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View Full Version : A Plea for Help... From a Newbie



Eshne
March 19th, 2011, 07:10 AM
Hi all... I wondered if I could ask for your advice?

I have long (middle of my back) hair that is wavy, thick, dry, frizzy and coarse. It's pretty much always been that way and only tamed by straightening it and piling on products, and even then it's still dry and unruly.

I've tried different things over the years... Aubrey Honeysuckle Rose Shampoo and Conditioner, coconut oil, conditioner only, shampoo bars from Lush, other various natural shampoos and conditioners... most recently I tried Aubrey Calaguala Fern shampoo because my scalp was driving me crazy - I have suffered with itchy, flaky scalp for a few years now, but it seems dry and then gets a kind of oily feel after a few days... when I scratch my head I basically get flaky residue under my nails :( which is horrible - the shampoo didn't seem to help and my hair was straw-like.

After that I tried Aubrey Island Naturals shampoo and conditioner but there is no difference with this either. I'm feeling desperate and have no idea what to try, so I'm asking for help from you wonderful people. Please help me? :wail:

Firefox7275
March 19th, 2011, 07:35 AM
Welcome! :) As far as your sclp goes, you might have an allergy to something in commercial products, or dandruff caused by a fungal infection - you might try Nizoral shampoo for the latter. Straighteners will make your hair like straw;If you really want to use heat then encouraging your curl with a diffuser would be more gentle. Have you tried rich leave-in conditioners? My hair is wavy so tying it back after washing does help keep it under control as does a creamy leave-in. Some of the really long haired ladies plait or bun theirs whilst it is still damp so that is another option.

Belisarius
March 19th, 2011, 07:35 AM
Well, try other oils than coconut oil. Olive oil, jojoba oil?
Sometimes snowymoon's moisture treatment works, a mix of conditioner, honey and aloe vera.

PeacenQuietGal
March 19th, 2011, 07:40 AM
Well my daughter has Psorasis on her scalp at times and we just bought some Tea Tree poo and condish. I was just now helping her color her hair, and her scalp was SOOoooo improved. In fact I did not see any flakes. She has had that flakyness her whole life - started as cradle cap and never went away! But, yes we are getting excellent results with the Tea Tree products.

I hope this helps.. But I am pretty new myself. (recovering hair clutz)

Alvrodul
March 19th, 2011, 07:47 AM
I have had a similar problem with my scalp - turned out it doesn't like getting smothered in conditioner when COing - so when I do CO washes, I don't put the conditioner near my scalp. There are also some conditioners that give me a serious buildup problem on my length, that are guaranteed to give me this sort of problem on my scalp. I treat it as a buildup problem, and after I clarify, I always gently masage a drop or two of oil into my scalp (I like to use the Nightblooming Triple Moon oil for this)

Xandergrammy
March 19th, 2011, 07:48 AM
My always unruly hair really calms down a lot using the coconut oil shampoo. There are threads around that explain it in detail, but basically what I do is mix coconut oil (monoi oil) and shampoo in equal parts, shampoo, condition, comb out and my hair is must smoother and shinier and better behaved than usual.

Nipushiau
March 19th, 2011, 07:51 AM
I used to have really bad flakes too, but going water only fixed that. Mostly all I do is unflavored gelatin mixed with water in the shower to remove excess oil. I find that using a silk satin head covering at night gives it a smoother texture as well.

Eshne
March 19th, 2011, 08:05 AM
Thanks for all your replies and suggestions so far, they're very much appreciated :)

I don't use any heat on my hair anymore and haven't for a long time, I stopped straightening and have always let my hair dry naturally, but still it just looks crazy and not in a good way.

I wanted to try going the natural product route as much as possible too, although I have used plenty of non-natural shampoos and conditioners.

I am definitely considering some jojoba oil or something similar and I'll look into all suggestions and any others that my be added :)

Thanks again for all given and any in advance.

CrisDee
March 19th, 2011, 08:18 AM
Your hair texture sounds a lot like my daughter's. She had problems similar to yours for decades, until she started doing a vinegar rinse. It calmed her scalp down like nothing else ever had, and tamed the frizz a bit as well. If your problem is more just the frizz, take a peek at this thread: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=53745 Good luck, and welcome! :flower:

Tiina
March 19th, 2011, 08:29 AM
I second the vinegar rinse. I had some scalp gunk problems when I switched to shampoo bars but the vinegar fixed it. It took some time to get the dilution right, tho.

Also, if you are washing often, then stretching out the time between with WO might be a good idea. That way your scalp does not have to stress out so much.