Help...dry brittle ends and don't know why...

[B_sWife79]

My hair is finally growing but I'm seeing all this new breakage now. It seems like I'm really having to re-learn how my hair does best in the winter. Right now it's between NL and SL so I don't keep it down. Its not really long enough for protective buns that look nice so I've been keeping it up in a banana clip. I only relax the ng and I do that about every 8 weeks, any longer and I get lots of breakage. My last relaxer was 9/15, so I don't think that's it. My ends get tangled though and seem so dry regardless of what moisturizers I try to use. They also seem much more frizzy that I'm used to. I also use VO5 moisture milks shampoos and conditioners in the shower on these wash days. The Vo5 conditioners make my hair feel really soft/smooth nearer to my head and the hair feels smooth when wet, but when it dries it feels brittle at the ends. don't want to lose my progress

I wash with ORS creamy aloe at least 1x/week, sometimes 2x if I've put alot of stuff in my hair. So what I basically do with it is wash/dc 2x/week. Before the dc I've also been using an ORS replenishing pak and sitting under my soft bonnet dyer. I then use the queen helene ad a deep conditioner. I then divide the hair into at least 4 sections, braid and either get back under the dryer or air dry. I moisturize at least daily sometimes twice with either ntm (which doesn't seem thick enough for the winter) or the garnier fructis leave in. I seal with hot six. No direct heat from curling irons etc. At night I either use flexirods or satin covered rollers and sleep in a satin bonnet every night. What am I doing wrong?

 

[luckiestdestiny]

I'm a natural, and I'm sure there are others who are relaxed who will chime in to help, as it may be related to chemicals. You say you use a clip even though your hair is too short too...have you considered braids, so that you're not pulling on your hair. Is this clip focused on your ends? A tip to keep ends moisturized, take some of your conditioner and put it on ends, do whatever you do and seal w/o washing it out. Make sure it's a moisturizing conditioner...that will help. Also you may need a creamier moisturizer on the ends. I like amla and olive creme by biologics, but you may have to try a few to see, and then I seal with coconut oil. My ends are never dry w/ this combo. Maybe someone else will chime in with help. Good luck!

 

[TexturedTresses]

maybe you should make the switch to a protein free moisturizing conditioner for a while.

 

[Irresistible]

Isnt that Shampoo a clarifying/chelating poo? 2x a week? thats way too much with that poo, plus you only using cheapie conditioners and a the ORS replenishing pak has Collagen which is protein, so your stipping your hair of everything two times a week and doing protein two times a week

do you put any oils or butters on your ends?

Oh I see you use Hot Six, I dont know anything about that oil, but you might need something heavy for a little while on your ends to get them back

like Shea Butter

 

[newflowers]

I think you have your answer based on the information given. The shampoo is too harsh to use with such frequency and that's a lot of protein with only very light moisturizing. A deep moisturizing conditioner and a heavier cream or oil for your ends. Shea butter is an excellent recommendation as is castor oil.

Your information doesn't say where you are - is it somewhere cold? Do you wear hats and coats? Have cold dry air ? Hot dry air inside? The climate inside and outside can contribute to dryness and breakage. In which case, more moisture and seal that hair.

 

[wannabelong]

Isnt that Shampoo a clarifying/chelating poo? 2x a week? thats way too much with that poo, plus you only using cheapie conditioners and a the ORS replenishing pak has Collagen which is protein, so your stipping your hair of everything two times a week and doing protein two times a week

do you put any oils or butters on your ends?

Oh I see you use Hot Six, I dont know anything about that oil, but you might need something heavy for a little while on your ends to get them back

like Shea Butter

I agree with the bolded. I think you need to find a moisturizing shampoo and maybe cut back to shampooing 1x per week. I also think you need to find a quality moisturizing (no protein) deep conditioner - try Pantene Relax and Natural Mask or maybe Motions Moisture Plus. Also try sealing your ends with some olive oil or coconut oil.

 

[tiffers]

ORS Creamy Aloe is a chelating shampoo. It's more than a clarifying shampoo, it cleans your hair to the CORE. To use it twice weekly is crazy!!! You don't use heavy products, so to chelate so much is stressing the mess out of your hair. Plus you're not using adequate dc's. Chelating should be done NO more than bi-weekly, and that's when you use super heavy cone-laden products.

How long have you been using Queen Helene? That could also be contributing to the problem. NTM is too lightweight to try and solve any dryness issues. Have you tried S-Curl or Hawaiian Silky 14 in 1? Also look into baggying and steaming.

 

[naturalpride]

Using shea buttrer as a daily moisturizer will help with the dryness and seal with cocnut oil. I suggest using a mild non sulfate shampoo like JASON Jojoba Shampoo or make your own shampoo out of black soap diluted in water perserved with peppermint oil and honey.

