Is this Buildup? How to get rid off?

[Mikaa]

I really need some help with my hair because I tried so many things and nothing seems to work.

I have some kind of Buildup in my hair that I just can't get rid off. It doesn't feel greasy or sticky but it looks very shiny, so it looks like my hair is greasy or "wet". It is not at my scalp but always at the same strands. These parts of my hair also take a lot longer to fully dry and feel cold and damp for days after washing my hair.

I have curly hair and it affects my curl definition a lot too because it keeps my curls from clumping together the way they would want to.

At this point I start to doubt if it even is Buildup because I almost always use a sulfate shampoo and clarify on a regular basis. I also stopped using conditioner a while ago because I didn't wanna add more stuff to my hair that could build up on it. So the only thing that I use on my hair right now is shampoo, nothing more. By now I at least tried six different shampoos but nothing solved my problem.

Some weeks ago I did a Aphogee Two Step Protein Treatment and it did help a little bit, but as soon as i washed my hair again, my hair was the same as before.

I also tried Baking Soda on one of the strands to test if it would help but it didn't.

I hope someone has an idea what the problem could be or what I could do to finally get rid off this problem.

[lapushka]

First of all, welcome to the forum.

I clarify every wash. I weekly wash, and use a harsh/strong sulfate shampoo every wash. What is on a regular basis? Once a month, twice a month? It may be way too little... I do suspect that's it!

Try clarify-washing a few times in a row, until it is all gone. I think that's the only way.

Stay away from baking soda! It is a very alkaline substance and you don't want that roughness on your hair.

[EdG]

Welcome! :waving:

The possibilities are build-up from shampoos/conditioners, accumulated waxy sebum, and lint. The build-up may also be some combination.

If it is waxy sebum and lint, I wrote an article on how to remove that (https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=151460).
Ed

[Dark40]

Hello and welcome! :) I second lapushka'a advice. I would use a clarifying shampoo for every wash until all of that product build up is gone. Do it a few times in a row.

[Obsidian]

Do you have hard water? It could also be mineral build up which will need a chelating shampoo. Joico clarifying will clarify and chelat.
You need to pay special attention to your lengths when washing, making sure to gently scrub and not just let the lather run down your hair. If chelating, the shampoo needs to sit for a good 10 minutes to give it time to break up the minerals.

[Panthera]

Is there any silicones in the shampoo you're using? What kind of shampoo is it, what are the ingredients? Maybe there's something in the shampoo which causes buildup. :hmm: Have you tried to spread the shampoo towards the ends too and not just your scalp? Usually you don't need to shampoo all of your hair but it might be worth trying if there's some very stubborn buildup going on.

[SleepyTangles]

Weird, I wonder what kind of placement they have, this strands, to be exposed to build up so much quicker than the rest :confused:
I have to wash my bangs more often than the rest by the way. I have oily skin, so everything close to my forehead needs extra cleaning

[GoddesJourney]

Weird, I wonder what kind of placement they have, this strands, to be exposed to build up so much quicker than the rest :confused:
I have to wash my bangs more often than the rest by the way. I have oily skin, so everything close to my forehead needs extra cleaning

It could be just an area that's not getting rinsed out as well. I have to pay special attention to just rear of the temples and a couple of spots above the nape or there will be leftover conditioner hiding. I have to separate it in a few different parts and tub with my hands to get it all rinsed out properly.

[Ylva]

Could those problematic bits be touching your face and collecting oil from there?

[Mikaa]

Thank you all for responding, i really appreciate it.

I actually did use a clarifying shampoo every wash the last few weeks because I didn't know what else to use. I used the Joico K Pak Clarifying Shampoo and the Kinky Curly Come Clean Shampoo.

Accumulated waxy sebum sounds like an interesting theory because two years ago, due to a hormonal imbalance, I had a very oily scalp and the sebum was sticky. But shouldn't that, after so many times of washing my hair with a sulfate shampoo, be washed off by now? Also wouldn't that buildup feel more sticky and oily?

Our water isn't very hard, neither very soft, it's in between. I never had a problem with our water before and I think that almost all the shampoos I use, have some sort of chelating ingredients in them. Also I use the Joico clarifying shampoo since years, but I never left it on for that long, so I'm definitely gonna try that.


