Then you don't have to worry about the length, and a little bit of natural scalp oil is actually a benefit for keeping it in check.

:grouphug: Hang in there, you have lovely hair, you're just in a rough patch right now.

[Theobroma]

I'm sorry you're having such a frustrating time with your hair! What do you use for washing, and might a change of product perhaps have a beneficial effect? I find shampoo drying as well, but shampoo bars work wonderfully -- they clean well, but don't dry out my length. Have you ever tried them?

As for styling, at shoulder length I bet you could do an awesome peacock twist. Do you have a flexi-8 or similar slide lying around that you could secure it with?

And I'm with you on the spin pins -- they hold my bun together all right, but fail miserably at securing it to my scalp! And they're way too fiddly to insert and remove, they just drive me crazy no matter how many people rave about them.

[Theobroma]

Oh, and I second Nightshade's recommendation for a tucked French braid! I used to do that a lot -- it looks elegant and intricate (far more intricate than it actually is!) and completely hides the length, or lack of it. A great 'do in lieu of buns!

[Dreams_in_Pink]

I can understand you. I remember crying once when i took out the rollers and my hair looked uglier than before. That's when i made a row of mistakes (microrings extension, daily straightening, half wigs, full wigs, clip-in extensions...)

This is a very annoying phase, but hang in there. You can get a good boar bristle brush to deal with greasiness, it really helps. As for the awkward length, be patient. Good things come to those who wait :)

ETA: Learn french/dutch braiding. I used to french braid my hair and tuck the wispy ends inside, then i decorated it with little flowers. It looked beautiful and intricate :)

[Kherome]

What did you use to clarify?

[sarahthegemini]

:grouphug: That's so frustrating! I think you could get away with washing a little more often and be okay. I wash every other day, for example. You could always dilute whatever shampoo you have and to an extra mild wash every few days.

For styles, what about a tucked under French braid (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q-A22eX21AQ/TuQYSH72T4I/AAAAAAAAAPs/zN936k4YpG4/s1600/tucked+under+braid.jpg)? Then you don't have to worry about the length, and a little bit of natural scalp oil is actually a benefit for keeping it in check.

:grouphug: Hang in there, you have lovely hair, you're just in a rough patch right now.

Thank you Nightshade :) I don't mind washing every 4th day instead of every 5th but I'd hate to wash more, my hair takes about 3-5 hours to dry and it's just not practical for me. I just hate not knowing what sparked this sudden change, it's so frustrating. That tucked under french braid looks lovely but I'm all fingers and thumbs when it comes to braiding. I seem to lack that abikty to style hair, I can't even do it on other people's hair.


I'm sorry you're having such a frustrating time with your hair! What do you use for washing, and might a change of product perhaps have a beneficial effect? I find shampoo drying as well, but shampoo bars work wonderfully -- they clean well, but don't dry out my length. Have you ever tried them?

As for styling, at shoulder length I bet you could do an awesome peacock twist. Do you have a flexi-8 or similar slide lying around that you could secure it with?

And I'm with you on the spin pins -- they hold my bun together all right, but fail miserably at securing it to my scalp! And they're way too fiddly to insert and remove, they just drive me crazy no matter how many people rave about them.

Thank you :) I have been co-washing since September and I love it, it really cleans my hair, I just don't know whether changing my wash routine would help. Shampoo dries my hair out, and soap bars (I know they're slightly different to shampoo bars) dry my skin out. I'd love to continue co-washing.

I have tried peacock twists before and they were very messy (altho I last tried before my big chop) I don't feel like they suit me tho but I need variation from using a bloody claw clip so I'll try to get the hang of it again.

[sarahthegemini]

I can understand you. I remember crying once when i took out the rollers and my hair looked uglier than before. That's when i made a row of mistakes (microrings extension, daily straightening, half wigs, full wigs, clip-in extensions...)

This is a very annoying phase, but hang in there. You can get a good boar bristle brush to deal with greasiness, it really helps. As for the awkward length, be patient. Good things come to those who wait :)

ETA: Learn french/dutch braiding. I used to french braid my hair and tuck the wispy ends inside, then i decorated it with little flowers. It looked beautiful and intricate :)

I'm going to attempt to French braid, I'm generally rather inept at styling but I need to learn something! I tried using a BBB once and it made me look like I'd dunked my head in oil but I've since learnt that you can use the BBB with hair flipped over. I've been on the fence about re-purchasing one.


What did you use to clarify?

I used a basic sulfate shampoo (no 'cones or waxes) It did help (I clarified because I had stringy clumpy parts in my nape area which it got rid of but obviously it hasn't solved all my issues)

[Theobroma]

As for learning to french braid, Torrin Paige has a fantastic tutorial video on YouTube that might help!

Now that you've said that you CO wash, the bit about your hair being dull but having a "dirty sheen" makes more sense to me. Perhaps, at a minimum, you should try a different conditioner? I experienced something similar when I was CO washing when I suddenly found myself with a bad case of buildup and had to clarify rather drastically to fix the problem.

Personally, I'm incredibly leery of CO washing now since I lost 40% of my thickness in the year and a half that I was doing it -- shedding in the wash built up over time, but in such infinitesimal increments that I didn't notice until I had huge wads of hair coming out in every wash, and even then it took me some time to realise what the culprit was. But if your scalp is happy with it, maybe you just need a lighter conditioner for cleansing your hair?

Also, what else do you put on your hair? Some things will build up beyond the ability of conditioner to get out. Back when my hair had that perpetual "dirty sheen" it was my shea butter and AVG leave-ins that were to blame. (I still use both, since soap has no trouble getting them out.)

[Laurenji]

Yeah, I second trying to find a different conditioner. When I CO wash, some conditioners do to my hair exactly what you described - make it limp, greasy, sad, thin-looking. I hated my hair too. Hang in there! It can take a while to find a routine that works, and sometimes routines that seemed to be going fine explode in your face all of a sudden.

As for styles, I would recommend the Gibson Tuck - I found it much easier to do in the shoulder to APL range. It looks really classy and it doesn't require nearly the coordination braiding does.

But definitely see if you can figure out braiding! I was basically at shoulder length when I started practicing. I was all thumbs at first too. I think one day it just magically clicked, after I'd been trying and failing for a couple weeks of constant practice. My hint is, don't use a mirror when you're first learning. You may think that it will help you, but trust me, it doesn't. Mirrors can be added I later once you figure out what you're doing. Also, start lower down with more hair so you don't have a lot to add in, then work your way up to starting higher with less hair.

Sorry! I've been there, and it sucks.

[lapushka]

Do you remember which products you were using at the time you could wash every 5 days and not have issues? Might be a good idea to go back to that routine.

[Kherome]

I'm going to attempt to French braid, I'm generally rather inept at styling but I need to learn something! I tried using a BBB once and it made me look like I'd dunked my head in oil but I've since learnt that you can use the BBB with hair flipped over. I've been on the fence about re-purchasing one.



