Advice for a newbie with crunchy hair?

[Silver]

Hello all

I just subscribed a few days ago, and I've been lurking for about 1 month. I hope subscribing will help me find advice, or I can see some pics and find a hair twin. I am natural 4a and 4b. I have had what I consider long hair before, but it broke off from a perm my mom did that left hair sticking to my scalp and b/c of me not taking care of it. But this was many years ago. Right now I get a lot of breakage. Little 1 cm long pieces of my ends break off during every hour. I am unable to show pics of my hair right now because it's in braids. I think something that will help stop this breakage is to get rid of my crunchiness.

I have no regime as yet. But after I wash and deep condition, my hair feels so soft, but as soon as it dries, it turns crunchy, and I can hear it crunching and can barely get a comb through. I do use leave in, but once my hair is dry it's too late to do anything with it. I have to braid, and can't even wear it "out". I get a lot of breakage just by touching it a little.

Is it the deep conditioner that's suppose to prevent the dryness/crunch? Or the leave in?

Are there any products you would recommend? I may have them and not be using them properly, and I'm a PJ and ok with it, so I'm willing to purchase to try.


Thank you

 

[♦K.O♦]

What products are you currently using?

 

[Silver]

I switch between a lot of products. In my family we don't stay loyal, just buy whatever when we see it. I have used Ojon products the most so far. It made my hair feel great until it dried. I have keracare shampoo and conditioner, but I have the same problem with those. I also use Blended Beauty happy nappy and miss jessies curly pudding. As a regular leave in shoft sheen, profective, or motions. (And I will admit I use different hair oils sometimes African gold etc). I have alot of other products, but used them once and there was no huge improvement.


Thank you

 

[simone103]

You should try a chelating shampoo like Kenra Clarifying Shampoo or Redken Hair Cleansing Cream. Both of these shampoos not only clarify the hair of product buildup but they also remove hard water mineral deposits - plus I find that these types of shampoos are not quite as stripping as a regular clarifying shampoo.

 

[Blessed_Angel]

Are you airdrying your hair? That is the only time my hair gets crunchy? Please specify step by step what you do to your hair? Do you go to the salon? How does it feel when you go? Braids is the best option for you right now, but at the same time, you'll need to experiment in order to find a regimen. Because it will be better for your hair to stick to one set of products, instead of switching up often.

And next time you get a relaxer, only have a professional do it; I learned that the hard way too. I lost a whole head of hair because I was doing my own relaxer. I won't do that again!

 

[Silver]

Yes I was airdrying alot. I have lots of hair (in number), so my arms actually get tired while blow drying my hair, or sometimes I just can't get my roots dry. Usually I would shampoo and then condition with Ojon. Then I put a leave in cream in my hair and blow dry or braid. I also put a hair oil after the blow dry. I recently tried deep conditioning after reading posts on this site (I have a heating cap). But I got the same results when air dried or blow dried. While blow drying my hair I lose more pieces of hair than combing or washing. That's another reason why I don't do it sometimes.

 

[Blessed_Angel]

Did you put a heat protectant on your hair when you blowdried your hair? And did you use a ceramic blow dryer, that will decrease the amount of damage to your hair?

When you take out your braids, you should practice rollersetting. I don't like using heat on my hair, so that is what I've been doing. My hair looks just as good as when I go to the salon. It took me a little while to get it; but I did pay very close attention to the stylist when I got my wash n set. Your hair obviously doesn't need any heat...so in the meantime, you can either get a wash n set and then a wrap. Do not let them blowdry! Or if you wash at home, you may want to invest in a hooded dryer (I bought one years ago), so that when you know how to rollerset, you can do it right. I hardly apply heat to my hair at all, and I want to keep it that way. I don't want any breakage and I am working on stopping my shedding.

Hope this helps you.

 

[Silver]

Yes this info does help me. I don't use heat protectants but my creams say they protect against heat as well, my blow dry is an ion blow dryer that gets really hot. I will definitely try a rollerset. My sister just broke our Babyliss last week (she has long permed hair, different texture when natural than mine, she uses it just to dry her hair). I've only used it about 5 times before. I will ask my mom to buy us all a new one. I don't get my washes done at a salon or hairdresser anymore because they never believe me before I tell them how thick and unmanageable my hair is, so they underestimate what needs to be done and how long it takes.

Thanks!!