Has Anyone Ever Damaged Their Hair By Washing Everyday?

[danniro]

​I washed my hair everyday for several years with sulfate shampoos until last December. I think I dried my hair out a lot by doing that because I battle soo much frizz and poofiness. I have type 2a-2b hair. Now i wash my hair every other day, no sulfates or silicones, using a very gentle shampoo. I'm trying to work up to every 3 days.
Have you ever damaged your hair similarly? How did you treat it?

[mira-chan]

Hair can be damaged by overwashing, but that depends on how much your hair can handle. Generally those with oily scalps, or those that CO/WO/gentler methods, can wash everyday without a problem as either the gentle method is less drying or the scalp oil gives protection. There is a little more damage from handling but it's no where near for example, flat ironing.

Now I have dry hair and a sensitivity to sulfates. If I were to use sulfates every day, especially without some serious deep conditioning after, then my ends would break off. My scalp would get sores from the sensitivity.

If your hair feels dry then do a deep conditioning treatment like an SMT or just a thick conditioner left on for 20-30 min. If your ends are try and brittle then a trim is in order. Frizz and poofyness are from waves, try curly methods of plopping and not touching hair as it dries, no brushes either. You may find that your hair is wavier than you think it is.

[Scorpion]

Iv'e made my hair very dry from washing my hair with a harsh shampoo too. My hair type is similar to yours and It does tend to get frizzy after a wash. What I find helps is a weekly deep conditioning and using the LOC method for more moisture; I use diluted shampoo on my oily roots though. Damp bunning also tends to give loose waves and gets rid of some frizz as long as you fingercomb the tangles out instead of using a brush. Brushing wavy/curly hair leads to a lot of frizz so it's probably best to only brush your hair before a wash to stimulate the scalp and spread the sebum. If you have a serious need for moisture, buy some pure argan oil if you can. The smell is a bit strong and fishy but it leaves hair smooth and soft to the touch! hope I helped.

[kganihanova]

It's not over washing that does it sometimes. It's the way you wash. I wash daily or every other day and still have great hair. It's all about technique.

[ARG]

My hair is pretty resilient, I used to wash every day, but I also kept my hair fairly short. I don't *think* I had too much damage, but it is a whole lot easier to grow it out longer by skipping washes.

[Flor]

Hair can be damaged by overwashing, but that depends on how much your hair can handle. Generally those with oily scalps, or those that CO/WO/gentler methods, can wash everyday without a problem as either the gentle method is less drying or the scalp oil gives protection.

Great point!

After trying to stretch washes for nearly 2 years, I decided I'm better off washing hair when the roots get noticeably greasy (which is every other day for me). Using gentle washing technique to prevent tangles and too much mechanical damage and concentrating on the roots, I'm quite happy not trying to fight against my hair anymore.

[danniro]

I only just found out about the LOC method so I may try that!
Does anyone know if it's possible for water to dry out hair? Because I've tried pre-poo oiling with olive oil and honey then not even shampooing just using conditioner+a tiny scalp massage and there was zero oil left! Hair was as frizzy as when I shampoo :mad:
My hair:
https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2896/14237441920_bcde68a92c_s.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/nG7Bsy)image-14-06-14-19-58 (https://flic.kr/p/nG7Bsy) by Danni Bernardini (https://www.flickr.com/people//), on Flickr

[NoRush]

I did as well, I was washing almost everyday with a Lush shampoo (the scrubby one in the tub, don't ask me what possessed me to buy the stuff) and I was using a coney condish which wasn't cutting it in the moisture department with all the salt that was going on my head. My hair felt like straw after a while, what I did was plenty of good warm oils overnight for a week or so (washing them out in the morning obvs) and voilà, hair back to normal. It was quite damaged from heat in those days so it wasn't perfect but as good as it could have ben considering.

I still wash every other day or every 3 days max, my scalp objects forcefully to stretching washes, but if I feel like I'm over stripping I just oil up before wash and that's it :)

ETA: Have you tried putting a tiny amount of oil on damp, freshly washed hair? flaxseed or jojoba do wonders for the frizzies.

