Why is my hair CONSTANTLY stringy nowadays?

[gustavonut]

It is literally constantly. No matter what I do. It always ends up piecey/stringy the next day after washing it. Sometimes it turns stringy and greasy THAT day.
What causes this? And what could I do to prevent it?

[lapushka]

I thought you went CO not long ago. Maybe that's not agreeing with you. What did you do before CO-washing? Was that better? If yes, then go back to what did work for you.

[kganihanova]

If you're a finey, you need a little shampoo in there along with CO. Lapushka's WCC may be of use here.

[gustavonut]

If you're a finey, you need a little shampoo in there along with CO. Lapushka's WCC may be of use here.

Well my hair is just really really straight now.. And I'll have to try WCC. I've tried CWC as well but it was the same effect as CO.
And it's even after stopping CO too, I've been using Suave everlasting sunshine now and it gets stringy after one day of washing it.

[gustavonut]

I thought you went CO not long ago. Maybe that's not agreeing with you. What did you do before CO-washing? Was that better? If yes, then go back to what did work for you.

Before cowashing I just washed with my normal protein shampoo and suave conditioner. My hair still wasn't that happy then.

[xsweetpotatox]

Are you using any products post shower?

[gustavonut]

Are you using any products post shower?

Sometimes I use coconut oil, but I've stopped it a while ago since it gave me "crunchy ends".
Other than that yesterday I put a little bit of shea butter on my ends (not melted or anything) my hair is piecy yet silky feeling today. Oh and it was really really windy and freezing cold yesterday and I was unable to protect my hair.. That could be a big factor I think.

[mira-chan]

Have you tried clarifying?

[gustavonut]

Have you tried clarifying?

Yes I clarified twice one day.. I don't remember what day but I think it helped a bit. It was last week.

[Yozhik]

Agree with mira-chan^^.

Sounds like build-up to me - have you clarified/chelated?

The windiness and cold are probably also huge factors. Do you think you could get a cheapo silk scarf and wear it around your head and the collar part of your coat? I bet that would help a lot, too.

ETA: just saw we cross-posted. :o Sorry!

[gustavonut]

Agree with mira-chan^^.

Sounds like build-up to me - have you clarified/chelated?

The windiness and cold are probably also huge factors. Do you think you could get a cheapo silk scarf and wear it around your head and the collar part of your coat? I bet that would help a lot, too.

ETA: just saw we cross-posted. :o Sorry!

I have clarified, but it was last week. I think we have a silk scarf somewhere.

[gustavonut]

Bumping this because I would like to know what to do to stop the stringiness. My length is really greasy and stringy but my scalp is normal. What to do...

[lapushka]

Clarify again, this week, then go back to what worked better than CO, for the time being, until you can go try another method. No need to rush from one thing into another.

[Nadine <3]

Clarify it, move the shampoo all the way down the length. Not just your scalp. Use a light conditioner, and no leave ins than see what your hair looks like and go from there.

[gustavonut]

Clarify it, move the shampoo all the way down the length. Not just your scalp. Use a light conditioner, and no leave ins than see what your hair looks like and go from there.
Do you think I should today? I've been wanting to try out shea butter since I just got some, I wonder how I could use it after clarifying? The next wash or after clarifying.. So many questions, sorry!

[Nadine <3]

Do you think I should today? I've been wanting to try out shea butter since I just got some, I wonder how I could use it after clarifying? The next wash or after clarifying.. So many questions, sorry!

Since you're struggling with stringy hair I would hold off on using the shea butter for now. You could clarify today, or wait until whenever you wash next.

[lapushka]

Just *wait* until your next scheduled wash, Nadine is right about that and about the use of the shea as well. Shea is hugely heavy, you don't want to slather that on your hair right now. Just follow-up with a light conditioner. No leave-in, no nothing else!

I think you're trying to try way, way too many things at once. It's classic newbie-syndrome. ;) Just ease up a little.

