The urge to cut is back.

[Katurday]

I'm at APL. I started at pixie, and my layers are gone. Due to bleaching, dying and frying, I've got...A mess. It looks fine, thank god (no large chunks of shed hair or anything) but it feels...HORRIBLE. Absolutely horrible.

The top of my hair is alright and soft, but the last two inches feel like needles. They cling to eachother like crazy. I clarified recently, and it didn't solve the problem (though cured some of the problem up top). Coconut oiling after misting and DT do not work.

I need suggestions before I shave my head in frustration. Any cure or anything that make it feel better at all?

[Stephichan]

I would first suggest to breath. I doubt you'll find an overnight fix. Probably you're going to have to baby your ends for a while, heavy oiling and putting them up to let it soak. Very small trims every so often could also help. I've never been in this situation, so I don't really know how to help. I hope someone else will be able to help more from their own experience :hugs:

[sally_neuf]

I started from a pixie too, My ends are double chem dyed, and I haven't cut in 1 year and 4 months. My mullet stage is long gone, and my longer strands are 3 months from BSL (even when my front hair is just reaching shoulder)
What's my point? It DOES grow and it DOES get better. I do CWC with a fully coney conditioner (I think the chemicals loves chemistry, so box dye + coney conditioner = eternal love )

I once oiled my ends and they were crunchy and nasty, so maybe try a coney serum as leave in for a few days and see what happens!

[little_cherry]

Hey,
I suggest a trim since it's just the last 2 inches...I wouldn't cut off the entire 2 inches yet, though...trim, clarify again followed by an acid rinse and a DT- SMT with vegetable glycerin. Glycerin usually helps with the driest hair. If the hair still feels icky, keep babying it for a while and see how that goes.

How does your hair handle protein?

Good luck! :)

[Katurday]

Hey,
I suggest a trim since it's just the last 2 inches...I wouldn't cut off the entire 2 inches yet, though...trim, clarify again followed by an acid rinse and a DT- SMT with vegetable glycerin. Glycerin usually helps with the driest hair. If the hair still feels icky, keep babying it for a while and see how that goes.

How does your hair handle protein?

Good luck! :)
It used to handle it well, but lately I feel like it CAUSED this problem. Maybe the protein has fixed it up to the point where my porus ends are finally doing okay, but the extra protein I got from henna is only making it worse. I'll try SLS shampoo tonight and a bit of cones. They've worked for me in the past sometimes when I just need to get through the hurdle, but LHC has made me so afraid of touching them again.

[loralie]

You know, I've tried everything for my ends and they still feel dry. Even when I know they're better than they were, I still keep wishing they were softer. Since I started using heavier oils on the ends (castor, namely, only on the last inch after a shower) it's seemed to help. Also, try using coconut milk. Also, I use Cholesterol conditioner a couple of times a month and it really seems to help. I cut a little bit off, but I know that the damage from bleaching and dyeing and straightening is probably another 5 inches, but I am okay with this and do what I can to make my ends feel okay and protect them so I can grow longer. Once I get near my goal, I'll probably trim more for the damage.

In the meantime, relax, glob a ton of oil/condish on the ends, and put it up. It'll get better :blossom:

[Juliannaissance]

You should just do tiny trims, and once it grows back trim off another little bit, and so on until the damage is gone. You don't have to cut off the whole thing though. :D

[little_cherry]

Protein can make the hair feel very dry and velcro like. My hair used to feel awful until I figured out I was overloading it with protein. Oiling it made it worse as oils trap proteins in hair. What I did was back off from the oiling, clarified, trimmed and deep conditioned. I deep conditioned every week until my hair improved.

Shea butter on the ends helps, too.

My hair feels much better now.

[spidermom]

Trim half your growth once per month or every other month?

[FrannyG]

I suggest not only clarifying, but doing a really good deep treatment with 1/3 honey and 2/3 protein free moisturizing conditioner. Try a drop or two of jojoba oil or extra virgin olive oil on your ends as well, for protection.

Then I suggest some small but regular trims until the damage is cut out. Don't trim more than half of your growth at any given time. In a few months, your ends will be much better.

I've been through this, as I've done some major hair colouring blunders since joining LHC, even after I knew better. I have done some major cuts, but never below about APL at any given time. I have only a bit of damage left from my last colouring disaster, but now I am just trimming 1/2 inch every three months.

I honestly feel your frustration, but I think if you cut too much off at one time, you may regret it.

If you must cut off those two inches, I ask you to remember the two week rule.

Good luck with it, and I do feel your pain. :blossom:

[Flynn]

If it's been a problem for several weeks, and you haven't been able to oil or condition it back into shape, I would (and do) just trim.

That said, my priorities are a little different to some people's on here. I feel my hair more than I see it, so it doesn't matter if it looks fine, if it feels awful, it goes. I also feel that hair condition comes first, and then length, while a lot of people seem to put that the other way round -- get the length, then worry about the condition.

[TawnyRoots]

I don't have any useful suggestions, but definately feel your pain, my hair is grown out from a bleached pixie, I am so happy to now be at shoulder length but the past is still blighting my hair's future and it looks rubbish and dull!

I definately expected a simple (if slow) transistion to long silky locks (which I HAVE had in the past), it is not to be but we will get there in the end. Best of luck and keep growing! x
:beerchug:

[TawnyRoots]

Ps. I have booked in for a haircut, I think an inch will make a big difference at this stage...

[Maddy25]

I am actually at pixie right now because I was having the same problem and I'll tell you from expirence, do not cut it!!! You will regret it. It may seem easier, but you will then have to start all over again and it will take over a year to get it back to the way you have it now. If you really must cut, I suggest a trim or taking off the last few inches that are bothering you, I wish thats what I did!

[Maddy25]

Ps. I have booked in for a haircut, I think an inch will make a big difference at this stage...

oh yay! Good choice :)

[TawnyRoots]

Maddy, your pixie looks absolutely stunning in your avator, please try to enjoy it for a little while! :)

[TinaDenali]

I posted my hair journey a couple days ago - and when I started my hair was FRIED. Beyond fried.
Here's a link to my post (so you can see the pictures):
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=46055

So, have hope! You CAN and WILL have nice hair again!! It takes time, don't give up. I was in your position, and I kept cutting my hair. It won't get long if you keep cutting it :)

Just limit the amount of things you do to it. That's all I have to offer. Limit washing. Limit drying. Limit heating (irons). Limit brushing when wet. Limit Limit Limit. Be generous with oils (coconut on the head overnight is LOVELY!).

That is my advice, from a girl who was where you are. :)

[Katurday]

Okay. For my health and sanity, I decided to trim one inch. I will be starting monistat soon either way, so I hope I'll get that inch back. I clarified again and feel a bit better about my needle ends. I think I'll try switching up my protein conditioner this time too.