Straight hair acting like it's curly... My hair is so hard to work with. Long story.

[PixieP]

Ok, settle down for a long one, cause I got a story to tell, lol.

Let's begin five years ago. I used to be a type 1b/c when my hair got long enough (past shoulder length). But that wasn't enough for me; I wanted real curls. I'd done co-washing for a year to see if that could coax more curls into my hair, but no. So I decided to get a perm. Unfortunatley for me, I went to a very unproffesional salon. I ended up with my hair completly ruined by the chemicals; it looked like sheeps wool, was all stringy gum-like when wet, and I could pull out huge chunks if I wanted to (and the salon refused they had done anything wrong and I didn't get my money back, bastards). My hair went from this (https://scontent-arn2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpt1/v/t1.0-9/1914272_162428456829_3010812_n.jpg?oh=73c2789a34bc b1bb098d069936982b9f&oe=5626D852) to looking like this (https://scontent-arn2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xaf1/v/t1.0-9/284523_10150318120646830_1540644_n.jpg?oh=6121a92d 4822de580142473640ff42f5&oe=562CF1BF) and this (https://scontent-arn2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xaf1/v/t1.0-9/28966_435299486829_6346929_n.jpg?oh=e0b724023557c6 8896898bc6d45c65a4&oe=56165DA5) (I don't have a lot of good pictures, sorry). Co-washing was the only thing that saved me from having to cut all my hair off. Christmas 2010 I ended up with a very short bob, and after that I've been able to let it grow out again. But it took years for it to return to "normal". And my hair has never, ever been the same.

Spring 2011 I got psoriasis on my hands. This has affected how I can care for my hair. I had to stop co-washing, because it took too long, my hands couldn't be in contact with water for that long. And in periods it was so bad that my husband had to wash my hair for me, and he didn't understand how to do co-washing, lol. So I looked for different solutions. I tried baking soda and vinegar, wich worked ok, but then I got scalp psorasis too, and that was a no-no. I used various sulfate-free shampoos for a while after that, wich worked ok for getting my hair clean at least. Two years ago I found Lush, and I've been using things from them ever since (seriosuly, if you have psorasis or eczema, try Lush' Dream Cream. IT IS A LIFE SAVER.) At first their normal shampoos, but six months ago I tried their shampoo bars and have been using them ever since. My skin doesn't get too upset by it and my hair is slightly more managable than it's been for a while. I currently use Seanik (https://www.lush.co.uk/products/seanik) shampoo and Veganese (https://www.lush.co.uk/products/veganese) conditioner. I also juse Jungle conditioner and R&B hair moisturizer ever now and then to give my hair a boost.

I stopped using chemical hair colour two years ago and have been using henna (BAQ) to dye my hair ever since.

My hair is now bra strap length just about. I'm a 1a with slight 1b tendencies every now and then. Medium thickness, medium fineness. Last time I was at a hairdresser (march, I think) I got compliments about how healthy my hair was, only problem was split ends, and that's because I had an ombre bleach on my ends last summer.

My hair care routine now is:
I brush my hair in the mornings with a wooden brush and sometimes a tangle teezer if my hair had it rough the day before.
I only wash my hair 1-2 times a week, due to psoriasis not liking water. I use Seanik shampoo and Veganese co from Lush. I have it in a microfiber towel turban for an hour or so. Then I use a seasalt spray from Lush on my roots, and scrunch some Dirty styling cream (also Lush) in my lengths. I blowdry my roots with a narrow tip so that it'll affect only my roots; I have to blowdry, otherwise my hair is plastered to my scalp. I use a big diffuser on cold to dry my lengths, so that I can force some wave into my hair. If I don't, it's stick straight.
I wear my hair either down or in various buns during daytime. At nighttime, I twist it into a loose big twist bun at the crown of my head and fasten with a satin scrunchie.


I know, most of you are probably breathing into a bag right now, horrified at the way I treat my hair. I know it's not up to par with how the rest of you do it here. But my goal isn't to grow as long as possible or have 100% healthy hair; it's to keep my skin and hair happy and looking good, without having to do way too much with it, or damage my skin in any way.

