Limp hair - please help!

[Audrey Horne]

I have such limp slippery hair it drives me mad... No matter what I do to my hair it is just limp and blah
I overused coconut oil about two weeks ago. But I washed my hair mostly with SLS-shampoo (and more often than usually do), did a couple of deep protein treatments, clarified with soda (two days ago), ACV, did my first cassia/henna yesterday (didn't dry my hair at all)... Clarifying with soda and protein treatments gave me moderately positive results for 1 day. And then hair goes limp again. No, it doesn't become oily and greasy the next day...

I have no idea what I should do. I lost all my volume, my hair looks and feels super thin right now. It's so slippery that updos hardly hold anymore... And it's cold to the touch :confused:

Anyone who knows what to do - please help! :-(

[NouvelleNymphe2]

Hmm, I have very fine hair and it gets nice volume depending on what I am doing to it. First things first, what are you washing and conditioning with? This will make a big difference. My hair can be weighed down by certain products. Usually products that have words like "smooth" or "sleek" to describe them. It really depends on your hair type. I have seen fineys who really like smoothing conditioners or shampoos, but my hair texture does not work with them. I have soft fine hair that is fluffy. I don't know exactly how to describe it, that's the best I can do. I like using organic SLS free shampoos with lots of oils. Moisture is good for my hair if I don't overdo it, and a slightly coney conditioner rotated in and out of my routine works very well. Check out my pics, if you think your texture/condition are similar to mine we could chat about how to pick up your volume. Do you use a bbb? If so I suggest trying to give it several passes upside down (when hair is detangled and dry).

[Audrey Horne]

Hmm, I have very fine hair and it gets nice volume depending on what I am doing to it. First things first, what are you washing and conditioning with? This will make a big difference. My hair can be weighed down by certain products. Usually products that have words like "smooth" or "sleek" to describe them. It really depends on your hair type. I have seen fineys who really like smoothing conditioners or shampoos, but my hair texture does not work with them. I have soft fine hair that is fluffy. I don't know exactly how to describe it, that's the best I can do. I like using organic SLS free shampoos with lots of oils. Moisture is good for my hair if I don't overdo it, and a slightly coney conditioner rotated in and out of my routine works very well. Check out my pics, if you think your texture/condition are similar to mine we could chat about how to pick up your volume. Do you use a bbb? If so I suggest trying to give it several passes upside down (when hair is detangled and dry).
I usually used SLS-free shampoo. The one I have now is Logona Ginkgo. Then two SLS shampoos: Alverde Henna/Olive (?) for volume, the 2d no idea (it's no brand really so I don't remember how it's called). Conditioners: Alverde Hibiscus, the 2d - something under 1 euro. No cones. I can't use them.

At the state I am right now I can wash with anything drying, don't condition... And it all goes limp.

It's hard to say from photos if our structure is similar... I used to be a puff with lack of shine before LHC. I treated my hair is if it was 1a in denial... So there was puff. I had lack of moisture. Now I have too much of it, I think. No idea what people do in this case! My hair seems to like proteins a lot now... But should I do it every two days to keep that volume effect :confused:

[NouvelleNymphe2]

My hair likes protein as well. If it is working for you, by all means incorporate it into your routine. If I was you I would try different things to try and boost your volume. If your hair is healthy then try different ways of brushing, drying, and styling. Have you clarified recently? I mean if you're using SLS shampoos that is clarifying enough, but just checkin. Also, make sure your hair likes the products you're using. There are organic/SLS free/no cone products that my hair does NOT like. When I was living in France there were a lot of high end products that my hair really didn't care for. So this could be the problem. I wish I could direct you in terms of a product line, but unfortunately I didn't find many keepers. My point is my hair is very choosy when it comes to washing, conditioning, and styling products so this might be your issue. It sounds like something you're using is really weighing your hair down, or is just not right for your hair. Also, oil + the summer heat makes my hair an oily flat mess, so perhaps save them for deep conditioning.

[Chiara]

My hair gets more volume from protein but I do find that there is a fine line between volume and static frizz!

I also get good volume from being clean but not too clean- for me, that means WO rinses and shampooing on a weekly basis only. It seems that the natural oils in my hair, when distributed, give me some volume (I never realised this until I came to LHC!). I also find updos grip better.

[Fufu]

For quick hair volume, I usually do bun curls. It makes my fine hair looks BIG after 1 night of sleeping.

[Firefox7275]

Perhaps you are doing way too much to your hair and overloading it? :shrug: According to the benign neglect thread (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=23540) not everyone's hair needs heavy oilings/ protein treatments/ herbs etc. Maybe re-read Ursula's Standard Newbie Advice (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=39) where she suggests to only trial one new technique or product every two weeks, plus the coconut oil shampoo thread (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=65063) as IIRC it takes several washes to remove build up. If your shampoo is having to deal with a wall of protein, it may not be able to open to hair cuticle to release excess oil.

