Help! Seeking Treatment for Dry, Brittle Hair

J., you don't mention your ethnicity but I recommend a product called MixedChicks. Just google it. This product really works in my hair.

2 moms found this helpful

It is best to nourish your hair and skin from inside as well as outside. A really good multi-vitamin will have Biotin in it (that was mentioned previously) and Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs), fish oil or flaxseed oil, are also good for skin and hair. Usana Health Sciences (www.reneisense.usana.com ) has body care products, including shampoo and conditioner that are loaded with anti-oxidants to improve hair health, in addition to their nutritional supplements (Essentials - multi-vitamins, and BiOmega or OptOmega for EFAs).

1 mom found this helpful

Hi... I use Wen Fig Cleansing Conditioner by Hairstylist to the Stars Chaz Dean... You can find it on his website but I usually buy it on QVC for less. It does not having any Laureth Sulfate (soap) in it. It is the most amazing product, there is nothing like it on the market. Also if you use for example Phillip B oil in your hair before bed ... I especialy like to use it with Organic Avocado Oil overnight and then use the Wen Fig to wash it out in the morning. I don't know where you live but if you are near Woodland Hills... Michael Marcellino at the Estetica Salon and Spa is amazing. You will love him !!! He is only avaiable on Saturdays as he works on a TV Show during the week. His direct line is ###-###-####. There you can receive all sorts of treatments! He is really super nice! Also ... I don't know if this pertains to you but supplents are really important too... My hair used to fall out in handfulls after I gave birth to my Daughter... Now I use Pure Synergy Green Powder mixed up with Peter Gillhams Natural Vitality Liquid Vitamins with Trace Minerals and I take Trace Minerals Coral Calcium .. My nails are growing like crazy and are super strong for the first time and my hair has stopped falling out. Plus I am sleeping and actuallly dreaming with out having to take anything... I am sure that it is the Trace Minerals in the Liquid Vitamins and Calcium. For sure the Pure Synergy is keeping my hair on my head... it's because of the Sea Vegeable in it. It has the highest amount on the market.. Good Luck!

1 mom found this helpful

Hi J..
I grew up around the beauty industry with a mom who owns an Aveda salon and then became an aesthetician (skin care specialist), so I could lend you a little advice and some tips that may help.
First off, the health of your hair is an extension of your skin and body; what you eat will have a direct effect. If you don't already, I would highly recommend eating foods rich with Omega 3 fatty acids and maybe even taking supplements that have these in combination with something else like flax seed or evening primrose oil. I find these all keep the skin & hair functioning better.
Second, it sounds like you have thick textured hair so, make sure you have a gentle shampoo(not very active) and a deep conditioner. Try to use products with plant essences, provitamin B5, and antioxidants like Vitamin E. And you should NOT need to wash your hair every day. In fact, hair likes getting a break and having some of it's natural oils set in, you may find that it behaves and looks a lot shinier a couple days after a shampoo. When you are in the shower or bath you can thoroughly rinse it, using a think toothed comb but you do not need to wash hair daily to have it healthy or looking good.
Here's something you may want to try before you wash your hair: (Try doing this before a morning work out or the eve before you wash) massage oil(I find jojoba the best for this treatment)onto your scalp & hair and let it sit. This oil can be combined with some other essential oil that is energizing & moisturizing to help stimulate and condition the follicle. You can also let this be a relaxing, enjoyable treatment; a time to pamper your self a little bit. This oil will wash off with your shampoo but help protect and nourish the hair if left on overnight or for an hour+. Some nice essential oils to mix in are lavender(so many benefits), rose(moisturizing), sandalwood( moisture), chamomile, etc.
I would recommend finding a good hair stylist who uses quality products and can recommend a nice deep damage remedy conditioner treatment. You can use something like that on the brittle ends of your dry hair and leave it over night to really soak in, then wash in the morning. Your conditioner and styling products should be more oil based to help with shine and keeping the cuticle relaxed(to prevent the dandelion effect:) Look for pomades, creams, waxes etc. Use gentle shampoo until your hair restores it's vitality.
This may or may not be obvious, but avoid chlorine pools, blow drying your hair and other things that stress the hair and over dry it.
Jojoba is also a great product to use on your skin for massage and moisturizing under creams or lotions. Essential oils can be combined into your skin care regime to boost cell regeneration, circulation, and balance moisture or dryness. They are also a really wonderful way to revitalize you when you are feeling sluggish and need a pick-me-up(rosemary, wintergreen or tangerine), need to relax(lavender, chamomile), or want to stimulate(jasmine, ylang ylang, patchouli)
If you also have an extremely dry scalp use: castor oil, jojoba, vitamin E, primrose, borge, avocado, Brazilian nut or olive oil as a base and mix an essential oil you are attracted to.

