My hair is relaxed but drrrry as a straw

[SimpleKomplexity]

What do yall suggest I do?

It seems like I'm having so many problems with my hair this summer. My hair feels extremely dry. I'm not sure if it needs to be clarified and it's dry because of product build-up or if its dry because I haven't moisturized it in years and I just stick to DCing it. Should I skip out on the clarifying shampoo and just stick to cowashing it?

I'm relaxed.

I think I'm going to have to start babying my hair like I did when I first got on here. I cowashed my hair EVERYDAY for a week or two and moisturizing at night with ORS Olive Oil and Sealing with Olive Oil

And then I started cowashing every other day until my hair felt moisturized enough tto just cowash every 3-4 days.

My current regimen is every 3 days I do this

Wash with Keracare
Condition with Keracare Humecto
Leave in Paul Mitchell
Paul Mitchelle Skinny Serum
then Rollerset

Voila. I don't wrap my hair anymore. I just sleep with the bonnet so that's prolly why isn't tangled. I don't moisturize anymore or seal out of laziness. Any suggestions?

Hot Oil Treatment? Use Hair Mayo to see if it's porous? Cowash? Clarify?

 

[darlingdiva]

I think you should clarify. I know that Humecto & PMSS have cones, so that--and the fact that you haven't been moisturizing--may be contributing to the dryness.

Also, you should pin your hair up in some kind of way before going to bed because leaving it out can definitely cause dryness, even if you cover your hair with a satin bonnet.

I used to just put a satin bonnet on over my twistout before going to bed. When I'd wake up the next morning, my hair would be insanely dry. Now, I pin my twistout up before going to bed & my hair isn't crazy dry the next day.

 

[JJamiah]

I would clarify and give myself a nice balancing Protein moisture treatment. Start off with a clean slate as well as getting rid of build up on the hair.

 

[Starronda]

Have you tried baggying also? When my hair is extra dry, I'll baggy overnight with very little product (I use any creamy moisturizer) and in the morning seal with an oil. My hair comes back to life.

 

[shunta]

What kind of relaxer do you use? And also, I just returned some Paul Mitchell Super Skinny to Ulta because it was making my hair dry as a bone, and I'm suspecting it was due to the alcohol content. I know all alcohols aren't bad but my hair just didn't agree with it.

 

[IDareT'sHair]

Hey S/K!

The Ladies have given you great advice: I was going to suggest all three

1) Clarify
2) Maybe Baggy w/something Creamy
3) Watch over usage of the Super Skinny

Let Us know how things work out for you!

 

[teacherjess]

I really don't have much advice to add, but my hair has been really really dry lately, too. It seems like I have to moisturize & seal twice a day now. Good luck!

 

[Supervixen]

My hair has been wonderfully moisturizing using a onditioner/water spray and doing a braidout with the www.zanandrob.com method.

Good luck Soror!

 

[Chaosbutterfly]

I think you should start moisturizing and sealing first. That really could be all it is, because the heat and harsh sunlight in the summer (not to mention the dry air from the AC) can really dry out your hair. I've actually been dealing with the same thing this summer, and I find that daily moisturizing and sealing in sections helps alot.

If that doesn't produce an improvement, then definitely clarify and do a good DC. It could just be build up.

If that doesn't help, then look at your porosity.

And if that doesn't help, then maybe you should just try the cowashing regimen.

Good luck!!!

 

[HairLu]

You may try some masks, easy made... like beer and eggs... here you can find some homemade recipes for hair masks http://www.beauty-tips.net/hairtips/generalhair/taking-care-of-hair-1.htm

 

[SimpleKomplexity]

What kind of relaxer do you use? And also, I just returned some Paul Mitchell Super Skinny to Ulta because it was making my hair dry as a bone, and I'm suspecting it was due to the alcohol content. I know all alcohols aren't bad but my hair just didn't agree with it.

I use ORS Relaxer but I'm stretching to 10 weeks hopefully because I think I was doing it overkill with every 6 weeks.

 

[SimpleKomplexity]

Hey S/K!

The Ladies have given you great advice: I was going to suggest all three

1) Clarify
2) Maybe Baggy w/something Creamy
3) Watch over usage of the Super Skinny

Let Us know how things work out for you!

I'm dumping the skinny serum for now then. I'm going to baggy tonight. I prepooed with an ors replenishing pack and then I chelated with Mizani Butter Blends Shampoo and then Dced with Keracare Humecto. It feels a lot better now but not soft like how I'm used to. Thanx ladies.

I didn't even think about the weather. That could be it!

 

[frizzy]

Judging from your product list, you def. need to clarify. Add some honey to your DC, and let me know how that works for ya.

