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IvanaGil
June 22nd, 2012, 08:11 PM
I have always had wavy/curly hair, but only recently (the past 2 years or so) has my hair become like spaghetti strands. No matter what curling method I try (all heat-free, of course) my curls break apart and get stringy. My hair is like seaweed! I've tried wide-toothed combs, fingercombing, and the Tangle Teezer (which does make my hair a bit stringier) and they all do the same thing. Is there something I'm doing wrong? Or is this just how certain hair types are? I wish for once my curls would just stick together. :(

Tia2010
June 22nd, 2012, 08:38 PM
Do you use cone heavy products? My hair likes cones but if I use really cone heavy shampoo's and conditioners it can make my hair seperate and stringy.

Silverbrumby
June 22nd, 2012, 08:52 PM
I have always had wavy/curly hair, but only recently (the past 2 years or so) has my hair become like spaghetti strands. No matter what curling method I try (all heat-free, of course) my curls break apart and get stringy. My hair is like seaweed! I've tried wide-toothed combs, fingercombing, and the Tangle Teezer (which does make my hair a bit stringier) and they all do the same thing. Is there something I'm doing wrong? Or is this just how certain hair types are? I wish for once my curls would just stick together. :(

You should post a list of your routine up. Sounds like a build up of product or oil. When mine gets stringy I do the Conditioner/honey/aleo deep treatment to get rid of it. Seems to work well.

Rufflebutt
June 22nd, 2012, 09:03 PM
You might have buildup. Try a clarifying shampoo and see what the results are?

IvanaGil
June 22nd, 2012, 09:32 PM
My routine is:
Was and condition every day or every other day with Aveeno's sulfate-free line
Coconut oil everyday. And I do an ACV rinse every time I wash, which I thought was clarifying?
That's pretty much it. I don't use products besides the poo and conditioner.
Can you guys recommend a clarifying shampoo? I have no idea how I would identify one if I saw one.

AnqeIicDemise
June 22nd, 2012, 09:35 PM
My routine is:
Was and condition every day or every other day with Aveeno's sulfate-free line
Coconut oil everyday. And I do an ACV rinse every time I wash, which I thought was clarifying?
That's pretty much it. I don't use products besides the poo and conditioner.
Can you guys recommend a clarifying shampoo? I have no idea how I would identify one if I saw one.

Suave's clarifying shampoo I heard is very good. I'd probably take the lazy route and do a baking soda wash to save a buck or two since I have baking soda at home. V05 has another good clarifying shampoo & conditioner.

IvanaGil
June 22nd, 2012, 10:01 PM
Suave's clarifying shampoo I heard is very good. I'd probably take the lazy route and do a baking soda wash to save a buck or two since I have baking soda at home. V05 has another good clarifying shampoo & conditioner.

How do you do the baking soda wash?

Silverbrumby
June 22nd, 2012, 11:00 PM
How do you do the baking soda wash?

I'd try the clarifying shampoo and see if it gets rid of the strings. I found that oiling made my hair stringy. Heidi did post a while ago a video on how to put oil in your hair. You only do it after shampooing and only 3 drops of oil or the equivalent in coconut oil. No more oil until you shampoo again.

I was loading up my hair.

IvanaGil
June 23rd, 2012, 12:00 AM
I'd try the clarifying shampoo and see if it gets rid of the strings. I found that oiling made my hair stringy. Heidi did post a while ago a video on how to put oil in your hair. You only do it after shampooing and only 3 drops of oil or the equivalent in coconut oil. No more oil until you shampoo again.

I was loading up my hair.

Oh wow that's probably my problem then! I've been oiling my hair like 3 times a day because my hair just drinks that oil right up. And I've been using popcorn sizes of coconut oil. Oops! :p

Kerrilynn
June 23rd, 2012, 12:26 AM
You may also want to try going a bit longer without shampooing. I only wash my hair once or twice a week and noticed a HUGE difference in the overall health of my hair. I also use organic shampoo and conditioner, which could actually fall in the "no 'poo" category. It's from Aubrey Organics and uses peppermint and rosemary, which are really good for the scalp.

