coarse dry hair - HELP!

[Toadstool]

Does anyone have any idea why my hair would be dry? It is only a few inches long and half virgin but even the roots feel dry. Yet I have a fairly oily scalp. I rarely use cones but I do use SLS shampoo, could this be drying it out?:confused:
I tried CO but my hair became flat,limp and greasy-looking and lost any wave.
i have always ended up cutting my hair off because i hate the texture. I thought going virgin would solve this problem but it's not working! :mad:

[Calista]

What else do you do besides shampooing with SLS? Condition, oil, deep treaments, protein? How often do you wash? Do you blow dry or heat style?

[christine1989]

I had the same problem back when I used SLS. When I began CO washing I felt like my hair was greasy and oily 24/7 but if you stick with it your hair will probobly regulate itself and your hair will feel moisturized without feeling like its coated in crisco. I would reccomend trying Hugo Naturals shampoo- it is SLS free but still creates some suds and cleans pretty well. Sometimes oiling your hair is also a good way to combat dryness especially if you do it before you shampoo.

[Toadstool]

What else do you do besides shampooing with SLS? Condition, oil, deep treaments, protein? How often do you wash? Do you blow dry or heat style?

None of the above :):o

I wash it most days, sometimes every other day. This is because it gets soaked with sweat when I work out.

[Heavenly Locks]

None of the above :):o

I wash it most days, sometimes every other day. This is because it gets soaked with sweat when I work out.

Have you tried doing CO at all? If you need to wash every day SLS (which is IMO very stripping and harsh) is definitely the culprit.

I'd suggest doing an SMT once in a while and switching some of your washes to either rinses only or CO :)

[AnnaMarie]

I agree with Heavenly Locks, I have a very similar hair type and I find SMTs work really well to soften and moisturise my hair, its definatley worth a look :)

[Calista]

In that case I suggest regular deep treatments. My favourite is Snowymoon´s Moisture Treatment (SMT). How about alternating shampoo washing and conditioner washing? On the shampoo days you could dilute your shampoo and try the CWC (condition-wash-condition) method to minimize the impact of SLS while still getting your hair thoroughly clean. I hear you on the limpness - my hair gets clean with CO but limp as well, so I chose a shampoo bar routine, which has given me great results for nearly four years now.

Once a week you could do an SMT, either before washing or instead of a CO wash. This routine should get some moisture back into your hair, and you´d still be able to use your regular shampoo.

[Loreley]

Oiling after washing may help. :)

[Toadstool]

Thanks very much, everyone! I shall definitely try these suggestions. I'm relieved to know it is probably the SLS rather than i am doomed to have dry hair:)
Thank you!

[Desideira]

I would blame lack of Conditioner. I woudl sugest trying both conditoner and leave in conditioner.
oiling hair befre washing with shampoo can also be helpful:)

[Juanita]

And some water only washes. Try to cut down and shampoo less often. Dilute shampoo and use more conditioner for washing. Spacing the shampooing out for more days will also help your scalp to be less greasy. The more you shampoo the more your scalp fights back producing more oil. I use shampoo less than once a week. My hair doesn't smell. I do wash with just water after sweating to rinse the sweat off.I use about three times the amount of conditioner to shampoo.

[IamNotMyHair]

Complete newbie question. What is a SMT? and is there a list for abbreviations on this site?

thanks

[Calista]

IAmNotMyHair, SMT means Snowymoon´s Moisture Treatment. I explained it in one of my posts upthread. You can find it through the search function, but in fact I did this for you, so here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=128&highlight=) you are. :)

In the section "New? Start here!" (which is named like that for a reason ;)) there is a very useful thread "Links to Very Important Threads (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=32573)". In this thread there is a link to common abbreviations on LHC.