I use different shampoos and some do contain silicones. These are the shampoos I used the most over the last months:

- Hairfinity Gentle Cleanse Shampoo
- Joico K Pak Clarifying Shampoo
- Kinky Curly Come Clean Shampoo
- Redken All Soft Shampoo
- Rausch Willow Bark Shampoo
- Jessicurl Gentle Lather Shampoo (rarely)

I usually just wash my scalp, unless I conditioned my hair before, then I also shampoo the lengths. But the last few times I did make sure to cover all of my hair with shampoo, to make sure that that's not the problem.

It's very hard to describe where these strands are but they are not around my face or scalp (with exception of the nape). I would try to describe it as from the ears downwards. It's like the parts who you would think would be the easiest to shampoo and rinse out when I tilt my head upside down. I do rinse out my shampoo very well because that was a thought of mine too before, but I rinse for minutes and it doesn't help.

[lapushka]

Thank you all for responding, i really appreciate it.

I actually did use a clarifying shampoo every wash the last few weeks because I didn't know what else to use. I used the Joico K Pak Clarifying Shampoo and the Kinky Curly Come Clean Shampoo.

I'm not sure. Are those sulfate shampoos? :) I think the Kinky Curly may not be, but I'm unsure about the other one.


It's very hard to describe where these strands are but they are not around my face or scalp (with exception of the nape). I would try to describe it as from the ears downwards. It's like the parts who you would think would be the easiest to shampoo and rinse out when I tilt my head upside down. I do rinse out my shampoo very well because that was a thought of mine too before, but I rinse for minutes and it doesn't help.

If it's ears down, it may very well not be the shampoo. Do you use heavy conditioners, like with waxes or butters instead of silicones, those might be even harder to get out. Need to really clarify. On top of that, if you use a lot of styling products, you need to clarify a *lot*. That is why I just do it every wash.

[SleepyTangles]

This is an interesting riddle. Your shampoos are pretty strong -
maybe the conditioner is waxy or too rich?
What kind of leave-ins do you use (if any)?
- Sorry! I've read better your first post!

What a weird predicament! Maybe your hair gets in contact with something dirty during the day?
Headposts, public transporration seats? Do you touch the back of your hair when you're thinking?

[EdG]

Accumulated waxy sebum sounds like an interesting theory because two years ago, due to a hormonal imbalance, I had a very oily scalp and the sebum was sticky. But shouldn't that, after so many times of washing my hair with a sulfate shampoo, be washed off by now? Also wouldn't that buildup feel more sticky and oily?Shampoo removes only the light, oily parts of sebum. The heavy, waxy parts are removed mechanically by combing. Often, waxy sebum is accompanied by lint. You may need to do more combing.

Sebum is somewhat sticky and powdery, but when mixed with shampoo build-up, can become very sticky.
Ed

[Mikaa]

The Joico Clarifying Shampoo contains Sodium laureth sulfate and the Kinky Curly one contains C14-16 olefin sulfonate.

I don’t use any styling products and I don’t use conditioner at all. I did use conditioner months ago, but only a tiny amount. I’ve never felt like my hair needs conditioner, the conditioning agents in the shampoos and water seem to be enough for my hair.

I did a lot of research on the ingredients in my shampoos and what should help to remove them. I did some research on cationic ingredients because they seem not to wash out with the regular sodium laureth sulfate. So I did buy the Kinky Curly shampoo because it doesn’t contain ingredients that should build up more and it also contains C14-16 olefin sulfonate, which should remove cationic build up. It didn’t help.

I did clarify again yesterday with the Joico shampoo, left it on for 10 minutes. It didn’t wash off the buildup, it still looks like before and my hair feels and looks coated. It’s so frustrating.

My hair doesn’t come into contact with anything during the day, the only thing it comes into contact with would be my pillow at night.

How would that waxy sebum buildup look like? As I have curly hair, I can’t comb my hair daily. I only finger detangle my hair before washing and comb it lightly after when it’s wet. How often would you have to do the combing to remove this buildup?

Thank you all for your help.