I used a basic sulfate shampoo (no 'cones or waxes) It did help (I clarified because I had stringy clumpy parts in my nape area which it got rid of but obviously it hasn't solved all my issues)

I think you could Chelate and see some improvement.

[Budgie]

................

[sarahthegemini]

As for learning to french braid, Torrin Paige has a fantastic tutorial video on YouTube that might help!

Now that you've said that you CO wash, the bit about your hair being dull but having a "dirty sheen" makes more sense to me. Perhaps, at a minimum, you should try a different conditioner? I experienced something similar when I was CO washing when I suddenly found myself with a bad case of buildup and had to clarify rather drastically to fix the problem.

Personally, I'm incredibly leery of CO washing now since I lost 40% of my thickness in the year and a half that I was doing it -- shedding in the wash built up over time, but in such infinitesimal increments that I didn't notice until I had huge wads of hair coming out in every wash, and even then it took me some time to realise what the culprit was. But if your scalp is happy with it, maybe you just need a lighter conditioner for cleansing your hair?

Also, what else do you put on your hair? Some things will build up beyond the ability of conditioner to get out. Back when my hair had that perpetual "dirty sheen" it was my shea butter and AVG leave-ins that were to blame. (I still use both, since soap has no trouble getting them out.)

Well the thing is, my co-wash does get my hair squeaky clean and on day 1 my hair looks glossy, it's just the 2nd or 3rd day where the 'sheen' kicks in. I have always, always had to deal with my length looking gross if not washed daily and it's only the past 4ish months where I discovered how to keep my length looking fine (conditioning only from chin down - obviously apart from the co-wash - amd wearing hair in pigtails overnight) It was great but now this issue has re-surfaced. I realise I wasn't very clear when I said this was a 'new issue' What I should have said was, I discovered how to stop this from happening and now I've gone backwards again.

The only product I put on my hair aside from the co-wash is a smidgen of leave in conditioner on bottom 2 iches of hair.


Yeah, I second trying to find a different conditioner. When I CO wash, some conditioners do to my hair exactly what you described - make it limp, greasy, sad, thin-looking. I hated my hair too. Hang in there! It can take a while to find a routine that works, and sometimes routines that seemed to be going fine explode in your face all of a sudden.

As for styles, I would recommend the Gibson Tuck - I found it much easier to do in the shoulder to APL range. It looks really classy and it doesn't require nearly the coordination braiding does.

But definitely see if you can figure out braiding! I was basically at shoulder length when I started practicing. I was all thumbs at first too. I think one day it just magically clicked, after I'd been trying and failing for a couple weeks of constant practice. My hint is, don't use a mirror when you're first learning. You may think that it will help you, but trust me, it doesn't. Mirrors can be added I later once you figure out what you're doing. Also, start lower down with more hair so you don't have a lot to add in, then work your way up to starting higher with less hair.

Sorry! I've been there, and it sucks.

I don't know whether trying a new co-wash would help because I had this problem before (even when shampooing at every wash) so I don't think it's a case of build up or anything and as I explained above (sorry I'm repeating myself!) I managed to last 5 days and have great looking hair with this conditioner. It's a mystery! I will start practising braiding tho!


Do you remember which products you were using at the time you could wash every 5 days and not have issues? Might be a good idea to go back to that routine.

Yep, same products I'm using now. Nothing has changed.


I think you could Chelate and see some improvement.

I have never chelated before (in my whole life!) so I will have to give this a go and see.

Thanks guys, keep the ideas coming. This is truely bizarre!

[ErinLeigh]

Hi Sarah! I am so sorry to read this. I know exactly how frustrating it is to cut hoping it will help and finding not only was it unnecessary...but problem was worse. I did it too.

I noticed in the new routine thread a several were mentioning they have to increase washing schedule now for the season.
Try washing the 4th instead of 5th and see if that helps? Hair should dry faster in summer hopefully.

Next time you shampoo if you can get one that chelates and clarifies. If you have hard water those minerals get in and make for some annoyingly lank pieces like you described. Personally I have to do it monthly which sounds like a lot but if I don't things get bad fast.

Another thing could be adding some loo poo washes to see if that helps. Something that's a cross between cowash and shampoo. Maybe the Jessicurl you were considering can help mix things up? I know you gotten amazing hair days with current routine but hair can be ever changing and finiky. I think short hair does broadcast more of the issues which is making it extra frustrating but a deeper clean once in a while could help. Maybe even just adding another conditioner to routine that has some mild chelates can be an opinion.

Have you tried occasional acidic rinses to help loosen the minerals?

I hope you start to feel better about hair. I get it. Mines been acting up and I am kind of sensitive about it for some reason. Hair gets to you when its being an ass. Its so hard for me to imagine you looking anything but awesome though. Maybe take a pic of the issues? May get someone with a great idea out of it.

[MINAKO]

I'm sorry. I guess that hppens to all of us at some point. If it doesn#t get any better by itself, the only way would be to switch up products and i suggest trying everything you can to stretch in between washing time. As for the greasyness and the thinness i can't really help, because my hair is nothing alike and all the tips i could give would be targeting thick, dry and unruly hair. But for the updo question, i would suggest you try a hairagami. Its very gentle on the hair and the must secure thing i could find, without any tugging or tagling ripping hair out as you take it down. It does work an shoulderlength already and even gives somewhat more substance to a bun, due to its own shape, but doesnt look as done as a donut.

[sarahthegemini]

Hi Sarah! I am so sorry to read this. I know exactly how frustrating it is to cut hoping it will help and finding not only was it unnecessary...but problem was worse. I did it too.

I noticed in the new routine thread a several were mentioning they have to increase washing schedule now for the season.
Try washing the 4th instead of 5th and see if that helps? Hair should dry faster in summer hopefully.

Next time you shampoo if you can get one that chelates and clarifies. If you have hard water those minerals get in and make for some annoyingly lank pieces like you described. Personally I have to do it monthly which sounds like a lot but if I don't things get bad fast.

Another thing would be adding some loo poo washes to see if that helps. Something that's a cross between cowash and shampoo. Maybe the Jessicurl you were considering can help. Something like the jessiecurl you were considering or anything in that category.

I hope you start to feel better about hair. I get it. Mines been acting up and I am kind of sensitive about it for some reason. Hair gets to you when its being an ass. Its so hard for me to imagine you looking anything but awesome though. Maybe take a pic of the issues? May get someone with a great idea out of it.

Thank you Erin :)
I have checked online and apparently my water is moderately to high in terms of hardness. I have tried to find some chelating shampoos on Amazon, I remember you saying the Joico one is great but it appears to have dimethicone (it might have been an old formulation?) Do you have any chelating 'poo recommendations?

I think if chelating makes a big difference, I'd be able to atick with my co routine but throw in an ACV rinse or something.

The part bolded was so incredibly sweet :) :flowers: I have tried taking a picture and my camera just will not capture my hair how I see it lol. I get what you mean about being sensitive about it. I feel like I try so hard with my hair, it hurts when it's less than 'perfect' I have been incredibly stressed recently and this is just adding to that. I hope you find a solution to your own hair acting up. Hair is so unpredictable!

