Trouble Shoot Help. Starting My Long Hair Journey and having Problems.

[saorsa]

Hi! I'm new here and I recently decided to grow my hair long (again). I had hair down to my tailbone until I was 18...when I started going to hair stylists. They convinced me to cut my hair. :( All through my 20s I let them convince me to keep my hair. This year I finally said...I don't care what people think, I like my hair long. I feel better with long hair. Short hair is too high maintenance to me anyway.

Routine: I was having breakage problems, so I've stopped using heat tools or heat hair drying, using a protector on the rare occasion I do use heat. Breakage has nearly gone away. I've reduced how often I wash my hair. I've started air drying it and using only a wide tooth comb on it. I only use shampoo on my roots and conditioner on the lower part of my hair. Cold to luke warm water when washing. Hair is currently bra strap length with layers I'm growing out. I also stopped dying my hair, even though I hate my natural hair color. :( I do not towel dry, just lightly pat out the excess water with a super soft cloth.

BUT I'm having problems with my hair I never had before. I need help. For the past several months...my roots are oily fast and the rest of my hair is puffy and feels dry. I look like Hermonie having a bad hair day. :( When I try to reduce washes to combat the oils, my scalp becomes flaky and itchy! So then I tried CWC for a few weeks, with light oils on the ends...then I look like an oily head the next day. Also, I've noticed that my hair kind of ...clumps now as it air dries, even though I comb it???

Is it the water maybe? Or the products? It's like my hair isn't happy with any routine I try...

[Corvana]

Have you clarified recently? What sort of products are you using? Sulfates and silicones, or one or neither? Do you have proteins in your products? What oils are you using, how, and when?

The dryness could be: lack of moisture, too much protein, or product buildup. Or even a combination of these!

The oiliness could be: product buildup (I know, I know, but my hair gets oily looking with buildup, and others gets dry), too harsh of cleansing from shampoo, or possibly not harsh enough.

The itch could be: too harsh of a shampoo (all sulfates when it's dry out make me itch, and heavy sulfates any time make me itch), not enough cleansing, or even something like seborrheic dermatitis.

Water could certainly be an issue as well! I've got hard water, and could probably do well with a vinegar rinse at every wash.

Start with clarifying, though. That's always a good place to start! And if you can get a shampoo that chelates as well (all chelating shampoos clarify, but not all clarifying shampoos chelate, if I'm not mistaken), then that will deal with mineral build-up from hard water if you've got that. Then deep condition, and see where you're at. If your deep condition makes your hair feel dry, look for proteins! Your hair may dislike it, or may not like as much as you're possibly using.

If your hair is wavy and fine as your information says, then you may need to really experiment to get the right balance that isn't too much. Fine hair seems to get very overwhelmed by products, and waves generally seem to want more more more (YMMV of course).

I'm also assuming you're meaning clumping in a negative way, and not the way that wavies/wurlies/curlies tend to mean when their waves/wurls/curls stick together and look lovely.

[saorsa]

I keep seeing sulfates mentioned and I really don't know anything about them. Guess, I'll check my shampoos and see. I've tried jojoba oil and macadamia oil (small amounts for the ends). What's chelating? Oh gosh, apparently I have a lot to learn. :O I've been using Tresemme shampoo and conditioner as I've been too broke to buy nicer things...BUT I should be working soon so I'm hoping to buy some nice things for my hair.

The clumping feels rough and frizzy when it dries. Would a hair mask help out with dryness too?

[lapushka]

Stopping heat is not going to magically make your hair better; the damage is there, it's like growing out from a bald head basically. But you can reduce the breakage and strengthen the weak points by going at the hair with good moisture.

I wouldn't use water that is cold though, not while you are rinsing out conditioner; conditioner needs to be rinsed out with warmish water or it might stick in the hair and cause massive build-up.

You did mention you are washing less. Maybe your hair can't take that; I would give it what it wants and wash more frequently. I would wash the scalp only (let the suds run down, but do get your nape) and then condition ears down, with a good conditioner, even do it twice (you can CWC wash or WCC wash, the methods are on this forum).