[Laurab]

I have no experience with this, but just a thought.
Maybe try using more oil and conditioner to help break it down? Like breaks down like, so Condit onwr might soften the waxiness more than shampoo. Just make sure it's not too heavy or Co training wax itself!

[EdG]

How would that waxy sebum buildup look like? As I have curly hair, I can’t comb my hair daily. I only finger detangle my hair before washing and comb it lightly after when it’s wet. How often would you have to do the combing to remove this buildup?I see it on my comb and feel it on my fingers. It is a wax which becomes a fine powder when scraped.

Combing is the only method that I know to get rid of it. Washing with the warmest water that your scalp can tolerate should loosen it.
Ed

[lapushka]

I see it on my comb and feel it on my fingers. It is a wax which becomes a fine powder when scraped.

Combing is the only method that I know to get rid of it. Washing with the warmest water that your scalp can tolerate should loosen it.
Ed

Good question, actually.

You do wash with warm water, right? Cold or lukewarm is not going to get product or sebum out well.

[EdG]

Good question, actually.

You do wash with warm water, right? Cold or lukewarm is not going to get product or sebum out well. Yes, I wash with warm water. Cold water will not remove sebum.
Ed

[Mikaa]

I also thought about trying to get it out with oil, some people seem to have had success with that. I’m definitely gonna try it.

I did try combing one strand over and over again yesterday to see, if I can see something come out but I didn’t. I did take a very close look at this strand and it really looks like every hair is coated. If I only take a few strands between my fingers, they feel hard and look VERY shiny, like plastic hair. So I definitely think it’s buildup, I just don’t understand why it won’t come out with sulfates…

I thought about when I first noticed this problem and what I used the most at that time and I think it was the Hairfinity shampoo and conditioner. I did take a look at the ingredients again, but I can’t make sense of what could cause such persistent buildup?

Hairfinity Gentle Cleanse Shampoo Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice (Aloe Vera), Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Glycol Distearate, Laureth-4, Glycerin, Fragrance, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sorbic Acid, Sea Salt, Sodium Citrate (Vitamin C), Biotin, Dimethyl Sulfone (MSM), Organic Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Thuja Occidentalis Leaf Oil, Organic Cinnamonum Zeylanicum Bark Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Thymus Vulgaris Flower/Leaf Oil, Organic Mentha Piperita Oil, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract (Marigold), Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract (Chamomile) , Hydrolyzed Collagen, Equisetum Arvense Leaf Extract (Horsetail), Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Disodium EDTA

Hairfinity Balanced Moisture Conditioner Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice (Aloe Vera), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride(Coconut Oil), Cetearyl Alcohol, Fragrance, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil (Meadowfoam Seed Oil), Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil (Jojoba Oil), Behentrimonium Chloride, Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Honey, Maltodextrin, Sodium Citrate (Vitamin C), Keratin, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Dimethyl Sulfone (MSM), Equisetum Arvense Leaf Extract (Horsetail), Organic Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Thuja Occidentalis Leaf Oil, Organic Cinnamomum Zeylanicum Bark Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Oil, Thymus Vulgaris Flower/Leaf Oil, Organic Mentha Piperita Oil, Biotin, Disodium EDTA, Caramel

Before the Hairfinity Shampoo, I used the Rausch Willow Bark Shampoo for a while because I had problems with an overly oily scalp. A few weeks back, I used it again one time and I noticed that even two weeks after using it, I could still smell this shampoo very intensely in my hair. So I don’t know if its just the smell who lingered for that long or if there is something in this shampoo that stuck to my hair and still is?

Rausch Willow Bark Shampoo Ingredients: Aqua, Sodium Laureth Sulfate (ex Coco), Salix alba bark water, Potassium Undecylenoyl Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Polysorbate 80, Coco-Betaine, Lauryl Pyrrolidone, Salicylic Acid, Thymus vulgaris oil, Lauryl Methyl Gluceth-10 Hydroxypropyldimonium Chloride, Sulfur, Sodium Chloride, Peg-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Eugenol, Ci 42090, Ci 14700, Ci 60730, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Undecylenic Acid, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Sorbic Acid

[YOLO]

Do you have low porosity hair by any chance? There is a simple test to do to figure it out.

Some folks with low porosity resort to steam treatments to really open the cuticle to get the moisture in...