For the baking soda rinse I believe it's 1tsp for every 8oz of warm water. Following up with a lemon juice rinse is a great way for conditioning hair, but I'm not positive on the ratio for that.

IvanaGil
June 23rd, 2012, 12:38 AM
You may also want to try going a bit longer without shampooing. I only wash my hair once or twice a week and noticed a HUGE difference in the overall health of my hair. I also use organic shampoo and conditioner, which could actually fall in the "no 'poo" category. It's from Aubrey Organics and uses peppermint and rosemary, which are really good for the scalp.

For the baking soda rinse I believe it's 1tsp for every 8oz of warm water. Following up with a lemon juice rinse is a great way for conditioning hair, but I'm not positive on the ratio for that.

Thanks so much :D I tried washing twice a week but my scalp just felt nasty and by day 3 I don't even want to go out lol My hair wasn't adjusting very quickly either. I tried is for about a month.

AnqeIicDemise
June 23rd, 2012, 12:42 AM
Thanks so much :D I tried washing twice a week but my scalp just felt nasty and by day 3 I don't even want to go out lol My hair wasn't adjusting very quickly either. I tried is for about a month.

I just slap on the oil after. XD

Kerrilynn
June 23rd, 2012, 12:59 AM
Thanks so much :D I tried washing twice a week but my scalp just felt nasty and by day 3 I don't even want to go out lol My hair wasn't adjusting very quickly either. I tried is for about a month.

Perhaps switching shampoos and clarifying with baking soda once a week or so will do the trick. I don't remember what shampoo/conditioner you are using, so maybe just try the baking soda rinse and see how it goes.

I have a fantastic book called "No More Dirt Looks" that talks about different beauty products and the chemicals that are in them and the potential dangers of them as well as give organic substitutions. There's also a blog by the same name. That's where I first learned about the baking soda and lemon juice rinses. I've even seen articles where people use avocado as a hair mask before washing their hair! The people who wrote the book and run the blog are equivalent to being the "vegans" of organic beauty products. In no way am I suggesting, or preaching, that everyone should be as strict as they are. They do, however, offer some good advice and really good ideas and suggestions.

http://nomoredirtylooks.com/category/uncategorized/

AnqeIicDemise
June 23rd, 2012, 01:03 AM
Transition period sucks, but its not about going full monty and then deciding to wash only once a week. The way I started was by washing every other day first and when that calmed down, every third day. I now can push it to 5 days without a huge problem..

But then I do something like, prepare my hair for the ocassional coloring and I do a bi monthly deep treatment so I average a wash every 3-4 days. There are hair dos that help keep the slickies at bay or at least make it look intentional. When I miss my wash and I *know* my hair's super oily, DH doesn't know. He just thinks I'm doing another deep conditioning treatment.

Eta: organic S&C helped a lot, though. I used Burt Bees and Aubrey's Organics for a long time until I realized my scalp just really, really, REALLY hates even the gentlest of shampoo. Shampooing with every wash just made the itchies and flakes worse. I'm now using a rather expensive shampoo but its super low on sulfates. I get a discount on the price and DH's scalp is loving it. As much as I loved the other shampoos that my hair adored, they were not always very friendly with DH.. and having separate S&C drove us nuts. He'd always run out of stuff faster then start swiping mine.

IvanaGil
June 23rd, 2012, 01:23 AM
Transition period sucks, but its not about going full monty and then deciding to wash only once a week. The way I started was by washing every other day first and when that calmed down, every third day. I now can push it to 5 days without a huge problem..

But then I do something like, prepare my hair for the ocassional coloring and I do a bi monthly deep treatment so I average a wash every 3-4 days. There are hair dos that help keep the slickies at bay or at least make it look intentional. When I miss my wash and I *know* my hair's super oily, DH doesn't know. He just thinks I'm doing another deep conditioning treatment.

