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Undefined Hair Issues

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Katja View Drop Down
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    Posted: June 16 2007 at 11:18pm
Hey everyone-
      Sorry I haven't been around much lately, things have been really hectic around here for the past few months.  What brings me here now is the fact that I'm getting terribly frustrated with my hair!!  I simply do not know what on earth is wrong with it.  I have an itchy/somewhat flaky scalp and yet the top half of my hair looks and feels greasy, even after I shampoo.  However, the bottom half of my hair is dry and tangled (although I admit I'm due for a trim).  It looks absolutely horrendous though- when I run my fingers through the top, it's not silky like it normally is and instead of falling right back into place, it just stays in the awkward position my fingers put it in. 
     My hair routine is still the same- shampoo & condition once a week, use leave-in conditioner on the ends every night.  I use curling gel (yes, I realize how vile that stuff is, but it works) about twice a month, and I use a flat iron once a month AT MOST- and always with heat protector spray.  Usually all I do to "style" it is put anti-frizz serum on the bottom layer (which is naturally coarse), and I'd say I leave it down twice or three times a week.  I use a BBB with a wooden handle along with a combination brush, because my hair is too thick for a BBB to handle on its own. 
    
     Through these weird issues, my hair has continued to grow- a little slower than it normally grows, but still about .5" a month.  Still, something seems wrong.
     I'm running out of ideas here.  Does anyone have any suggestions for me?
 
Much love,
Katja Star
"If you're not failing every now and again, it's a sign you're not doing anything very innovative."
-Woody Allen
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SugarCube View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SugarCube Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 17 2007 at 2:52pm
check your products for silicones. they coat the hair strand and when they come off they take pieces of your hair with it and give it that greasy feel
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Alisa06 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Alisa06 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 17 2007 at 9:41pm
I agree, check for silicones in your products.leave ins usually have allot in them. As well as any anti frizz products.If you want to put anything in over night, try an oil. I love jojoba oil for exactly this purpose.I also like it for an anti frizz treatment, like the frizz eaze serum. It is very close to our skin's own oil, so it is very good for hair.As for the greasiness, have you tried any sort of clarifying?
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Susan W View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Susan W Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 18 2007 at 7:23am
I know how you feel.  My hair is not what I thought it would be when it got this long.  Its way frizzier than it was when I was younger, and the ends always feel like they could use a trim because the last foot of it feels dry. I know from 2 years ago that having it shorter won't fix the problem, mine'll just be shorter, frizzier hair that I won't enjoy as much. 

I agree with the others though, a good clarifying will do wonders if you've got cone buildup.  And oil does help a lot.

As for your scalp though, that's a little unusual that it would be greasy right after you wash it....you mean like, as soon as its dry its still greasy?  If that's it, are you doing WO or CO?  If you are, and its not working for you, you may just need a good shampooing.  If you mean that your hair gets greasy really fast (but not immediately), like within a half day or a day - you are probably using a shampoo that is too concentrated and cutting back would help with your scalp's over compensation.



Making metal barettes/concord clips hair safe, long hair style how to: http://alonghair.wordpress.com
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Katja View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Katja Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 21 2007 at 10:59am
Thanks for the suggestions, guys. Tongue
 
I do use ACV every other week to clarify, but only on the bottom half of my hair because when I use it on my scalp it gets real greasy, real fast.  I tried using regular clarifying shampoo on that part a few years ago, but it was so abrasive that I had to stop.  Has anyone had success with a certain brand of clarifying shampoo? 
 
I use silicone products too, but my hair is the type that can tolerate them.  Although, perhaps I should cut back.  I've always wanted to try jojoba oil- where can I buy it?
 
As for the greasiness, what I meant was that the top of my head looks greasy about three days after I shampoo (I usually go six days).  It doesn't actually start feeling greasy until a day or so before my next shampoo.  My main scalp issue is the itchiness/flakiness, which has been unrelenting for weeks now.  I'm very hesitant to use anti-dandruff shampoo because it's so harsh on my hair.
 
