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jera
May 11th, 2008, 01:19 PM
I oil my hair at least once a week. It looks much better right after an oiling, but sadly it becomes dry looking again the following day. :(

What can I do / use to keep my hair hydrated between oilings? I use use Nexxus Keraphix conditioner and it's the best I've ever used ( and cone free too !! ) so what more can I do? :confused:

I think this is important because hydrated hair is healthy hair, and hair doesn't grow long unless it's healthy. When my hair was at it's healthiest, it was also at it's longest, down to my hips. :)

I'd love to get my long hair back again. It's now below mid chest length but with fried ends, looking bad. Thanks in advance.

florenonite
May 11th, 2008, 01:23 PM
How do you wash your hair, and how often? This could provide clues as to why your hair's so dry.

spidermom
May 11th, 2008, 01:38 PM
I think regular small trims are good for keeping dried-out ends from becoming broken-off ends. Also, you can oil the ends with a drop or two of oil every day; I do (most days, anyway). No heat styling.

I've had good results from the CWC method of washing, and I dilute the shampoo in quite a bit of water and keep it to the scalp area only, unless I think I have buildup, then I wash the entire length. My ends really don't dry out anymore.

rchorr
May 11th, 2008, 03:41 PM
Once a week?!? I usually oil at least once a DAY! I wash every 3 days. It never looks oily, but my head itches and generally drives me nuts after that.

After washing and blotting, I use a mixture of 1/2 aloe gel (the clear stuff, NOT the green!) and water. I have a small spray bottle, and I make sure the mix gets to my scalp. Then I massage it in a bit. The next step is jojoba oil on the length, then a leave-in conditioner.

During the winter, I've been known to oil in the morning AND evening.

If your hair is as dry as mine is, the extra oil won't hurt it! :-)

RCHORR'

lookingglass
May 11th, 2008, 09:19 PM
I need a leave in, not oil, but I am a curly...you could try it! Have you used aloe?

Nynaeve
May 11th, 2008, 09:51 PM
Have you tried aloe or a mist spray in between oilings?
If not, you could try Kimberlily's aloe mist spray recipe to spray your hair between oilings to keep it hydrated.
Also, is your hair dry when you oil it?
A lot of people have more success when their hair is damp when they do their oiling.

cat_in_the_hat7
May 11th, 2008, 10:14 PM
I oil with damp hair as it just never seem to soak in when I did it dry. I also add a bit more oil on wash days before I wash. It seems to leave it oily otherwaise so then I can just wash it out but still allow some o soak in.

Emme76
May 12th, 2008, 09:50 AM
I also have a problem with dry hair, specially my ends. Now I oil my ends every evening with jojobaoil and coconut oil, if I put my hair up - I also oil in the morning. They have gotten better since I been doing this. I also so deep oiling every week (sometimes twice), and a SMT! I hardly use any schampoo...only on my scalp and dialuted.
And I use more conditionor than I used to.

Sometimes when my hair tends to look very dry, and moisture doesnīt seem to help, it needs a protein treatment. Then I use egg and oliveoil.

Hope it getīs better for you.
/Emme

savi
May 12th, 2008, 10:30 AM
I second the Kimbelily's defrizz spray suggestion. That's good stuff. Also I do dry oilings every second day or every day, you could try only oiling the ends more often if that feels too much for the rest of the hair. And aloe vera as a leave in condish. If your hair is thirsty give it plenty of moisture. It doesn't even hurt to go overboard some times. ;)

Ohio Sky
May 12th, 2008, 10:33 AM
I have found that if I dampen my hair a little every night and bun or braid it overnight with some coconut oil, its stays soft and shiny and moisturized all the time without ever looking greasy. My hair has been so much happier since I started doing this.

Faepirate
May 12th, 2008, 10:47 AM
Agreed on more frequent oilings! Once a week would never be enough for me!