[Stormynights]

Some conditioners will build up in the hair and make your hair feel dirty even after shampooing. I would shampoo with a little BS and a good shampoo. It may cause a little dryness at first but it will remove any build up.

[Larki]

I'm sorry. I guess that hppens to all of us at some point. If it doesn#t get any better by itself, the only way would be to switch up products and i suggest trying everything you can to stretch in between washing time. As for the greasyness and the thinness i can't really help, because my hair is nothing alike and all the tips i could give would be targeting thick, dry and unruly hair. But for the updo question, i would suggest you try a hairagami. Its very gentle on the hair and the must secure thing i could find, without any tugging or tagling ripping hair out as you take it down. It does work an shoulderlength already and even gives somewhat more substance to a bun, due to its own shape, but doesnt look as done as a donut.
Hairagamis are brilliant, I've had one for years! It's actually the only "hair toy" I own. :p I'm too cheap for anything else right now.

[ErinLeigh]

Thank you Erin :)
I have checked online and apparently my water is moderately to high in terms of hardness. I have tried to find some chelating shampoos on Amazon, I remember you saying the Joico one is great but it appears to have dimethicone (it might have been an old formulation?) Do you have any chelating 'poo recommendations?

I think if chelating makes a big difference, I'd be able to atick with my co routine but throw in an ACV rinse or something.

The part bolded was so incredibly sweet :) :flowers: I have tried taking a picture and my camera just will not capture my hair how I see it lol. I get what you mean about being sensitive about it. I feel like I try so hard with my hair, it hurts when it's less than 'perfect' I have been incredibly stressed recently and this is just adding to that. I hope you find a solution to your own hair acting up. Hair is so unpredictable!

I don't use Joico. It is coney. I get ticked when clarifying shampoos have cones too. What's the point right? I had pureology clarify/chelating shampoo and had a hissy when i found a cone. I use itely as it is sulfate free. Ultra swim works though too and is a lot cheaper and pretty gentle for a sulfate shampoo. Doesn't dry my hair out at all (the itely makes it like straw but it does do the job well). Check your drugstore for a swimmers shampoo. If you can, check the matching conditioner, see if it has Chelators too and if it does maybe rotate it in once in a while for cowash. You can also do final rinse on hair with filtered or bottled water also. Makes a huge difference when I remember to do it.

maybe do a citric acid or vinegar rinse next wash just to shake some minerals loose in the meantime and see if that helps. The results may clue you in to if its the underlying issue. My gut says it has to be a part.

I think by end of summer your hair is going to be on its best behavior! Your gonna find a way to kick its butt back into submission :)

[ErinLeigh]

Hairagamis are brilliant, I've had one for years! It's actually the only "hair toy" I own. :p I'm too cheap for anything else right now.

Off to google one of these great toys and praying they work on short hair

[two_wheels]

Sorry not to have any answers on your routine, 2a hair is so unpredictable. I think what works for me (prewash oil, regular S & C) wouldn't work for you even though our type is similar.

What I did want to say is that I think french braiding is really worth learning- as well as giving you options on non-freshly-washed hair, it gives you a little volume around your face. And the very best way to learn, in my opinion, is to find a friend who can help you in person. Do you have friends who could help? Or maybe there is even an LHC member near you, or you could go to a meet? If you were in London I would totally offer to help out, I love braiding! Failing that, it's possible to learn on YouTube but if you find it difficult, it's really great to have a patient person there who can correct your hand position or whatever.

I hate hairagamis btw. Mine was made with really nasty cheap fabric and my hair just laughed and spat it out.

[Ocelan]

There have been some very good suggestions here and I only a few questions to add to them:

Since your "dirty sheen" only appears some time after washing, you have used dry shampoo by the time it appears, right? Could it be that the some of the dry shampoo gets to your length too and makes it look dull? I know they are used to adding texture and roughness to the hair surface so that might be the "dirty sheen". Have you changed your dry shampoo recently?

Are you sure your long loved products haven't sneakily changed ingredients? Sometimes it just happens and it leaves you wondering what you are doing wrong when everything should be the same buy it isn't. I recommend trying some new products and seeing if there's any help. It may be that your old products just don't suit you anymore.

[MINAKO]

Off to google one of these great toys and praying they work on short hair

Yes ErinLeigh, it's something that would work on any hair thats at least shoulder length. Should be working with any texture and stay put throughout the day, if the bun has been wrapped neatly. Just make sure you get the right color or your hair, so its going to bee invisible. As far as i know, they do come in black and sometgung that would suit medium to light blonde.

[Rio040113]

Another vote here for trying a different conditioner. Do you use leave-ins? Also you said you clarified, have you chelated recently?

[CremeTron]

Hello, no suggestions- just *hugs*

[Weewah]

I know this isn't what you want to hear, but my suggestion would be to wash it more often. I'm one of those people who gets greasy quickly too, I can't stretch washes at all and trust me I've tried. I know that stretching washes is supposed to be better, but now I like to think of it as me having the type of oily scalp that is good at protecting my hair against frequent washing. :)

[spidermom]

I see very little point in sticking to a routine that makes you hate my hair. I hated my hair with CO, too. It looked clean for about a day; after that, it was limp and dull and looked terrible. There are other things to try, such as diluting your shampoo for example. And if you don't want to wait 2 or 3 hours for your hair to dry, use a dryer. As long as you aren't using the hot setting while you pull at your hair with one of those wirey round brushes, you'll be golden.

Hair isn't as fragile as we sometimes come to fear while reading everything there is to read on LHC.

[woodswanderer]

Agree with Spidermom. You don't have to do everything LHC recommends for your hair. You just have to do what makes you happy with your hair. Before I came to LHC, I washed my hair with sulfates and cones every day. I never oiled. I never wore it up. Guess what...my hair looked pretty good anyway. Yeah it looks better now, but the things I did to it didn't make such a huge deal. I still don't follow all the LHC recommendations (cones, yeah baby!), but I'm happy with my hair by and large.

[Kherome]

Thank you Erin :)
I have checked online and apparently my water is moderately to high in terms of hardness. I have tried to find some chelating shampoos on Amazon, I remember you saying the Joico one is great but it appears to have dimethicone (it might have been an old formulation?) Do you have any chelating 'poo recommendations?

I think if chelating makes a big difference, I'd be able to atick with my co routine but throw in an ACV rinse or something.

The part bolded was so incredibly sweet :) :flowers: I have tried taking a picture and my camera just will not capture my hair how I see it lol. I get what you mean about being sensitive about it. I feel like I try so hard with my hair, it hurts when it's less than 'perfect' I have been incredibly stressed recently and this is just adding to that. I hope you find a solution to your own hair acting up. Hair is so unpredictable!

I personally do not like Joico. I like L'anza.

[sarahthegemini]

Sorry not to have any answers on your routine, 2a hair is so unpredictable. I think what works for me (prewash oil, regular S & C) wouldn't work for you even though our type is similar.