SO. After that novella, here comes the problem with my hair! (you probably hoped I was done, huh... Sorry.) Like I said, I'm mostly a type 1, if I leave my hair to air dry completly. Then it's fine and limp and disgusting. I've had freshly washed airdryed hair, and friends have hinted it might be time to wash it. Yes, it looks unwashed when it airdries. So that's why I do the above method. But the thing is, anything but airdrying, makes my hair act like it has natural curls. It's frizzy as hell. So I either live with limp greasy-looking flat hair, or hair with volume that's super frizzy and impossible to control or predict. Some days it looks great, some days it still look horrible, even if I treat it the exact same way. Some days I can comfortably go 4 days before it looks greasy, somedays it's greasy the day after a wash. I really don't know what to do. Everytime I try to talk to a hairdresser about it, they just try to sell me their products. Wich, eh, no.

I dunno. You guys probably can't help me either, especially since I don't know what I need help WITH exactly... I just needed a rant. And I have no idea how to finish this post now... :rolleyes: *babbles*

[Saproxylic]

This actually sounds a bit like my hair, when it was bleached. Limp and frizzy simultaneously. It's a frustrating place to be at. Sadly I can't offer much more than sympathy, I ended up wearing it permanently oiled and co-washing until I got to chop of most of the treated hair, and thank God, my virgin hair behaves a lot better.

Interestingly it almost seems that frizz and tangles starting in the bleached ends were able to travel upwards and infest healthy hair till the ends got chopped off, it started to behave as soon as it was all virgin, so maybe getting rid of those ombre ends would solve the issue somehow. Or maybe oiling just the ends for some slip and weight?

I hope you can find a way how to make your hair work without being too bothered by psoriasis!

[spidermom]

I have no issues with how you care for your hair. Be sure you aren't using the hottest setting for blow-drying; that's the only suggestion I have.

[lilin]

No judgment. :) We all have different hair goals.

Hmm... Do you have hard water? You might want to get a pH strip and test it.

My friend with 1b hair has a similar problem, and we have very hard water. After washing with hard water a few times, even her freshly washed hair will look greasy if left to air dry. This can especially be an issue when using shampoo bars. Things improved for her dramatically after we got a softener for our shower head. So that's one thing you might try. Clarify, and then start washing with the shower filter. Alternatively, you can try making "miracle water" -- your normal tap water with a pinch of citric acid and asorbic acid. This will have a similar effect, and washing your hair by mermaid soaking in a big bowl or pouring water over it might reduce the total amount of time your head needs to be in contact with water.

If you are still having problems with the limp versus frizz thing, then perhaps try treating your hair as though it really is curly. A lot of curlies apply a very light gel or oil to their hair before diffusing, in order to avoid frizz. I don't know if this will work against trying to avoid limpness, but it's at least worth a shot.

Also, the straighter hair might have something to do with the henna. Henna will pull out waves and curls for a lot of people. It did for me when I tried it.

Hopefully there is something in here that's helpful!

[lapushka]

Lush "shampoo" bars contain SL(E)S (sulfates) as do their regular shampoos, body washes, so it's not as "natural" as you'd like to think. It's not sulfate-free at least. I'm glad sulfates don't exacerbate your psoriasis, though, that's a good thing.

[-Fern]

Your routine sounds fine. :) Does your hair hold braid waves at all? After you dry the roots and and the length is about 20% damp, put a little bit of leave-in or curl cream in your hair, do a French or Dutch braid (or one of the many other methods for heatless waves/curls (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=129604)), and let it dry for a few hours more. That might be a nice way to give it extra volume so it's not quite as limp while giving your naughty hair a little extra moisture.

[PixieP]

Thank you all for such fast replies! :)


Your routine sounds fine. :) Does your hair hold braid waves at all? After you dry the roots and and the length is about 20% damp, put a little bit of leave-in or curl cream in your hair, do a French or Dutch braid (or one of the many other methods for heatless waves/curls (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=129604)), and let it dry for a few hours more. That might be a nice way to give it extra volume so it's not quite as limp while giving your naughty hair a little extra moisture.

I've tried french braiding while slightly damp, but my volume at my roots completly deflates if it's pulled down before it's dry. Difficult thing, my hair!


Lush "shampoo" bars contain SL(E)S (sulfates) as do their regular shampoos, body washes, so it's not as "natural" as you'd like to think. It's not sulfate-free at least. I'm glad sulfates don't exacerbate your psoriasis, though, that's a good thing.

