NATURALS: Are You Happy w/ The MOISTURE Level of Your Hair?

CocoGlow

CocoGlow

Well-Known Member
Hey Ladies!

My hair is soooo DRY I feel like chopping it all off right now (I am backing away from the scissors...):spinning:

I have been going through the motions for the past few weeks b/c it seems like no matter what I do, my hair is brittle and dry!!

I've tried steam treatments, deep deep conditioning, etc..... I stay away from silicones, petroleum & the like...

I have been co-washing and/or using ayurvedic rinses for a while...I have clarified w/ baking soda and even resorted to using shampoo (Elucence) to try to get rid of possible buildup that may be blocking moisture...

I spritz my hair daily w/ aloe vera juice + vegetable glycerin and/or aloe vera juice + conditioner...

I am at my wits end :sad:

I have been doing loads of research and the only thing I can think of is to try chelating (I might have hard water, mineral buildup) or try something like Porosity Control (it's supoosed to be good for people w/ hair that cannot retain moisture)

I understand that my texture is 4B ..I very fine strands that are densely packed ...my coils are undefined but tightly coiled which makes it harder for my hair to retain moisture but I don't believe that it is supoosed to be THIS dry and there has to be something I can do about it!!

So before I write a sad soppy novel, this goes out to all my fellow natural sisters:

Are you happy w/ the moisture level of your hair? ..

If so, what are your current routines/products?

And what would you ladies suggest I do before I have a breakdown & chop off all my hair?!!! :blush:
 
GIRL DON'T DO IT!


Check out my Cap n' Go method in my journals section. I don't know what I'd do without it. It's a mini-DC + steam treatment for your hair each night. I've done it for years with no ill effects relaxed, texlaxed, and natural!
 
Are you happy w/ the moisture level of your hair? .. Yes....

If so, what are your current routines/products? I just wash and condition once a week with HE LTR. Then I DC with Fantasia IC's Deep Penetrating Conditioner. That's it.

And what would you ladies suggest I do before I have a breakdown & chop off all my hair?!!! :blush:
Have you tried DCing overnight? If my hair feels dry, that usually helps.

Do you have hard water? What products are you using regularly and how often? How long have you been natural? Could it be scab hair? And if all else fails, your hair just may be naturally dry.

ETA: From your description it sounds like you may have what they call CNapp hair. You might want to check out some of their regimes/product recs.
 
NappyRina,

i have been feeling the same way.....just last night i wanted to cut it all off!..usually its dry for a short period of time but this time it seems as if its staying that way
 
Reslnt1 said:
NappyRina,

i have been feeling the same way.....just last night i wanted to cut it all off!..usually its dry for a short period of time but this time it seems as if its staying that way
Click to expand...

My hair was dry like that the first few months. Well it looked dry. So I kept it braided up. After my first trim it was much better. IDK why but it was.
 
Are you happy w/ the moisture level of your hair? .. I'm ok with it right now. I just finished washing and while my hair was still damp put some shea butter on it. The comb was almost gliding through it.

If so, what are your current routines/products? I've been deep conditioning my dry hair every week. I put on some cheapie conditioner mixed with coconut or jojoba oil or melted shea butter. I slather my hair in this and keep secured overnight. In the morning I rinse and my hair is super soft.

And what would you ladies suggest I do before I have a breakdown & chop off all my hair?!!! :blush: I found that less is more with moisture and that sealing the moisture in is essential. I always pay attention to the moisture level of my hair and sometimes have to moisturize twice a day.

Consistency is key also. I find when I consistently deep condition every week the softness of my hair increases as well.

Don't cut it! That's what I've done for the past 3 years and have little to show for it. :spinning:
 
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glamazon386 said:
My hair was dry like that the first few months. Well it looked dry. So I kept it braided up. After my first trim it was much better. IDK why but it was.
Click to expand...

I finally found the HE leave in (yesterday) and i love it!!...only thing was that after about 5/6 hrs my hair started to get dry again so i might have to carry a spray bottle with me b/c i work 12 hr shifts


littlegoldlamb said:
GIRL DON'T DO IT!


Check out my Cap n' Go method in my journals section. I don't know what I'd do without it. It's a mini-DC + steam treatment for your hair each night. I've done it for years with no ill effects relaxed, texlaxed, and natural!
Click to expand...

i read ur regimen and i'm gonna try it...only issue is that i sweat in my scalp so my head is soaked in the am....atleast that was the results when i used to baggy, but we'll see
 
We have the same hair type and I was going through the same thing up until 3 days ago. Dryness, and breakage city, and nothing would stop it. I promise you I was 2 minutes away from shaving my head, or Relaxing it bc it was so dry and unmanageable, none of my products, or conditioners worked.

