Dry ends after cut

[Majorane]

A month ago, I snipped about 2 inches of dead and dry ends. They needed to go, were dry and brittle and lighter shaded than the rest of my hair.
Even though I lost 2 inches of hair, I was happy with the result: my ends were soft and shiny and did not resemble hay any more.

At the same time I started oiling my fresh ends with coconut oil.

I hoped that would keep them moisturized. However, they now feel dry and brittle again and not nearly as nice as last month. It is almost as if they dried out from being cut off, like the moisture falls out because they are the end bits of my hair.... But hair doesn't work like that of course.

Fortunately I have very silky hair so it doesn't show that much, but it still annoys me. How dare they become dry when I just showed them what happens to dead ends? :steam

I did clarify last week, I oil regularly, I used a new sharp haircutting pair of scissors, and I do not seem to have many split ends or white dots in the dry ends. But they feel dry and I fear they will split if I don't find a way to save them shudder:

Does anyone here have any idea what I did wrong?

[alwayssmiling]

I'm wondering whether you are overdoing the coconut oil. If your ends were damaged you would certainly see some dots and breakage/splits. Are you just oiling the ends?

[RitaCeleste]

Try using EVOO, extra virgin olive oil. Some people say coconut doesn't work well for their hair. Best to test another oil and see if it is the product not the practice of oiling the hair. My hair always looks like it has dead ends, but that has to do with my texture. I have found that if I try to keep it nice by trimming it up, I'd go bald. Sometimes clarifying is recommended if conditioners and oils just won't seem to soak into the hair. Also a table spoon of honey and even more EVOO left on the ends for a few hours to overnight should really help them provided it can soak in.

[Majorane]

Uuh... No, I use a little bit of oil on all of my hair except the scalp area. Like, a sheen of oil on my hands, brush brush brush, voila. After washing (cwc, every 2-3 days) and sometimes the day after if I used too little. And on the night before I wash. Wuld that be too much?

The ends I snipped off were dry and lighter and just started to split. I cut out the worst of the splits. You are right in that I still have some splits and white dots of course, but certainly not on all hairs.

[Mommyof4]

I'm in agreeance that the coconut oil might just not work for your hair. Have you tried an Apple Cider Vinegar rinse? When mine gets that way, an ACV rinse works wonders! I can't use coconut oil more than once a week or I get issues. Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Sweet Almond Oil work wonders for my hair without making my ends act funny.

[Majorane]

Try using EVOO, extra virgin olive oil. Some people say coconut doesn't work well for their hair. Best to test another oil and see if it is the product not the practice of oiling the hair. My hair always looks like it has dead ends, but that has to do with my texture. I have found that if I try to keep it nice by trimming it up, I'd go bald. Sometimes clarifying is recommended if conditioners and oils just won't seem to soak into the hair. Also a table spoon of honey and even more EVOO left on the ends for a few hours to overnight should really help them provided it can soak in.
I shall definately use the honey and EVOO! See how that goes. I shall smell like salad tomorrow night :)

[Madora]

@Majorane...

It certainly sounds your ends are not happy!

Perhaps you're overdoing it on the oiling?

Maybe if you clarified, then just shampooed and conditioned your hair for a few weeks..with a little bit of coconut oil on the last 2 inches.

An overnight EVOO treatment might help too--just be sure not to put on too much EVOO. Rinsing that stuff out can be a royal pain!

I would also recommend brushing your hair daily with a boar bristle brush. The brushing distributes the natural sebum in your hair down the strands and leaves your hair silky and shiny (over time). Brushing also exercises your cuticles and removes the stuff in the air that gets in your hair and scalp.

Keeping your brush squeaky clean helps a lot too! Good luck!

[Majorane]

Argh. Too much oil? I didn't even know that was possible! I shall discontinue the coconut oil immediately, do a little bit of olive oil tomorrow night with honey, clarify, rinse with vinegar (although this has not done all that much for my hair, it does make it slightly smoother) and then go back to my regular routine of cwc and instead of oil before and after a wash, do it only...after? Before? What would be best, do you all think?

And if I find out it is The coconut oil that's causing this, should I then use only one kind of other oil or should I switch between differend oils? (I have all kinds on the shelf anyway)

And I shall visit ebay right now for a bbb. That was on my wish list, anyway.

Thank you all for the advice, it is much appreciated!

[Lollipop]

Some people report that cocnut oil gives them dry, crunchy ends. If it's the cause, you should be fine once you switch to another oil (and there is no need to alternate between oils).:)

[MissHair]

Coconut oil definitely leaves my hair crunchy and dry. It's supposed to moisturise but it does the exact opposite for me. Ive had more luck with Jojoba oil but same problem there aswell. I might try Olive oil soon. Its sad that our hairs feel dry just after we cut it. Thats why Ive come to know that its useless for me to cut my hair, its gonna be dry anyway so I might aswell let it grow long.