Eta: organic S&C helped a lot, though. I used Burt Bees and Aubrey's Organics for a long time until I realized my scalp just really, really, REALLY hates even the gentlest of shampoo. Shampooing with every wash just made the itchies and flakes worse. I'm now using a rather expensive shampoo but its super low on sulfates. I get a discount on the price and DH's scalp is loving it. As much as I loved the other shampoos that my hair adored, they were not always very friendly with DH.. and having separate S&C drove us nuts. He'd always run out of stuff faster then start swiping mine.

Whole Foods sells a ton of organic S&C but I'm always apprehensive about trying them because of all of the "my hair started falling out" stories I've heard over a change like switching S&C. I might just have to force myself though :mad:

AnqeIicDemise
June 23rd, 2012, 01:30 AM
Whole Foods sells a ton of organic S&C but I'm always apprehensive about trying them because of all of the "my hair started falling out" stories I've heard over a change like switching S&C. I might just have to force myself though :mad:

I haven't had a problem. I thought I did at first because I did my switch right about the time my thyroid crapped out. I started with Burt Bees because I was on a search for protein. It had a side effect of being organic. (It smells like candy too. yum!) When I realized it was expensive as hell (because its a teeny bottle for like 8 bucks), I tried the other brands at Whole Foods. They're cheaper in price per oz.

It took me about a year and half to find the thing that works for me and that was just cutting out silicones and go as low as possible on sulfates. Its all trial and error, really. The way I see it is that I could stay with the routine that keeps me unhappy or I experiment and maybe find out the thing that works just right.

Lilli
June 23rd, 2012, 06:46 AM
That's a fairly heavy S&C IIRC, and that much oil... you just need to clarify regularly, and maybe switch up the S&C. I use the Suave clarifying shampoo once or twice a week and it fixes stringiness.

Firefly
June 23rd, 2012, 06:51 AM
I have a similar hair type to yours and just wanted to echo what others have said about easing up on the coconut oil. For me, I use oils and other products very sparingly because otherwise I do get that stringy look. HTH.

heidi w.
June 23rd, 2012, 09:33 AM
I have always had wavy/curly hair, but only recently (the past 2 years or so) has my hair become like spaghetti strands. No matter what curling method I try (all heat-free, of course) my curls break apart and get stringy. My hair is like seaweed! I've tried wide-toothed combs, fingercombing, and the Tangle Teezer (which does make my hair a bit stringier) and they all do the same thing. Is there something I'm doing wrong? Or is this just how certain hair types are? I wish for once my curls would just stick together. :(

I suggest you have too much weighted product on your hair, whether that be too heavy of an oiling application, or too much conditioner. Maybe you're not rinsing well enoough? Maybe you're just using too much oil or conditioner?

I would consider clarifying your hair, and proceed from there. Loss of curl suggests that there's just too much stuff built up on the hair.....

I am going to offer my hair oiling video so you can see how little I actually use. The biggest problem most people report when oiling is that hair is stringy and somewhat icky. That's because they're using too much.

I don't know if you oil, or CO wash, for example.

Here's my youtube video below....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjVwPKMQDYk

Although my video shows me working on my hair type, which is stick straight, the idea of how to detangle, how to BBB, amount of oil to use is still applicable to a variety of hair types. Curly hair types cannot oil as I can; it sort of doesn't work. Curlies often have to oil while the hair is still damp or even wet, and they often have to spritz it on versus smoothing it in to length after the hair is dry. I am sharing this video to simply give you an idea of how little I use. It's easy to add more if needed; much harder to get it out if applied too much. So watch this for the amount I use, which is frankly a bit more than my usual small amount.

heidi w.

heidi w.
June 23rd, 2012, 09:36 AM
That's a fairly heavy S&C IIRC, and that much oil... you just need to clarify regularly, and maybe switch up the S&C. I use the Suave clarifying shampoo once or twice a week and it fixes stringiness.