I hope this helps. :flowers:

[HairColoredHair]

Your hair might naturally feel a bit dry, since it is coarse. It's never going to be like spider silk like the superfine people get. :) That said, some conditioner or CO could help and hey, coarse hair's usually tough and can put up with the elements better! Bonus! :cheese:

[ArcticNights]

I tried the SMT for the same problem, but it made my hair very frizzy and dull. But, Fox`s shea butter conditioning cream saved it. This:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=4586

:) :) :)

[klcqtee]

Hello hair twin! Okay, not exactly, but we're very close, and I too have an oily scalp, but dry hair, and CO made my hair flat and greasy. I have found the miracle cure though, do not fear!

Cone-free CO.

It's a god send. Try it. You'll love it so, so much (I hope!). I use the granier triple nutrition conditioner. My hair is soft and wavy, not flat, and I'm able to stretch washes from every day to twice a week. Plus it's lovely as a DT. The only down side is you'll probably have to clarify your hair 3 or 4 times (over the course of 3 or 4 washes, not all at once!) to be sure you've got most of the coney build up out. Your hair will get worse before it gets better, at least the ends will. The roots area will likely be happier. Try it out for at least 8 washes (I don't know if that will be 2 months for you, or just over a week, but give it a fair shot).

I hope this helps!

[Toadstool]

Hello hair twin! Okay, not exactly, but we're very close, and I too have an oily scalp, but dry hair, and CO made my hair flat and greasy. I have found the miracle cure though, do not fear!

Cone-free CO.

It's a god send. Try it. You'll love it so, so much (I hope!). I use the granier triple nutrition conditioner. My hair is soft and wavy, not flat, and I'm able to stretch washes from every day to twice a week. Plus it's lovely as a DT. The only down side is you'll probably have to clarify your hair 3 or 4 times (over the course of 3 or 4 washes, not all at once!) to be sure you've got most of the coney build up out. Your hair will get worse before it gets better, at least the ends will. The roots area will likely be happier. Try it out for at least 8 washes (I don't know if that will be 2 months for you, or just over a week, but give it a fair shot).

I hope this helps!
Hi Hair twin!

I tried it before :( but maybe not for long enough. Oh! Just realised one of the ones I used did have cones in duh! :o
I bought some SLS free shampoo today which I shall try. I liked someone's suggestion of diluting it, and of doing CO every other wash or something.
thanks all, you've been great! My hair won't know what's hit it!

[Toadstool]

Your hair might naturally feel a bit dry, since it is coarse. It's never going to be like spider silk like the superfine people get. :) That said, some conditioner or CO could help and hey, coarse hair's usually tough and can put up with the elements better! Bonus! :cheese:

Yes there are pluses.:) But I think it could do with feeling a bit softer. Plus my scalp seems flakey or something.

[alwayssmiling]

Hi I'm someone who likes to wash her hair everyday. I have tried to cut down, and I do CO every now and then, but basically I just like to wash my hair in the shower. I have become very, very picky about the shampoo I use. I use moisturising shampoos (I have had to do a bit of trial and error), the rich type of shampoos that even before I put my conditioner on make my hair feel silky (as opposed to knotty and tangled iykwim). They are usually coconut or honey shampoos. Miracle moist is a good one!

When it comes to conditioner I use quite a lot and leave it an as long as possible whilst I'm in the shower. I also deep condition twice a week. I use a serum or moisturising cream after my wash, and finish my dry ends off with shea butter or oliv oil. HTH

[Toadstool]

Hi Alwayssmiling Do you know of a cone-free serum or leave-in I can buy in the UK? Thanks.

[alwayssmiling]

Hi Toadstool

I have just had a quick look through my conditioners and the ones that I use that don't have cones are Boots Honey & Jojoba Leave in, and good old fashioned Vitapointe (from Boots or Supermarkets). Vitapointe goes on dry hair, I really like it for my frizzies but it does contain paraffin and synthetic beeswax - if you have a problem with those ingredients.

