OK, what the heck is with my natural ends?

[BrooklynSouth]

I, am almost 5 month's post Big Chop. My hair is growing well, the thickness and rapid growth is amazing but I have in the past week had very dry ends.erplexed I pulled on my ends with the result of small curly ends popping off..nothing significant but small 1/4 inch or less dry ends coming off in my fingers. I applied cocoa butter lotion to my ends about 7pm, just did an ends pull with no hair loss. I use IC Aloe liquid leave-in, ALBA Botanica leave-in then seal mostly with Keo-Karpin oil; the body of my hair is OK-the ends this week were crazy. My every day style is twists-wrap my hair every night with a silk scarf. The only changes have been Andrew Lessman Har/nails/skin vitamins and the usage of Waajid Bodifying Mist after my last regular shampoo, colder weather{I wear a lined newsboy cap}. erplexedWhat the heck-more moisture or needing a protein boost?

 

[Ms Lala]

I was/am having the same issue. It has gotten significantly better though now that I've found the right moisture balance. It's hard to tell your root issue from your post because I"m not familiar w/the products you are using. Check the ingredients it sounds like possibly too much protein or either some type of build up preventing the hair from being properly moisturized (like silicones or mineral oil). I eliminated different products in my regimen one at a time to see what was causing the issue and realized my "moisturizer" wasn't really moisturizing at all. Now I"m mostly using natural products and I really notice a difference. I currently moisturize with a mixture of Shea butter and aloe vera gel or Qhemets amla and olive heavy cream. IHTH Hopefully someone else will chime in.

 

[ActionActress]

I, am almost 5 month's post Big Chop. My hair is growing well, the thickness and rapid growth is amazing but I have in the past week had very dry ends.erplexed I pulled on my ends with the result of small curly ends popping off..nothing significant but small 1/4 inch or less dry ends coming off in my fingers. I applied cocoa butter lotion to my ends about 7pm, just did an ends pull with no hair loss. I use IC Aloe liquid leave-in, ALBA Botanica leave-in then seal mostly with Keo-Karpin oil; the body of my hair is OK-the ends this week were crazy. My every day style is twists-wrap my hair every night with a silk scarf. The only changes have been Andrew Lessman Har/nails/skin vitamins and the usage of Waajid Bodifying Mist after my last regular shampoo, colder weather{I wear a lined newsboy cap}. erplexedWhat the heck-more moisture or needing a protein boost?

Are you using any -cones in your hair? I know exactly what you speak of. My hair did the same, I was almost waist length and had to cut it. Then I cut out the -cones and went back to more naturl stuff and I haven't had that problem since. If you are using a vegetable glycerine product (i.e. stay-sof-fro) cut back on it, the glycerine may remove moisture from the inner cortex. I used to rely heavily on this too. Now the main time I use it is when the weather is warm and humid or if it is cold, a drop of it in muy Giovanni direct-leave in as I apply to the hair.

Hope this helps. Hopefully, you won't have to cut like I did.

The ends are dry, brittle, crackly and no matter what you do they won't straighten up.

 

[msa]

I love me some TW mist...but I use it by itself and it works wonders.

IMO, it seems like you are using too many things at once. Two leave-ins and an oil and the tw mist...and then just now cocoa butter lotion. That's just too much going on (or at least it would be for my hair).

Another thing is my ends pop off easily when I have lots of knots, so you may want to check on that. My recommendation is that next time you do your hair, clarify, dc, and use one leave in (I love the tw mist, but any one of your leave ins would be fine). You may also want to do a wet assessment to see if your hair needs an extra shot of protein.

 

[bablou00]

I think coconut oil is helping my ends not feel so dry. I keep my hair in twist 99% of the time but every night before I go to bed I rub a little bit of coconut oil on my ends only. I co-wash my hair daily (or every other) so Im washing the oil out. I can really tell a difference from when I first BC'd till now my ends are softer and curl better. I still get knots dont get me wrong but not like a couple months ago when I wasnt using the coconut oil. U might just need to find a good moisturizer or oil to coat your strands.

 

[Fhrizzball]

Castor oil smooths my ends soo much and extra moisturizing on them is a must for me.

 

[MangaManiac]

1) I think you should only use ONE good moiturizer and ONE good heated oil on your ends 2x daily

2) You also need to make sure your DIET is providing your hair with moisture and essential vitamins and fatty acids

3) A lot of people say they trim 1-2x a year, so you may be one of those people that needs a good trim every 4-6 months or a dusting every 3-5


Once a school nutritionist told me the above (she was from Nigeria with TBL hair) told me this back in February my hair is looking much better. I also started lurking here in March, but the above seems to be like the only things you're missing.

 

[LatterGlory]

The same thing happened to me a couple months back.

*getting up from computer to go put some Afrodetangler on my ends*

 

[nurseN98]

I went through that phase as well. I used either castor oil or shea butter and that helped a lot. I would spritz with some water first though then braid or twist....something so that the ends were stretched out instead of coiled up. HTH.

 

[BrooklynSouth]

Thanks all for the understanding and responses. No cones used and do avoid proteins {reason I thought my hair was doing the craziness due to a lack of protein}. I take evening primrose oil by mouth daily..have not been good with my water intake lately.
I do over do the leave-ins due to fear of dryness. I am now using only the Alba Botanica leave-in which is 'natural' and have gone back {used effectively while relaxed} to natural, clear castor oil as my sealing oil.
I am holding off on the Wajiid product for now as it was the new addition.