Natural Newbie (sorta)- in peril with dry hair. Please help!

[mocha013]

Hello ladies. I'm just coming out of lurking with a question. I've learned a TON from you all and credit this board with my informed decision to go natural 2years ago. THANK YOU!!!!! THANK YOU!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!

My problem/question: I'm 4b, neck length (another source of frustration, but I wont go into that now) currently experiencing dry brittle, but not breaking hair. My hair has become unresponsive to my go to moisturizers and doesn't even seem to notice the recent increase in humidity from the weather, which it usually loves. It's just not itself. In the last several weeks, I've tried clarifying, HOTs, and increasing my moisture dc, assuming that must be the problem. Not working. The only thing I haven't tried is a hard core protein ( I use aphoghee). I thought i read here once that lack of protein can make the hair resistant to moisture as well. I have been doing weekly 2 min protein treatment during this time of peril....

Do you think I should try the hard protein now? My fear is that it would make my hair more dry and brittle. I know to follow up with an intense moisture dc ( I use AOHSR), but just not sure if the hard protein would send me over the edge. Sorry for the longwinded question, but I would appreciate any opinions, recommendations.

T

 

[Dee-Licious]

I wouldn't try the hard protein just yet. Is your hair breaking while wet or while it is dry?

Maybe try laying off the weekly 2 minute protein. Unless you are a natural who uses heat quite often, you really don't need a protein every week. Try upping the moisture DC and limiting the amount of protein treatment. What moisturizing DC are you using?

How often do you use heat?

 

[NappyNelle]

^^I agree. If your hair is dry and brittle, protein conditioners are not going to help. What moisturizers are you using? How do you wear your hair daily? How often do you shampoo or clarify? How is your diet?

 

[mocha013]

Thanks D and Nappy....

Let's see. I don't use heat often, only when I need to trim, usually every 6-8 weeks. I did recently straigthen my hair for that purpose in Feb. My hair does not seem to be breaking much at all, maybe a few hairs when wet.

I use Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose or Giovanni Smooth as Silk for DC. I don't sit under the dryer long, maybe 15-20 minutes.

I use QB AOHC for my main moisturizer and rarely seal since that is pretty already. My hair is almost always in a bantu knot out/braid out. I would love to do more protective styling (like braids, twists, etc.) but I have extremely fragile edges that did not do well the last time I did that. Being just neck length, I can barely get all of my hair back into a bun...

I shampoo once/twice a month. I co-wash for my regular weekly/every 10 day wash with Aussie Moist, and I clarify probably every 6-8 weeks, or when I remember.

My diet is pretty good and I work out/run 5-6 days/week.

I just deep conditioned yesterday with AOHSR for about 3hrs and today my hair is slightly better, but still nowhere near what I am used to. Your comments about the 2 min protein are well taken...something to consider (although I had noticed when I didn't do the 2min my hair would not hold a curl or style). Maybe I'll just try to intensify my dc treatments to 2x week until things are back to normal..

 

[Ntrlmystik]

Well, my hair was feeling that way for the past few months. As of a three weeks ago I've been making a pre poo. of a 1/2 cup aloe vera juice, 1 small avocado, a teaspoon of olive oil. I blend then I smooth it on my hair in sections. Once I am done, I melt some coconut oil and apply it on over the sections where I put the avocado/aloe vera juice mixture. I sleep with it overnight with a plastic cap then wake up rinse, wash and conditoin regularly. I've done it twice and its made such a difference. Also, while doing that I've been trying to keep my hair in twists and mositurizing the ends and sealing them a few times a week.

 

[mocha013]

Thanks for sharing that recipe NTrl. I have all of those items here, maybe I'll try that over the weekend (except my hair does not like coconut oil or Olive oil), but hey I've been trying everything else , so what's the harm? When you say it's made a difference, can you be more specific? Is your hair softer, moister, holding curls, etc? I wish I would have read this a few minutes earlier....

 

[laurend]

Sometimes I think newbie naturals mistake dry hair for what natural hair really feels like. I've talked to 5 newbies lately who swore that their hair was dry, and when I felt, it wasn't. It was just how natural hair really feels. I told them that their isn't dry and to feel my hair and they said,"that's what their hair feels like." I told them my hair isn't dry, it's just coarse. It seems like your hair is getting enough moisture. Stop manipulating it and doing all those treatments, that's another newbie mistake.

 

[NappyNelle]

Thanks for your detailed regimen, OP!

I agree with laurend that your hair may NOT be dry like you think. Moisturized natural hair and moisturized relaxed/chemical treated hair look and feel very different, so what you may be feeling may be your texture.

I also agree with Ntrlmystik that a ceramide oil pre-poo may work for you, but you are already doing the 'right' types of treatments, so it's not necessary.

Some things to consider:

1. Wearing your hair out for most of the time will suck the moisture out of your strands and can cause breakage because of frequent manipulation. Twists and buns are just two forms of protective styles; there are many others than you can play with.