[danniro]

Today I tried the LOC method using olive oil, my hair was very shiny and i had less scalp frizz but it was a bit oily and from ears to ends my hair was a bit stringy. There were curls but they were poorly formed as though half dried. I'll try a bit less oil next time though

[Aderyn]

I would be cautious about saying the damage is due mainly to washing every day. Have you changed anything else in your routine? Heat styling, brushing/combing gently, overuse of silicones (which can oftentimes "mask" the amount of damage), how you manage your hair in general, other styling aids, etc. all come into play - and years of mistreatment are prevalent especially if you've recently decided to adopt for LHC-friendly ways of haircare. Personally, my main culprit of damage was the brushing my hair out in a not-so-gentle fashion.


It's not over washing that does it sometimes. It's the way you wash. I wash daily or every other day and still have great hair. It's all about technique.

Agreed.

[Ingrid]

I also have a sulfate sensitivity and a dry scalp which led to scalp sores, breakage and hair loss. My hair was also already pre-damaged from dye which made the hydral fatigue even worse. Using a silicone-based conditioner seemed to help temporarily but when my hair dried it felt even drier and more brittle than before.

I know these things work for some people, but stopping sulfate shampoos, coney conditioners and stretching washes has made my hair much healthier. I also learned about using oils and that helped make my damaged hair more manageable.

[Wildcat Diva]

Isn't SLS shown to cause damage to the cuticle of hair (and skin) on a cellular level? Not that I give up on it, but I do limit its use, because I want the option of growing very long, and when you factor in oh, I don't know, sun bleach damage, plus some old flat iron damage, plus unavoidable mechanical damage... well it gets a little depressing. I have no problem really limiting SLS (and shampoo in general) to infrequent use; my scalp doesn't care at all.

[danniro]

I would be cautious about saying the damage is due mainly to washing every day. Have you changed anything else in your routine? Heat styling, brushing/combing gently, overuse of silicones (which can oftentimes "mask" the amount of damage), how you manage your hair in general, other styling aids, etc. all come into play - and years of mistreatment are prevalent especially if you've recently decided to adopt for LHC-friendly ways of haircare. Personally, my main culprit of damage was the brushing my hair out in a not-so-gentle fashion.



Agreed.


Well I don't use silicones or sulfates anymore, not since december... Sulfates could have damaged my hair I suppose. Now I brush my hair only when it was oily that day to distribute the oil in the evening. I brushed my hair in middle school but I'm sure after 5 years that should be all gone. Other than that, I only straightened once in a while in high school, never blow dryed or dyed my hair.
Honestly my hair hates being washed. Never met a shampoo, co wash, or conditioner that I cowashed with that didn't make my hair dry and frizzy. Even with prepoo oiling.

[danniro]

I'm going to try to stretch my washed to every three days and maybe every 4 after that but I don't see it making much of a difference, I mean even when I apply oil to my hair then go straight to the conditioner it's as though the water washes it all away! No trace when it's dry.

[HairFaerie]

I, personally, think there is difference between hair being dry and hair being damaged (splits, etc.). Dry hair can be remedied and can be nurtured back to health. Damaged hair can be masked but not repaired. If your hair is just dry, it can be washed with sulfate free shampoo and doing moisture treatments. If you have damage, it may or not be caused by washing everyday. I have gotten dry hair from washing every day, but not damage. I have gotten damage from other things (dying, bleaching and other mistreatment). Just my opinion.

[lapushka]

My hair is washed with harsh sulfates once a week. It doesn't "damage" my hair any, as there's a lot of conditioner that goes on afterwards. If you moisturize plenty, there's no way sulfates can dry out your hair (your scalp maybe, but in some cases that is to be preferred).

Washing daily though, doesn't matter with what shampoo (sulfate or sulfate-free) can be a bit "much". Only those with super oily scalps really need this.

[Wildcat Diva]

Ughhhh, just read up on some of what SLS can do to skin and wished that I didn't. I will definitely limit my exposure but may not eliminate use completely.

[julee]

Ughhhh, just read up on some of what SLS can do to skin and wished that I didn't. I will definitely limit my exposure but may not eliminate use completely.

This is what I have done over past year or so. It seems my hair likes (and needs) the occasional sulfate wash, but my scalp doesn't like them as much.

I have noticed if I wash my hair say 4-5 days in a row (which I rarely do), that this, combined with damp bunning gives my hair white dots which I believe might be damage from too much moisture (?). Then again the hairs on my head are ridiculously fine, and too much coconut oil does the same thing! :)

[two_wheels]

Today I tried the LOC method using olive oil, my hair was very shiny and i had less scalp frizz but it was a bit oily and from ears to ends my hair was a bit stringy. There were curls but they were poorly formed as though half dried. I'll try a bit less oil next time though

My hair looked a bit like yours when I just used shampoo and conditioner. I'm new to LOC, but in very small quantities it has really tamed it and I'm now happy to let it dry unmanipulated (never before). I posted pics in the LOC thread, one post with too much product and one post with what I think was the right amount.

