HAIR DISASTER!!! helppppp

[Zhennni(:]

hellow LHC, my hair needs some serious help. Last month my hair was nice and silky, I was using diluted shampoo with coney condishs, but it became reallllyyy dry after an cassia treatment.
Nothing worked to moisturize it well, so I tried the betonite clay +sea salt treament in an attempt to clarify the protein and whatever buildup I might have. OMG, it left my hair SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO dry, I was devestated, my hair is dry but never this dry!!!! so I oiled my hair with avacado and EVOO, then I put on an overnight treatment of diluted AOHR+suave coconut, I washed it out this morning and my hair is still dry and straw like. HELP:(((
PS: I live in southern cal, a very dry area so humectants dont work for me:( Any one have ideas of how to keep moisture in ?

Also, list of products that didnt work :
-garnier triple nutrition , felt great in shower but after it dried it was coated, limp, dry and tangly...:(
-AOHR, left hair REALLY greasy and tangly, can anyone tell me how to make this condish work o.o
- aussie 3mm, an okay condish did nothing special
-suave almond & shea butter , coated feeling?
-toadstool soap deep condish, had mixed results. sometimes nice and silky, sometimes coated and dry
-toadstool leave in, had humectant in it

[GoddessLocks]

Maybe go to the store and get a thick cream leave in or moisture treatment and leave it in overnight for a couple nights in a row? Sorry Im not sure what to do but I would try a thick cream. Hope your hair gets better!

[Zhennni(:]

Maybe go to the store and get a thick cream leave in or moisture treatment and leave it in overnight for a couple nights in a row? Sorry Im not sure what to do but I would try a thick cream. Hope your hair gets better!

tbh I have tonsss of conditioner but Im still searching for one that truely moisturizes :( I think Ill try to oil +condition and see if that helps...

[schweedie]

Sometimes it takes a while to get the hair properly moisturised again after doing cassia. How long has it been since you did it? I'd try an SMT (cone-free conditioner with a little aloe vera gel and honey) or just a treatment using your favourite moisturising conditioner again, and see what happens.

[PolarCathy]

I would make a ponytail, saturate the un-oiled length, that is, everything under the hair elastics with aloe vera gel diluted with some water, then rub some oil on top of it, put the pony in a plastic bag, fix the bag in position with another elastics and leave it on all night long. Then wash out with just water in the morning (if there's anythign to be washed out) and if still oily, CO-wash it out or just forget let it be for a few days.

[didrash]

I would also try heavy oiling with shea butter - coconut and EVOO are oils that are difficult to remove from the hair and one might end up using too much shampoo to get them off. ktani had a good article on the topic of drying vs non-drying oils, but I can't find the link. You can google her to find her blog. I have dry and dyed hair, and shea butter works very well for me.

[ratgirldjh]

I would leave it alone for a while. You could just oil it heavily and put it up and forget about it for a while.

I use bentonite (and sea salt when i have protein build up) all the time and while it does make my hair staticky the first few days it never makes it dry.

An acid rinse (acv/water or lime juice/water) is essential for me though or my hair feels kind of like you wrote.

I used cassia once. It really dried out my hair. You may have to wait for the cassia to wear off a bit for moisturizers to penetrate your hair. This is what it felt like to me.

I know it is hard but if it were me I would either just oil it and put it up or do WO for a few days until it calms down.

Sorry if I'm not much help. My hair loves bentonite though and I've pretty much given up poo bars and use it as a wash these days. However I use hydrated bentonite (clay that i've let soak for a few days) in a pretty runny mix (like shampoo) and just use a little on my roots - like I would use shampoo.

Then I do an acid rinse and then rinse with cold water.

My hair is always staticky and weird feeling the first few times I use it if I have used any soap or any other hair washing mix - so I just bear with it and after a few times it goes back to normal.

My hair loves henna but HATES cassia. I will never use cassia again.

Good luck.

[Zhennni(:]

Sometimes it takes a while to get the hair properly moisturised again after doing cassia. How long has it been since you did it? I'd try an SMT (cone-free conditioner with a little aloe vera gel and honey) or just a treatment using your favourite moisturising conditioner again, and see what happens.

