-- Share your background.
I've been natural for about 2 years now. I stopped pressing my hair in Nov. 2011. I've never permed, but i straightened my hair very hard like a perm lol. I BC'd my hair to 7 inches. And now I'm currently and 15 inches.
-- What hair symptoms are you exhibiting?
I've experienced:
•hair that feels totally unmoisturized, after hair had dried from a wash. Aka: nothing is holding moisture.
•rough ends
• product sitting on my hair
•hair takes time to get wet
-- What have you tried that works so far?
1. Finding a conditioner with low molecular weight.
There are a few blogs and sites that talk about molecular weight and hair. I can't explain it well myself. But one easy example is: we have a hard time getting moisture in low porosity hair. The reason is that, water molecules are larger than the opening of are cuticles. Meaning it takes longer time for water to diffuse in. Different ingredients can cause water molecules to be broken down smaller sizes to get under the cuticle. Now as far as finding a conditioner with low molecular weight, there isn't some test you can do, just trial and error. I found a conditioner that works for me on a whim. And surprisingly it's Pantene lol. It doesn't feel like its just sitting on my hair. It actually affects my hair. Different conditioners have different molecular weights, so that's why some conditioners just sits on your hair and some actually give effect. For example, suave naturals feels like putting globs of Vaseline on my hair (it does great for my skin though lol) So it was trial and error/ whimsical choice for me.
2. Glycerin
Now I can't say it's as simple as put glycerin on your hair and you're done. You have to find the amount that works for you. For me, if I use I much, my hair feels coated and slightly dry. If I use too little it doesn't last very long. From my own studies, I believe glycerin binds to water molecules and clings to them. So when diluted, it's already bound. So when you spray glycerin/water mix onto the hair, it settles and retains moisture. I don't think it draws moisture from the air necessarily. If you use too much glycerin in comparison to water, then your hair can be dry because there is remaining glycerin that has nothing to bind to (So I've read, glycerin can bind to 3 molecules of water) which gives that coated feeling. If you use too little, all the glycerin is bound, however, it might not be enough to moisturize, or if it does,won't last very long. I do believe that moisturized hair has a higher tendency to be affect by humidity. I guess that's why people associate glycerin with humidity and believe that glycerin draws moisture from the air.
3. Letting my conditioner set.
When I put the conditioner in my hair, I let it set, with a shower cap on, while I scrub my body. It gives time to soften my hair.
4. Shampooing with a sulfate that works for my hair.
This took testing. The shampooing should help in removing oils and lint from scalp, (and hair if you prefer) so you can receive moisture. Now depending on how oily or dry your scalp is, you should find a shampoo that works for you. I use ammonium lauryl sulfate. I'm even surprised I use it, (I think it's because I get dandruff easily). But it doesn't strip my hair; however, it does remove some oil. (I recently started diluting a little water in it.) I think everyone should use some type of shampoo. It doesn't have to be mine, or a sulfate, but something to remove oil and lint. So it can give your hair higher access to moisture. I think the only reason to use specifically a sulfate is if you use silicones. And I do lol. But ammonium works for me.
5. Damp styling, with milky textured products.
I don't style on wet hair. I dry my hair with a towel, and I give my hair time to dry a little now. The milky product I use is a mix of conditioner water, glycerin, and oil. And my hair will conform to it. I use 150 ml of water/glycerin (25% glycerin and 75% water), 1/3 c. Conditioner and a little bit of oil... Like 1 or 1 1/2 Tbs. and it works pretty well now.
So far this had been helping a lot. I wish I had this info in the beginning. Because my hair was literally stuck on plateaus. And this stuff has been helping me get over the humps.
One thing I'd like to try is liquid Castile soap. Because it's like a less rough version of the Cherry Lola treatment. Also I've read that Castile soap can lower the molecular weight of water, or in other words, make it small enough to get under the cuticle! ( But to use a small amount) I just don't know how to use it yet. So I need to do a lot of reading.
I hope this helps somebody though, I truly knows how it feels to be stuck at one length, my info won't apply to everyone I'm sure, but I hope it helps someone.
I haven't found another line yet that works well on my hair. I will experiment with a few more next year.
My airdried hair has *never* felt like this, ever! And I even forgot to moisturize before I went to bed. And it's still soft and moisturized and everything.
Made me laugh.