Btw, I also have problems if I wash daily. But have been pretty lazy about that all my life so that's ok :D

[meteor]

I, personally, think there is difference between hair being dry and hair being damaged (splits, etc.). Dry hair can be remedied and can be nurtured back to healey. Damaged hair can be masked but not repaired. If your hair is just dry, it can be washed with sulfate free shampoo and doing moisture treatments. If you have damage, it may or not be caused by washing everyday. I have gotten dry hair from washing every day, but not damage. I have gotten damage from other things (dying, bleaching and other mistreatment). Just my opinion.
I agree with this.
I had this problem pre-LHC because I liked freshly washed hair and was too lazy/busy to condition after. Well, hair slowly but surely started looking more and more like straw with puffiness and frizz you describe.
But if you tip your balance back from cleansing to conditioning, over time you'll notice a huge difference in the manageability and gloss of your tresses. Now I always dilute shampoo with water (it helps distribute the shampoo and softens the blow from harsh detergents), and I use 10 times more conditioner than shampoo.

Some great advice was already given on this thread. I'll just add that you can help hair before you wash with pre-poo treatments very effectively.
I highly recommend oiling hair overnight or a few hours before you shampoo. It's a traditional way of washing/conditioning in India, and there are reasons why it works so well:
- you lower porosity, increase elasticity and emollience and add a light layer of protection when you are manipulating wet hair,
- you prevent hair from hygral fatigue (the swelling and shrinking of hair from getting wet),
- you protect hair from too much exposure to sulfates.

Here's an excellent post about how to make pre-poos work for you: http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.ca/2014/03/oil-pre-shampoo-or-pre-wash.html

[two_wheels]

meteor is so right, as well as loc I always use coconut oil overnight before I wash with shampoo. Makes a big difference.

[DweamGoiL]

I, personally, think there is difference between hair being dry and hair being damaged (splits, etc.). Dry hair can be remedied and can be nurtured back to healey. Damaged hair can be masked but not repaired. If your hair is just dry, it can be washed with sulfate free shampoo and doing moisture treatments. If you have damage, it may or not be caused by washing everyday. I have gotten dry hair from washing every day, but not damage. I have gotten damage from other things (dying, bleaching and other mistreatment). Just my opinion.

I totally agree with this. Before, my hair was so dry. I would work out about 3-4 times per week, and wash it about every other day with sulfates, and it was like straw. Once I decided to actively regrow, I began deep conditioning weekly for a few months consecutively and now, I am back to no sulphates and no cones. It didn't take long for my hair to become healthy, shiny, and frizz-free. However, since I have fine hair, I can't slather conditioner all over the place. I have to use very light conditioners and only below the ears or else my hair just lies there like wet noodles.

[chen bao jun]

I politely disagree with Hairy Faerie and Lapushka.
Washing alone CAN damage certain hairtypes. I had horrific damage, not just dryness, when I first came on LHC. and I didn't even wash every day. I was washing once a week with sulphate shampoo and even though I was also conditioning (incorrectly, its true), my hair was so destroyed it hadn't grown in about five years. And no, I was doing nothing else to damage it. I had not flat ironed, blowdried or had in chemicals since 2014. I did not use a hairbrush and in fact combed my hair only just before and just after I washed. LHC methods improved the condition of my hair right away but did not get rid of the actual damage. I still have thinned out ends prone to single strand knots that feel noticeably rougher than the rest of my hair, down where the damage has not grown out yet.

Something may work for your hairtype, but may damage someone else's. My hair needs to be sulphate free and I need to use cones. I also do need to prepoo, conditioning afterwards doesn't do anything much for me. And LOC, which I have been trying for the past two weeks, seems good for me, too.
If I had washed everyday, I'd be bald.
Sulphates just dry my hair out and incredible amount, which leads to the sort of extreme dryness that causes a lot of breakage. This is not unusual with curly hair types, especially ultra curly.

