White dots and Velcro ends - what to do next?!

[Sunshine&Opals]

Hi Lovely LHCers.
Ive been here on the LHC since summer, and enjoyed learning about a huge amount of things, the latest being catnip. But no matter what I've tried, the white dots and breakage are not letting up.
Catnip has really helped my scalp and hair feel so smooth , soft and shiny. But after a day or two, the ends just get crunchy , and the ends start bending, leading to white dots, and then split ends. It seems as if my hair has no flexibility or elasticity at all.
Im thinking about cutting back to a bob and have done with the growing.
What do you think? What would you do?
Shall I quit the catnip, and go back to WCC, ROO and LOC? Do an SMT? Cut off all the length? (Im only at APL!) I'm just so cheesed off with looking dreadful everyday with oily roots, scrapped back into a bun to hide the thin, dry ends hair for nothing! It's just so frustrating! Maybe my hair just isn't meant to be long.
Thanks so much for taking the time to read this.

[samanthaa]

Is you hair bleached at all? If so, this sounds like bleach damage.

What's your routine like? Do you use conditioner or oils regularly?

I probably would suggest an SMT. If you use conventional shampoo and conditioner, you might want to clarify first, then SMT. If you use conditioner, maybe on the second or third day when your hair starts to feel "crunchy," you can do the opposite of a scalp wash: braid your hair, wet just the tassel in the sink, apply conditioner, and rinse out. This works for me when my length gets dry but I'm not ready to get my scalp wet.

Re: crunchiness. Do you use a conditioner with protein (or perhaps a shampoo)? Do you use coconut oil? Those are ingredients that people sometimes find makes their hair "crunchy." If so, try cutting them out for a while and opting instead for extra moisturizing conditioners or masks (an SMT would work here!).

[Ophidian]

Awww I know the frustration of experimenting and not getting the results you need but don't give up yet!

A few questions:
What is your routine now, since you started using catnip? Are you still doing CCW, LOC, ROO?
How do you handle your hair (tools, sleep, styles)?
It sounds like this is an ongoing issue but have you clarified lately?

ETA I waited too long to hit "post," didn't mean to restate what samanthaa already said!

[lapushka]

Hi Lovely LHCers.
Ive been here on the LHC since summer, and enjoyed learning about a huge amount of things, the latest being catnip. But no matter what I've tried, the white dots and breakage are not letting up.
Catnip has really helped my scalp and hair feel so smooth , soft and shiny. But after a day or two, the ends just get crunchy , and the ends start bending, leading to white dots, and then split ends. It seems as if my hair has no flexibility or elasticity at all.
Im thinking about cutting back to a bob and have done with the growing.
What do you think? What would you do?
Shall I quit the catnip, and go back to WCC, ROO and LOC? Do an SMT? Cut off all the length? (Im only at APL!) I'm just so cheesed off with looking dreadful everyday with oily roots, scrapped back into a bun to hide the thin, dry ends hair for nothing! It's just so frustrating! Maybe my hair just isn't meant to be long.
Thanks so much for taking the time to read this.

Catnip is not going to *fix* damage that is already there. After you quit bleaching and heat styling, it's like growing out from bald. It will take about 2 years to see good healthy shoulder length growth.

[spidermom]

Perhaps buildup is the problem. Wash your hair from scalp to tips with a clarifying shampoo, follow with a deep moisture treatment.

[lapushka]

Just to compare. I had a perm done at about shoulder. My hair was riddled with white dots (half of it at least). I left them alone until I grew to hip. Yes, some broke off, but they can hang on surprisingly well if you just leave them alone (doesn't hurt!) and so at hip my mom did a major S&D session and as a result of that half of my hair was thinned out up to BSL (the dots were that high up a strand). If I were to have had an S&D session at shoulder I would have been left with shaved to pixie length. No. Not for me. We cut back to BSL after this, and I learned my lesson; not to damage my hair anymore.

[Jenny21]

What about protein? I never see anyone suggest it, but if your hair is breaking that means it has no strength and probably needs protein. My hair breaks very easily, so I started using a lot of protein and it seems to really be helping me.

[lapushka]

What about protein? I never see anyone suggest it, but if your hair is breaking that means it has no strength and probably needs protein. My hair breaks very easily, so I started using a lot of protein and it seems to really be helping me.

I tried protein on my "white dots" - they are indifferent to it, mine were, at least. It is damage that has been done, nothing you do will "help" it. :shrug:

[Jenny21]

Obviously nothing will repair a white dot, but the protein can help strengthen her hair and prevent further breakage.

