Sticky spiderweb hair

[Rei]

So,

I thought my regimen was relatively solid but I've noticed as of late that I keep on having sticky spiderwebby hair. I'm a 4b, and thats honestly the best way that I can explain it. I usually wash, condition, and completely wash the conditioner out in the shower, then I moisturize and then braid it up to allow it to dry without tangles. When my hair dries completely it is almost always like...clumped together. When I try and separate the strands they feel hard and stick together like a spiders web.

I thought it was the leavin that I was using so I tried an experiment, and did my usual clarifying routine, detangle with aussie moist or HE under water (I've found this is the only way I can detangle :/ ), rinse, clarifying shampoo (VO5), rinse, condition with AO HSR, rinse, and then braided it up to dry with no leave in, no product, nothing.

Same deal! What the heck man? I'm going to clarify again to see if that helps any, but it's been 3 weeks with this stickynss and its driving me crazy!

Is it the products? Do I need a trim!? What

 

[Honi]

Rei Is clarifying necessary for you? I think it's the shampoo. My daughter has 4b hair and I swear whenever I try to use a commercial shampoo even diluted her hair responds negatively with a vengeance. I mean no matter what conditioner you throw at it the hair will not respond.

Just like you experienced I would take down her hair and the strands would have a love affair...webbing, clumping, matting, etc. IMO commercial shampoo is no good for that hair type (or I haven't found one that doesn't destroy lol).

Have you tried a pH balanced one? I don't have any suggestions and maybe the other members can chime in. I use dr bronners on my little one.

 

[ajoke]

Have you checked for split end and mid strand splits? I had similar problems when my ends were shot.

 

[faithVA]

I agree with Honi. Try cowashing with a good conditioner and see if you have the same issue. If it were just your ends sticking together I would say you need a trim, but it sounds like too much moisture has been sucked from your hair so its sticking together.

 

[virtuenow]

Sounds like a porosity issue. In other words, your cuticles are in a raised position. Clarifying won't help-- its only raising your cuticles more, and in turn, your hairs are all catching to each other and binding. Your hair is dried out too-- b/c hair that porous can't hold water. So it can't hold moisture. I suggest you cut the shampoo (unless its highly diluted non sod), and condition your hair w/a protein-moisture balancing conditioner-- Aubrey Organics GPB. It is the only thing that remedied my web hair (along with castor oil oil rinses).

 

[Nubenap22]

if none of these work try oil rinsing before you condition

 

[KittyMeowMeow]

What was the leave-in that you were using? I wonder if has some heavy, sticky waxes that haven't come out? The emulsifiers & jojoba oil (waxes) in AO conditioners also gave me sticky hair.

Try pre-pooing with EVOO- it helps remove waxes. Also, try sealing with an oil that your hair likes- maybe your hair needs something more emollient.

I'd also stop using drugstore clarifyers or clarifyers from "natural" companies. Those were very drying to me. If you're natural (no relaxers, color, damage), try the Terressentials Mud Washes for removing buildup- they are more effective than any clarifying shampoo I used (and I tried a ton) and are non-drying.

 

[Rei]

@Rei Is clarifying necessary for you? I think it's the shampoo. My daughter has 4b hair and I swear whenever I try to use a commercial shampoo even diluted her hair responds negatively with a vengeance. I mean no matter what conditioner you throw at it the hair will not respond.

Just like you experienced I would take down her hair and the strands would have a love affair...webbing, clumping, matting, etc. IMO commercial shampoo is no good for that hair type (or I haven't found one that doesn't destroy lol).

Have you tried a pH balanced one? I don't have any suggestions and maybe the other members can chime in. I use dr bronners on my little one.

I usually clarify once a month when I feel like I've got a lot of products sitting on my hair (although to be honest I never know what my hair is supposed to feel like, its always so different each time I wash, even with the same products :/ )

I agree with Honi. Try cowashing with a good conditioner and see if you have the same issue. If it were just your ends sticking together I would say you need a trim, but it sounds like too much moisture has been sucked from your hair so its sticking together.

I haven't had a lot of successs with cowashing in the past (itchy scalp etc) but I will try it again. Thanks!

Sounds like a porosity issue. In other words, your cuticles are in a raised position. Clarifying won't help-- its only raising your cuticles more, and in turn, your hairs are all catching to each other and binding. Your hair is dried out too-- b/c hair that porous can't hold water. So it can't hold moisture. I suggest you cut the shampoo (unless its highly diluted non sod), and condition your hair w/a protein-moisture balancing conditioner-- Aubrey Organics GPB. It is the only thing that remedied my web hair (along with castor oil oil rinses).

Hmmm...I will admit that I have done nothing to address porosity in my hair (except an acv rinse a while ago). I will try using GPB and doing a castor oil rinse. I had fallen off that, time to get back on it.

What was the leave-in that you were using? I wonder if has some heavy, sticky waxes that haven't come out? The emulsifiers & jojoba oil (waxes) in AO conditioners also gave me sticky hair.

Try pre-pooing with EVOO- it helps remove waxes. Also, try sealing with an oil that your hair likes- maybe your hair needs something more emollient.

