ALL YOU PEOPLE WITH VERY DRY HAIR, WHAT DO YOU USE?

[angelstrawberry]

Okay, so my hair is ridiculously DRY! I need help big time. I've started bagging my hair over night, i made my own moisturizer with glycerine, aloe vera, water and castor oil and use it twice daily. My hair is wet a lot and I co-wash a lot but I can still tell it's not helping much with my dryness. I was using african royale braid spray and that seemed better, maybe i should use that. But i need to know what people with extremely dry hair are using???

 

[Aviah]

I don't knkow if my hair is that dry... but sometimes it seems pretty dry to me. I use: Water, aloe gel, and glycerin in a spray bottle, then Always Natural Oil Moisturizer, GroHealthy Gro Oil (blend of oils minus the mineral oil) and Hollywood Beauty Olive Creme. TBH I think its the Olive Creme that's doing most of the work. If its really the case that nothing is working, try clarifying with baking soda first...
HTH!

 

[ladytea]

How do you normally wear your hair? sounds like you're in braids, and are you relaxed or natural? What is your hair regimen and what products do your use?

My hair is naturally dry also. My regimen relaxed is different from my regimen natural or texlaxed. How I'm wearing my hair affects that also. I'm in Miami -- salty humidity & serious sun.

 

[Oasis]

Bump.

I have the same problem.

 

[Brownie518]

One of my biggest problems with my hair was dryness, before finding the Board. One of the best ways I have found to combat it is to use good leave ins when I wash. For me, Using Paul Mitchell The Conditioner on my roots especially and spraying shescentit.com Moisture Mist on my scalp have fixed that problem. I find I don't have to moisturize between washes as much as I used to. Plus, my scalp is in great condition! Great leave ins make a huge difference.

 

[angelstrawberry]

How do you normally wear your hair? sounds like you're in braids, and are you relaxed or natural? What is your hair regimen and what products do your use?

My hair is naturally dry also. My regimen relaxed is different from my regimen natural or texlaxed. How I'm wearing my hair affects that also. I'm in Miami -- salty humidity & serious sun.

I mostly wear a fake ponytail, and my hair is in a bun with a baggy. my hair is relaxed. I wash weekly with dr.woods black soap, co-wash 2-3 week with V05, aubrey organics, motions DPT or organix. I use aphogee leave-in and use the green tea spray. idk, seem like my regimen is good. my hair is just sooo dry.

 

[tiffers]

Do you ever dc? You mention co washing, but not deep conditioning. If you're suffering from dryness, you defnitely need to up your dc game
I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (a thyroid problem) and it has made my hair dull, brittle and dry as a desert. I've lost a lot of hair and length, and it's so hard to find something that truly moisturizes my hair. There are only a handful of conditioners that moisturize my hair: Kenra MC, Kenra Platinum Shea Butter Reconstructor, Paul Mitchell Super Charged and Sally's GVP Conditioning Balm.
Leave ins-Paul Mitchell The Conditioner and Silicon Mix Leave In
Moisturizer- Hawaiian Silky 14 in 1 and S-Curl
I've also found that when I rollerset, it makes my hair more managable and for some reason it keeps moisture better.

ETA: I can't dc for any less than 45 mins with heat. Anything less and it's like I didn't do anything at all. I also moisturize in the morning and at night (baggy time!) before I go to bed

 

[Quest4healthyhair]

I'm using my discontinued Aveda Sap Moss Concentrate. It's great for dry hair.

 

[SlantedEyezMiss2003]

Try Roux Porosity Control conditioner, your hair might be over porous......basically no matter what you use to moisturize your hair, it's not getting moisturize.....so I would suggest using this conditioner for a while after you shampoo or conditioner wash(which ever one u do), and then use the conditioner and see if there is a difference......keep using moisturizing conditioners and moisturizers, but don't forget your balance with protein, try to even it out....sistaslick should have an article on porous hair and balancing your moisture and protein in your hair......HTH......

