Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 26

Thread: Destroyed my hair while lurking... looking for help

  1. #1
    New Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2021
    Posts
    6
    Length
    27/27/40
    Type
    1c/2a/F/M/i/ii

    Default Destroyed my hair while lurking... looking for help

    Hello! Basically the title. My hair has always been between BSL and waist and not very fussy. Havent touched dye in years and rarely use heat (only sometimes lightly blow drying if I have to go out). I don't know where to start, I've been trying to take care of my hair for almost 3 years. It was going great at first and then two summers ago just started going down hill. I've been panicking since and over washing, over treating, buying products. I've tried to go back to what I was using (Aussie) prior to 'taking care' of my hair and it makes things worse. My scalp hurts so much and my roots are literally crunchy and snapping off. The rest of my hair has completely lost its wave (2A, fine ish) and has so much breakage and is completely unmanageable. I'm fairly sure I gave myself hygral fatigue but protein treatments havent helped.

    I've been trying to just keep things simple. I've clarified way more than I needed to so I've been trying to use diluted shampoo and conditioner and that's it. But my scalp hurts so much. I've been making sure to wait for my hair to be super greasy but even with all the scalp oils on it my roots are stiff. The second I wash my hair it's back to painful burning dry scalp and completely dehydrated crunchy roots.

    I'm honestly probably going to cut my now waist length hair to my shoulders soon because I've damaged it so much. But my biggest issue is my scalp/roots and cutting my hair wont fix it. I've been to multiple doctors and they just say it's a bit irritated and nothing medical is wrong. I've spent the past year reading information looking through old threads, reading up on hair science, scale health, hygral fatigue etc. I'm at a loss and it's seriously affecting my daily life at this point. I try to just not wash it or do anything but I can't deal with how uncomfortable my scalp is and my self esteem is in the garbage bc I"m so embarrassed of how badly I wrecked my hair.

    I'm sorry this is a mess, I'm really distressed and I just don't know what to do to move forward.

  2. #2

    Default Re: Destroyed my hair while lurking... looking for help

    Hello and welcome to the forum!

    I’m sorry to hear you’re in so much discomfort. Your scalp sounds similar to how mine was when I had a reaction to a shampoo, it was red and sore, the pharmacist said it looked like something was burning my scalp. There was no dandruff or other common scalp issues, just pain and sensitivity.

    I think you need to find a mild shampoo that is ph balanced not to affect your scalp. I’m currently using Giovanni products and they don’t aggravate my scalp at all, in fact I’m scared to try anything else! Giovanni Smooth As Silk is especially mild.

    Once your scalp is feeling better it’ll be easier to concentrate on the lengths. In the meantime keep trying with CWC or oiling to help with tangles. Good luck!

  3. #3
    Member shelomit's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2019
    Location
    Southwest/New England/Deep South/Appalachia
    Age
    29
    Posts
    1,531
    Length
    42/42/42
    Type
    2c/3a/M/ii

    Default Re: Destroyed my hair while lurking... looking for help

    It's always so frustrating when you're in pain, seek medical help, and they say they don't have anything they can do ) :

    You say you're not washing your hair much because it hurts. Does that mean that, if you don't wash it, your scalp doesn't hurt (or hurts noticeably less)? If so, you could be getting relief either because there's an ingredient in your shampoo/conditioner that's irritating you or because of the mechanical irritation of manipulating the scalp. You might be able to narrow the root cause down further by trying water-only washing. If you experience the same degree of irritation from that as from washing with shampoo, then the source of the irritation is probably mechanical. If it gives you some relief, then the irritant is probably something you've been putting on your hair. I'm sorry that I don't have any more specific advice : /

  4. #4
    LHC FairyGodMum lapushka's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Belgium
    Posts
    68,486
    Length
    Chin/Class/Class
    Type
    2b/2c/F/iii

    Default Re: Destroyed my hair while lurking... looking for help

    Hi & welcome!

    Hair snapping off at the root? Honestly... Without meaning to alarm you but hair is on the lowest list of the body's priorities, so if something goes off in the body, that is the first thing you notice it by. Not saying something is wrong, don't get me wrong, and I am certainly no doctor, but just trying to explain that's how it usually goes down.

    If you haven't had a health check (blood test) recently, I would get on it and try and get a referral to a dermatologist too if your scalp hurts, I mean, that's not normal.

    Sounds like more than a mere product or any of our advice can handle.
    WCC method (washing) --- Rinse-out oil (MO) --- LOC/LCO method (styling)

  5. #5
    New Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2021
    Posts
    6
    Length
    27/27/40
    Type
    1c/2a/F/M/i/ii

    Default Re: Destroyed my hair while lurking... looking for help

    Thank you for all the responses, sorry it's taken me a while to reply... I kept getting a software message saying the server is busy. I'm not sure how to reply directly so I hope it's okay that I'm replying to everyone at once.


    Anyways, I think I need to clarify that for the past week and a half I've been sticking to a minimal routine with diluted shampoo and conditioner and I did one protein treatment.. But prior to that I was overwashing my hair repeatedly sometimes shampooing 5 or more times in a day trying to fix it and make my scalp feel better. I don't think this is a medical issue, I've gotten checked multiple times as well as extensive blood tests. I'm just confused now because I've stopped the compulsive washing and have been waiting between wash days but the second I shampoo even with diluted shampoo, it feel like I washed it 1000x and starts hurting once its dry.


