Need some advice with my routine. :)

[DarkBeauty]

Here is a little history of my hair -

My hair is frustrating beyond beleif, i used to wash my hair everyday with commercial shampoo and conditioner (for about nearly a month straight), it was also semi-dyed, then i noticed it was going very dry and 'poofy' and brittle so i stopped completely, it would only look good if straightened, so i used to straighten everyday, it was getting to the point were it felt like straw. I researched the no-poo method and decided to go natural, ditched the straighteners, did not use shampoo, only organic conditioner. And washed less frequently (every 2-3 days) My hair was alot less poofy but it was still dry. I then decided to try use apple cider vinegar as an after rinse, and after hearing all the miracle stories i decided to give it a try. I mixed the right amount 1tbls/200ml of water, but it made my hair very flat/thin and took the thickness away, made my hair look flat on my head, but it was very soft and manageable which i liked, but it didn't shine like people said it does, so i was a little underwhelmed :( So i tried to find a natural way of getting it to shine, i tried a oliveoil/coconut oil hot oil treatment. Oh my god, my hair just looked like i dipped it into a chip-pan, it was slightly greasy and had a slight stringy texture to it, and it made it flat like the AVC. It also took away my beautiful natural curls and made it stick straight, so maybe i overdid it? Today however, i washed the olive oil out and shampoo'd it with an organic shampoo then rinsed with ACV, my hair is slowly regaining thickness (I think the shampoo helps) and i HOPE that my natural curls come back. Do you think going back to shampoo and using ACV will be fine for now? Or could anyone recommend a different technique, i desperately want my hair to shine and feel soft, while maintaining thickness without it being flat or over-oiled. But i'm quite scared to go and do it again, incase it ends up permanantly changing texture of my hair (fine/thin/flat). My hair currently feels soft and thick, but lacking shine, but i've lost the natural curls a little by oiling it too much, will they return? Also my hair has started to fall out a little since the change in my hair routine, it's worse when i wash it though, is this caused by oiling/vinegar? because i eat a healthy diet/not stressed/not genetic (everyone in my family has thick fine hair) It never used to break so easily before my transition so i'm a little worried about the slight hair loss. My hair is so frustrating, i just can't seem to find the right product/routine. I guess i'm sticking with the shampoo/ACV (untill hair loss stops)


Can anyone recommend another technique i could use for fine/thick hair? The problem with my hair is retaining moisture, but whenever i add natural oils, it changes the texture of my hair completely to flat and boring. My hair is fine and is thick, maybe a little coarse? Is anyone else here with that hair type?

[krissykins]

There's something that I'm confused about. Do you mean that ACV and oiling took away the fullness of your hair?

I'm guessing that you clarified your hair before making all of these changes, but correct me if I'm wrong. :) If not, clarifying would be a good idea. It would certainly help with the problem of too much oil that you are experiencing. (It sounds like you just applied too much oil, but it could be that your hair is not liking oil. Some people do not do well with oiling hair, especially in the beginning.)

It sounds like the ACV dilution you used might have been too strong. Some folks do better with more water than vinegar than the dilution you mentioned. It also might be that ACV is not for you. You could also try white vinegar or citric acid or lemon rinses.

I would hold off on the shampoo + ACV routine for now. You could always come back to ACV rinses at later point in time.

What I would recommend is finding a good deep conditioner and doing a few conditioner soaks, or a deep treatment like our SMT (click here for a thread with more information (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=128).) It doesn't have to be with an organic conditioner, but it's totally your call.

[MissHair]

Im sorry I can't add anything special here but have you tried spritzing Roobios tea on your hair? In my case, leaving it in does make the hair appear drier, but leave it in for a night and then rinse, use shampoo as you normally would and I noticed a huge difference in shine.

[Alaia]

Do you use conditioner? I would recommend doing so if you aren't.

I second clarifying as well.

As for your hair falling out, I think you just changed too many things at once.

ACV is also not a miracle product, it works great for some and not at all for others. It didn't work for me.

It's also best to get oils out of the hair using conditioner rather than shampoo - so there may still be some oil left in your hair. Next time, instead of a deep treatment, just try putting a drop of oil (coconut, EVOO, whatever) in your palm and smooth it out over your hair. When it's dry, or when it's wet after washing. But don't use more than a few drops, usually a little goes a long way.

[Madora]

@Dark Beauty

I'm a minimalist and use very little in the way of hair care products. I've been using a boar bristle brush (no nylon) for years and it has kept my fine, thick, hair in great shape. Here's a pic from the 1980s:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=6554&pictureid=87275

I follow the long hair regimen of Dr. George Michael, the Czar of Long Hair, and have found that brushing daily (100 strokes in the morning) leaves my hair incredibly soft and shiny, exercises my follicles, distributes the sebum down my strands, and gets rid of dirt and lint. I also keep my brush squeaky clean and wash it every other day.

I also use a tiny bit of coconut oil on the last 2 inches...every so often.

HOW you brush will determine the overall quality of your hair. I love my Goody pure boar bristle brush!

[VitisVinifera]

If you are just looking for a routine tweak rather than an overhaul, maybe try switching out the ACV for white vinegar. Oiling is very easy to overdo, maybe hold off on the heavy treatments until you figure out your happy medium. Try just a drop or two, just to get a light sheen on your palms, and lightly distribute it and comb it through. You can always add another drop but once there's too much you're pretty much stuck with it until you wash again.

[pepperminttea]

Seeing as you've got some curls, have you tried the Curly Girl method (http://www.amazon.com/Curly-Girl-Handbook-Lorraine-Massey/dp/076115678X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1294134960&sr=8-1)? :)

[Anje]

I think your curls will come back just fine, but it can take a while to get oil out if you overdo it. (Heck, I overdid it this weekend, took 3 washes to get it all out. I'm hoping it's back to normal now, because I'm sick of wet hair.) If you want to delve into oil again in the future, try one single lonely little drop in your hands, rub your hands together, then pass them over either your damp or dry hair (try both).

ACV is known for making some people's hair a bit flat. You might find that you get better luck if you dilute it a bit further, or if you rinse it out.

When you say you went no-poo, do you mean that you were washing with baking soda/bicarb? Personally, I believe that it's a rather harsh and drying method for most people. A few folks manage well enough with it, but I believer they're the exception.

I would suggest that you go back to mild shampoo and conditioner, but with a bit of a twist. I want you to do CWC washes as described here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=39). I think that will increase your moisture considerably, and your curl pattern should return with some more moisture.
Alternatively, Curly Girl would be a great method to try. It uses only conditioner to cleanse (which is what I usually do). Works great for many people, but not all scalps agree with it.

[Mina17]

Your hair may be different, but this is what has worked for my dry poofy hair:

CO washing: "wash" with a cheap thin conditioner such as VO5 followed conditioning by Matrix Biolage

ACV rinse: a tiny splash of vinegar mixed with 16 ounces of water, then rinse with cold water (cold water is good for shine)

While hair is wet, apply a tiny amount of oil or Nightblooming Panacea. The key for me is to apply when the hair is wet. My hair gets greasy and stringy if I apply it when it's dry.

And time...my hair looked a little better and was more manageable when I first changed to this routine, but it has took 2-3 months to see a huge difference.

Oh and I think damp bunning has improved my hair a lot too.