Hair breakage please help

[cutebajangirl]

hey guys,
I have really learned a lot from all of you guys, and I really need your help. My problem is this: when I wash my hair it get's very tangled and it sticks together (for lack of a better descriptive word, and it feels like straw no conditioner I have tried seems to work (except for humectres-somewhat). My hair is relaxed 4a/4b with a 2A patch on the crown.
Here is what I've been doing:
prewash with Olive Oil Light for sauteeing
Wash 2x with Keracare detangling shampoo
Condition (deep)with humectress or mizani or humecto (30-40 with or without heat),mizani worked really well in the past but now I can't find it.)
Instant condition with Infusium 23 revitalizing conditioner for 2 minutes.
Spray mixture of 1:1 infusium 23 and ORS Nature's shine.
Try to rollerset at this point too much hair is coming out in the comb so I pull into a ponytail and dry it from there.
When it is dry it is usually frizzy

or if I tie my head with a scarf it is plastered to my head

and when I try to comb it to make it look decent, hair still breaks off and pops out. And it is not shedding because there is no bulbs.

Here is a list of all the products I have:
Shampoo: Keracare detangling , Nioxin Bionutrient 1c
Conditioner Moisturizing: Nexxus Humectress, Keracare Humecto, Mizani Moisterfuse(chemical), LUST
Conditioner (protein): Fiberguard Sustenance Fortyfying, Affrirm 5 in 1, Miss key 10 y 1, ORS hair mayonaisse,
Hard core protein: Keracre superreconstructor
Leave-in's etc: motions foaming wrap, Keracare settign lotion, dudley's styling foam.
Hair dressings etc: ORS Nature's Shine, Elasta QP recovery oil moisterizer, optimum care featherlight hairdress, Dudley's oil sheen.

 

[Tracy]

Hey CBG

Okay I'm sure other people will come up with more suggestions but....

1. Consider losing the Infusium Leave In - on some it can make the hair dry and brittle. It's got some protein in it and some people can't take that in a leave in.

2. NEVER try to comb airdried relaxed hair. Once you decide to airdry it you really shouldn't try to manipulate it much at all until it's wet again.

Sounds like you need a conditioner (and a leave in) with some slip. Here are some of my favs....

Conditioners:
Elucence MB
Feria Color Mositurizing Treatment
Pantene DMR
LUST (which really isn't a protein conditioner IMO - but I could be wrong)
Mane n Tail

And for leave ins - keep it simple. Try mixing any of the above with water. you may want to eliminate some product which leads me to...

3. Product Build up can cause post wash breakage. Too many conditioners or the wrong combos can wreak havoc and make breakage inevitable. Trying paring things down some and see what happens...I'm saying you ARE using too much now, but it MIGHT just be too much for YOUR hair. Or again, the wrong combos...

4. If Keracare has SLS or SLES your hair could be reacting to the detergents in your shampoos - try using one without it or diluting the Karacare with water (maybe even distilled? For some that made a huge difference, I haven't tried it yet but it could be worth a shot) - add about 3 ounces of water to about 5 ounces of shampoo to make an 8ox diluted version of what you already love.

 

[TsAngel]

When you detangle your hair what type of comb are you using?
In your Leave-in spray mixture, have you thought about cutting it/adding some distilled water to it? I'm not familiar with the ORS Nature Shine but it sounds like a serum and not much is needed to do it's job.

In reading your post, you state that you use an instant conditioner after your deep conditioner. In my opinion, the dc's that you mention are very moisturizing and there's no need to use an instant.

Right of the top of my head, I'd suggest using a wide tooth comb for detangling. (Many of us use a shower comb that you can get from Sally's for $1.50-$1.99. They only come in pastel colors and the handle curves like a hook. I use mine anytime I want to comb.) Do your hot oil treatment, shampoo, deep condition, rinse, leave-in conditioner, a little serum(Nature's Shine) concentrating on the ends of your hair, put about a nickle or quarter size of olive oil in the palm of your hands, rub hands together, and rub thru your hair carefully. Now, use your wide tooth comb to detangle.

A tip to remember when setting is that your hair should be soaking wet during the rolling process. Setting lotion is optional. I, personally, don't use one.

One last question, how often do you use protein conditioners?

TsAngel

 

[cutebajangirl]

Thank you tracy and TS Angel,
I use protein conditioners 1x a month the last time I used (Keracre superreconstructor) followed by Affirm 5 in1 and then Humecto. I use a conair shower comb.It is pastel pink i think it is the same one you were mentioning TS Angel (bc I saw it at Sally's too.) The ORS Nature SHine is a spray oil that I am begining to think is a glosser for people with dreds and natural hair, not necessarily a hair oil (I don't know if I am explaining myself right). It is very light (lighter than keracre essential oils which I've used in the past). I actually just mixed the keracre shampoo with brita purified not distilled h20. Is this okay ? When I roller set I use a small yellow comb with a rat tail on the end, to get the hair smooth on the roller. Also I have been using mild dudley's or Fiberguard relaxers for the last 2 years. Any other suggestions anyone ?