My hair is very prone to dryness - I oil my ends every night with a little EV olive oil then wet my hands and smooth them over the ends a few times. This seems to work better than getting the hair really damp or oily, for me.

Before every wash I oil the ends heavily with coconut oil.

After every wash I fingercomb a couple of drops of jojoba oil through the hair while it's still slightly damp.

I mist about 5 times a day with my version of Kimberlily's Defrizz Spray. That helps enormously.

Another thing that helped my hair was CO washing but this may be troublesome for some.

Islandgrrl
May 12th, 2008, 11:24 AM
I have dry hair, too. I've discovered that when I oil my hair (which is daily), it really needs to be damp for best results. I mist it lightly before I go to bed and then put it up, usually in a bun to protect the ends. I also CO most of the time, I only use shampoo once a month or so to deal with any buildup issues. All of this has greatly improved the appearance and feel of my hair!

Good luck to you!

freznow
May 12th, 2008, 01:59 PM
Have you tried Chagrin Valley shampoo bars? A lot of people say they are too moisturizing, so they may be perfect for you.

jera
May 12th, 2008, 04:58 PM
I do dampen my hair prior to oiling and I'm oiling again as I type this. ( This board inspires me ).:D

But, Emme how do you get a heavy oil like coconut oil out without shampoo? If I tried that my hair would be one long grease tail.

I would be interested in Kimberlily's spritz. Is there a thread here for the recipe?:confused:

As for leave in, I still use ojon revitalizing mist which works both as a detangler and a leave in. Or I'll make a leave in spritz of my own creation using spring water and essential oils. That's about it. ;)

chrissy-b
May 12th, 2008, 05:00 PM
CO, a daily leave-in, daily oiling and bi-monthly SMT's have REALLY helped my dry ends. Also, on my hair (which is about the same type as yours) CO rinses the coconut oil right out and it never feels oily until about day 4.

Garnett
May 12th, 2008, 05:03 PM
I have dry hair and skin and I use vegetable glycerin as a leave in. It works better than anything I've tried as of yet.

ETA: I am also CO and oil occasionally.

psvzum
May 12th, 2008, 05:33 PM
Oiling every night has made a world of difference in my hair. I CO or WO my hair every morning so the oil doesn't build up.

florenonite
May 13th, 2008, 03:14 AM
I would be interested in Kimberlily's spritz. Is there a thread here for the recipe?:confused:


Here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=277) you go!

aisling
May 13th, 2008, 03:53 AM
Oil usually comes out easily with just conditioner, coconut oil is a quite light oil as well, compared to for example canola. Even if I oil my ends after every wash, I don't wash my ends with shampoo every time I use shampoo (I also CO), the conditioner is quite enough to remove extra oil and my hair doesn't look greasy. Washing the length with shampoo often would be way too drying, now i do it perhaps once or twice a month.

Melisande
May 13th, 2008, 03:56 AM
My dry ends and lengths love my version of Fox' shea butter mixture: shea butter, jojoba oil and conditioner whipped together.

I use it on dry and moist hair, just a tiny bit will make my hair feel so much better.

tiny_teesha
May 13th, 2008, 04:51 AM
try wetting or misting your hair before oiling to trap the moiture inside instead of locking it out.

daisy
May 13th, 2008, 05:00 AM
Have you tried honey or molasses? Slather it on before washing your hair and let it sit for a while. Then wash and condition as usual. It is extremely messy, but it does work for me.

Anlbe
May 13th, 2008, 05:15 AM
I have very dry hair and fought with it for years. I always found the hair typing here a little odd because the most important thing for me to realise was just how dry my hair was and deal with it accordingly, the rest didn't affect my hair care at all.

For me
more water=dryer hair, so I don't mist and wash my hair as little as possible
I use shampoo and conditioners for extremely dry and damaged hair (often stuff marketed for sub saharan type hair).
I add little jojoba oil every day on the ends and nape of my neck.
Deep condition overnight before I wash (not always but most times), SMT works well but recently I tried honey and olive oil, half and half, heated, put on hair and left overnight under showercap and turban - it actually made my hair glossy! Something it has never ever been so I'd be really interested to know how it works for other people with dry hair.

