weak hair

[hanne jensen]

Lately my hair is very weak and snaps off very easily. When I gently detangle my hair with my fingers a tangle will snap off instead of detangling. My hair has no tensile strength at all. Needless to say, I have visible splits all the way up to eye level. Hair wash is a nightmare as handfulls of hair is breaking off.

I really don't want to chop and start over. I'll never get long hair if I keep chopping.


I eat a healthy diet, drink water and have quit smoking. I load up my hair with moisturizer.

I would be grateful for any advice on how to improve my hair's tensile strength.

[Apolli]

Did you try protein treatments? I think if the hair shaft is very weak and overly stretchy/mushy (especially when wet) is a sign of protein deficiency in the hair (not body).

[hanne jensen]

My hair doesn't stretch at all. It just snaps right off. My hair doesn't feel mushy, it feels rough and dry. I have clarified and chelated.

[lapushka]

What's your routine? Product names and everything. :)

[Kat-Rinnè Naido]

lapushka is correct in asking.
We need to know everything that you do and use on your hair to brainstorm to help

[spidermom]

It sounds like it needs moisture.

[meteor]

Have you tried doing an "oil rinse" - a few drops of oil of choice over lengths/ends right after shampoo and before conditioner? Oil rinses can be pretty helpful for hair that lacks elasticity and snaps easily. Alternatively, adding a few drops of oil to conditioner, adding some honey to conditioner, doing honey+oil mask pre-wash or doing a LOC post-wash, etc... should all help maintain more moisturized hair.

Also, has your hair undergone any chemical processing or heat-styling or any other damage? If so, the snapping could be due to damage and increased porosity, and products with hydrolyzed proteins, 18-MEA, ceramides, penetrating oils and silicones should be useful in this case.

Could this be a seasonal problem? If it's the heating season where you live, it might be that moisture evaporates too quickly in dry air. We have strong seasonal changes here, and when heaters are on, I definitely have to start loading up on more occlusives (oils, silicones, butters...) in skin care, hair care, nail care..., or else everything feels bone dry.

Other than that, how is your health at the moment? Have you had recent blood work done? For example, if your hair and nails snap easily and skin is dry, that could be symptomatic of some vitamin deficiencies, it's impossible to tell without medical tests, of course...

[hanne jensen]

My routine is as follows:

Shampoo with a cheap clarifying poo that's diluted with about 50% water and a dash of ACV. Let the poo sit in my hair while washing face. Rinse well and apply whatever conditioner is handy. Rinse well. After shower apply Gosh Moisturizing leave in conditioner. When almost dry apply a tiny amount of Garnier repair serum. It has light cones.
I've started to apply very generously coconut oil before hairwashing. I wash my hair once a week. My poo is from a Danish store called Matas.
If my hair feels dry I'll apply a tiny bit of baby oil.

I wear my hair up all the time and finger comb only as my hair is so snappy and brittle. Last time I washed my hair I used a protein conditioner and my hair felt the same. Absolutely no difference.

My nails are fine and my skin is no drier than it usually is. I've always had slightly dry skin.
'
I use no heat on my hair. I have no perms or color in my hair. I've worked all my life for my grays and wear them with pride.

My poos contain no cones as they clog up my follicles. My sebum is hard dry and waxy. It always has been. My sebum doesn't travel much down my hair no matter what I do. If I don't use SLS poo my scalp gets angry red pimples that burn and itch.

My health is good. Last time about 4 years ago my hair reacted this way and I chopped back to above APL. I really don't want to chop again as I want to have very long hair just once in my life.

Thanks for offering to brainstorm as I really need some help.

[meteor]

^Am I understanding correctly that heavy coconut oil soaks pre-wash are the only recent addition? Could it be build-up then? If you suspect build-up, clarifying (using a "clarifying" or "deep cleansing" shampoo on length, full strength) and then following up with a good moisturizing treatment could help reset the hair? :hmm:

[hanne jensen]

I've just clarified and de-mineralized my hair. I use the coconut oil on dry hair before washing and my poo should wash it out.

I'm grateful for any and all ideas and answers, but I have to go to bed now. It's 2100 and I have to get up at 0400 tomorrow. I'll read and reply tomorrow morning.

[Obsidian]

Was your hair brittle before you started the coconut oil? Coconut oil can make some people's hair brittle and dry, maybe you should try a different oil. I really like avocado oil.