There should never be a need to clarify the hair on a schedule. Simply do it ONLY when your hair needs it. That's it. I am not sure why all these people find it necessary to regularly clarify their hair once a week, or whatever timeframe. I haven't clarified my hair in around 3 years. Because it doesn't need it. If you use a very small amount of oil, it'll simply wash out in a subsequent hair wash.

heidi w.

heidi w.
June 23rd, 2012, 09:37 AM
Thanks so much :D I tried washing twice a week but my scalp just felt nasty and by day 3 I don't even want to go out lol My hair wasn't adjusting very quickly either. I tried is for about a month.

Are you oiling your scalp or scalp related hair as well? If yes, I would suggest not doing this. You'll see in my video that I merely oil the length and that's it. I let sebum do the work on the rest of my scalp, and scalp related hair. No need to help nature along in my situation.

heidi w.

heidi w.
June 23rd, 2012, 09:50 AM
My routine is:
Was and condition every day or every other day with Aveeno's sulfate-free line
Coconut oil everyday. And I do an ACV rinse every time I wash, which I thought was clarifying?
That's pretty much it. I don't use products besides the poo and conditioner.
Can you guys recommend a clarifying shampoo? I have no idea how I would identify one if I saw one.

ACV is not clarifying in the way we use the term clarify. First with the first. You can oil your length once, immedately after a hair wash, and it can last up to 2 weeks. That's what I do, and I have no issues, ever. There should be no need in most cases to apply a whole lot of oil on a daily basis. Only the curliest curls as in kinky curls might need daily applications, and even then....

ACV is Apple Cider Vinegar. This is a "rinse" to rinse the hair with. The purpose is merely to re-set the pH after a fresh hair wash because shampoos and conditioners can cause the hair to be more alkaline, and the scalp skin likes it a bit more acidic, as in 6.8 (which is considered balanced) between alkaline and acidity.

Read up on the "acid mantle". It's readily available on the internet. Apple Cider Vinegar should not be used by those in the blonde hair color range, because if this vinegar is used over the long-term, it can and will tinge the hair a reddish hue. Blondes should use white vinegar. No one should ever use balsamic vinegar as it has sugar in it.

ACV is said to be good for the hair because it has apple pulp in it, and this pulp contains "malic acid" which is said to be good for scalp skin. But white vinegar will work just as well.

Make sure to dilute your vinegar, whichever kind you use. Maximum 3 Tablespoons to an 8 oz cup of water. I used to use a biggie cup and dip my hair length in it and pour the remaining amount over my head. This rinse can remove whatever remains on the hair IN THAT HAIR WASH ONLY. Whatever has dried on the hair, and even if it's re-wetted in a subsequent hair wash will NOT be removed. ACV can

--remove minerals from hard water (in that hair wash only)
--remove residual product left on the hair that isn't rinsed out (in that hair wash only)
--re-set the pH of the scalp skin which is ACV's largest benefit

If you want to actually clarify the hair which means to remove all product on top of the hair's cuticle layer (the outer shell that we see of hair), then you have to clarify specifically with a product that is advertised as a hair shampoo clarify product (the label will have the word "clarify" on the label) OR use a home-made hair recipe such as Baking Soda and your shampoo choice. If you do the latter, the baking soda, you MUSt replace what is removed OR the hair will end up dry and brittle feeling. It will still work. When hair is like this, the clarify DID work, it's just that we didn't replace what's been removed by conditioning well after this type of hair wash.

Put 3 Tablespoons of Baking SODA blended with 3 Tablespoons of one's shampoo choice. Blend it really well so that there are no clumps in the mixture. It should be stirred til smooth and creamy. And some air bubbles begin to pop. Wet the hair well, and apply to the scalp hair and length if you like. Rinse out super well, and then condition the length leaving the conditioner on for a little bit of time.

That is clarifying.

Good luck,
heidi w.

heidi w.
June 23rd, 2012, 09:52 AM
Suave's clarifying shampoo I heard is very good. I'd probably take the lazy route and do a baking soda wash to save a buck or two since I have baking soda at home. V05 has another good clarifying shampoo & conditioner.