Yeah I know it's sulfates in it, but that doesn't seem to bother my hair, it behaves better now with that then if I try sulfate free shampoo or the few times my hands are good enough for co-washing. i think all the good stuff in the Lush bars negate the negative effects of the sulfates; my scalp psoriasis is very happy with Seanik at least.


No judgment. :) We all have different hair goals.

Hmm... Do you have hard water? You might want to get a pH strip and test it.

My friend with 1b hair has a similar problem, and we have very hard water. After washing with hard water a few times, even her freshly washed hair will look greasy if left to air dry. This can especially be an issue when using shampoo bars. Things improved for her dramatically after we got a softener for our shower head. So that's one thing you might try. Clarify, and then start washing with the shower filter. Alternatively, you can try making "miracle water" -- your normal tap water with a pinch of citric acid and asorbic acid. This will have a similar effect, and washing your hair by mermaid soaking in a big bowl or pouring water over it might reduce the total amount of time your head needs to be in contact with water.

If you are still having problems with the limp versus frizz thing, then perhaps try treating your hair as though it really is curly. A lot of curlies apply a very light gel or oil to their hair before diffusing, in order to avoid frizz. I don't know if this will work against trying to avoid limpness, but it's at least worth a shot.

Also, the straighter hair might have something to do with the henna. Henna will pull out waves and curls for a lot of people. It did for me when I tried it.

Hopefully there is something in here that's helpful!

We have very good water here, I live in Norway and we generally have quite soft water.

I'd heard henna could bring out waves and curls, had no idea it was actually the opposite! Ah well, never putting my hair through chemical colouring again ever, so henna it is.


I have no issues with how you care for your hair. Be sure you aren't using the hottest setting for blow-drying; that's the only suggestion I have.

No I use medium heat on my rots and the coldest setting on my lengths :)


This actually sounds a bit like my hair, when it was bleached. Limp and frizzy simultaneously. It's a frustrating place to be at. Sadly I can't offer much more than sympathy, I ended up wearing it permanently oiled and co-washing until I got to chop of most of the treated hair, and thank God, my virgin hair behaves a lot better.

Interestingly it almost seems that frizz and tangles starting in the bleached ends were able to travel upwards and infest healthy hair till the ends got chopped off, it started to behave as soon as it was all virgin, so maybe getting rid of those ombre ends would solve the issue somehow. Or maybe oiling just the ends for some slip and weight?

I hope you can find a way how to make your hair work without being too bothered by psoriasis!

I oil the ends every now and then, haven't noticed too much of a difference frizz-wise. There's not much of the original ombre left, maybe 2-3 cms now, I only had the very tips done (like 10-15 cms maybe, not half the hair like alot of girls do)

[flickm]

I'd heard henna could bring out waves and curls, had no idea it was actually the opposite! Ah well, never putting my hair through chemical colouring again ever, so henna it is.


henna relaxes waves/curls - at least with my hair. It is nowhere near as wavy, especially undeneath, after hennaing, though it seems to recover. I'm only doing the roots now, and the length is getting wavier (only 2a wavy at most though, i think)

[endlessly]

Your hair sounds very similar to mine as do your scalp issues. I have eczema, which is essentially the "little sister" to psoriasis, so I feel your pain there! I think your routine is perfectly fine especially considering what you've listed as your goals, so don't worry too much about what you should or shouldn't be doing. I love having long and healthy hair, but there are a lot of recommendations on LHC that I can't follow (although believe me, I've definitely tried...and failed) strictly because they cause so many more issues than they help to fix. For example, currently I've been washing my hair daily, which is very, very bad to the world of LHC, but I exercise heavily (and sweat heavily) and if I don't wash my hair and scalp to fully remove that sweat, my eczema flares up something fierce.

I'm also a huge fan of Lush specifically because I've felt that since using it, my hair and scalp have become much happier, so I have a couple of other products from them that you could possibly look into trying. They have a shampoo bar called "Lullaby" which helps with itchy or sensitive scalps, it's extremely gentle on the hair and scalp, but will still leave you feeling completely clean. I've been able to extend my washes with this bar when I skip a workout and I haven't noticed an issue with my hair feeling or looking greasy either. Also, Veganese is my absolute favorite conditioner from them, so I follow up with that and then a dab of R&B.

