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View Full Version : Hair lacking movement - build-up? Any ideas?



Faepirate
September 18th, 2008, 03:43 AM
I have had this exact same hair problem for months and months and months now. That is hair that feels kind of stiff at the ends, and stringy-ish. Well not just the ends, but it's more noticable at the ends. I know what hair should feel like because once upon a time I had hair that moved.. like hair. :p

I know curly hair behaves differently from straight hair, and my hair does clump into curls, but the curls - though they look fine - feel rought and weird even when I leave them alone (i.e. no combing/brushing) and if I brush them out, they look OK once I've oiled but they still feel weird.

I don't think it's dryness. I know dryness on my hair - I had very dry hair for years. And right now, moisture treatments do not fix this, so...

If I put my hair in an updo it will pretty much retain the shape of that updo when I take it down, even after brushing. If I bun my hair at night, my hair in the morning when I take it down is nothing short of horrrific :bigeyes:! I put my hair in a braid last night. And, sure enough, when I took it out, my hair stayed in three braid strands. HA. I've managed to get it to look sort of normal again but it's still hanging in slightly stiff-feeling clumps. It doesn't feel right.

Since January I've used cones very very sparingly, if at all. All my conditioners have been cone-free. I CO-washed for a few months, during Spring/Summer. Since July I WO-washed but after a few weeks started adding conditioner to prevent my ends from drying out.

Could it be some kind of non-cone build-up, do you think...? Or some other problem? Is this stiffness familiar to anyone? :confused: If so how did you solve it and do you know what caused it?

I noticed that my hair was nice with WO for a while and then I used my old coconut and sweet almond conditioner (no cones) and my hair started to go downhill and I couldn't get it back to being nice again.

I tried vinegar rinses and they didn't help. I tried a gentle clarifying (organic and herbal) shampoo and it didn't help. Should I try a stronger sulphate shampoo?

I really hope there's a way to get past this. It is seriously annoying having ends that are not damaged but feel funky whatever I do and stick out at funny angles for no apparent reason.

Samikha
September 18th, 2008, 04:05 AM
Sounds like you have some nasty buildup going on. I'd try some clarifying sulphate shampoo, and washing you hair at least twice with it before adding conditioner. From what you describe it sounds as if your hair isn't properly clean. It sounds saturated, which is why it will retain the shape you put it in, like when you put in too much product.

I had something similar for a while. There was just too much gunk in my hair and my washing methods weren't cutting it at all. Non-sulphate shampoos didn't help at all. You need to go back to square one, so to say. Sulphate shampoo, then start over again and be more careful not to overcondition your hair.

I hope that helps! This happens to me now and then and clarifying is the only solution. Everything else just adds to the problem.

ChatoyantLocks
September 18th, 2008, 04:06 AM
I've got a possible theory. I've noticed that sebum has a waxy component to it. You have been using methods generally designed to help hair oils stay with the hair. It is possible you were too successful, and the wax has built up over time, and that is what is causing the stiffness and clumping. If this is the case, it may make sense to use a stronger shampoo for at least one washing, using several rounds of lather, rinse and repeat. I'd even avoid conditioner and oiling just for that wash, so you can evaluate the response of your hair. I suspect it will get dry and frizzy, but be able to move again. If it works, it should clean the waxy layer off so you can start from a fresh slate.

Faepirate
September 18th, 2008, 04:17 AM
Sounds like you have some nasty buildup going on. I'd try some clarifying sulphate shampoo, and washing you hair at least twice with it before adding conditioner. From what you describe it sounds as if your hair isn't properly clean. It sounds saturated, which is why it will retain the shape you put it in, like when you put in too much product.

I had something similar for a while. There was just too much gunk in my hair and my washing methods weren't cutting it at all. Non-sulphate shampoos didn't help at all. You need to go back to square one, so to say. Sulphate shampoo, then start over again and be more careful not to overcondition your hair.

I hope that helps! This happens to me now and then and clarifying is the only solution. Everything else just adds to the problem.

This is what I'd feared!
I'll try a strong shampoo without conditioner and grit my teeth for the results. xD Ahem...


I've got a possible theory. I've noticed that sebum has a waxy component to it. You have been using methods generally designed to help hair oils stay with the hair. It is possible you were too successful, and the wax has built up over time, and that is what is causing the stiffness and clumping. If this is the case, it may make sense to use a stronger shampoo for at least one washing, using several rounds of lather, rinse and repeat. I'd even avoid conditioner and oiling just for that wash, so you can evaluate the response of your hair. I suspect it will get dry and frizzy, but be able to move again. If it works, it should clean the waxy layer off so you can start from a fresh slate.

Could be, could be. :) I'll try some strong shampoo and see what happens, then I'll go from there!

Arctic_Mama
September 18th, 2008, 04:27 AM
That sounds identical to the problems I had when I CO-washed and did the scrunch/no brush curly care method. The hair was lovely for a little while but then it all went downhill, despite the lack of cones and good washing habits. I hacked it off instead of clarifying, and in hindsight that was stupid as I'd have bet money, now, that it was buildup on the shaft of some sort.

Clarify the ever-lovin' daylights out of it and let us know how it goes. You may be able to help someone else with your adventure, here :)

Best of luck!

aisling
September 18th, 2008, 04:29 AM
Ohh, when you clarify, you don't have to leave out the conditioner. On the contrary, it is important that you restore the moisture balance of your hair after stripping it. So, clarify and use conditioner, even a deep treatment. I've never managed to over moisturise my hair and especially not after clarifying.

Teazel
September 18th, 2008, 04:40 AM
I prescribe a clarifying, too, and I agree with aisling about following up with conditioner. :agree:

Faepirate
September 18th, 2008, 04:57 AM
Ohh, when you clarify, you don't have to leave out the conditioner. On the contrary, it is important that you restore the moisture balance of your hair after stripping it. So, clarify and use conditioner, even a deep treatment. I've never managed to over moisturise my hair and especially not after clarifying.

Oh OK, thanks.

Faepirate
September 18th, 2008, 05:02 AM
That sounds identical to the problems I had when I CO-washed and did the scrunch/no brush curly care method. The hair was lovely for a little while but then it all went downhill, despite the lack of cones and good washing habits. I hacked it off instead of clarifying, and in hindsight that was stupid as I'd have bet money, now, that it was buildup on the shaft of some sort.

Yes, that's what I experienced with CO too. I'd thought at first that the method (or the specific conditioner I was using) was drying out my hair but it may have been product build-up all along.