Why Oh Why Oh Why???? Clarify

[Irresistible]

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UmSumayyah said:
I hope you're feeling better too, Irresisistible. Maybe next time you could try just clarifying with an ACV rinse or adding baking soda to (conditioner I think is what some of our members do).
And we hope your hair feels better soon too.

[/ QUOTE ] girl unless my hair turns totally completely slammin and bangin when i go to do it later, i dont think im gonna clarify again...im too scurred lol

 

[Irresistible]

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deeshortesthair said:
Oh no ,looks like you caught my crunchy hair virus, I ended up fixing mine by doing a hot oil treatment with castor oil , then conditioning it with diez en uno a Dominican conditioner a girl at the office gave to me .. from behind you would think she was East Indian, so I figgured what the hay...It worked today my hair is soft and curly again with nice curls, but then again my hair is 1% of yours

so I hope that you get this fixed , you are one of tfhe inspirations on the board and I would hate it if you had a terrible hair disaster.
keep us posted.

[/ QUOTE ] i know when all else fails break out some oil (and lots of it)

im glad your hair is doing better!!! so far i have CPR in my hair, i have no clue what its doing cause i havent touched it yet...then i have another conditioner im'a try for the first time (the Redken Butter treat) and leave that in a while, and do it later tonight....will post back

 

[dannie]

Try using daily clarifying shampoos, they are gentler than the regular types.

Hope your back feels better! Save a vicodin for me.

 

[Irresistible]

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pookeylou said:
I didnt see the benefit of it either....until...

I started to get a few "pimples" and ingrown hairs in my scalp. Just one or two...painful bumps that did not get relief until I pulled out the hair. I mentioned my problem (I was thinking it was because my hair was growing so fast...

) and some sisters helped me to see that the shea butter, condition washes, moistuizers that I applied on the days I did not condition wash my hair...have caused buildup on my scalp. It was blocking the pores and the coily hair could not get out of the follicle.

Once I clarified on a regular basis....it never happened again.

My sister who is a die-hard permie...noticed that since she has been doing the condition washes...her straight hair seems heavy and has no movement, (I forgot to tell her to clarify every once in a while.) When she added lime juice to her conditioner, she got that squeaky clean, flowing hair feeling again.

I dont really like the apple cider rinse...so I just add lemon juice or lime juice to my condition washes. It still leaves my hair moisturized...but I have no problem with buildup.

[/ QUOTE ] Im gettin the chills and goosebumps just thinkin bout the squeaky feeling again...its awful.

i will see the possible benifits or non benifits later though and decide from there...i really dont have any problems from not clarifying ..so i have no clue why i even did it

 

[Irresistible]

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Allandra said:
Is your daughter's hair natural?

[/ QUOTE ] yeah

 

[honeydrop1130]

you know, i dont know if clarifying does anything for me either. nothing gives me a squeaky clean feeling for my hair, and i dont know if clarifying is doing anything at all. oh well....i only do it when something terrible has happened to my hair and want to "cleanse myself of it" *ahem, dudles pca*

 

[Irresistible]

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Neroli said:
I always thought clarifying was terrifying to my 4b relaxed hair because the ingredients in those shampoos are scary -- they contain the harshest detergents out there, like ALS, sometimes 2 or 3 different really harsh detergents. I think clarifying is necessary only if you use tons of heavy pomades, glossers, stuff with 'cones and other hard gels, etc. But I hate all that stuff on my hair and only use small amounts of aloe gel in between washings so I don't feel need to clarify. Another thing is that the reason condition washes are good is to limit the exposure to the detergents in even the mildest shampoos because they further weaken relaxed hair -- so using clarifyer just doesn't compute for me if trying limit exposure to harsh detergents. I find that the mildest shampoos really do adequately clean my scalp and hair leaving it with body and movement. But then again, I don't put stuff on my scalp and very little on my hair. I would love to know what others think about the NEED to clarify or whether it's just a good idea IF using tons of heavy "dressing" in between washes.

Is your daughter's hair natural or relaxed? Is yours? I think natural hair might withstand the harsh clarifiers and respond better than relaxed hair and that might explain the difference in result.