I re-read through Sistaslick's porosity article and realized that the porosity level in my hair had been thrown off. (Probably by sulfate shampoos) If you haven't already I suggest you try this:

Take a small bunch of your hair and slide your fingers from TIP towards the ROOT. Does it slide easily? Or does it give resistance/feel rough? If it doesn't slide easily, it's probably porus. Mine felt really rough and I could tell that my cuticles were open.

I washed, conditioned and then took 1/4 cup of ACV to 1 full cup of warm water and poured it all over my hair. I rubbed and squeezed it through my hair for about a minute, and then did a quick rinse out with lukewarm water. (My hair was in fat twists when I did it) The ACV should feel really silky when it's in your hair and should leave your hair normal when it's dry. I was amazed that it actually worked! Mind you, I had tried it in the past, with no results, so I just put it away and never used it again. It smells like sour feet, but the smell goes away once you hair dries.

I hope this helps, because it really helped me, it brought my hair all the way back!
 
Not at all. :nono:

My hair doesn't retain moisture for nothing!

I'm rocking a wig right now and sometimes I baggy under it, but as soon as I take it off, my hair dries up.

I've actually been spending a lot of time over here lately trying to get some tips.
 
hair_obsession said:
We have the same hair type and I was going through the same thing up until 3 days ago. Dryness, and breakage city, and nothing would stop it. I promise you I was 2 minutes away from shaving my head, or Relaxing it bc it was so dry and unmanageable, none of my products, or conditioners worked.

I re-read through Sistaslick's porosity article and realized that the porosity level in my hair had been thrown off. (Probably by sulfate shampoos) If you haven't already I suggest you try this:

Take a small bunch of your hair and slide your fingers from TIP towards the ROOT. Does it slide easily? Or does it give resistance/feel rough? If it doesn't slide easily, it's probably porus. Mine felt really rough and I could tell that my cuticles were open.

I washed, conditioned and then took 1/4 cup of ACV to 1 full cup of warm water and poured it all over my hair. I rubbed and squeezed it through my hair for about a minute, and then did a quick rinse out with lukewarm water. (My hair was in fat twists when I did it) The ACV should feel really silky when it's in your hair and should leave your hair normal when it's dry. I was amazed that it actually worked! Mind you, I had tried it in the past, with no results, so I just put it away and never used it again. It smells like sour feet, but the smell goes away once you hair dries.

I hope this helps, because it really helped me, it brought my hair all the way back!
Click to expand...
How often do you ACV? I used to do it before, and haven't done it in a few years. I know it's beneficial, but I've just been lazy. :nono:
 
I did it once when I first BC'd, I didn't notice an effect, so I just threw it in the drawer. I just did it again about 3 days ago when my hair started acting up as a last resort and it worked like a charm, smoothing my strands out, and my hair is holding moisture much better now. I'll probably do this every week or every two weeks and see what happens.
 
Yes, my hair is moisturized.

I acv every week. I use this instead of a harsh shampoo. I learned to put this on let it sit for a minute or two and scrub my scalp and gently clean my hair to get off any buildup.

I dc with yogurt and honey every two weeks.

VO5 conditioner is used for my cowashes.

I seal in moisture with castor oil on wet hair.

I use Honeybush Tea Gel on wet hair.

Don't be so hasty with the scissors. Maybe the baking soda is too harsh?? Try the castor oil on wet hair.

On dry hair I use Heavy Cream or Olive and Honey Hydrating Balm.
HTH
 
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Are you happy w/ the moisture level of your hair? Yes

If so, what are your current routines/products? I wash and condition daily to every other day. I use a moisturizing shampoo like CON and condition with boots 3 minute conditioner (this makes my hair feel really silky). Then I let it airdry with Blended Beauty's Butter Me Up (if my hair feels dry).

And what would you ladies suggest I do before I have a breakdown & chop off all my hair?!!! Like someone else mentioned you might want to try clarifying
 
I have hair just as you've described. It does not retain moisture very well.

Are you happy w/ the moisture level of your hair? Yes, I am at the moment.

If so, what are your current routines/products? weekly hot oil treat, and deep condition weekly; mositurize daily and seal with an oil.

And what would you ladies suggest I do before I have a breakdown & chop off all my hair? Try hot oil treatments on damp hair with a heavy oil like castor or EVOO before shampoo and DC.

How are you wearing your hair? If you are wearing your hair out in a twa, I'd suggest moisturizing with S Curl or carefree curl. That helped my hair to stay moist all day when I was wearing a twa. HTH
 
I'm kinda in between. Sometimes I'm happy with the moisture, sometimes not. It just depends after I wash my hair. It seems like my hair goes into a transitional moisture mode whenever I wash. :ohwell: Am I the only one? Maybe I haven't found a moisturizer I like yet. My hair sucks up moisture like a bounty paper towel. I am going to do water/glycerin and shea butter on the ends and see how that works.
 