[lapushka]

Obviously nothing will repair a white dot, but the protein can help strengthen her hair and prevent further breakage.

Oh she can always try! Sure. :)

[Sunshine&Opals]

Thanks for all your replies. I appreciate you all taking the time to help out.:)
No bleach damage, but there is some heat damage from a year or two ago.
Thanks, Lapushka, your story is so inspiring, I'm sure I could probably leave the white dots without S&Ding them all out. But when I'm finger detangling, I can feel and hear the hairs breaking. I worry that I am doing more harm, by snagging the good hair on the white dots.
Ophidian and Samanthaa,I've been avoiding protein and trying to up the moisture by using WCC, ROO and LOC. When this didn't appear to be helping much, I thought I'd try catnip. So I started catnip 2 weeks ago, with a clean slate.

The first step was to chelate once with Joico before commencing with the catnip, just to reset everything.

Then I am shampooing very 4 days or so with Alberto balsam tee tree shampoo , from scalp to ends, then applying catnip that has brewed for 4.75 hours, adding a tight fitting shower cap, and leaving for an hour. Then I rinse out, and add a little bit of non coney conditioner ( Sainsbury's coconut conditioner) , then a bit of coconut oil.
It feels great on day one, but becomes crunchy, and I can't get my fingers through it to detangle it by day two. That's when I've been adding more oil.
I try to handle my hair very gently, always wear a plait or lazy wrap bun daily. I sleep on a silk pillow, like the pampered princess that I am, lol! I detangle using fingers, then a wide tooth comb, then a tangle teaser. And after 2 weeks, and 6 washes, I'm starting to think that the catnip is making it worse.

I have been wondering if the white dots etc are indeed, old damage from years ago. But the thing that is a little concerning is that some of the splits and white dots are appearing in the mid lengths. Also noticed that my DDs totally untreated hair seems to be breaking around her crown. What's going on with that?!
Any ideas gratefully received. I was thinking about trying to add some protein, although all the signs seem to indicate that I need the opposite, more moisture? Jenny21, do you think a Joico protein treatment might be a good idea? What do you use?
Thanks all, I really was at the end of my tether , I'd already been growing it for a year before I found LHC, and it just seemed like I was getting nowhere fast with it!

[Jenny21]

Yes I use the joico for protein treatment. I know people get scared to try protein, but it really helped my hair. I had breakage all over, since using protein my breakage is barely there now. Another product I use and love is the redken antisnap. It's a leave in treatment to help prevent breakage and split ends. It's my holy grail product, leaves my hair super soft and shiny. Best of luck to you!

[Sunshine&Opals]

Thanks, Jenny21. Maybe I will get some and try a section of hair first, to see how that behaves? What's the worst that can happen?

[Jenny21]

Remember to always follow the protein treatment up with a conditioner afterwards.

[Sunshine&Opals]

Got it, Jenny21, deefinately! Would Herbal Esences Hello Hydration "deep nourishing intensive mask "conditioner do the trick as a moisture treatment after the Joico protein treatment? Or would Joico's own be better?

[Deborah]

Instead of no cutting or a bob, maybe try a one inch trim and then reassess to see if your ends are mostly nice afterwards. All those treatments cannot heal damage, only make the hair feel slightly nicer.

Don't give up! Many on this list have had much worse damage, yet still ended up with nice long hair in time.

[samanthaa]

Then I am shampooing very 4 days or so with Alberto balsam tee tree shampoo , from scalp to ends, then applying catnip that has brewed for 4.75 hours, adding a tight fitting shower cap, and leaving for an hour. Then I rinse out, and add a little bit of non coney conditioner ( Sainsbury's coconut conditioner) , then a bit of coconut oil.
It feels great on day one, but becomes crunchy, and I can't get my fingers through it to detangle it by day two. That's when I've been adding more oil.


I would try leaving the coconut oil out of your routine for a while and seeing if that helps at all with the "crunchiness." Some people report this effect when using coconut oil. Or perhaps you can switch to another oil for a while? There's so many: olive, avocado, argan, jojoba, sweet almond, etc., etc.

Coconut oil and argan are my favorites personally, but I don't like coconut oil as a leave-in as it's too light and, yeah, "crunchy." I personally use it only as an add-in to deep conditionings or SMTs when it will be washed out an hour or so later. Argan is my favorite as a leave-in.

[Jenny21]

I don't think it matters, whichever you prefer.

