When diagnosing hair, do you clarify ALL your hair or just scalp?

[SoulOfTheSea]

I'm going to do a hair diagnosis when it's time for my hair to be washed, and I have a major question. When clarifying the hair for this, do you apply the shampoo just to your scalp and let the clarifying suds run down the length like when you shampoo normally? Or do you apply it on the scalp AND on the ends full strength?

I read the whole article about it and it doesn't specify.

I know it sounds silly, but I really don't want to mess up my hair by applying clarifying shampoo directly on my length if it isn't necessary! shudder: You know what kind of awful results can ensue!

By the way, because I think it will be helpful to know, I'm guessing that my hair problem right now is build up or need of moisture. I'm diagnosing it just to make sure.

Any help will be greatly appreciated! :D

[BeccaAngel]

I would still do scalp and let it run down the length but that's just my opinion.

[julliams]

I think it kind of depends on how much build up you have and what you have been doing to your hair product-wise. If you are always putting stuff on your ends, I would give those a wash. Clarifying is not going to damage your hair. I think it would only be a problem if you only washed with a clarifying wash every time.

I personally do my scalp and then the ends. I've never had a problem.

[SoulOfTheSea]

I would still do scalp and let it run down the length but that's just my opinion.

See that's what I'm naturally inclined to do, and I've even done it before, but it didn't really seem to help much like I'm guessing it was supposed to. I guess it didn't get rid of my build up.

[SoulOfTheSea]

I think it kind of depends on how much build up you have and what you have been doing to your hair product-wise. If you are always putting stuff on your ends, I would give those a wash. Clarifying is not going to damage your hair. I think it would only be a problem if you only washed with a clarifying wash every time.

I personally do my scalp and then the ends. I've never had a problem.

That actually sounds very reassuring. I'm always putting oil on my ends, and I think I have some major 'cone build up from my new conditioner.

[Teazel]

I would wash it all from root to tip, then follow it up with a 'coneless conditioner on the length. No need to be scared of clarifying occasionally, all it does is strip the products away. :)

[Ocelan]

I just clarified yesterday properly for the first time since I came to LHC. My hair had started feeling a little hayish and always getting dry but at the same time oilier faster.

Now that I clarified, I did lose some of the volume, but my hair does feel and look much softer and shinier now, so definitely it didn't do any harm. I clarified with sulphate-free diluted shampoo with some baking soda in it and followed with a cone-free conditioner and my typical ACV-nettle-rooibos rinse. My hair is back to normal again :)

[pepperminttea]

I squeeze the scalp suds down the whole length, so I do clarify the lot. :) It's nothing to worry about for an occasional thing I don't think, it's just if you were doing it very regularly that you'd have issues.

[Hollyfire3]

I just clarified yesterday properly for the first time since I came to LHC. My hair had started feeling a little hayish and always getting dry but at the same time oilier faster.

Now that I clarified, I did lose some of the volume, but my hair does feel and look much softer and shinier now, so definitely it didn't do any harm. I clarified with sulphate-free diluted shampoo with some baking soda in it and followed with a cone-free conditioner and my typical ACV-nettle-rooibos rinse. My hair is back to normal again :)

Hmm, I wonder how clarifying can made hair loose volume?

[SoulOfTheSea]

Thanks for eveyone's input so far. :)

Will it make a difference if the clarifying shampoo I'm using has sulfates? I'm going to use V05's Kiwi Lime clarifying shampoo.

[Anje]

I usually target the ends even more than the roots. If I have buildup, it manifests at the ends first (probably because that's where I focus on applying the conditioner and oils) so that's the portion I most want to get cleansed of gunk.

Sulfates are better for clarifying. They get stuff off more, which is the goal. Make sure you condition well after, because you will have stripped your hair of everything.

[heidi w.]

I would still do scalp and let it run down the length but that's just my opinion.

When I used to clarify, this is how I did it, mostly letting it run down my length. But I recall that I did apply a teensy bit to my length overall.

heidi w.

[SoulOfTheSea]

Thanks everyone, I'm going to definitely use it on both scalp and length, and condition with some old Giovanni conditioner.

I shall not fear the clarifying shampoo again! :D

[spidermom]

I'd wash the scalp area with non-diluted shampoo and the length to ends with diluted.

[LadyHazel]

I'm going to come out with this. If you do not bleach your hair and are deep conditioning it moisture and protein wise then clarifying is no 'big' deal. I clarify twice a week with VO5 give me moisture and I always get compliments on my hair. Even with build up however, I will wash my scalp non-diluted and run the foam from my scalp down to my ends, even though when I do apply straight to the ends it doesn't make a difference (just a tad more dry so I avoid this). My sister has classic length hair and my mother has been clarifying her hair since the day she was old enough to use shampoo and she bathes twice a week also and she has hair that was just like mine at that length, thick hem, wavy golden, gorgeous. This big hype about clarifying is too over hyped if your hair is in ok/good condition as when you use organic products the substitute products they use can be worse but made to look better/natural and you have to spend hours detangling hair after use resulting in damage anyway. Pointless. I know people are different however this is the case for me!