Bipolar hair

[Sarah4983]

What's with the sudden change, hair?

I was using cones for years with no problems. No buildup, no dryness... it was just great healthy shininess. I decided to try going no cone, just to see what would happen... and my hair apparently hated this - it was just "okay".... it was dull and didn't have much shine... coconut oil helped a bit, but never got the same healthy look that cones gave me.

So I went back to cones.

The first week with cones was great again... but NOW... what has happened to my hair?!
It is tangling at the ends (it's never tangled before), full of knots, dry, straw-like, just generally not healthy looking.
I've even tried coconut oil with the cones and it did nothing to help. I've tried less cones, more cones, still nothing.

It's been 3 weeks since I went back to using cones, and I'm not sure what to do at this point because my hair is in the worst shape it's ever been in.

I haven't tried clarifying yet; I'm about to right now actually... but... what do I do after that?? Try going without cones again?

I went without cones for almost 2 months.. maybe I didn't give it enough time??

Ohhhh help me please :(

[spidermom]

My guess is that your hair troubles are currently a combination of the heat and your close attention to it. You may have gone through this same cycle before but weren't paying such close attention to it.

If it were me, I'd concentrate on keeping it clean and well moisturized and wear it up a lot. Reevaluate when the hot weather breaks.

[danacc]

Your plan to clarify seems sound.

After that, go back to the same routine as before the no-cone experiment. If you weren't using coconut oil then, don't use it. Try to use the exact same products. Think about whether there were any differences in what you were doing back then compared to what you did when you went back to 'cones. See if going back to the exact same thing gives you happy hair again.

[Charentais]

I have no wisdom to share, but the idea of bipolar hair is a clever one!

[Backliteyes]

Being that the first week was great and then it all went downhill, sounds like build-up. What do you do before the no-cones experiment to remove cones from your hair? Are you doing that now, or something different?

I echo the other comment that suggested you try to return to exactly what you were doing previously.

[Sarah4983]

:)Thanks for the replies!

I was doing my previous routine... which is why I was so confused as to why my hair felt gross. Maybe it was the cones and coconut oil being used together...... or like spidermom suggested- the heat outside.

A little while ago I used Herbal Essences "drama clean" to clarify and Suave Coconut conditioner and a tiny bit of coconut oil on the last few inches and my hair feels GREAT!

Maybe I will try going cone-free again... but use the Herbal Essences Drama Clean instead of the Suave shampoo. The Suave feels like it might be too harsh.

I have tried C/O but it just doesn't work for my hair... it starts to feel like buildup and looks greasy after a week or so... so I shampoo only my scalp and let the suds go down the length of my hair as I rinse.

Thanks for the replies; I'll be sure to update if this formula continues to impress me.

[Chrissy]

Sorry to be a whiner but can you please choose a different term? I find the term BiPolar hair offensive. I'm a diabetic and I don't have diabetic hair. My son is Bipolar.....you see where I'm going?

Just like I don't like the term retarded that people use when they say something they consider stupid. Retarded is a medical condition just like BiPolar.

I really hope you understand my intent. I'm not someone who usually says something unkind to anyone. Thanks.