Dry ends, not sure if it's a cry for help or just venting...

[HintOfMint]

Okay y'all, here's the deal with my hair.

I haven't been using protein and I have indeed clarified and done an SMT. I've also oiled the ends, and did pre-wash oilings, the last of which definitely helped but only temporarily and only when it resulted in serious over-oiling.

But my ends are still dry and crunchy! I have a little bit of splits, but the dry ends are even in areas where my hair is 99% damage free. My damage is in the under layer closest to my back and I S&D often. My scissors are sharp, especially for hair, and used only on hair. But the dry ends are also in the canopy where I hardly sustain any damage.

I'm guessing that this is leftover dryness from the winter and my last trim didn't get them all. I remember having these dry ends even immediately after my last cut.

I'm kind of bummed, ever since I moved to NY, dealing with winter has given me more damage each year than I'm comfortable with trimming away.

Any thoughts as to how to save my ends? I feel like I've tried it all.

Oh and I alternate CWC with a sulfate free shampoo and conditioner. All of it is cone-free. No heat, always a wide-tooth comb, yadda yadda fine old lace. ETA: I also damp bun.

[Madora]

Perhaps Mineral Oil might help. Here's Ktani's article:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=225

[HintOfMint]

Perhaps Mineral Oil might help. Here's Ktani's article:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=225

Dang, that is the one thing I haven't tried! Thanks, Madora.

Fortunately, I have a bottle at home so I don't have to buy anything new. Yeehaw!

[Teazel]

How about a bit of damp bunning?

[HintOfMint]

How about a bit of damp bunning?

I already damp bun after each wash, sorry, should have said in my OP. Thanks though, usually it makes my hair really soft.

[jacqueline101]

I'd say mineral oil or extra conditioner.

[jojo]

yup! baby oil/mineral oil does the trick for me too!

[Vanilla]

I vote for mineral oil too.

[luxepiggy]

CWC can increase the likelihood of scale lifting, which ultimately leads to an increase in dryness and splits. I discussed this phenomenon at length in spidermom's thread, (quoted below):



Let's walk through it step by step (^(oo)^)v


Condition-
Cationic surfactants form the backbone of most hair conditioner formulas. These positively charged particles deposit on the hair (which carries a negative charge at neutral pH) and remain adsorbed after the hair is rinsed. This is what makes the hair feel "conditioned" afterwards.

Normally the cationic surfactant adsorbs only on the outside surface of the hair cuticle. When hair is damaged, however, the cell membrane complex (CMC) that surrounds the cuticle scales is weakened. As a result, some cationic surfactant is able to penetrate into and deposit within the CMC itself.


Wash-
Most shampoos incorporate at least one anionic surfactant. These negatively charged particles can react with previously adsorbed cationic surfactants. The resultant anionic-cationic complexes are insoluble and highly resistant to removal from the hair.

Uh oh ( ' (oo) ' )


Condition
After repeated applications, the insoluble complex begins to build up. In damaged hair where the cationic surfactant was able to penetrate and deposit within the CMC, this insoluble buildup can very quickly lead to scale lifting and adhesion failure:
http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff33/shoppingpiglet/hair/20120619.jpg

Sources:
J. Cosmet Sci., 55, 351-371 (July/August 2004)
Chemical and Physical Behavior of Human Hair, 4th Ed. (1994)
Conditioning Agents for Hair and Skin (1999)

[SoulOfTheSea]

Maybe your hair does need protein since you said you haven't been using it.

[Wildcat Diva]

I started my long hair journey in March when I had crunchy dry ends. One thing I thought was the problem was mineralized water in our area. We had just been through a drought and that hairdresser I used said I wasn't the only one coming in with this problem. Thought was that the low water levels was resulting in all the water we were getting was coming from the bottom of the resavoir where the minerals was settled.

I currently use filtered, deionized water from the Culligan machine to wash my hair in the sink. I can get five gallons of water for one dollar. I tip the five gallon jug into a pitcher with a narrow spout, then fill five or six sports top bottles that used to hold Gatorade. I use this water to wash my hair in the sink. It doesn't take but a gallon or so to wash.

I believe that this has made a difference in my hair. I don't know if what I do could help you, but it seems that you have tried an awful lot so there's not much else to try.

Mineral oil might help too as everyone else is saying. Is it possible that your hair could actually need more protein? Just a thought.

[Zhennni(:]

CWC can increase the likelihood of scale lifting, which ultimately leads to an increase in dryness and splits. I discussed this phenomenon at length in spidermom's thread, (quoted below):

:O! does that mean cwc is bad for hair?!