    I actually ended up co-washing yesterday after posting for the first time in a year and my scalp feels so much better today. It's still sore but my roots arent as brittle and my scalp isn't burning. I had really good luck with co-washing when I started taking care of my hair until I started trying to add in deep conditioners and oils, then switching to 'natural' products (long hair instagram). I got worried once the whole internet started talking about scalp health and how important it is to have a clean scalp and that co-washing is horrible for your hair, especially with 'drug store' products that I was using. My hairdresser scared me too by telling me I had build-up that was making my hair weird (after scraping with scissors that now I know is taking off the cuticle) and that's when I started trying to get my hair 'clean' by washing so much. I was also told that shampoo is how you let moisture in and if my scalp isn't clean it will get even more dry.


    I'm just a little worried bc my actually hair is... kind of stretchy? I am worried that I'll over moisturize it even more by co-washing. Is there any way I can avoid that? The fact that I have gotten even a little relief co-washing, I'd deal with the rest of my hair being awful but I'd rather it not be.


    I just honestly want to shampoo and condition normally like I used to bc it's straightforward and not confusing.

  6. #6
    LHC FairyGodMum lapushka's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Belgium
    Posts
    68,486
    Length
    Chin/Class/Class
    Type
    2b/2c/F/iii

    Default Re: Destroyed my hair while lurking... looking for help

    Pain or "burning" is not normal when you simply wash your hair. Have you ever considered a dermatologist?
    WCC method (washing) --- Rinse-out oil (MO) --- LOC/LCO method (styling)

  7. #7

    Default Re: Destroyed my hair while lurking... looking for help

    If cowashing made your scalp feel better, I think that could be worth sticking with for a while. If you get build up you can shampoo at a later date, but it sounds like your scalp needs to heal from whatever has been irritating it first. If you have been washing multiple times a day, I guess it’s similar to washing your hands over and over, the skin will get damaged and irritated.

    I think it’s worth taking one thing at a time - cowash (if that continues to feel ok) for a couple of weeks, and only when you need to - not necessarily every day. If you feel like your hair is too stretchy later, once your scalp is better, then maybe try some different products or add a protein conditioner to the lengths.

    First things first though, let your scalp calm down so you can relax about it. When the acid mantle of your scalp is disrupted it will take a couple of weeks or more to settle. After that you might be able to go back to using shampoo again.

    Alternatively you could try and find a shampoo that is formulated to repair the acid mantle, if something like that exists? As you have the cowash and that worked though, I would try that again next time. And breathe It will get better.

  8. #8
    New Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2021
    Posts
    6
    Length
    27/27/40
    Type
    1c/2a/F/M/i/ii

    Default Re: Destroyed my hair while lurking... looking for help

    Thank you so much, this really helps. I think I needed to hear that it will take a while too. I kept worrying that I needed to change my products if it wasn't better after a few wash days. I have quite a bit of the cowash I used left so I'm going to try and stick to that for now and keep my wash days to only when I need them before dealing with the rest of my hair. I really appreciate the reassurance, your response really calmed my mind about this.

  9. #9
    New Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2021
    Posts
    6
    Length
    27/27/40
    Type
    1c/2a/F/M/i/ii

    Default Re: Destroyed my hair while lurking... looking for help

    Quote Originally Posted by lapushka View Post
    Pain or "burning" is not normal when you simply wash your hair. Have you ever considered a dermatologist?
    I know it's not normal. I have been to 3 different doctors that said nothing is wrong. They did a scalp exam and pretty much told me it was normal except that I had minor redness. I've been on a wait list to see a dermatologist for 6 months and even that I had to beg for because the doctors did not think there was an issue. I don't mean to be rude but I feel like I explained multiple times that I've tried seeking medical care for this issue and have been told nothing is wrong. My country still has covid protocols in place too and things are not back to normal which is making it even more difficult because they are prioritizing urgent issues to limit in person appointments. That's why I reached out here. I feel like I've exhausted all my options that I have available elsewhere.

  10. #10
    LHC FairyGodMum lapushka's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Belgium
    Posts
    68,486
    Length
    Chin/Class/Class
    Type
    2b/2c/F/iii

    Default Re: Destroyed my hair while lurking... looking for help

    Quote Originally Posted by meovvmeow View Post
    I know it's not normal. I have been to 3 different doctors that said nothing is wrong. They did a scalp exam and pretty much told me it was normal except that I had minor redness. I've been on a wait list to see a dermatologist for 6 months and even that I had to beg for because the doctors did not think there was an issue. I don't mean to be rude but I feel like I explained multiple times that I've tried seeking medical care for this issue and have been told nothing is wrong. My country still has covid protocols in place too and things are not back to normal which is making it even more difficult because they are prioritizing urgent issues to limit in person appointments. That's why I reached out here. I feel like I've exhausted all my options that I have available elsewhere.
    I don't get the "excitement". It was just a question.
    WCC method (washing) --- Rinse-out oil (MO) --- LOC/LCO method (styling)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •