Naturals I need some help quick!!

[cdixon]

My hair feels soooo dry. I don't know what to use on it. I've only been natural for like 10 days now, and I don't know what to do. Last night I did a deep treatment with Pantene Relaxed and Natural Hair mask, and jojoba oil, and my hair felt great. I rinsed it out this morning and put some shea butter cholesterol in and fantasia IC gel (olive oil kind). My hair is so tangled and dry, should I do another deep treatment tonight? I don't really have any products for a good deep conditioner right now. Please help

 

[MagnoliaBelle]

The IC probably dried your hair out again. You could either do another DC or maybe just co-wash with a moisturizing conditoner.

 

[cdixon]

Okay, thanks, and what should I seal with. I have shea moisture leave in, and some jojoba oil, because I apparently can't use gel for definition any more. What should I use?

 

[mscocoface]

Do you have any type of glycerine or leave in with a moisture component or a humectant type conditioner.

You can use conditioner with some coconut oil as a leave in.

Also in the morning depending on how you wear your hair even spray you hair with some water and conditioner and it should be soft through out the day.

 

[LuyshuZ]

Earlier I washed with shampoo and my hair was very dry and felt waxy, I followed with a co-wash and my hair seemed to be nearly dry in 10 mins. I mixed V05 conditioner with a good amount of baking soda in a old Lekair DC container and smoothed it throughout my hair and braided it in 4 sections. After the mixture was in my hair about 5 minutes I literally squeezed water from my just dry hair. I let it sit about 10 mins and rinsed in the shower and my hair was very soft and reacted to products the way it's supposed to.

 

[Neith]

Are you using too much product? Do you think you have build up?

Also, gel tends to make your hair feel a little hard and dry. I only use a little dab on my hairline, but I find that I have no need for it to get coil/curl definition.

My regimen is no cone, no petroleum/mineral oil. That way, I never have any type of build up and I can get moisture into my hair easily. I seal in moisture with natural oils, which also nourish the hair shaft. My hair always feels nice and moist.

A lot of people spend this period - right after the BC - learning how to work with their hair.

Good luck!

 

[cdixon]

Yes, I think it was the gel, I'm still learning how to care for my hair, it feels dry most of the time. I just cowashed with Aubrey Organics and added some jojoba oil. I might leave this in over night and hope that it feels better. I did use the gel for definition because it never made my hair feel hard/crunchy/dry before. I'm not sure what happened today. I will start using more natural hair products, I think that may have something to do with it as well. Right now I have about $80 worth of products that are in my curl mart cart that I would like to get but can't because funds are tight. I feel so sad, and I hope I figure out what my hair likes soon because I don't want dry hard crunchy hair. I want it to be healthy.

 

[virtuenow]

Try hair butters- Elasta QP Mango Butter, pure shea butter, or pure mango butter. Also, Extra virgin coconut oil. I mix the coconut oil w/the QP butter, let it melt in my hand and it feels like silk. These are the only things that get my dry, coarse 4b hair moisturized. I have been where you are- and tried all of those drying products. Like Neith said, stay away from mineral oil/petroleum/lanolin (as long as not high on the list of ingredients -1st three, that is). Hope this helps. I actually use a lot of product b/c my hair seems to drink up the products; so try moisturizing at night and twisting your hair up b4 bed.

 

[cdixon]

I don't think my hair is long enough for twist that will stay in. If I'm wrong please let me know because my hair is about ear length, and the twists/braids won't stay

 

[ajargon02]

Do you have any type of glycerine or leave in with a moisture component or a humectant type conditioner.

You can use conditioner with some coconut oil as a leave in.

Also in the morning depending on how you wear your hair even spray you hair with some water and conditioner and it should be soft through out the day.

ITA! This is what I do, ie. homemade leave-in spray to give my hair more moisture throught the day as needed, with the heat that we are having here. Also, some have reported "scab hair" right after their bc.Many have said that their hair is hard. You might wanna do a search on this, as I don't know if this is your issue as well, but it never hurts to check into it.

If you have already clarified (ie. baking soda treatment, clarifying shampoo, or acv/apple cidar vinegar rinse) conditioned and followed up with a moisturizing leave in, then seal that with your oil, I would do as mscocoface recommended. I spritz my hair daily with my homemade leave-in which does have a little condish in it. This keeps my hair happy during the day, ESPECIALLY in this heat. In fact I have a little "mister" with my leave-in spray in it, so that I can hit my hair with moisture as needed throughout the day while it's so hot here. Hth. I would just do searches here and on goole for natural hair care and moisture and start from there. CONGRATS on your bc btw! This is the next leg of your journey to see what your hair likes and doesn't like. It can and will be challenging at times, but hang in there, it's well worth it!

 

[cdixon]

Thanks ajargon02, I thought I was getting a routine down packed, I just want my hair not to feel like this. I'm also getting single strand knots because I guess I cowash my hair everyday. I don't know what other styles to do for my hair. I know I can do twists/braids/coils or whatever, but I'm no stylist. This is going to be an interesting journey for me. I hope it gets better.

 

[India*32]

It will get better. I did the bc in May 09 and I experienced the dry hair after just co-wash. I started using Suave Coconut conditioner as moisturizer. I also applied the ntm to define my curls. I have been drinking more water, so I'm sure that helped.

India

 

[mswoman]

Hey!!! I wanted to encourage you! I have found that keeping it simple is the best. I have 4b hair but the key I have learned is find someone with your similar hair type and read the postings. I found that your hair should feel the way you want it to after you rinse out your cowash. If it feels weird hard, scrubby, or what ever. You have to cowash again, Do a patch test on the side your hair to see how it will react.

I cowash almost daily too because I exercise. The key is to find the right balance. I agree the IC probably dried it out. Here's what I do...

Apply EVOO prior to putting on conditioner will make it soft, follow up with VO5 or motions moisturizing conditioner for the DC days.

Rinse my hair and feel it. At that point determine if you hair feels like you want it too. If so I proceed to the next step. If it doesn't feel right I re condition it with my "good" stuff, calming tea VO5 because the tea in it makes my hair smooth.

I then dry my hair because my hair doesn't like it when I apply products dripping wet.
I apply shea butter and aloe vera mix to moisturize. I seal it with carrot oil, castor oil, and coconut oils.

For my hair to stay moist I have to drink lots of water because the body will take moisture from my scalp first. Throughout the day if I need to I use a mist of infusim23 mixed s curl, or just wave nuevo, or Hawaiian Silk 14 in 1 to keep my hair moist. (The reason I use the different ones is because I've mixed things in with them so I need to use them up. But I am leaning towards keeping just the HS14 and WN)

If I baggy it overnight it will stay moist over the weekend but because I don't cowash then. However, because we cowash frequently I think our hair doesn't get a chance to marinate to keep in moisture.

Sorry this is a long post but I hope it helps.

 

[cdixon]

Thanks for the post mswoman. I already do have some people that I'm following and my hair resembles and they have given me advice that actually works on my hair. There are other products that I would like to try out. I definitely have to get some EVOO and some more Coconut oil as well, but I know that my hair loves jojoba oil. I'm just trying to figure out my hair, and it's difficult when you're not used to it, especially since during my transition I wore a bun 90% of the time. Now that my hair is shorter, I can't do that.