Can you crack the case?

gymfreak336 · Oct 25, 2008

Okay Ladies, I got a problem.

My hair isn't holding a curl and most of my beloved products are not working.

I noticed this about 2 weeks ago. My hair seems so out of whack. It isn't breaking and my moisture protein balance seems intact but when I wash and condition my hair, it feels hard, like nothing is absorbing. The only products that are working are giovanni shampoo and conditioner and paul mitchell supercharged. The major common ingredient in the three are soybean protein btw. My favorite things, joico, pantene, etc..... are not working at all. My hair just gets hard and I end up pulling hair out in the comb. Also, when I rollerset it, my curls don't stay. I take the rollers out and within minutes, my entire head of hair is flat and straight.

In terms of what I have tried to do to fix it, I have used nexxus aloe rid shampoo which is clarifying and chelating, I have tried deep conditioning with heat, I have prepooed with oil over night with coconut oil, almond oil and I also used my hairveda oil. At this point, I really don't know what else to try. I am concerned because this is totally out of character for my head but it isn't breaking so

erplexed

If I can't get it back to normal, I think I will just have to cut it.

If you have any ideas of what is going on or any suggestions of things I could try, please let me know. Thanks Ladies.

anon123 · Oct 25, 2008

Could the different behavior be linked to a change in season / the weather.

ShiShiPooPoo · Oct 25, 2008

Could it be the water? Did they do something to your water system (like hard to soft or soft to hard)?

When I moved to ATL my hair was like that. It was the water and my hair soon adjusted.

gymfreak336 · Oct 25, 2008

mwedzi said:
Could the different behavior be linked to a change in season / the weather.

I don't know. My hair has never done this before. I keep it clipped up most days.

Auburn · Oct 25, 2008

Tried steaming? Bentonite clay is great so ive heard for cleansing.

Je Ne Sais Quoi · Oct 25, 2008

It sounds like you have a a layer of "something" on your hair from your description. Have you used anything out of the ordinary over the last few weeks?

gymfreak336 · Oct 25, 2008

ShiShiPooPoo said:
Could it be the water? Did they do something to your water system (like hard to soft or soft to hard)?

When I moved to ATL my hair was like that. It was the water and my hair soon adjusted.

I don't know. I don't think my water has changed but then again, it could have. Sistaslick suggested this to me too. If my water has changed I wonder when/how that could have happened.

gymfreak336 · Oct 25, 2008

Fabulousity said:
It sounds like you have a a layer of "something" on your hair from your description. Have you used anything out of the ordinary over the last few weeks?

Yes! That is what it feels like, a layer of something. The only thing I can think of that would have been different was a color rinse. I used one on relaxer day which was a while ago.

2inspireU · Oct 25, 2008

I would try a chelating shampoo.

Je Ne Sais Quoi · Oct 25, 2008

gymfreak336 said:
Yes! That is what it feels like, a layer of something. The only thing I can think of that would have been different was a color rinse. I used one on relaxer day which was a while ago.

But you clarified so it should remove everything right?

Was the rinse a new one that you've never tried before?

kblc06 · Oct 25, 2008

I think there are a few possibilities:
-Your hair needs clarifying or chelating due to build-up (which you've already done so this could be ruled out)

-Your hair's density has changed (the thickness of your strands). Thicker strands of hair mean that products aren't able to penetrate the shaft as deeply and the hair falls heavier due to the weight of the individual strands (if that makes sense)

-Your porosity is out of whack (which could be related to option 2)

-If your hair has gotten significantly longer, its needs may have changed due to the age of

-There's an internal change due to diet, vitamins, etcc

gymfreak336 · Oct 25, 2008

Fabulousity said:
But you clarified so it should remove everything right?

Was the rinse a new one that you've never tried before?

I have clarified and chelated more than once since then. This was a new rinse.

Auburn · Oct 25, 2008

kblc06 said:
I think there are a few possibilities:
-Your hair needs clarifying or chelating due to build-up (which you've already done so this could be ruled out)

-Your hair's density has changed (the thickness of your strands). Thicker strands of hair mean that products aren't able to penetrate the shaft as deeply and the hair falls heavier due to the weight of the individual strands (if that makes sense)

-Your porosity is out of whack (which could be related to option 2)

-If your hair has gotten significantly longer, its needs may have changed due to the age of

-There's an internal change due to diet, vitamins, etcc

Somewhat OT:
Just wondering, how can something you take effect existing strands?

me-T · Oct 25, 2008

bumping for the answer.

i might learn somethin here cause this case is weird.

anon123 · Oct 25, 2008

I'm still not sure, but I would encourage you not to cut it. Is it only the ends that feel this way? If it's the length of your hair, then you'd have to cut down to nothing, right? And if you don't know what's causing it, what's to stop the new hair that grows back from suffering from the same issue?

gymfreak336 · Oct 25, 2008

mwedzi said:
I'm still not sure, but I would encourage you not to cut it. Is it only the ends that feel this way? If it's the length of your hair, then you'd have to cut down to nothing, right? And if you don't know what's causing it, what's to stop the new hair that grows back from suffering from the same issue?