Those conditioners have lot going on them regards of protein and everything else - I would be rather suspicious :p

Temperature of water helps open the hair cuticle to allow the moisture in. If you have high porosity hair your cuticle is wide open and then the issue is different.

Wendy explains it all in detail much better than I do:

http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.com/2014/07/moisturizing-low-porosity-hair.html

BTW - I would never use Baking Soda to attempt change my porosity of hair instead I tend to find better ways to get the moisture and other goodies in and in right balance not too much not too little which is the hardest part :)

[lapushka]

Yes, I wash with warm water. Cold water will not remove sebum.
Ed

The question was directed at the OP, maybe I wasn't clear enough on that, sorry.

[Mikaa]

Thank you for the link, I already know it and did a lot of research on her blog some weeks ago. ;)

I always look for Shampoos and Conditioner with a lot of protein in it because my hair loves protein and even though I think that my hair is low porosity, it’s fine and my curls look a lot more defined and moisturized when I use something with protein in it.

I do wash my hair with warm water to get the sebum and shampoo out but I do a last rinse with cold water.

What do you guys think about glycerin buildup? Could that be the problem?

[lapushka]

I do wash my hair with warm water to get the sebum and shampoo out but I do a last rinse with cold water.

What do you guys think about glycerin buildup? Could that be the problem?

Washing with warm water and then doing a final cold rinse (after all product is out) is fine! Nothing whatsoever wrong with that! :D

Hmm. :hmm: I really have no idea. Waxes and butters from heavier styling products or from conditioners that are thick due to having to replace the lack of silicones with something... that could do it.

[EdG]

I did take a very close look at this strand and it really looks like every hair is coated. If I only take a few strands between my fingers, they feel hard and look VERY shiny, like plastic hair. So I definitely think it’s buildup,


What do you guys think about glycerin buildup? Could that be the problem?I think you have something in your hair that is not just sebum. Sebum should have come out with warm water washing followed by combing. You would have seen sebum on your comb.

I am not sure what the mystery gunk is. Shampoos and conditioners could have left build-up that is somewhat like plastic.
Ed

[Mikaa]

I also doubt that it is sebum at this point. My scalp and roots always get clean with normal shampooing and when I tried to comb it out, nothing came out at all.

I did read about glycerin buildup and the symptoms sounded very similar to mine. Apparently, it seems not to come off with a sulfate shampoo. They stated that baking soda would be needed which I already tried on a strand and it didn’t work. Now I’m thinking off trying it again but I’m a little scared of baking soda on my hair… But right now, I just NEED to get this stuff out because I start to have problems to detangle my hair and I’m scared that I will have problems with breakage. I don’t know how to get it out if sulfates don’t do it? Should I try another shampoo with a different type of sulfates?

[MusicalSpoons]

Glycerin is water-soluble, so I have no idea how it would build up :confused: I'd recommend finding out the actual science behind it before going near baking soda!

[lapushka]

Do you perhaps have a clear picture of your hair? Is it visible?

[florenonite]

Thank you for the link, I already know it and did a lot of research on her blog some weeks ago. ;)

I always look for Shampoos and Conditioner with a lot of protein in it because my hair loves protein and even though I think that my hair is low porosity, it’s fine and my curls look a lot more defined and moisturized when I use something with protein in it.

I do wash my hair with warm water to get the sebum and shampoo out but I do a last rinse with cold water.

What do you guys think about glycerin buildup? Could that be the problem?

My hair is low porosity as well, and I find I often can't use conditioner after shampooing. I grew to past hip using only shampoo, but now the Canadian winters are getting to my hair (probably because it's too short for braids atm) so I'm putting conditioner on BEFORE I shampoo. If I do it after shampooing my hair just gets gross, similar to what you describe.

[renia22]

Thank you for the link, I already know it and did a lot of research on her blog some weeks ago. ;)

I always look for Shampoos and Conditioner with a lot of protein in it because my hair loves protein and even though I think that my hair is low porosity, it’s fine and my curls look a lot more defined and moisturized when I use something with protein in it.

I do wash my hair with warm water to get the sebum and shampoo out but I do a last rinse with cold water.

What do you guys think about glycerin buildup? Could that be the problem?

