Have any ideas?

[violeteyes]

It just occurred to me that, most of the time,my hair feels more soft when I take a shower and use no products in it, at all. I shower twice a day because I wash my face and my body twice, but I wash and condition my hair in the morning and only get it wet at night. My scalp is oily by the next morning, but the length feels soft. I don't know what the deal is :confused: If I go too long without a protein conditioner, my hair gets very dry and damaged looking, even if I use a super-moisturizing conditioner. My hair is one of those picky 1c/2a types where it can look kinda straight or have some wave, but I never looks "silky" or "smooth" unless I use a hair straightener. It "catches" and tangles and generally looks frizzy and flyaway on the length, while the crown looks and feels smooth and shiny. It does this even if I try and follow a "wavy" routine. Is scalp-only washing the answer? Or, I wonder if maybe the products I am using are all wrong?

[Sara Smile]

In order to reduce oiliness on your scalp, I might try CO washing (perhaps every day, perhaps alternating with full shampoo-and-conditioner washing) for a few weeks and see if there is any effect.

For the rest of it, you'll have to hear from someone with different hair -- I know what's good for my straight hair, but it probably won't help you. ;)

[HairColoredHair]

You're likely rinsing your natural scalp oils down the length of your hair at night, which your length soaks up eagerly.

Perhaps oil is what your hair is craving, not protein? Generally a LACK of protein is shown by mushy hair, not dry/brittle hair! It may also be that your hair simply doesn't like the protein free conditioners you've tried and the protein ones are more moisturizing?

ETA: Do you rinse your head with hot water? That can increase oil production.

[Alaia]

Just to add to what has already been said...

On the assumption that I get from your post that you wash your hair every day... perhaps the oiliness in your scalp is down to the fact that you shampoo your hair every day. It could be that because you wash away the oils in the morning, it overproduces them throughout the day (and when you wet the hair at night, as HairColoredHair said, they get distributed down the length, but then your scalp goes on to produce more).

A solution to this would maybe be CO washing every day, or to try and stretch out your washes so you aren't stripping the scalp every morning.

[violeteyes]

I've tried CO washing and it makes me shed too much- about double the amount that I normally shed. I use pretty mild shampoos- no als, sls or things of that nature. All I know is that I need daily protein or else my hair gets funky...I don't think my protein conditioner is any more moisturizing than the others that I have. I don't know what I need, but I need something. Maybe it IS oil, but I need to figure out if it works better with my hair when my hair is wet/damp/ or dry.