Lost my curl pattern | Advice needed | Newbie

[Pistachio Cake]

Hello blessed ladies!

I've finally decided to join this lovely site. I'm so happy there's still some activity in here. I've never joined a hair site before so I hope I'm posting in the correct forum and can get some help from you girlies! Long post ahead.

Now what's my problem?
I lost my curl pattern over a year ago, hair breakage and split ends. (Though the split ends have reduced by 97%. My hair continues to break like crazy.)

How?
I had been using several "hydrating shampoos" mixed with my DIY ACV mix as a prepoo. I left it to marinate on my head approximately 45min 2-3x in a week. I was also using some anti-dandruff shampoo to cleanse my scalp. So I was rotating shampoos.

What prompted this?
PRior to my terrible experience, let's say the beginning of 2025, I started out wanting to simplify my hair routine, figure it out by myself. I would shampoo my hair every 2-3 days and use Blue Magic + S-curl curl activator spray. Braid, unbraid my hair. That's it. Then I started looking up info online, learning about pH balance, clean scalp, hair massages, tucking in ends etc.

MY routine was working for me some months, then I suddenly had this urge that I wanted my hair to feel super super soft. I remembered that back in the days rose water+ACV+glycerin would do this trick for me. I fooloshly thought that mixing that to my shampoo would be a great idea as a prepoo. It was not. A year later and I'm still not seeing any curl in sight.

My hair became super gummy, I could pull one thread of hair and it would continue to stretch like there was no tomorrow. When wet, my hair would feel as if I had relaxed it but when dry it would make that incredible crunchy sound. My hair continued to LOOK like an afro but behave like doll hair.

CUrrently...
I've been able to reduce the unhealthy elasticity of my hair. It no longer has this endless stretch to it. I continue to wash my hair as often as possible so 3-6 times a week. I noticed that SLS shampoos exacerbate my issues, they make my hair feel flat, gummy, like rubber...so now I use Garnier Magic Charcoal and Black Seed oil. However, I noticed that the following 3 products will create some curl definition on some parts of my hair:
1.Olaplex 4 Shampoo
2.Shea Moisture shampoo
3.ORS replenishing conditioner.

BUT the little but of hope I get after using those problems doesn't last long. As soon as I leave the shower and comb my hair, it disappears. My routine is mainly washing my hair/scalp with Garnier shampoo and occassionaly I'll add some Blue Magic to my hair. Nothing more.

my first post and it's super long. I hope that it's clear enough for you and if not please do let me know. I want to make an appointment with a trichologist but it's above my budget. I also live in Western Europe of that matters.

Some pictures to show you what my situation looks like.

I'm looking for ideas here because now I just want to go balded bald and start over. It's been over a year of this. I can't even braid my hair as it looks 60 days old, there's no hold to it anymore.


UPDATE:
In this post are pictures of my hair currently.
You can see how "vague" my hair is in the plait I made. In the other post you can see my braids are defined, visible and clear even if the lines aren't super clean my hair acts normal vs what you see here. To me, I went from a type 4 hair to a type...???

 

[Chicoro]

@Pistachio Cake



You have posted in the right place. Some of us LOVE, long, detailed posts!

Hey
@Angel of the North and
@Lylddlebit
@snoop



@Pistachio Cake has some questions and needs some help with her hair!

 

[Chicoro]

@Pistachio Cake

Do you have photos to share with us of what your hair ‘used to’ look like? Perhaps the comparisons can give us some visual clues to better help you!

Thanks for posting and sharing your situation. It helps a lot of people.

 

[Pistachio Cake]

@Pistachio Cake

Do you have photos to share with us of what your hair ‘used to’ look like? Perhaps the comparisons can give us some visual clues to better help you!

Thanks for posting and sharing your situation. It helps a lot of people.

Thank you so much for the welcome ;-)
I'll be back at my place tomorrow and will add my before pictures.

