HELP!! Wavy hair problems

[Poojasaravanan]

Hi, my hair type is 2c and I have a few hair problems.
First let me tell you my hair routine. I wash my hair once a week with shampoo that contains SLS. I never use conditioner(my hair feels sticky after conditioner no matter what brand I use or how well I rinse ). I oil my lengths throughout the week with castor oil, coconut oil and avocado oil. I also oil my hair after shampooing as my hair is very dry.
Now, the problems are :
1.My hair is very dry even when I use an oil treatment as pre-poo. ( Using a shampoo without sulphates is not an option).
2.My hair does not curl immediately but does so only around the 3rd day.
3.My hair looks great at home but as soon as I go out it becomes like straw (dry, rough, and loses curl).

Info:
I never use heat, or any chemicals in my hair other than shampoo.

I live in a hot climate. The temperature is about 70°-90°F , humidity is about 65-100%, and dew point is 69°- 73°.


I would really appreciate it if you could give me a solution.

[Kellylee]

Maybe try to condition your hair before washing it.

[Beeboo123]

I get problem number 3 too... It’s because of the high humidity, and I haven’t found an ideal solution to it, I’ve just accepted it. Applying a bit of mineral oil to smooth it down does help a little

[Poojasaravanan]

I pre-poo my hair with an oil treatment. Is it necessary to conditon?

[Robi-Bird]

It might be necessary for you to condition. Oil does not really do anything for my hair except make it stiff except in the smallest amounts. No conditioner for me means no long hair. And yet there are people here who only wash with water, or use let soap. Kellylee's suggestion of conditioning first may solve your stickiness issues.

[Chocowalnut]

I agree with the above posts. You should use a conditioner after you shampoo, especially with dry hair being your complaint. Oil can build up and make hair feel very dry. You should do a clarifying treatment to get rid of build up and then a deep conditioning treatment. There are many good ones- look around on this site. I also have predominantly 2c hair. As for encouraging curl, I always comb through my hair gently with the conditioner in, rinse it out, and then let it dry without touching it. I may gently scrunch it a little. This usually gives me the best wave/curl definition. Keep experimenting with different conditioners as I feel this is what you need most.

[Gem]

If your hair doesn't like a lot of protein, the coconut oil may be causing some of the issues. It does not have protein itself, but prevents protein loss during washing. Some people find that this effect is too much for them. My hair loves protein, so it doesn't touch water without pre-oiling.
Another thought: Maybe the oil is sealing your hair away from needed moisture. Maybe it would help to put oil in a mister bottle of water to moisturize throughout the week.

[akurah]

I think you should either investigate conditioner only washing (ACV rinse after might mitigate the stickiness) or wash far less often. My hair type is not the same as yours, but my hair is definitely on the dryer side, and the longer I go without a wash, the happier it tends to be. I'm talking on the order of 2+ weeks.

I currently wash weekly though for a few unimportant reasons. I plan to go back to longer gaps between washes eventually.

[lapushka]

Are you sure you're not mistaking the silky smooth feeling of a conditioner for "sticky".

How do you put the conditioner in? How long do you let it sit, and do you rinse it out with warm water or cold? Talk to us about that some, so we can try to figure out why it would be sticky at all. Conditioner shouldn't do that.

[Beeboo123]

Are you sure you're not mistaking the silky smooth feeling of a conditioner for "sticky".

How do you put the conditioner in? How long do you let it sit, and do you rinse it out with warm water or cold? Talk to us about that some, so we can try to figure out why it would be sticky at all. Conditioner shouldn't do that.

I respectfully disagree... My hair has issues with some conditioners (those that contain cyclopentasiloxanes). My hair is literally glued together when I use them, not a silky smooth feeling at all, even if I rinse it out completely. Not all conditioners are suitable for all hairtypes, maybe OP has to find a conditooner that better suits him/her.

[Poojasaravanan]

Are you sure you're not mistaking the silky smooth feeling of a conditioner for "sticky".

How do you put the conditioner in? How long do you let it sit, and do you rinse it out with warm water or cold? Talk to us about that some, so we can try to figure out why it would be sticky at all. Conditioner shouldn't do that.

I used to apply a dime sized amount of conditioner, spread it through my hair, comb it in and rinse after 5 minutes. My hair always felt sticky after it dried.

[Poojasaravanan]

Thanks everyone, I'll maybe try conditioning my hair before shampooing.

[Poojasaravanan]

Are you sure you're not mistaking the silky smooth feeling of a conditioner for "sticky".

