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View Full Version : Washing out conditioner and sticky hair problems



selenir
July 1st, 2012, 01:09 AM
A problem I've repeatedly struggled with is hair constantly holding onto each other and only recently have I really started to understand it. It's because I'm not ever able to wash out my conditioner properly (I've tried this with three conditioners now), and I usually spend upwards of 30 minutes every shower just washing it out. I realize that I've made a lot of threads but most of them probably touch upon this problem, since I never really understood it. I'm sorry for the thread overload, but hopefully this one will settle it D:

The exact problem is that, when I apply conditioner to my hair, it is very very difficult to wash out. I have tried using cool water to hot water (sometimes both in one washing) to wash it out, often squeezing and pulling with a fair bit of force along my hairs (which usually ends with me losing quite a bit of hair) to remove the conditioner. My shower usually ends with wet hair that is still slippery. If I run my hands through my hair, some of the conditioner comes off and my hands have the slippery feeling of the conditioner. This would be okay if it stayed like this when dry, but usually, when dry, it ends up curling my hair into mild small spirals(my hair is pretty straight) and locking hairs together on combing. How are your experiences with washing out conditioner? Has anyone else had this experience?

Perhaps it has something to do with how I apply it? Sometimes I apply conditioner after mixing it with water. However, most of the time, I just rub my hands with the conditioner and run them from root to end.

I'd love some input; I've pretty much exhausted all my ideas on how to save myself the 30 minutes of shower time and the tangle insanity from day to day.

mckenzie
July 1st, 2012, 01:43 AM
30 minutes of rinsing out any conditioner seems really excessive. Have you tried going without?

spirals
July 1st, 2012, 01:52 AM
That slippery feeling is moisturization; you want that. I think you are like me, having curly hair but not realizing it. Have you always combed/brushed it out? I did, my whole life, because my straight-haired mother thought this was the way. She thought I had wavy hair that needed to be subdued. It sounds like you have spirally curls that thirst for moisture, and now that they're receiving it, they are springing up. This is such a common experience. Try visiting naturallycurly.com or our wurly/curly thread. I'm certain someone here has the same story; I cannot remember who.

ohmygackt
July 1st, 2012, 02:02 AM
Try going without conditioner, and as an alternative use olive oil after.

sparrowswing
July 1st, 2012, 02:04 AM
When was the last time you clarified? It sounds to me (not an expert, by any means) like what you're experiencing is a bit of past buildup still affecting your dry hair, and associating it with the moisture you feel immediately after conditioning. My hair always has that slippery feeling afterward, and the slipperiness can rub off a little onto my hands, but when I under-rinse, I actually see tiny little beads of conditioner on some of my strands and my wet hair feels kind of tacky rather than slick like it should. If you've already clarified and still have this problem, I'm out of suggestions.

Dragon
July 1st, 2012, 02:19 AM
What is the water pressure like in your shower? As that can make it difficult to wash stuff out if you don’t have enough pressure. And if your hair is thick it might help to section you hair and washing out section by section.

fridgee
July 1st, 2012, 03:22 AM
I agree with spirals it sounds like you are a hidden curly! But that doesn't explain why you feel your conditioner won't wash out.

Are you using cones? As sparrowswing suggested it could be buildup so clarifying might be a good idea (and since your doing it anyway you might as well get hairtyped at the same time! :D) Other than that have you tried an acidic rinse after conditioning? It can help remove residue so might be worth a try. Has this always been a problem or can you pinpoint when it began?

Tisiloves
July 1st, 2012, 05:09 AM
Sounds like clarifying time. You might also want to try appying a bit of oil after shampooing but before conditioning, I find it tends to hep the conditioner slip out.

When rinsing also try rinsing from different angles if possible, flip your head upside down, to the side, etc. If your hair's long enough why not hold the ends under a tap as well, the water pressure's much better.

Madora
July 1st, 2012, 07:12 AM
Hmmmm, could be the conditioner itself. Maybe it's too rich/thick?

Have you tried diluting your conditioner? My ratio with my GM conditioner is one tablespoon in 8 oz of warm water.

When I use Tresemme Naturals Conditioner with Aloe/Avocado (no sillicones) I use a capful in 8 oz of warm water.

Do you have a hand held device on your showerhead? These are great for directing the force of the water right next to your scalp and through the strands.

dwell_in_safety
July 1st, 2012, 08:57 AM
The last time I had to shower at a friend's house to wash out conditioner, there was no handheld shower head like there is here, and I lacked my usual ACV rinse. The result was hair that was sticky after drying, and I showered again just a few days later because it grossed me out so much. The handheld shower head and ACV rinses apparently save my hair from being gross.