[Sunshine&Opals]

Thanks, everyone. Quick update : I did another catnip soak then used another different oil (hemp seed oil , which really agrees with my hair) instead of coconut oil, as you kindly suggested, Samanthaa. It still was very tangly by day two. I've done another S&D and found white dots and lots of split ends. One split was a split on a split on a split!
I've decided enough is enough, and despite how much I wanted catnip to work out, it just seems to dry my ends out, and seems to be causing more damage, which I'm not happy about risking. It's all about what our hair and scalp want, not what we want, after all, if I may paraphrase you, Lapushka.
Thanks for your encouraging words, Deborah, I've recently chopped off a good few inches already, which did feel good, admittedly. Seems such a shame to be lopping off more length though, I'll be shorter in length than when I started, at this rate, which seems so demotivating. But it might be just the thing to get a healthier head of hair. I may try and lob off another inch if I keep finding damage. Meanwhile, I'll S&D daily in the hopes of catching the damage before it turns into splits and gets worse. It will also help me monitor and track more closely what differences in routine make to the health of my hair. We'll see!
Anyway, I've gone back to a more moisturising WCC, ROO, LOC routine with herbal essences hello hydration deep conditioner for now, to see if that helps at all.
The next step is to try protein, as Jenny21 suggests. I will try the joico k pak reconstructor and the redken antisnap, which I will order, just on one section of hair for now and see how it goes.
I am trying to understand you, hair! It's just that I'm not sure what it is you are trying to tell me!
It's hard, isn't it, LHCers, to find a routine that you are happy with that keeps hair in a happy equilibrium?

[mizukitty]

Thanks, everyone. Quick update : I did another catnip soak then used another different oil (hemp seed oil , which really agrees with my hair) instead of coconut oil, as you kindly suggested, Samanthaa. It still was very tangly by day two. I've done another S&D and found white dots and lots of split ends. One split was a split on a split on a split!
I've decided enough is enough, and despite how much I wanted catnip to work out, it just seems to dry my ends out, and seems to be causing more damage, which I'm not happy about risking. It's all about what our hair and scalp want, not what we want, after all, if I may paraphrase you, Lapushka.
Thanks for your encouraging words, Deborah, I've recently chopped off a good few inches already, which did feel good, admittedly. Seems such a shame to be lopping off more length though, I'll be shorter in length than when I started, at this rate, which seems so demotivating. But it might be just the thing to get a healthier head of hair. I may try and lob off another inch if I keep finding damage. Meanwhile, I'll S&D daily in the hopes of catching the damage before it turns into splits and gets worse. It will also help me monitor and track more closely what differences in routine make to the health of my hair. We'll see!
Anyway, I've gone back to a more moisturising WCC, ROO, LOC routine with herbal essences hello hydration deep conditioner for now, to see if that helps at all.
The next step is to try protein, as Jenny21 suggests. I will try the joico k pak reconstructor and the redken antisnap, which I will order, just on one section of hair for now and see how it goes.
I am trying to understand you, hair! It's just that I'm not sure what it is you are trying to tell me!
It's hard, isn't it, LHCers, to find a routine that you are happy with that keeps hair in a happy equilibrium?

Hemp will be a lot more softening than coconut. As well as olive, avocado, etc. Also, herbs have a tendency to be quite drying on the hair. Some hair types feel the effects more as everyone is different, but if it's not helping you by all means drop it.

Probably the best things I can think of are...

-Stop shampooing your length. It really isn't necessary unless it's extremely oily, greasy, sticky or the build up is visible (white). In your case you need to leave the ends alone as much as possible, and shampoos aren't going to help them!
-Oil is your best friend, next to conditioning. Get all the fatty alcohols on there (HEHH is quite amazing, as well as LOC) Finish with oil!!! Apply it in sections so you can control the amount (no grease or stringiness should be present, but should be smooth)
-Do not keep your hair overly wet. Wet hair is extremely fragile hair. Wash it fast, don't leave the conditioner in for hours, and let it air dry quickly. I wouldn't get the length wet but once a week or so (scalp only washes)
-Use some kind of detangler. Friction is basically one of the best types of mechanical damage there is next to harsh brushing - especially for fine hair. If you hair isn't lubricated via something slippery enough, your hair will rub against everything and weak spots will form as keratin rubs/chips away. You can remedy this with the temp protein stuff, but prevention here is key.