What I did want to say is that I think french braiding is really worth learning- as well as giving you options on non-freshly-washed hair, it gives you a little volume around your face. And the very best way to learn, in my opinion, is to find a friend who can help you in person. Do you have friends who could help? Or maybe there is even an LHC member near you, or you could go to a meet? If you were in London I would totally offer to help out, I love braiding! Failing that, it's possible to learn on YouTube but if you find it difficult, it's really great to have a patient person there who can correct your hand position or whatever.

I hate hairagamis btw. Mine was made with really nasty cheap fabric and my hair just laughed and spat it out.

Thank you for the support :)
I might ask my bf to help me french braid. It's a style that I think looks lovely so to be able to do that would be great. If I'm ever in London, I'll keep you in mind and you can give me a tutorial face to face :p


There have been some very good suggestions here and I only a few questions to add to them:

Since your "dirty sheen" only appears some time after washing, you have used dry shampoo by the time it appears, right? Could it be that the some of the dry shampoo gets to your length too and makes it look dull? I know they are used to adding texture and roughness to the hair surface so that might be the "dirty sheen". Have you changed your dry shampoo recently?

Are you sure your long loved products haven't sneakily changed ingredients? Sometimes it just happens and it leaves you wondering what you are doing wrong when everything should be the same buy it isn't. I recommend trying some new products and seeing if there's any help. It may be that your old products just don't suit you anymore.

I've checked the ingredients list and nothing seems to have changed. I do think you're onto something regarding the dry shampoo dulling things a bit. I hadn't considered that so thank you for bringing that to my attention!


Another vote here for trying a different conditioner. Do you use leave-ins? Also you said you clarified, have you chelated recently?

I clarified about 2-3 weeks ago. Haven't chelated yet though. I do use a leave-in on the bottom 2 inches.


Hello, no suggestions- just *hugs*

Thank you :flowers:


I know this isn't what you want to hear, but my suggestion would be to wash it more often. I'm one of those people who gets greasy quickly too, I can't stretch washes at all and trust me I've tried. I know that stretching washes is supposed to be better, but now I like to think of it as me having the type of oily scalp that is good at protecting my hair against frequent washing. :)

I'm beginning to think this is my next option! Maybe it is the summer-ish heat that's affecting things! I just loved being able tonwashband then foret about my hair for almost a week. Was such a nice feeling.


I see very little point in sticking to a routine that makes you hate my hair. I hated my hair with CO, too. It looked clean for about a day; after that, it was limp and dull and looked terrible. There are other things to try, such as diluting your shampoo for example. And if you don't want to wait 2 or 3 hours for your hair to dry, use a dryer. As long as you aren't using the hot setting while you pull at your hair with one of those wirey round brushes, you'll be golden.

Hair isn't as fragile as we sometimes come to fear while reading everything there is to read on LHC.

Thanks Spidermom, it's not that I want to stick with something that doesn't work, it's just not knowing where to go next. I've tried so many other wash methods and this was the one (until now) that gave me the best results. Discovering I'm wavier than I thought, and not just frizzy has made me determined not to go back to how I was pre-lhc. I also don't actually own a hairdryer :o


Agree with Spidermom. You don't have to do everything LHC recommends for your hair. You just have to do what makes you happy with your hair. Before I came to LHC, I washed my hair with sulfates and cones every day. I never oiled. I never wore it up. Guess what...my hair looked pretty good anyway. Yeah it looks better now, but the things I did to it didn't make such a huge deal. I still don't follow all the LHC recommendations (cones, yeah baby!), but I'm happy with my hair by and large.

Thanks woodswanderer!

[Agnes Hannah]

Hi Sarah, sorry to hear you are having hair issues, I have very fine flyaway hair at midbacklength. Yours is a frustrating length, I used lots of extensions to make mine look thicker, it worked for me but I was careful with them. My go to style is with a claw clip, if there are no rough edges, you should be fine. I have used one almost everyday for about six months. I have a good selection of them now and they do the job! Again, they got me from APL to midback, and I'm hoping to reach waist at the end of the year.
Good luck with your routine, you have lots of advice here. Mine also gets greasy after the second day, its really annoying as I wanted to stretch washes, but that is what it seems to like. I do sometimes co wash if it isnt too gross! Otherwise I wash with a very small bit of shampoo (no sls) on the roots only, and I don't rub it together on top of my head. Then I condition twice with extra attention to my ends whilst leaving the roots alone. Drying is in a microfibre turban and finished off by drying naturally.
Keep the faith, you have pretty hair and this stage is probably the most tricky. You will get there, in the meantime there is lots of support from here.x

[Nadine <3]

I agree with Spidermom. Wash it more often and dry it (or partially dry it) with a blow dryer.

[ravenreed]

I CO wash every other day. My hair takes forever to dry so I usually wash it before bed.

ETA: I think you are a little too worried about damage at this point. Unless you notice breakage or split ends, I wouldn't fret about using a claw clip or a ponytail holder. I agree that using a blow dryer might help too. As for your routine suddenly giving you trouble, I have this happen from time to time. I just sort out what my hair/scalp needs and it eventually goes back to normal. It may be hormonal, or something in your diet changed, or something like that.

[sarahthegemini]

I have just ordered a chelating shampoo :) It won't arrive for about a week tho, I don't know what to do with my hair til then :-S

I don't think it will help tbh but what have I got to lose? I just think if mineral build up was a problem, surely my hair would look **** on wash day not the day after....but hey I'll give it a go.

[sarahthegemini]

Aqua,Sodium Laureth Sulfate ,Sodium Chloride ,Glycerin ,Cocamidopropyl Betaine ,PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate ,Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate ,Sodium Cocoamphoacetate ,Glyceryl Laurate ,Panthenol ,Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate ,Citric Acid ,Tetrasodium EDTA ,Sodium Hydroxide ,Lavandula Angustifolia Oil ,Pantolactone ,Anthemis Nobills Oil

The shampoo I clarified with has those ingredients ^ Does it chelate too? I notice the citric acid and the tetrasodium edta.

[Flor]

You need to use dry shampoo of your roots the day after wash and you still try to go 5 days between washes? That's bold! :D Dry shampoo is meant to be used as a quick resort to make your hair look presentable, when you don't have time to wash it (and you're supposed to wash it off at night or the next morning). Having that dry shampoo sit on your skin and hair for 4 days, that just can't be good...

[jeanniet]

I don't think Joico has dimethicone. At least I don't think mine does, but it's a couple of years old. I don't think the shampoo you listed chelates, because the ingredients that could chelate are pretty far down the list.

I was thinking maybe the dry shampoo is creating problems. Agree with the advice to wash more often, even if you just move it up a day. Using a hair dryer on cool or warm isn't going to create damage, and you can always use a diffuser.

[sarahthegemini]

You need to use dry shampoo of your roots the day after wash and you still try to go 5 days between washes? That's bold! :D Dry shampoo is meant to be used as a quick resort to make your hair look presentable, when you don't have time to wash it (and you're supposed to wash it off at night or the next morning). Having that dry shampoo sit on your skin and hair for 4 days, that just can't be good...

