Coconut oil ruined my hair

[xdreamxcreatex]

So I know there's been several threads on people's hair not doing well with coconut oil, but I couldn't really find any advice on what to do to get rid of the damage and dryness that has been happening since using coconut oil. I recently had some pretty bad damage and breakage from a balayage I had done 2 months ago, and along with babying my hair, the condition seemed to improve a bit. I had read that pre-shampooing with coconut oil was beneficial in helping hair and that many girls swear by it, so one day before I washed my hair I oiled my hair with coconut oil and left it for an hour. However, when I rinsed it out my hair felt like absolute straw, even after a deep conditioning treatment. I think I've shampooed my hair 2 or 3 times since then (pureology hydrate, which was working for me up until now) and it's still been very dry and rough. I read that for those with low porosity hair, coconut oil may make this happen, but my hair has been through bleach, coloring and heat damage, so I really doubt it's because of low porosity hair. Anyone know what I can do to get my hair back to how it was before??

[Milkchocolate]

Something like that happened to me many years ago! Everyone was raving about how coconut oil worked for their hair, but it did horrible things to mine! It made strands upon strands break off my hair, and that continued for about 2 weeks or so. Just non stop and it was strange because my hair doesn’t break off easily. It’s as if it temporarily weakened my hair and changed the texture too. First thing I did was washing with a deep cleansing shampoo to get rid of all the leftover gunk, I believe twice a week, followed by deep conditioning treatments with cold water. I repeated back to back for a few months and tried to wash as little as possible and let my natural oils do its thing. Always wore my hair up and used no heating tools. Eventually it went back to its normal state but I do recall it taking 2 months or so.

[lapushka]

I would try clarifying (sulfate wash) and then doing a regular conditioning if it feels normal to dry/brittle, and a protein treatment if it feels normal to mushy.

[spidermom]

Oh man, sorry that happened! Coconut oil has worked so well for my hair that I never hesitate to recommend it (not that I've had much occasion to do so). However, I have fine to medium, rather porous hair, so I'm exactly the right type for coconut oil. I'll have to remember to throw in a qualifier if I'm ever in a "what oil do you use and why" discussion

[Obsidian]

I would use whatever regular condition you like best and let it sit for at least 30 minutes. A pre shampoo oiling with a different oil might help to, maybe some avocado or olive, just something to help add some elasticity.

Is the pureology sulfate free? If so, you might want to beak out some sulfates for this.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Yes, try clarifying. I had a problem with coconut oil not long after I first began using it and it took me about a month and five clarifying washes to bring it right again. I still use cocon ut oil now, but in smaller quantities pre wash, and I clarify once a month. I hadn't know to clarify before.

[Lizabeth94]

I would continue with the deep conditioning treatments, maybe even doing some overnight treatments. You might want to consider doing some conditioner only washes for a while as well! I do this to help my dry hair as i work as a swim instructor!

[xdreamxcreatex]

I would use whatever regular condition you like best and let it sit for at least 30 minutes. A pre shampoo oiling with a different oil might help to, maybe some avocado or olive, just something to help add some elasticity.

Is the pureology sulfate free? If so, you might want to beak out some sulfates for this.
It's technically a sulfate free shampoo, however, when I read the ingredients it has a lot of surfactants in it that take the place of sulfate

[xdreamxcreatex]

Yes, try clarifying. I had a problem with coconut oil not long after I first began using it and it took me about a month and five clarifying washes to bring it right again. I still use cocon ut oil now, but in smaller quantities pre wash, and I clarify once a month. I hadn't know to clarify before.

Thanks everyone, I think I will try a clarifying wash and deep condition on my next wash day and just try to keep it hydrated in the meantime. Thanks!!

[Joules]

I just excluded coconut oil from my routine and proceeded as usual. No clarifying washes, nothing special. Hair was back to normal ater a week.

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

Do you use silicones? My hair is low porosity as well.
My problem is lately usually build up. You need LEGIT sulphate. A clarifying shampoo or a chelating one.
Surfactants are not enough to remove the build up. You need a clarifying shampoo!
I clarify about once a month/every two weeks.
You should also check and see if your deep treatment has hydrolyized protein.
A lot of moisture treatments for whatever reason will contain protein as well.

[lapushka]

Do you use silicones? My hair is low porosity as well.
My problem is lately usually build up. You need LEGIT sulphate. A clarifying shampoo or a chelating one.
Surfactants are not enough to remove the build up. You need a clarifying shampoo!
I clarify about once a month/every two weeks.
You should also check and see if your deep treatment has hydrolyized protein.
A lot of moisture treatments for whatever reason will contain protein as well.

Not to be nitpicky but a sulfate is a surfactant as well, surfactant is just a clever word for detergent. :)

[Arciela]

This happened to me before too! I used way too much for my hairs liking, and I thought my hair was just extremely damaged, it got crunchy, stringy and gross. I used Fekkai apple cider shampoo then used my usual conditioner, my hair went back to normal instantly.