[rena]

CWC can increase the likelihood of scale lifting, which ultimately leads to an increase in dryness and splits. I discussed this phenomenon at length in spidermom's thread, (quoted below):

Wow Piggy, I wish I could know the in's and out's of haircare and hair-stuff all the way down to the molecular level like you do. *Sigh* Maybe someday, after I've been a member here for like...Years...Because that's how long it would probably take for me to absorb all that info :o.

[Wildcat Diva]

Yeah my brain hurts now.

[HintOfMint]

CWC can increase the likelihood of scale lifting, which ultimately leads to an increase in dryness and splits. I discussed this phenomenon at length in spidermom's thread, (quoted below):

Oh dear, this is what I was afraid of.

The reason I do CWC is because my scalp likes sulfates and my ends don't. CO isn't an option (hello massive sheds that will leave me bald if continued unabated). And sulfate-free if not alternated with a sulfate shampoo just leaves my scalp feeling awful.

Maybe if I oil the ends instead of doing a first leg of conditioning? Or do you have a gentle shampoo recommendation?

as for the hard water recommendation, I'm staying in a place that doesn't have hard water and I have for a few weeks now. I have since clarified and had a number of washes since, so I'm pretty sure it's not the hard water (although that would be a consideration at my regular place).

[patienceneeded]

I really like MO on the ends. On a side note, after reading luxepiggy's info on CWC I think I will be going back to CO washing most washes with sls-free shampoo used when needed (once a week). Or just go back to regular shampoo and conditioner use...

[Alvrodul]

Dry and crunchy ends - have you tried an SMT (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=128)? When my hair is being bratty, it usually needs clarifying (which you have tried) or moisture - and I have found that giving my hair an SMT, just because, is never a bad idea.
If neither of these things work - do you have hard water where you live? If so, you might need to chelate. Give your hair a soak in a citric acid solution, and then SMT and wash.

[luxepiggy]

Oh dear, this is what I was afraid of.

The reason I do CWC is because my scalp likes sulfates and my ends don't. CO isn't an option (hello massive sheds that will leave me bald if continued unabated). And sulfate-free if not alternated with a sulfate shampoo just leaves my scalp feeling awful.

Maybe if I oil the ends instead of doing a first leg of conditioning? Or do you have a gentle shampoo recommendation?


Prewash oiling could definitely be a suitable alternative. IIRC I experienced particularly good results with coconut oil; I'd still be using it if not for the fact that it made my skin very angry :(

An even easier thing to try is simply diluting your sulfate shampoo. Conventional shampoo formulations contain an unnecessarily high concentration of surfactant in order to promote abundant lathering/foam. In fact, abundant lather is a clear sign that you've got more surfactant than you need! Diluting your shampoo allows you to use only enough surfactant to bind to and lift the oils from your scalp and roots. Then there won't be too many free surfactant molecules available to dry out your ends :)

[henné]

How happy am I now to have stopped with CWC :D

To the OP - I have the very same issue! I will be trying a coney protein conditioner (L'Oreal Elvive) and MO.

[luxepiggy]

:O! does that mean cwc is bad for hair?!

It really depends - everyone's hair is different! Personally I think there are better options out there (see my suggestions for HintofMint above), but if it works for you, that's the most important thing!


Wow Piggy, I wish I could know the in's and out's of haircare and hair-stuff all the way down to the molecular level like you do. *Sigh* Maybe someday, after I've been a member here for like...Years...Because that's how long it would probably take for me to absorb all that info :o.

LOL! It's not as complex as it seems :p There are only a few basic principles to learn, and everything kind of builds on them. Chemical and Physical Behavior of Human Hair by Clarence Robbins is an excellent comprehensive reference book.


Yeah my brain hurts now.
Sorry! http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff33/shoppingpiglet/piggies/5heo138.gif

[HintOfMint]

Prewash oiling could definitely be a suitable alternative. IIRC I experienced particularly good results with coconut oil; I'd still be using it if not for the fact that it made my skin very angry :(

An even easier thing to try is simply diluting your sulfate shampoo. Conventional shampoo formulations contain an unnecessarily high concentration of surfactant in order to promote abundant lathering/foam. In fact, abundant lather is a clear sign that you've got more surfactant than you need! Diluting your shampoo allows you to use only enough surfactant to bind to and lift the oils from your scalp and roots. Then there won't be too many free surfactant molecules available to dry out your ends :)

Thank you!

Not to keep pestering you with questions, but at the molecular level, would oil react the same way with anionic surfactants in the sulfate shampoos because of its charge? I'm a complete chem n00b.

[luxepiggy]

Thank you!

Not to keep pestering you with questions, but at the molecular level, would oil react the same way with anionic surfactants in the sulfate shampoos because of its charge? I'm a complete chem n00b.

No worries (^(oo)^)v

Oil would not react the same way with anionic surfactants because oils are nonpolar, which is to say, they have no charge.