 

[Crackers Phinn]

CUrrently...
I've been able to reduce the unhealthy elasticity of my hair. It no longer has this endless stretch to it. I continue to wash my hair as often as possible so 3-6 times a week. I noticed that SLS shampoos exacerbate my issues, they make my hair feel flat, gummy, like rubber...so now I use Garnier Magic Charcoal and Black Seed oil. However, I noticed that the following 3 products will create some curl definition on some parts of my hair:
1.Olaplex 4 Shampoo
2.Shea Moisture shampoo
3.ORS replenishing conditioner.

BUT the little but of hope I get after using those problems doesn't last long. As soon as I leave the shower and comb my hair, it disappears. My routine is mainly washing my hair/scalp with Garnier shampoo and occassionaly I'll add some Blue Magic to my hair. Nothing more.

Hi @Pistachio Cake

We have similar hair types and while what works for me may not be an exact fit I would suggest the following things based on the bolded above.

1. Reduce the number of times you wash your hair to 2-3 times per week and spritz your hair in between washings if it needs moisture. 3-6 times/week a lot of manipulation that could be leading to breakage which keeps your hair the same length.

2. If you want curl definition that is going to last you're going to need an extreme hold gel to keep it lasting past your hair drying.

3. Don't comb your hair. Either finger detangle or use a detangling brush to preserve the curl pattern. Combing will lead to frizz.

Hope this helps.

 

[Pistachio Cake]

HEre are pics of my hair before. The way my hair behaved for the past 30+ years. You can see the natural way my ends curled when braided. :-( the 3 first pictures was after I took out my braids. These pics were taken when I had been sticking to a regular routine of braiding my hair every 2-4 days. My hair was showing so much promiss in this moment smh.

@Crackers Phinn @Angel of the North @Chicoro

 

[Angel of the North]

Thank you so much for the welcome ;-)
I'll be back at my place tomorrow and will add my before pictures.

HEre are pics of my hair before. The way my hair behaved for the past 30+ years. You can see the natural way my ends curled when braided. :-( the 3 first pictures was after I took out my braids. These pics were taken when I had been sticking to a regular routine of braiding my hair every 2-4 days. My hair was showing so much promiss in this moment smh.

@Crackers Phinn @Angel of the North @Chicoro

I would agree that 4 -6 times a week is a lot, especially with the manipulation that comes with it. @Crackers Phinn has given you some good advice, I would see how you go with that, especially if you have similar hair types.

 

[Chicoro]

Those curls and braids are lovely @Pistachio Cake !

 

[Pistachio Cake]

Those curls and braids are lovely @Pistachio Cake !

Thanks!! I noticed that for my hair, it helps to retain length better this way and lessen the breakage of my crown area. I can't wait for my hair to look like that again

 

[Pistachio Cake]

Hi @Pistachio Cake

We have similar hair types and while what works for me may not be an exact fit I would suggest the following things based on the bolded above.

1. Reduce the number of times you wash your hair to 2-3 times per week and spritz your hair in between washings if it needs moisture. 3-6 times/week a lot of manipulation that could be leading to breakage which keeps your hair the same length.

2. If you want curl definition that is going to last you're going to need an extreme hold gel to keep it lasting past your hair drying.

3. Don't comb your hair. Either finger detangle or use a detangling brush to preserve the curl pattern. Combing will lead to frizz.

Hope this helps.

I'm going to work on that. At the moment the shampoo is really my only main consistent product. Occasionally I'll use thr Blue Magic or Cocoa Butter but alright.

Hmmm for gel? Would something like flaxseed be a good idea or best to go for something store-bought?

 

[Chicoro]

I'm going to work on that. At the moment the shampoo is really my only main consistent product. Occasionally I'll use thr Blue Magic or Cocoa Butter but alright.

Hmmm for gel? Would something like flaxseed be a good idea or best to go for something store-bought?

Please ensure you are using conditioner after every wash. Their is a chemistry to shampoo and conditioner. They work in tandem with one another as a complete unit. Using shampoo only can cause more harm than good.