I gave the cassia about 2-3 weeks before I tried the clay treatment, and smt didnt work well for me since I live in a dry area and humectants just makes my hair dyer. thanks though

[swearnsue]

Suave Coconut conditioner has a little protein in it. Just FYI.

[Zhennni(:]

I would make a ponytail, saturate the un-oiled length, that is, everything under the hair elastics with aloe vera gel diluted with some water, then rub some oil on top of it, put the pony in a plastic bag, fix the bag in position with another elastics and leave it on all night long. Then wash out with just water in the morning (if there's anythign to be washed out) and if still oily, CO-wash it out or just forget let it be for a few days.

aloe vera is a humectant correct? I live in a dry area though would it still work? and I only have the juice, not gel lol:P

[Zhennni(:]

Suave Coconut conditioner has a little protein in it. Just FYI.

ah crap, that might be why -_-

[Zhennni(:]

I would leave it alone for a while. You could just oil it heavily and put it up and forget about it for a while.

I use bentonite (and sea salt when i have protein build up) all the time and while it does make my hair staticky the first few days it never makes it dry.

An acid rinse (acv/water or lime juice/water) is essential for me though or my hair feels kind of like you wrote.

I used cassia once. It really dried out my hair. You may have to wait for the cassia to wear off a bit for moisturizers to penetrate your hair. This is what it felt like to me.

I know it is hard but if it were me I would either just oil it and put it up or do WO for a few days until it calms down.

Sorry if I'm not much help. My hair loves bentonite though and I've pretty much given up poo bars and use it as a wash these days. However I use hydrated bentonite (clay that i've let soak for a few days) in a pretty runny mix (like shampoo) and just use a little on my roots - like I would use shampoo.

Then I do an acid rinse and then rinse with cold water.

My hair is always staticky and weird feeling the first few times I use it if I have used any soap or any other hair washing mix - so I just bear with it and after a few times it goes back to normal.

My hair loves henna but HATES cassia. I will never use cassia again.

Good luck.

I think there was something wrong with my betonite mix too. my mixture was SUPER runny, it was like water! do you mix the betonite so is like the consistency of henna? and how much salt did you put?:O

[jojo]

Mix some honey, with aloe Vera gel and some thick moisturising conefree conditioner, make sure the conditioner says moisture on the label, use nothing with protein, leave this on overnight, do this for a few times and you should get your hair back soft. I did recently warn somebody in a post about using salt it draws moisture out of hair, hense why they have salted peanuts on a bar, to make us thirsty so we buy more drinks, salt does the same for hair it makes it thirsty. If you have no aloe Vera gel just use a good dollop of honey, heat first for 20- 30 seconds to kill the lightening properties, honey is lovely for getting moisture back. Good luck and I'm sorry this has happened to you.

Baby oil on damp hair, just a few drops after washing will help keep the moisture in too! I've just seen honey dries your hair , so I'd say try a thick conditioner with some extra virgin olive oil in it (evoo)

[ratgirldjh]

I think there was something wrong with my betonite mix too. my mixture was SUPER runny, it was like water! do you mix the betonite so is like the consistency of henna? and how much salt did you put?:O

I don't use the sea salt in the bentonite for daily washing. If I am doing a hair mask to remove build up or protein overload I add in the sea salt.

For a hair mask: 3 tablespoons calcium bentonite powder
1 teaspoon sea salt (or a little less)
hot (not boiling) water to mix and then i let it sit until the lumps are easily mixed in (it helps to shake it up in a jar) - it will thicken up (like henna) if you let it sit for a bit

So it is a henna consistency. when the clay is ready I rinse my hair and leave it damp and put the clay all over my head making sure I get my scalp and every strand. then I leave it for 10 - 20 minutes depending on the amount of build up I'm trying to remove.

After this I rinse well with cool water and then do an acid rinse.

This makes my hair extremely staticky - be warned!!! :D

For regular washing I just put a little water in a bottle and then add some clay and shake it well and let it sit until it is a runny gel like consistency. I always have a few bottles of this clay around because I also use it internally and for first aid and my pets love it too.

Hope this helps. :D

If you are not used to clay washing I suggest that after you do the mask you follow with some moisturizing sort of protein free conditioner.