 

[Rei]

I have very dry hair, what I have done to help with this is:
1. upped my DC game and with better products. I use DCs like Aubrey organics or NTM mask and I add coconut oil liberally to them. On dry hair, with heat no less than 30 minutes at least once a week.
2. Drink more water! I also take flaxseed oil capsules which help with your body's moisture balance (They are also supereasy to swallow, which helps)
3. use GOOD moisturizers. Try going for something like Qhemet's Amla and Olive Heavy cream.
4. toss out your shampoos except my clarifying one. I use baking soda rinses.
5. Your spray sounds good, I keep a similar one around filled with goodies to spritz my hair throughout the day
6. Sometimes if my hair feels really dry overnight I will saturate it with coconut oil or castor oil. It seems like my hair just eats it, because in the morning, my hair isn't oily at all, just soft.

HTH

 

[TheQueenBeeMaya]

I don't have dry HAIR, but an extremely dry scalp, to the point where if i touch my head flakes fall. I've been trying tea tree oil, but no real improvements. suggestions please?

 

[daydreem2876]

Qhemet's Olive and Alma Heavy Cream and GVP conditioning balm have made all of the difference for me!

 

[bedazzled]

I have troubles combating dryness as well. I use rosewater, glycerin and aloevera mix and spritz it well @ night, then seal with oil spray & then lay a cream moisturizer with mineral/petroluem in it on top of that (mainly use this on the ends). After checking out Chicoro's regimen..I have realized nothing seals like petroleum or unpetroleum jelly. So I use this to seal the moisturizer & the vatika oil in. Gotta have that extra coverage.

But yeah by the time I wake up my hair is super soft & feels so moist (not soaking wet either) & if I think my hair is getting mushy - I'll spray Keratin mist/protein leave-in on my hair that morning or ill spray keratin mist on my hair before I add moisture & seal the next night of baggying. But I baggy my whole head so Idk if this would apply to you..ugh i tried.

 

[Maracujá]

Deep-conditioning on a regular basis (once a week for 20 to 45 minutes with heat) has helped my extremely dry hair tremendously. My hair used to be parchedbut it's doing much better now. I twist my hair so I always spray a mixture of CD Black Vanilla leave-in conditioner mixed with water on my hair and then I seal with a natural oil, that has helped also.

 

[angenoir]

I have dry hair too. It sucks because it can lead to breakage which really stops one from achieving their length goals.

I can definitely recommend the frequent DCs as the other ladies have said. That helps a lot.
Also there have been times when my hair was so dry the ends of the strands would snap off. I used a little bit of s-curl and it it really helped my hair stay moisturized. Just don’t use too much or the hair feels mushy and yucky.

Good luck.

 

[truthbetold]

Okay, so my hair is ridiculously DRY! I need help big time. I've started bagging my hair over night, i made my own moisturizer with glycerine, aloe vera, water and castor oil and use it twice daily. My hair is wet a lot and I co-wash a lot but I can still tell it's not helping much with my dryness. I was using african royale braid spray and that seemed better, maybe i should use that. But i need to know what people with extremely dry hair are using???

Hot olive oil treament for about 1hr. Then Aphogee 2min reconstructor did the trick for me this past weekend. I think I may have been using too much moisture and not balancing with enough protein--and judging by how much moisture you are using that may be your problem as well. I can't believe how soft and moisturized my hair is right now. Give it a try and see how it works for you.

 

[anherica]

I have, well I had super dry hair. What helped me was upping my deep conditioning to at least once per week overnight. I do something moisturizing for three weeks, then throw in something with protein every fourth time I DC. I apply raw shea butter and castor oil to damp hair focusing on my ends after every wash. I reapply every other day or so now, in the beginning I had to do it every single day. If my hair is feeling extra crispy for some reason, I will baggy overnight for one or two nights and that seems to do the trick.

My hair used to be so dry, that I was starting to believe I had to just accept it. But with a little perseverance, I finally figured it out.