 

[Crackers Phinn]

I'm going to work on that. At the moment the shampoo is really my only main consistent product. Occasionally I'll use thr Blue Magic or Cocoa Butter but alright.

Hmmm for gel? Would something like flaxseed be a good idea or best to go for something store-bought?

I find that oils, greases and butters just sit on my hair and make it frizzy. I can’t vouch for flaxseed gel because I’ve never tried it.

I use the max hold olive oil eco styler and add a few squirts of the got2be ultra glued gel for definition.

 

[Angel of the North]

@Pistachio Cake I edited my previous reply and deleted the last bit of my comment, I thought I was in a different thread and I mixed it up in my mind, but it was the right thread.

What I wrote was that, you should do a search on lost curl patterns, reversing heat damaged hair restoring curl pattern. Some people have had success reviving their hair. The main ways I've seen this demonstrated is by doing hard protein treatments like the Aphogee 2 step and doing regular DCs alternating between moisture and protein. I would personally always follow a protein treatment with a moisture DC in the same wash session.

I used to do a protein DC and follow it with a moisture DC in the same wash day, now I would just use a balancing DC which contains both protein and moisture. If I were trying to regain curl pattern, I would probably opt for doing separate DC. If you were to opt for 2 wash days per week, you could try alternating moisture and protein for each wash day.

 

[Pistachio Cake]

@Pistachio Cake I edited my previous reply and deleted the last bit of my comment, I thought I was in a different thread and I mixed it up in my mind, but it was the right thread.

What I wrote was that, you should do a search on lost curl patterns, reversing heat damaged hair restoring curl pattern. Some people have had success reviving their hair. The main ways I've seen this demonstrated is by doing hard protein treatments like the Aphogee 2 step and doing regular DCs alternating between moisture and protein. I would personally always follow a protein treatment with a moisture DC in the same wash session.

I used to do a protein DC and follow it with a moisture DC in the same wash day, now I would just use a balancing DC which contains both protein and moisture. If I were trying to regain curl pattern, I would probably opt for doing separate DC. If you were to opt for 2 wash days per week, you could try alternating moisture and protein for each wash day.

At first I did look those videos up and bought 2 shampoos claiming to be strengthening but at the time it only made my hair more elastic. My hair wouldn't stop stretching with the hydrolyzed silk, keratin etc. It seemed to only make matters worse. Hydration or even hair grease...just anything. I haven't tried Aphogee (yet). My hair's response really confused me then I tried another shampoo from Lidl (of all places lol) but one ingredient it had was collagen and I believe that helped with deminishing the stretchiness of my hair.

Now I think I can try some sort of keratin again.

What's interesting to me is how pre this disaster my hair HATED keratin with a passion. Anything "strengthening" would make my hair very stiff. So I stayed clear from those types of products. Now, my hair is so depleted it doesn't really matter it seems.

 

[GGsKin]

Hi @Pistachio Cake, the advise about using a protein treatment to try and re-establish the integrity and elasticity of your hair is where I would start. Whist not consistently required, protein also helps the hair to accept moisture. Based upon the description of your hair, one good treatment might be needed, following up with a hydrating/ moisturising conditioner- maybe adding steam, if you find it doesn’t work so well on it’s own.

I would also advise to find a good leave-in conditioner, and focus on using that regularly, rather than any more shampoo. Some good leave-ins I have found that work well on my (and others) coily texture are; Amika Hydro Rush, Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate, Adwoa Blue Tansy Leave-in. I’ve listed in order of looser consistency to thicker. I would apply any one of these individually (or layered runny to thick), generously and liberally. I also like the Doux Twist + Curl Cream as a moisturiser. Then perhaps a gel to seal that moisture in, until it’s time to wash again.

 

[Angel of the North]

At first I did look those videos up and bought 2 shampoos claiming to be strengthening but at the time it only made my hair more elastic. My hair wouldn't stop stretching with the hydrolyzed silk, keratin etc. It seemed to only make matters worse. Hydration or even hair grease...just anything. I haven't tried Aphogee (yet). My hair's response really confused me then I tried another shampoo from Lidl (of all places lol) but one ingredient it had was collagen and I believe that helped with deminishing the stretchiness of my hair.