Be careful of VO5 products. They are known to have a lot of protein in them, and sometimes you can end up in too much protein on the hair. The sign for too much or too little protein is that the hair immediately and suddenly begins to break off for no apparent reason. Usually it's too much protein. Then get in the shower and rinse it all out with another shampoo, not VO5.

heidi w.

heidi w.
June 23rd, 2012, 09:55 AM
You may also want to try going a bit longer without shampooing. I only wash my hair once or twice a week and noticed a HUGE difference in the overall health of my hair. I also use organic shampoo and conditioner, which could actually fall in the "no 'poo" category. It's from Aubrey Organics and uses peppermint and rosemary, which are really good for the scalp.

For the baking soda rinse I believe it's 1tsp for every 8oz of warm water. Following up with a lemon juice rinse is a great way for conditioning hair, but I'm not positive on the ratio for that.

Lemon juice rinsing is the same as ACV or performing a vinegar rinse of any sort. It's an acidic application to the scalp and can help to re-set the pH balance of the acid mantle. The acid mantle is simply the light bit of sebum combined with sweat that all heads have. Some of us, like me, have scalp skin conditions. I have too much production of sebum and this is known as Seborrheic Dermatitus. I posted about it in my blog, in case anyone needed to know about it.

heidi w.

JellyBene
June 23rd, 2012, 09:58 AM
It may just be your hair type. I have straight hair but mine tends to be a wee stringy as well, though since I started using henna this has completely gone away. It made my hair thicker too.

heidi w.
June 23rd, 2012, 10:02 AM
That's a fairly heavy S&C IIRC, and that much oil... you just need to clarify regularly, and maybe switch up the S&C. I use the Suave clarifying shampoo once or twice a week and it fixes stringiness.

No, what you need to do is simply to learn how little of these application amounts you really need, and then you won't have to clarify all that often or regularly. It's a simple problem to solve. Most people who begin oiling often use too much at the start. It's a very common problem. Trial and error and practice is all it takes. Then you'll be set, and things will proceed smoothly.

I always try to steer people to solve the problem they ACTUALLY have, and not flounder around. Sure, clarifying frequently would help with this issue too. But then she's using a product to remove too much product. The problem is not a lack of clarifying; the problem at its source is simply using too much product. That's all.

I also try to steer people toward easy routines because after a while you're gonna get tired of all this running around worrying about your hair, and more than likely, give up after a while. The easiest way to help people have long hair that they can manage is to teach them a routine that is easy, works, and is reliable. I've been doing my current routine for over ten years. Nothing is a whole lot different, except that I use a better shampoo that helps my scalp skin condition, and I no longer ACV rinse or any kind of rinse. I spend about 1.5 weeks, about an hour washing hair, and around 3 hrs in summer of drying, and more time drying in the winter....and that's IT. Super easy; simple. Relaible. And it works.

When you encounter a problem, handle the problem you have. Don't go running around and guess. Don't get at the problem from another angle such as clarifying when using too much product. If you're using too much product, then resolve by using less product and seeing how it works. That's the solution.

heidi w.

IvanaGil
June 23rd, 2012, 11:21 AM
No, what you need to do is simply to learn how little of these application amounts you really need, and then you won't have to clarify all that often or regularly. It's a simple problem to solve. Most people who begin oiling often use too much at the start. It's a very common problem. Trial and error and practice is all it takes. Then you'll be set, and things will proceed smoothly.

I always try to steer people to solve the problem they ACTUALLY have, and not flounder around. Sure, clarifying frequently would help with this issue too. But then she's using a product to remove too much product. The problem is not a lack of clarifying; the problem at its source is simply using too much product. That's all.