If you have a shop close to you, don't hesitate to go in and ask questions and even ask for samples to try. When I've been able to make it into a store (I typically order online), they're always more than willing to listen and help you out, so I've been able to receive a few samples to see what works well for me. Have you ever tried any of their hair masks? They have one called "Jasmine and Henna Fluff Eaze" that can help with frizzy hair - it's incredibly moisturizing and leaves your hair sleek-looking for days. They also have another one called "H'Suan Wen Hua" that truthfully, smells awful, but it's great for adding moisture and nutrition to your scalp, and I use this whenever my hair looks like it's in need of a boost. Also, look into their dry shampoo, "No Drought", as it will help with the greasy/oily look without leaving your hair powdery.

I tend to air dry my hair, but I do have to use a blow dryer on my bangs and occasionally my roots to keep my scalp happy, so as long as you're taking care of your hair, don't worry about causing any damage from needing to use a blow dryer. In the end, as long as your scalp feels happy, your hair will feel happy, so just make sure to take care of yourself! Best of luck and hopefully you receive tons of helpful suggestions!

[PixieP]

henna relaxes waves/curls - at least with my hair. It is nowhere near as wavy, especially undeneath, after hennaing, though it seems to recover. I'm only doing the roots now, and the length is getting wavier (only 2a wavy at most though, i think)

Fascinating. Do you think it differs too with how acidic your mix is? I made mine with 90% lemon juice to begin with, and I felt my hair got a bit wavier when I begin with henna, but my scalp didn't like such an acidic mix so now I use tea and the extra wavy has disappear.


Your hair sounds very similar to mine as do your scalp issues. I have eczema, which is essentially the "little sister" to psoriasis, so I feel your pain there! I think your routine is perfectly fine especially considering what you've listed as your goals, so don't worry too much about what you should or shouldn't be doing. I love having long and healthy hair, but there are a lot of recommendations on LHC that I can't follow (although believe me, I've definitely tried...and failed) strictly because they cause so many more issues than they help to fix. For example, currently I've been washing my hair daily, which is very, very bad to the world of LHC, but I exercise heavily (and sweat heavily) and if I don't wash my hair and scalp to fully remove that sweat, my eczema flares up something fierce.

I'm also a huge fan of Lush specifically because I've felt that since using it, my hair and scalp have become much happier, so I have a couple of other products from them that you could possibly look into trying. They have a shampoo bar called "Lullaby" which helps with itchy or sensitive scalps, it's extremely gentle on the hair and scalp, but will still leave you feeling completely clean. I've been able to extend my washes with this bar when I skip a workout and I haven't noticed an issue with my hair feeling or looking greasy either. Also, Veganese is my absolute favorite conditioner from them, so I follow up with that and then a dab of R&B.

If you have a shop close to you, don't hesitate to go in and ask questions and even ask for samples to try. When I've been able to make it into a store (I typically order online), they're always more than willing to listen and help you out, so I've been able to receive a few samples to see what works well for me. Have you ever tried any of their hair masks? They have one called "Jasmine and Henna Fluff Eaze" that can help with frizzy hair - it's incredibly moisturizing and leaves your hair sleek-looking for days. They also have another one called "H'Suan Wen Hua" that truthfully, smells awful, but it's great for adding moisture and nutrition to your scalp, and I use this whenever my hair looks like it's in need of a boost. Also, look into their dry shampoo, "No Drought", as it will help with the greasy/oily look without leaving your hair powdery.

I tend to air dry my hair, but I do have to use a blow dryer on my bangs and occasionally my roots to keep my scalp happy, so as long as you're taking care of your hair, don't worry about causing any damage from needing to use a blow dryer. In the end, as long as your scalp feels happy, your hair will feel happy, so just make sure to take care of yourself! Best of luck and hopefully you receive tons of helpful suggestions!

Fellow Lushie :D

Lullaby is the pink shampoo bar, yes? I tried that as my very first bar, since it contains lavendel and stuff that my skin really likes i Lush products, but Seanik seems to work even better for my hair and scalp. I love that Veganese is so light; I can use it on my scalp without it greasing down my hair. So I massage that in on my psoriasis spots when they flare up, and it actually really helps.

I have their No Dorught dry shampoo actually, I use it to be able to postpone showering with a day or two. I don't like the bottle it comes in though, so I've put it in an empty Dream Cream box, and use a big rouge brush to dust it into my scalp, that works really well. Makes for a more even coating and it's easier to adjust how much products comes in.