[/ QUOTE ] Im totally confused, cause we are both natural...her hair was a little dryer, but NOTHING like the mess it made of my hair...i scurred to use it again on her now

 

[Spagirl]

Most clairfiers can be pretty harsh. The only thing that helps me the most when I clarify (to rid my hair of build up when normal shampoo won't do) is to follow up with a moisturizing shampoo (present favorite KeraCare Hydrating detangling shampoo). It really works wonders. This is also followed up by a good moisturizing conditioner. By doing this I am able to comb my hair in the shower. No major problem for me.

One of these days I'm going to try diluting my clarifiers and see if it helps as well.

Labett: I'm going to have to give Lanza a try.

 

[Irresistible]

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nurseN98 said:
Irresistable, I hope your back is better

That's happened to me trying a new routine. I usually use my Elasta qp creme poo after clarifying.....last week I wanted to be all different and experimental so I used a new clarifying shampoo and just conditioned afterwards. It was a mess.

[/ QUOTE ]my back is doing better, Thank God, i dont know how long that will last since i plan on doing my hair tonight.... i really dont think im gonna be doing this again...like i said unless i see miracle results or somethin later when i style it....well we live and learn....i might have to work on my hair all night to get it back ugh

 

[dannie]

ITA with Neroli. I think clarifying is only needed when heavy products are used. I only clarify before a press out (rare) to give my hair extra body and movement. It probably stripped your hair because it was already in good condition. Your daughter had a scalp issue a while back, so she probably needed a good clarifying shampoo. I don't recommened using it on her hair again.

 

[Irresistible]

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sassygirl125 said:
Same here.

I always follow up a clarify shampoo with a moisturizing shampoo like Ampro Banana Cream Fluff (my favorite!), Jason Sea Kelp, Breakthru or Mode de Vie Shea Butter Cream shampoo. My clarifying days are the only days I lather twice.

I have a sample of the Fantasia Pure Tea but I haven't tried it yet. Yesterday I clarified with a sample packet of the Elasta QP Scalp Stimulating Shampoo. I really like this stuff!

[/ QUOTE ] girl like i said i really dont know how ya'll do it...i was thinking grabbing another shampoo would be a huge mistake, and just take out more moisture when i knew i had to immediatly get some in

 

[Irresistible]

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Poohbear said:
Hey Irresistible,
I clarified my hair for the first time last week and Im transitioning from relaxed to natural and Im still suffering from the effects of clarifying. I will probably not clarify ever again.

My hair was squeaky clean but it was dry, somewhat brittle, and crispy-like. Everytime I comb it while dry, its hard to comb through my hair and it feels tangled at my natural roots.

I'm glad I havent suffered any major breakage from this, probably because I would comb very carefully. Moisturizers do not even work and my hair stays dry and hard. I cant wait to wash it today with my Creme of Nature shampoo and moisturize it really good. Im sure your experience is worse since you have all natural hair. I hope u overcome your bad experience.
I do not see the benefits of clarifying either. I have never clarified in my whole life. Learning about my own hair is a great experience using trial and error to see what works for your hair. So I learned clarifying is not for me.

[/ QUOTE ] oh God!!! please dont tell me these effects will not last longer than when i first rinsed it out...im scurred now. well , let me go rinse out this CPR and do a status check

i dont think its for me either, why oh why did i even try? lol

 

[Irresistible]

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nonie said:
The only way I ever clarified was by adding baking soda to my shampoo, but I will tell you this (and I shared it here before) the smell of the shampoo and baking soda was reminiscent of relaxer in my hair and it scared the heck out of me such that I rinsed it out in a frantic hurry and even then, it still took a while for my heart to slow down. Not that I'm terrified of relaxing, but I just wasn't prepared for that and because I wasn't following any recipe, I didn't know if perhaps I'd used too much baking soda and was thus processing my hair somehow.