When is the last time you clarify-washed? With a sulfate shampoo?

[saorsa]

Stopping heat is not going to magically make your hair better; the damage is there, it's like growing out from a bald head basically. But you can reduce the breakage and strengthen the weak points by going at the hair with good moisture.

I wouldn't use water that is cold though, not while you are rinsing out conditioner; conditioner needs to be rinsed out with warmish water or it might stick in the hair and cause massive build-up.

You did mention you are washing less. Maybe your hair can't take that; I would give it what it wants and wash more frequently. I would wash the scalp only (let the suds run down, but do get your nape) and then condition ears down, with a good conditioner, even do it twice (you can CWC wash or WCC wash, the methods are on this forum).

When is the last time you clarify-washed? With a sulfate shampoo?

My bad, I thought cold water was better than hot water. Is lukewarm to warm ok? I've never done a clarify-wash before? I've always just washed every few days with a basic shampoo and then condition for several mins before rinsing it out.

[lapushka]

My bad, I thought cold water was better than hot water. Is lukewarm to warm ok? I've never done a clarify-wash before? I've always just washed every few days with a basic shampoo and then condition for several mins before rinsing it out.

While you are washing lukewarm to warm = OK, preferably warm. After washing and rinsing it all out properly (for which you really need warm water, not HOT, but warm), you can do a cold "rinse", but that is a final rinse after everything. To get oil out you need warm water. Ask me how I know.

I tried washing with colder water once and never again, you can't get products out properly and the oil doesn't wash away right (for me). YMMV.

[MusicalSpoons]

saorsa, welcome :flower: When did you stop colouring your hair? It might be that the roots getting oilier quicker than any of the rest of your hair are virgin, undamaged hair and need less moisturising than whatever you were using successfully on your hair before. As for the rest of your hair, yeah it could be any of the things already mentioned, sorry. I hope you do work it out, but it will probably take time (even those of us who have virgin hair with no heat or chemical damage can take a very long time to find the best routine for our hair!) so please try not to be too frustrated or discouraged; you are in good company here!


While you are washing lukewarm to warm = OK, preferably warm. After washing and rinsing it all out properly (for which you really need warm water, not HOT, but warm), you can do a cold "rinse", but that is a final rinse after everything. To get oil out you need warm water. Ask me how I know.

Ooooh that's probably what I'm doing wrong myself now my hair has a bit more product in it when I rinse out my conditioner with cold water! :doh: Makes perfect sense. saorsa this is a very good point, definitely try warmer water. Whether it makes a miraculous difference or not, it's likely to be more pleasant anyway :D

[FrayedFire]

Your hair is probably still adjusting to being washed less, and is still producing more oil. Between washes, you can take that oil from the roots and preen it down onto the length, which will help balance out the two extremes.

Just stopping washing will lead to itchy, oily roots and dry, tangly length, because your scalp will still be producing oil, and you don't want to let buildup happen. Try SMP in between your washes and see if that helps. You could also try putting on conditioner first, and then shampoo, but keep in mind that every time you strip the oils, your scalp is going to freak out and produce more, and it takes time to transition. I gradually stretched for over a year before I was able to wash only once a week or less.

[saorsa]

Your hair is probably still adjusting to being washed less, and is still producing more oil. Between washes, you can take that oil from the roots and preen it down onto the length, which will help balance out the two extremes.

Just stopping washing will lead to itchy, oily roots and dry, tangly length, because your scalp will still be producing oil, and you don't want to let buildup happen. Try SMP in between your washes and see if that helps. You could also try putting on conditioner first, and then shampoo, but keep in mind that every time you strip the oils, your scalp is going to freak out and produce more, and it takes time to transition. I gradually stretched for over a year before I was able to wash only once a week or less.


saorsa, welcome :flower: When did you stop colouring your hair? It might be that the roots getting oilier quicker than any of the rest of your hair are virgin, undamaged hair and need less moisturising than whatever you were using successfully on your hair before. As for the rest of your hair, yeah it could be any of the things already mentioned, sorry. I hope you do work it out, but it will probably take time (even those of us who have virgin hair with no heat or chemical damage can take a very long time to find the best routine for our hair!) so please try not to be too frustrated or discouraged; you are in good company here!