How do you put the conditioner in? How long do you let it sit, and do you rinse it out with warm water or cold? Talk to us about that some, so we can try to figure out why it would be sticky at all. Conditioner shouldn't do that.


Also, I rinse it out with warm water.

[lapushka]

I respectfully disagree... My hair has issues with some conditioners (those that contain cyclopentasiloxanes). My hair is literally glued together when I use them, not a silky smooth feeling at all, even if I rinse it out completely. Not all conditioners are suitable for all hairtypes, maybe OP has to find a conditooner that better suits him/her.

That is so odd (not that I don't believe you). Yeah, maybe it's down to the ingredients. :flower: OP, what brands have you tried? Maybe we can help you out there.


I used to apply a dime sized amount of conditioner, spread it through my hair, comb it in and rinse after 5 minutes. My hair always felt sticky after it dried.

I do need to rinse my conditioners out for a long time, even after I think the water is clear, I keep rinsing for a while. :) But if you're rinsing it out real well, and it's still sticky, I have no clue what the heck's going on.


Also, I rinse it out with warm water.

I was thinking maybe if it was cold water, you might be able to do something about it. :)

[lapushka]

Thanks everyone, I'll maybe try conditioning my hair before shampooing.

That would be a great solution, if it works! At least your hair can get a little moisture. Oil = not moisture.

[lucid]

Does your shampoo contain silicones (it's very common, and can give sticky hair)? Also, I would get a conditioner without silicones. Start off with that after clarifying your hair.

I have hair that acts weird with lots of shampoos and conditioners as well, so I have had to do a lot of trial and error before finding products suitable for my hair.

[enting]

Do you use any humectants? Glycerin or aloe gel might help with curl definition, since it's hot and humid where you are.

I thought conditioners were all terrible for my hair until about two weeks ago. I tried a friend's cone-free natural conditioner on my lengths before shampooing and it made a noticeable difference - my hair wasn't dried out like with other conditioners, it actually felt conditioned. In the past I've had conditioners dry my hair out, and I've had certain shampoos make my hair feel coated and sticky, so I hear you on not wanting that sticky feeling.

It's also possible that you may need to play around with oils some more, maybe try different oils than the ones you have been using?

[lapushka]

Do you use any humectants? Glycerin or aloe gel might help with curl definition, since it's hot and humid where you are.

I thought conditioners were all terrible for my hair until about two weeks ago. I tried a friend's cone-free natural conditioner on my lengths before shampooing and it made a noticeable difference - my hair wasn't dried out like with other conditioners, it actually felt conditioned. In the past I've had conditioners dry my hair out, and I've had certain shampoos make my hair feel coated and sticky, so I hear you on not wanting that sticky feeling.

It's also possible that you may need to play around with oils some more, maybe try different oils than the ones you have been using?

Good point. My question, what oils have you been using?

[Gem]

It could also be a pH issue. One thing conditioners are intended to do is to restore the correct pH after shampooing. You can accomplish the same thing with a vinegar rinse (I use two cups water to one tablespoon vinegar, but exactly what you use will depend on your water's pH). If I just oil and shampoo, my hair is very dry, but a vinegar rinse leaves it silky and moisturized.

[PixieP]

You could also try to use other things to give moisture; aloe Vera, catnip tea rinse, I’ve seen some people here say great things about marshmallow root rinses. A lightweight serum to use after wash or a leave-in could also be good. You could also do a deep treatment first and then shampoo after. Try to not shampoo the length, massage it in the scalp and let the suds rinsing off be enough wash for the lengths.

[Jo Ann]

Shampoos and conditioners high in proteins make my hair feel like straw; so does coconut oil when applied after it's dry.

Maybe a rinse-out oil (see Lapushka's signature for the link) can help you out. Also, check Lapushka's like for LOC/LCO--that does wonders for curl definition! You might have to experiment with leave-in conditioners to find what works for you, but the Shea Moisture Strengthen and Grow Leave-in (also known as JBCO) is good.

[spidermom]

In hot and humid weather, my hair behaves better if I wet it, massage conditioner through the length, rinse that out, then shampoo my scalp area. Sometimes I follow with a very weak white vinegar rinse - about 1 splash to a pitcher of warm water. I rinse that out, too.

[Poojasaravanan]

Does your shampoo contain silicones (it's very common, and can give sticky hair)? Also, I would get a conditioner without silicones. Start off with that after clarifying your hair.

I have hair that acts weird with lots of shampoos and conditioners as well, so I have had to do a lot of trial and error before finding products suitable for my hair.