Don't know if thats any help because I'm a cone lover, the more the merrier :)

[Toadstool]

Hi Toadstool

I have just had a quick look through my conditioners and the ones that I use that don't have cones are Boots Honey & Jojoba Leave in, and good old fashioned Vitapointe (from Boots or Supermarkets). Vitapointe goes on dry hair, I really like it for my frizzies but it does contain paraffin and synthetic beeswax - if you have a problem with those ingredients.

Don't know if thats any help because I'm a cone lover, the more the merrier :)
thanks that's great! :cool:Will try the Boots one cos I always found vitapoint too greasy.

[Toadstool]

Just put (way too much) oil in my hair and it's gone strangely curly!

[Calista]

Toadstool, in my experience coarsies can get away with totally overoiling their hair without it looking greasy! I always admire Indian women with their shiny smooth black locks, and usually they have coarse, heavily oiled hair.

[GoddesJourney]

I wanted to add that it could be your water. I had highly chlorinated water eat my hair once and I'm still growing out that damage. Also, maybe I read it wrong, but it sounds like you don't condition after shampooing. You need to, even with a light conditioner, especially with SLS shampoo. I always had super greasy hair and my ends were always dry. I found out it was because I kept stripping my hair to get the greasies out and my whole length was suffering for it. A milder shampoo will still get your hair clean, and hopefully your scalp will adjust to that after a few weeks. I could not go straight to CO or stretch washes at all. I had to do baby steps of toning down the shampoo strength for a long time before I could move on. My hair is now way less greasy, the ends look better, and I use mild shampoo about once per week and CO almost daily.

[spidermom]

I agree with trying CWC with diluted shampoo. Plus don't wash every day. You could water rinse on the days between shampooing. I work out nearly every day, too, and this is what I do.

[Toadstool]

thanks Goddessjourney and Spidermom. I must add, yes I do condition but all the cone-free ones I have been able to find are very light. CWC sounds good. i will try either water or CO every other day and extend it slowly . D'you think I need to dilute even SLS-free shampoo.
Calista, mine did look greasy but I went for overkill, a bit less may have been the answer.
I used coconut oil which I understand has protein in it. Is that okay , I think someone said it made their hair crunchy?

[Roseate]

D'you think I need to dilute even SLS-free shampoo.

I'm also a coarse/thick/dry haired type, and I do CWC with diluted sulfate-free shampoo.

I like diluting the shampoo not only to make it more gentle, but to make it easier to get it all over my scalp. I put it in a squeeze bottle and squirt it right on the roots. Otherwise, the shampoo doesn't always make it through my dense hair and that can cause scalp problems for me.

[HintOfMint]

thanks Goddessjourney and Spidermom. I must add, yes I do condition but all the cone-free ones I have been able to find are very light. CWC sounds good. i will try either water or CO every other day and extend it slowly . D'you think I need to dilute even SLS-free shampoo.
Calista, mine did look greasy but I went for overkill, a bit less may have been the answer.
I used coconut oil which I understand has protein in it. Is that okay , I think someone said it made their hair crunchy?

There are cone-free conditioners that are quite moisturizing. As per a few recommendations on this forum, I have started using Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition conditioner, and it works quite well. Pretty rich.

[loralie]

Definitely try only washing your scalp. I mostly just wash the top of my head and my bangs, and sometimes I will wash the length to clarify but that's usually only a couple of times a month.

[Toadstool]

Definitely try only washing your scalp. I mostly just wash the top of my head and my bangs, and sometimes I will wash the length to clarify but that's usually only a couple of times a month.

Loralie, Thank you, I do only wash my scalp but that comprises my entire hair as it is so short! :)

Hintofmint i will look out for the fructis, thank you. I would love to have a rich conditioner.

Roseate I will definitely try diluting the shampoo then. Thanks.

[hemolymph]

Could hard water be a culprit? I notice my hair feels more rough when I use hard water but at my mom's house she has a water softner and it comes out less rough/coarse.