Well it's either that or wash hair twice as often, which I'm not prepared to do :D It hasn't caused problems with dryness or anything like that but obviously after starting this thread, I have noted it could be at least partially responsible for the dullness/general misbehaving hair.


I don't think Joico has dimethicone. At least I don't think mine does, but it's a couple of years old. I don't think the shampoo you listed chelates, because the ingredients that could chelate are pretty far down the list.

I was thinking maybe the dry shampoo is creating problems. Agree with the advice to wash more often, even if you just move it up a day. Using a hair dryer on cool or warm isn't going to create damage, and you can always use a diffuser.

Thanks. I have a proper chelating shampoo on the way anyway. Should I follow up with a rich conditioner afterwards?

[Flor]

Well it's either that or wash hair twice as often, which I'm not prepared to do :D It hasn't caused problems with dryness or anything like that but obviously after starting this thread, I have noted it could be at least partially responsible for the dullness/general misbehaving hair.

I'm not a fan of washing hair often either, but I've decided it's better to just accept it. I'd rather enjoy my hair and I can't do it when it's too greasy. I must say, after I stopped feeling bad about washing hair often (because, you know, it's not good for hair, and whatnot), I'm now actually enjoying the hair washing process ;)

I have a theory that CO-washing is making your hair take longer to dry. Just a theory. But in my experience, my length is talking longer to dry than roots, since I condition ears-down. It's still not 3 hours though. Don't be afraid to try shampooing again. You might find it works better for you, if you still follow up with conditioner and/or oiling (I do both and surprisingly my hair likes oil better on top of conditioner, I'm puzzled about it myself). If it doesn't work, you can always go back to your current routine.

You could also try washing it a few hours before bed. This way it's not a big deal that it's taking a while to dry, since you're chilling anyway.

Either way, don't get stuck on trying to do what's "right", do what your hair needs instead.

[höpönasu]

My advice to you is to find a product that helps with greasy hair and then forget your hair for a while. Maybe even taking a LHC break. Browsing here and seeing people with super long hair sometimes makes me mad because I want super long hair too! Also hide your scissors and don't go to a hair salon. Give yourself some time to let your hair grow. I know that awkward length but let it grow. You'll reach to a more comfortable length in no time.

[ErinLeigh]

Sarah after I clarify/chelate I do a nice deep condition then rinse it with distilled or filtered water.
Hair seems to really take in the conditioner afterwards and it takes away any of the deep cleansed dryness.
My hair and scalp are dry though plus I dye so I don;t know if that makes a difference.

So try a chelate and a 4 day routine maybe and see if that fixes things? I think rinsing in filtered water will be big help too with your situation so the 3 changes could make for a happy head of hair and a happy Sarah :). Since this will be your first summer since officially getting the stretching washes down, I have a feeling the humidity and heat could effect things and push you wash a day sooner unfortunately I don't think it will ruin anything from the stretch training when you are ready to switch back in the fall to 5. (I guess i should ask around what month did you get to day 5, maybe it was still summer then?)

Oh, I never asked..how do you wear your hair typically? Down? If down, maybe just friction from rubbing on clothes (or on shoulders now) attributes to the stringy thing you dislike. Mine can do that if I have to much oil/butter or if it rubs too much. Hair is so fine it "tangles" unto itself. Not really tangle, more of a come together of the strands. The friction joins them into little string sections. Try up one day then see if it is doing it when you take it back down or not. Just an experiment for a day to see if its contributing so you don't make yourself crazy with guesses.

Jeanniet the Joico I tried had Dimethicone PEG-7 Cocoate. I swear formulas change everytime I blink. I wonder which of us has the older formula. You are lucky :). I have bought 2 coney clarifiers so far by not paying attention. I couldn't tell if Joico cone was water soluble or not since the PEG-7 came after the cone instead of before so I gave it away. :/

[sarahthegemini]

I'm not a fan of washing hair often either, but I've decided it's better to just accept it. I'd rather enjoy my hair and I can't do it when it's too greasy. I must say, after I stopped feeling bad about washing hair often (because, you know, it's not good for hair, and whatnot), I'm now actually enjoying the hair washing process ;)

I have a theory that CO-washing is making your hair take longer to dry. Just a theory. But in my experience, my length is talking longer to dry than roots, since I condition ears-down. It's still not 3 hours though. Don't be afraid to try shampooing again. You might find it works better for you, if you still follow up with conditioner and/or oiling (I do both and surprisingly my hair likes oil better on top of conditioner, I'm puzzled about it myself). If it doesn't work, you can always go back to your current routine.

You could also try washing it a few hours before bed. This way it's not a big deal that it's taking a while to dry, since you're chilling anyway.

Either way, don't get stuck on trying to do what's "right", do what your hair needs instead.

Thanks Flor :)


My advice to you is to find a product that helps with greasy hair and then forget your hair for a while. Maybe even taking a LHC break. Browsing here and seeing people with super long hair sometimes makes me mad because I want super long hair too! Also hide your scissors and don't go to a hair salon. Give yourself some time to let your hair grow. I know that awkward length but let it grow. You'll reach to a more comfortable length in no time.

I think I do need to forget about my hair for a while. Just wash it, put it up and be done with it.


Sarah after I clarify/chelate I do a nice deep condition then rinse it with distilled o filtered water.
Hair seems to really take in the conditioner afterwards and it takes away any of the deep cleansed dryness.
My hair and scalp are dry though plus I dye so I don;t know if that makes a difference.

So try a chelate and a 4 day routine maybe and see if that fixes things? I think rinsing in filtered water will be big help too with your situation so the 3 changes could make for a happy head of hair and a happy Sarah :). Since this will be your first summer since officially getting the stretching washes down, I have a feeling the humidity and heat could effect things and push you wash a day sooner unfortunately I don't think it will ruin anything from the stretch training when you are ready to switch back in the fall to 5. (I guess i should ask around what month did you get to day 5, maybe it was still summer then?)

Oh, I never asked..how do you wear your hair typically? Down? If down, maybe just friction from rubbing on clothes (or on shoulders now) attributes to the stringy thing you dislike. Mine can do that if I have to much oil/butter or if it rubs too much. Hair is so fine it "tangles" unto itself. Not really tangle, more of a come together of the strands. The friction joins them into little string sections. Try up one day then see if it is doing it when you take it back down or not. Just an experiment for a day to see if its contributing so you don't make yourself crazy with guesses.

Thanks Erin. I'm hoping my chelating shampoo arrives quickly, as soon as I get it I will chelate and follow up with my Giovanni Smooth as Silk conditioner. It's so rich! Hopefully that will 'reset' things. I will see how my hair responds but most likely I will start washing a day earlier (so every 4th day)

Generally I wear my hair twisted up in a claw clip, simply because of this awkward length. I like the option to leave it down and look nice though which is why this is bugging me so much - the greasy length is hidden when up, but I like being able to take my hair down in front of my bf for example. Hopefully things will improve after chelating :)

[ErinLeigh]

I think they will. I am really hopeful. They make my hair feel like brand new. It's lke everything is reset and routine tends to flow nicely afterwards.
I am crossing fingers that is your experience!