 

[DaPPeR]

Bumping....

 

[B_sWife79]

my hair is really fine strands so I've been hesitant about braids because of all of the manipulation. I probably have also been way too light on sealing my ends out of trying to prevent them from looking see through or laden down with product. I see that this approach isnt good though and that I'm losing them to not moisturizing them enough. Thank you for responding, I never imagined that i'd get so much good advice overnight!

 

[B_sWife79]

Oh, wow this probably is my problem. I've been using the creamy aloe way too much! I didn't realize how strong it is. I've only been using the queen helene for about 2 weeks, in fact I started using it right after I noticed a problem, thinking that it would help me prevent breakage, but it seems to be getting worse. What's wrong with it? I have noticed that the NTM only works for me in the summer - I'm in Ohio and its pretty cold here now and it seems like the NTM does nothing at all anymore. I do have S-Curl but when I used it before it seemed to make my hair really sticky, but then again last time I used it was summer. Might it give different results in different seasons like the NTM? Wow, I might become not only an all around product junkie but a seasonal one as well. Is the VO5 moisturizing shampoo a good one or should i be doing something different. I don't know where to get the bars and powders you can make your own poo's from. I think I must really be overdoing protein and my hair just doesn't seem to like much protein at all.

ORS Creamy Aloe is a chelating shampoo. It's more than a clarifying shampoo, it cleans your hair to the CORE. To use it twice weekly is crazy!!! You don't use heavy products, so to chelate so much is stressing the mess out of your hair. Plus you're not using adequate dc's. Chelating should be done NO more than bi-weekly, and that's when you use super heavy cone-laden products.

How long have you been using Queen Helene? That could also be contributing to the problem. NTM is too lightweight to try and solve any dryness issues. Have you tried S-Curl or Hawaiian Silky 14 in 1? Also look into baggying and steaming.

 

[B_sWife79]

is this the J-A-S-O-N shampoo that I've been seeing at Kmart? Could I really be lucky enough to be able to find something that would help across the street!

Using shea buttrer as a daily moisturizer will help with the dryness and seal with cocnut oil. I suggest using a mild non sulfate shampoo like JASON Jojoba Shampoo or make your own shampoo out of black soap diluted in water perserved with peppermint oil and honey.

 

[B_sWife79]

I thought I was helping myself with the ORS products...funny how my hair feels great wet then dries horrible...I'm going to look around the house and see what butters or heavier oils I have. I really need to do something about this. Do you think maybe co washing would help?

Isnt that Shampoo a clarifying/chelating poo? 2x a week? thats way too much with that poo, plus you only using cheapie conditioners and a the ORS replenishing pak has Collagen which is protein, so your stipping your hair of everything two times a week and doing protein two times a week

do you put any oils or butters on your ends?

Oh I see you use Hot Six, I dont know anything about that oil, but you might need something heavy for a little while on your ends to get them back

like Shea Butter

 

[B_sWife79]

I tried to respond in the spaces below, I hope it worked:

I think you have your answer based on the information given. The shampoo is too harsh to use with such frequency and that's a lot of protein with only very light moisturizing. A deep moisturizing conditioner and a heavier cream or oil for your ends. Shea butter is an excellent recommendation as is castor oil. I think I have some castor oil and will definately try this. Now, do I need to use a moisturizer first or would the castor oil BE the moisturizer? I was under the impression that oils were for sealing not moisturizing but I'm new to all this. I had really successfully used castor oil in the past when trying to grow out some really bad color. I know it worked because the color was gone, but I think all the heat I was using at the time in combination with the oil was frying my ends off...I'm not using heat anymore though.

Your information doesn't say where you are - is it somewhere cold? Yes, Ohio. Do you wear hats and coats? So far, coats yes but hats no, I'vee been trying to figure out how to put satin liners in my hats to not break all my hair off. Have cold dry air ? Hot dry air inside? Yes to both of these The climate inside and outside can contribute to dryness and breakage. In which case, more moisture and seal that hair. Although I see alot of problems with what I had been doing, at least I see that there's hope for improvement if I follow the directions I'm getting on here..I am really thankful

 

[B_sWife79]

I really need to and also it seems to change my shampoo...im off to do a search for protein free moisturizing products

maybe you should make the switch to a protein free moisturizing conditioner for a while.

 

[Dymondz7]

I'm natural and after researching my hair for a couple of years Im just now figuring out how to keep it moist. I agree using the ORS Chealting shampoo 2xs a week is too much. Along with ORS which has protein and cones. Something I've discovered for my fine strands is it absolutely does not tolerate cones in any form . Which eliminates quite a few products such are Fantansia IC gel, the Pantene mask everyone loves, NTM and the list goes on.