That's a mouthful! Hopefully you can apply some of this to your daily life and find it helpful.
Best of luck.

peace,
E.

1 mom found this helpful

I've been a stylist for 12 years.
There is a new system out by Redken that is exclusive to salons. It's better than anything you can find for at home use and definitely worth it. It's done as a salon service and is specified to your hair needs. If you have breakage, it controls it. If your hair issues include color care, frizz, dryness, it can address all of those. It takes only about 15 minutes and doesn't require sitting under the dryer. I promise you, it's so worth it.
You can ask around, it's called the chemistry system treatment. I'm at the Ulta salon in Upland and we do offer it there for only $10 if you get it with a haircut and style. After the treatment I would suggest for at home care, Redken Extreme shampoo, conditioner and deep fuel treatment. Your hair will be good and healthy again in no time.

1 mom found this helpful

I am a hair dresser and work in Huntington Beach. I love Enjoy Hair care. They have an amazing reconstructor. I recommend the IRS spray and the mask to all my clients and it works wonders. In the beginning use it a couple times a week then do it once a week. You spray the IRS all over your hair and put the mask on top of it and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Great stuff.

1 mom found this helpful

Whatever you do don't cut your hair!!
I have THE WORST hair and have cut it many times hoping that would help and it never did..
I now get this treatmnet on my hair every 3 months or so and it keeps my hair soft,silky and straight for 3 months!!
Call my hairdresser Tammy at the FX for you spa she will give you a free consultation
###-###-####

Let us know how much you LOVE your hair when she is done!

Alexandra
Partygals Home Romance Parties
###-###-####
____@____.com
wwww.apartygal.biz

hot oil treatment? or maybe aussies 3 minute mirical? what i love is hair cholesterol!!! its relatively cheap and you can find it at wal mart, or a beauty supply store. for your hair i would use it hmmm every other day and let it sit on your hair (while you shower for 5 mins). i use it once a week (but my hair is pretty healthy). i love how my hair feels like i just left the salon when i use it. maybe also change your shampoo and conditioner (with conditioner you really get what you pay for). anyways good luck!

Have you gone to your local food coop or health food store? I like the Aveda salon and product line. Jojobba oil is one of the main ingredients in some of the best leave on hair conditioners. I have been massaging my neck, face and hair with jojobba oil that I buy in bulk for our local natural food co-op. Women benefit from natural essential oils ..especially, for the feet, elbows and shoulders I like to keep a sweet, neutral and woody oil on hand for different types of needs. Check out a book on natural essential oils for more information on hair, skin and even for moods.

You did not indicate where you live, If you are in the Los Angeles area, my beautician is an expert. I have been going to her for over 30 years and she is the best.
Are you near the West Hollywood area?

I haven't read any other responses so I don't know what advice you have gotten so far. I have had this same problem. I have very dry hair from coloring it and it got so bad it felt like straw. I bought so many salon products for the dryness, but nothing would help. Finally when I got it colored again last month the stylist recommended Redken Extreme. It has worked like a miracle. She told me nothing would work until I got protein back in my hair. So I use this protein fortified shampoo, CAT treatment and conditioner by Redken called Redken Extreme. It definitely has worked. It took a few weeks for me to see the difference, but I totally see a difference now. Good luck!

St. Ive's hair repair treatment should help you a lot. I would also suggest at least once a month to do a hot oil treatment. Wal Mart carries both, and the hair repair is less then $10. and the hot oil treatment should be less then $4. Also you may wanna change your daily hair products. Mousse's and Gel's have a lot of alcohol and can greatly dry your hair. So look for product's with less alcohol. Hope I was of some help. Even if you can't find the St. Ive's brand of hair repair any brand should do. Also a good place to go is a beauty supply house, they have high end products for less, and worker's are able to answer questions on products and are a great source of advice. Enjoy your special Night !!!!