 

[PinkPebbles]

What kind of relaxer do you use?

Yes, your relaxer may cause dryness. I had to stop using Affirm b/c of this.

Also, I know Keracare is popular on this board and I used it prior to LHCF. However, I realized that Keracare was not enough moisture for my hair.

My hair felt good when it was wet. Once it dried it did not feel or looked moisturized a day later. After you've tried some of the suggestions and your hair is still dry, try a new moisturizing deep conditioner.

 

[imaccami]

It could be the relaxer if you use no-lye. My hair was insanely dry and I couldn't figure out why. I read Shamboosie's book and decided to switch to lye and that made all the difference, since then I haven't had any problems with dryness.

The dryness could be coming from using the sleep bonnet. I would use a scarf. Don't wrap the hair, comb it straight down and then pull it back like you would if you were putting it in a low ponytail, then tie the scarf on so that your hair stays in the same basic position without putting stress on your hair or hairline.

HTH.

 

[DaDragonPrincess]

Instead of paul mitchell super skinny, try Chi Silk Infusion or Coconut Oil for your rollersets

 

[Mleah]

Seal the hair's cuticles. I think you're losing moisture because the cuticles are open. I have the same darn problem.

 

[SimpleKomplexity]

Instead of paul mitchell super skinny, try Chi Silk Infusion or Coconut Oil for your rollersets

I'm about to get some silk infusion in the mail so I'ma try that out! I didn't know Skinny Serum has alcohol!

Seal the hair's cuticles. I think you're losing moisture because the cuticles are open. I have the same darn problem.

How do you seal hair cuticles?

 

[TamedTresses]

^^You can do a final rinse with ACV or Roux Porosity Control to seal your hair's cuticles.

 

[Mleah]

I have Joico cuticle sealer, Roux porosity control and ACV in my cache. The Joico is fabulous in that it snaps shut my cuticles and my hair will stay moisturized longer. The ACV works OK for me but it's great with dandruff issues. The Roux is OK but not noteworthy IMO. I guess you have to find your own magic potion. I feel like this sometimes Hang in there!!

A word of advice. Find your hair twins and triplets and so on LOL It took me a while to realize that my super fine and dry hair is not going to respond like someone with normal porosity and thicker stronger strands. KISS has info here: http://keepitsimplesista.blogspot.com/2009/09/porous-hair.html

 

[Junebug D]

Mine had been like that for a while too. And then just over the weekend, I got fed up and went back to my old regimen of what worked when my hair was always buttery and moisturized and voila.... my hair is again buttery and moist 4 days after.

The two things that made a difference: SHAMPOO. I've found that even DC'ing can't reverse the effects of a drying shampoo. It's not just SLS and SLES to watch out for either: Even mild shampoos and natural shampoos can be drying. If your hair feels hard, dry, or "squeaky clean" after shampooing, you need to find something else.

PROTEIN: Do a hardcore treatment. I had been scared off from protein since I had overload once, but if you are relaxed the chances are you probably do need to use it.

 

[SimpleKomplexity]

Mine had been like that for a while too. And then just over the weekend, I got fed up and went back to my old regimen of what worked when my hair was always buttery and moisturized and voila.... my hair is again buttery and moist 4 days after.

The two things that made a difference: SHAMPOO. I've found that even DC'ing can't reverse the effects of a drying shampoo. It's not just SLS and SLES to watch out for either: Even mild shampoos and natural shampoos can be drying. If your hair feels hard, dry, or "squeaky clean" after shampooing, you need to find something else.

PROTEIN: Do a hardcore treatment. I had been scared off from protein since I had overload once, but if you are relaxed the chances are you probably do need to use it.

I never do it because it takes so much time but I prepooed with ORS Replenshing pak and right after my hair felt better so it probably did need a little protein. After I put Humecto on with a LOT of Olive OIl my hair felt ten times better. But now that I am back to baggying, my hair feels a million times better, but I don't think I did a good job of washing all the olive oil out because it's a little oily. I think Ima have to keep up the cowashing though to get my hair where I want it to be. I bought SIlk Elements Olive Oil Moisturizing Treatment, so I'ma see how that works.

 

[glamazon386]

I would clarify and then DC overnight. That always helped my hair get back on track.

 

[TLC1020]

Was ORS Relaxer No-Lye?

My hair usually is dry when I use a no-lye relaxer... So I deep condition with Motions Moisture Plus Conditioner and put on a plastic cap and sit under the hair dryer for a while and allow conditioner to sit for a couple of hours. You could use a very good conditioner and allow to sit for about 30mins to an hour under dryer.. Style as usual...

Good Luck Soror