I've tried the jasmine and henna fluff eaze, it's a bit too heavily scented for my sake so I didn't rebuy it, but my hair is more frizzy now than when I tried it about a year and a half ago, so I'll give it a try again, and look at H'Suan Wen Hua too. There's several Lush products I use that I don't really like the smell off, I think R&B smells awful, lol, but it does the job so I still use it XD

And if you got eczema other places than your scalp, I cannot recommend you Dream Cream enough, it's the only thing that can calm down my itching and burning when it's really bad. I push it on everyone I know with skin issues, lol! (I swear, I do not work for Lush or know anyone that does, I just really love all their stuff XD )

[alexis917]

Plant extracts can cause build up- maybe Panth can give us some more insight. But I think that could be causing your limp/greasy look, even when your hair is clean.

[meteor]

First things first, I'm terribly sorry about the psoriasis. :grouphug: I'd really try to get maximum help from a doctor for that.
In the meantime, can you wash your hair while wearing gloves? Or do they trigger psoriasis, too?

About the frizz and unusual texture: it's absolutely normal for hair that was chemically treated. You permed & dyed it, so the hair became more porous (absorbs more water but also lets go of water faster), so it makes sense that the texture will be more frizz-prone and won't be too predictable at different relative humidity. Since your plan is not to grow super-long hair, I would just grow out the perm, slowly trimming away processed ends.

In the meantime, you can probably benefit from penetrating oils (coconut oil, for example) as a pre-poo treatment (more on this: http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.ca/2014/03/oil-pre-shampoo-or-pre-wash.html) and hydrolyzed protein treatments (e.g. DIY gelatin mask: http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.ca/2014/04/gelatin-protein-treatment-recipe-update.html) that can temporarily patch-repair porous hair a bit. Doing LOC post-wash helps with fighting frizz, too, because it creates a bit of an anti-humectant barrier.

I'd go heavy on oils, silicones, proteins, ceramides - and they are usually star ingredients in treatments/masks/conditioners for color-treated and processed hair, so I would use those, at least while growing out the perm. :flower:

[PixieP]

Plant extracts can cause build up- maybe Panth can give us some more insight. But I think that could be causing your limp/greasy look, even when your hair is clean.

Huh, I didn't know that! I'll hope she wanders in here :D I'm only gonna dye my roots with henna for a while now while using Sun-in to get my hair lighter, so I'll see if that makes a difference (I've usually hennaed my whole hair every 3rd month to keep the colour fresh and shiny, it looks matte really fast with how my hair is)


First things first, I'm terribly sorry about the psoriasis. :grouphug: I'd really try to get maximum help from a doctor for that.
In the meantime, can you wash your hair while wearing gloves? Or do they trigger psoriasis, too?

About the frizz and unusual texture: it's absolutely normal for hair that was chemically treated. You permed & dyed it, so the hair became more porous (absorbs more water but also lets go of water faster), so it makes sense that the texture will be more frizz-prone and won't be too predictable at different relative humidity. Since your plan is not to grow super-long hair, I would just grow out the perm, slowly trimming away processed ends.

In the meantime, you can probably benefit from penetrating oils (coconut oil, for example) as a pre-poo treatment (more on this: http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.ca/2014/03/oil-pre-shampoo-or-pre-wash.html) and hydrolyzed protein treatments (e.g. DIY gelatin mask: http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.ca/2014/04/gelatin-protein-treatment-recipe-update.html) that can temporarily patch-repair porous hair a bit. Doing LOC post-wash helps with fighting frizz, too, because it creates a bit of an anti-humectant barrier.

I'd go heavy on oils, silicones, proteins, ceramides - and they are usually star ingredients in treatments/masks/conditioners for color-treated and processed hair, so I would use those, at least while growing out the perm. :flower:

I get all the help I can for my psoriasis, I'm on heavy medication and it's way better now that it was at the worst! I wore gloves 24/7 for a year, it was a nightmare. Now I function ok, but my skin does flare up if I annoy it, and water is one of the things it's not fond of.

I guess I should've clarified more; all the hair that originally got permed is grown out a long time ago and cut away now, and it's been two and a half years since my hair was last chemically dyed, after that only henna (and the ombre bleach in the tips last summer, but most of that is cut away now too).