My shampoo doesn't contain silicones and it works just fine without a conditioner. It's the conditioner that's causing a problem.

[Poojasaravanan]

Do you use any humectants? Glycerin or aloe gel might help with curl definition, since it's hot and humid where you are.

I thought conditioners were all terrible for my hair until about two weeks ago. I tried a friend's cone-free natural conditioner on my lengths before shampooing and it made a noticeable difference - my hair wasn't dried out like with other conditioners, it actually felt conditioned. In the past I've had conditioners dry my hair out, and I've had certain shampoos make my hair feel coated and sticky, so I hear you on not wanting that sticky feeling.

It's also possible that you may need to play around with oils some more, maybe try different oils than the ones you have been using?

Okay, the products I usually use on my hair are coconut oil, avocado oil, shea butter, castor oil and very rarely a few drops of jojoba oil. I don't think any of them are humectants, in fact, I read somewhere that castor oil and shea butter are anti-humectants.

[Poojasaravanan]

Guys thank you do much for your suggestions! I'm really excited to try them out- is that pathetic? XD
Can anyone please tell me how to protect my hair from the humidity? I only use natural oils and butters.

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

Step 1. Clarify
Step 2. Deep treat with a conditioner with no humectants, no silicones and no protein. This may sound difficult but if you spend a moment searching you'll find something.
Step 3. Finish with an ACV rinse.
Step 4 is optional and thats oils.

Oils are great at protecting and sealing moisture in, but if theres none to begin with you're just running circles.

As a 2b-2c myself, from a hot, hard watered city, this way worked for me

Now that I live in the PNW, I do LOC not ACV.

[enting]

Guys thank you do much for your suggestions! I'm really excited to try them out- is that pathetic? XD
Can anyone please tell me how to protect my hair from the humidity? I only use natural oils and butters.

It's never pathetic to be excited to have ideas to try out to fix an issue!
In general I like to use a combination of oils and humectants on my hair in most weathers. I lay off the humectants a bit when it's dry weather.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

This seems a good hair-friendly way to get nice waves:

https://youtu.be/fEmiDyfoe98

[lapushka]

Okay, the products I usually use on my hair are coconut oil, avocado oil, shea butter, castor oil and very rarely a few drops of jojoba oil. I don't think any of them are humectants, in fact, I read somewhere that castor oil and shea butter are anti-humectants.

The issue, I think, is that oils aren't moisturizing; they smooth and add shine and seal moisture in, but they in themselves can't combat the dryness I don't think. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Have you had a chance to try conditioner before shampoo yet? When's your next wash day?

[dvep]

I have dry, curly-wurly hair and my holy f
grail product is flaxseed gel. It gives my texture great definition and is very moisturizing. I make it in small batches and apply it to my hair while it's wet after the shower. It always feels like I'm putting on an excessive amount because it dries feeling crispy, but that goes away by just gently pressing it out with my fingers and leaves my hair softer than anything. Oil does literally nothing for my hair!

[Ophidian]

I have a similar type and have to work to keep moisture in my hair. I also have very inconsistent results with conditioner and tend to use relatively little. This is what has worked for me (some of which has already been mentioned):

-Lightly oiling damp hair after washing and then keeping it bunned or braided. If I air dry completely with it down it tends to feel rough either because the humidity has made it go haywire (mostly in the summer where I am) or the dryness from indoor heating in the winter sucks the moisture out. My hair is very sensitive to both.

-Doing a final rinse with an herbal infusion to which I've added a little honey. I let it sit for a few minutes then rinse with clear water. People respond differently to humectants but honey gives me a huge moisture boost and really increases softness. For herbs I like catnip like PixieP recommended. Things with a little "slip" are really nice too, like marshmallow or hibiscus. There are a lot of options herb-wise but I never leave the honey out.

-Finding an oil that plays well with my hair. My HG is unrefined coconut but yours may be different. I like to think of using it to help retain the moisture that is already in my hair after washing it, and for keeping the ends flexible. If they feel really dry I will spray them with water before oiling.

-Conditioners definitely aren't created equal. Silicones make my hair feel weird. I get one great wash and after that it goes quickly downhill. Moisturizing cone-free conditioner works best for me, but I only use in on the last few inches of my hair. Protein often makes my hair feel crunchy and brittle so I tend to avoid it. Doing a little lable-reading and experimenting with different types of conditioners might help you find something that works.

