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View Full Version : (Another) 'Clarifying' disaster



x0h_bother
March 13th, 2011, 10:07 AM
I clarified 2 days ago. My ends were super tangly. I blamed the DT I had used oodles of- I think my hair just got loaded down. So I 'clarified' twice with a low sulfate shampoo on my legnth (Kenra platinum) and conditioned as usual. I never have had good experiences clarifying in the past, so I was prepared for dry hair. My hair wasn't terribly dry, but still super tangly so I put it up and didn't fight with it. Even worse, I just washed to restore 'balance' again, and now my hair is very frizzy/curled near my scalp. It's like just one big rats nest, though not terribly dry. It's disgusting tangly, and I'm going to have to throw it up again. Does anyone have any suggestions on how I fix this? I already use 2 conditioners, one coney and one moisturizing, and coconut oil- the oil seems to help some.:(

alwayssmiling
March 13th, 2011, 10:17 AM
Have you ever tried Foxs shea butter? My hair has been so dry and tangly lately - I clarified two nights in a row, deep treatment x 2, coconut oil, trimmed a little. In the end Fox's shea butter was the only thing that helped get the moisture back and make it slinky again. I used a tiny, tiny amount rubbed in my hands on damp hair concentrating on the ends.

HintOfMint
March 13th, 2011, 11:08 AM
Low sulfate shampoos aren't very good for clarifying, especially since you have a coney conditioner in your regimen.

UltraBella
March 13th, 2011, 11:26 AM
Low sulfate shampoos aren't very good for clarifying, especially since you have a coney conditioner in your regimen.

I use a low sulfate shampoo for clarifying and it works wonderfully for me. In my experience, low sulfate is still quite strong.

angelthadiva
March 13th, 2011, 11:38 AM
My simple advice would be to stop doing what you are doing.

I am a little confused about exactly what you did do though. When you say "clarify" what exactly did you do? Step by step and what products did you use. When people say "clarify" that could mean using baking soda, lemon juice or shampoo or a mixture of all three or something else entirely...I use all 3 and never ever more than once within days of the first time.

If your hair wasn't fully detangled before this most recent wash--If your hair is anything like mine, that only exasperated your tangling issues. So, I can't say that is it your washing or shampoo--I think it has more to do with your routine. I never ever wash without fully detangling first. Others may be able to get away with this, I can not.

If I were you, I would slowly detangle ALL of your hair. This may take some time because it sounds like you may have matted hair down to the scalp--This is not the time to be lazy and just throw it up because these tangles are not going to detangle themselves. Once your hair is fully detangled I would add a coconut/jojoba oil mixture of equal parts (if you do not have jojoba--Just use the coconut oil) and apply this from roots to tips by the running your palms down the length repeat as necessary until your hair is lightly coated, then use a wide tooth comb to distribute and make sure hair remains tangle free. If your hair is long enough (if your avatar is you, you should be able to do a decent braid) I'd braid it over night, then wash in the morning unless you can "get away" with wearing an updo that's a slicked style. I have found that using styling products and a sleek style looks exactly the same as as no styling products and a few days after freshly washed hair. Unless I'm asked, people assume I wash my hair everyday.

I wish you luck, I know you are frustrated BUT this can be fixed! I think your hair needs a break from all the washing, so if you can even wait a few days to wash I'd do that. :flower:

angelthadiva
March 13th, 2011, 11:42 AM
Low sulfate shampoos aren't very good for clarifying, especially since you have a coney conditioner in your regimen.


I use a low sulfate shampoo for clarifying and it works wonderfully for me. In my experience, low sulfate is still quite strong.

UltraBella: OP and HOM are hair twins, and you are a wee bit curlier, maybe that makes a difference. I know that impacts how my hair responds to products. You and I are closer hair twins and I find LS to be strong too, but I also use coney products. I can't imagine my routine w/o them. Do you use cones, UB?

x0h_bother
March 13th, 2011, 12:18 PM
Well the Kenra low sulfate has cocamides and I believe sufonate or some derivitive of sulfate, just not SLS. So perhaps I should have said SLS free. Maybe I should use a chelating poo, but my hair felt stripped enough with the Kenra which I used twice. I don't have good results with ACV so that's why I didn't use it. But I could always give it another go next time I have build up. I don't have Fox's but I do have a shea butter DT, I will give that a try. :blossom:

Honestwitness
March 13th, 2011, 12:44 PM
My hair is 2a/F/ii, which is very similar to the OP. I also perceive it as very porous. I can't stand vinegar rinses, because of the smell.

Two things I have done recently that have made my hair better are:

1. A lemon juice rinse about two weeks ago, after using sls shampoo and before using conditioner.

2. Started using a coney serum after my every-other-day routine of wash/condition/lightly towel dry/lightly olive oil the length.

I like the results a lot. Much less tangly and more shiny. It looks like 1c hair, though, instead of 2a. In order to get nice 2a waves, I have to scrunch in some kind of gel, but that makes it tangle more easily.

spidermom
March 13th, 2011, 01:06 PM
What helps me the most with tangles is to apply a little oil to the bottom 1/4 of my length followed by CHI Silk Infusion. It's wonderful! I usually shampoo with diluted shampoo to scalp only, but when I feel that I have buildup (about every 3-4 months), I use full strength shampoo and massage it all the way to the ends of my hair. Then I condition well and start all over again. Sometimes I leave a little of my regular conditioner in my hair, too.

Whatever shampoo I'm using seems to clarify just fine used full strength and only once. Right now I have Save Your Hair/Save Your Rainforest, Oasis Fruit blend. It's a good product!

GRU
March 13th, 2011, 03:47 PM
I was going to mention an acidic rinse too.... makes a world of difference for my hair.

spidermom
March 13th, 2011, 03:59 PM
An acidic rinse makes a world of difference in my hair, too; it all becomes wildly fly-away, like every hair has a separate destination in mind, and they all take off in pursuit of their separate destinies. I like it better when they all clump together.

x0h_bother
March 14th, 2011, 09:35 AM
An acidic rinse makes a world of difference in my hair, too; it all becomes wildly fly-away, like every hair has a separate destination in mind, and they all take off in pursuit of their separate destinies. I like it better when they all clump together.
Maybe that's why I don't like when I do an acid rinse!
It's getting better, thank you guys for the tips :blossom:

x0h_bother
April 12th, 2011, 06:10 PM
Okay so for my anniversary I bought an actual clarifying shampoo. The hairdresser did it twice with her own clarifying poo, not the one I bought. As I have hard water, I experience more build-up. At first I was blaming my condishes but now I realize it is my water all the way.
So this time at home I used an actual mineral deposit removing poo on the length, and oh.my.goodness it works!! Like I said, I was always left with dry sticky frizz when using SLS. This time my hair is less tangly and less frizzy. I did this:
-Began with coconut oil deep condition on built up hair
-Rinsed length with clarifying poo
-Pooed Scalp as normal with deep cond on length
-Coney cond on length

I don't have a problem with cones initially, its just that they had been building up with the new water. I need cones or my hair falls out :(
But it worked!!!! Yayyy!!! :) Now I can have *normal* hair if I do this every time it builds up (which is like every week).