help =(

afrochick

My hair refuses to retain moisture unless it is in twists. My hair is feeling better 3 months after my protein overload but it is still not itself. Has anyone gone through this and found a solution that works for them or anything that has improved their hair? should i cowash everyday instead of every other day? No matter if I apply oil or styling products for sealing, my hair feels like straw by the end of the day if I do a wash and go.
I've read so many suggestions but few success stories....

afrosheenqueen

Maybe your products need revamping? What are you using?

Greatcurls

What suggestions have you read? What products do you use and what is your hair routine?

afrochick

Right now i'm cowashing with aussie moist about every 2 or 3 days. I shampoo once week (alternating between a sulfate poo and low poo). After I wash, I use suave naturals as a leave in and seal with an oil and put my hair in 5 or 6 twists. I also dt once a week with a dominican conditioner (crecepelo). Ive done 2 wash and goes this week with LA Looks gel and my hair wasnt as dry as it usually gets with wash n goes but it was still pretty dry within a few hours.

afrosheenqueen

If I were you Afro, I would start by looking for a better conditioner to leave-in. Some of these drugstore brands are really light on the conditioning ingredients people need. Try Garnier Pure Clean conditioner as a leave-in. Another good leave-in is Alba Botanticals leave-in at Whole Foods. Very nice when you add a little oil to it.

When hair is conditioned it loses that dry feeling. This is where I would start.

You may try experimenting using silicone-free conditioners as well. I loved 'cones for a long time but the harsh wash to get them out and the little moisture I was getting in return was not good long term. My dryness issues virtually disappeared when I stopped using them daily. I still use them every once in a while though.

Reeky

afrosheenqueen wrote: »

If I were you Afro, I would start by looking for a better conditioner to leave-in. Some of these drugstore brands are really light on the conditioning ingredients people need. Try Garnier Pure Clean conditioner as a leave-in. Another good leave-in is Alba Botanticals leave-in at Whole Foods. Very nice when you add a little oil to it.

When hair is conditioned it loses that dry feeling. This is where I would start.

You may try experimenting using silicone-free conditioners as well. I loved 'cones for a long time but the harsh wash to get them out and the little moisture I was getting in return was not good long term. My dryness issues virtually disappeared when I stopped using them daily. I still use them every once in a while though.

She said it! remember cones will make your hair feel and look good but dont actually condition it.. so if youre feeling dry id grab a richer (cone free) conditioner and use that till your hair is feeling better, then reach for the cones occasionally.
Like, I wash 2x's weekly and ill sometimes use the aussie moist for my midweek wash but I still deep condition with a silicone free one on the weekend.

Yes to cucumbers is also a good drugstore leave in, though its light.. its all moisture & will get the job done!

afrochick

I think you are definitely right about trying to find a new leave in. Suave naturals doesn't do much to my hair so I will try the garnier. Also, I can't seem to find a conditioner with good enough slip that is protein free and inexpensive. I really can't afford to buy a conditioner that is expensive. I also LOVE aussie moist and it is so hard for me to part with it. Every time a try a different cone free conditioner I end up going back to it....

afrocheenqueen: you said your dryness problems went away after you stopped using cones daily. how long did it take before you saw improvements?

afrosheenqueen

afrochick wrote: »

afrocheenqueen: you said your dryness problems went away after you stopped using cones daily. how long did it take before you saw improvements?

It was fall/winter time when I experimented and I would say it was immediate. At least a couple of wash and goes. Summer time doesn't cause much of a problem with cones for me because of the humidity. My hair was still getting moisture from the air at least.

I also found a great moisturizer to couple with my leave in. I know you say money is tight but if you can try some out. I like Mozeke. It's reasonably priced and is concentrated so it lasts a long time.

My hair was much better at retaining moisture and I don't have really use such harsh shampoos anymore.

afrosheenqueen

Reeky wrote: »

afrosheenqueen wrote: »

If I were you Afro, I would start by looking for a better conditioner to leave-in. Some of these drugstore brands are really light on the conditioning ingredients people need. Try Garnier Pure Clean conditioner as a leave-in. Another good leave-in is Alba Botanticals leave-in at Whole Foods. Very nice when you add a little oil to it.

When hair is conditioned it loses that dry feeling. This is where I would start.

You may try experimenting using silicone-free conditioners as well. I loved 'cones for a long time but the harsh wash to get them out and the little moisture I was getting in return was not good long term. My dryness issues virtually disappeared when I stopped using them daily. I still use them every once in a while though.

She said it! remember cones will make your hair feel and look good but dont actually condition it.. so if youre feeling dry id grab a richer (cone free) conditioner and use that till your hair is feeling better, then reach for the cones occasionally.
Like, I wash 2x's weekly and ill sometimes use the aussie moist for my midweek wash but I still deep condition with a silicone free one on the weekend.

Yes to cucumbers is also a good drugstore leave in, though its light.. its all moisture & will get the job done!

Oh yes! love the Yes To Cucumbers one too. Very good slip.

afrochick

thank you for the suggestions! i will experiment some more and see what happens.

System

I know I'm late to the conversation, but I'd like to also suggest that maybe you look into a different gel. LA Looks made my hair feel like straw.

afrochick

LA looks gel makes my hair feel stick and hard. I bought it because I thought it was protein free but I realized the one I bought had keratin amino acids. I want to find a cheap protein free gel that also has strong hold.

Update: I haven't used cones for the last week or so and my hair is feeling much more moisturized and elastic. I'm using the Garnier Triple Nutrition conditioner which does not have great slip but it does the job ok. My hair isn't completely back to normal yet but I am confident it will because I'm starting to see real results. Now to find a gel that can replace my amazing ecostyler....

3c4d7zwhatevs

afrochick wrote: »

LA looks gel makes my hair feel stick and hard. I bought it because I thought it was protein free but I realized the one I bought had keratin amino acids. I want to find a cheap protein free gel that also has strong hold.

Update: I haven't used cones for the last week or so and my hair is feeling much more moisturized and elastic. I'm using the Garnier Triple Nutrition conditioner which does not have great slip but it does the job ok. My hair isn't completely back to normal yet but I am confident it will because I'm starting to see real results. Now to find a gel that can replace my amazing ecostyler....

Why would you have to replace the Ecostyler?

I realize you said you are looking for a protein-free gel, but if you are starting to see results from upping your moisture, I would give it a try again, or mix it with a moisturizing conditioner before you apply (there is a recipe on here (4a section) somewhere for an "eco-custard" with conditioner and oil). This might take care of that har, dry feeling. That feeling is caused by a poor moisture-protein balance, and it sounds like you are making some headway in restoring that balance.

Just a thought.

afrochick

I was thinking about trying ecostyler again but I'm scared that my hair hasn't recovered enough. I think I'm going to wait a week or two and then go for it.

LuvinCurls80

Hi Afro, protein-free ones that I love are biotera from sallys, Aussie instant freeze and LA looks nutra curl (LA looks can get picky sometimes).

HTH :-)