-Finally but definitely not least, I would highly recommend giving this article from Sciency Hairblog a read: http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.com/2014/07/moisturizing-low-porosity-hair.html. Even if your hair is not low-porosity, it introduces the idea that different heads of hair may need different approaches to getting and maintaining a good moisture balance. It was eye opening for me and helped me develop a routine that keeps my hair moisturized without drowning it in conditioner (which works great for many people don't get me wrong, but never helped me).

Good luck!!

[Katia_k]

Just echoing the advice that you need to put in moisture under the oil, otherwise you're just smothering your hair. And several of the oils you mentioned, like castor, are really heavy, so this could be contributing to the problem.

Try conditioning then washing, or perhaps like someone else suggested try a leave-in after the shower instead of a rinse-out conditioner. I don't technically use conditioner anymore, but I need the leave-in for the moisture. Also maybe keep a small mister bottle with you in your bag or in your workspace, to dampen before you oil throughout the day.

[akurah]

The issue, I think, is that oils aren't moisturizing; they smooth and add shine and seal moisture in, but they in themselves can't combat the dryness I don't think. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Have you had a chance to try conditioner before shampoo yet? When's your next wash day?

Based on what I've learned of moisture (for skin from my dermatographia, but also applicable on hair and nails), if your hair is wet or very damp, it traps the moisture inside, just like if your skin is wet or very damp and you apply an oil on your skin to seal it in, it traps the moisture inside.

If her hair is like mine, and it might be (I don't typically use conditioners, and if I do, it's 2-in-1s), another good approach might be: lightly moderate to moderate oiling before wash, light oiling on almost sopping wet hair after wash before putting it in the towel, depending on frizz control needs, smooth aloe vera gel after the hair goes from sopping to just regular wet. any further conditioning agents added are only for detangling purposes (right now using Carol's Daughter Vanilla something or other leave in spray as a detangler)

If this was already proposed, my apologies, was skimming and jumping back and forth to see what to add and I could have overlooked.

[cathair]

I think given that your hair had been sticky feeling using conditioner and that you use really quite s lot of types of oil, you really need to clarify your hair to give any conditioner you try a fair chance.

All of those oils will build up and prevent conditioner from doing anything other than sitting on top of them. Which may be the reason conditioner makes your hair feel sticky.

It could also be the reason you hair only curls after a few days. Moisture is being prevented from getting in.

You need to start from scratch, a complete reset. Maybe use no oil the first wash and add it back in when you know where you're at with the conditioner. In my humble opinion, conditioner is more important than oil.

[Flowerness]

It is so cool to see so many people with similar hair! Everybody has awesome ideas here, so I don't know how much I can add, but my hair does get frizzy too. I think my hair must be highly porosity, because it soaks up buckets of conditioner. I've discovered more moisture in my hair= more curl and wurl (well, for day 1 hair at least!). It can also make it straighten out, after a few days faster, but it'll be frizz free the whole while. Any time I've got a hair issue (dry, frizzy, or static-y hair etc) I clarify (with a shampoo that says "clarifying" in the name. (I use suave, and it works great), then I do either an smt, or a deep conditioner, followed by an ACV rinse. This works like a charm! SMT's always make my hair feel really great, soft, and they bring out the curls and waves for days! Love it! Perhaps you could add some honey or aloe vera to your conditioner (first?), from ears down, then shampoo? Followed by an ACV rinse? Either way, I'm sure you'll get lots of great help here! Good luck!

[Poojasaravanan]

I'm really excited to try all the suggestions here !!
But the problem is, no matter how moisturized my hair is at home, when I step out it becomes a dry, rough, straw-like mess. I could probably put it up if it were only a few days, but the humidity is always high here. Any suggestions?

[Poojasaravanan]

I have dry, curly-wurly hair and my holy f
grail product is flaxseed gel. It gives my texture great definition and is very moisturizing. I make it in small batches and apply it to my hair while it's wet after the shower. It always feels like I'm putting on an excessive amount because it dries feeling crispy, but that goes away by just gently pressing it out with my fingers and leaves my hair softer than anything. Oil does literally nothing for my hair!


Can you tell me how you make the flaxseed gel?

[dvep]

Can you tell me how you make the flaxseed gel?

Certainly! For a portion that I will use before it spoils, I boil 2 tbsp of whole flaxseeds in 1 cup of water on the stove. I wait until it's the consistency of runny maple syrup before I strain it (this can be annoying but usually a wire strainer is all I need). I keep it in a glass jar in the fridge and like to mix in vitamin E to help preserve it as well as rosemary essential oil, but these are optional. It keeps in the fridge for 2-3 weeks. I slather it on generously, and it works great with leave-in conditioner when I'm doing the LOC method.