[Deborah]

Some of us with very healthy, fine textured hair, simply don't need to use conditioners or oils. They just weigh the hair down. You might like to try gentle washing followed only by an acidic rinse. I mostly use 1/2 teaspoon of citric acid shaken well into a bottle of very cold water as my final rinse. I don't rinse it out, as my water is very hard. This leaves my hair clean, soft, and shiny. About 1/2 cup of vinegar shaken into a quart of very cold water works too. I like the citric acid better as there is no smell to it.

[MClass]

I used to wash my hair everyday once upon a time and had the same problem. Amazingly I now wash every 4 days and on days 3 & 4 my hair actually has body I love it. I sleep in rollers or braids. It has to be a little messy and dirty to look good to me.

[Audrey Horne]

Thank you for your advice, folks!
I know, yes, one new thing at a time. However, it doesn't really work when you try to find a perfect routine. Since I clarified I use EVOO only on my last inch of hair. I try to include eggs washes in between my regular CWC washes, so I can stretch the use of poo even more. Of course, if the need is there. I don't have freeze from protein, thankfully. So I will stick to it for now.
It seems like my scalp is sweating :-o I haven't experienced it last summer because I had less hair and way shorter... So maybe that's why? :confused:

But yes, in general I do way less to my hair now than a month before when I've just joined LHC.

[cygus]

i would suggest trying CO washing and handling your hair minimally for awhile - give it a break. benign neglect can be very beneficial. just care for it and then put it up and away, try (!) not to think about it for awhile ( 1-2 weeks) and i bet you'll find an improvement. its what i do when my hair is not right - i just make sure to take care of and then put it up into fun buns or whatever and concentrate on the rest of my appearance for awhile - makeup, clothes.

whatever you do, good luck. i feel your pain!

[Audrey Horne]

Oh neglect is really not my thing :-) My hair demands too much. But I do as suggested: I just put it out of my sight and try not to look at it unless I have to comb. I bet it's a hot weather that is messing with my hair.

[Mairéad]

Ever since going CO my hair is huge and bouncy, which it never used to be. Maybe give it a shot?

[Audrey Horne]

Ever since going CO my hair is huge and bouncy, which it never used to be. Maybe give it a shot?
I did previously. I COed for a week and my scalp freaked out. Now I COed on the 15th because I desperately had to wash my hair but didn't want to shampoo. It looks everything else but bouncy, you can see in my Progress album. But what can I do... It's been really up and down these days. The same with my skin :-S

[shikara]

Well, sometimes I can only comment on what has worked for me in a similar situation. My hair had become very very limp, no body, and harder to comb. After trying just about everything I could think of, I tried the following, and my hair has never had so much fullness and body:

A small amount of coconut oil throughout hair 1 hour before wash (sometimes will add castor oil and rosemary oil to scalp).

Shampoo bar (my hair loves this simple, no chemical, light, gentle cleansing method). I need to apply lather to all my hair twice. If you try this method, there are some shampoo bars that do include SLS etc, so watch out for what you are buying.

I have a bowl of lemon rinse which I swish my length around in, then pour over my head. This will remove residue that hard water will leave behind. Many find ACV works for them, but it doesn't for me.

The last time I washed, I actually dunked the bar quickly in some of the lemon rinse each time I worked it to get lather. This wash worked better than the one before that for me. YMMV

Good luck!!

[shikara]

By the way cygus, what a nice suggestion to concentrate on makeup, clothes etc. when trying not to concentrate too much on hair!

[Audrey Horne]

Well, sometimes I can only comment on what has worked for me in a similar situation. My hair had become very very limp, no body, and harder to comb. After trying just about everything I could think of, I tried the following, and my hair has never had so much fullness and body:

A small amount of coconut oil throughout hair 1 hour before wash (sometimes will add castor oil and rosemary oil to scalp).

Shampoo bar (my hair loves this simple, no chemical, light, gentle cleansing method). I need to apply lather to all my hair twice. If you try this method, there are some shampoo bars that do include SLS etc, so watch out for what you are buying.

I have a bowl of lemon rinse which I swish my length around in, then pour over my head. This will remove residue that hard water will leave behind. Many find ACV works for them, but it doesn't for me.

The last time I washed, I actually dunked the bar quickly in some of the lemon rinse each time I worked it to get lather. This wash worked better than the one before that for me. YMMV

Good luck!!
That's actually what I always wanted to try - shampoo bars. I've never had them... Lemon rinse works just fine for me, I quite enjoy it.
Thank you for your advice!