Climate Shock!

[Allie_snowflake]

Wow.... Never realized how much my hair would hate it out west in a cold, dry climate! Two weeks ago I flew out to visit family in Wyoming (going from humid 80s to dry freezing temps). My hair is a staticky mess! I usually wash and rinse in cold water but when the thermostat in the house is set on 68... No way! I think hot water dries out my hair too much. I tried loading it up with a leave in but it ended up really gunking it up (and the water softener made my hair slimy when I rinsed it) My hair actually started breaking off. It hadn't done that in over a year.

I didn't bring my normal cheapo shampoo (to save space packing, etc.) so I used Biolage shampoo that my mom uses. I figured My hair could handle $30 a bottle shampoo for a few washes.... Uh, not quite. First of all, my mom has super fine hair and mine is definitely not.... Also, this shampoo and conditioner has something called starch acetate... Doesn't sound good, although they didn't have cones. Way too many variables to pinpoint what my hair truly didn't like but tomorrow I'll be back in central Florida and back to my cheapo suave coconut condish that my hair loves :)

if I ever moved back here, I'd definitely have to work on finding a different routine!

[yogagirl]

Oh gosh, I'm so sorry your hair didn't like all those changes! Yikes, traveling can sure be a pain in the butt sometimes.

I was actually just contemplating this because I am also traveling right now and my hair is doing funky things. It's turned so slippery that nothing holds it! I always complain about the hard water back home, but I guess it has its advantages ;)

[meteor]

:agree: Yep, every time I travel, I'm shocked by how much the differences in humidity, temperature and water affect hair. And it's even more important for curly and wavy hair, IMHO.
I envy you for living in Florida: I think hot and humid climate is great for hair. :thumbsup:
Oh, and I love this blogpost for on this issue: http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.ca/2011/11/autumn-to-winter-hair-and-humidity.html

[MsPharaohMoan]

here's what skin deep has to say: http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient/706271/STARCH_ACETATE/ appears harmless. Good luck with climate change!

[Marbid]

Oooo i am about to do a very similar trip in 4 days.

Going from southern georgia to northern michigan to visit my best friend! She recently mooved there this year!
i hope it all goes well. I have never even seen snow! Let alone go to such a far up north state.

[gillybeanxo3921]

I experienced a very similar thing when I went to Florida to visit my grandmother for a week. I did not bring any hair products at all, and was utterly shocked when my hair dried completely smooth and tangle free. It's crazy how much it affects you

[kitana97]

Ahhh, I'm sorry your hair is spazzing out. My hair loves water softeners - it makes it smooth, silky, tangle free. But I have a friend whose hair becomes very greasy with water softeners. She uses a mild clarifying shampoo to combat it. Maybe you could also make a tea rinse for the rest of your time there - I've heard someone on the forum using one to combat the slimyness..

[teddygirl]

I usually carry bounce sheets around for the static (I live in a similar VERY dry climate).

Its funny how you get used to what you're around. When I went to hawaii/mexico/anywhere humid my hair is an absolute mess! My skin loves it, but I cannot go anywhere with my hair down haha.

[sourgrl]

Born and raised in central Florida and don't miss it one bit! But boy does my hair hate the dryer Alabama winters. Thank god for SMTs ;)

[Anje]

Almost certainly the humidity change.... Up in the northern US where we use furnaces to heat our homes, most of us literally have air heated by fire being blown through our living spaces. Combine that with the fact that the cold air we're starting with just doesn't hold as much moisture, and you've got a recipe for dry hair, dry skin, dry dry dry. Humidifiers can help, but it's crazy how much water the air could hold and doesn't. (I've got a hygrometer in the house, which is sitting right at about 20% relative humidity right now. That's pretty dry.)

Only suggestion I have is to mist with distilled water and bun your hair a lot. Less exposure to the air means less drying out. Enjoy Florida!

[Eastbound&Down]

I'm going from Washington to Mississippi in a couple of days and I know it is going to be hard on my hair. Luckily it's for work and I will have to have my hair up in a bun most of the time. Hopefully your hair recovers quickly!

