Need Routine Help!!

wannabewavy

Hey ladies! My hair is in desperate need of some help. I am a 2a/2b with low to medium texture (depending on the strand you test) and low to medium porosity. Plus I have lots of it! The length is a good inch or two longer now. Here's a couple of pics from 2-3 months ago:




Anyway, my hair overall seems to be liking the mod-CG method I'm now using (breakage is my main issue), but my scalp is in horrific condition!

Hair Loves: soft, more curls than I thought I had, just starting to tame the frizz

Hair Frustrations: lots of breakage, lots of damage at the ends due to highlights last summer, still lots of frizz, hair comes out in handfuls in the shower

Scalp Issues: Warning! This is kind of gross! I have a grouping of large sores near the back of the crown that I initially thought were zits from my oily scalp transitioning period (popped one morning with some white stuff). I thought maybe I was so-washing too often, but on days I don't I end up with crusty hair and scalp all around the affected area that is painfully itchy. Could my routine be causing these issues?

My Current Routine
Co-Wash: Suave Coconut
Conditioner: HE Hello Hydration
Leave-In: Suave Coconut - very litte just on the ends where the damage is
Gel: LaBella Lots of Curls, L.A. Looks Mega Hold (green stuff)

I only air dry since any amount of diffusing/blow-drying causes my hair to frizz really bad. I use whatever gel my mood fancies that day, but here lately it's been the L.A. Looks. I don't notice a ton of difference between the two.

The 'cones in the conditioner don't seem to negatively affect my hair, and if there is build-up, it is so little that my ACV rinse (once every 5-10 days) is taking care of it. I started the ACV rinse to help combat the effects of our extremely hard water. (We plan to purchase and install a whole house water softener as soon as we have the funds to do so.)

If I'm reading through the site correctly, I'm thinking it's the protein in the coconut that is causing the hairloss/breakage issues. Does that sound right? Anything else I can do to get my hair and more importantly my scalp in better condition?

WurlyLox

Although I haven't had pimples on the scalp itself, Suave causes them around my hairline, and my hair truly hates the stuff. It just does horrible with it - terrible frizz no matter what else I use with it. It's not the bit of protein it has from coconut, because my hair loves the protein from Aubrey Organics GPB conditioner and doesn't mind it in my Gioivanni products. Fine, thin hair usually benefits from protein. The breakage you're seeing is probably just from dry ends from the old highlights and old pre-CG damage.

I'd first try co-washing with something else. I like Giovanni Tea Tree Triple Treat conditioner (and shampoo) for my seborrheic dermatitis - dry, flaky, scaly, sometimes raw, weepy spots, but not pimples. However, tea tree oil is also good for acne and has natural antibacterial properties, so it would probably help you.

Keep your hands off them and don't pick at them, or you could get them infected. Then you'd probably have to be worrying about hair loss in that spot. If this doesn't resolve soon, you may need to see a dermatologist, although in my experience, they'll prescribe some shampoo with sulfates, which, as it turns out, was one of my biggest problems :dontknow:

You might also consider trying some other rinse-out conditioner to see if something about the HE Hydration is contributing to the frizzies, although I bet at lot of that can be attributed to the Suave Coconut.

If you are only combing or brushing in the shower when your hair's wet, the hair loss you see then is probably perfectly normal - we all supposedly lose 100-150 hairs a day and most of yours aren't released until you comb them out then. Most of us lose a lot then, and the length makes it seem like even more.

According to Tiffany/Struttswife (a Deva stylist who's a member here), you shouldn't do ACV rinses more than once a week. Check out her blog at www.livecurlylivefree.com for lots of good info to help you troubleshoot your issues.

AngularScience

Maybe you aren't rinsing out properly and the leftover scalp cells are collecting and causing the pimples? I think you might want to try something scrubby in your hair. Someone on the board says they use a type of coarse sugar in with their CO wash to exfoliate the scalp. Hopefully that person will chime in with additional details.

whatsercurl

I've done the brown sugar or demararra scrub many times. But I wouldn't try that on open sores.

To the OP: have you ruled out an allergic reaction to any of your products? Do you have a history of any skin allergies or issues? I get something similar from metal allergies on my skin, incredibly itchy and open, weeping sores.

I agree with auntnett, if you hair is fine or medium it's unlikely you're seeing breakage from protein. In fact, it may be because, in addition to previous damage, you're not getting enough protein.

wannabewavy

Thanks everyone for your replies! I have been reading but have had no time to respond until now.

auntnett...Thanks for the heads up on Suave. I have only a couple of applications left with my bottle and will be trying out a new brand.

Thanks for the clarification on the protein. I had it reversed in my mind.

AngularScience...I really feel like I'm getting rinsed good, but I'll pay even more attention to make sure I actually am. Righ now I'm using a scalp brush to help with scrubbing, just not on the affected area. Ouch!

whatsercurl...I've never had any trouble with reactions to products like this before. I do have what is considered a slight allergy to the sun and am very susceptible to burning (burn in the shade), and I have a reaction to the adhesive on most bandaids.

I searched everywhere around here for the GTTTT condish and nobody had it. I plan on ordering some online, but seeing as how I'm basically out of the Suave, I needed something ASAP. I picked up some e.sen.cia hydrating conditioner since the ingredient list looked safe and it will be free after mail-in rebate! Here's the ingredient list:

Purified Water, USP, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Dicetydimoniun Chloride, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A), Panthenol (ProVitamin B5), Ascorbic Acid (VItamin C), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Santalum Album (Sandalwood) Extract, Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract, Hordeum Distichon (Barley) Extract, Humulus Lupulus (Hops) Extract, Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Extract, Equiselum Hiemale Extract, Salvia Sclarea (Claryl) Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam)Seed Oil, Jasmine Officinale (Jasmine) Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme) Oil, Zingiber Officinate (Ginger) Root Oil, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Polyquaternium-7, Ceteareth-20, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Ethythexylglycerin, Phenoxyethenol, Fragrance

Bath & Body Works has Protein Rx in their Fekkai Hair Care line that I'm tempted to try, but at $23 a bottle, I'd prefer to find something cheaper.

Anyway, I can't wait to try out the e.sen.cia and be able to order the GTTTT come payday!