I also try to steer people toward easy routines because after a while you're gonna get tired of all this running around worrying about your hair, and more than likely, give up after a while. The easiest way to help people have long hair that they can manage is to teach them a routine that is easy, works, and is reliable. I've been doing my current routine for over ten years. Nothing is a whole lot different, except that I use a better shampoo that helps my scalp skin condition, and I no longer ACV rinse or any kind of rinse. I spend about 1.5 weeks, about an hour washing hair, and around 3 hrs in summer of drying, and more time drying in the winter....and that's IT. Super easy; simple. Relaible. And it works.

When you encounter a problem, handle the problem you have. Don't go running around and guess. Don't get at the problem from another angle such as clarifying when using too much product. If you're using too much product, then resolve by using less product and seeing how it works. That's the solution.

heidi w.

You're an encyclopedia of hair knowledge! Thank you. :D I never oil my scalp unless I'm doing a treatment, but I do oil my length more than once a day. As for the ACV rinses, what I do in the shower is this:
I wet my hair, shampoo just the scalp, ACV rinse, and then saturate my hair in conditioner, rinse out and I'm done. Should I be doing the ACV last? In a video I saw the advice was that if you have dry hair (which I do), then condition after the ACV rinse.
I always apply my first bit of coconut oil right after a shower.

AnqeIicDemise
June 23rd, 2012, 11:43 AM
I hardly use the them anymore. Ihardly clarify now thanks to your advise.

IvanaGil
June 26th, 2012, 12:05 AM
I've cut back on the oil but it hasn't really solved the problem. I get a hunch that combing is my problem. I might try fingercombing with conditioner in the shower and then leaving my hair to air dry. I haven't tried clarifying yet though :) Still haven't gotten around to buying a clarifying shampoo or the baking soda
Also, I noticed that if I bun my damp hair, it will stick together in thicker chunks...I'm so puzzled lol

Silverbrumby
June 26th, 2012, 12:39 AM
I've cut back on the oil but it hasn't really solved the problem. I get a hunch that combing is my problem. I might try fingercombing with conditioner in the shower and then leaving my hair to air dry. I haven't tried clarifying yet though :) Still haven't gotten around to buying a clarifying shampoo or the baking soda
Also, I noticed that if I bun my damp hair, it will stick together in thicker chunks...I'm so puzzled lol

I found I got rid of some build up by putting conditioner/honey on my hair and leaving it in for a few hours. But clarifying is needed by the sounds of it.

IvanaGil
June 26th, 2012, 12:43 AM
I found I got rid of some build up by putting conditioner/honey on my hair and leaving it in for a few hours. But clarifying is needed by the sounds of it.

I tried that! I was adding honey to my conditioner, but I would only leave in for 5-7 minutes (I was doing it while in the shower). Didn't really notice a difference though.

red-again
June 26th, 2012, 12:55 AM
My fine hair goes stringy for a week after a coconut oil application, no matter how little I use. I am fine with jojoba or sweet almond. My hair also hates leave in or deep conditioner too, if I use more than the tiniest amount. Just wanted to put the above up for consideration, apologies if they have been queried above, good luck

IvanaGil
June 26th, 2012, 03:03 AM
My fine hair goes stringy for a week after a coconut oil application, no matter how little I use. I am fine with jojoba or sweet almond. My hair also hates leave in or deep conditioner too, if I use more than the tiniest amount. Just wanted to put the above up for consideration, apologies if they have been queried above, good luck

I feel a tiny difference when I use almond oil as opposed to coconut. I feel like my hair likes almond better :( I really wanted it to like coconut since it does wonders for my dry, sensitive skin.

jacqueline101
June 26th, 2012, 03:14 AM
I'd say clarifying is in order. I'd try the sauve clarifying shampoo my hair likes it.

IvanaGil
July 1st, 2012, 07:03 PM
Just an update. I finally clarified and saw absolutely no difference. And I stopped using oils altogether, and again, no difference. The only thing that seems to be making my hair less stringy is when I finger comb in the shower. Since I've stopped combing my hair after I shower or with a comb, my curls are slightly thicker. It feels like the comb is what is separating my curls and making them very stringy.