[akurah]

I'm really excited to try all the suggestions here !!
But the problem is, no matter how moisturized my hair is at home, when I step out it becomes a dry, rough, straw-like mess. I could probably put it up if it were only a few days, but the humidity is always high here. Any suggestions?

You should start first with trying the suggestions given, as you included that in your original question and most of the answers were given with that in mind.

[lapushka]

You should start first with trying the suggestions given, as you included that in your original question and most of the answers were given with that in mind.

Yeah, seconding that. Do try out the suggestions given first. Plenty to do already. Just one thing, try one thing at a time, you don't want to try it all because then you won't know what works and what doesn't.

[Dewdrop]

Really good advice has been given, but since no one pointed this out specifically...
If we were playing the game cluedo/'who did it' I would say it was the castor oil, in your hair, by camping out. Castor oil is really, really hard to get out of your hair with even the strongest shampoos. My guess to what happens: the castor doesn't get rinsed out completely. Then it grabs on to the conditioner, making that not rinse out completely. You then apply another layer of castor, and the cycle goes on and on. The heat will do funky stuff to the left in conditioner and make it sticky, since you have a buildup in your hair of oils and conditioner, it gets even stickier.

Maybe try to oil only with a very light oil like sweet almond, jojoba or grapeseed and do a clarifying wash beforehand a few times. I would specifically wash three times without oiling, then try some conditioner again, then see what it's like. if you want you can ad a tiny bit of light oil while your hair is still damp.

I have this helps a little, and good luck!!

[lapushka]

Really good advice has been given, but since no one pointed this out specifically...
If we were playing the game cluedo/'who did it' I would say it was the castor oil, in your hair, by camping out. Castor oil is really, really hard to get out of your hair with even the strongest shampoos. My guess to what happens: the castor doesn't get rinsed out completely. Then it grabs on to the conditioner, making that not rinse out completely. You then apply another layer of castor, and the cycle goes on and on. The heat will do funky stuff to the left in conditioner and make it sticky, since you have a buildup in your hair of oils and conditioner, it gets even stickier.

Maybe try to oil only with a very light oil like sweet almond, jojoba or grapeseed and do a clarifying wash beforehand a few times. I would specifically wash three times without oiling, then try some conditioner again, then see what it's like. if you want you can ad a tiny bit of light oil while your hair is still damp.

I have this helps a little, and good luck!!

*Really* good point.

I'd wash a few times first to get all the oil out, condition, then wash again. And go easy on the oils after! I would skip the castor oil.

[akurah]

Really good advice has been given, but since no one pointed this out specifically...
If we were playing the game cluedo/'who did it' I would say it was the castor oil, in your hair, by camping out. Castor oil is really, really hard to get out of your hair with even the strongest shampoos. My guess to what happens: the castor doesn't get rinsed out completely. Then it grabs on to the conditioner, making that not rinse out completely. You then apply another layer of castor, and the cycle goes on and on. The heat will do funky stuff to the left in conditioner and make it sticky, since you have a buildup in your hair of oils and conditioner, it gets even stickier.

Maybe try to oil only with a very light oil like sweet almond, jojoba or grapeseed and do a clarifying wash beforehand a few times. I would specifically wash three times without oiling, then try some conditioner again, then see what it's like. if you want you can ad a tiny bit of light oil while your hair is still damp.

I have this helps a little, and good luck!!

Good point, I completely glossed over that.

I also want to suggest that if oiling then clarifying the castor oil out over those several shampoos doesn't remove it, a very light conditioner (like something Suave makes that is part of their older lines, like their clarifying conditioner, but not the newer cony stuff) left in for a duration of time (5-30 minutes) followed by a clarifying shampoo (maybe two or three without oils after) might budge it.

It also may take several weeks or at least several washes to get the hair behaving again, so if the one suggested wash doesn't cut it, it's because the process isn't complete yet. So don't despair if it's not immediately fixed. Hair can be fussy.

[Jo Ann]

I found that, if I mix castor oil with, say, coconut oil and let it sit for the required time, THEN slathering (drenching, drowning, oversaturating even) my hair with conditioner for at least 30 minutes prior to washing makes the castor oil mixture come out MUCH easier. Much healthier than trying to shampoo the dickens out of my hair to get out the oil. Even a cheap conditioner (easy on the protein, if your hair is sensitive) will work to break down the oil so you can rinse it out before your usual shampoo routine.

Please file away for future reference!