Was the science-y hair blog the one where you got the list of products to try, depending on what the build up is? I won’t link that then, but her article on that has good info.

Also, years ago, I had a horrible experience with a leave-in that had shea butter in it. It would *not* come out. Finally I found an article that helped me, I linked it here years ago for someone, but it seems to have disappeared off of the internet since then. But what was recommended, was taking a *tiny* bit of olive oil, and applying to the problem areas (don’t wet the hair). Less is more, because olive oil itself can be hard to remove. Let it sit for a few hours, maybe wrap your head in plastic to get it nice and warm. Then when you are ready to wash it out, don’t at first wet your hair. Work the shampoo through dry hair, concentrating on the problem areas. I tried so many clarifying shampoos over the years, and my favorite is Prell. It uses ALS and ALES. But for whatever reason, that seems to be most effective for me. The article explained that by adding water first, it would bind the shea butter to my hair even more and make it more difficult to wash out. So work the shampoo through, then as a second step, add the water and wash like you normally would. Rinse, and repeat the wash.


Hope that helps & good luck.

edit- I found the article, here it is. She doesn’t mention the olive oil here, and I can’t recall now where it was suggested to do that, but she talks about reversing when to add water
in this one:
http://chemistrysimplified.com/lather-rinse-repeat/

[Mikaa]

I also always thought that, because of it’s water solubility, glycerin wouldn’t be a problem but a lot of people believe that they do get glycerin buildup when they use products with glycerin in it. I couldn’t find anything about the science, just peoples experiences with very similar symptoms like mine.

Unfortunately, I can’t take a picture where it would show up.

If I use conditioner, I also always use it pre-shampooing, it works a lot better for my hair too. I haven’t used conditioner in months though, so this can’t be the problem in this case.

Yes, I did get a lot of information from the science-y hair blog, especially about the cationic buildup because I didn’t know that this is even a thing.
I did read about oil to try to get buildup out a few times now, so I’m definitely gonna try that. Do you know why it has to be olive oil? Because I wasn’t sure when I read about it, if I also could use coconut oil…
I don’t think I can get the Prell shampoo around here but I also did think about getting a shampoo with Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, that’s something I always avoid in my shampoos, so maybe that would help to get it out.
Thank you for this article, this was very interesting.

[lapushka]

I also always thought that, because of it’s water solubility, glycerin wouldn’t be a problem but a lot of people believe that they do get glycerin buildup when they use products with glycerin in it. I couldn’t find anything about the science, just peoples experiences with very similar symptoms like mine.

Unfortunately, I can’t take a picture where it would show up.

If I use conditioner, I also always use it pre-shampooing, it works a lot better for my hair too. I haven’t used conditioner in months though, so this can’t be the problem in this case.

Yes, I did get a lot of information from the science-y hair blog, especially about the cationic buildup because I didn’t know that this is even a thing.
I did read about oil to try to get buildup out a few times now, so I’m definitely gonna try that. Do you know why it has to be olive oil? Because I wasn’t sure when I read about it, if I also could use coconut oil…
I don’t think I can get the Prell shampoo around here but I also did think about getting a shampoo with Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, that’s something I always avoid in my shampoos, so maybe that would help to get it out.
Thank you for this article, this was very interesting.

I was under the impression that AL(E)S was milder than SL(E)S.

[Ylva]

I was under the impression that AL(E)S was milder than SL(E)S.

AL(E)S is less likely to cause irritation than SL(E)S, but it's not milder per se. The negatively charged LS ion is the same but the positively charged ones differ (NH4+ in ALS and Na+ in SLS).

[renia22]

I also always thought that, because of it’s water solubility, glycerin wouldn’t be a problem but a lot of people believe that they do get glycerin buildup when they use products with glycerin in it. I couldn’t find anything about the science, just peoples experiences with very similar symptoms like mine.

Unfortunately, I can’t take a picture where it would show up.

If I use conditioner, I also always use it pre-shampooing, it works a lot better for my hair too. I haven’t used conditioner in months though, so this can’t be the problem in this case.