[jltjayden]

Has anyone tried olive oil to rescue hair after a bad drying treatment?

[MidnightMoon]

So I know there's been several threads on people's hair not doing well with coconut oil, but I couldn't really find any advice on what to do to get rid of the damage and dryness that has been happening since using coconut oil. I recently had some pretty bad damage and breakage from a balayage I had done 2 months ago, and along with babying my hair, the condition seemed to improve a bit. I had read that pre-shampooing with coconut oil was beneficial in helping hair and that many girls swear by it, so one day before I washed my hair I oiled my hair with coconut oil and left it for an hour. However, when I rinsed it out my hair felt like absolute straw, even after a deep conditioning treatment. I think I've shampooed my hair 2 or 3 times since then (pureology hydrate, which was working for me up until now) and it's still been very dry and rough. I read that for those with low porosity hair, coconut oil may make this happen, but my hair has been through bleach, coloring and heat damage, so I really doubt it's because of low porosity hair. Anyone know what I can do to get my hair back to how it was before??

Not to question your experience with coconut oil (I have no doubts different people get different results from the same product), but I'd like to add that the damage you're seeing now might be, or might also be caused by the bleaching, not necessarily or exclusively because of the oil. It takes a while for it to completely show. Sometimes our hair holds on in decent condition for a while, or sometimes we use products after bleaching that might dissimulate that damage, but once we're back to our routine it starts to show. To give an example, whenever I apply the non permanent dyes I use my hair feels softer, specially my bleached ends, and as weeks go by I feel them drying again. When I used box dyes they'd bring a special conditioner which made it silk soft, until the third or fourth wash, when it was over and I was stuck with my real hair.
I can also say my hair got much dryer months and years after my massive bleaching sessions, not immediately after (and you can't really undo this, your hair has been altered forever in the process).
So, while I'm not suggesting using coconut oil, you could give some other oils a try, focus on moisturising and maybe blame the bleach also. Don't expect it to be exactly as it was before, but adjust your routine, baby it more, protect it, etc.

[Joules]

Not to question your experience with coconut oil (I have no doubts different people get different results from the same product), but I'd like to add that the damage you're seeing now might be, or might also be caused by the bleaching, not necessarily or exclusively because of the oil. It takes a while for it to completely show. Sometimes our hair holds on in decent condition for a while, or sometimes we use products after bleaching that might dissimulate that damage, but once we're back to our routine it starts to show. To give an example, whenever I apply the non permanent dyes I use my hair feels softer, specially my bleached ends, and as weeks go by I feel them drying again. When I used box dyes they'd bring a special conditioner which made it silk soft, until the third or fourth wash, when it was over and I was stuck with my real hair.
I can also say my hair got much dryer months and years after my massive bleaching sessions, not immediately after (and you can't really undo this, your hair has been altered forever in the process).
So, while I'm not suggesting using coconut oil, you could give some other oils a try, focus on moisturising and maybe blame the bleach also. Don't expect it to be exactly as it was before, but adjust your routine, baby it more, protect it, etc.

I was thinking the same, tbh. Coconut oil is just an oil, it can dry out your hair a bit, but can't destroy your hair. Especially considering the fact that OP's hair is definitely not low porosity after bleach and heat damage. That's why I wrote about my experience here, if your dryness issues are because of coconut oil only, your hair should be back to normal the moment you stop using it. No special washes needed, especially five clarifying washes in a row, it can only make the situation worse.

[xdreamxcreatex]

I do use silicones in some of my deep conditioners, yes, but I try to use minimal products with silicones. I tried to go without but my hair does much better with, since it's has a fair amount of damage. Thanks for the input!

[xdreamxcreatex]

Not to question your experience with coconut oil (I have no doubts different people get different results from the same product), but I'd like to add that the damage you're seeing now might be, or might also be caused by the bleaching, not necessarily or exclusively because of the oil. It takes a while for it to completely show. Sometimes our hair holds on in decent condition for a while, or sometimes we use products after bleaching that might dissimulate that damage, but once we're back to our routine it starts to show. To give an example, whenever I apply the non permanent dyes I use my hair feels softer, specially my bleached ends, and as weeks go by I feel them drying again. When I used box dyes they'd bring a special conditioner which made it silk soft, until the third or fourth wash, when it was over and I was stuck with my real hair.
I can also say my hair got much dryer months and years after my massive bleaching sessions, not immediately after (and you can't really undo this, your hair has been altered forever in the process).
So, while I'm not suggesting using coconut oil, you could give some other oils a try, focus on moisturising and maybe blame the bleach also. Don't expect it to be exactly as it was before, but adjust your routine, baby it more, protect it, etc.