Anyway, this is the conclusion I came to (MHO):
Clarifiers are alkaline, as are relaxers. And the more alkaline sth is, the better it can strip off build-up from your hair, but that's not all, alkaline products also raise/open up your hair cuticles (which is a good thing for relaxers to work properly). It is perhaps the reaction between our hair and an alkaline that brings on that smell, plus I may have used a lot of baking soda when I did it. With this logic, then it makes a lot of sense to me why clarifying hair that probably didn't have build-up could lead to tangles. You see, if the more alkaline a shampoo is, the more likely it is to open up your cuticles if there isn't build-up for it to remove, then your hair strands are bound to become rough and prone to tangles. (This further explains why acidic shampoos are favored over alkaline ones by hair gurus, and why ACV is a great finisher for a wash --their acidity leaves cuticles closed, keeping strands smooth/slippery and tangle-free. I betcha conditioners are acidic.)

Perhaps if you had followed the clarifying with an acidic shampoo or an acidic rinse, you could have returned the cuticles back to their closed (more natural) state and therefore not had the problem. The fact that this worked for your daughter and not you might just mean your daughter's hair had build-up and needed clarifying and yours didn't. Maybe instead of clarifying by the calendar, people should clarify as necessary eg like when your hair stops responding to products that it usually responds to -- meaning build-up is probably in the way.

[/ QUOTE ] Nonie

yeah you broke that down girl....here is the thing I add Tons and i mean Tons of products to my hair regularly...and i have NEVER clarified...girl if i dont have buildup i dont know who would and my daughter is using alof of the same products as me....so im still lost....but girl , i wont be touching baking soda now that you posted your experience now....lord , let me just go rinse this conditioner out and see how its doing.

 

[Irresistible]

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Wolftrap said:
I had the same reaction to clarifying. I tried the ACV rinse and that left my hair a tangled, dry matted mess. I will NEVER clarify again. I serioulsly believe clarifying is for people that use a lot of things in their hair on a regular basis. I am not one of those people so I felt like I had stripped my hair.

[/ QUOTE ] ya'll are scaring the mess outta me...my hair cant be jacked ..it just cant....im goin to the Prince concert tommorow , bad back and all...shooo the tickets are paid for...but its also who im goin with ..man ya'll my hair cant be jacked. i use tons of products all the time and mostly only CO wash....so i just aint gettin this

 

[Irresistible]

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dannie_19 said:
Try using daily clarifying shampoos, they are gentler than the regular types.

Hope your back feels better! Save a vicodin for me.

[/ QUOTE ]

hehehe , the vicodin is workin wonders and the muscle relaxers...whew im so thankfull for these drugs right about now...a few days ago i could barely walk...im much better now though, it still hurts, but the drugs help knock me out and relax... i dont think messin with my hair is gonna help it much...but i gotta

 

[Irresistible]

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dannie_19 said:
ITA with Neroli. I think clarifying is only needed when heavy products are used. I only clarify before a press out (rare) to give my hair extra body and movement. It probably stripped your hair because it was already in good condition. Your daughter had a scalp issue a while back, so she probably needed a good clarifying shampoo. I don't recommened using it on her hair again.

[/ QUOTE ] well lets just say im really hoping it gives me some extra body with good movement for this press later, and not fried, dried crispy hair....i dont think i would touch this stuff again for her or me girl

 

[SVT]

I experienced only one episode of dry hair after using ACV. I was pressing my hair more regularly back then and I think the heat may have been the culprit.

[ QUOTE ]
honeydrop1130 said:
you know, i dont know if clarifying does anything for me either. nothing gives me a squeaky clean feeling for my hair, and i dont know if clarifying is doing anything at all. oh well....i only do it when something terrible has happened to my hair and want to "cleanse myself of it" *ahem, dudles pca*

[/ QUOTE ]

OT: Speaking of PCA, I've been testing out a new product. It's called Na-PCA by Twinlab. A long time ago, Dudley's Sodium PCA was a board rave - BlackMane lit the fire - but I let that rave pass me by. I kept it in mind though.

Last week I went to Whole Foods to buy other hair stuff and the PCA caught my eye. It does soften my hair but the softness doesn't seem to last long enough.

