Help! My head is a mess of flyaways and brittle hair

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Psychophysics

New Member
For the longest time, I didn't know what flyaways were. I just assumed my frizzy silhouette (which wasn't always that way) was due to just that: frizz. But, once I really began taking a closer look at my hair I realized that couldn't be all. I had lots of split ends, but what worried me more was that the rate at which my hair was breaking. I might just run a hand through my hair (not roughly) to smooth it, and I'd be left with 2 or 3 hairs in my hand. And not always just partial shafts, but sometimes the whole hair. My mom has attributed it to stress, and the fact I twirl my hair out of habit.

For over year I've tried going from shampoo to shampoo, thinking I was getting results, then finding I was not. Frustrated, I went online to do research. As of about 8 months ago I completely stopped using my straightening iron, and for the last 3 months have opted to let my hair air dry instead of using a hairdryer, and only wash my hair every other day. I've also had my hair cut, shortening it from mid back up to shoulder-length. I still haven't seen any real difference.

About 3 weeks ago I started using baby shampoo instead of the Sunsilk I had been using. (Before Sunsilk I've used Pantene, Dove and Suave) I know that the average person can lose anywhere from 40 to 100 hairs a day, but it irks me to be losing about 60 or more hairs every time I wash my hair, and to have it break with so little effort. (Resulting in my flyaways, since my hair has a slight wave to it) My hair has always been shiny, and since using the baby shampoo it feels a little softer, but the breakage continues. Maybe it needs 2 months or more, I don't know...

Any ideas on anything else I could do? I've thought about starting a vitamin regimen in case I have some sort of deficiency, but I don't know what to do anymore. :wallbash:
 
Welcome!

Are you washing your hair with shampoo every other day? If so, that could be causing your hair to dry out, which is why it breaks so easily. In general, most people don't need to wash with shampoo that often. You may want to switch to cowashing (washing with only conditioner) and only shampooing when needed (once a week or once every 2 weeks for example).
 
I've never really done anything with my hair, besides the occasional ponytail. No braids, no perm, no curlers. Never had it relaxed or anything like that either.

I'd been using that V05 hot oil, deep conditioning treatment once a week for the past two months. And I shampoo 3 to 4 times a week and use conditioner every day.
 
Psychophysics said:
I've never really done anything with my hair, besides the occasional ponytail. No braids, no perm, no curlers. Never had it relaxed or anything like that either.

I'd been using that V05 hot oil, deep conditioning treatment once a week for the past two months. And I shampoo 3 to 4 times a week and use conditioner every day.
Click to expand...


Yeah, I think the shampooing so often is doing too much. It's probably really drying out your hair. You also need a really good deep conditioner and that hot oil is not going to cut it. What conditioner are you using every day?
 
Slow waaaay down on the shampooing.

I would use something else other than VO5 hot oil since you are still having breakage.

Sound like you need some moisture.
 
Why do you shampoo so often? Does your scalp get oily?

Maybe a light leave in is your answer :) Something to give just a little more moisture/strength to the hair - especially the ends.
 
Hi, welcome to the boards,
sorry to hear your having a hard time with your hair, but let me start with the obvious.
We need some info are you relaxed/natural, how do you style your hair daily, down out, or up, do you tie it up at night or sleep on a stain/silk pillow case? do you deep conditon, oil the ends?

You're jumping too much from product to product too much, when you really have to pick 1 or 2 good products that work for your hair and stick to them. Also to do that you have to know what your hair needs.
To stop breakage you need a protein treatment like aphogee 2 step. Then you should deep condition with a moisturizing conditioner for 30mins+

I'm going to contradict myself a little cause I think you have to give up the Pantene all of it, it's bad stuff it's like pink oil moisturizer, goes on thick seems to moisturize but then dries your hair out. Now I think suave is an excellent cheap product. I would say that you need a good thick moisturizing deep conditioner. You could mix some sauve or dove conditioner with coconut cream concentrated or avocado mashed up or just use the conditioners you have (not pantene) and wrap a warm towel around your head-cheap hair steamer.

Also if you're washing your hair every other day with shampoo it's drying your hair out, you might want to try conditioner washes (so-wash) instead, then deep condition after at least 2-3x/week.

Also your hair may like cones silicon mix is great for shine and smoothing down the hair shaft and fly aways. For vitamins every woman shoould take vitamins period, a good multi or pre-natal make sure it has folic acid in it with 500-1000mg vit c will do wonders. you may want to check your diet, if it's high fat, junk food, your body gets no nutirents, then your hair doesn't either. If you need anymore info PM me, also check out my fotki I've got tons of info on there. hth
 
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Do you know what cowashing is?