I had the same problem with my hair after my last coloring. I used avacado oil on it overnight. I put it on dry hair and slept with a bandana on it. I did this for a week, every other night and then once a week until it was "healed". It really made a huge difference. You can buy the oil in a healthfood store. I found mine in Henry's.

call Catherine... ###-###-####. I have sent several people to her that needed a fix and not one has left with hair that didn't look amazing. I personally get compliments on my hair all the time and people ask me where I go, to which I always tell them to call Catherine!!

:-)
T.

I have been doing hair for several years now and would love to help! Depending on your finances, there are a few options. You could call a few local salons and ask them how much a deep conditioning treatment is and what product that they use. Most will gladly do it for around $25. You could also go to a beauty supply and buy your own treatment to do at home. K-Pak has a great reconstructor that you could do at home. Just shampoo your hair normally then towl dry it and put the reconstructor on. Leave it on for about 30 minutes with a shower cap over it. Rinse with the coolest water you can stand. Or, you can get a leave in treatment. They vary in cost but there are several out there. Redken has a few that work good, especially Redken Extreme Anti-snap. There is a product by Suave that is very similar and, as far as I can tell, works the same. It is in a little blue bottle in their professional line. It says that it is similar to Redken on the bottle. I use this as a daily treatment for myself and also for customers that I have since most of them are on a pretty tight budget. You will not notice a huge difference instantly but after a few days your hair should feel and look much healthier. You might also try taking vitamins to help get your hair healthier looking. Feel free to contact me for more hair advise!

Hey J.,

I've done hair for years and if there was a miracle REPAIR for hair, I'm sure I would know of it. With out seeing your locks... could there be a chance you should cut it, stop straightening and start over? Maybe cut out the lightening if you are and use only a semi permanent color.( used for toning the shade or going darker) . keeping it off your hair shaft and ends! Hair treatments are great but they can't really fix damaged hair. Products will smooth the look of it, great for faking healthy hair and almost everyone gets better hair with products. A good shampoo and conditioner are really important. Like matrix in the orange bottle, or Abba moisture sensation, in a biege bottle. Gosh I don't know, could you do a new hair-do for your anniersary? If it's curley that may be quiet a shock, but cute as heck never the less!!!

My hair is not straight and shiny as it used to be when I was younger. Part of it is those flat irons they once advertised "would improve the quality of your hair" and part medications I take on a daily basis. My doctor recommended I take extra Calcium supplements and Selenium (it smells awful but its supposed to boost your immune system or something). The more Selenium the better. I've been doing this for six months and my hair is softer and there is less breakage.

One thing about us Gals is our hair is so important, I am now a retired hair dresser, I worked in the field for 15 yrs, I saw alot of this. Women hair damaged from all the perms & dying it. What could also be drying out your hair is the regula shampoos at the grocery store we buy. Using to hot of water on your hair, buy some good shampoo Nexus is a excellent brand. At the beauty supply store there is a profuct called cholstral, it really thick cream color buy some of that it will help with the dryiness and help repair a little of the hair. No product I have ever seen will fully repair the hair, cutting it and keeping it natural is your best bet. Also adter washing your hair rinse it with cool water it helps with the shine and the fizzies.

One other trick to help your hair is buy a satan pillow case sleep only on these, while we sllep the cotton pillow cases pull on your hair, keeps you from losing your hair and its more manageable in the morning.

Honestly your only going to see a small difference in your hair its the trimming and maintance that will heal your locks.

Good Luck

Try Kerastase products. They are pretty expensive, but are the first product I've ever used that made an actual and noticeable difference. Especially the finishing product called Oleo-Relax. It's sold in some salons, if you're in San Diego they have it at Hyde-Edwards on Kettner Blvd.

Hello there. I would recommend some fabulous product in my detox spa line. Or a shampoo with tea tree oil in it. We also have a great hair mask that is from the detox line alo or may a suggest an oil that could be put on your hair and then used as a conditioner.

Reply to this email if you are interested and I will give you more details.

All the best,

D.

HI, J.

My name is V. and I have done hair for 10 years. It sounds like you have tried everything. Any chemical process will basically damage your hair and once it's damaged it's difficult to get it back to healthy again. Deep conditioning can help, depends on the extent of the damage, but its a process and could take years. I would love to take a look at your hair. You can reach me at ###-###-####.