Silicones I have to avoid because that makes my scalp psoriasis angry. I do an oil treatment every now and then, cover the whole hair in oil and then in plastic, gently warm it with the hairdryer once and hour and leave it in for at least three hours. My scalp loves it, but my hair is really heavy until 2-3 washes after.

Thanks for the link, I'll look at them :D

[vpatt]

I have terrible psoriasis, so you have all my sympathy on that. I do not have it much on my scalp or hands.....I feel very bad that you do. But I have it on my face and have had lots of other places. I use homemade soap (you can buy on etsy if you are not a soap maker) I also use Dr Bronner's liquid soap to which I add either coconut oil or coconut milk. And I rinse with a bit of vinegar in a cup of water. Right now I alternate these two as they both work and then I don't feel like I am stuck with only one way to wash. But again, my scalp does not really bother me. I have played recently with some other products, but these have become my regular method of shampooing.

Just to let you know and if you are interested you can p.m. me. Over the last year I have healed over half my psoriasis through diet and other natural means. I do not sell anything, lol. I bought a book and follow the method the author uses. No products to buy just food.

Edit: oops sorry, I just saw where you said you are on meds so you may not be interested in my way of eating.

[PixieP]

I have terrible psoriasis, so you have all my sympathy on that. I do not have it much on my scalp or hands.....I feel very bad that you do. But I have it on my face and have had lots of other places. I use homemade soap (you can buy on etsy if you are not a soap maker) I also use Dr Bronner's liquid soap to which I add either coconut oil or coconut milk. And I rinse with a bit of vinegar in a cup of water. Right now I alternate these two as they both work and then I don't feel like I am stuck with only one way to wash. But again, my scalp does not really bother me. I have played recently with some other products, but these have become my regular method of shampooing.

Just to let you know and if you are interested you can p.m. me. Over the last year I have healed over half my psoriasis through diet and other natural means. I do not sell anything, lol. I bought a book and follow the method the author uses. No products to buy just food.

Edit: oops sorry, I just saw where you said you are on meds so you may not be interested in my way of eating.

I have read a bit on psoriasis and diets. But I am struggling to eat enough as it is, I really cannot limit the sources of food I eat. I don't eat prosessed foods (except for like yoghurt), we make our own bread and make all our food from scratch, and that's good enough for me. Food needs to be enjoyable to me, and I know from past experience it isn't when I have strong restrictions on what I can and cannot eat. I've been on the edge of developing an eating disorder a few times you see. So I'll have to rely on meds over diet when it comes to helping my skin :)

[vpatt]

I have read a bit on psoriasis and diets. But I am struggling to eat enough as it is, I really cannot limit the sources of food I eat. I don't eat prosessed foods (except for like yoghurt), we make our own bread and make all our food from scratch, and that's good enough for me. Food needs to be enjoyable to me, and I know from past experience it isn't when I have strong restrictions on what I can and cannot eat. I've been on the edge of developing an eating disorder a few times you see. So I'll have to rely on meds over diet when it comes to helping my skin :)

I can understand that. The same things do not always work for everyone. I wish you the very best.....I know how devastating this condition can be.

[PixieP]

I can understand that. The same things do not always work for everyone. I wish you the very best.....I know how devastating this condition can be.

Thank you :)

[Panth]

Plant extracts can cause build up- maybe Panth can give us some more insight. But I think that could be causing your limp/greasy look, even when your hair is clean.

Chiming in! ;)

I'm afraid I don't really know much more than the fact that plant extracts can cause build-up that is as bad or worse than 'cones. The remedy is the same - clarify (and properly - gently massaging the suds through your length, not just on your scalp). If it's a recurrent problem, you probably should also tweak your routine to cut down on the amount of plant extracts you're using.


I'm only gonna dye my roots with henna for a while now while using Sun-in to get my hair lighter, so I'll see if that makes a difference (I've usually hennaed my whole hair every 3rd month to keep the colour fresh and shiny, it looks matte really fast with how my hair is)

Just to let you know, Sun-In (like all bleaching methods) is not damage-free. It will (over time, with prolonged usage) cause the same dry, damaged, breaking hair that regular bleach does. It'll just depend on how much you use and how resilient your hair is.


I guess I should've clarified more; all the hair that originally got permed is grown out a long time ago and cut away now, and it's been two and a half years since my hair was last chemically dyed, after that only henna (and the ombre bleach in the tips last summer, but most of that is cut away now too).