Feel free to use silicones. I would probably recommend them in your case. They aren't going to ruin your hair, and the slip is really incredible - they're kind of the best for reducing friction. The buildup doesn't happen overnight unless you're applying half a bottle, and most sulfate free poos will remove them when needed (which shouldn't be too often if the splits keep showing up!).. I use a little serum over my oiled hair sometimes and it's wonderful.


Okay that's all I can think of. I really hope you can figure out your ideal routine soon, I know it's infuriating when your efforts seem to be for naught. But don't give up - you'll get there. :) :) :)

[Hay_jules]

Thanks, everyone. Quick update : I did another catnip soak then used another different oil (hemp seed oil , which really agrees with my hair) instead of coconut oil, as you kindly suggested, Samanthaa. It still was very tangly by day two. I've done another S&D and found white dots and lots of split ends. One split was a split on a split on a split!
I've decided enough is enough, and despite how much I wanted catnip to work out, it just seems to dry my ends out, and seems to be causing more damage, which I'm not happy about risking. It's all about what our hair and scalp want, not what we want, after all, if I may paraphrase you, Lapushka.
Thanks for your encouraging words, Deborah, I've recently chopped off a good few inches already, which did feel good, admittedly. Seems such a shame to be lopping off more length though, I'll be shorter in length than when I started, at this rate, which seems so demotivating. But it might be just the thing to get a healthier head of hair. I may try and lob off another inch if I keep finding damage. Meanwhile, I'll S&D daily in the hopes of catching the damage before it turns into splits and gets worse. It will also help me monitor and track more closely what differences in routine make to the health of my hair. We'll see!
Anyway, I've gone back to a more moisturising WCC, ROO, LOC routine with herbal essences hello hydration deep conditioner for now, to see if that helps at all.
The next step is to try protein, as Jenny21 suggests. I will try the joico k pak reconstructor and the redken antisnap, which I will order, just on one section of hair for now and see how it goes.
I am trying to understand you, hair! It's just that I'm not sure what it is you are trying to tell me!
It's hard, isn't it, LHCers, to find a routine that you are happy with that keeps hair in a happy equilibrium?

I'm not positive but I believe these two products do the same thing. Joico kpak line has several products...the reconstructor actually does put a layer that seals the split end (temporarily) and lasts several washes....from my understanding the redkin does the same so I think you only need to order one or the other. The Joico reconstructor does wonders with my bleach damaged hair. I also use the Joico intense hydrator (after the reconstructor if using together).

[VersLaLumière]

Is you hair bleached at all? If so, this sounds like bleach damage.

Re: crunchiness. Do you use a conditioner with protein (or perhaps a shampoo)? Do you use coconut oil? Those are ingredients that people sometimes find makes their hair "crunchy." If so, try cutting them out for a while and opting instead for extra moisturizing conditioners or masks (an SMT would work here!).

Hi, I'm new...what is an SMT? I don't see it in the glossary. I'm prone to developing crunchy ends too, especially in the summer...

[VersLaLumière]

Just to compare. I had a perm done at about shoulder. My hair was riddled with white dots (half of it at least). I left them alone until I grew to hip. Yes, some broke off, but they can hang on surprisingly well if you just leave them alone (doesn't hurt!) and so at hip my mom did a major S&D session and as a result of that half of my hair was thinned out up to BSL (the dots were that high up a strand). If I were to have had an S&D session at shoulder I would have been left with shaved to pixie length. No. Not for me. We cut back to BSL after this, and I learned my lesson; not to damage my hair anymore.

Hmm. I have very few white dots around my ends, but I was wondering whether I could get away with just leaving them alone. Thanks for the tip.

Sorry for your struggle Sunshine&Opals, hope you find a good solution :)

[Hay_jules]

Hi, I'm new...what is an SMT? I don't see it in the glossary. I'm prone to developing crunchy ends too, especially in the summer...

Sunnys moisture treatment. If you search the forum you'll find it but it's basically a mix of conditioner, honey and aloe to use as a highly moisturizing deep conditioning treatment.

[wispe]

Snowymoon's Moisture Treatment (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=128).

[Sunshine&Opals]

Another update - I've trimmed off a fair bit again, and some an intense s and d. I've started using the Redken antisnap as a leave in, and I think it's helping. I've gone back to HE HH. Still not that happy with the look of my hair when it's down, but, I think it's tolerable when up in a bun. Thanks for your help, guys, will keep you posted as to how it's going.

[Jenny21]

Thanks for the update! Glad to hear the antisnap is helping, I love that stuff.