Shaklee's hair treatment system is clinically proven to help. Take a look at the research results: http://www.shaklee.net/healthyfriends/prodPerRsrch_Prosante We only use their hair care products.

You may have to find a great stylist, cut it shorter (to get rid of all of the dead hair), and go from there (without coloring it anymore.) Good luck! :)

Have you looked at your diet? Hair, skin and nails tell a lot about what is going on inside our bodies. Here's a link with more detailed information.

http://beauty.iloveindia.com/hair/healthy-hair.html

The other question is how long has it been since you stopped coloring your hair. Maybe you haven't given it time to grow out. As far as products I like Avalon Organics. You can find lavendar based shampoo and conditioner at Trader Joes. Whole Foods carries a larger selection. Avoid parabens in your shampoos, conditioners and lotions.

Hi J., Have you tried VO5 hot oil treatment? Congrradultions on your 10th Annivarsary. J.

Biolage conditioning balm, best thing ever! You can now find it Target and Costco

About two years ago I finished a chemo -like treatment that thinned my hair a lot. I ended cutting it off and it was short.
I hated it, because I was so used to my long (Blonde) hair. Chemical was out of the question, but it was growing out grey and looked so bad. Still I stuck with it, not coloring it. Then one day when I couldn't stand it anymore , and figured anything is better than nothing. I tried Henna. I was going RED. (Natural instincts sold at Whole foods has one that is Caucasian user friendly). I fell in love with henna. Henna is shunned by western beauticians. Not sure why, maybe because you can't use chemical over it to fix it. Henna has single handedly brought my hair to the condition it was as a teenager. It is thick, beautiful (still a little short for my taste but growing FAST, 4 inches past my shoulders now). I get compliments on it everywhere I go, my Mom does henna, friends are doing it, we all love it! It is a natural hair restorer and conditioner.
When I first tried to find out about henna I went to an Indian (Eastern) store, and they wouldn't touch my hair. They were used to doing it on Indian women with black hair, and they were not sure about it for me. So I tried it myself. I liked it. If I want more rich color I add paprika and nutmeg to the henna while it's being mixed. For deeper browns you can add strong coffee (that has been sitting overnight). If you want Golden sheen you add Chamomile flowers. If you truly want to get off the chemical merry go round you may want to let it grow out for a month or two then try henna.
Here's a GREAT website to check out on it. http://www.hennaforhair.com

Hi J.:

I have used a product called K-Pak reconstruct from Joico. I get it at a beauty supply or they also sell it at Supercuts. It is a bit pricy but I love it. The instructions say to leave in for 5 minutes, but I prefer to comb through and leave on as long as I can. Sometimes if my hair is really dry, I leave it on for as long as an hour. I either cover it with a cap or wrap in a towel and go about my chores. It really smells good and I love how smoothe it makes my hair. Enjoy! M.

I've been a stylist for 20 years. Sounds like your hair is overly chemically treated and too overly straighted with extreme heat. Are you coloring it yourself??? It can possibly be fixed with the Redken Extreme line. You need to get a cut from a professional and quit using ANY "hot oil" treatments as they just MASK any problem. You also need to use a good professional line of products and not the garbage they sell at Walmart or wherever. I see alot of women at the beauty supply and other stores in the color aisles with nasty colored hair trying to "cover it up" with another color....you end up with a muddy, flat color with no reflection and shine.....do yourself a favor and go to a good salon! B. in AZ