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No, my hair is dry as a bone. I'm not sure if the natural hair products are working out for me. When I first went natural Karen's Body Beautiful worked well for me, so I'm going to try that again. Also, moisturizing it twice a day helped in the past(i've been lazy).
 
Bigghair said:
Yes, my hair is moisturized.

I acv every week. I use this instead of a harsh shampoo. I learned to put this on let it sit for a minute or two and scrub my scalp and gently clean my hair to get off any buildup.

I dc with yogurt and honey every two weeks.

VO5 conditioner is used for my cowashes.

I seal in moisture with castor oil on wet hair.

I use Honeybush Tea Gel on wet hair.

Don't be so hasty with the scissors. Maybe the baking soda is too harsh?? Try the castor oil on wet hair.

On dry hair I use Heavy Cream or Olive and Honey Hydrating Balm.
HTH
Click to expand...
Ditto.If castor/olive oil is too heavey I would try something lighter.I was suffering from dry hair too and I couldn't understand why-until I kicked up the DC'ing and sealing.
 
My hair is very course and I find that I am only happy with the moisture level after a protein treatment (Emergencee is my favorite). I tried piling on the moisture, but it was dry soon after. After I do a protein treatment, it is smooth and moist all day!
 
Are you happy w/ the moisture level of your hair? Very

If so, what are your current routines/products? I cowash as often as I like, dc whenever I feel like my hair needs a little extra, I use Shea Moisture's Shea Butter Leave In, Redken Heavy Detangling Cream, Qhemet biologics Burdock Root Butter Cream as a daily moisturizer

And what would you ladies suggest I do before I have a breakdown & chop off all my hair? Aside from the spritz, what moisturizer do you use daily? That could be the problem. Find a moisturizer that your hair loves and use it EVERY DAY. Also, you might want to try the baggie method.Also, after you wash and moisturize, use an oil, such as coconut/jojoba/castor oil to seal in moisture
 
At first, I was dry, but doing a baking soda conditioner wash cured the dryness. All I do now is a wash n go on my TWA. I use BB moisturizer and cantu leave in. My hair is touchable soft and moist even with my rough scalp massages. I think the baking soda helped a lot. For my next wash I will add honey and BS molasses for a deep condish treatment. I am trying hard to see which products make my hair happy and I'm going to stick to them.
 
Are you happy w/ the moisture level of your hair? ..

Yes I am.

If so, what are your current routines/products?

Henna made a big difference with my hair and I basically had to revamp my regimen because alot of things I did were no longer necessary. My hair is now silky smooth, stronger and holds the moisture much longer. I deep condition about twice per week the henna week and once per week the other week. I no longer do protein treatments because of the henna. No mayonnaise, no eggs.......I add molasses to my henna treatment but that's only because I bought a big bottle, I don't like it so I'm trying to use it up.

I also like my baking soda and conditioner paste to wash my hair. It gets my hair clean without feeling dry. I no longer pre-poo because the baking soda isn't drying.

I add aloe vera gel, honey, castor, coconut, rosemary and peppermint oil to my conditioner. Sometimes I co-wash during the week when I want to change my hairstyle. But when my HE and VS conditioners finish I will just do water rinses instead.

Sealing wet or damp hair with oil or butters work better for me than to moisturise dry hair and then seal.

I don't moisturise my hair every single day, I just can't be bothered:rolleyes:. When I do need to moisturise I use a spritz that I made out of braid spray, infusium and conditioner. I also use whipped baggie cream from Hairveda. It's really nice:yep: but I'm on my last bottle and I can't afford to be ordering moisturiser for my hair at this length and still pay shipping and duty.


And what would you ladies suggest I do before I have a breakdown & chop off all my hair?!!!

Hide the scissors:grin:........:lachen:

 
wonderstar said:
Are you happy w/ the moisture level of your hair? ..

Yes I am.

If so, what are your current routines/products?

Henna made a big difference with my hair and I basically had to revamp my regimen because alot of things I did were no longer necessary. My hair is now silky smooth, stronger and holds the moisture much longer. I deep condition about twice per week the henna week and once per week the other week. I no longer do protein treatments because of the henna. No mayonnaise, no eggs.......I add molasses to my henna treatment but that's only because I bought a big bottle, I don't like it so I'm trying to use it up.

I also like my baking soda and conditioner paste to wash my hair. It gets my hair clean without feeling dry. I no longer pre-poo because the baking soda isn't drying.