I also can not tolerate glycerin, particularly in the winter because it draws moisture away from your hair in dry climates. Also my hair loves butters, but doesnt like oils very much.

It was a long process and a lot of trial and error to figure these things out, but now that i have figured out these key things, I often get questions on how I get my natural hair so bouncy. Never got that question until I figured out what works for me.

Lastly, do you think you might need a trim/cut to rid the dry ends? Are they split or damaged?

 

[newflowers]

Quote:
Originally Posted by newflowers
I think you have your answer based on the information given. The shampoo is too harsh to use with such frequency and that's a lot of protein with only very light moisturizing. A deep moisturizing conditioner and a heavier cream or oil for your ends. Shea butter is an excellent recommendation as is castor oil. I think I have some castor oil and will definately try this. Now, do I need to use a moisturizer first or would the castor oil BE the moisturizer? I was under the impression that oils were for sealing not moisturizing but I'm new to all this. I had really successfully used castor oil in the past when trying to grow out some really bad color. I know it worked because the color was gone, but I think all the heat I was using at the time in combination with the oil was frying my ends off...I'm not using heat anymore though.

I would suggest using a moisturizer and then sealing with oil. I would also recommend a different swhampoo and conditioner. I looked at the Kmart website and the picking are slim, though I'm sure there are more products in the store. Do you have a Target nearby? Or a Sally's? I know you can find a variety of really good moisturizing shampoos and conditioners there. I am a Phyto/Ojon girl, but you don't have to go expensive to get something that should help improve your hair. yet I know that Taget sells some really good products - Nexxus, Frederick Ferkai, Biologe etc. And Sally's sells Ion products and there have an Aveda knockoff too you might want to try.


Your information doesn't say where you are - is it somewhere cold? Yes, Ohio. Do you wear hats and coats? So far, coats yes but hats no, I'vee been trying to figure out how to put satin liners in my hats to not break all my hair off. Have cold dry air ? Hot dry air inside? Yes to both of these The climate inside and outside can contribute to dryness and breakage. In which case, more moisture and seal that hair. Although I see alot of problems with what I had been doing, at least I see that there's hope for improvement if I follow the directions I'm getting on here..I am really thankful

Until you figure out the lining thing, maybe you can wear the scarf and put the hat on? I think the scarf/hat would help to protect your hair from the outside cold and dryness, and the moisturizer sealed with oil will help while you are inside.

There are a couple of threads here one about cheaper products that work really well and one about products that are a little pricier that work, and one about creamy moisturizers. Maybe you can check those out and get some suggestions.

For the time being, I would suggest washing once a week and doing a condition wash with something super moisturizing (the Ferkai Shea comes to mind and you can buy that at Target for $20ish) in the between days. Coastalscents.com and oilsbynature.com, and from nature with love.com have great prices on oils. And of course, Sally's should have everything you need. You might want to consider leaving the cheaper conditioners for co-washing in the summer and go with something richer in the fall/winter.

I found that half the battle of growing hair is learning what to do because, as women of color who've told our hair doesn't grow, we need to do an entire new sets of processes to make it happen. But happen it does. My hair was a wreck and a mess when I started, and as I learned what do to and did it, there has been such vast improvement, it's like I have all new hair. Your hair will recover too. I would do a little trim because there's no point to holding on to breaking and split ends.

Are you taking any vitamins? B's? Zinc? MSM? Drinking lots of water? Green tea? Diet also plays a big part and living in a harsh climate you probably need to take extra care of yourself in the winter.

 

[B_sWife79]

I got the Motions Moisture Plus and it worked wonders! I rinsed my hair, but didn't use anymore shampoo because the only one I could find that was sulfate free did have yet more protein in it. Keratin. I didn't use heat with the Motions and just followed the directions on the back. It seemed to work out well, my hair was much softer. The S-curl leaves my hair very sticky so I intend to try the 14in1 that Tiffers speaks so highly of. Stopping by Sally's tomorrow, thought of ordering online tonight but the shipping cost more than the product that way.

I put a bit of profectiv healthy ends in my hair while it was still wet and sealed with the hot six. I had put some castor oil in before shampooing but I think I haven't yet found the right balance with that in terms of the amount I use - I was a greasy mess...lol...

I did blowdry just a bit and followed up with the flatiron on setting 3 (used spray on heat protectant from tressemme before either) just to see what the condition of the ends were and determine whether I would need to trim. They arent that bad, so I'm not going to take any length off, but rather just try to baby my ends and keep them moisturized. I have both s-curl and carefree curl (gold and regular) and need to figure out which would be best for tonight before hitting the Sallys tomorrow after work...wish me luck...and thanks to each of you that replied, I was really afraid of looking a mess at work tomorrow!