Sweetie,

ALL kinds of salespeople on all kinds of things that "work"...some DO repair a little bit but not what all of us are looking for.
My best friend is a cosmostologist for 20 yrs and she said "Honey you're gonna have to cut your hair."
Cut your hair, eat vitamins and stay on a balanced diet, dont swim in chlorine during this summer, use an organic product or remedy(I found Nexus is excellent for this happening to me but dont want to pitch, everyone's chemistry's different), wash only every other day or two days but brush through FREQUENTLY....
these are all common sense things, starting over. Your hair will grow back. Dont hesitate to cut ALOT. The more you cut, the fresher it is. But REMEMBER, when you do this sacrafice, promise and make a committment to follow through on all what I said or it'll be in vain.
You said you had long, thick hair. You are blessed. That inheritance doesnt go away just because you cut it. All that you hear are myths.
I have thin, fine hair. You are fortunate---you can imagine what I looked like with ruined, hardly-any hair. I got a bunch of those Star magazines and found such a perfect, fun cut! It works for thick or thin, amazingly too! I'll urge you to cut it like Katie Holmes did THE FIRST TIME. The times after she revised were adorable but the FIRST CUT she had was absolutely adorable and SO EASY. A little blow dry, or probably nothing YOU have to do for it, with your head of hair. Look all over for a picture of her last year, I believe it was the longest "short" cut she's worn. You wont lose I'm telling you!
Write me back.
ps I went camping the first three days I had that cut and it was literally get-up-and-go! AWSOME!

Wendy

You'd think the stress 5 children would produce would have had me bald years ago. Luckily someone mentioned the tricks of the hair trade before the damage could be done. This wonder angel's advice was this:

1. Air dry your hair.

2. Massage your scalp frequently, keep the scalp flexible and tension-free. A tight, stressed scalp will become a bald scalp because the tightness cuts the blood flow off from the folicles.

3. Trim the deadends consistantly yourself with a pair of hair cutting scissors.

4. Eat enough protein and fiber.

5. Replenish in all ways.

If you hair is depeleted, you might be too.

I have a pirate loving 4 year old too!!! Have you tried coconut oil on your hair? That works really well for me. I put it in my hair at night and wash it out in the morning. YOu may need up to 4 treatments. Good luck.

Hi J.,

My daughter has had a very similar experience to yours. After asking many hairstylist, she was told to take a nutritional supplement called Biotin. You can find it at your local Henry's or Clarks Nutrition Centers. It helps by stimulating hair growth and strengthening your hair. Not a quick fix but it will help. She noticed that when her hair was like straw it didn't grow much. The Biotin helped her hair to grow faster and the new growth was healthier. Hope this helps. L. S.

Welcome to my world! I have natural curly hair and been highlighting it for years. I just started using "It a Miracle"10 and what a difference in just a few days. You spray it on after shampoo and conditioning and comb through. Go to a beauty supply to find it. Good Luck!

Well hate to say it hon but not much you can do. I have very thick hair and had the same problem and what worked for me, was

!. a drastic hair cut and repeat cuts as on a regular basis as hair grew
2. living with my natural color and grey for awhile
3. I only washed my hair 2 or 3 times a week allowing natural oils to return to my hair.
4 used as few styling products and little to no heat i.e. dryers irons etc(washed my hair at nite so it was dry by morning to style for work alot)
5 I used a leavin conditioning product had great sucess with infusium.

6 the most important Time we didnt trash our hair over nite so it a while for it to heal

Hello J., i recommend shaklee hair products..visit www.shaklee.net/lizalavadia. thanks.

Hi,

I know you've gotten a million suggestions, and already taken some, but I couldn't not respond about this new and magic stuff that is putting my hair back on the right track.

I am a confessed info-mercial sucker and most of the time it doesn't warrant talking about, but this time I want to take an ad out in the paper. I've been using Wen, which is a current Guthy-Renker info-mercial, and I can't even begin to tell you how amazing it is.

I am always on the lookout for better hair products, because I have dry hair that gets oily and nasty if I don't shampoo frequently. But the shampooing dries it out more. (It's a bizarre, unhappy circle.) Wen is a cleansing conditioner. I noticed a difference right away, and started using it on my daughter's fine hair. So Awesome. My hair feels soft and looks fuller and my daughter's doesn't get such bad tangles anymore, looks shiny and seems to have more volume and bounce.

I got the 30 day starter kit for $30, all set to cancel in enough time if it wasn't what it claimed to be. I ran out a week before the renewal and had to use alternate shampoo and conditioner. You know what? It was confirmed! Going back to regular shampoo and conditioner was sooooo bad! My hair felt dry, fly-away, and it tangled if I flipped my head around too fast. I was soooooo happy when my new shipment came, I got straight into a shower.

It is really brilliant stuff. You can get it on the Wen site (use Google), and I think either HSN or QVC has it on their site, with different formulas (scents?) I use the Sweet Almond Mint that claims it works for all hair types and I'm very happy with it. It feels nice on, slightly tingly, and it smells good, during the shower and after.

