my hair is making me crazy!

[archel]

I'm dealing with dry dry dry ends and a scalp that gets itchy if I go too long without shampooing. I was doing CO, but even that is drying out my ends too much and I'm a frizz bomb! It was great after I used the Lush henna for about a week (I assume from the cocoa butter), but after that it was back to the stringy dry mess, even with using oil on the ends. I tried a deep oil treatment with olive oil, but had to shampoo too much to get it out, defeating the purpose.

I am thinking that since I have some glycerin, I will try making the defrizz spray I read about here. I have the Aveda Damage Remedy spray (glycerin is in it but it's the last ingredient), as well, but it's not quite enough.

I'm being good...no heat, no brushing wet, etc...I think it is partly this weather, but I don't know. Maybe it's just too far beyond repair, but I refuse to cut it.

I also want it to grow longer, so I think I'm going to order some castor oil to treat my scalp and ends on the night before a wash day.

Sigh...I will never get the texture I want. So much breakage, so much frizz, so wavy-but-not-wurly and stringy no matter what. Booo! I'd like to be able to wear it down but right now it just looks awful unless it's up. Gah!

[catarinalaree]

I say just baby your hair until you can cut it. I'm a frizz bomb too and I totally know what you're dealing with. Maybe as your hair grows longer the frizz with calm down (that's what I'm hoping for) But keep doing those treatments and honestly it won't return to a 100% healthy state but it will make you feel better about it. And please don't refuse to cut your hair, I understand it's hard to see your efforts and time seem like wasted but if your hair needs a cut, you must cut it! I'm not much of a help but I'm totally with you on fighting frizz and dry, damaged ends! I'm also a ex-Lush hennahead so yay! Do you know why your hair got so dry in the first place?

[archel]

When it was in a short bob I blow dryed it and flat ironed it all the time. Sigh! I am going to go for a trim soon, but I am just not going to lose much length. Not when I just started being able to wear it up!

[Mairéad]

Have you tried a good clarify? Even if you don't use cones, sometimes a good clarify can get it back on track. When my hair gets fussy I try to do less, not more. Also ACV rises may help your hair keep some moisture in and also help with itchiness. If you think the coco butter from the henna helped, get some coco butter! Also, use conditioner to remove oils, not shampoo.

[McFearless]

Do you have former damage on your ends? No matter what I do I can't fix the damage on my ends and I've just mustered up the courage to trim it off. My hair is waist so I can do with a little length cut off but if your hair is short and you have damage on the ends you can definately hold onto them until you can cut. I did that for years. Just make sure the damage doesn't travel and you're fine. You're doing all the right things so just keep it up!

If your hair likes the cocoa butter why don't you buy some and try it as a leave-in? Or shea butter? The key is to use oil in really small amounts so that you don't have to use a ton of shampoo to get it out. I wouldn't use castor oil on your ends, most people use it for growth. Its really sticky and thick!

For the itchy scalp could you try ACV rinses after you wash? I have the itchiest scalp and thats the only thing that works for me.

If you want to do a deep treatment use conditioner to get it out. You have to soak your hair in it for 30 minutes or less and then rinse it out. The oil should be gone. Your hair looks really soft and shiny in your pics so maybe you are being too critical?

[catarinalaree]

That's how I got my hair in that state. Good luck to you, hope you can grow it out perfectly :) Mairéad would you mind explaining to me what a clarify is?

[Mairéad]

That's how I got my hair in that state. Good luck to you, hope you can grow it out perfectly :) Mairéad would you mind explaining to me what a clarify is?


All a clarify is, is a type of shampoo. These have the ability to remove any buildup that may occur from the products we use. Mostly, silicone based ingredients found in conditioners are what are removed by using a clarifying shampoo. Even though I use cone-free, I still like to throw in a clarifying shampoo once every few weeks.

[archel]

I clarified today with Giovanni 50/50 Balanced hydrating/clarifying shampoo, before I put on the Lush caca marron. Hopefully I have a good couple of hair days ahead of me, even with it being humid as @ss and in the upper 90s every day.

[Raqdoll]

Have you tried a good clarify? Even if you don't use cones, sometimes a good clarify can get it back on track. When my hair gets fussy I try to do less, not more. Also ACV rises may help your hair keep some moisture in and also help with itchiness. If you think the coco butter from the henna helped, get some coco butter! Also, use conditioner to remove oils, not shampoo.

THAT is some good advice. Also, are you taking B vitamins? If I don't take them, my hair goes down the drain...literally.

[archel]

Thanks, McFearless, I will probably mix the castor oil with something like jojoba. I'll research it really well before I go using it :)

[ravenreed]

When my scalp gets unbearably itchy, I do a light scalp oiling. The trick to getting the oil out is to CO a couple of times and rinse really well. Then I make sure to do an ACV rinse. That usually clears it up.

[Ravenwind]

I feel your frustration :( I'm dealing with dry/frazzled ends and I'm really tempted to just cut it all off to my shoulders and start over. I've tried olive oil, coconut oil, deep conditioners, no heat, pretty much everything, and nothing works. My boyfriend told me just to leave it alone and only use shampoo and conditioner. I'm really interested in trying a clarifying shampoo.

Good luck :)

[GoldberryHair]

Organix makes a really good repleanashing repairing mask with Argan Oil. Try letting it sit on your hair for an hour or more, and wrap your head in a plastic bag. It works wonders!

[catamonica]

Put a few capfuls of olive oil in your shampoo & conditioner. It makes your hair soft. Also horse
shampoo helps your hair grow. And no split ends. My hair grew about 14 inches to my waist.Hope it helps.

[spidermom]

I like to dilute my shampoo with water and use it at the scalp only, except when my hair seems to have buildup, then I use it full strength from scalp to ends. Oh, and I apply conditioner and/or oil to the ends, first. I never oil my scalp but I do let it get oily from natural sebum between washings (about every 3 days).

[archel]

I'm about to try putting condish on my length and washing the scalp only with diluted shampoo and a few drops of glycerin. I'll let you know how it goes!

[CaityBear]

I totally get you on the itchy scalp! I get a horrible itchy scalp if I go too long between washings. Oilings definitely help. Also, for dry ends I usually like to put a lot of hair cream on them or you can just dip the ends of your hair in oil and get them as saturated as much as possible then braid your hair or something like that for a day or so.

And the CO to get oil out...my trick is saturating dry hair with conditioner, sit for 20 minutes, hop in shower, add a bit of water, massage, put up and do whatever...add more water, massage, put up, let sit another minute or so and repeat until the conditioner is gone. That helps me all the time. If you feel necessary, do it all again. Usually if I want more I put a few tablespoons conditioner in a bottle of water and massage that into hair. That also helps.