Dry, dry, dry hair!

[Jessica Trapp]

I've oiled it. I did a long SMT. It's still dry. To the point of being brittle. I don't know what I'm doing wrong--haven't really changed my routine.

I CWC and use a leave in conditioner approximately 2ce a week, don't brush, blow fry or use heat. I use Mason Pearson combs and generally wear my hair up.

Advice?

Thanks in advance!

jes

[shockinglength]

Maybe get a good trim, and then try switing to CO? I had almost the same sittuation, and that's what work for me. I now only shampoo once a month =)

[Vermelha]

Perhaps taking a favorite deep conditioner and doing a heated treatment with it. Like wrapping hair in a towel with the treatment in it and leaving it in overnight?

Also, you say you oil it. Do you oil your hair when it's dry or when it's wet/damp?

[RoseRedDead]

Are you using too much protein?

[Jessica Trapp]

I oiled it when it was dry. Should I have done it wet?


Are you using too much protein?

Protein makes my hair crunchy so I try to stay away from it. I started using Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition conditioner recently though. It says for dry hair... but... I dunno... I'm starting so suspect it. Has anyone else used this one?

[darkwaves]

It sounds like your hair is rebelling! Have you tried switching products, or clarifying?

(When my hair goes weird and dry, it's usually because of build-up -- or because my hair has become bored with whatever I'm using on it... which might actually be the same thing.)

I hope you find what works for you!

[Vermelha]

I oiled it when it was dry. Should I have done it wet?

Well, I do, both when wet and dry. Just a small amount though. When the hair dries, it pretty much absorbs it. I focus on ends and drier sections of hair. Maybe it's worth a try?

[Jessica Trapp]

Can somebody point me to a how-to-CO thread? I have tried it before and decided I was a shampoo girl but I'm game to try again.

[JulietCapulet]

Try conditioner from the health food store, something organic. Wet hair with warm water then apply a lot of the conditioner. Then put on a shower cap. Leave the shower cap on for a couple hours or so and take it off. It's amazing.

[Jessica Trapp]

I was thinking of dipping the ends in Aloe gel tonight before popping on my sleep cap. What do you think?

[soobie]

I do better oiling on damp hair- it holds in moisture better.

[redneckprincess]

dropping the shampoo from my routine has done wonders on my hairs moisture level...still not optimal but tons better!!!

[GrowingGlory]

I would suggest that you eat foods that are rich in EFAs (essential fatty acids) such as coconut milk, eggs, nuts and seeds, and drink plenty of purified water. Good luck!

[Thinthondiel]

I was thinking of dipping the ends in Aloe gel tonight before popping on my sleep cap. What do you think?

I think that's a great idea. Aloe vera gel does wonders for my hair when it's dry. I rub some in my palms and spread through damp or dry hair. :)

Btw., here's the CO thread if you wanted to try CO again. click (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=2898)

[baaaad_kitty]

I too have super dry hair. I switched to an all organic shampoo with no proteins and I damp-oil with almond oil. It's now not as dry. Also my hair looks so much better the next day. Do you wash every day?

[Arctic_Mama]

Aloe alone dries my hair out, it is astringent. Oil, especially coconut oil, but on dry hair can cause very crunchy ends as well. It works much better for most people to use it on damp hair.

If you're avoiding protein, a good clarifying and lots of moisture afterward (including oiling on your damp hair) should help. I had chronically dry ends and this revived them quite a bit. I still had to trim the damage off and will continue to do so, but it wad much improved from gentle handling and careful use of products.

[UltraBella]

Aloe is anti-bacterial and anti-fungal and helps retain moisture. How can it be astringent ??

Oiling on damp hair does nothing for me. When I oil I do it overnight before a wash day and I apply it to dry hair.

As a leave in I only use aloe vera gel, or aloe mixed with a bit of jojoba oil. My hair is sooooo much softer with aloe. Love it !
Good luck, I hope something works for you !!

[Loreley]

I'd do a clarifying wash and a deep treatment. This always helps me. :)

[Masara]

When my hair feels like this and nothing else works, it usually means I need to clarify. I have very hard water and it builds up in my hair and seems to block out any moisturising I try to do.
The most effective thing for my is to calrify and then put warm conditioner on the damp hair and leave it for an hour or so. I do a modified SMT because I'm another person whose hair doesn't like aloe; it leaves it dry and dull.

[Gypsygirl]

I think I'd clarify and get a dusting...and then just spoil it rotten. Hope it feels better soon! :flower:

[boukje]

perhaps your conditioner has cones in it? (my hair gets really really dry almost breaks of if you look at it) when I use a conditioner which has cones in it.

[Jessica Trapp]

perhaps your conditioner has cones in it? (my hair gets really really dry almost breaks of if you look at it) when I use a conditioner which has cones in it.

I'm a cone-head. :p Never have had problems with cones in the past--my hair seems to like them. Could it be a build up maybe?

