Just doesn't seem to be improving anymore...

[defineinsanity]

Well since attempting converting to CO wash and cone-free products my hair first started off getting better and better, the quality increased, it looked much healthier/soft/shine etc and the weekly oiling (usually virgin olive oil deep and coconut leave in) seems to soften up and dry ends

BUUUT lately... it's just been getting greasy easier (obviously need to clarify) but i've used shampoos on the top and conditioned the ends.. like i thought would be best...and it just doesn't look nice anymore... just looks dry and thin
worst part is I'M LOSING LOTS OF HAIR! like loads more than normal, and it's really not good as my ends are practically a couple of strands now and it's looking dull... whatever happened to the fresh start? :( and everytime i oil the shedding seems to increase even more... do i have to live without good treatment to keep my hair!?
Any help would be greatly appreciated :)

[heatherbelle]

I am going to take a gander at it possibley being an issue of diet? Thyroid/Hormones? Stress? All these things have a big effect on the health of our hair.

[Oksana]

I mirror what heatherbelle has said. You often don't realise what an effect your life can have on your hair. I have just been through some particularly stressful weeks and my hair seemed to be falling out in buckets. My sister tells me that her hair starts shedding like made when it's exam time at school.

If this doesn't apply to you and it carries on, then go and see you doctor and run some bloods.

[kidari]

It can be that you are oiling too much on your scalp with oils that are too heavy? If I oil my scalp too often I shed a lot, especially with heavier oils. Once I tried castor oil mixed with olive oil and I almost had a heart attack lol. The oils made me look like my hair was thinning, I could see my scalp clearly, and I shed like crazy AND it was so difficult to get it out.

[Maverick494]

I had this too when I was experimenting with methods for my hair. I went with the method you use now and got the same results. When I finally used shampoo (any shampoo will do) on my scalp and length it got back to normal. After that I went back to my usual routine, which is washing all of my hair and then conditioning all of it (more on the length, less on the scalp.) I do a cassia treatment every month as well.

When your hair starts looking dull and greasy after you've washed it, it's usually a symptom of too much buildup. Look at it this way: at first your hair was happy with the extra moisture it got from your CO routine. But with CO you don't wash it off, you just add and add and add. And then your hair gets to a point where it's getting suffocated by the stuff. So what I would do is wash your hair thoroughly with shampoo and let it dry. No extra products, no conditioner. It will shine.

After that you need to establish for yourself what your hair needs by testing it. When it gets dull again you know you've gone overboard. When you've kept track (through a hair journal for example) you'll then know exactly when to do a clarifying wash next time.

[IanB]

I think we can all go through those phases, Oh! it's not growing any more, Ouch! it looks a mess, Thats It! it's all coming off, but then someone says something nice, you catch a glimpse of yourself in a shop window, a head turns as you past by and all is well with the world again.

[spidermom]

It sounds like you need to clarify. Get a clarifying shampoo and wash it scalp to tips. Depending on how heavy the buildup is, you may need to do this more than once.

A couple of years ago my hair was so awful that I was sure I'd need to cut short. Then my python released a lot of musk while I was handling him, and I had to wash my hair three times to get the smell out. To my surprise, after the third washing my hair was gorgeous and silky again.

[CrystalStar]

I use CO only and recently my hair has felt a bit more sorry for itself than usual! So before I henna'd my hair today I properly lathered it up with a shampoo, and when I rinsed it it felt like its old self again right away!

Another tip would be to keep heavy oils off the scalp if your scalp doesn't like it! I've read posts before with people who shed gobs of hair as a result of oiling the scalp so they only oil ears down.

I also sometimes think over experimentation with new things can make our hair act a bit funny! When I came here I bought a million new products, tried them all out at once and the result? Dull looking hair that wanted to sit in a stringy mess! Now I try change one thing at a time to figure out what properly works. :p

Hope that can help at all! :)

[Madora]

Frankly, I could never see the CO thing at all. Now if it works for you, then fine.

But truly, your hair needs to be clean, THEN conditioned afterwards. Unless your hair requires it, only shampoo when necessary. Too much washing strips the natural sebum from your hair (unless you restore it somehow with another product).

The type of shampoo you use is important (hopefully sillicone free if possible). Getting all the shampoo out is of paramount importance. Then apply the conditioner!

Diluting both shampoo and conditioner helps!

I've never had to clarify my hair using just shampoo and conditioner.

Most importantly, get checked for anemia! It can be more than your hair at stake here! I speak from experience!! Get a complete blood panel done! Pronto!

Good luck!!

[CrystalStar]

Most importantly, get checked for anemia! It can be more than your hair at stake here! I speak from experience!! Get a complete blood panel done! Pronto!


My apologies for posting again, but I wanted to add that I suffered a lot of hair loss and believe the cause too was anemia! Low haemoglobin/iron content in the blood can cause hair loss, and it is fairly easy to have low iron!

[Fufu]

Try clarifying. I think even with shampooing the scalp and only conditioning the end can still result in build ups.

I clarify my hair at least once a month or once in 2 months.

How much oil are you using or .. which oil are you using? Perhaps the oil is too heavy for your hair?

If the above is not the reason, perhaps something to do with health/diet/stress?

[defineinsanity]

You people are so fabulous, i wish i could hug you all :D thankyou so much for all your suggestions.. i ditched my current pathetic products, bought myself a brilliant pantene clarifying shampoo and have calmed down on the heavy oiling... results = i am a happy bunny :D ... i'm also guessing the A level stressing didn't really help :/ haha :) all good now and think i've done well :) :) thankyou all again :D xx

[EbonyCurls]

Personally CO only worked for me when I mixed it with CWC. Like you, I would reach a certain point in consecutive CO washes where my hair and scalp started to "spoil".

Good haircare is merely what works for your hair. There isn't only one way for hair care. I find that my scalp is finicky when it comes to sweat, dirt, and old oil, and my hair doesn't like to be coated and really needs a clean start to absorb the goody goodness of my conditioner.

Hence I listened to my hair and now to CWC exclusively, with a low sulfate shampoo and cone free conditioners, while using a dandruff shampoo once/ month to clarify and re balance my scalp. My hair and scalp have never been happier, so I can only assume that this is the ideal routine for me and I had to throw out the "shoulds" that didn't work. I should use oil, I should do CO, I should use protein etc etc