I am doing the claw too. Only way to get all the hair up right now. I have this ridic peacock twist because with my layers ..the hair in the clip sticks straight up like a stringy thin fan. Its hysterical. I will have you message you a picture. Once you see this you will feel like Lady Godiva with your hair.

[sarahthegemini]

I think they will. I am really hopeful. They make my hair feel like brand new. It's lke everything is reset and routine tends to flow nicely afterwards.
I am crossing fingers that is your experience!

I am doing the claw too. Only way to get all the hair up right now. I have this ridic peacock twist because with my layers ..the hair in the clip sticks straight up like a stringy thin fan. Its hysterical. I will have you message you a picture. Once you see this you will feel like Lady Godiva with your hair.

Thank you! That picture was awesome. My hair kind of flops over as opposed to sticking up. When it was longer, it looked ridiculous as it would flop but at a diagonal angle not straight down if that makes sense. Strange, strange hair.

ETA: My chelating 'poo has been shipped! Yay. Can't wait to try it.

[cat11]

Good luck and don't give up!!

I've gone through a lot of hair hatred periods too. I would suggest first and foremost to do what everyone else said and try not to think about it too much for a little. Shoulder length is tough. But when you can finally put all your hair up, you will feel so happy and relieved. And then when you have a bad hair day you can ignore it and put it up and it won't even matter.

Also I've found that LHC has a crazy amount of information and that sometimes you can forget that your hair will not exactly change over night because of it. Also trying too many things at once results in builduppy hair. Personally I think you should stop co-wash for awhile, it doesn't seem to be working out that well (greasy roots on day 1.) Or, don't use a regular conditioner, use a product specifically labelled as a co-wash or cleansing conditioner. There's tons at curlmart (website) and you could probably find a good one at sally's too. Research it and read reviews left by others with YOUR HAIR TYPE. You might accidentally find yourself thinking you found a good one, but then realize all the reviews were done by 4c's and that it makes your hair limpid and oil covered if you don't read selectively. I find that specific cleansing conditioners and co-washes work WAY better than any of the actual conditioners I've tried CO with (they left it building up extremely quick, sounds familiar?)

Another thing that works well for a lot of people and excellently for me is to mix 1/3 shampoo, 2/3 conditioner and wash your hair with that. Even 1/4 shampoo works. I keep trying to do CO but I find with my fine, thick hair, mixing in a little sulfate free, gentle shampoo is the absolute best thing. I really, really can't recommend that enough haha.

As for hair styles, since you said your having issues with the greasies, when I was growing my hair out and had the same problem I wore stretchy headbands and folded bandanas worn as headbands, and scarves, all the time. Scarves are real fun and bandannas too, because they come in fun pretty patterns and you can wear them so they cover all your roots, but leave your good looking ends out. It's a game changer lol.

Good luck! Don't hate your hair it's pretty. And I hope that the chelating shampoo you try helps too. By the way, if it helps when reading the info, my hair is wavy too. (though not as smooth as yours, judging by your avatar picture)

[spidermom]

I can recommend diluting your shampoo in about 2 to 3 times as much water, shaking well, then applying to scalp area only and massaging over scalp gently. The suds running down your length while you rinse is washing enough for the length, although I do clarify by washing all the length with full-strength shampoo about every month to 6 weeks to get rid of buildup. This has given me consistently good results, unlike CO, which was BLAH! I do condition length only with a small blob of conditioner. I used to think that my hair needed a lot more conditioner, but it doesn't. Taking the time to massage it through is much more important than using more.

I wash about every 3 days. That's what it takes to keep my hair looking the way I like it.

[QMacrocarpa]

I'm popping in to second the vote for claw clips, particularly octopus clips (http://www.amazon.com/Scunci-No-slip-Grip-Octopus-Colors/dp/B001T8W5EQ). I used one as a bun cage all the time for months when my hair was at an awkward stage where I was tempted to cut back to chin-length, and I was amazed at how protective it was for my split- and breakage-prone hair. It kept my ends in great shape, and held very securely, so I could just forget my hair all day. Sometimes that's a help! You just gently gather your hair into a bun-shaped wad wherever you want it to sit and then fasten the octopus clip over it. Some of them have special "no-slip" features, which you might find helpful if you have escape-artist hair.

[jeanniet]

Well it's either that or wash hair twice as often, which I'm not prepared to do :D It hasn't caused problems with dryness or anything like that but obviously after starting this thread, I have noted it could be at least partially responsible for the dullness/general misbehaving hair.



Thanks. I have a proper chelating shampoo on the way anyway. Should I follow up with a rich conditioner afterwards?

I'd definitely use a good conditioner after chelating. Some do a DT, but I don't, because I'm lazy that way. ;)

Can you explain what you do to your hair, water removal-wise, after you wash it? I'm trying to figure out why it takes so long to dry. In the winter when my hair's wet, it would probably take that long or maybe longer to dry (shoulder and iii), but in warmer weather the time can be cut significantly. If it's about 80 and I'm outside, it can dry most of the way within an hour. That's with normal porosity, however. It seems there should be a way to get your hair dry faster so you could wash more often, maybe?

[sarahthegemini]

I'd definitely use a good conditioner after chelating. Some do a DT, but I don't, because I'm lazy that way. ;)

Can you explain what you do to your hair, water removal-wise, after you wash it? I'm trying to figure out why it takes so long to dry. In the winter when my hair's wet, it would probably take that long or maybe longer to dry (shoulder and iii), but in warmer weather the time can be cut significantly. If it's about 80 and I'm outside, it can dry most of the way within an hour. That's with normal porosity, however. It seems there should be a way to get your hair dry faster so you could wash more often, maybe?

I'm quite lazy with my hair too so I probably won't do a DT :D

Once I have applied my leave-in, I just gently squeeze to remove a bit of excess water then I leave it alone. I have tried uaing microfiber towels in the past but I found if I jut squeezed a little, it made no significant difference and if I squeezed with the towel more, I got frizz.

I know when I clarify (as in, just shampoo) my hair dries A LOT quicker, like in an hour.

[sarahthegemini]

I'm popping in to second the vote for claw clips, particularly octopus clips (http://www.amazon.com/Scunci-No-slip-Grip-Octopus-Colors/dp/B001T8W5EQ). I used one as a bun cage all the time for months when my hair was at an awkward stage where I was tempted to cut back to chin-length, and I was amazed at how protective it was for my split- and breakage-prone hair. It kept my ends in great shape, and held very securely, so I could just forget my hair all day. Sometimes that's a help! You just gently gather your hair into a bun-shaped wad wherever you want it to sit and then fasten the octopus clip over it. Some of them have special "no-slip" features, which you might find helpful if you have escape-artist hair.