Ooooh that's probably what I'm doing wrong myself now my hair has a bit more product in it when I rinse out my conditioner with cold water! :doh: Makes perfect sense. saorsa this is a very good point, definitely try warmer water. Whether it makes a miraculous difference or not, it's likely to be more pleasant anyway :D


While you are washing lukewarm to warm = OK, preferably warm. After washing and rinsing it all out properly (for which you really need warm water, not HOT, but warm), you can do a cold "rinse", but that is a final rinse after everything. To get oil out you need warm water. Ask me how I know.

I tried washing with colder water once and never again, you can't get products out properly and the oil doesn't wash away right (for me). YMMV.

Thank you everyone! :cool:

The last dye was.... Oct/Nov I think? I used demi-permanent Ion with 20 developer 1 shade darker than my natural hair to cancel out the orange tones that remained. I was a red head from 2015 to 2016, let it fade in early 2017...then used the Ion demi a few times because the red was fading out in a bad way. I've had it trimmed a few times last year because of the damaged ends. I've also been eating healthy for a year now, so I see new healthy hair growing in. :D Yay for that at least. I don't plan on dyeing it again though I've been thinking about henna.

So glad I don't have to keep washing it with cold water!

[jenni626yz]

Hi! I'm new here and I recently decided to grow my hair long (again). I had hair down to my tailbone until I was 18...when I started going to hair stylists. They convinced me to cut my hair. :( All through my 20s I let them convince me to keep my hair. This year I finally said...I don't care what people think, I like my hair long. I feel better with long hair. Short hair is too high maintenance to me anyway.

Routine: I was having breakage problems, so I've stopped using heat tools or heat hair drying, using a protector on the rare occasion I do use heat. Breakage has nearly gone away. I've reduced how often I wash my hair. I've started air drying it and using only a wide tooth comb on it. I only use shampoo on my roots and conditioner on the lower part of my hair. Cold to luke warm water when washing. Hair is currently bra strap length with layers I'm growing out. I also stopped dying my hair, even though I hate my natural hair color. :( I do not towel dry, just lightly pat out the excess water with a super soft cloth.

BUT I'm having problems with my hair I never had before. I need help. For the past several months...my roots are oily fast and the rest of my hair is puffy and feels dry. I look like Hermonie having a bad hair day. :( When I try to reduce washes to combat the oils, my scalp becomes flaky and itchy! So then I tried CWC for a few weeks, with light oils on the ends...then I look like an oily head the next day. Also, I've noticed that my hair kind of ...clumps now as it air dries, even though I comb it???

Is it the water maybe? Or the products? It's like my hair isn't happy with any routine I try...

Seriously buy one of those new garnier frutsis 1 minute masks...i like the green one...use a tiny bit as a leave In ...like litterally a tiny bit...only thing I've used so far to make any significant difference...

[lapushka]

Seriously buy one of those new garnier frutsis 1 minute masks...i like the green one...use a tiny bit as a leave In ...like litterally a tiny bit...only thing I've used so far to make any significant difference...

They're not sold in every country, though. ;)

[saorsa]

Seriously buy one of those new garnier frutsis 1 minute masks...i like the green one...use a tiny bit as a leave In ...like litterally a tiny bit...only thing I've used so far to make any significant difference...

I'm going to the store tomorrow, so I'll grab one! Thanks :)

[Katia_k]

Also if you're using Tresemme, chances are you're using silicones or sulfates. Some people need them, but others don't. Switching to sulfate-free and cone-free might make a big difference for you. Check out curly girl websites; even if it's not your hair type, a lot of times those are where the best list of ingredients to avoid can be found, and you can try getting rid of them and see what happens.

Also, you should get a notebook or a chart or an app or something and start making changes, and writing them down. The trial process can be *really* long, and it's easy to lose track of what you've tried. I've been doing this stuff for 2+ years and I'm still tinkering with my routine, though that might just be because I'm easily bored...