I'd also stop using drugstore clarifyers or clarifyers from "natural" companies. Those were very drying to me. If you're natural (no relaxers, color, damage), try the Terressentials Mud Washes for removing buildup- they are more effective than any clarifying shampoo I used (and I tried a ton) and are non-drying.

Thanks for the advice. I was using Shea Moisture shea butter leave-in. I've been using AO for ages and it is one of my few staples so I'd like to continue to use it, but I think I might discontinue use of the Shea moisture leavein. I am fully natural, no heatdamage, no color, can terressentials only be found online? I will check it out

Thank you everybody. I will try washing my hair tonight and cut out the shampoo.

 

[southerncitygirl]

Rei

you don't have to get terrassentials you can make your own mud wash if you don't mind mixing check this yt channel out:
http://youtu.be/pDNY2FEiuDc
http://youtu.be/w6GaREN83H8
http://youtu.be/xBXnE03kqq0

it seems it would be extremely cheap to make.

 

[SmilingElephant]

Have you tried shampooing first and then detangling? I tried it the way you do it before and...my hair just tangled back up after shampooing. So now i shampoo, detangle, and go on with whatever else i'm gonna do with it whether it's deep conditioning or styling.

 

[virtuenow]

I usually clarify once a month when I feel like I've got a lot of products sitting on my hair (although to be honest I never know what my hair is supposed to feel like, its always so different each time I wash, even with the same products :/ )



I haven't had a lot of successs with cowashing in the past (itchy scalp etc) but I will try it again. Thanks!



Hmmm...I will admit that I have done nothing to address porosity in my hair (except an acv rinse a while ago). I will try using GPB and doing a castor oil rinse. I had fallen off that, time to get back on it.


Thanks for the advice. I was using Shea Moisture shea butter leave-in. I've been using AO for ages and it is one of my few staples so I'd like to continue to use it, but I think I might discontinue use of the Shea moisture leavein. I am fully natural, no heatdamage, no color, can terressentials only be found online? I will check it out

Thank you everybody. I will try washing my hair tonight and cut out the shampoo.

To be honest, I always shampoo my scalp w/diluted shampoo in an applicator bottle. I always pre poo & co wash the rest of my hair. Some of us can't go w/o the shampoo on scalp!

Sent from my SPH-M920 using SPH-M920

 

[AlwaysNatural]

I get that when I seal with olive oil :s


Sent from my iPod touch using LHCF

 

[newgrowth15]

Rei, have you tried using products that do not contain any 'cones? For the month of January, I have decided not to use any shampoo and only use conditioners that do not contain any cones. I have also been applying aloe vera gel directly to the scalp and then down the shaft of my hair after each co-wash to bring down the pH in my hair and to close the cuticle. At first my scalp hurt and was very itchy, but the more I co-wash, the better it feels. I have been using the V05 Moisture Milks Conditioner for co-washing and then the GVP (Sally's) version of Joico K-Pak Reconstructing Conditioner as the final rinse and partial leave-in conditioner. I have been sealing with either argan oil or olive oil. So far, my hair feels better. I haven't had very many tangles and no ssk's. From the research I have done, it takes about 3 months to really see the difference any products will make on your hair. Since this is only the 3rd week for me, I don't have any hair miracle stories to report yet.

 

[Rei]

Rei

you don't have to get terrassentials you can make your own mud wash if you don't mind mixing check this yt channel out:
http://youtu.be/pDNY2FEiuDc
http://youtu.be/w6GaREN83H8
http://youtu.be/xBXnE03kqq0

it seems it would be extremely cheap to make.

Thanks! I'll check these out. I was interested in the terressentials becuase despite the fact that I have bentonite clay, others have said it really helps with detangling (unlike bentonite alone) and I'd love to eliminate a product.

Rei, have you tried using products that do not contain any 'cones? For the month of January, I have decided not to use any shampoo and only use conditioners that do not contain any cones. I have also been applying aloe vera gel directly to the scalp and then down the shaft of my hair after each co-wash to bring down the pH in my hair and to close the cuticle. At first my scalp hurt and was very itchy, but the more I co-wash, the better it feels. I have been using the V05 Moisture Milks Conditioner for co-washing and then the GVP (Sally's) version of Joico K-Pak Reconstructing Conditioner as the final rinse and partial leave-in conditioner. I have been sealing with either argan oil or olive oil. So far, my hair feels better. I haven't had very many tangles and no ssk's. From the research I have done, it takes about 3 months to really see the difference any products will make on your hair. Since this is only the 3rd week for me, I don't have any hair miracle stories to report yet.

I have tried a no cone routine, and it agrees with my hair. The only problem is that I have not found a detangler that works as well as aussie moist or Hello Hydration, both are full of cones. Coneless conditoners usually have not as much slip and I've tried a bunch I wish I could find a coneless conditoner with A LOT of slip, but so far no dice. Kinky Curly Knot Today is the closest i've found but my hair seems to detangle and then immediately get sticky.

 

[newgrowth15]

Perhaps try adding a tablespoon or two of your favorite oil to your "coneless" conditioner. It provides slip and makes a real difference in how your hair feels.