Yes, I did think that a lot of the reason my hair reacted so badly to the oil was because of the state it had been left in after my last highlighting. I had been babying it and the condition was improving, only after the coconut oil did it seem to get worse than even before the bleach. I was just wondering of a way to get it back to how it was before the coconut oil incident. Even though it will still be damaged until it grows out and gets cut off, it at least felt a lot better! I did do a protein treatment followed up by an intense deep conditioner yesterday, and I have to say that it feels a lot better already, which I think tells me my hair is very porous and the coconut oil probably left no room for the protein and moisture that my hair was lacking in already? I'm not sure! But thank you for the response, I will definitely be continuing to baby my hair until the damaged pieces are cut!

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

Not to be nitpicky but a sulfate is a surfactant as well, surfactant is just a clever word for detergent. :)
I meant to say "lower end surfactants".

I just think whatever surfactants in her shampoo are not strong enough.
Give sulphates a try, I personally need a strong one to use build up.
Weaker surfactants just do not do the job for me.

But after reading the comments, I realize OP is not low porosity.
I totally skimmed over the balayage part lol

[Cherriezzzzz]

I've used baking soda dissolved in water... followed by acv rinse. Followed by conditioner. After a moisturizing lotion, something light, just on the ends.

[pailin]

I don't know what low porosity would have to do with it. I doubt my hair is low porosity, and it's definitely fine, and my hair hates coconut oil. But I didn't get breakage from it; just a nasty texture so it didn't feel nice at all. My ends felt hard and weird. Stopping the coconut oil got my hair back to normal within a couple days.
I'm not sure I believe that coconut oil can be particularly drying either.
At any rate, I suspect the actual damage you're finding is from the balayage, not the coconut oil. I'd look into protein treatments and heavy duty moisturizing.

[MidnightMoon]

I don't know what low porosity would have to do with it. I doubt my hair is low porosity, and it's definitely fine, and my hair hates coconut oil. But I didn't get breakage from it; just a nasty texture so it didn't feel nice at all. My ends felt hard and weird. Stopping the coconut oil got my hair back to normal within a couple days.
I'm not sure I believe that coconut oil can be particularly drying either.
At any rate, I suspect the actual damage you're finding is from the balayage, not the coconut oil. I'd look into protein treatments and heavy duty moisturizing.


That was the point of my post as well :p
Just because both things happened at the same time (use of coconut oil and hair showing signs of damage), doesn't mean one is the cause of the other.
I don't see how coconut oil can cause permanent damage, while bleach is very harsh and permanent, you can't undo or remove the effect it had on your hair. At this point, coconut oil is gone, what you have is your actual hair, which you can try to cover in moisturisers and silicones to make look better, but you can't "heal", it's not skin or something than can regenerate itself.

I'm glad to hear your hair is getting better, and I like the theory that your hair is able to take in some moisture better now, and that translates to improvement in the way it looks/feels.

[lapushka]

I meant to say "lower end surfactants".

I just think whatever surfactants in her shampoo are not strong enough.
Give sulphates a try, I personally need a strong one to use build up.
Weaker surfactants just do not do the job for me.

But after reading the comments, I realize OP is not low porosity.
I totally skimmed over the balayage part lol

Ah OK. ;) I thought it sounded a tad funny. :)

[mindwiped]

Has anyone tried olive oil to rescue hair after a bad drying treatment?

Completely derailing the coconut thread.

I've used olive oil as a deep treat on my very fine wurley hair, and I liked it. However, I've also slathered on coconut oil and left it sit while I did house keeping, so my hair adores deep moisture and oils.

[Margarita]

I also used coconut oil for some time a few years ago, i didnt noticed any benefit to my hair...I've read that some hair cannot stand having coconut oil for various reasons. I used it the time i had bleached my hair for the last time(maybe?) and, yeah, i didnt see any difference. Good thing i use castor oil now and i've seen some great benefits!

[AutobotsAttack]

If you use coconut oil you have to use something moisturizing.

Oils DO NOT moisturize. Trying to use coconut oil as some sort of moisture for your hair without sealing it over something that actually is moisturizing, will cause most of the problems mentioned in this thread.

Of you’re putting coconut oil on hair that’s been shampoos, conditioned, and some sort of leave in is applied, it’ll at least lock in the moisture and conditioning agents from the leave in. If you’re not even using a leave in, after shampoo and conditioning, or if you thoroughly wash out your deep conditioner, apply coconut oil after your hair has dried with no leave in, its obviously going to make your hair feel dry.

If you’re just using it as is every odd number of days, it will eventually seal out whatever else you try to put on it as well.

[Belle03]

The same thing happened to me. I was moisturizing, and sealing with coconut oil. I had to trim more hair because it was making my hair more dry. I stopped using coconut oil and used flax seed oil, etc..