I see you are in North Dakota so I don't know what products you have access to but I think you can get VO5 moisture milk conditioner from any CVS store and use that as a leave in and as your cowashing solution until you can aquire other products.

Is there a Sally's in your town? I am sorry to sound dense but I don't know a lot about the state of North Dakota.
 
My scalp get a little oily, but not enough that I couldn't slow down with the washing. Is there any conditioner you would recommend for cowashing? I've read that the cheaper the better, so correct me if I'm wrong! :)

Anywho, the conditioner I'm using right now is Sunsilk Hydra TLC. One of my mom's coworkers recommended it so I thought I'd give it a whirl.

I forgot to say that since I've had my hair cut I've been having it trimmed regularly ever 6 weeks or so to take care of the split ends. Since then the split ends are in control.

EDIT: And I've totally axed the Pantene, so no worries with that anymore.
 
Psychophysics said:
I've never really done anything with my hair, besides the occasional ponytail. No braids, no perm, no curlers. Never had it relaxed or anything like that either.

I'd been using that V05 hot oil, deep conditioning treatment once a week for the past two months. And I shampoo 3 to 4 times a week and use conditioner every day.
Click to expand...

the VO5 like the ladies said isn't enough you need natural moisturizing oils like coconut(cheap and easy to buy just buy cooking grade coconut oil it in the ethnic aisle in the market), jojoba, avocado, not that diluted stuff. and as I posted above too much shampooing, even though you use a conditioner daily the shampoo cancels that out.
 
Psychophysics said:
My scalp get a little oily, but not enough that I couldn't slow down with the washing. Is there any conditioner you would recommend for cowashing? I've read that the cheaper the better, so correct me if I'm wrong! :)

Anywho, the conditioner I'm using right now is Sunsilk Hydra TLC. One of my mom's coworkers recommended it so I thought I'd give it a whirl.

I forgot to say that since I've had my hair cut I've been having it trimmed regularly ever 6 weeks or so to take care of the split ends. Since then the split ends are in control.

EDIT: And I've totally axed the Pantene, so no worries with that anymore.
Click to expand...
Now that you've trimmed alot, I don't think you need to trim so often maybe hold off to every 3-4 months and sunsilk is a good product, but suave tropical coconut is good and cheap for daily co-washing, if you do the coconut cream+conditioner combo throw a warm damp towel on your head you'll really feel the difference best thing it's all cheap, just your dialy cheap conditioner and coconut cream also in the ethnic section. hth
 
Psychophysics said:
My scalp get a little oily, but not enough that I couldn't slow down with the washing. Is there any conditioner you would recommend for cowashing? I've read that the cheaper the better, so correct me if I'm wrong! :)

Anywho, the conditioner I'm using right now is Sunsilk Hydra TLC. One of my mom's coworkers recommended it so I thought I'd give it a whirl.

I forgot to say that since I've had my hair cut I've been having it trimmed regularly ever 6 weeks or so to take care of the split ends. Since then the split ends are in control.

EDIT: And I've totally axed the Pantene, so no worries with that anymore.
Click to expand...


Well, you're going to get a lot of advice about a lot of different products. Just make sure to do your research first so that you don't waste your money. A simple regimen that covers the basics is the best to start with.

The cheaper the better is fine for cowashing products, and like mscocoface said, V05 moisture milks are great for that and they're less than a dollar each. Here's a thread about them:
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=376143

You can also use the moisture milks as a moisturizing leave in.

So basically, cut back on the shampooing. Once a week, if you NEED it. Instead of shampooing every other day, cowash instead (wash with conditioner). You can use the V05 for that. And then you can leave some of it in to give your hair moisture. I don't know how you wear your hair normally every day but you should still be able to moisturize.

You also need a real deep conditioner. To figure out what you want to use you may have to do some searches. Do you have any idea what your hair type is? That will help people give you suggestions.
 
Welcome.... Do you have any pics of your hair? If you post some, maybe someone with a similar hair type can give you more specific tips.
 
At the moment I don't have any pictures, no. I can take some as soon as I have the time (and daylight) and post them though. But it's kind of like I've got a layer of half curled, broken hairs sitting on top of a layer of mostly full hairs. Like a scraggly rug.
 
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