At first I thought it was the conditioner, so I changed the way I applied it, and then removed it altogether.  I changed shampoos, twice.  All I do is shampoo it, I don't air dry it, and I recently got a moistener, because I thought it might be because I was washing out the necessary oils I've read about. 

 

This is a recent problem, it hasn't been going on for very long, and I don't know if it's just something in the shampoo that reacts with my hair or a condition or what.  Can someone recommend a product, or a specialist, or something?  I want to be clean, but I don't want to look like I just rolled around on a Burger King oven!

 

Thanks for your time.

 

It sounds like the problem could be from a number of things ranging from

your water system to long term hair product build-up to whether you put any oils on your hair that might have formed a seal. 

 

Of course it is hard to know for sure without talking to you or looking at your hair but I am going to offer some suggestions that you might take as a first step in trying to figure out what is happening.

 

If there is a problem with your water system in comse cases it can actually cause hair to feel sticky and oily.  This is not always the problem but I have heard so many complaints over the years that I always consider this as a first possibility.

 

A test you might try to determine if it is your water system is to buy inexpensive jugs of distilled water at Wal-Mart or a similar location and then try washing your hair ONLY in the distilled water to see if you get the same result.

 

It is also possible that you have product build-up and that could have coated your hair which could result in that sticky feeling you are getting after you wash. 

 

Or maybe you used an oil product at some point and it has left a residue that is coating your hair. 

 

If the distilled water test doesn't indicate problems with your water supply (if you use the distilled water and get the same results) then you can try a product to help remove build-up.

 

A great natural trick that works well is to make a paste of baking soda and water and apply to your hair while damp.  Pat gently, do not rub (this can break delicate strands) to distribute on your hair.  Then wash out.

 

Or you can try a detox shampoo product as well.  Look for one that is advertised to remove "product build-up".  They are also known as "clarifying" products.

 

If all else fails, please visit your hairdresser and ask for their advice.

 

 

The only thing that makes me doubt the water system is the fact that all this has been on again off again, and seems to be associated with the changes in shampoo or conditioner, but I'll still definitely check this out.  And thanks for the baking powder tip, too--that's something I haven't heard about either.  Can't think of the oil product it might be, as I stopped using those for the same reason, and while my mother and I both doubt build-up (mainly because I've been very, very, VERY thorough about getting stuff out of my hair) I'm not going to rule that out.

 

I'm about one nerve away from quitting shampoo altogether.  Soap can clean it just as well, and probably gets out a hell of a lot easier.

 

Thank you SO much again for all your help!  I could hug you!  :)

   Have you been taking better care of your hair lately? Using a gentler shampoo maybe? That mildly sticky stuff sounds like your natural sebum (hair oil) working  to combat this dry weather. The water may just be repelling off of it and beading up on it making it seem greasier than it really is. How is your hair once it's dried?

    When I went natural in December I started to just rinse my hair with water only (instead of my usual  shampoo then conditioner) and go because it was so short. After a few days I began to wonder what that gunky stuff was that I felt in my hair right after I washed it. At first I would repeatedly wash it with Head and Shoulders because my regular shampoo couldn't get it out. I would make it squeaky clean. Then I started to condition only and it would notice it again. Then I realized it was my natural oils that I'd never noticed before because the shampoo was stripping it away. I would have to apply oil to my hair to keep it looking healthy. Since I stopped using shampoo on a regular basis and  now cleanse my hair with conditioner instead, I no longer need to use oil in my hair. There may not be anything wrong with your hair. It sounds like it's just able to do what it's supposed to do to keep itself healthy. It's something you'll have to get used to.

   Your natural oil  protects your hair better than any product you can buy. You can remove it but then you'll have to replace your sebum with some product that's never going to be as good as your own. 

  If you just don't want to deal with it you'll need to switch to a harsher shampoo. What were you using in your hair before and what have you switched too?

 

http://talk.hairboutique.com//forum_posts.asp?TID=51616&PN=1 - http://talk.hairboutique.com//forum_posts.asp?TID=51616&PN=1

 

Hi,

 

Of course it is impossible to know exactly what is happening because hair can be just as much a mystery as when other parts of our body go crazy and it can take all kinds of doctors and tests to figure it out...think Dr. House on the TV show and what they go through to break medical mysteries.

 

There are so many things to consider and I just threw out a few.  But also consider the following things:

 

1.  How oily is your skin?  Oil from your skin can travel to your hairline and scalp and mix with your natural head oils?

2.  Have you added/changed/stopped any new medications? 
3.  Do you have any known allergies?  A friend of mine recently broke out in massive hives on her face and in her scalp because of a new fragrance she was using.
4.  Is anything happening with your hormones?  I am not sure of your age but in some cases hormones can play a part in how hair and skin reacts to a wide range of things.

While I agree in principle that soap can clean, if it is not designed for hair, it may leave a film on your cuticles and then you will have a reverse problem.

 

There are many different methods of washing hair ranging from washing with water only (WO) see post above to washing with diluted shampoo or washing with conditioner (which is probably not recommended since you have oiliness issues).

 

I personally only wash my hair once a week since it is extremely long.  When I do wash, I always either dilute 1 teaspoon of shampoo to 1 quart bottle of water OR I wash with rinse-out conditioner (which I don't recommend for you at this stage). 

 

By diluting the shampoo you get the benefit of removing dirt and debris without the potential dryness factor.  In your case it might be a good solution to try and dilute your shampoo to see if it helps.

 

Another question is whether anyone else in your family have used the shampoo with the same results.  That is very telling.  If not, then you are right, it is probably not your water and could be a number of other issues including your own hair oil (see post above).

 

Or it could be obsure things like food allergies (yes it can impact hair and skin) medication changes or a number of things.

 

Unfortunately our hair can not talk to us and tell us exactly what the problem is so we can only try various things and hope that by a process of elimination that we find the root cause (no pun intended) and fix it.

 

Please let us all know your outcome as you experiment.  I always like to hear what works/doesn't work so it can be shared with others.