[skyblue]

yep me too! I stopped using it all together cause my hair really
doesn't like it
clarify and condition your hair especially your ends and they should look much better after

[Wavelength]

Could be that you didn't do anything wrong. Are you growing out previous damage from dying or heat styling? If that's the case, then the damage is all over your hair, and it just becomes more obvious at the ends -- which is where the oldest hair is, and where you're most likely to see white dots and feel the effects.

When I was growing out damage, I had exactly the same problem you're having -- no amount of trimming made my ends feel any better, and within days I was seeing splits and white dots again. Eventually I realized it was due to the damage from dying my hair multiple times with conventional dyes, and that I'd just have to suck it up and wait for it to grow out.

It's all grown out now though (and trimmed off), and now my ends are much much better!

Just keep doing what you're doing -- baby your hair, oil it, give it moisturizing treatments, keep it away from heat, etc. If it's due to prior damage, just wait it out. There's no quick way to repair it, so just concentrate on keeping it as healthy as possible.

[Majorane]

There should be some damage to my hair since I sometimes work outdoors and my hair has seen a fair amount of sun, wind, elastics with a steel bit and the wrong side of the towel after washing, but it has been hennaed with care as well and has seen very little blowdryers and the sorts. And I have been eating healthy these last years and whatnot. I don't think it's all old damage; my hair is not THAT fragile. (I think.)

Admittedly my ends have been somewhat of a problem since I turned 16, they dry out so very easily now.... And they never had one single split or white dot when I was little....
Sigh.
The only good thing is, my hair is so fine and slippery that most people think my ends still feel very soft compared to theirs and it doesn't look that afwul. But I know the difference and I would like those splits to stay away, please thank you kindly yes.

Frustrating, those ends that disobey my orders...

[Majorane]

Bumpetybump!
So today I bought a BBB, and COed my ends to get the coconut oil out.

Now, I have a question about the BBB: It is awesome! It feels great! And now I don't just have greasy roots, but grease all over my scalp up to my ears and neck!! Aint that... gross, but cool to!
However the seabum has not yet reached my still dry ends, and it took me a lot of strokes to get my scalp completely seabummed.
Should I continue until my ends are greasy, too? That would mean I have to brush like A LOT, way more then the 100 strokes per day. Will this be damaging for my hair?

I really do not mind brushing, because the bristles feel great, but I already shed like a dog after this brush (no snatching, so all old hairs) and I would not like my hair to be damaged from brushing....

I couldn"t find the answer when I searched, sorry if this is already common knowledge and I asked it for the gazillionth time... :)

[Madora]

Bumpetybump!
So today I bought a BBB, and COed my ends to get the coconut oil out.

Now, I have a question about the BBB: It is awesome! It feels great! And now I don't just have greasy roots, but grease all over my scalp up to my ears and neck!! Aint that... gross, but cool to!
However the seabum has not yet reached my still dry ends, and it took me a lot of strokes to get my scalp completely seabummed.
Should I continue until my ends are greasy, too? That would mean I have to brush like A LOT, way more then the 100 strokes per day. Will this be damaging for my hair?

I really do not mind brushing, because the bristles feel great, but I already shed like a dog after this brush (no snatching, so all old hairs) and I would not like my hair to be damaged from brushing....

I couldn"t find the answer when I searched, sorry if this is already common knowledge and I asked it for the gazillionth time... :)

First of all, congratulations on your brush!

Your hair will not be damaged by brushing IF you do it properly!

It is natural to lose hairs when brushing because nature is always replacing the dead hairs on your scalp and the brush gathers them up as you brush your hair.

I would sincerely recommend that you wash your hair with a gentle shampoo and then condition. Dilute both the shampoo and the conditioner in 8 oz of warm water. Rinse well.

The shampoo will hopefully cleanse your scalp and get it back to basics and the conditioning will protect your strands.

The less stuff you put on your hair, the less build up you'll have!

Brushing correctly is easy to do. Bend at the waist and bring all your hair in front of you so that it falls like a curtain.

Use your wide tooth comb to gently detangle. Take a SMALL section of hair, and starting at the ends, gently comb up a few inches, then a few more, until you reach your scalp. Continue like this until all your hair is detangled.

Take your boar bristle brush and starting at the nape, slowly brush down to the ends of your hair.

Follow each swipe of the brush with the palm of your other hand. This cuts down on the static made by the brushing.

NUMBER OF STROKES...

