Dry and brittle hair

[nalgena]

Hi everyone, I'm new here and in desperate need of advice.

As the name of the topic suggests, my hair is brittle and dry no matter what I do! I have very fine hair and I know it's very prone to damage so here's the list of things I do in order to grow my hair long and healthy:
- I stopped dyeing it about 16 month ago (I used to use semi-permanent dyes). I recently used henna, but it doesn't seem to have any effect on my hair apart from lightening my hair for the first two washes
- I never ever do any heat styling
- I even went a year without blow drying, but have been drying my scalp lately because my hairstylist suggested it would be good for my dandruff. Blow drying of my scalp lasts about 2 min and I let the rest of my hair air dry
- I switched to bamboo and boar bristle brush
- for about a year now, I've been using oils as a prewash treatment. I've tried coconut, avocado and olive oil. Coconut oil is my all time favorite although it doesn't seem to have had any effect on my hair lately and I'm even starting to think that it might be bad for my hair
- I've also been doing scalp treatments, I usually use a blend of castor, neem, coconut and peppermint essential oils. Lately, I've been also using onion juice
- sometimes I make myself a home made mask which contains some of the following ingredients: egg yolk, yogurt, vegetable glycerin, coconut/olive/neem oil, avocado, honey (I probably forgot something)
- I use a microfiber towel to wrap my hair after washing
- I wash my hair twice a week
- I rinse my hair with rosemary tea and ACV
- I've been using sulfate-free, paraben-free, silicone-free, ... shampoos and conditioners, but two of those shampoos/shampoo bars made my scalp itch like hell and I got tons of dandruff. Also, my hair looked so dull. So this past week I used some random Herbal essence shampoo&conditioner this week and my hair looks so much better (I know it's because of silicones)
- I eat healthy and drink tons of water
- I sleep on a satin pillow case
- because my hair looks so dry and dull, I mostly wear it in some sort of loose braid or loose bun

I read about hair porosity and did a test - my hair doesn't sink no matter how much baking soda I add. Is there anything I can do about it? Also, last november I started shedding hair excessively and it lasted for about 4 months. I lost A LOT of hair, I'd say at least one quarter. For the last couple of months hair shedding has been back to normal and I've noticed tons of baby hair, so I guess I'm gonna get my old thickness back. How long does this take? A year? More? Because of this experience, I bought some bitoin and prenatal vitamins (I'm not pregnant or trying), but I still had to chop off about 10cm this years due to thinned ends. My virgin hair looks very healthy, but it's still not long enough so I could cut off the rest of my hair off. I'm now somewhere between APL and BSL and my ultimate goal is waist length, but I'm not in a rush. I first want to get my hair healthy looking and then go from there, but I'm seriously doubting I can do this. What else could I try? Any advice will be appreciated.

[lapushka]

I'd try not "messing" with it too too much. A DIY mask "once in a while", a protein treatment "once in a while" and for the rest: benign neglect. I think that's the best way forward. I don't see you doing much wrong, actually.

[neko_kawaii]

A couple questions. Have you tried clarifying and chelating? Clarifying removes product build up and chelating removed mineral build up. ACV help with mineral build up, but not entirely. Also, what dilution of ACV are you using?

[Nadine <3]

Sounds like you could probably clarify. That's a lot of stuff you're putting in your hair, I wouldn't be surprised if you have build up.

[missblueeyes]

Hi! I'm by far no expert on hair related issues but I thought I'd still try because our hair types are fairly similar.



- I've been using sulfate-free, paraben-free, silicone-free, ... shampoos and conditioners, but two of those shampoos/shampoo bars made my scalp itch like hell and I got tons of dandruff. Also, my hair looked so dull. So this past week I used some random Herbal essence shampoo&conditioner this week and my hair looks so much better (I know it's because of silicones)


First of all, I wouldn't say that. Herbal Essences mostly contains water-soluble silicones that won't build up on your hair. Thus, they're easier to deal with than regular 'cones like dimethicone. If you're getting on well with that shampoo and conditioner, use it! I've been using Herbal Essences myself for the past 6 months (Clearly Naked line) and I'm very happy.
Also, silicones aren't just bad. They help especially us fine haired people to prevent tangles, which eventually prevents damage. If you're really afraid of them coating your hair, I'd advise you to clarify with a clarifying shampoo once a month or as needed. (maybe once every 2 months) I wouldn't worry too much about Herbal Essences, though. Bis-Aminopropyl Dimeticone is a silicone that doesn't attach to itself so it doesn't build up and it washes out quite easily with a regular SLS based shampoo.

You said you're already doing treatments at home and that's a really good start. I see that you're using a lot of protein in your treatments (egg yolk, yogurt, avocado...), have you been following up those treatments with moisturising treatments including humectants like honey or aloe vera juice? That's really essential because you need to do a moisturizing treatment after a protein treatment or else your hair will feel dry.
It could also be that your hair is overloaded with protein and thus seem dry and brittle - in that case, try clarifying it with a clarifying shampoo followed by a SMT. (cone-free conditioner + 1/4 part honey + 1/4 part aloe vera juice / gel(the clear stuff, not the green stuff))

I think you're already on a great way but it probably needs some fine-tuning. :)

[nalgena]

I don't do protein masks very often, probably once a month. I've used diy masks more for the past two months, just because I have more time.
I usually make a cup of fresh rosemary tea, let it cool and then add a tablespoon of ACV. Is that too much?
I'm actually not afraid of silicones, but I thought I'd try "natural" products for a while and see how it goes. It clearly doesn't work for me.
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to open a hair cuticle for a very low porosity hair?

[nalgena]

I tried clarifying with baking soda, but my hair was the same after. Yeah, I should buy a clarifying shampoo.

[neko_kawaii]

I don't do protein masks very often, probably once a month. I've used diy masks more for the past two months, just because I have more time.
I usually make a cup of fresh rosemary tea, let it cool and then add a tablespoon of ACV. Is that too much?
I'm actually not afraid of silicones, but I thought I'd try "natural" products for a while and see how it goes. It clearly doesn't work for me.
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to open a hair cuticle for a very low porosity hair?

Off the top of my head that sounds like a standard ratio for ACV, but some people find their hair dries out and they further dilute it or find they can't use it at all. Some hair simply has little tolerance for protein either, and once a month may be too much. Always follow protein with moisture.


I tried clarifying with baking soda, but my hair was the same after. Yeah, I should buy a clarifying shampoo.

Yep, baking soda can be very drying. I certainly wouldn't recommend it for already dry hair.

[gthlvrmx]

Read this about biotin if you are still using it http://igorsbelltower.blogspot.com/p/infamous-biotin-rant.html
One of our former members wrote that.
For acv, 1-3 tbsp ACV in 8 oz (1 cup of water) or water is fine. I do my vinegar rinses at the lowest amount, 1. What setting is your blow dryer put on when you use it?
Club soda can help a bit with the minerals and I think chlorine in your hair. Have you tried a SMT for moisture? If it's brittle, it may be protein overload or just plain ol damage that is starting to appear.

[molljo]

If you have a dandruff problem, you should absolutely switch back to sulfates. They aren't inherently bad. Your scalp is more important than your hair.

I'm going to agree with everyone who said you need to clarify. Make sure you follow up with a moisturizing deep treatment afterward.

Other than that, I think you should just chill on all the masks and scalp treatments. Keep it very simple. Everything else in your routine looks good.