I have been meaning to try those octopus clips for ages now. Thank you for the reminder! :)

[sarahthegemini]

I desperately needed to wash my hair today and my chelating shampoo hasn't come yet so I co-washed again. I haven't decided whether to go back to shampoo again or not so I didn't want to shampoo today AND chelate so close together til I figure it out. What's the worse that could happen right? Well now I have little white specks all over my scalp. Wtf. I'm sick of nothing going right. I'm going to have to put up with this until my shampoo arrives. I'm so, so tempted to just cut all my hair off.

[Tressie]

In my humble opinion, you should wash your hair with shampoo. Do a good rinse, and then a light condition on your length, and rinse like crazy. Then do a diluted vinegar rinse and a quick cool water rinse. Squeeze out excess water, and wrap a towel around it to let it soak up most of the water and then let it finish drying on it's own. I think the white specks are from the conditioner building up on your hair and possibly scalp shedding that the CO is not removing. I can't CO wash on a regular basis either. I really don't think a good wash will hurt your hair while waiting for your shampoo order. Good luck! :flower:

[VanillaTresses]

Yeah, even if you want to still Co-wash sometimes a good clarifying sesh is in order so things can reboot and start over with a clean slate. Also, things like water hardness can wreak havoc on hair as well. If your water is really hard, a vinegar or citric acid rinse might help clarify further. When I clarify I like to use Lush's Seanik shampoo bar, I feel like it really gets the gunk out good. :twocents:

[Cania]

Just out of interest, what dry shampoo are you using? And what leave-in? :)

[endlessly]

This sounds exactly like what I went through several years ago, so I completely understand what you're going through. My best advice? Just wait it out. Trust me, it will get so much better, you just have to get over the "hair slump" as I like to call it where no matter what you do, your hair doesn't respond to it. When your hair is a little shorter, it's okay to wash it daily especially if you need to combat the oily/greasy hair look, just remember to be gentle and not scrub too much. Another great tip that's much gentler and more natural is to use apple cider vinegar. I like to spritz it on first thing in the morning, let it sit for a few hours, then rinse it out. It really helps to remove any residue that's making your hair look dull and it also helps me remove that greasy feeling.

As for hairstyles, I'd suggest trying a french braid like some others have - it's simple looking, keeps the hair out of your face, and also helps to hide the oily look when you want to skip a few washes.

Hope this helps and just remember that you'll get through this! We've all had slumps when it comes to our long hair, just let it ride out and you'll be so happy in the end!

[patchoulilove]

I read through this thread and feel like you have some great suggestions already. In the event that you find hard water to be a big factor in your current problem, consider getting a showerhead filter (think of it much like a brita or pur filter for one's drinking water). My understanding is it helps to remove chlorine and filter out other minerals that can be drying to skin. Keep in mind also that your scalp itself becoming dry and/or stressed may contribute to excess oil production - particularly when you mention it not becoming greasy as soon in the past.

Secondly, and perhaps the most important point for consideration, has your overall diet or health shifted in this interim where you are noticing changes in your hair's response to your normal routine? Also, consider hormones and where you are in your cycle. Did you recently recover from any illness/cold/etc? You may be surprised to find that playing around with your diet and keeping a personal log of how your hair/skin responds over a week+ time frame might tip you off to some ways in which you can mitigate your problem from the inside out. I think diet should be examined particularly when it sounds like this is a new experience for you.

I think, as many have already mentioned, it would not be a stretch to consider buildup a culprit - especially if you were able to co-wash no problem for 6 months or so and are now running into issues. Are sulfates too worry some for you? I suggest using a sulfate shampoo once every 4-6 months (full strength) to clear up buildup from your routine. If you prepare your 2a hair for it with a nice olive oil or coconut oil (or both if your hair isn't picky!) treatment the night before, you shouldn't have a bad drying effect on your length in my experience. You might do the overnight oil - then CO wash (for oil removal) - then sulfate shampoo wash - last, condition length only. Warp hair in tshirt/towel/turbie and then put in your normal leave in, if any. Later that week do a DT and your hair should be good to return back to your normal routine without much issue, so long as internal considerations aren't an overarching factor with your current problems.

FRENCH BRAIDS! Whole-heartedly chime in to also bump this suggestion. So perfect for hiding hair that appears greasy and unmanageable. Use a BBB to smooth down any rough edging into the braid from greasy hair. Learning to braid will not only be great now at SL it will serve you on your way to BSL even if only used for nighttime to tame hair under a sleep cap. (as a side note, learning to english braid on a doll's hair should help you gain enough muscle-memory to make french braiding less frustrating as you learn. If a doll isn't available - if you have any throw blankets (or a scarf) with evenly spaced tassels you can practice on those!) :D

~
Wishing you all the best and I hope this post gives you more food for thought on how to rethink your situation and hope for taking control and changing course if need be. Don't give up! You can move through this and will be armed with ideas for how to push through any other little annoyances as they pop up during your growth journey. Peace~

:blossom:
patchoulilove

[sarahthegemini]

In my humble opinion, you should wash your hair with shampoo. Do a good rinse, and then a light condition on your length, and rinse like crazy. Then do a diluted vinegar rinse and a quick cool water rinse. Squeeze out excess water, and wrap a towel around it to let it soak up most of the water and then let it finish drying on it's own. I think the white specks are from the conditioner building up on your hair and possibly scalp shedding that the CO is not removing. I can't CO wash on a regular basis either. I really don't think a good wash will hurt your hair while waiting for your shampoo order. Good luck! :flower:

I ended up hopping back into the shower to shampoo - couldn't stand the thought of keeping white flakey bits in my hair. I conditioned well after so hopefully my hair won't be too dry :)


Yeah, even if you want to still Co-wash sometimes a good clarifying sesh is in order so things can reboot and start over with a clean slate. Also, things like water hardness can wreak havoc on hair as well. If your water is really hard, a vinegar or citric acid rinse might help clarify further. When I clarify I like to use Lush's Seanik shampoo bar, I feel like it really gets the gunk out good. :twocents:

Yeah I think after chelating I should think about introducing vinegar rinses as my water I believe is 'moderately hard to high'


Just out of interest, what dry shampoo are you using? And what leave-in? :)

Batiste original dry shampoo - though I might try and find a more hair friendly one. The leave-in I use is Schwarzkopf gliss ultimate volume :)


This sounds exactly like what I went through several years ago, so I completely understand what you're going through. My best advice? Just wait it out. Trust me, it will get so much better, you just have to get over the "hair slump" as I like to call it where no matter what you do, your hair doesn't respond to it. When your hair is a little shorter, it's okay to wash it daily especially if you need to combat the oily/greasy hair look, just remember to be gentle and not scrub too much. Another great tip that's much gentler and more natural is to use apple cider vinegar. I like to spritz it on first thing in the morning, let it sit for a few hours, then rinse it out. It really helps to remove any residue that's making your hair look dull and it also helps me remove that greasy feeling.