As a point of reference, my hair is prematurely white, so I color. I have to color every 3-4 weeks or I look like a skunk (white stripe down the root line). Recently, I used a box of color that was supposed to be natural dark brown and it was more like really dark black. So, I had to go to the salon and get the color removed and then re-color it the lighter shade (medium brown) that I wanted to have done. This left my hair thoroughly fried. The Wen really brought it back to life.

If other things are working for you, that's great, but I had to offer this up. It really is an amazing product.

Hi, I am right there with you. Although not quite that dry and brittle yet, soon to be as I straigh iron every other day and color etc. I have tried a lot of masks and stuff too, not much help, I think it is what it is. But...Redkin's Smooth Down and All Soft lines does help a bit. I use the Smooth Down shampoo, All Soft conditioner and the Smooth Down Heat Shield oil. They told me to use just the oil to do my hair but it isn't nearly enough so I mix it with a cream straigtening gel as well. You may want to use both the conditioner and shampoo from Smooth Down because it sounds like you are a bit drier than I am. Ban de Terre is supposed to have a good mask also. Both of these lines are reasonably priced compared to others I have used. Neutrogena also has a mosturizing line with a mask that is good just from Target. Good Luck. My hair makes my life miserable!
Oh yea one more thing, after I dry and flat iron I use Tigi's Bed Head Manipulator. It is really for spikey styles, but my stylist uses it on me to get the "dandelion" strays down and to give the ends a piecey look. It smells amazing too. You just need a TINY bit and you rub it in your hands until it turns clear then just lightly go over your head and rub it on. It really keeps those strays around the part down. :-)

Good luck.

Hi J.,

I found myself with the same problem....I had long curly hair,that I also color & straighten.I noticed how dry my ends were,and how split the ends were.UGH!! I went to my gal,and had her get in there and layer me and bring it up to my shoulders.. It looks SO much healthier now!!There are 2 products that I think are great and work really well..."It's a 10" is one and the other is Sudzz FX Zenyth frizz eliminator...I've also stopped straightening as much!! When you do,be sure to use a protectant!!
Good luck!
: )

You may want to address your hair issue from the inside out rather than just focusing on the hair alone. You may need more fats in your diet, you might be missing nutrients, or you may even need to have your thyroid checked out by your doctor.

I almost cut my hair off after pregnancy. It was very dry. I've spent big money on deep conditioning, but in the end the cheapest thing made the biggest improvement for me: Jojoba oil found at trader joes. I used to mix it into my shampo bottle, but in desperation I mixed over a tablespoon into my conditioner (not the bottle, but just the portion i was putting on my hair). I expected to be a grease ball, but to my amazement I had much improved flowing and not greasy hair. I have unusually thick hair so a tablespoon might be overkill for some.

Deep conditioning treatments help for a time. I used to use a rich conditioner and spend 20 minutes in a sauna. The professional salons put a rich conditioner on, wrap you in plastic and sit you under a hot dryer to heat infuse.

Our hair changes as we get older, especially when we have kids. I noticed huge changes in my hair after I had my daughter, and not just the inevitable falling out process a couple months after the baby arrives. It's thicker now, which is nice, but it's also a lot drier. I'm shocked to find that I can go a couple of days btwn washings bcuz I used to wash it every day. Instead of spending more money on products, I'd recommend you find a good stylist and try to go in regularly (and especially get a cute haircut before your anniversary! Congrats on 10 years BTW! I am going on 8 years myself.) Regular trims keep your hair more healthy. I just started getting back into my routine of getting trims at least every two months, and I already notice a difference. And try to cut back on the colorings, obviously, but once you get your hair healthy again you should be able to start coloring it again. Just cut back the frequency (and maybe ask your stylist for something more gentle). Good luck! It is definitely important to have healthy hair; it helps to make it pretty.

Try Tigi Bed Head: vitamin shampoo (orange), smoothing conditioner (green), and Girl Toys serum (blue/green bottle) after blow drying. Comb the conditioner through in the shower. Comb Infusium 23 into hair after towel drying. My hair is very thick, coarse and frizzy and these products really help. Good luck!

Have you tired Hennah as a color treatment (its natural and strenghtens your hair.