[missrandie]

I would suggest stopping the pre-poo coconut oiling. It's reducing the amount of moisture that is getting into your hair.

I second the suggestion of an oil rinse, and would also suggest that you do an SMT to get as much moisture as possible into your hair.

[Kat-Rinnè Naido]

Meteor she says she shampoos with a clarifying shampoo that's diluted with vinegar and water. Is she maybe using a clarifying shampoo too frequently and this could be causing the problem

[hanne jensen]

I'll try changing poos and using an oil rinse. I forgot to mention that I have hard water. This is why I use ACV.

[Kat-Rinnè Naido]

Diluted ACV seems fine. I use for every wash. But try not to use a clarifying shampoo so frequently. I think once a month or better if you can stretch it a bit longer

[Annalouise]

My routine is as follows:

Shampoo with a cheap clarifying poo that's diluted with about 50% water and a dash of ACV. Let the poo sit in my hair while washing face. Rinse well and apply whatever conditioner is handy. Rinse well. After shower apply Gosh Moisturizing leave in conditioner. When almost dry apply a tiny amount of Garnier repair serum. It has light cones.
I've started to apply very generously coconut oil before hairwashing. I wash my hair once a week. My poo is from a Danish store called Matas.
If my hair feels dry I'll apply a tiny bit of baby oil.

I wear my hair up all the time and finger comb only as my hair is so snappy and brittle. Last time I washed my hair I used a protein conditioner and my hair felt the same. Absolutely no difference.

My nails are fine and my skin is no drier than it usually is. I've always had slightly dry skin.
'
I use no heat on my hair. I have no perms or color in my hair. I've worked all my life for my grays and wear them with pride.

My poos contain no cones as they clog up my follicles. My sebum is hard dry and waxy. It always has been. My sebum doesn't travel much down my hair no matter what I do. If I don't use SLS poo my scalp gets angry red pimples that burn and itch.

My health is good. Last time about 4 years ago my hair reacted this way and I chopped back to above APL. I really don't want to chop again as I want to have very long hair just once in my life.

Thanks for offering to brainstorm as I really need some help.


I'll try changing poos and using an oil rinse. I forgot to mention that I have hard water. This is why I use ACV.

I have fine hair and I find vinegar to be drying. I use vinegar to remove hard water deposits on my facets. You soak the washcloth in straight vinegar an leave it on for a few hours or overnight and it dissolves hard water deposits. ....... In other words..... STRONG STUFF.

In my opinion, your putting too much stuff on your hair. And I would walk away from the silicones due to you having fine hair. I find they build up on the hair locking moisture out. If it was me, I'd take the routine down to a non sulphate shampoo, and a non silicone conditioner, and a tiny bit of oil to seal the ends after washing. When you have fine hair LESS is more.:toast:

[hanne jensen]

Annalouise, that sounds very logical. Will slufate free poo cut through my waxy sebum? Should I clarify first to get the cones off my hair or will a gentler poo be enough? I have some Mane n Tail shampoo and conditioner. There have been raves about it here on the boards in the past.

[ravenheather]

Even if you don't change shampoos, maybe rinse it out right away. I could never leave shampoo sit on my hair and I am more oily than dry. Conditioner should sit on hair not shampoo.

[Annalouise]

Annalouise, that sounds very logical. Will slufate free poo cut through my waxy sebum? Should I clarify first to get the cones off my hair or will a gentler poo be enough? I have some Mane n Tail shampoo and conditioner. There have been raves about it here on the boards in the past.

Yes, if you have been using cones then you need a sulphate to remove them ...(as far as I know). So you would probably need to use a sulphate shampoo for a few times on the length until you remove the buildup.
I don't know what shampoo will work for your scalp to be honest. But you can always use trial and error. Depending on how long your hair is if you want a strong (sulphate) shampoo for your scalp then you can hold your hair out of the way when you rinse your head. Or put a silicone free conditioner on the length while you shampoo your scalp and then rinse.
Fine hair is prone to drying out. It is more delicate than M and C hair as it has no medulla.

[Larki]

Also if you just recently quit smoking, it will likely take months to see any benefit from it. Your new growth likely would benefit, but most people only grow half an inch a month.

[hanne jensen]

Thanks, everyone. I'll try to wash a few times with sulfates to remove the cones and then switch to cone free. I hope this helps.