It could be many things, though. Buildup that needs to be clarified away, as suggested above, for example. The fact that you describe your hair as sticky, though, makes me think it really may be that you're just not rinsing out the conditioner all the way (though with spending 30 minutes under the water, I'm not sure how that is possible). You do sound like a wurly in disguise, too. I guess it depends on what you mean by the word "sticky." :p If it just sticks together to form individual waves or curls, then yes, that's just a mark of wurly hair. If it's actually sticky to the touch, try clarifying, and if that does nothing, maybe add an ACV rinse if you don't do that to see if it washes out the conditioner? Good luck!

bumblebums
July 1st, 2012, 09:11 AM
If you have recently moved to an area where the water is really soft and you are used to harder water, it might seem like rinsing takes longer. Soft water is slippery and does not give you that squeaky feel you might be used to.

spidermom
July 1st, 2012, 09:57 AM
Some conditioner is supposed to be left in your hair. It's designed to have an ionic attraction to your hair.

Try using a clarifying shampoo from scalp to tips. Sometimes you get too much of a buildup of conditioner (and/or oils and/or silicones) and need to start clean. I clarify about once every 2-3 months.

spidermom
July 1st, 2012, 11:39 AM
P.S., and while you're clarifying, use no conditioner and allow your hair to dry without touching it again and see what it does. Post a picture, and we can help to hair type you. Like others, I suspect that you have curlier hair than you thought, which means it's going to need special care to look its best.

selenir
July 1st, 2012, 09:20 PM
Thanks everyone, I'm going to try clarifying and possibly an acid rinse after. I've never really clarified before, so how should I start? Should I find any clarifying shampoo in the drugstore? Last time I checked, I couldn't find a clarifying shampoo anywhere, though I can look harder.

After some suggestions, it'll probably take a few days for me, since I'm on a rather low budget. That means this thread will probably die for a few days. Is it okay for me to bump it after clarifying?

To the comments on me having curly hair, I'm not entirely sure that my hair is curly (though I imagine we'll find out after clarifying) since it's kind of random... curls near the ends, where the leftover conditioner sits.

To explain fully what I mean by sticky hair, it's slippery when wet, but my hair, when dry, locks together when combing, especially with wetish hands (no idea why). They tend to interlock even when being pulled apart in opposite directions, somewhat like velcro :X

(I seem to be having a little bit of trouble replying to 10 posts... any tips on how to reply properly?)

petali
July 1st, 2012, 09:27 PM
I used to get sticky hair from the conditioner I used. Suave naturals daily clarifying shampoo works for me, you can find it at Target and other places. It is good to use oil in your conditioner, it makes hair a lot more slippery when it's dry. Next time you use conditioner, use it at the ends only. Also, check the ingredients of your conditioner.

blondebazinga
July 1st, 2012, 09:30 PM
I have the same problem with not being able to get stuff out of my hair. It's all due to the fact that the water pressure isn't strong enough. Still need to get that fixed. :shudder: I have no idea how I'm going to do that. :(

spirals
July 1st, 2012, 10:38 PM
Yes, please keep us posted. We'd like you to come to the wurly side. :D

torrilin
July 1st, 2012, 11:03 PM
It's not clear what exact conditioner you're using. I've found ingredients for one of the Live Clean conditioners online (the argan oil one) and it's got an ingredient I'd avoid. Carnuba wax is a vegetable wax, so like beeswax it can be hard to rinse out, and it can stick to your hair. It can also be totally fine, but generally I find I do better with waxes in styling products, not conditioner. I also notice it's pretty scant on ingredients I expect to be high on the list, like cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol and behentrimonium methosulfate.

From the reviews online, it seems like most of the Live Clean conditioners are popular with curly haired people who are using them for conditioner only washing, supplemented with some other conditioner to provide slip for combing. I'm not seeing a lot of positive reviews from folks using it as a primary conditioner. Most people seem to think it's bad at detangling, which makes sense as I don't see any good detangling ingredients in there (the behentrimonium methosulfate is both a conditioning ingredient and a detangler... there are others, but it's a really popular one).

Since you're also mentioning problems with a flakey scalp in your other posts... have you seen a dermatologist to check for a skin infection? What you're describing could be a skin infection, or a chronic skin condition like psoriasis. Since we're random strangers on the internet, we can't diagnose or prescribe... but a dermatologist could help you figure out what's going on fairly easily.

I do agree with everyone else that if you're actually a wavy or curly hair type... part of the problem is you're expecting your hair to do things that it's just not well suited to. But I would not particularly prioritize getting your hair typed over getting your bod in to a doctor. Your body can't grow strong and sturdy hair if it's busy fighting off an infection!

my2cats1
July 1st, 2012, 11:47 PM
Clarifying shampoos aren't hard to find now -- You can pick up Neutrogena Anti Residue shampoo in most drugstores. Wash and rise well, then gently blot with a towel and don't touch it any more until it is dry. Then reassess your hair type again then, in that no-conditioner state. The Articles section here has good info about hair types.

You might be wavier than you thought, or you might just be due for a clarifying. Either way, I think a change of conditioner may be in your future! Good luck.

gracenotes
July 4th, 2012, 09:51 PM
Have you clarified recently? Your problem might have less to do with rinsing and more to do with buildup.

summerfox
July 5th, 2012, 12:38 AM
Your hair curls up after getting out of the shower because the hair is moisturized and found it's bounce again. And as someone mentioned, the "slippery" feeling is normal and not meant to be washed out.

red-again
July 5th, 2012, 01:04 AM
My ends go all velcro-y when I've used ANY protein - does your conditioner have any keratin etc? I would oil with coconut, sweet almond or jojoba for a few hours then clarify and Jen use a protein free conditioner.