Hope some of this might help

levelek
May 13th, 2008, 08:32 AM
I tried the EVOO-honey deep treatment last week. I then did an S, S, S, S (that will be four shampoos) and my length was still stringy - although my ends dried out nicely...

Irishred
May 13th, 2008, 11:01 AM
Jera,

It could be the products you are washing with that are causing the dryness. Or you may need to clarify.

HTH.

jera
May 14th, 2008, 08:38 AM
Though I haven't yet tried honey and or molasses on my hair, I've seen several thread topics here advocating their use. Briefly, what does honey / molasses do to improve hair?? :confused:

Wouldn't it take a lot of shampoo to get all that sticky ooze out? :shrug:

Lately I've been trying to treat my hair more gently by using mild SLS free shampoos and not washing so vigorously. If it requires several latherings to get honey and molasses out, would I be better off passing on this treatment option and trying something else? :confused:

Thanks for your patience.

florenonite
May 14th, 2008, 09:26 AM
I've never used honey in my hair, though I *do* know it's used in SMTs, which many people use as a CO wash, so it should just rinse out. Speaking of which, have you done an SMT? It might help.

aisling
May 14th, 2008, 09:46 AM
Honey is water soluble, so no, it doesn't take a lot of shampoo to wash it out.

levelek, that's the reason I and others use conditioner to wash out oil.

jel
May 14th, 2008, 09:54 AM
Though I haven't yet tried honey and or molasses on my hair, I've seen several thread topics here advocating their use. Briefly, what does honey / molasses do to improve hair?? :confused:

They are humectants, meaning they attract and keep moisture. In deep treatments they help to keep the moisture on the hair until it's actually absorbed.


Wouldn't it take a lot of shampoo to get all that sticky ooze out? :shrug:



Honey is water soluble, so no, it doesn't take a lot of shampoo to wash it out.

Anlbe
May 15th, 2008, 02:03 AM
Hi Levelek,

Sorry about the stringy hair!

I haven't had any problems washing out honey mixtures, but I think it helps that I have a bath when I'm washing out honey rich mixtures and let my hair soak for quite a while. I started doing this because otherwise I have problems with tangles in my lengths and leaving bits of honey on my ends, but I think it also helps remove the oil and honey more easily.
After I use shampoo and then conditioner as normal. There is no circumstance when I don't have to use conditioner, and condition only has not worked for my hair so far, but I keep trying.

Faepirate
May 15th, 2008, 03:17 AM
Jera, do you shampoo your whole length or just your scalp/roots? If you shampoo your whole length, maybe you can try just shampooing your scalp and roots, keeping the length out of the way, to see if it makes a difference? :)

Also, if your hair is anything like mine, you may find it's a very gradual process to get your ends in a better condition. It took me months to coax mine into behaving. Now they are mostly ok but if the get dried out they do usually takes a couple of weeks to get back on the way to being moisturised, with everyday pampering!

(Fussy, spoilt hair. :p)

savi
May 15th, 2008, 03:46 AM
Hasn't anyone mentioned SMT yet? Sure it's not applied in between oilings but I'm thinking you might also try to get some more moisture into the hair while washing. And then the oilings help to retain that moisture inside the hair. And BTW.. Keraphix is a protein conditioner, so it might be a good thing to use a really moisturising conditioner every once in awhile in it's place, because too much protein may make you hair feel dry and brittle.

HTH!

backtonature
May 16th, 2008, 10:34 PM
I would suggest using raw shea butter for oiling. You don't have to use alot. Just a small amount in your palm, rub to warm it up and run through sectioned hair. This should help with the dryness. Also you can use this as a pre-poo, or at night for extra moisture. The great thing is it soaks in well, without leaving an slick/oily feeling if you use it properly and will add shine.