Now I think I can try some sort of keratin again.

What's interesting to me is how pre this disaster my hair HATED keratin with a passion. Anything "strengthening" would make my hair very stiff. So I stayed clear from those types of products. Now, my hair is so depleted it doesn't really matter it seems.

It sounds like you have/had a serious case of moisture overload and that prior to this your hair was sensitive to certain proteins.

If you think the collagen is helping keep using it, you could look into products that contain the main ingredients that are currently working for you.

I highly recommend the Aphogee 2 step protein treatment, this is what I used for years before moving on to the Affirm 5 in 1 reconstructor. I made this change because I wanted to avoid any mess and stickiness that comes with the Aphogee, @Chicoro showed us how she whips the Aphogee into a cream (Luscious Healthy Ends 2026 thread), which avoids the issue and the product still works.

My hair likes the silk/keratin proteins, but I have to be careful as I can get protein overload very quickly especially with stronger proteins or ingredients that my hair responds to like proteins so I also avoid anything strengthening and rely mostly on my DCs to add protein or maintain a perfect moisture protein balance.

 

[Angel of the North]

Hi @Pistachio Cake, the advise about using a protein treatment to try and re-establish the integrity and elasticity of your hair is where I would start. Whist not consistently required, protein also helps the hair to accept moisture. Based upon the description of your hair, one good treatment might be needed, following up with a hydrating/ moisturising conditioner- maybe adding steam, if you find it doesn’t work so well on it’s own.

I agree that it's likely that a good heavier protein treatment would be helpful here. When I had moisture overload and my hair was like elastic bands, this is what helped me to get my hair back normal and healthy.

One treatment, followed by a moisture DC, I also added the Aphogee Green Tea leave in to my products, which I used with moisturising leave ins. I used the green tea leave in about 2 - 3 times a week, I'd check the elasticity on a shed hair every week and then give my hair whatever I felt it needed, if it was still too stretchy, I would use a protein DC, if it felt like it was too tight, I'd use a moisture DC.

I would also advise to find a good leave-in conditioner, and focus on using that regularly, rather than any more shampoo. Some good leave-ins I have found that work well on my (and others) coily texture are; Amika Hydro Rush, Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate, Adwoa Blue Tansy Leave-in. I’ve listed in order of looser consistency to thicker. I would apply any one of these individually (or layered runny to thick), generously and liberally. I also like the Doux Twist + Curl Cream as a moisturiser. Then perhaps a gel to seal that moisture in, until it’s time to wash again.

@Pistachio Cake That's good advice, leave ins are also helpful when trying to maintain the optimal moisture protein balance, check the ingredients to make sure they are exactly what you need or want for your hair's condition.

I'd also double check the ingredients of your styling products just to make sure there's nothing that could be adding to the moisture overload. I also second the Amika Hydra Rush, I've not used the others you mentioned, but I'm sure they're also great for maintaining hydration and moisture.

 

[GGsKin]

@Pistachio Cake, without knowing the specific ingredients of your shampoos, I don’t want to make any sweeping statements but reading back over your post, (and being an avid user of ACV in the early days of my natural hair journey) I know first hand how frequent use of ACV (among other things) played a part in messing with the integrity of my hair. What were your dilutions of ACV that you added to your shampoos? It’s easy to forget how acidic it can be in a solution. After some time, I realised that only a few drops were required, rather than spoonfuls (or more) that are often recommended by some.

After years of experimenting on myself, I am less likely to doctor up ready-made products these days, but I wouldn’t think that shampoo would require much tinkering, other than just diluting with water.

 

[Pistachio Cake]

@Pistachio Cake, without knowing the specific ingredients of your shampoos, I don’t want to make any sweeping statements but reading back over your post, (and being an avid user of ACV in the early days of my natural hair journey) I know first hand how frequent use of ACV (among other things) played a part in messing with the integrity of my hair. What were your dilutions of ACV that you added to your shampoos? It’s easy to forget how acidic it can be in a solution. After some time, I realised that only a few drops were required, rather than spoonfuls (or more) that are often recommended by some.

