Thank you. Ok!
What?! Lemme pay closer attention to the oil rinsing method.
My hair was sticky and crispy and velcro-like. The oil rinse has helped stop this. I do oil on dry, dirty hair when I first take down my week old braids. I then another oil rinse after the shampoo.
So oil prepoo (kinda), shampoo, oil then DC?
I see it’s all explained here. Thanks!
Yes, exactly. But, as my hair gets longer and older, the needs of it changes. Just last week I was saying that I have to use shampoo. But, I am starting to rethink that, too. Shampoo is eating up my hair ends and messing with my length gain hopes. So, I am trying other things. I want to cry from doing all this experimenting but I am going to have to bite the bullet and try to find what works for me. I just don't have hair that thrives forever with the same routine. Sometimes I have to go back and forth with certain things that are tried and true. But, I have to mix it up and modify those tried and true processes. Secretly, I love it because I love hair and the complexities of it.
Maybe you can just use shampoo on your scalp/roots and your younger hair and not on the last 6-12” of your hair.
That's a possibility! Thank you! I feel like my hair is sticky from root to tip after washing it, though. I'm going to make something work. The great part is I've pinpointed that the shampoo is what is impacting my ends the most. I did not know that up until last month. But that's what happens when you think you are a know it all as it relates to your own hair. My hair proves me wrong on a regular basis and I am humbled and left with broken hair.
Have you tried diluting your shampoo in water? Even a small amount of shampoo in a bottle of water still suds up a lot.
Yes, I think this is a great process. I call it 'softening the shampoo'. I would dilute it and add a little oil to the shampoo. The concern for me is how much water do I need to add to which quantity of shampoo before it starts to fuzz up my ends. I'm not sure how to do this in a measured safe, consistent way. How much water is enough? How little shampoo do I need? By the way, these are not questions directed at you, the lovely @VinDieselsWifey !
It’s both/and. Both frustrating and exciting!
Absolutely.
Yes, I could do that!
You could get several empty bottles and put different amount of water and shampoo in each. Then test them on different parts of your hair. You’ll figure out the answer much faster that way.
longhaircareforum.com
*Sucks teeth and rolls eyes, pretending like I'm being forced to lead the challenge when I know that's what I really want to do.*
@Chicoro The bolded is also my experience. I've inspected my shed hair strands, and have noticed thinner points on my strands when gently pulled straight, where it naturally bends or twists into a coil. It hit home how gentle I will need to be with my hair in order to achieve significantly longer lengths.Another thing I noticed is that the the natural shape of my hair strand may be contributing to the fragility of my hair and ends, too. I am talking about when you lay the hair strand flat on a surface and hold it straight, I can see the shape. I can see why my hair is prone to breaking because the strand has areas where it is thinner. That thinness is not a the hair becoming diminutive due to a problem with the hair follicle, but is a regular and repeated pattern on my hair strand. Some people who dye their hair have hair strands that are thicker at the root and clearly thinner and shrunken on the dyed part. That's not my situation. It's the natural pattern on my strand.
And those thinner areas are weak points on the hair strand. I'm not even sure if strengthening treatments can fortify my strands to prevent the breakage over time, due to this natural pattern of thinness on the strand itself.
The more I learn about my hair and afro-textured hair in general, the more complexity I seem to uncover. It seems to get harder instead of easier. But I'm up for the challenge. I'm determined to grow me some hair that falls over my behind. I'll take that or 30 inches, which ever one is longer !
In addition, it's not a question of wet bunning or dry bunning or no bunning. I see why my hair breaks no matter how I style it regularly. Even when I put on my glasses, my hair breaks off. I am not complaining just coming to some realizations that I have overlooked or completely missed in the past.
But when I find out, you all will find out. And we can all benefit.
I am! I posted a bit ago.