[nobeltonya]

Everyone's hair is different... it depends on the products you use, your hair type, its condition, porosity, etc. I am, and always have been, a daily washer. Have to. But, my hair is relatively coarse, seemingly free from damage and has low porosity. So it's quite resilient. But others' hair may not be so much. There are many ways to damage your hair, and mainly you just have to be careful with it and find what works for your hair. :disco:

[bunnylake]

Everyone's hair is different, just like everyone's body is different. We are all unique and require unique personal care.
I wash my hair with sulfates on a daily basis. I have done this almost my entire life. When I joined LHC I tried other methods and stretching washes but none of that worked out well for me. My hair is very healthy, shiny, bouncy, and moisturized. A lot of people would tell me that my routine would wreck their hair. You have to do what works for you. :)

[mira-chan]

SLS is used for breaking down proteins at higher concentrations. The concentration that is in shampoo is not enough to do that unless you let it sit for hours so it's not on your hair/scalp long enough to do much.

Most damage from washing actually comes from getting hair wet and manipulating it, unless again the hair is naturally very dry or there are sulfate sensitivities, in which case the SLS is eating at any and all of your proteins because the protective oil layer is not there on your skin or hair. By tailbone/classic length my hair broke off in chunks when I was still washing with SLS/SLES, even with oiling and conditioning.

All of this damage is typically not seen until much longer lengths. Most of those with very long lengths here don't wet the length of their hair often. Those with oily scalps, scalp wash instead as needed, which could be every day.

[HairFaerie]

Also, I would like to add, that the "damage" that might seem like it is coming from washing may actually be caused by incorrect combing or brushing (as Mira-chan) mentioned while the hair is wet. Also but the drying process. I have learned to stop "scrubbling" my hair with the towel afterward and I do blow dry but never on high heat. So another thing to consider is the drying process, not the actual washing. Again, just my opinion.

[danniro]

Also, I would like to add, that the "damage" that might seem like it is coming from washing may actually be caused by incorrect combing or brushing (as Mira-chan) mentioned while the hair is wet. Also but the drying process. I have learned to stop "scrubbling" my hair with the towel afterward and I do blow dry but never on high heat. So another thing to consider is the drying process, not the actual washing. Again, just my opinion.

I haven't ever brushed my hair much, and I always just wrap it in a towel after my shower.
My mom insists that "our" hair is just like this (frizzy, poofy, etc) and it will be "more manageable" if I wear it shorter.
(I feel like she just wants me to look more like her... she always encourages me to cut my hair short!)
I tried added some neutral protein filler to a conditioner and left it on for a couple minutes but I didn't really see a difference when my hair dried. I used less oil today for the LOC method and also didn't really see a difference.
Maybe I just have unrealistic expectations for my hair. But I swear I've seen people with a similar hair type to mine who have bouncy, smoothy, shiny and full waves... I do like the beachy wave look but my hair just ends up looking awk-wavy, dry and frizzy because there just isn't enough shine.

[two_wheels]

danniro my mum is the same, she has had short hair that she battles against her entire life. My grandmother also. Ignore them and carry on. I have accepted that a little frizz around the edges is going to happen, but the body of the hair does not have to be floofy, you just need to find a routine.

[danniro]

danniro my mum is the same, she has had short hair that she battles against her entire life. My grandmother also. Ignore them and carry on. I have accepted that a little frizz around the edges is going to happen, but the body of the hair does not have to be floofy, you just need to find a routine.

Yeah I know there will still be some frizz. But it should overshadowed by the shine and smoothness of your hair.
Her hair is a bit less curly than mine, but you can see that though she has frizz, she has shine from root to tip and her hair still looks fairly full, while still fine.
https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8313/8024319911_559d8e459f_s.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/de5JKi)Wavy and Long (https://flic.kr/p/de5JKi) by CourtneySamry (https://www.flickr.com/people//), on Flickr

Then if you look at my hair, you see lots less shine, more frizz than normal... It's as though my hair is missing some special coating that gives shines and more smoothness.
https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2896/14237441920_bcde68a92c_s.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/nG7Bsy)image-14-06-14-19-58 (https://flic.kr/p/nG7Bsy) by Danni Bernardini (https://www.flickr.com/people//), on Flickr

[two_wheels]

I can see what you mean. Have you tried pre-wash coconut oil? Like, apply liberally from ears down for 8-9 hrs before shampooing and conditioning?

If I just S & C every day, my hair really does what yours is doing. The pre-wash CO takes it much closer to what your mum's hair is doing. Your hair might just be more porous than hers.

I bang on about pre-wash oil and (recently) LOC because they changed things for me, but really there are lots of things you can try of course, it's just that these really helped me and my hair is like yours.

