PLEASE HELP!!! My hair is so dry it feels like straw!

[alibi]

Ladies, I'm at my wit's end. I'm a natural 3c with very dry, frizzy hair. I usually CO wash with Pantene S&S daily, then add a bit of gel to the ends when I'm going to where it curly. But lately my hair has been very dry, and I feel that maybe the cones in the Pantene aren't so good in the long run. But I use it b/c it's the only thing that detangles my natural hair and gives it good slip. I've tried Suave and V05 with no luck (doesn't detangle). I've also tried almost every hot oil and cholesterol out there - nothing. I even broke down and tried Humectress - a childhood staple, with no luck. Infusium did nothing either. I need a good moisturizing conditioner (could be a deep CO, but doesn't have to be) and a good leave in. Can anyone help? I'm very frustrated!

 

[yokourt]

GPB BABY!!

 

[alibi]

Oh. Did I mention that I tried GPB 2 weeks ago and left it on my hair for an hour with a plastic cap, and that I couldn't even get the comb through it afterward? I had to add Pantene just to detangle, and it wasn't too moistuizing either...

 

[Michelle79]

Aww I'm sorry you're having hair troubles!!

Have you tried Neutrogena's Triple Moisture line?

Also a heating cap or warm towel w/ deep conditioner may help.......

 

[SilkyandSmooth]

Have you tried Elucence's Moisture Balancing Conditioner Ayana? What about TRESemme's Vitamin E Moisture Rich? We have the same hair type and both work well for me. I read on another hair care board that Pantene dries the hair out if you use it for a long period of time.

 

[Victorian]

In my experience, finding something with super slip that also gives *real* moisture (not just coats the hair) is a bit of a quest

It kind of makes sense, though, when you think about it. Deep conditioners that really do their job have to be able to penetrate the hair. The reason why most work the best with heat is because the heat lifts the cuticle, which allows the conditioner to go in and do its job. This also means your hair, although moisturized, won't feel particularly slippy because the cuticle is raised.

I would suggest a good deep moisturizing con (Elasta QP DPR-11 was good for me when I used heat as directed on the tub) and then some sort of second step to close the cuticle. Cold water rinses and acv rinses are two popular solutions. Or you may just get a leave-in that has a lower pH and is good for detangling. I used to use the apHogee Pro-Vitamin leave in and it was good for that purpose (pH 5.5). It isn't moisturizing, but if you've already done your job conditioning, it's great for sealing things up and making your hair feel smooth and strong

 

[hairmaster]

REDKEN EXTREME shampoo and conditioner found at TARGET STORES. climatress treatment, by REDEKEN as a deepconditioner.

 

[Candy_C]

You need some MNT in your life! the perfect amount of protein and moisture, just what hair needs after a silicone attack

 

[BAILEYSCREAM]

Ok, I'm not going to recommend any products....all I'm going to say is you might need to add more moisture to your body....drink lots more water it certainly helps....especially with the heating on full blast sucking up all the moisture in the air....also, at this point most of my products aren't working so well....From now until spring I'm going to be wrapping up my hair and covering it to keep the moisture in, even when I'm at home.....I have my silk scarf on right now.

 

[SaintLuxe]

i saw that someone recommended the Neutrogena Triple Moisture line...i can cosign on that, i use the silk leave-in conditioner & it's great for every day. you can also try Mizani Rose h2O conditioning hair dressing and Affirm's 5 in 1 Reconstructor w/a plastic cap under a dryer for 30 minutes (weekly or every 2 weeks). hope it helps.

ps-drinking lots of water never hurts, either

 

[Nightingale]

Tresemme is good, sometimes I put a little olive oil in my hair after i cowash to lock in the moisture. HTH

 

[Crackers Phinn]

How often are you using a clarifying shampoo? The dryness may come from product buildup.

 

[napgurl]

Have you tried Elucence's Moisture Balancing Conditioner Ayana? What about TRESemme's Vitamin E Moisture Rich? We have the same hair type and both work well for me. I read on another hair care board that Pantene dries the hair out if you use it for a long period of time.

Yes TreSemme Vitamin E Moisture Rich is excellent. Also you need a cholesterol deep conditioner -- sleep with cholesterol conditioner and a plastic cap over night. In the morning do a condition wash with Tresemme.

 

[SparklingFlame]

How often are you using a clarifying shampoo? The dryness may come from product buildup.

ITA. Try ACV or warm water with baking soda or lemon juice. I find that after I clarify, the products that I use work even better afterwards. Then you might want to try a deep condition. HTH.

 

[nurseN98]

Cut out the Pantene....I tried it looong ago and it worked only for a few times before I had to clarify.
Conditioner Recs:
Elucence MB conditioner? No cones and slip like you wouldn't believe.
Sedal Hidraloe condit (sickbay.biz) this gives me lots of slip too

Clarify
When you clarify, maybe a good chelating clarifying shampoo would be good...I use Elucence but Kenra & Joico has them too. They remove not only product buildup but mineral deposits and chlorine too. Elucence is ph balanced so I don't think you need to do an ACV rinse but if you wanted to, I'm sure it wouldn't hurt.

Deep conditioner
When you do your deep condition (I use whatever cholesterol), add some a little castor oil (like 1 or 2 tablespoon in 1 cup of conditioner) add a tablespoon of honey and couple of spoons of a regular conditioner (no cones) and heat up the conditioner till it's nice and warm. Put it on dry hair if at all possible....cover with a heating cap or just a couple of plastic caps and a towel. Leave it on for a few hours then rinse with lukewarm water. I've been doing this since it's gotten cold and my hair stays moisturized without me having to use a leave-in (for that day at least).

Leave-in
Giovanni Direct leave-in-this is the best leave in I've ever used. Because it's winter, I still add oils or butters to thicken it up but my hair stays moisturized all day....takes a while for it to dry but since I wash at night, I just spritz in the morning and go.

My hair got really dry too around october/novemeber so this is the routine that worked best for me so far. HTH

 

[jaded_faerie]

Offtopic but your avater looks so much like my sister when she was younger!

But I hope you find something that works

 

[alibi]

Thanks for all the great advice ladies! I know I can always count on LHCF when my hair needs it! I've decided to give Elucence clarifying shampoo and moisture balance conditioner a try. A lot of ppl have recommened it for my natural hair lately, so I'm gonna give it a whirl. I actually found a distributer in Miami and talked to her for a while on the phone today. I gave her the whole run down, and she said that the dry weather in Washington State (I'm at my mom's for the holidays), the hard water in this area, and the cones in the Pantene have probably really dried my hair out! She also said that a lot of ppl that live in humnd climates experience dryness when they go elsewhere - I guess all that humidity I complain about is actually doing something good for my hair! Anyways, thanks again, I will let you all know how my hair does when I get home next week and try my Elucence!