After years of experimenting on myself, I am less likely to doctor up ready-made products these days, but I wouldn’t think that shampoo would require much tinkering, other than just diluting with water.

I was just typing out my answer and then the page refreshed automatically...lemme start over...

About the ACV dilution. I used a 1L bottle and I believe the ACV was not more than 10%, the glycerin not more than 2-3%. The rest was rose/orange blossom water.

But let me try to go back a bit in my routine.

1. I bought the dark blue bottle Andrélon 4Men Shampoo do combat dandruff and smelly scalp. At first things seemed fine until I noticed that the dandruff wasn't really being destroyed. My hair would smell fresh after a wash but my hair also started feeling rubbery. The individual hair strands felt unpleasant between my fingers, I felt resistance.

Routine: At this point my routine was just shampooing my hair with Andrélon 4Men, rinse, S-curl, Blue Magic. Almost daily.5-7 a week.


Ingredients:
Aqua, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Chloride, Propylene Glycol, Parfum, Glycol Distearate, Dimethiconol, Phenoxyethanol, Piroctone Olamine, Dimethicone, Menthol, Carbomer, Sodium Salicylate, Citric Acid, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Cocamide MEA, Mica, Sodium Hydroxide, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil (Zonnebloemolie), Glycerin, TEA-Dodecylbenzenesulfonate, Sodium Benzoate, TEA-Sulfate, Laureth-23, Poloxamer 407, Glycine, Niacinamide (Vitamine B3), Taurine, Charcoal Powder (Houtskool), Mentha Piperita Leaf Extract (Pepermunt), PPG-6, Coumarin, Limonene, Linalool, CI 42090, CI 77891.


2. As I was learning more on the imporrance of a clean and healthy scalp I introduced TOPICREM pH 5 Shampoo into my life.
My hair would feel softer after a wash.

Ingredients:
INGREDIENTS: AQUA (WATER). GLYCERIN. SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE. SODIUM COCOAMPHOACETATE. PEG-200 HYDROGENATED GLYCERYL PALMATE. DIGLYCERIN. SODIUM CHLORIDE. CITRIC ACID. PEG-7 GLYCERYL COCOATE. SODIUM BENZOATE. PERFUME (FRAGRANCE)



Routine: still much the same, apply shampoo, S-curl, Blue Magic...I believe 3x a week not much more as I was also plaiting my hair in between.

I once accidentally forgot that I had shampoo on my head and when I rinsed my hair, it was sooooo incredibly soft. I thought I had unlocked some life changing secret to soft hair for life...

I would now start leaving in my shampoo for approx. 40-60min. I did this only with my TOPI 5pH shampoo. Then I'd rinse and proceed.

I also would at times rotate my shampoos, so Andrélon and Topic. However on those days I wasn't really prepooing with shampoo.

Nowww. A new thing I learned I believe was about hydrolyzed proteins. So again, I went ahead and bought the Skala shampoo...

Routine: This is also the moment where I decided to add my ACV mixture to my TOPICRem shampoo and would leave it on for 40-60min. Then I would rinse that out and THEN I'd do a 2nd rinse with the Skala shampoo.
After that, S-curl, Blue magic. Plait my hair 2-3x a week.

Ingredients Skala:
Aqua, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycol Distearate, Polyquaternium-10, PEG-90M, Parfum, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Hydrolyzed Corn Protein (and) Hydrolyzed Soy Protein (and) Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Porphyra Umbilicalis Extract (and) Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Ammonium Chloride, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Methylchloroisothiazolinone (and) Methylisothiazolinone, Citric Acid, Dissodium EDTA.


This routine didn't last long. I think I even mixed the ACV with the Skala once.

Then BOOM one day, my hair turned into literal gum. So that's how the ACV came into play and was used.