 

[ryanshope]

For more information about hair porosity:
http://www.hairfinder.com/hairquestions/hairporosity.htm

SlantedEyez is dead on with this. If your hair is VERY porous no amount of deep conditioning or moisturizing will fix the dryness. The dryness is a result of the hair cuticle not being smooth. Afro hair is very prone to jagged cuticles. I just discovered this last week. I have been deep conditioning/cowashing for weeks and my hair would feel like a brillo pad a few hours later. Hot oil treatments definitely helped but my hair still wasn't "moisturized". So I starting reading about and evaluating my hair's cuticle. The shaft was smooth but the ends were jagged and rough. So this is what I did last week:

1. I clarified with a mix of baking soda and Nexxus Therrape shampoo.
2. I deep conditioned with a mix of BedHead Mega Vitamins conditioner/Terax(moisurizing conditioner)/BedHead ChocolateHead(protein conditioner) under a heating cap for 30 minutes.
3. Warm water rinse.
4. Apply Nexxus Ensure and Vitale Positive Conditioner for 5 minutes--and I made sure my ends were well coated. Cool rinsed this out.
5. Applied my leave(Rusk Brillance)
6. Seal with a nickel/quarter amount of castor oil/shea butter mix.

First, thing I noticed was how "coily" my hair was. I have 4a/b more b for sure so some times my hair has no real curl pattern--that wasnt the case post porosity treatment. Also, my hair was touchable soft four days later--THAT NEVER HAPPENS!!
I am so glad to see this post--I was trying to figure out how to tell the ladies with chronic dry hair to PLEASE try a porous hair check. It could save you alot of breakage and wasted money on products---it doesn't matter how "moisturizing" a product is if your hair is overly porous. The hair cuticle must be closed to retain moisture and the hair needs to be ph-balanced for that to happen. Also please make sure to "impart moisture" aka use a leave-in post washing and then "seal" aka use some kind of sealant (silicone or oil) to trap the moisture in your hair.

RECAP:
Check hair porousness(is that a word?) rough hair=porous hair. Use an acidify rinse/conditioner to correct this.
Impart moisture with leave in conditioners
Seal hair with sealants or some kind of oil

Try Roux Porosity Control conditioner, your hair might be over porous......basically no matter what you use to moisturize your hair, it's not getting moisturize.....so I would suggest using this conditioner for a while after you shampoo or conditioner wash(which ever one u do), and then use the conditioner and see if there is a difference......keep using moisturizing conditioners and moisturizers, but don't forget your balance with protein, try to even it out....sistaslick should have an article on porous hair and balancing your moisture and protein in your hair......HTH......

 

[ryanshope]

http://www.livecurlylivefree.com/curly hair basics.htm

..." The Cuticle

The cuticle is the outer layer of hair. It is not one solid layer, but instead is made of individual scales that lay against one another just like roof tiles. The cuticle of a healthy hair strand will lie flat and protect the inside of the hair shaft against damage, as well as keep moisture in your hair where it belongs. Learning how to keep the cuticle of your hair shut is one of the most important things you can do to keep your hair healthy, moisturized and frizz-free..."

 

[HERMOM]

GVP CONDITOINING BALM FOR DEEP CONDITIONING WEEKLY, COCONUT OIL AND CASTOR OIL TO SEAL DAILY HAVE MADE MY HAIR MOIST

 

[bravenewgirl87]

The best conditioners I've ever used for dryness were: MOP Extreme Moisture, Nacidit Avacado Conditioner, Myhoneychild Honey Mask or Olive You conditioner.


Qhemet Biologics products are the best moisturizer for the price, but if you need something cheaper then I recommend Africa's Best Organics.

 

[LushLox]

Add some Unrefined Shea Butter to your DC treatment. If this doesn't sort out dryness - nothing will! A little goes a long way though!

 

[darlingdiva]

Hot olive oil treament for about 1hr. Then Aphogee 2min reconstructor did the trick for me this past weekend. I think I may have been using too much moisture and not balancing with enough protein--and judging by how much moisture you are using that may be your problem as well. I can't believe how soft and moisturized my hair is right now. Give it a try and see how it works for you.

ITA w/ this. It used to be a struggle to keep my hair moisturized, but my hair has been feeling better since I've been using a protein treatment on every wash day.

 

[nurseN98]

I don't have dry HAIR, but an extremely dry scalp, to the point where if i touch my head flakes fall. I've been trying tea tree oil, but no real improvements. suggestions please?

I've been using Neem Gel for the past month or so to counteract dryness, increased shedding and sore scalp. It's been helping a lot. It's kind of pricey but it's been so helpful and i'm not going through it that fast since I only use it on my scalp.