2a. Your moisturizer is AOHC, an oil based product, and our hair may need a water based styler. Do you use AOHC on dry, wet, or damp hair? I almost only use it on damp hair in order to seal in the water moisture from my deep condition rinse. If my hair needs a perk, I use a water-based spray moisturizer.

2b. If my ends are particularly dry, I pull out the castor oil to coat them. Ends are the oldest part of your hair, so they may need more proactive attention than the whole hair strand.

3. You don't have to straighten in order to trim unless you plan to wear your hair straight extremely often. Heat styling so often will not help your moisture or ends problem.

I hope that helps!

 

[mocha013]

LaurenD and Nappy,

Thanks again for your pointed comments and ideas. I've been natural for a couple years now, so I feel I know my texture very well and what's normal/not normal for my hair, including dry spells. But to your points,this current spell is new territory for me and perhaps just another notch on my natural hair learning curve.

ALL of your comments are very helpful and things I've not previously considered since my dry seeps never lasted this long and/or seemed this severe. Whenever I hit a spell, I would just clarify and start over with what i was previously doing and my hair would respond and go back to what I was used to.

I've sealed with castor oil tonight, so, along with some other tweaks (but no additional manipulation) I'm more hopeful than I was before I posted.

Thanks all, and oh--beautiful hair ladies. My hair hopes to be like an and all of yours when it grows up .

 

[southerncitygirl]

your need to moisturize and seal.....the moisturizer should be water based and the sealant an oil. do a search on butters and just get some oils from the healthfood store....evco,evoo, kukui, rice bran, hemp,castor, meadowfoam, walnut, avocado are just a few..... i tend to mix anywhere btw 2-5 oils.

clarify your hair. this will allow product to better coat and penetrate your strands.

i would pre-poo and deep condition regularly.

do lower manipulation styles, sometimes that helps with the moisture factor. watch using direct heat as well.


i agree about also concentrating on the ends. i moisturize with one product, but a another on my ends and seal oil in.

 

[lamaria211]

Sometimes I think newbie naturals mistake dry hair for what natural hair really feels like. I've talked to 5 newbies lately who swore that their hair was dry, and when I felt, it wasn't. It was just how natural hair really feels. I told them that their isn't dry and to feel my hair and they said,"that's what their hair feels like." I told them my hair isn't dry, it's just coarse. It seems like your hair is getting enough moisture. Stop manipulating it and doing all those treatments, that's another newbie mistake.

i 2nd That

 

[LoveisYou]

Sounds like you might need to clarify

 

[BillsBackerz67]

Clarify and ditch the aussie moist...over time that conditioner made my hair dry as hell. IDK if it was the cones or what

 

[SmilingElephant]

Time to hit that Sleep Conditioning! Whenever my hair decides to be a desert i make it wallow overnite in a moisturizing deep conditioner.

 

[Ntrlmystik]

Thanks for sharing that recipe NTrl. I have all of those items here, maybe I'll try that over the weekend (except my hair does not like coconut oil or Olive oil), but hey I've been trying everything else , so what's the harm? When you say it's made a difference, can you be more specific? Is your hair softer, moister, holding curls, etc? I wish I would have read this a few minutes earlier....

It has been softer, more manageable and not dry. If top hair doesn't like olive oil then add a other oil that does. Also, you can skip the coconut oil step. You know you hair best.

 

[miss cosmic]

For me, two things have worked to keep my hair moisturized: chicoro's moisture-drenched pre-poo every week, and doing the LOC method every day.
The pre-poo: mix avj and wheatgerm oil. Apply to hair in sections and let sit for 30min at least. Then apply coconut oil on top of that and let sit for at least an hour.
I don't use shampoo so i just rinse then condition and proceed as normal. My hair stays soft but not greasy.
Every morning soon as i get out of bed i spray with my moisture-spritz: one-third water, one-third avj, and then the other third consists of glyceryn, and a few drops of rose water for scent. I put on a plastic cap and leave it on till after i've showered. This is the L. After showering i rub a bit of oil (grapeseed) into my hair (just enough to coat my palms) - this is O. and then follow that with a leave-in conditioner, right now i use either NTMST leave-in or charles worthington hair healer. This is the C - LOC = LIQUID OIL CREAM.

My hair stays soft and touchable and is never brittle like it used to be.
I was skeptical abt LOC at first, but the other way round (ending with oil) or leaving out the oil altogether just makes my hair brittle and rough to touch by the end of the day.
I have extremely coarse 4b hair with almost no curl pattern (what some call cnapp) and the dryness used to almost bring me to tears. Since the pre-poo and LOC i'm loving my hair and accepting it for what it is.

ETA: I clarify with bicarb of soda mixed with conditioner every 4-6 weeks, then proceed is normal.

 

[tuffCOOKiE]

mMiss CosmicIs the pre-poo in equal parts? Meaning 1/2 wheat germ and 1/2 AVJ?