 

[Chichi]

Hi cutebajangirl

,

Sorry to hear about your hair woes... Are you taking MSM as part of your vitamin regimine? I just read yesterday that it reduces or stops shedding. Wrapping is also a culprit. Too much is a no no

. We have started a braidout 24/7 challenge on another thread. Why not join us?

Hope this helps. Good luck.

Chichi

 

[sweetcocoa]

I also think you have product buildup. Try doing a good clarifying then cut back on the number of products. Sometimes less is best. Keep it simple.

 

[TsAngel]

Cutebajangirl, those rattail combs or small tooth combs scare me. I set my hair frequently and still use the large comb w/success. I still achieve a smooth set. "I'm trying to keep my hair by any means necessary."

But I'm sure other don't have an issue with the rattail combs.

I, also, agree w/Tracy and Sweetcocoa on the build up issue. I'd try adding a tbls of bakingsoda in the keracare shampoo and water mix. Or, if you want, you can purchase a clarifying shanpoo.

Keep us posted.

TsAngel

 

[Tracy]

And I just wanted to add two things:

1. I meant to say I'm NOT saying you are using too much right now...but try...

and

2. I know it may seem like it's prolong the misery (and I know that's scary) but try and see if you can change one or two things per wash that people have suggested to see if you can pinpoint what's causing the problem so you know what to do immediately if it happens again....

If you change everything at once, even if things get better instantly (which they may or may not) you'll never quite know what the problem was...

 

[cutebajangirl]

I think I will have to try and find a clarifying shampoo, I have PM Shampoo Two and it says it is deep cleansing on the bottle. Is this claryifying enough? If so I'll try it tonight. Thanks so much. Another thing my hair feels so weak, when it is not dry, it feels like super soft and just there.

 

[Peachtree]

Hi Cutebajangirl

Just wanna add my lil 2 cents...

1) Lose the Motions Foaming wrap lotion. In my experience, this dried my hair a bit too much. U probably have already noticed the "sticky" texture of it on your fingers... just imagine what it's doing to your hair...

2) Try replacing your pretreat olive oil with Alberto VO5 *Shower Works Moisturizing*. Although the instructions say there's no need to warm it (the steam from the shower is supposed to be enough heat), I warm it anyway.

. Don't get me wrong, (extra virgin) olive oil is wonderful & I still occasionally use it, but it does not "penetrate" my hair as well as the VO5 does. Give it a try to see if it'll work for u.

.

 

[Armyqt]

Adding .02 more cents.....

I'm gonna cosign with Tracy and sweetcocoa on the product buildup. I think that;s what's going on. Until you find a clarifying shampoo, dilute 2 tbps ACV with 2 quarts distilled water and use that as a rinse right before your conditioner. That willhelp remove build-up. Also, hard water could be a problem. You may want to look into distilled water for your final rinses. Check it out. Ya never know.

I also agree with peachtree. Ditch the Motions Foaming wrap. It does dry the hair out pretty bad.

On a last note...all Olive Oils are not created equal. The one that everyone here uses, is Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It's different than the light one. Olive oil, amongst other oils, is very beneficial to the hair and I highly doubt that it is the culprit. Good luck and happy hair growing.

 

[marabou1]

Yes, I also agree with the other ladies.

Definitely sounds like product build-up, and also the
Infusium.

My hair is a 4b and the Infusium made it very, very dry!

I highly recommend putting extra virgin olive oil in your hair right before you add a conditioner for a deep conditioning. The oil mixed in with the conditioner is what really did the trick for my dry hair.

Maybe you should try using Pantene's Daily Moisture Renewal. Crysdon suggested I give it a try, and although it's almost the same, I LOVE it much better than the S&S. It gives much more moisture to my dry 4b hair. When I'm doing a protein treatment, I do the oil thing with ORS hair mayo.

 

[cutebajangirl]

Thanks so much guys, last night I washed with the PM Shampoo Two and conditioned with Nexxus Humectress (overnight- I got lazy and went to bed) and when I washed it out this morning I ended up airdrying it and in the whole process I only lost 2 shed hairs and 6 breakage strands which is a sever decrease so I think the clarifying shampoo really helped. My olive oil is extra virgin and I threw out the Motions foam wrap (it was very sticky) and I will get the VO5 Shower moisterizing etc to try (they have a sale on it at Rite Aid. Thanks so much. I'm also thinking about buying shea butter and essential oils and creating my own grease to replace the optimum with mineral oil.And marabou I'll try the oil and pantene thing when I get my free samples.
CBG

 

[Peachtree]

Wonderful news

 

[Chipmunk]

Bumping for Marcia16

 

[Armyqt]

Great to see everything worked out for you

 

[cutebajangirl]

Thanks for bumping, Since then I've been excercizing alot, and so washing quite frequently and airdrying with great results.As long as I keep the Infusium out of my hair it dries soft and I spray the ORS Nature's Shine throught and it stays soft and maybe like 2 strands a day of breakage.
CBG
PS Today I brought one of the new (for me) Profectiv products. It is a coral color and says somethingwith mega moisturzing on the bottle and so far I washed and rollerset and it works great. I'll see how it holds up tomorrow and Wednesday.