Depends on your preference. Mr. Michael, famed "Czar of Long Hair" recommended 100 strokes a day, in the morning, when you get up (the most optimum time for brushing). HOWEVER, even he agreed that this number was not set in stone!

The thing to remember is to be gentle and consistent! Do the same number of strokes every day.

Also - a warning about brushing in the "bent at the waist" position. If you are NOT used to brushing your hair this way, then do not start immediately with 100 strokes. Start with 10 strokes and gradually, each day, add a few more strokes, until you reach your goal. This method lets your hair follicles gradually become accustomed to the way they are being pushed, and your scalp will thank you! If you try doing all 100 strokes right away, your scalp will HURT!

Always keep your bbb squeaky clean! Clean all hairs out of it after each use. You can't expect it to do its job if its full of old hair!

Boar bristle brushes have so many advantages: exercises the follicles, distributes your hair's natural sebum, removes dirit/lint trapped in your hair, imparts softness and shine (with time). Your hair's appearance will improve greatly with proper brushing over time!

[Majorane]

Thanks, Madora! That's a lot of information. I think I did it right, except for the gradual building up of the strokes... And I am surprised how much grossies came off my hair. This brush needs a shampoo already.

But, in short, if my scalp doesn"t mind the bristles, I can brush "as long as I want"?

AWESOME :)

[Madora]

Yes, if your scalp doesn't hurt, you can brush with your bbb as long as you want, when you want. Just be sure to keep it squeaky clean.

I only used to wash my brush once a week but I got to thinking about stretching my washes even more and thought "If the brush is clean, then you're starting out "fresh" every day..and not putting a dirty brush on your hair again". Now I wash my brush every other day. (I use a nail brush to get between the bristles).

[Anje]

Just a thought -- does your conditioner or any leave-in that you use have protein in it? I get dry, brittle, nasty ends from protein or from other buildup, and it sounds a lot like you're describing the same sort of thing.

You might simply be due to clarify your hair. Try clarifying and moisturizing and consider whether protein might be a problem for your ends.

[MissHair]

Madora, Im learning so much! Iv'e had BBB's for years but never used them. How do I keep it clean? Wash it with soap?

[Madora]

@ MissHair...

Be sure that you remove all hair and dirt from the brush (you can use a narrow tooth comb to get the hair out of the bristles)

Put a dab of your shampoo into a tall plastic bottle and add 8 ozs of warm water. Stir thoroughly, then pop in your brush so that the bristles are fully immersed. Let it sit 7 minutes.

Remove from water and rinse thoroughly in cool water.

Shake brush vigorously and run your fingerpads over the bristles several times. Wipe all wooden parts of the brush with a towel.

Set the brush with the bristles facing downward on a lint free cloth and let dry thoroughly.

Spec. note: the bristles should always be placed in the down position when drying so all the remaining water drains out of the bristle clusters.

If you leave the brush sitting with the bristles pointing up, the remaining water will pool around the bristles, and with time, the glue holding the bristle bunches will weaken, and then the bunch of bristles will fall out, leaving you with a lovely black hole.

It's better for your hair if you clean your brush every other day, if possible.

[eternalknot]

I have so much to learn.

I use coconut (successfully) on my face and body, and figured it was a natural progression to add it to my hair ends. Like the other poster, I noticed it left my hair crunchy - not quite worse, but definitely no better. I thought it meant I wasn't using enough, and I had no idea one could overoil the hair.

I'm glad to see some people simply have issues with coconut oil, and that it's not just me or something I'm doing wrong. I'll have to try the EVOO. I wonder if it's a certain hair type that doesen't do well with coconut oil?

[alwayssmiling]

I was the same when I first started at LHC. I was putting loads of coconut oil on every night before I went to bed to shampoo out in the morning, the more it went crunchy the more I applied. I took me ages to work out it was the coconut oil that was making it dry. I stopped using it and my hair quickly became better. I now use coconut with great success - just a little perhaps lightly every 3 days . If it looks even romotely greasy I have used way too much. I prefer it either before I shampoo, or as a leave in on damp hair. If I have braids in I will do my tassles with a tiny amount.

[naereid]

Both coconut and jojoba oil were bad for my hair. Crunchy ends, stiff and stringy hair, didn't calm down the frizz at all... But I stubbornly kept using them for years because they're the best oils for the majority of LHC. If the most popular oils don't work for me, the less popular oils must be even worse, right?

Wrong, of course. :p I was recently just about to give up on oiling when I bought some almond oil as a last shot. Suddenly, oiling made my hair soft instead of stiff! That just went against everything I experienced in the past 2 years! Whoa! :laugh:

So my advice would be to try out another type of oil and see what happens.