This is what I use, i get it from vitacost but they sell it at whole foods too.



As far as dry hair, i've been just mixing aloe juice into my leave ins (Abba nourishing which is discontinued). I use 1:1 ratio and add a teeny bit of oil. I use it both after co-washing or on dry hair before I sleep or to refresh when I wake up. It's been working great for me. My hair is natural so sometimes it would get so dry i'd have knots and breakage but using the aloe juice has been a hairsaver.

 

[Nonie]

I am sorry I haven't read the whole thread so forgive me if this has been covered. But I wanted to mention that glycerin is a humectant and draws moisture into itself. In humid places, it works beautifully in drawing the moisture from where it's plentiful (the air) into itself and therefore, keeps the hair happy as it's surrounded by this moisture laden product. In dry places or weather, when you moisturize your hair well, chances are your hair is going to have more moisture than the air, so humectants may draw moisture out of it into themselves leaving it somewhat dry. This is why glycerin sometimes doesn't work for some people.

I have 4B hair, which is relatively dry when compared to other types, and while I don't use products outside of the wash session, by DCing and baggying and not going too long w/o washing it, I do fairly OK. I am also a fan of hats in the summer.

 

[secretrose]

My hair used to be incredibly dry and I had lots of breakage. I found out the issue was with protein overload from MT. Now I have completely stopped MT. I also tweaked my products

Relaxer: ORS Lye used to be Hawaiian silky no lye
Shampoo: CON or ORS Aloe rid - Same as before
Clarifying: Neutrogena Clarifying shampoo
For moisturizing (2x week): Dove Replenishing Mist with repairing serum - God Send!!
Deep conditioning/protein: ORS paks or Aphogee 2 min
Cowash: Dove replenishing conditioner with repairing serum - These products are way underrated.
Sealing: 50/50 mixture of aloe and shea oil

That's it. I also bought a steamer but even before buying, my hair was in good shape. I only steam once in a while now.

 

[biancaelyse]

I love Bumble and Bumble Super Rich Conditioner!! It's very concentrated and a little goes a long way.

 

[bedazzled]

I am sorry I haven't read the whole thread so forgive me if this has been covered. But I wanted to mention that glycerin is a humectant and draws moisture into itself. In humid places, it works beautifully in drawing the moisture from where it's plentiful (the air) into itself and therefore, keeps the hair happy as it's surrounded by this moisture laden product. In dry places or weather, when you moisturize your hair well, chances are your hair is going to have more moisture than the air, so humectants may draw moisture out of it into themselves leaving it somewhat dry. This is why glycerin sometimes doesn't work for some people.

I have 4B hair, which is relatively dry when compared to other types, and while I don't use products outside of the wash session, by DCing and baggying and not going too long w/o washing it, I do fairly OK. I am also a fan of hats in the summer.

I thought that in dry places glycerin can be used if the product has alot of water. For example, in my moisturizing bottle, there is like a teaspoon or two of glycerin and the rest is mostly rosewater. For me, since I live in one of the dryest areas in the US (Nevada) , that has worked for me so I could use glycerin without it drying out my hair. It's like the glycerin holds the water in my hair. But also maybe this only works for me, because I use it when I baggy - so its pretty moist under that baggy anyway.

 

[vkb247]

The ladies have given some really great advice! I want to cosign with everyone who suggested upping yoour dc's. I have hair that is very prone to dryness so when I first started on my journey I was dcing sometimes 3x a week! This really got my moisture level up and made my reggie easier. I don't think the leave in really makes a difference when you aren't getting the moisture in the washing process. My curls weren't popping as much as I liked lately so I started my overnight pre-poos before every cowash again and that all turned around. When my moisture level gets to where it needs to be I can moisturize with only conditioner and not have any dryness.

I would also suggest dropping the shampoo and rethinking the cones in the Organix. Those two steps alone might solve your problem.

 

[tailormade84]

my shea mix (shea butter, glycerin, castor oil, coconut oil) saves my hair on wash day, and for the rest of week i MUST spray on water/glycerin/aloevera juice mix and then seal with coconut oil EVERYDAY....

DC every week don't hurt either....