 

[Pistachio Cake]

It sounds like you have/had a serious case of moisture overload and that prior to this your hair was sensitive to certain proteins.

If you think the collagen is helping keep using it, you could look into products that contain the main ingredients that are currently working for you.

I highly recommend the Aphogee 2 step protein treatment, this is what I used for years before moving on to the Affirm 5 in 1 reconstructor. I made this change because I wanted to avoid any mess and stickiness that comes with the Aphogee, @Chicoro showed us how she whips the Aphogee into a cream (Luscious Healthy Ends 2026 thread), which avoids the issue and the product still works.

My hair likes the silk/keratin proteins, but I have to be careful as I can get protein overload very quickly especially with stronger proteins or ingredients that my hair responds to like proteins so I also avoid anything strengthening and rely mostly on my DCs to add protein or maintain a perfect moisture protein balance.

I finally ordered the Aphogee 2 step protein. It will be here next week.

 

[Pistachio Cake]

Update:

My current routine:

* Shampoo with ORS or Garnier. I now use my Garnier 1x a week and the ORS the remainder of the week.
* 1-2x a week I'll use the conditioner
I reluctantly started using conditioner. Why reluctantly? I don't like how it leaves some residue on my face. Anyways thanks to you ladies pointing out to me to use it!!

I've seen 2 major changes since I added the conditioner into my routine:
1. My fairy knots have been reduced even more to the point I barely have them. Perhaps 3 or so? I need to search for them now whereas prior to the conditioner they were allover the place.

2. My split ends. I can only find 2 per day now.

3. I do a final rinse with Aloe Vera. I don't use anything else to my hair at the moment. Maybe once a week I apply a tiny bit of the Blue magic but barely. Why? Simply because my hair feels rather soft like this already. I just kinda stopped using the bLue Magic.


Garnier

Botanic Therapy Balancing Shampoo Magnetic Charcoal.​

Ingredients:

Ingredients overview​

Aqua/Water, Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Chloride, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Nigella Sativa Seed Oil, Triethyl Citrate, Sodium Hydroxide, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Charcoal Powder, Citric Acid, Polyglycerin-10, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Benzoic Acid, Caramel, Linalool, Limonene, Benzyl Alcohol, Parfum/Fragrance


ORS Shampoo

ORS Olive Oil Sulfate-Free Hydrating Shampoo​

Ingredients:
Aqua Water , Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Disodium Cocoamphodiproprionate, Cocamide Mea, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Citric Peg-12 Dimethicone Hydoolyzed Wheat Protein, Cocos Nucifera Coconut Oil, Olea Europaea Olive Fruit Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Rosemary Leaf Extract, Mentha Piperita Peppermint Oil , Parfum Fragrance , Amyl Cinnamyl Benzyl Alcohol, Butylphenyl Methylproprional, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool, Disodium Edta, Phenoxyethanol , Benzoic Acid, Ethylhexyl, Glycerin, Glycereth- 2 Cocoate.

 

[Pistachio Cake]

Hi @Pistachio Cake

We have similar hair types and while what works for me may not be an exact fit I would suggest the following things based on the bolded above.

1. Reduce the number of times you wash your hair to 2-3 times per week and spritz your hair in between washings if it needs moisture. 3-6 times/week a lot of manipulation that could be leading to breakage which keeps your hair the same length.

2. If you want curl definition that is going to last you're going to need an extreme hold gel to keep it lasting past your hair drying.

3. Don't comb your hair. Either finger detangle or use a detangling brush to preserve the curl pattern. Combing will lead to frizz.

Hope this helps.

I actually tried to rinse my hair only or just spritz my hair with tea, I experimented with papaya leaf for a month I would shampoo maybe 2x a week.
The papaya leaf was good at lifting gunky sebum and making my hair soft but I prefer to shampoo it.

I wash it this often for several reasons.
My scalp gets smelly within 24hrs, I deal with dandruff, it helps me to combat neglecting my hair.
I used to barely touch my hair....it's been a journey for me. There was a moment in time where I simply wouldn't wash my hair just let the shower steam do its thing. My scalp condition was much the same.