Not sure if that makes a difference..

[GRU]

Coconut oil doesn't have protein in it -- just fat (like all oils).

I find that my hair feels dryer in humid air, I think because it swells up when it absorbs moisture from the air and that makes it feel rough (the cuticle doesn't lie as flat when it's puffed up) which makes it feel dry.

I recommend moisturizing conditioners (store-bought or homemade) and light oiling. I find that my hair likes coconut oil "okay" but it REALLY loves almond oil. Others have good luck with other oils, so if you aren't happy with the coconut oil, shop around and try some of the others until you find out what your hair likes.

Also, if going the CO route, you *have* to go cone-free with everything so it doesn't build up. Lots of built-up product can make your hair limp and dull-looking.

[Toadstool]

Haemolymph. Thanks for the suggestion but I have soft water. My grandmother has hard water and when IU stay with her OMG my hair looks disgusting!


Coconut oil doesn't have protein in it -- just fat (like all oils).

I find that my hair feels dryer in humid air, I think because it swells up when it absorbs moisture from the air and that makes it feel rough (the cuticle doesn't lie as flat when it's puffed up) which makes it feel dry.

I recommend moisturizing conditioners (store-bought or homemade) and light oiling. I find that my hair likes coconut oil "okay" but it REALLY loves almond oil. Others have good luck with other oils, so if you aren't happy with the coconut oil, shop around and try some of the others until you find out what your hair likes.

Also, if going the CO route, you *have* to go cone-free with everything so it doesn't build up. Lots of built-up product can make your hair limp and dull-looking.


I guess I thought it must have protein in it cos it's a nut!
I really hope CO will work for me. I 'm afraid it won't because in the past I had seborrhiec dermatitis. But it's weird because that's why I said I have an oily scalp but it feels really dry. I'm hoping giving up SLS will help in some way.
I hope going cone-free with CO will help. I'm sick of hating my hair.
i always wanted fine straight hair!
BTW I LOVE yours! I know it's not fine and straight (:rolleyes:) but those red curls are to die for :)

[GRU]

I really hope CO will work for me. I 'm afraid it won't because in the past I had seborrhiec dermatitis.

I've had issues with s.d. on and off for the past 20 years, and honestly, my scalp has never been happier since going CO eight months ago. I think one difference, besides the absence of SLS, is the way I "scrub" my scalp. When I used to shampoo my hair, I was very inconsistent with it. I wouldn't necessarily "scrub" every section of my scalp, assuming that the run-off from the suds would be good enough, or just giving some areas a quick wipe with my sudsy fingers.

Now that I'm CO-washing, I use the pads of my fingers to really give a gentle yet thorough massage (not a hard rub and no fingernails) to every part of my scalp. I think it's a combination of gentle chemicals and gentle treatment and complete coverage that is making the difference for my s.d.


BTW I LOVE yours! I know it's not fine and straight (:rolleyes:) but those red curls are to die for :)

Awww, thanks! It's taken me 40 years, but I'm finally coming to terms with my own hair. But I still look longingly at all the "Marcia Brady" straight hair pics posted here... I guess the grass is always greener on someone else's scalp! :D

[Toadstool]

I've had issues with s.d. on and off for the past 20 years, and honestly, my scalp has never been happier since going CO eight months ago. .


Well that's really encouraging!
:)

[GRU]

Well that's really encouraging!
:)

I honestly wouldn't have believed it if someone had predicted it, but it really is true!

[ickiness warning]
I don't think I've picked a grand total of five scabs off my head in the past six months, and I've had NO bleeding in that time. That was totally unheard of before -- I'd end up with bleeding at least once a month, and anywhere from 5-10 scabs a week!
[/ickiness warning]

I hope it all works out great for you as well!

[loralie]

Aw sorry! I didn't realize your hair was that short. Deep treatments are awesome though. Hope you get it sorted out! :)