Switching it up every so often

[BeccaAngel]

I had heard that switching up your shampoo and conditioner every couple of months is good for your hair. Did I hear wrong? or Is this correct? and how would it be good for your hair?:)

[HairFaerie]

I switch up at least once a week! It seems that if I use the same shampoo/conditioner for more than a week, my hair gets dried out and dull. The day I switch, it feels so much better.

A lot of times I use 2 or 3 different kinds in one week. (I wash/condition every day.)

Needless to say, my shower stall looks like a beauty supply store! :doh:

[Ashenputtel]

I also read somewhere that hair is dead and there is no need for switching since it won't get use to anything.

I don't know what to believe anymore!

[SpinDance]

I've always randomly switched up products. I think this was the reason I never got buildup back when I used cones. Actually, I think I would start to get build up, it didn't feel 'right' so I'd use a different one next time, which solved the problem. I accidentally clarified by changing things up.

[McFearless]

I don't think your hair can get "used" to anything, but on different days your hair might need different things. Who knows. I've experienced conditioners that stopped working as well after a while.

[KittyLost]

I just keep going with a routine until it stops working.

I used to use herbal essences shampoo and conditioner for months then my hair would feel dried out and tangly so I would change to Sunsilk, or something that smelled nice then go back to herbal essences when that ran out and my hair would be fine again. This was many years ago but occassionally I still have problems with herbal essences not working and I don't use it as frequently anymore.

I'm not sure if hair can build up a resistence to something or if it is just build-up but with all the things on LHC you try to see what works for you, you'll always be changing your routine and products up anyway.

[Anje]

I'm under the impression that a lot of this is good to combat buildup. Some products build up more than others, and often they'll have different ingredients that build up, so one goes away and another gradually increases.

Even if you've got the whole buildup cycle figured out, there are lots of folks who find they need occasional additional cleansing or conditioning or such for hair and scalp health, but that overdoing it isnt' optimal.

[HairFaerie]

It's true, your hair might be "dead" but there are plenty of things that affect how it looks!

The cuticle still opens and closes and the ends can get split, it can get dry, build up, etc., etc. So, I would not be inclined to believe that it doesn't matter.

Also, things like humidity, diet, wear & tear, etc. definitely affect your hair's appearance on any given day.

Otherwise, if it didn't matter what we washed it/conditioned it with, this forum would be pretty obsolete!;)

[Buddaphlyy]

I'm under the impression that a lot of this is good to combat buildup. Some products build up more than others, and often they'll have different ingredients that build up, so one goes away and another gradually increases.

Even if you've got the whole buildup cycle figured out, there are lots of folks who find they need occasional additional cleansing or conditioning or such for hair and scalp health, but that overdoing it isnt' optimal.

Yep. Even though I'm a recovering PJ, I still pretty much use the same products all the time. If a particular product set "stops working", that just means its time for me to clarify.

I do do extra deep conditioning or protein treatments if I'm doing extensions or using heat, but constantly changing products will lead to setbacks more than help.

[jojo]

I swap around as I seriously must have 20 bottles of partly used shampoo and the same with conditioner and dont even mention oils ;) but its just about variety for me, i like to collect nice smelling stuff! but really theres no reason to keep swapping, if your hair feels dull clarify it!

So really all you need is 1 shampoo, 1 conditioner and a clarifying shampoo!

[owlathena]

Whenever I feel like my hair just doesn't feel "right," I clarify. Then the products work as well as they did the first time!

[HintOfMint]

Changing seasons could have something to do with needing to switch things around. I personally needed to switch to cones during the winter, and even used a protein-laden shampoo or three. I also gave up coconut oil temporarily.

Now that the weather is nice, I'm probably going to go back to my old cone-free CWC routine with coconut oil.

[Carolyn]

I can only speak for my own hair of course but my hair is horrible if I use the same products more than twice in a row. It gets all lank and dull and feel coated with no shine or bounce. I call results like that build up. So I rotate my products with each wash. I rarely, if ever, use the same set of products twice in a row. I have at least a dozen shampoos and several dozen conditioners in my bathroom. I mix it up and switch things around every time. I've been getting good results doing this for years. I clarify sometimes too. Yes clarifying gets rid of the build up, but for my hair, I feel it's too harsh to do very often. I use very limited coney products so I know my lankness issues are not from too many cones.

[julliams]

I have about 3 or four different options and I change it up each time. It just makes it all the more interesting and I never get bored this way.

[vanillabones]

I just have a million products I need to use up is all :D ha

[|Xei]

I have 5 different conditioners, and the ones that I do switch up are for treatments. I have one for strengthening, one for moisture, and the last for thickening up SMT mixes+volume. So what I use depends on what my hair needs at the moment. The other two conditioners are for regular use and co-washing.

Up until recently, I've used only one shampoo. But since I've been getting some build-up, I decided to get two more shampoos, one for clarifying, the other for switching up. Since doing so, the build-up problem hasn't seem to have come back, and my hair seems to have become shinier as well.

[racrane]

I don't switch up from my routine with VO5, I simply clarify. It does the trick for me.