[senegal]

For some reason, Suave just won't rinse out of my hair easily. I can still use Suave for SMT with good results, so it's not a total loss. But I think you'll have better results if you try a different conditioner like VO5, Tressemme naturals or Trader Joe's tea tree. For some reason I have the impression that most co-washers have good results with one brand (VO5 or Suave) and just can't use the other very well. I could be wrong, but that's how it works for me.

[Johannah]

When I tried CO, my hair became very stringy as well. Turned out I over moisturized my hair. Now I use a protein conditioner and the problem is solved.

[gustavonut]

Just *wait* until your next scheduled wash, Nadine is right about that and about the use of the shea as well. Shea is hugely heavy, you don't want to slather that on your hair right now. Just follow-up with a light conditioner. No leave-in, no nothing else!

I think you're trying to try way, way too many things at once. It's classic newbie-syndrome. ;) Just ease up a little.

Alright well I guess I will just stick with shampoo and conditioner for now. I'll only oil if I REALLY need it. And I'll wait to do a deep treatment again for a while.

[LongHairLesbian]

Alright well I guess I will just stick with shampoo and conditioner for now. I'll only oil if I REALLY need it. And I'll wait to do a deep treatment again for a while.I have a very similar hair type to yours, and if your stats are correct and you only have 18 inches of hair, you probably don't need anything except shampoo and conditioner right now. At past hip, my hair does best with a *light* oiling before a wash, and a *light* leave in conditioning spray for post wash detangling. Deep treatments are rarely needed, and using oils as a leave in has never ended well. And my ends have been around for 5+ years! Your hair isn't old enough to need any extra help, and that might be why it's getting stringy; moisture overload. If you want to do a deep treatment, you might be better off using the oil super sparingly, and shampooing twice if needed. Enjoy the ease of care your current length provides! For a lot of people, the simplest routine is the best one. :)

Edit: I just saw your comment about using Shea butter. I would highly recommend you NOT oil with it as a leave in. Shea butter is a heavy hitter, and generally is only used effectively by folks with hair that can handle a butt load of product and oil. From the sounds of it, your hair needs very little in the way of moisture. If you're going to use Shea butter, do it as a deep treatment, and shampoo twice. :)

[gustavonut]

I have a very similar hair type to yours, and if your stats are correct and you only have 18 inches of hair, you probably don't need anything except shampoo and conditioner right now. At past hip, my hair does best with a *light* oiling before a wash, and a *light* leave in conditioning spray for post wash detangling. Deep treatments are rarely needed, and using oils as a leave in has never ended well. And my ends have been around for 5+ years! Your hair isn't old enough to need any extra help, and that might be why it's getting stringy; moisture overload. If you want to do a deep treatment, you might be better off using the oil super sparingly, and shampooing twice if needed. Enjoy the ease of care your current length provides! For a lot of people, the simplest routine is the best one. :)

Edit: I just saw your comment about using Shea butter. I would highly recommend you NOT oil with it as a leave in. Shea butter is a heavy hitter, and generally is only used effectively by folks with hair that can handle a butt load of product and oil. From the sounds of it, your hair needs very little in the way of moisture. If you're going to use Shea butter, do it as a deep treatment, and shampoo twice. :)

Thank you very much :)!
I will definitely take your advice and stay away from leave ins. My hair never is happy with them anyway.
Luckily I just bought everlasting sunshine shampoo and conditioner, time to use them up! :D it actually makes me happy that I don't have to mess with all this stuff, I just hope the coconut oil and shea butter will last till then.

[Nadine <3]

Thank you very much :)!
I will definitely take your advice and stay away from leave ins. My hair never is happy with them anyway.
Luckily I just bought everlasting sunshine shampoo and conditioner, time to use them up! :D it actually makes me happy that I don't have to mess with all this stuff, I just hope the coconut oil and shea butter will last till then.

Use the she butter on you skin! There's nothing better for dry winter skin.

[spidermom]

Keep the coconut oil and shea butter in the refrigerator when not in use. I only put a small amount in a jar I keep upstairs in my bedroom; the rest is always in the refrigerator.