I found that a few drops of baby oil on damp hair after clay use totally eliminates the static and leaves me with soft, smooth, shiny hair!!!

[Zhennni(:]

Mix some honey, with aloe Vera gel and some thick moisturising conefree conditioner, make sure the conditioner says moisture on the label, use nothing with protein, leave this on overnight, do this for a few times and you should get your hair back soft. I did recently warn somebody in a post about using salt it draws moisture out of hair, hense why they have salted peanuts on a bar, to make us thirsty so we buy more drinks, salt does the same for hair it makes it thirsty. If you have no aloe Vera gel just use a good dollop of honey, heat first for 20- 30 seconds to kill the lightening properties, honey is lovely for getting moisture back. Good luck and I'm sorry this has happened to you.

Baby oil on damp hair, just a few drops after washing will help keep the moisture in too! I've just seen honey dries your hair , so I'd say try a thick conditioner with some extra virgin olive oil in it (evoo)

thanks for the advice, I was thinking if I do the honey and aloe vera treatment while in the shower it would be better, since is moist in the bathroom when I shower? Im not sure about that though:P and Im still in search for a good ,deep moisturizing condish:( and I read from a thread that salt can help your hair draw moisture and thats why I tried it

[Zhennni(:]

I don't use the sea salt in the bentonite for daily washing. If I am doing a hair mask to remove build up or protein overload I add in the sea salt.

For a hair mask: 3 tablespoons calcium bentonite powder
1 teaspoon sea salt (or a little less)
hot (not boiling) water to mix and then i let it sit until the lumps are easily mixed in (it helps to shake it up in a jar) - it will thicken up (like henna) if you let it sit for a bit

So it is a henna consistency. when the clay is ready I rinse my hair and leave it damp and put the clay all over my head making sure I get my scalp and every strand. then I leave it for 10 - 20 minutes depending on the amount of build up I'm trying to remove.

After this I rinse well with cool water and then do an acid rinse.

This makes my hair extremely staticky - be warned!!! :D

For regular washing I just put a little water in a bottle and then add some clay and shake it well and let it sit until it is a runny gel like consistency. I always have a few bottles of this clay around because I also use it internally and for first aid and my pets love it too.

Hope this helps. :D

If you are not used to clay washing I suggest that after you do the mask you follow with some moisturizing sort of protein free conditioner.

I found that a few drops of baby oil on damp hair after clay use totally eliminates the static and leaves me with soft, smooth, shiny hair!!!

thanks, I might try that next time:O I put like 3 teaspon of salt with one handful of clay and I added hot water and it just became super runny o.o

[EtherealDoll]

You could try using Shea butter, it did wonders to my hair after dyeing.
Almond oil and olive oil also do a good job in moisturizing, you can just add them into a conditioner.

[spidermom]

I would clarify and buy an over-the-counter deep moisture treatment.

[ratgirldjh]

thanks, I might try that next time:O I put like 3 teaspon of salt with one handful of clay and I added hot water and it just became super runny o.o

Too much salt! No wonder your hair is dry! More clay and less or no salt.

[Yozhik]

Zhenni, since you do live in such a dry area, it might be wise to stay away from aloe and honey, since they are humectants. I suppose the bathroom would help, but do you really want to stay in a moist bathroom for a few hours of deep conditioning?

I would slather my hair with coconut oil -- try it on damp hair, and keep in saran wrap or a plastic bag for a couple of hours or overnight, and then wash out. My hair really likes coconut oil, though, and I don't have a problem removing it, so YMMV.

Good luck, and try not to stress too much. :flower:

[Zhennni(:]

Too much salt! No wonder your hair is dry! More clay and less or no salt.

:o I did it according to Sibyllas Secret Softness Treatment:

You need:

-Sea salt (3 table spoons)

-Bentonite (natural clay) 100% (with no other ingredient)Two hands full. The cheepest cat litter is made out of 100% Bentonite (!).

Guess that didnt work for my hair :/

[Zhennni(:]

You could try using Shea butter, it did wonders to my hair after dyeing.
Almond oil and olive oil also do a good job in moisturizing, you can just add them into a conditioner.