Yes, I did get a lot of information from the science-y hair blog, especially about the cationic buildup because I didn’t know that this is even a thing.
I did read about oil to try to get buildup out a few times now, so I’m definitely gonna try that. Do you know why it has to be olive oil? Because I wasn’t sure when I read about it, if I also could use coconut oil…
I don’t think I can get the Prell shampoo around here but I also did think about getting a shampoo with Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, that’s something I always avoid in my shampoos, so maybe that would help to get it out.
Thank you for this article, this was very interesting.

I can’t remember now why the olive oil was recommended specifically for the Shea butter. Regarding coconut oil, that’s another one that really clings, and people sometimes have trouble washing it out if they use too much. I’ve used the method in the article to remove coconut oil from my hair before, though (really screwed up my hair with baking soda, and was using the coconut oil to try to restore it some). If Prell isn’t available, maybe just work some of whatever kind you have through the area on your dry hair, then wash it, and see if any of the stuff comes out? Maybe you won’t even need the oil?

[renia22]

I was under the impression that AL(E)S was milder than SL(E)S.

I think it has to do with the concentrations of ingredients, and the overall formula. I’ve tried other shampoos with ALS and ALES that I just thought were so-so. For some reason, whatever formula they have going now with Prell, it’s been tweaked enough so that it’s still very cleansing, but not as drying as it used to be in the past. They brought back and updated the conditioner recently too (the company has been bought out and owned now by Neoteric Cosmetics). It no longer has dimethicone, and it conditions without feeling like it’s leaving behind build up. Both are really nice for fine or oily hair people, or if your hair is feeling gunky.

[ynne]

Is there any way you could visit some well-reviewed hair dresser, or just someone who knows a lot about hair & could take a look at it? From what you said, you ruled out most of the likely explanations and you tried most available solutions already. :0

So to add some more thoughts... not sure if steam treatments were mentioned here? Also, I'm not sure what ACV rinse would do since no one knows what caused your issue, but that leaves my hair feeling very soft, have you tried that? I would also consider a break from proteins, even if your hair loves them, and actually using some gentler natural products maybe. Quick google search also told me that plastic-like hair can be caused by hormonal changes (based on one person's experience so take that with a grain of salt), but that's for newly grown hair, probably.

[Mikaa]

I wanted to do a little update after not being here for a while. I was trying out different things the last weeks but sadly, I wasn’t very successful.

So I did try to shampoo a dry section of my hair (without wetting it beforehand), but it didn’t work. I did an ACV rinse and started to use my Shower Head Water Filter again which made my hair feel amazingly soft again and that stickiness was a lot better, BUT this „Buildup“ is still persisting…

i tried to look for another Shampoo again but it’s almost impossible to find one without silicones, glycerin, polyquats and whatever else COULD be the problem. I only used the Kinky Curly Shampoo over the last few weeks because I’m scared to use any of my other Shampoos.

Also I can’t really moisturize my hair because if I do, those sections with this „Buildup“ on won’t dry for days.

I heard about steam treatments to moisturize especially low porosity hair but how could that help with buildup? Very curious about that.
I did an ACV rinse a week or two ago and I used to do them more regularly when I had issues with my scalp. My hair seems to like ACV rinses but this „Buildup“ doesn’t get affected by it at all. It’s just there and stays there no matter what I try…
I haven’t used protein in weeks because the Kinky Curly Shampoo doesn’t contain any protein and I haven’t used anything else on my hair.

I did deal with some hormonal issues but if this would be the cause, wouldn’t it be all over my hair? Because I do have sections of my hair who are not affected at all…

[Firefox7275]

I (conditioner-only) wash my hair with my head upside down.

When I have had sebum build-up - in my case neglect for weeks due to illness - the most challenging place to clear has been the back of my head.

I fared much better thoroughly massaging that hair hanging away from the scalp, and adding more hot water and/ or more conditioner to that area in order to 'lather' into a proper emulsion.

Maybe at this point you need something radically different, since shampoo is not working?

Hope something helps!

[lapushka]

Sorry if I'm not "up" with the thread, but have you tried true clarifying (Neutrogena) or chelating shampoos?

Has your hair felt better? When? What was your routine then?

[ynne]

I'm glad ACV, at least, feels good for the rest of your hair. :) If it's hormonal changes, would you be able to see a doctor about it?