*pause* It's thundering and lightening sumptin fierce here. I wish I had a big 'ol cuddly man to snuggle up to.

*unpause*

I'm gonna keep on using the PCA to see of I can get the results to last longer.

 

[Irresistible]

ok so here is the latest....

I just rinsed out the CPR, I could tell it had softened it up , Thank God...and when i got it all rinsed out, my hair did feel much lighter than im used to, obviously cause everything was taken out of it. It felt like my hair feels like it usually would after a normal wash for me with a moisturizing shampoo.....this was good in the sense that i know my hair is returning to normal...not sure if its good that it felt just washed (like it normally would feel) after a whole night and day of CPR in it.... but hey im just glad the CPR helped any at all....so i put the Butter Treat in it now...and combed through...its still a little more tangled than last night, and more than it normallly would be, but not near as bad as last night....so i have to go lay down now and rest my back to prepare for this press later...i hope this Butter treat gets my hair more well conditioned.....i guess the real test as to the possible benifits of the clarifying will show later when i press it out and see how it looks and lasts....i swear i hope my hair is not jacked up.....ok will post back later. well at least im not freaking out like i was, cause when i went and rinsed it wasnt still like cotton, stuck together and dry.

ETA...see what drugs do? lol i just saw what i typed ....um that would be *less* tangled than last night

 

[Mahalialee4]

Just a suggestion. Would you consider doing a Moisturising (no protein) conditioner rinse loaded with liquid honey. 1/2 cup Lots of moisture, shine and body and slip. That's what I would do.Bonjour.

 

[SVT]

I'm glad the CPR helped.

 

[Irresistible]

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Mahalialee4 said:
Just a suggestion. Would you consider doing a Moisturising (no protein) conditioner rinse loaded with liquid honey. 1/2 cup Lots of moisture, shine and body and slip. That's what I would do.Bonjour.

[/ QUOTE ] ok will do as the final step....ive never used honey before either...so why not , everyone says how great it is...although i would die if it ends up sticky

....i dunno , i guess i will see how its doing later and see if i can find a single conditioner around here with no protien in it....i think all of them have some kind of protien in them

this butter treat smells good!!

i actually just looked at it and it has no protien that i can see, so maybe i will just add a little honey later

 

[Irresistible]

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SVT said:
I'm glad the CPR helped.

[/ QUOTE ] whew!! me too girl

 

[sassygirl125]

I use the applicator ottle, too. To make sure I get the shampoo on my scalp only. After cleansing my scalp, I rinse. I figure the water and shampoo running through my hair is enough to get it clean. Then I lather my scalp again with the moisturizing shampoo and squeegee it down the length so it isn't quite so squeaky. HTH!

 

[Allandra]

[ QUOTE ]
Irresistible said:
[ QUOTE ]
Allandra said:
I use an applicator bottle to apply my clarify shampoo to my scalp (got that tip from Kenesha). It works out well for me.

[/ QUOTE ] so you dont wash it through your hair?

[/ QUOTE ]
I don't apply it to my hair, but it does go through my hair (down the length).

 

[Nacai23]

I know exactly what you're going through, my sister. I did this a couple of weeks ago and it was NOT fun. Oh, lord the tangles and my scalp. My scalp felt like it was being ripped off! I over loaded on a protein conditioner and my hair was a tangled, brittle mess. My hair is only shoulder length and I went through <font color="red"> </font> trying to detangle my mess

! So, I can only imagine what you have gone through with waist length natural hair

But, for clarifing, I use a really mild shampoo from Elucence. It doesn't strip the hair at all or leave it dry. It just dissolves the buildup on your hair and scalp. It contains salicylic acid which leaves your scalp tingling.
I'm a natural and I must clarify once a month. If I don't, I'll get this thick white paste on my scalp from the hair butters and braid sprays. It doesn't go away with my regular shampoo...

 

[Irresistible]

Status check again....