I do have shea butter, Ill mix some with oil and condish and see how it goes:P

[Zhennni(:]

I would clarify and buy an over-the-counter deep moisture treatment.

clarify? doesnt the bentonite clay clarify already? :confused:

[Zhennni(:]

Zhenni, since you do live in such a dry area, it might be wise to stay away from aloe and honey, since they are humectants. I suppose the bathroom would help, but do you really want to stay in a moist bathroom for a few hours of deep conditioning?

I would slather my hair with coconut oil -- try it on damp hair, and keep in saran wrap or a plastic bag for a couple of hours or overnight, and then wash out. My hair really likes coconut oil, though, and I don't have a problem removing it, so YMMV.

Good luck, and try not to stress too much. :flower:

yes I dont think humectants work well for me :( but I take like 30 min showers, do you think I can get some conditioning effect in that period of time with the conditioner? Ill try oiling with coconut and shea butter, maybe ill add some almond oil:o

[lapushka]

I would clarify and buy an over-the-counter deep moisture treatment.

I'd do the same!

[maborosi]

I don't have any good advice to add, unfortunately, but I just want to say I hope everything works out for you! :flower:

~maborosi~

[Amber_Maiden]

i'd leave it alone for a bit. I think it will just take a few days/a week for it to get back to normal. Same thing happens to me when I cassia or henna.

[Zhennni(:]

can anyone tell me a good moisturizing recipe involving shea butter?

[EtherealDoll]

can anyone tell me a good moisturizing recipe involving shea butter?

The best results for me were from 2/4 jojoba oil+1/4 almond oil+1/4shea butter, leave it on for 7 hours, then wash it off with shampoo (and you can use conditioner afterwards if you need to).

[HairFaerie]

Jojoba oil is something you might want to consider. Supposedly it it the closest oil to your body's natural sebum. When my ends got really dry, jojoba oil did the trick.

[long&blonde]

I'm responding because I've been there. For me at least;my level of destruction needs drugstore heavy duty deep conditioner masque. The kind that come in the tub, and you are supposed to leave on,with towel over head, 15 minutes to a half hour? I am quite proud I've not needed to resort to this since joining LHC,going on two years now! First tip:don't read the ingredients. Our level of damaging our hair goes beyond worrying about cones and whatever for now. Don't look for organic or natural. Get one for very dry damaged hair. Big tub. Put on hair liberally, warm a towel in your microwave,put over, leave on as many hours as you can stand it. Then rinse out. The next time you are penciled in to wash your hair? Wash it using that deep conditioning masque only as your shampoo,conditioner. No heat of course,air dry. This worked for me on Many an occasion:dying bsl hair to platinum from black,etc. My hair would end up feeling like dry spaghetti clumped together. I'd do above? Back to normal. I even blewdry then,so do above with no heat:should clear it up no time flat.

[FrannyG]

It really does sound like you need a deep moisture treatment. I agree that the SMT is likely not the one for you. Despite your clay treatment, I do think that clarifying might be in order.

Have you ever tried Garnier's Fructis Triple Nutrition Dryness Repair? I find that to be one of the most moisturizing deep treatments that I've ever used.

It says to use it for three minutes, but I would leave it in as long as you can.

It can be found in the drugstore, and it's relatively inexpensive for what it can accomplish. Having said that, just because it works for me, doesn't mean it will work for you. It's just that in all my years this is the best one-step moisturizer that I have come across.

Many people here with all hair types seem to have good results with it. And no, it doesn't contain humectants.

Best of luck with this situation. I know how horrifying sudden dryness can be. However, I'm quite sure it can be reversed, as you didn't do anything that should be permanently damaging. :blossom:

[elthia]

I wonder if you need chelating vs clarifying, but I am not sure. Maybe one of the gurus would know.

[RileyJane]

you should try the Aussie 3 min miracle leave in conditioner, that ALWAYS leaves my hair soft... or get a keratin conditioner ( emergency 3 min one) at Sallys but leave it on for 5 mins....i used that when my hair was blond and always straw-like and it instantly would make my hair very soft and hydrated.... if those dont work deff stick with your regular stuff and try em again after a few days, you dont wanna overload your hair with conditioners :P

[Zhennni(:]

It really does sound like you need a deep moisture treatment. I agree that the SMT is likely not the one for you. Despite your clay treatment, I do think that clarifying might be in order.