[Nadine <3]

I'm one of those weirdos that has great hair in the dry Wisconsin winters, but once summer hits...oh boy, my hair turns into an angry, frizzy poof ball. Thank goodness I can whip it up into a bun and be done with it lol

[ARG]

I'm about to leave the mountains for the coast. From hard water with a softener to soft water. I'm so nervous because I've found what works for me...here. But it'll be nice to be by the ocean once more.

[arelrios]

I might go from FL to Washington at the end of the month... now I am scared :S... well, if all fails, braids will have to hold whatever happens to my hair...

[meteor]

I might go from FL to Washington at the end of the month... now I am scared :S... well, if all fails, braids will have to hold whatever happens to my hair...

Are you going there only temporarily? If so, I wouldn't bother shopping for a new arsenal of hair products. If your hair misbehaves while you are there (e.g. dry, tangly), just put it up and forget it. It will be back to normal in no time when you return home. :)

[Allie_snowflake]

I'm finally back in Florida but I did find something that tamed the static and put moisture back in to it. My mom makes a lotion for my brother in law that's actually way too greasy for my hands and face but I used a little of that on my damp hair yesterday (I sucked it up and rinsed in cold water!) so that helped a little too I think.

Anyway, the lotion is 2 parts baby lotion (the pink baby magic Johnson & Johnson stuff), 1 part vitamin e cream and 1 part Vaseline then whipped in a kitchen mixer. She found the recipe online years ago but I saw one with coconut oil in place of Vaseline. (Same proportions) I may try that way and see how it works.

I wasn't sure about the Vaseline but it made my hair nice and shiny with no static! It was a little sticky when my hair was damp but I left it alone to air dry and couldn't believe how soft it was. I did seal it with coconut oil when it was almost dry. I wish I would have tried it earlier to see how it held up. Now I'm back to my "normal" so I'll see if it works as good down here.

[ARG]

Yay! I'm glad things are under control now.

I can't remember which member, but a lovely lady on here uses petroleum jelly in their hair (Vaseline). And the baby lotion contains (among other ingredients) glycerin, mineral oil, and dimethicone. So it would make sense that all of that in conjunction with the coconut oil would work for you.

[LemonFizzy]

I can understand the shock on your hair by visiting in Wyoming. Diferrent water. Wind. Different humidity. Wind. Different shampoo. Wind. Oh, did I mention wind? Depending on where you go in Wyoming, that wind carries half the clay dust from the soil in the state and surrounding areas. Perhaps you were able to visit a less windy part of the state, though.

[Allie_snowflake]

Wind.... Ha! It was just whipping arctic temperatures and snow around this time.

Tomorrow I'm going to try that lotion concoction on my dry hair and see how my hair likes it. I don't want to have to wash it again so soon. I found myself washing it every two to three days while on vacation. I was at my parents house, and using the shower in my brother's old bathroom... He's 6'4" and the shower head is 7 feet high! I just couldn't shower without getting my hair wet so I gave up and rinsed it every time. With the funky soft water I ended up shampooing most of the time. I'd been stretching to 7-8 days before I went. Gotta get my hair back to normal!

[sapphire-o]

Oh yes. My hair usually never feel dry so I don't oil it much, or use conditioner. When I went to S. California last spring it turned into straw. The air was dry, windy and smelled like salt. The tap water tasted like salt. It felt like my whole person was "minerally enriched". :D I never felt totally clean after washing my hair, and has to use coconut oil to tame it. At least I was wise enough to bring liquid shampoo with me, instead of shampoo bars I normally use. I was so happy coming home and washing with simple soap and soft water, and breath in saturated air. :D

[spirals]

I'm one of those weirdos that has great hair in the dry Wisconsin winters, but once summer hits...oh boy, my hair turns into an angry, frizzy poof ball. Thank goodness I can whip it up into a bun and be done with it lol
Mine's an angry, frizzy poof ball in both seasons. *sigh*