I just rinsed the Butter Treat out, and why was my hair squeaky again? ugh..where is some slip when you need it???...i can tell its some good stuff , but it seems more like a treatment than a deep conditioner, and my hair needs a whole lot of help, it seems like that stuff would be the topping for already well conditioned hair (will still use it again under different circumstances)....well lucky for me and Thank God i got the All Soft (heavy cream) too, and i just put it in my hair and it did just what it says!!! made my hair "ALL SOFT"!!!!.....so im way behind schedule due to this, but im gonna leave this in a while, of course the true test will be when i rinse the All Soft out! the last step if this doesnt get it , is Cholesterol and olive oil....then i give up, whatever my hair is doing after all this, then so be it, im'a just have to make it work somehow. *saying a little ,no, a big prayer*

will update again later *sigh* , needy , demanding , spoiled hair, i swear!!

 

[Irresistible]

Okay!! another update *sigh*

i rinsed out the All Soft, again i can tell this is a very good conditioner under normal conditions....but when i rinsed..it didnt squeak, but it was dry dry dry.....i give up on trying to condition it....instead i added some oil (avacodo oil) i tried to go lightly and spread evenly cause im supposed to press, i rubbed that and a few pumps heat gluide through each section and braided it in sections....it was so dry it wouldnt stay wet (if you know what i mean) ....i had to rewet each section...this is terrible...i have no clue how my hair is gonna turn out....if it will be too oily (weighed down now) or how the heat gluide works (never used it before)...it said use a couple pumps through your whole head...yeah right. that little of anything NEVER works for me....so i put a pump or two in each little section...which equaled out to ALOT....so i have no clue how this will perform on my hair or if it will weigh it down or do some strange thing.....

take it from me....NEVER TRY NEW THINGS ON YOUR HAIR WHEN YOU HAVE SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT TO YOU , YOU WANT TO DO AND WANT TO BE SURE YOUR HAIR LOOKS GOOD...GO WITH WHAT YOU KNOW!!!


and i thought i knew better....well im still hoping for the best..i didnt want to use any thing *stinky* in my hair, but i had to do something!! and the avocado oil does not smell so great....im'a have to find a way to cover it up.

will post back with an update on how it all worked out , if i have time tommorow.

oh and btw, i had little short hairs all over the bathroom like i did a blow dry session....i will NOT be clarifying again!!!

 

[Irresistible]

one last status check....

Its now 3am and im exhausted and way behind schedule of where i wanted to be thanks to clarifying ugh. but i did the first press, i had to do it now to see how my hair was gonna be, in case it was jacked . anyway its oily , but its soft again (praise the Lord) and the first press did well, maybe even better than usual. and i hope some of this oil soaks in by later ...and my ends feel crispy lol...im'a add a little more oil to them and hit the bed...i will update with final pics later...much later.


if you ever have a bad clarifying expereince, good condtioning helps, yes, but oil is the only thing thats gonna get it back to normal...well at least thats what it took for me

i have to admit i dont get the purpose of clarifying, strip your hair of all moisture, so that you can then desperately try to get it back???? lol

anyway here are the pics...be blessed ya'll , dont know if i will be back till after the concert.

http://public.fotki.com/IRRISISTABLBTCH/2004/prince_concert_press/

 

[jrw]

A little late but I have never had a bad experience when using a clarifying shampoo. Some of my favorites are Aussie Citrifier and Suave Clarifying. I also like putting baking soda in my regular shampoo. I mix the two in a cup. I then follow up with a conditioner.

If you don't use a lot of products, clarifying might not be necessary although I think it is good to do if you are trying a new conditioner.

 

[Irresistible]

Just an update....

the press turned out great!!! really soft!!! and i had a blast at the concert....(and yes he is still using the symbol, i was in the second row this time and saw everything) but back to the topic.....my hair turned out so well and felt so good, i would be willing to repeat every single step to get it that way again.....and since i cant rule out that clarifying helped me to obtain a press out that i loved...i would be willing to include clarifying in the routine again....i know, i cant believe i said it either. lol

my hair feels very soft and light.....so i dunno, i know i hate how clarifying felt with the dryness factor....but maybe its just something you deal with , and then work on getting the moisture back in...leaving you with softer lighter hair than when its unclarified???......

anyway just happy to report , all is well that ends well