 

[Angel of the North]

I was just typing out my answer and then the page refreshed automatically...lemme start over...

This happens so often, I find if I come out and go back into the thread, 8/10 what I've typed will still be there in the reply box.

About the ACV dilution. I used a 1L bottle and I believe the ACV was not more than 10%, the glycerin not more than 2-3%. The rest was rose/orange blossom water.

Maybe that concentration is still too strong for your hair? I would try it with 5%

But let me try to go back a bit in my routine.

1. I bought the dark blue bottle Andrélon 4Men Shampoo do combat dandruff and smelly scalp. At first things seemed fine until I noticed that the dandruff wasn't really being destroyed. My hair would smell fresh after a wash but my hair also started feeling rubbery. The individual hair strands felt unpleasant between my fingers, I felt resistance.

Routine: At this point my routine was just shampooing my hair with Andrélon 4Men, rinse, S-curl, Blue Magic. Almost daily.5-7 a week.
View attachment 509024

Ingredients:
Aqua, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Chloride, Propylene Glycol, Parfum, Glycol Distearate, Dimethiconol, Phenoxyethanol, Piroctone Olamine, Dimethicone, Menthol, Carbomer, Sodium Salicylate, Citric Acid, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Cocamide MEA, Mica, Sodium Hydroxide, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil (Zonnebloemolie), Glycerin, TEA-Dodecylbenzenesulfonate, Sodium Benzoate, TEA-Sulfate, Laureth-23, Poloxamer 407, Glycine, Niacinamide (Vitamine B3), Taurine, Charcoal Powder (Houtskool), Mentha Piperita Leaf Extract (Pepermunt), PPG-6, Coumarin, Limonene, Linalool, CI 42090, CI 77891.
View attachment 509026

2. As I was learning more on the imporrance of a clean and healthy scalp I introduced TOPICREM pH 5 Shampoo into my life.
My hair would feel softer after a wash.

Ingredients:
INGREDIENTS: AQUA (WATER). GLYCERIN. SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE. SODIUM COCOAMPHOACETATE. PEG-200 HYDROGENATED GLYCERYL PALMATE. DIGLYCERIN. SODIUM CHLORIDE. CITRIC ACID. PEG-7 GLYCERYL COCOATE. SODIUM BENZOATE. PERFUME (FRAGRANCE)
View attachment 509028


Routine: still much the same, apply shampoo, S-curl, Blue Magic...I believe 3x a week not much more as I was also plaiting my hair in between.

I once accidentally forgot that I had shampoo on my head and when I rinsed my hair, it was sooooo incredibly soft. I thought I had unlocked some life changing secret to soft hair for life...

I'm thinking if you don't already clarify, maybe add it into your regimen. As you're using grease, this could create build up over time, forgetting that the shampoo was in your hair would have given it the time to do its job and breakdown the products. Product buildup could be preventing your hair from getting the benefits of your moisturisers and leave ins.

I would now start leaving in my shampoo for approx. 40-60min. I did this only with my TOPI 5pH shampoo. Then I'd rinse and proceed.

Keep an eye on how it works for you, personally I wouldn't leave shampoo sitting in my hair for that long, it could start a whole other situation thats not needed. I leave shampoo in my hair for between 10 - 30 minutes maximum, and the 30 minutes would usually be if I'm pottering about doing stuff during wash routine.

I also would at times rotate my shampoos, so Andrélon and Topic. However on those days I wasn't really prepooing with shampoo.

Nowww. A new thing I learned I believe was about hydrolyzed proteins. So again, I went ahead and bought the Skala shampoo...

Routine: This is also the moment where I decided to add my ACV mixture to my TOPICRem shampoo and would leave it on for 40-60min. Then I would rinse that out and THEN I'd do a 2nd rinse with the Skala shampoo.
After that, S-curl, Blue magic. Plait my hair 2-3x a week.