As for hairstyles, I'd suggest trying a french braid like some others have - it's simple looking, keeps the hair out of your face, and also helps to hide the oily look when you want to skip a few washes.

Hope this helps and just remember that you'll get through this! We've all had slumps when it comes to our long hair, just let it ride out and you'll be so happy in the end!

Thank you for this! I do hope this 'slump' is short term. Hopefully clarifying and chelating will reset things :)


I read through this thread and feel like you have some great suggestions already. In the event that you find hard water to be a big factor in your current problem, consider getting a showerhead filter (think of it much like a brita or pur filter for one's drinking water). My understanding is it helps to remove chlorine and filter out other minerals that can be drying to skin. Keep in mind also that your scalp itself becoming dry and/or stressed may contribute to excess oil production - particularly when you mention it not becoming greasy as soon in the past.

Secondly, and perhaps the most important point for consideration, has your overall diet or health shifted in this interim where you are noticing changes in your hair's response to your normal routine? Also, consider hormones and where you are in your cycle. Did you recently recover from any illness/cold/etc? You may be surprised to find that playing around with your diet and keeping a personal log of how your hair/skin responds over a week+ time frame might tip you off to some ways in which you can mitigate your problem from the inside out. I think diet should be examined particularly when it sounds like this is a new experience for you.

I think, as many have already mentioned, it would not be a stretch to consider buildup a culprit - especially if you were able to co-wash no problem for 6 months or so and are now running into issues. Are sulfates too worry some for you? I suggest using a sulfate shampoo once every 4-6 months (full strength) to clear up buildup from your routine. If you prepare your 2a hair for it with a nice olive oil or coconut oil (or both if your hair isn't picky!) treatment the night before, you shouldn't have a bad drying effect on your length in my experience. You might do the overnight oil - then CO wash (for oil removal) - then sulfate shampoo wash - last, condition length only. Warp hair in tshirt/towel/turbie and then put in your normal leave in, if any. Later that week do a DT and your hair should be good to return back to your normal routine without much issue, so long as internal considerations aren't an overarching factor with your current problems.

FRENCH BRAIDS! Whole-heartedly chime in to also bump this suggestion. So perfect for hiding hair that appears greasy and unmanageable. Use a BBB to smooth down any rough edging into the braid from greasy hair. Learning to braid will not only be great now at SL it will serve you on your way to BSL even if only used for nighttime to tame hair under a sleep cap. (as a side note, learning to english braid on a doll's hair should help you gain enough muscle-memory to make french braiding less frustrating as you learn. If a doll isn't available - if you have any throw blankets (or a scarf) with evenly spaced tassels you can practice on those!) :D

~
Wishing you all the best and I hope this post gives you more food for thought on how to rethink your situation and hope for taking control and changing course if need be. Don't give up! You can move through this and will be armed with ideas for how to push through any other little annoyances as they pop up during your growth journey. Peace~

:blossom:
patchoulilove

Thank you so so much :)

In retrospect, I have been quite poorly and my cycle is a bit all over the place! It's definitely something to keep in mind, I will keep track of my health and hair behaviour to see if the two correlate. I've been barely eating also as I have had no appetite. I hadn't considered that to be a contributing factor. But it totally makes sense.

I am not totally against sulfates as such, my scalp likes them but they dry my hair out a right treat. I will have to try overnight oiling next time I need to shampoo (I wish I'd thought of this, I just shampooed a short while ago :lol)

Practising on dolls hair and/or tassles is a great idea!

Thank you again everyone :flowers:

[sarahthegemini]

The white flakes are still there :bigeyes: Also the first 2 inches of roots (I noticed earlier after co-washing and now after shampooing) looked a little white tinted?

[Beborani]

Citric acid rinse does a much better job of chelating hard water than acetic acid (vinegar). A pinch of citric acid in a litre should do the job. You have a lot of suggestions already so I dont wish to overwhelm you with more but I have hard water and this does the trick. I don't remember to do it every wash but every third or fourth seems to be enough. You sound like my daughter--she get overwhelmed and irritated with her hair when she is stressed and nothing I suggest seems to work but eventually everything gets back to normal when she is happy. Hope you feel better soon.

[Cania]

The white flakes are still there :bigeyes: Also the first 2 inches of roots (I noticed earlier after co-washing and now after shampooing) looked a little white tinted?

Sounds like the dry shampoo, I used to use the same brand. Now I mix arrowroot and cocoa powder. Mops up grease just as well but no funny whiteness! I add a few drops of fragrance oil too, so I smell like chocolate strawberries most days :P

[sarahthegemini]

Sounds like the dry shampoo, I used to use the same brand. Now I mix arrowroot and cocoa powder. Mops up grease just as well but no funny whiteness! I add a few drops of fragrance oil too, so I smell like chocolate strawberries most days :P

Sounds delightful :D

I had a sneaky feeling that it was perhaps the dry shampoo that, effectively dried out my scalp a little. Should I moisturise it for a few days before I chelate?

[Nadine <3]

Yikes, I never had any luck with dry shampoos either. I use cocoa powder too, and t works better than anything I've ever tried. I keep mine in a little ceramic salt/pepper shaker thats shaped like a cute little owl! Then I can just shake a little bit directly onto my dirty bits, work it in and comb it out. Works great and I get a lot of grip and volume for fantastic updo's! I do notice though that my hair isn't as shiny with dry shampoo in it, so maybe that's the dullness you're experiencing? I would chelate your hair, if that doesn't fix it, but it up and forget about it. Chances are it will sort itself out. Good luck!

[spidermom]

From your other thread, I'd say see to your basic health first.

Leave off the dry shampoo. Use diluted shampoo to wash hair when needed, then try to get it up and out of your way, oil ends lightly before washing if you remember. Hair should be among the least of your concerns given the current constellation of troubles.

Best wishes.

[Cania]

The main reason I stopped using Batiste was that I was worried about breathing it in all the time, haha.

YMMV, but I like to do a nice sugar scrub to exfoliate my scalp - I use a LOT of dry shampoo! This might be unnecessary for you. Sounds like your scalp is quite coated, so I'm not convinced that moisturizing will do much at this stage. Better to do a nice deep condition after you get the gunk off IMO :)

I'm not sure how well dry shampoo plays with CO washing, could be it isn't getting it off your scalp properly?

[ErinLeigh]

I'm quite lazy with my hair too so I probably won't do a DT :D

Once I have applied my leave-in, I just gently squeeze to remove a bit of excess water then I leave it alone. I have tried uaing microfiber towels in the past but I found if I jut squeezed a little, it made no significant difference and if I squeezed with the towel more, I got frizz.

I know when I clarify (as in, just shampoo) my hair dries A LOT quicker, like in an hour.

Have you tried towel absorbing extra water first then applying a light leave in?

I wish I could send you my Curl Junkie! It has real cleansers in it, chelators listed high enough on list to have effect, has hydrolyzed oat flour and is ultra moisturizing. I always wonder if you hair would like it from the symptoms. Jeanniet got me hooked on it.