Silicones I have to avoid because that makes my scalp psoriasis angry. I do an oil treatment every now and then, cover the whole hair in oil and then in plastic, gently warm it with the hairdryer once and hour and leave it in for at least three hours. My scalp loves it, but my hair is really heavy until 2-3 washes after.

Thanks for the link, I'll look at them :D

Hair grows an average of 1/2" per month, so 6" per year. If you've been growing 2.5 years since your last dye treatment then theoretically (if you have an average growth rate) you have 15" of non-dye-damaged hair on your head. BSL hair comes in (on me at least) at about 20" strand length. So it's quite possible that the last 5" or more of your hair is still dye-damaged and needs to be treated according to that.

I know you don't want 'cones on your scalp but have you tried 'cones just on your length (or even on the last 6" or so of hair)? 'Cones in shampoo is a silly thing anyway (mainly done so that the shampoo can be used without conditioner by short-haired people). Conditioner shouldn't be touching your scalp anyway - it's supposed to be applied from the ears/chin down. So, theoretically at least, you should be able to use a 'coney conditioner on your length or at least your ends.

[PixieP]

Chiming in! ;)

I'm afraid I don't really know much more than the fact that plant extracts can cause build-up that is as bad or worse than 'cones. The remedy is the same - clarify (and properly - gently massaging the suds through your length, not just on your scalp). If it's a recurrent problem, you probably should also tweak your routine to cut down on the amount of plant extracts you're using.


I use a cone-free shampoo bar from Lush with SLS in it, is that enough to properly clarify you think? :)



Chiming in! ;)



Just to let you know, Sun-In (like all bleaching methods) is not damage-free. It will (over time, with prolonged usage) cause the same dry, damaged, breaking hair that regular bleach does. It'll just depend on how much you use and how resilient your hair is.


Since it's peroxide I figured it would hurt the hair to some degree indeed, but I have big plans of doing it slow and careful; my main goal is to lighten my hair to a more copper-tone, less wine, but I have all the time in the world to get it here XD I'm aiming at six months or so.



Chiming in! ;)


Hair grows an average of 1/2" per month, so 6" per year. If you've been growing 2.5 years since your last dye treatment then theoretically (if you have an average growth rate) you have 15" of non-dye-damaged hair on your head. BSL hair comes in (on me at least) at about 20" strand length. So it's quite possible that the last 5" or more of your hair is still dye-damaged and needs to be treated according to that.

I know you don't want 'cones on your scalp but have you tried 'cones just on your length (or even on the last 6" or so of hair)? 'Cones in shampoo is a silly thing anyway (mainly done so that the shampoo can be used without conditioner by short-haired people). Conditioner shouldn't be touching your scalp anyway - it's supposed to be applied from the ears/chin down. So, theoretically at least, you should be able to use a 'coney conditioner on your length or at least your ends.

I've trimmed my hair regularly, I've cut off at least 20 centimers combined since I last dyed it chemically, my hair grows pretty fast (wich is a blessing and a curse; damn roots!)

Husband does have a cone conditioner standing in the shower he isn't using anymore though, so I'll give that a try on my tips :)

[Panth]

I use a cone-free shampoo bar from Lush with SLS in it, is that enough to properly clarify you think? :)

Personally, I'd just use something actually advertised as clarifying. It's not enough that it lacks 'cones and contains sulphates - it also needs to have a higher-than normal concentration of strong surfactants that are capable of removing build-up, plus a formulation that doesn't include anything that might coat or build up. Using something that says 'clarifying' is easier than trying to second-guess ingredient lists, particularly as they never have concentrations on them only order of concentration.

Personally I like Pantene Clarifying Shampoo (blue label, clear bottle NOT the brown label, white bottle one) - it clarifies well but also chelates (removes mineral build-up). For most people clarifying is needed once-a-month or less so hopefully that'll mean it won't be too much of an issue for your psoriasis/hands.

[PixieP]

I don't think they sell Pantene here, but I'll take a look what I can find! :) Thank you! I guess now right before I henna is perfect time to use it?

[Panth]

I don't think they sell Pantene here, but I'll take a look what I can find! :) Thank you! I guess now right before I henna is perfect time to use it?

I'd double-check with people who actually use henna but in general doing a clarifying wash before dyeing hair is always a good step - it removes any build-up that could otherwise impede dye penetration.