Its the whole length. You are right though, if I cut and it still does it again I will be heartbroken. I finally have decent length and I would be starting all over.

Brooklyn72 · Oct 25, 2008

I had this happen to the right side of my hair just recently. I tried all the above as well. I even cut my hair to SL length thinking that would help. Needless to say it didn't, so I don't suggest you do that. I decided that my moisture/protein balance was off...so I started to prepoo with ORS mayo and deep con with NTM daily moisture con and after 4 weeks, voila my hair was fixed.

clever · Oct 25, 2008

Try a regenal rinse.

destiny616 · Oct 25, 2008

hard water build up

MissMusic · Oct 25, 2008

It really does sound like the porosity is off, I would try an ACV rinse, followed by deep conditioning and see what happens.

Tamrin · Oct 25, 2008

Use baking soda to clarify.. Then do a DC with heat.

me-T · Oct 25, 2008

ElleDoll said:
Try a regenal rinse.

um... what's that? :look:

Auburn · Oct 25, 2008

OK...am I invisible?

likewtr4chklit · Oct 25, 2008

Auburn said:
OK...am I invisible?

LOL you're not invisible, it's just that everybody is racking their brains trying to crack this case. As for your question...I'm not sure how things taken internally can affect existing strands ( I don't think it can). I guess it would depend on how long the OP has been growing out her hair and when she made changes in her diet if any were made at all.

JustKiya · Oct 25, 2008

Hrm.

My first thought is porosity and/or pH. Have you tried an acidic rinse? Or a basic one, for that matter?

Do you usually use your color rinse within that short of a time period of your relaxer?

Do you live in an apartment complex (ie, does anyone else have access to your water system?) I ask that, because maybe they put something (softener?) in the water?

Have you started using a new detergent, and washed scarfs/pillowcases in it?

That's a weird one, gymfreak - I hope you don't have to cut your hair!

Auburn said:
Somewhat OT:
Just wondering, how can something you take effect existing strands?

Sometimes, I think that the scalp changes - and somehow that changes how the existing strands behave. Otherwise, it doesn't really make sense, even though I trust the word of those that it's happened to.....

I don't do pills, so I don't really have the personal experience (that was one bandwagon I hopped off of quickly.)

Auburn · Oct 25, 2008

likewtr4chklit said:
LOL you're not invisible, it's just that everybody is racking their brains trying to crack this case. As for your question...I'm not sure how things taken internally can affect existing strands ( I don't think it can). I guess it would depend on how long the OP has been growing out her hair and when she made changes in her diet if any were made at all.

Oh, just wondering.
I think I read in Iris's thread that L cystein can thicken existing strands.

metalkitty · Oct 25, 2008

I'm not sure but I get the feeling it might be a porosity problem.... If you're like me and you clarify, DC, moisturize, and protein when needed but your hair still feels weird or dry I think it's the porosity....

gymfreak336 · Oct 26, 2008

Longdayinthepark said:
Use babkin soda to clarify.. Then do a DC with heat.

JustKiya said:
Hrm.

My first thought is porosity and/or pH. Have you tried an acidic rinse? Or a basic one, for that matter?

Do you usually use your color rinse within that short of a time period of your relaxer?

Do you live in an apartment complex (ie, does anyone else have access to your water system?) I ask that, because maybe they put something (softener?) in the water?

Have you started using a new detergent, and washed scarfs/pillowcases in it?

That's a weird one, gymfreak - I hope you don't have to cut your hair!

I might have to try something more basic.....the baking soda would fit the bill. Maybe that can lift whatever is still there.

Kiya, I don't usually use a rinse right after I relax. I did it then to save time. Maybe that is part of the problem :wallbash:

I do live in an apartment so I am going to call them on monday and ask if they have changed anything.

kblc06 · Oct 26, 2008

Auburn said:
Somewhat OT:
Just wondering, how can something you take effect existing strands?

Hmm....I'm not really sure (certain proteins may be able to absorb and strengthen the strand), but I know for instance, that when you're practicing healthy internal & external habits, the difference between the health of the newer hair vs the older parts of the strands can lead to excessive tension and breakage; this has happened to me before and the new hair felt much thicker and slightly coarse :yep:

Irresistible · Oct 26, 2008

I have moved into a hard water area for over a year now and nothing like this has happened to my hair. Gymfreak (and you know this already I know you do)your hair could be reacting differently now to the protein use. When I had the most major protein build up situation of all the ones I have had, my hair just felt kinda hard, kinda clumpy , coated, kinda gunky just blah blah blah and dry, and just wouldnt respond or do anything no matter what I did, it took months of watching protein and just leaving it alone for it to return (quite a few months) of course there is no way for me to say thats what it is, just thinking that it's quite the possiblity

and if it is that, it might seem as though you will have to cut, I thought that for sure in my situation it was going to come to that, but I just bunned it everyday, it felt crappy every day too, but one day it just made a turn towards normal again

Chelating should have fixed any hard water issues, I cant figure out what else it could be , unless like others are saying its porosity

whatever it is, it can be fixed, youve already started the process of elimination, I'm sure you will find the exact culprit soon :yep:

Can you crack the case?

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