What should I use to clarify?

jes

PS Thank you to all for the advice/ideas. Very helpful!

[Gypsygirl]

A tablespoon of baking soda added to a tablespoon of organic shampoo works great for me.

[Elenna]

If you are using VO5 conditioner, it has protein in it. Protein is in practically every hair product.
Other products can leave residues that coat the hair. Hard water residues can coat the hair too. I would recomment a clarifying shampoo like Neutrogena Anti-Residue shampoo.

[rosek]

Everyones suggestions have been great. Another point - remember that one treatment/change might not fix the problem. You might need to try it a few times until the ends return to normal. I think its a really good point to remember that problems take time to make, and it takes some time to fix them too.

Good luck! :)

[Dolly]

I'm a cone-head. :p Never have had problems with cones in the past--my hair seems to like them. Could it be a build up maybe?

What should I use to clarify?

jes

PS Thank you to all for the advice/ideas. Very helpful!


Sounds like what happens to me when I get buildup.....I'm a cone-head as well....I have used baking soda to clarify, but it dries my hair out to the point of straw. I buy Suave clarifying shampoo.....it is cheap and it gets all the gunk out.

[Dolly]

Oiling on damp hair does nothing for me. When I oil I do it overnight before a wash day and I apply it to dry hair.




I second this! All oiling wet does for me is cause the oil to be almost impossible to wash out.....mine has to be bone dry when I do an oiling.....

[Shany]

I'm a cone-head. :p Never have had problems with cones in the past--my hair seems to like them. Could it be a build up maybe?

What should I use to clarify?

jes

PS Thank you to all for the advice/ideas. Very helpful!

You are a cone-head, but Garnier Triple Nutrition is cone free.

Clarify with a shampoo that contains sulfates. There is some shampoos made for clarifying..like Quantum, LiveClean and Suave clarifying shampoo.

[Jessica Trapp]

You are a cone-head, but Garnier Triple Nutrition is cone free.

Clarify with a shampoo that contains sulfates. There is some shampoos made for clarifying..like Quantum, LiveClean and Suave clarifying shampoo.

Does it have protein in it?

Not sure why I'm so suspicious of this conditioner... seems like other people tried it and liked it but I suspect that's when my dryness issues started. *scratching head*

[Jessica Trapp]

Last night I dipped my braid in aloe gel before popping on my sleep cap. My ends are not perfect but a *lot* softer this morning.

[linnepinne]

What kind of oil I use makes a huge difference to me! Lighter oils (grapeseed jojoba etc.) does nothing for my ends, but seem to intensify the crunch and dryness instead of helping it. The oil that works best for me is EVOO. It's really heavy, so just a small amount is great on either damp or dry hair. For me anyway.
And have you tried damp bunning? This usually makes my hair really soft and it feels super moisturized.

Good luck!

[Gypsygirl]

And have you tried damp bunning? This usually makes my hair really soft and it feels super moisturized.

Really? I'm going to have to try that! Thanks! :)

[FrannyG]

I'm glad to hear that the aloe made your hair feel softer; I'm another who finds that aloe makes my hair feel dry and crispy. In fact when I do an SMT, I leave out the aloe.

I suspect the change in weather could have something to do with your dryness, as well as buildup.

I am another who suggests that you clarify with a clarifying shampoo. In my opinion (and this isn't just me), I find that baking soda is needlessly harsh when a simple clarifying shampoo will remove most buildup. Just use a clarifying shampoo as you would use any other shampoo, but make sure the lather gets through to the ends of the hair. Rinse, repeat. Rinse it out extremely well.

Follow the clarifying with a deep moisturizing treatment (such as an SMT), left on for as long as you can.

Maybe the SMT didn't help before because it couldn't penetrate the buildup I suspect you have.

That really should help, I think.

And it's really never been my experience that my hair needs new products when it gets dry, but clearly others have had that occur.

We're all so different. I hope you get this figured out. :blossom:

[maria_asa]

I also think it sound like it's time to clarify and then deep condition. In fact, I just had the same situation with really dry and brittle hair but this weekend I clarified and then slathered my hair in deep conditioner mixed with coconut oil and honey and my hair feels much better now. Not good yet but definitelly well on it's way.

[~bear]

What worked really well for my ends recently was to do a SMT and then the next day a ACV rinse. The ends of my top layer is the spot I notice if I've used protein or just need more moisture and they were super soft after that without oiling.

Yesterday was the first time I've tried oiling before washing and that made a big difference for me too.

[virgo75]

Your hair might not like the Triple Nutrition conditioner.
Even though it gets raves on here, it gave me crazy build up and made my hair dry. :shrug:

2nd(5th? lol) whoever said to try clarifying followed by a deep condition treatment/SMT. Maybe try going back to whatever you were using before the Triple Nutrition to see if your hair feels better?