[Simone_Fatale]

Washing hair everyday didn't damage my hair at all, but it always made it feel crappy, dry and rough. Stretching washes to 2-3 times a week and alternating between CWC and CO improved the way my hair feels a lot. Hydrating and not overdoing protein did it for me. :)

[danniro]

I've tried a couple different oil for pre-pooing, first coconut, then rice bran. Both Coconut and rice bran made my hair rough and dry. I've read some people have this reaction to coconut oil.
Currently I'm using olive oil and a little honey, which doesn't seem to be doing much. I also apply the oil before I condition on my no wash days, and again I see no difference. I don't apply just a few drops either, it's usually about a teaspoon at least.
A couple times in the past its happened where I put a small amount of olive oil in my hair then went to bed and when I woke up, yes I had to curls but my hair was very shiny and smooth. I did this last night but it didn't really happen this morning, I think the beach spray I used yesterday prevented my curls from smoothing as much. But again, after I shower all traces of shine and oil are gone. :(
I've even been using a super moisturizing conditioner right now, it's Shea Moisture Restorative Conditioner, both as a leave in and a conditioner.

[meteor]

Danniro, I would suspect that your hair is somewhat porous. And it's common for wavies/curlies to need more/heavier oils than straighties due to the curl pattern slowing down the distribution of sebum from scalp to ends.
If you put olive oil (which is pretty heavy) and it just soaks in, you can definitely use more. When the oil just sits on hair making it look dirty, coated and stringy, your hair reached some saturation point for a while, so just take a break or use less. It's not a bad thing at all! If anything, it means you've made your hair temporarily less porous, if it makes sense.

[danniro]

Danniro, I would suspect that your hair is somewhat porous. And it's common for wavies/curlies to need more/heavier oils than straighties due to the curl pattern slowing down the distribution of sebum from scalp to ends.
If you put olive oil (which is pretty heavy) and it just soaks in, you can definitely use more. When the oil just sits on hair making it look dirty, coated and stringy, your hair reached some saturation point for a while, so just take a break or use less. It's not a bad thing at all! If anything, it means you've made your hair temporarily less porous, if it makes sense.

I had my hair analysed by an Etsy user (she does the "Science-y Hair Blog"), and apparently I have slightly porous ends, normal porosity mid, and low porosity roots.
I applied a bit of olive oil to my damp hair again today for LOC, but my hair was still quite frizzy, maybe a little stringy too :(
My analysis said that protein+pre-poo treatments should help my hair but I have seen no results from protein or pre-poo. Sucks because every one of her Etsy reviews were 5 stars saying how her tips helped their hair. But then again what else is new nothing helps my hair....
I'm going to try a mixture I made last year of shea butter, almond oil and coconut oil on my hair again I think. When I used it last fall, though I was still "cone"ing and sulfate-ing it made my hair more shinier and softer I remember.

[meteor]

Danniro, since your hair is not that porous, I can see how pre-poo oilings are in the take-it-or-leave-it category for you. I'd skip them or do them only every few weeks or so. LOC method can reduce the need in pre-poos a bit, as well. Also, what kind of protein treatments did you use? Not all protein works for all people. They do differ in sizes, the smaller the size, the higher the chance that it will penetrate the hair... but also the higher the chance that it will leave your hair too easily. Case in point: tiny amino acids. The thing is, the more damaged/porous the hair is, the more hair loves proteins and the more kinds of proteins will stick to it. Your hair is only slightly porous on ends, so maybe something small like hydrolyzed keratin, hydrolyzed silk or hydrolyzed soy could work? If you have gelatin or dark beer around the house, you could do a DIY protein treatment (as per Science-y Hair Blog's recipes or less concentrated). But gelatin's molecular weight is pretty high so may not work well...
I think finding your base-line good conditioner and oils is going to help, and that's comes with just experimentation and recording results.

[danniro]

Danniro, since your hair is not that porous, I can see how pre-poo oilings are in the take-it-or-leave-it category for you. I'd skip them or do them only every few weeks or so. LOC method can reduce the need in pre-poos a bit, as well. Also, what kind of protein treatments did you use? Not all protein works for all people. They do differ in sizes, the smaller the size, the higher the chance that it will penetrate the hair... but also the higher the chance that it will leave your hair too easily. Case in point: tiny amino acids. The thing is, the more damaged/porous the hair is, the more hair loves proteins and the more kinds of proteins will stick to it. Your hair is only slightly porous on ends, so maybe something small like hydrolyzed keratin, hydrolyzed silk or hydrolyzed soy could work? If you have gelatin or dark beer around the house, you could do a DIY protein treatment (as per Science-y Hair Blog's recipes or less concentrated). But gelatin's molecular weight is pretty high so may not work well...
I think finding your base-line good conditioner and oils is going to help, and that's comes with just experimentation and recording results.