Have you ever tried Garnier's Fructis Triple Nutrition Dryness Repair? I find that to be one of the most moisturizing deep treatments that I've ever used.

It says to use it for three minutes, but I would leave it in as long as you can.

It can be found in the drugstore, and it's relatively inexpensive for what it can accomplish. Having said that, just because it works for me, doesn't mean it will work for you. It's just that in all my years this is the best one-step moisturizer that I have come across.

Many people here with all hair types seem to have good results with it. And no, it doesn't contain humectants.

Best of luck with this situation. I know how horrifying sudden dryness can be. However, I'm quite sure it can be reversed, as you didn't do anything that should be permanently damaging. :blossom:

thanks for the suggestion, however I have tried the triple nutrition rinse out conditioner and it felt great in the shower, but when my hair drys is dry , yucky, coated and limp :confused:

[Zhennni(:]

you should try the Aussie 3 min miracle leave in conditioner, that ALWAYS leaves my hair soft... or get a keratin conditioner ( emergency 3 min one) at Sallys but leave it on for 5 mins....i used that when my hair was blond and always straw-like and it instantly would make my hair very soft and hydrated.... if those dont work deff stick with your regular stuff and try em again after a few days, you dont wanna overload your hair with conditioners :P

I have tried aussie 3mm, it was just okay for me. I dont know why the heck my hair is soooo picky >:(

[FrannyG]

thanks for the suggestion, however I have tried the triple nutrition rinse out conditioner and it felt great in the shower, but when my hair drys is dry , yucky, coated and limp :confused:
Well, that's how your hair reacted when it was feeling "normal". Perhaps it might not feel that way right now, when you really need moisture. The treatment I suggested has no cones, but it does have a mild wax and mineral oil, which does trap the moisture into your hair.

I'm not saying that's the only deep moisture treatment out there; I do suggest that you look for a moisturizing treatment though.

[Zhennni(:]

Well, that's how your hair reacted when it was feeling "normal". Perhaps it might not feel that way right now, when you really need moisture. The treatment I suggested has no cones, but it does have a mild wax and mineral oil, which does trap the moisture into your hair.

I'm not saying that's the only deep moisture treatment out there; I do suggest that you look for a moisturizing treatment though.

okay I shall give triple nutrition another try:p my hair in this very moment is in a tangly limp dry state because last night I did an overnight treatment with AOHR and it made my hair SO greasy but dry and tangly at the same time ...is hard to explain o.o

[Emme76]

My hair also gets very very dry. Very easily. :(
I found out that my hair does not react well to Aloe vera. It leavs it very dry and crusty feeling. For some odd reason. Have you tried to eliminate it?

My hair likes the mix: honey, oliveoil and cinnemon. I mix it all and heat it in the microwave and put it on like a hot oil treatment on damp hair. I wrap it and then put a hat over to keep it all nice and warm :D

Then I also started to use Body Stores Rainfores moisture conditione and also the deep treatment: Rainforest moisture hair butter.

It is the first thing I found that really helps my very dry hair.

Good luck in finding something that might help!

[Emme76]

Oh, and I keep the treatment on for about an hour or so. I don´t think it gives much better result to keep it on alot longer.

[Zhennni(:]

My hair also gets very very dry. Very easily. :(
I found out that my hair does not react well to Aloe vera. It leavs it very dry and crusty feeling. For some odd reason. Have you tried to eliminate it?

My hair likes the mix: honey, oliveoil and cinnemon. I mix it all and heat it in the microwave and put it on like a hot oil treatment on damp hair. I wrap it and then put a hat over to keep it all nice and warm :D

Then I also started to use Body Stores Rainfores moisture conditione and also the deep treatment: Rainforest moisture hair butter.

It is the first thing I found that really helps my very dry hair.

Good luck in finding something that might help!

Thanks for the recipe, but could you explain to me what cinnamon does?:O my hair likes olive oil :)

[Rufflebutt]

Try a protein treatment? Maybe your hair doesn't have enough.

[Zhennni(:]

Try a protein treatment? Maybe your hair doesn't have enough.

