Help please, My hair is sticky when wet and nothing seems to fix it.

[Ya-u]

For about the past 6 months my hair has been really sticky whenever it gets wet. When I first get in the shower I can't even run my fingers through my hair. I've been looking and looking online for solutions. I tried using a clarifying shampoo and that didn't do much (just made my hair have a kind of straw-like feeling to it). I've tried so many different shampoos and conditioners, but nothing has worked. When I condition my hair then I'm able to work my fingers through it, but it still sticks a little bit. Once my hair is dry I can easily run my fingers or a comb through it, but it feels like there's kind of a residue on it. Am I using too much conditioner? But I feel like I'm using the same amount of conditioner I always have and this problem is just recent. I've tried a bunch of different leave-in products and using a variety of oils on my hair, but nothing seems to change the stickiness. Even when my hair is dry, if my fingers are damp and I try to run them through my hair, my hair gets all sticky. I have very straight hair. The strands are medium thickness and it's very thick. I do dye my hair, usually about every 6 weeks. I sometimes blow dry my hair, but on a low heat setting.
I'm not sure what I've done to cause this, because I've never had this problem before. I'm getting really frustrated with this and I'm kind of desperate for a solution. Thank you so much for any help.

[ReptilianFeline]

Have your water changed in your taps?

When you say sticky, do you mean that like if there is something sugery, like jam, or holding on to you like it is waxy?

I can't run damp fingers through my hair at all, but that's beacuse the hair sticks to the water... and why I never brush my hair when it's wet.

[ephemeri]

I can't run damp fingers through my hair at all, but that's beacuse the hair sticks to the water... and why I never brush my hair when it's wet.

This happens to me too. I've never been able to run fingers through my hair if it's wet, unless it's coated in conditioner.

[Ya-u]

Have your water changed in your taps?

When you say sticky, do you mean that like if there is something sugery, like jam, or holding on to you like it is waxy?

I can't run damp fingers through my hair at all, but that's beacuse the hair sticks to the water... and why I never brush my hair when it's wet.

I haven't change water recently, but about two and half years ago I moved and I noticed the water was very different from where I was living before. Could that have caused this?
Definitely not a sugary sticky. It just seems to really cling together. I'm guessing that's probably more waxy?

[Ya-u]

This happens to me too. I've never been able to run fingers through my hair if it's wet, unless it's coated in conditioner.

Really? So is this potentially not a problem? I just assumed it was, because I used to be able to run my fingers through my hair fairly easily when it was wet.

[lapushka]

How do you care for your hair, normally? And please do name the products you are using. And how much conditioner do you use? How long is your hair? Do you condition your scalp or ears down only? A lot of questions, but it seems important.

I think first, leave out the leave-ins & the oils and just shampoo/condition for a while until this is resolved.

The dyeing & blow drying (on low) should be no issue here.

[Ya-u]

How do you care for your hair, normally? And please do name the products you are using. And how much conditioner do you use? How long is your hair? Do you condition your scalp or ears down only? A lot of questions, but it seems important.


I think first, leave out the leave-ins & the oils and just shampoo/condition for a while until this is resolved.


The dyeing & blow drying (on low) should be no issue here.


Recently I've been using Suave Clarifying Shampoo and Dove Daily Moisture Conditioner. Prior to that I was using Tresemmé Botanique Damage Recovery Conditioner. I've tried several Tresemmé shampoos and conditioners over the past few months. I also sometimes use batiste dry shampoo. I probably use maybe a tablespoon and a half of conditioner. From my hairline back my hair is about 48cm. I condition my scalp.


Okay, I will quit using all of those.


Thank you!

[Obsidian]

I wonder if it's mineral build up from hard water? Have you tried a chelating shampoo? It will dissolve any minerals that might be there.

Joico is on of the best chelating shampoo's. You want the clarifying one, it also chelates. It might seem a bit pricey but you don't have to use it often.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0723654WB/ref=mp_s_a_1_5_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1517657060&sr=8-5&keywords=joico+k-pak+clarifying+shampoo&dpPl=1&dpID=31rUFcyAa4L&ref=plSrch

[Ya-u]

I wonder if it's mineral build up from hard water? Have you tried a chelating shampoo? It will dissolve any minerals that might be there.

Joico is on of the best chelating shampoo's. You want the clarifying one, it also chelates. It might seem a bit pricey but you don't have to use it often.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0723654WB/ref=mp_s_a_1_5_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1517657060&sr=8-5&keywords=joico+k-pak+clarifying+shampoo&dpPl=1&dpID=31rUFcyAa4L&ref=plSrch

That's definitely a possibility! Where I'm living now has extremely hard water. I get really bad calcium build up on anything that gets tap water on it.
Great! I will give that a try, thank you!

[Obsidian]

I bet it helps a lot. Make sure you wash the whole length and let the shampoo sit for 5-10, then lather up good again.
Use vinegar in rinse water can help lessen mineral build up. I use 1/2 tsp in 2 cups water and don't usually rinse it out

[lapushka]

Recently I've been using Suave Clarifying Shampoo and Dove Daily Moisture Conditioner. Prior to that I was using Tresemmé Botanique Damage Recovery Conditioner. I've tried several Tresemmé shampoos and conditioners over the past few months. I also sometimes use batiste dry shampoo. I probably use maybe a tablespoon and a half of conditioner. From my hairline back my hair is about 48cm. I condition my scalp.

I would stop conditioning the scalp. If you are prone to oil, definitely do only ears down, most assuredly for an 1a texture (very smooth in itself). The Suave shampoo = fine. The Dove conditioner = fine. And there is nothing wrong with Tresemmé either.

It can't be that.

Yes, I would try chelating!

[Katia_k]

This. Assuming the chelating helps, which will pin your issue on hard water, I'd start using some kind of vinigar rinse on a semi-regular basis. You'll still need to use actual chelating products sometimes, but something like apple cider vinigar should help you manage the build-up on a day to day basis.

[Chromis]

I was going to say this sounds like my hair and hard water too. I cannot run my hands through it under the shower. The idea of wet combing sounds horrifying to me!

I use an acidic rinse every wash and it is like magic. You might need to use citric acid with extremely hard water. (The pH scale is logarithmic, so lots of people have hard water, but those of us with very hard water can be several times as hard and the strategy for dealing with that is not always the same) For years before we got a water softener I used a combination of citric acid and ACV. (Basically, the citric acid chelates helping lift minerals that have deposited while the ACV helps keep them from sticking but doesn't really lift them. There is more to it, but that is the gist.)

[Ya-u]

I bet it helps a lot. Make sure you wash the whole length and let the shampoo sit for 5-10, then lather up good again.
Use vinegar in rinse water can help lessen mineral build up. I use 1/2 tsp in 2 cups water and don't usually rinse it out

Okay, thanks! I'll try the vinegar too and let you know how it goes!

[spidermom]

With hard water, I would use about 1 tbsp of white vinegar in a pitcher of warm water, and it made a huge difference for managing my hair.

Another thing to consider is that you might have reached a length milestone where your length has sustained enough sun, wind, etc to start to stick together. At around tailbone length, the bottom 6 or 7 inches of my hair become like Velcro.