Ingredients Skala:
Aqua, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycol Distearate, Polyquaternium-10, PEG-90M, Parfum, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Hydrolyzed Corn Protein (and) Hydrolyzed Soy Protein (and) Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Porphyra Umbilicalis Extract (and) Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Ammonium Chloride, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Methylchloroisothiazolinone (and) Methylisothiazolinone, Citric Acid, Dissodium EDTA.
View attachment 509030

I am surprised by the Skala shampoo ingredients, their conditioners are sulfate, paraben, mineral oil and silicone free.

This routine didn't last long. I think I even mixed the ACV with the Skala once.

Then BOOM one day, my hair turned into literal gum. So that's how the ACV came into play and was used.

Sounds like proteins might be helpful for this. I can't remember if I've asked you this already, have you thought about trying sulphate free shampoos? The sulphate could be over stripping your scalp and contributing to or causing the dandruff. Have you considered going cone free with your conditioners? Cones can cause build up and dryness too for some.

 

[Angel of the North]

Update:

My current routine:

* Shampoo with ORS or Garnier. I now use my Garnier 1x a week and the ORS the remainder of the week.
* 1-2x a week I'll use the conditioner
I reluctantly started using conditioner. Why reluctantly? I don't like how it leaves some residue on my face. Anyways thanks to you ladies pointing out to me to use it!!

ORS is quite a gentle shampoo, it cleanses well without stripping the scalp and hair, thst a great choice.

I've seen 2 major changes since I added the conditioner into my routine:
1. My fairy knots have been reduced even more to the point I barely have them. Perhaps 3 or so? I need to search for them now whereas prior to the conditioner they were allover the place.

2. My split ends. I can only find 2 per day now.

Conditioner is your friend by the sounds of it, you are definitely reaping the rewards. The more you use it the sofer your hair should get, your moisture retention should improve and detangling should be less effort.

3. I do a final rinse with Aloe Vera. I don't use anything else to my hair at the moment. Maybe once a week I apply a tiny bit of the Blue magic but barely. Why? Simply because my hair feels rather soft like this already. I just kinda stopped using the bLue Magic.

The aloe vera will also be helping with moisture retention and softness too. The Blue Magic works well for many people for their scalp and to seal in moisture, I find it too thick and sticky, I used 2 or 3 hair grease over the years, All ways Supergrow, Dax Supergro and there was another one that contained Indian hemp, I think they had two variations of it but for the life of me I can't remember the brand, it may well have been discontinued by now.

Garnier

Botanic Therapy Balancing Shampoo Magnetic Charcoal.​

Ingredients:

Ingredients overview​

Aqua/Water, Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Chloride, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Nigella Sativa Seed Oil, Triethyl Citrate, Sodium Hydroxide, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Charcoal Powder, Citric Acid, Polyglycerin-10, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Benzoic Acid, Caramel, Linalool, Limonene, Benzyl Alcohol, Parfum/Fragrance


ORS Shampoo

ORS Olive Oil Sulfate-Free Hydrating Shampoo​

Ingredients:
Aqua Water , Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Disodium Cocoamphodiproprionate, Cocamide Mea, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Citric Peg-12 Dimethicone Hydoolyzed Wheat Protein, Cocos Nucifera Coconut Oil, Olea Europaea Olive Fruit Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Rosemary Leaf Extract, Mentha Piperita Peppermint Oil , Parfum Fragrance , Amyl Cinnamyl Benzyl Alcohol, Butylphenyl Methylproprional, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool, Disodium Edta, Phenoxyethanol , Benzoic Acid, Ethylhexyl, Glycerin, Glycereth- 2 Cocoate.

Both of these at a glance don't seem to contain harsher sulphates, my guess is that this is also helping with the moisture retention and softness.

Have you noticed any improvement with your curl pattern? Just to clarify,.is your hair still experiencing moisture overload? Hopefully the Aphogee 2 step will help with that if you are. I think ot may have been mentioned in this thread, possibly another but I'll say it again just in case, @Chicoro has a great video that shows you how to whip the 2 step treatment, it's definitely the way forward with the 2 step treatment.