I add aloe vera gel, honey, castor, coconut, rosemary and peppermint oil to my conditioner. Sometimes I co-wash during the week when I want to change my hairstyle. But when my HE and VS conditioners finish I will just do water rinses instead.

Sealing wet or damp hair with oil or butters work better for me than to moisturise dry hair and then seal.

I don't moisturise my hair every single day, I just can't be bothered:rolleyes:. When I do need to moisturise I use a spritz that I made out of braid spray, infusium and conditioner. I also use whipped baggie cream from Hairveda. It's really nice:yep: but I'm on my last bottle and I can't afford to be ordering moisturiser for my hair at this length and still pay shipping and duty.


And what would you ladies suggest I do before I have a breakdown & chop off all my hair?!!!

Hide the scissors:grin:........:lachen:
Click to expand...

OMGoodness....look at your hair!!!! :drool:

Just BEAUTIFUL!!!!
 
Are you happy w/ the moisture level of your hair? ..Yes I am.

If so, what are your current routines/products? I co-wash daily, since I'm in the Water for Growth Challenge. I use nothing but cheapie condish(Suave, Sunsilk, Vo5) and I'll dc 2-3x a week with LeKair Cholesterol + ORS Replenishing with honey and evoo added. After a co-wash or a dc, whichever one is last, I'd put some castor oil on my wet hair, BEFORE adding 1 of any of my moisturizers that I'm trying at the moment. Then seal with either coconut or jojoba oils. Putting castor oil on first before my moisturizers was an ODD one for me, since I thought you were supposed to put your moisturizers on first then oils. But I can do both and still have moisturized hair, but using castor oil FIRST, my hair is very moisturized without having to re-moisturize it at all. Whereas put it on as just a sealant, leaves it moisturized until I get ready to wash it again.
Btw, I'm still learning what works in my hair, so I'm always trying something new.
And what would you ladies suggest I do before I have a breakdown & chop off all my hair?!!! :blush:Breathe in, and breathe out.......now calmly tell yourself to go hide the scissors please!
 
Hmm, well I think I've said it to you before, but I don't care that much about my hair feeling "moisturized". I know it's heresy to say so on the hair boards, but if it's this difficult to make my hair feel "soft" and "moisturized", then I'm okay accepting that it's not my hair. So for the most part, I am happy, but I feel like I shouldn't be because "moisture" is the top thing all the hair boards say. I just put something on my hair to make it more supple or pliable. It doesn't add moisture. Nothing will add moisture except a humectant and those don't do much when the outside air is dry. My hair is also not "soft". Oh well. I know the difference between truly soft hair and hair that has stuff on it to try to make it feel softer and mine is definitely the second. Oh well. I just don't think it's that big of a deal.
 
WOW..thank you ladies for all of your responses...I was offline for while and I thought my thread would be buried on the 5th page by now LOL

So I hid the scissors :yep:

I currently have micro braids in (no extensions) ... I got frustrated the other day and just decided to braid it up and not deal w/ "out hair" for a while

Just a few minutes ago I did a chelating rinse (1/2 teaspoon citric acid powder + 32oz filtered water) & then rinsed w/ some more filtered water....my braids felt better...I saw some white residue drip from my braids so I must have had some buildup...it felt similar to a baking soda rinse (maybe next time I will use both citric acid & baking soda for clarifying & chelating)...my hair did not feel stripped like when using a shampoo, that's why I had avoided shampoo for soo long...I hope this chelating rinse works, if not, I might purchase one of those chelating poos and hope that they are not too harsh on my hair...

I'm still considering getting that Porosity Control conditioner....I wonder what ingredient in that conditioner helps w/ porosity, maybe I can make my own....I love mixing up homemade or semi-homade things.....

Now as I type I have on a heating cap...I am trying samathajones67's home grown steam treatment: http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=215663&highlight=steam...I mixed some conditioner w/ melted shea butter & honey & slathered it on...then I heated up a damp stocking cap in the microwave..put that on, covered by a plastic cap & then heated up a dampt t-shirt in the microwave & put that on top & covered w/ another plastic cap & then put on my heating cap..I'll leave this on for an hour & rinse

Hopefully my hair feels better!!

I plan to towel dry & spritz w/ my leave-ins & seal w/ castor oil

Thank you ladies for sharing your routines...I'll check each one out & see how my hair responds...I do see a lot of similarities in your routines...some things I have tried before, others I have not...

I'll update w/ my progress...

Please keep the answers coming b/c I am sure this thread is not only helping me.........
 
i'm not completely happy with my moisture level
my deep conditioner is great (kenra mc)
and it helps a whole lot when i have it on hand
but i definitely need a really good super moisturizing moisturizer
that holds up well.
 
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