Help! dry damage brittle straw like hair!!! :(

[PintSize]

Hi everyone, here's my mega problem.

Like the brilliant (not really) person I am, I tried a shampoo bleaching cap a couple of days ago....it did nothing...so I let 3 days go by and did it again. Figured that the first didn't work bc I diluted it to much with shampoo. Anyway after I did it a second time my hair was EXTREMELY damaged, so damaged that I know it needs to be chopped off ...possibly above my shoulders (mind you my hair is a lil more than passed my mid back) ...... After I get it chopped off which is completely traumatic for me bc I do not like short hair, what can I do to help save what's left ?

Thanks in advance for your help and suggestions!

[jojo]

A deep conditioner like a SMT, in fact a few SMT's normally help those with over dry hair.

[Aeltt]

Protein treatments ! I've heard Joico is great.
Moisture also. It can be a smt, or just letting your conditioner sitting on your hair for at least 20 minutes.
And you can put coconut oil to help to detangle and also to keep the protein and moisture inside the hair shaft.

[BelleBot]

There's a really helpful article on damaged hair and how to rehabilitate it here > http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=79

Hopefully that'll help.

Lots of moisturising treatments are your best bet at the moment to try and get your hair a bit more manageable. Also using coconut oil can help as it's the only only oil actually absorbed by the hair. Either use it in tiny amounts like a serum day to day or use lots of it as a heavy oiling overnight.

Good luck. :)

[CurlyMopTop]

Protein and moisture treatments!!

[PintSize]

Thanks for the help. But where exactly can I buy coconut oil? And is it pure coconut oil? Because I used I forgot what shampoo that has coconut milk I believe and it left my hair really oily. Which at this time I'll take over hair that feels like I used every styling product imaginable and haven't wash my hair in weeks!

Plus I heard that hair mask are good but if so which one works best?

[aspartame gram]

You can buy unrefined coconut oil at health supply food stores, such as Whole Foods, and co-ops (if they happen to have them in your area). I bought a huge jar of coconut oil, and let me tell you, it is literally saving my hair. I had dyed my ash blonde hair a dark red, but as my hair grew the line of demarcation was just horrendous. To remedy this, I needed to return to the salon and have highlights added in, not to mention I lost several inches of hair. I'm back to shoulder length where once it had been down the middle of my back. I'm reeling from the pain!

Definitely invest in a good protein rich, deep conditioner. I also suggest putting in the coconut oil as a leave-in treatment as well. It seems I can't go without my coconut oil now that my hair has become accustomed to it.

Best of luck to you! A lot of us have had similar situations, or are currently living through it. :)

[justgreen]

Everyone has given you good advice. I'd just second the SMT's on a weekly basis, left on longer than an hour, with a plastic cap on.

[stacyyyy1972]

I Totally agree with the smt..I Just tried my first one and wow what a difference. My daughter has colored and bleached hair which had been fine while keeping it shorter but she is now trying to grow it out and I cant wait to try this on her after seeing my results. Her stylist kept rebleaching all the length of heer hair rather than root only so I am back to doing it for her. Also Kimberlilys defrizzer works great to to help detangle and minimize breakage..we are loving that one (: good luck and keep experimenting with some of their recipes on here and im sure you will find one your hair loves

[Anje]

For damaged bleached hair, I'd say you need a heavy-duty protein treatment like Aphogee Two-Step (http://www.amazon.com/ApHOGEE-Two-Step-Protein-Treatment/dp/B0009R5ATA) immediately followed by a moisture treatment once you've rinsed it out. If you don't get a pack that includes a moisture component, an SMT would be a great choice.

Expect the protein treatment to leave your hair dry. Protein does that. But you need it to help patch the holes in your hair from the bleach and reduce the breaking. The moisture treatment will help counteract the dryness.

[Anya21]

try the Joico K-pak line , it helped a lot when my hair was totally overbleached , it saved everything except the last 5-6cms for me.

[Cherry_Sprinkle]

I can totally sympathize with you :( This is exactly what brought me to LHC also.. only I had a hair dresser dye and highlight my hair and she nearly killed it! Here's what worked for me..

SMT's and LOTS of them, I CO (conditioner only) washed for a couple of weeks, wore my hair up every day, and I oiled. I used EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) because I had it in my cabinet and I later upgraded to coconut oil. After a few weeks of this I went in for a small trim and I've been growing happily ever since :)

If you decide to CO, make sure you rinse your hair really, really well if your hair is prone to being oily.

[YepLilly]

When you say brittle and straw-like that screams protein-overload to me. Does your hair also feel very dry, stiff, rough?

First, I suggest you use a clarifying shampoo and see if that solves it. Then, as others have said, I would recommended a deep moisturizing treatment like SMT.

HTH :)