GrowingGlory
July 5th, 2012, 01:11 AM
I noticed that my hair has been wurlier lately and the individual wurls sort of try to stick together sideways. It's not a tangle or a knot, but I need to go through my hair with my fingers and a WIDU Bamboo brush every morning to get rid of it. It has been especially hot and humid here lately. Maybe that explains it?

selenir
July 5th, 2012, 09:41 PM
Mmm, it's not a pleasant kind of slippery though. If I rub my hand across my hair, slippery residue will be left on my hands. When my hair is dry, it tangles easily and generally sticks like glue, rather than like curls. It's even worse when I go back under the water.

That aside, I went shopping today for a clarifying conditioner and couldn't find the cheap and supposedly quite effective Suave and VO5 shampoos. I'm in Canada and, even though I do remember seeing them before a long time ago, I can't seem to find the VO5 ones at all and only a limited set of Suave ones. In fact, I was only able to find 3 clarifying shampoos at all, the Neutrogena one (which smells a factory), the Tresemme clarifying one and Herbal Essences Drama Clean.

I settled for a Herbal Essences Drama Clean shampoo, but I'm not totally sure it's good for clarifying. Can anyone attest to its ability to clarify?

spidermom
July 5th, 2012, 10:56 PM
A good clarifying shampoo will have "clarifying" right on the label.

Alternatively, you could mix about 1 teaspoon of baking soda into 1 pint of warm water and pour that very slowly through your hair, massage with fingertips, then rinse. Follow with a white vinegar rinse, about 1 teaspoon in 1 quart of warm water.

selenir
July 6th, 2012, 09:56 PM
Yay. I bought Tresemme Deep Cleansing shampoo (I don't like the full names on the bottles; I feel like I'm advertising) and returned the Herbal one. I think it did the job, but my hair is still wet, so I can't really tell. Plus, I'm tight on time today (though I guess not tight enough not to make a post xP), so I needed to put conditioner; I'll have to do the shampoo-and-photo for hair typing maybe tomorrow.

A few things to say: the problem of my conditioner sticking to my hair seems to be mostly gone(!) but I'll need to wait for my hair to dry to say for sure. I used the shampoo twice for good measure, since I've never clarified in my life. I also caked on the conditioner (Live Clean Argan Oil), since I imagine the shampoo sucked the life out of my hair. It did take a while to wash out, so I imagine it's either just the amount I used or the conditioner itself. I'm noticing my hair has changed drastically while wet, so, once again, gotta wait for my hair to dry ;_;

A mega thanks in advance, since I noticed I ended pulling NONE of my hair out today (like I usually do) and it's not totally gooey slippery today (it is a bit) either. I'll have to see the final results over the next few days though.

selenir
July 13th, 2012, 07:13 PM
Yay, so the clarifying shampoo really helped with the stickiness problem. I know it's pretty late by now, but I finally got around clarifying without conditioning or anything. The thing is that I slept on my hair since I showered at night before taking a picture of it. I hope it's not too much of a problem... :d...
I have no idea why the pictures are sideways when I took the pictures right side up and when they look right side up on my computer. Sorry. Can I ask for hair typing help?

http://img122.hotlinkimage.com/thumb/1389415738.jpeg (http://img122.hotlinkimage.com/img.php?id=1389415738&q=) Picture of the back

http://img132.hotlinkimage.com/thumb/1188560588.jpeg (http://img132.hotlinkimage.com/img.php?id=1188560588&q=) Right side

http://img136.hotlinkimage.com/thumb/1404453994.jpeg (http://img136.hotlinkimage.com/img.php?id=1404453994&q=) Right side again

spidermom
July 13th, 2012, 08:34 PM
Don't expect all the conditioner to rinse away. You're always going to have a different feel with conditioner; it's supposed to do that.

Amber_Maiden
July 14th, 2012, 01:17 PM
Maybe it's your water pressure?

CurlyCurves
July 14th, 2012, 05:27 PM
Glad the problem's sorted :-) Your hair looks lovely.

jojo
July 14th, 2012, 06:50 PM
If you have recently moved to an area where the water is really soft and you are used to harder water, it might seem like rinsing takes longer. Soft water is slippery and does not give you that squeaky feel you might be used to.

Good point, I live in a very soft water area and I get a slippery kind of feeling when rinsing, yet when I visit my friend down south the water is hard and my hair feel almost straw like and looks much curler down there. I'd try watering down your conditioner, it sounds like your using a very thick one and if it has cones try something like trees me natural that's a lovely conditioner.

selenir
July 14th, 2012, 07:23 PM
I originally thought my hair was straight since I heard East Asian hair is usually coarse and straight (which my hair usually is when conditioned) but the ends always curled out. I just thought my hair and conditioner was being evil and hating me; I never thought my hair was actually fairly wavy.