Try this: apply conditioner to length, massage in, rinse. Shampoo scalp. Rinse, allowing suds to run through the length. You're done!

[Nadine <3]

Keep the coconut oil and shea butter in the refrigerator when not in use. I only put a small amount in a jar I keep upstairs in my bedroom; the rest is always in the refrigerator.

Try this: apply conditioner to length, massage in, rinse. Shampoo scalp. Rinse, allowing suds to run through the length. You're done!

That's how I wash mine in the summer :)

[LongHairLesbian]

You are welcome, gustavonut. :) Just stick to conditioner, gentle detangling, and as little heat as possible, and that should be enough to keep your hair happy at its current length. If you are worried about the Shea and coconut oil going bad, do as Nadine suggested, and use them on your body! Shea and coconut make great moisturizers for super dry bits like heels and elbows. They also make lovely body scrubs when combined with sugar, which you can use on yourself, or make into gifts. My sister uses coconut oil to take off her makeup, and I used it as shaving cream when I still shaved. Best shaving cream ever, haha.

[MadPirateBippy]

I have very fine hair, shea butter strait is too much. It sounds like you can actually use shampoo on your length- rinse it down- and see if that helps with the stringies. It sounds like product overload, really. Can you post pictures so we have a better idea of what's going on?

[gustavonut]

I have very fine hair, shea butter strait is too much. It sounds like you can actually use shampoo on your length- rinse it down- and see if that helps with the stringies. It sounds like product overload, really. Can you post pictures so we have a better idea of what's going on?

I just made some shea butter "frosting" if that would be better :) I'm really excited to use it. I used coconut oil, shea, and everlasting sunshine conditioner. It turned out quite nice.
I have pictures on my profile, you can kind of see the stringiness but it's not as bad now since I stopped COing.
I can't really rinse shampoo all the way down my hair(even diluted) it dries my hair out way too much. I don't know really what would be better. :shrug: That's why I tried to CO.

[MJ1972]

Gustavonut, when you were CO-ing, did you use enough conditioner and did you rinse it out properly? I've been CO-ing ever since the beginning of July, and I've found that I need a LOT of conditioner (even when heavily diluted), as well as a full three-minute rinse. If CO-ing leaves with you with stringy hair, chances are you aren't using enough product or rinsing it out properly.

As several others have said, take care not to go overboard on the amount of product you're using. Less is often more, especially if you have fine hair.

[Dreams_in_Pink]

My hair does that too when i use conditioners, masks of any kind.
When i just use only oils after wash, hair does not look stringy next day.
Weird, huh? :)

[gustavonut]

Gustavonut, when you were CO-ing, did you use enough conditioner and did you rinse it out properly? I've been CO-ing ever since the beginning of July, and I've found that I need a LOT of conditioner (even when heavily diluted), as well as a full three-minute rinse. If CO-ing leaves with you with stringy hair, chances are you aren't using enough product or rinsing it out properly.

As several others have said, take care not to go overboard on the amount of product you're using. Less is often more, especially if you have fine hair.

I don't have really fine hair, and when I COed I did it exactly as everyone one was telling me. I used big handfuls, and rinsed a lot for about 4-5 minutes. I just don't think it's for me that's all.

Dreams_in_Pink wow I wonder why that could be? It also seems much much better for the hair. Hm...I shall try this :)

[mira-chan]

I don't have really fine hair, and when I COed I did it exactly as everyone one was telling me. I used big handfuls, and rinsed a lot for about 4-5 minutes. I just don't think it's for me that's all.

Dreams_in_Pink wow I wonder why that could be? It also seems much much better for the hair. Hm...I shall try this :)

For the CO, the type of conditioner also matters. Usually lighter or clarifying conditioners are used for this. If the conditioner has any silicones, mineral oil or other strong coating agents, then it won't rinse as clean.

As for the oils, they seal in the moisture in the hair more strongly than conditioners when put on wet hair. Less is more of oil to start with. Increase as needed.