I've tried Aphogee protein treatment, and the neutral protein filler from Sally's beauty supply which I added to conditioner and left on a couple minutes.
I was thinking of trying Aubrey Organics GBP balancing conditioner too. Not sure what other protein treatments there are besides those three though.
Yes, I see the Science-y Hair Blog recommends sunflower seed oil as a more penetrating oil so maybe I'll buy a little bottle of that. But I'm thinking maybe I need to really extend my wash days, so I shampoo at most once a week. I could probably get by on a cowash here and there if in the middle of the week my hair was looking oily. I purchased Suave naturals coconut conditioner today so I'll try cowashing with that as it was recommended to me.

[danniro]

Danniro, since your hair is not that porous, I can see how pre-poo oilings are in the take-it-or-leave-it category for you. I'd skip them or do them only every few weeks or so. LOC method can reduce the need in pre-poos a bit, as well. Also, what kind of protein treatments did you use? Not all protein works for all people. They do differ in sizes, the smaller the size, the higher the chance that it will penetrate the hair... but also the higher the chance that it will leave your hair too easily. Case in point: tiny amino acids. The thing is, the more damaged/porous the hair is, the more hair loves proteins and the more kinds of proteins will stick to it. Your hair is only slightly porous on ends, so maybe something small like hydrolyzed keratin, hydrolyzed silk or hydrolyzed soy could work? If you have gelatin or dark beer around the house, you could do a DIY protein treatment (as per Science-y Hair Blog's recipes or less concentrated). But gelatin's molecular weight is pretty high so may not work well...
I think finding your base-line good conditioner and oils is going to help, and that's comes with just experimentation and recording results.

I've tried Aphogee protein treatment, and the neutral protein filler from Sally's beauty supply which I added to conditioner and left on a couple minutes.
I was thinking of trying Aubrey Organics GBP balancing conditioner too. Not sure what other protein treatments there are besides those three though.
Yes, I see the Science-y Hair Blog recommends sunflower seed oil as a more penetrating oil so maybe I'll buy a little bottle of that. But I'm thinking maybe I need to really extend my wash days, so I shampoo at most once a week. I could probably get by on a cowash here and there if in the middle of the week my hair was looking oily. I purchased Suave naturals coconut conditioner today so I'll try cowashing with that as it was recommended to me.

[Hopeful65]

I'm a daily shampooer with fine thin hair, and I have not noticed any kind of damage from it. I'm actually growing out bleached porous hair (2 yrs 9 mos now) with only 2-3 inches left on my ends, the rest being around 26 inches of virgin hair. My new hair always feels nice and healthy all the way down to where it gets to the last couple of inches on the ends. Even the ends would be considered healthy to anyone examining them, (but I know the difference). I do try my best to skip a day when I can, but to be presentable I prefer freshly washed hair on a daily basis. I need that extra fluff and volume for my fine hair. I've never felt as if it damages it though.
I use sulfate free shampoo, conditioner, and coconut oil before and after.

[Hopeful65]

I forgot to mention that I too us the Neutral Protein Filler from Sally's. I put a few drops directly on my ends after washing, concentrating on the front area where I feel it needs it most. I also will use the similar stuff called Colorful Protein filler. I use the purple one since my hair is so light in color. The Colorful Protein Filler is different though. It kind of lathers, I put in on my ends after shampooing, let it sit a while, then rinse it out and follow up with conditioner. I've come to the conclusion that my hair likes protein.

[sofo]

I'm generally skeptical of new advice. But for me I just make a quick calculation. Given a hairs growth cycle is 4 years (might be longer) and there are 365 days in one year and you wash your hair every day the hair is washed 1460 times before it falls of. If you wash it every 2 days the hair is washed 730 times and so on. For me its obvious there has to be a difference in being washed 1500 times or 700 times or even 350 times (every 4 days). I wash every 2 days since my scalp itches otherwise. And I try to pre oil the ends with coconut oil to protect if they feel dry before washing. I had way more success with coconut oil when I pre oiled with a hat on. I guess its too cold for the oil to make its magic in room temperature.