I'm happy to report, though, that my hair seems to be doing better since I posted about it.  I got it trimmed this morning (by my hairdresser friend who's very supportive of my long hair goals), and I had to lose just under an inch and a half in split ends.  I was sad to see all that length go, but my hair REALLY needed it.  For some reason, the ends just got really bad within the past few weeks.  Now, they feel amazing and I'm ready for a summer of (hopefully) prosperous growth. 
"If you're not failing every now and again, it's a sign you're not doing anything very innovative."
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Susan W View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Susan W Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 21 2007 at 2:18pm
ACV doesn't really do enough to clarify...its good if you have hard water,  it rinses those minerals right out, but it doesn't do enough to remove heavy silicone buildup.  Clarifying shampoo is really abrasive (if not abrasive, acidic).  It does make your hair feel strawlike.  That's why its not for too frequent usage.  Once every 2 months would probably be plenty enough.  My hair likes cones too, but I do choose to clarify a little more frequently if I use them, like every 3-4 weeks, or my hair will feel dull, tangly, dry, and I won't be happy with it.  Putting your hair in this weakened state may not be that good for it, its hard to say.  This is the conundrum that leads many people to just avoid cones.  Like you, I also only use the clarifying shampoo from the ears down to avoid it overdrying my scalp.  I use Avalon's Lemon Verbena shampoo as my clarifyer...though I've heard they started adding cones to some of their stuff since I bought my last batch.  The batch I have is good, not too overdrying but does clarify nicely.

Wow you can go 6 days!!!  That's excellent!  I can't go more than 3, and even if I do WO or CO, only 4 before I can't stand the flakiness and greasy feeling of it (my skin gets oily fast).   I would be inclined to say that flakiness after almost 6 days is probably normal.  Skin sloughs off, and if nothing is done to remove it, it will sit there.  It sitting there may well be what is making you itchy.  Maybe since your hair doesn't go greasy so fast, Water Only on the 3rd day would work for you?  It might help remove the dead skin and keep it from getting so itchy.   Using diluted shampoo if you don't already may help your scalp go longer than the 3 days.

The ends getting bad quickly like that does sound like silicone buildup and breakage, unless you've started doing something rough with it in the past few weeks (heat, rough brushing, bad hair toy etc.). 

You can buy jojoba oil online or at a whole foods type store....tends to be cheaper online.  Jojoba does make my (and many other peoples) ends crunchy, you should be prepared that it might do that to you.  I usually mix mine with a "butter" like shea butter or mango butter, and this mix gives me a good non-crunchy leave in I like much better than jojoba alone.

Good luck!

 
Making metal barettes/concord clips hair safe, long hair style how to: http://alonghair.wordpress.com
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Alisa06 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Alisa06 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 22 2007 at 10:48am

I don't much very much about using cones and clarifieing,  other than what they do and that you need to clarify if you use cones. Susan does,however, and what she said makes perfect sence to me. 

Mabye you should try doing a co wash a few days after shampooing to help remove any dead skin or oil. Its not for every one, but it is worth a shot.  
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tdouty View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tdouty Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 22 2007 at 1:57pm
The CO wash in between sounds like a good idea to me too.  I know hair adjusts to how often you wash it, but if we were to let Jennifer's hair go for 6 days, she'd be a flaky mess.  She starts to get really greasy by the third day so we usually wash her hair every 2-3 days.  I'd try washing more often.  As for the flakes, do you have anybody to scratch lose the flakes for you before washing?  When Jennifer's hair goes a few days without me scratching lose the dead skin, she gets extremely itchy.  It's just the way her skin is.  It's not a good combination when you want to grow your hair long and don't want to wash as often, but the flakes are there and they have to go or they drive her crazy.  Another thing you might try is a clarifying conditioner instead of a clarifying shampoo.  You could maybe do this followed by a deep conditioning on that third day when you CO.  Let us know what you find.

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Shanarana View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shanarana Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 07 2007 at 6:14pm
When you shampoo, try and keep it just on the top of your head and when you rinse, gently massage over the rest of your hair....that way your really washing just the top and the rest is getting a gentle cleasing.  I do that often as not to overwash the areas that don't really need it.

Hope that helps.  Smile 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SugarCube Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 08 2007 at 10:26pm
jus learn wut ur hair needs an expirement a bit.... worked fa me
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