I think my hair has too much, lol . I did cassia treatment and I was using condish with protein in it >:(

[jacqueline101]

I'd try the shea butter and oils like PolarCathy said. I was going to try a shea butter mineral oil on my ends they are feeling extra crispy.

[Kristin]

You treated with AOHR? Did you do a pre-wash treatment as per bottle instructions? Or post-wash? Because AOHR makes my hair a horrible, tangled mess, too- if I use it post-wash. It's great if I leave it on damp hair 15 mins-overnight and shampoo out. Even if you don't like AOHR, there are other treatments you can use.

I would:
1. Clarify. Use something relatively cheap, like VO5 kiwi-lime or Neutrogena clarifying.
2. Moisturize. If you put humectants on wet hair, they should pull the water into your hair. I would use either Sally's generic version of Matrix moisturizing balm, or GF Triple Nutrition Deep Treatment. Slather it on, cover your hair and head (for the warmth) with plastic, and sleep on it.
3. Rinse it out.
4. Seal in the moisture with oil or a serum.
5. Put it up and leave it alone for a few days.

Good luck!

[Zhennni(:]

You treated with AOHR? Did you do a pre-wash treatment as per bottle instructions? Or post-wash? Because AOHR makes my hair a horrible, tangled mess, too- if I use it post-wash. It's great if I leave it on damp hair 15 mins-overnight and shampoo out. Even if you don't like AOHR, there are other treatments you can use.

I would:
1. Clarify. Use something relatively cheap, like VO5 kiwi-lime or Neutrogena clarifying.
2. Moisturize. If you put humectants on wet hair, they should pull the water into your hair. I would use either Sally's generic version of Matrix moisturizing balm, or GF Triple Nutrition Deep Treatment. Slather it on, cover your hair and head (for the warmth) with plastic, and sleep on it.
3. Rinse it out.
4. Seal in the moisture with oil or a serum.
5. Put it up and leave it alone for a few days.

Good luck!

Yes I did use AOHR post wash, and Im going to clarify today. My hair hated triple nutrition so I might use another deep repair masque, thanks!:)

[Ravenwind]

I also live in southern california, it's sooo hot >.< lol
What I do to keep my hair moisturized is coconut oil. I'll use it for deep treatments and I'll also put a little bit in my hair after I take a shower. Maybe you could try that? I also noticed that if I put my hair up in a bun while it's wet, it stays really soft and moisturized as well.

Hope this helps :)

[Zhennni(:]

Thanks for all the advice everyone! my hair is better now, this is what I did
-put AOHR + vo5 condish all over hair
-hop in the shower, shampoo undiluted with nexxus pro mend( i shampooed 3 times, the AOHR stuff builds up like crazy)
- deep condition with macadamia deep repair masque
- rinse that off, condition with aussie 3mm + honey
-rinse that off, apply pantene condish for slip
-acv rinse
-mineral oil after I towel dried
now my hair is almost normal, not as silky as before but ALOT better

[Emme76]

Well, Cinnamon is mainly there for hair growth and thickness.
But for me the combination - 2 parts honey, one part oliveoil and one teaspoon cinnamon - is something my hair really likes. Leave it on for 1 hour. Then I use the rainforest conditioner to wash it out, and then deep treatment with the hair butter.

I finish with a ACV rinse.

It helps my very dry hair - even so much that mu curls came back :).
It might also make a difference for you.

[lesbia]

I found that EVOO dry my hair, so I don't use it. My hair prefers coconut oil and sweet almond oil (more heavy). I'd suggest to put one of these oils on all your lenght and let it up for a couple of day! I always works for me.
Have you tried sea butter?

[FrannyG]

now my hair is almost normal, not as silky as before but ALOT better
I'm glad you figured out something that helped. It will get better and better and back to normal before you know it. :)

[Vanilla]

Im glad you figured out what the problem was. I'd continue the mineral oil. It always helps to restore moisture into my hair after I use cassia.

[Winnie!]

I know you've said that you have figured it out, and I'm new, but I would like to speak from personal experience that keeping my hair contained (buns and braids) seems to keep my hair much softer and silkier. It seems to keep more moisture in. I hope that might help :)