Hair Help! My hair is knackered!

[deltawab]

Okay, so i admit it, i put my hair through a lot this year. I have coloured it around 20 times, mainly using the 8 wash in wash out nice and easy colours or the semi - permanent ones. I wash my hair every other day and I do usually blow dry my hair, I've cut back on the blow drying & straightening to once a week, or less if i can.

My hair is now a browny, auburny, goldy colour! its so dry and weak. It use to be really thick but now its thin and fragile and frizzy with split ends, but i've had a fair bit chopped off so far this year also. Its layered and comes to just past my shoulders. It comes out loads when i'm in the shower washing it.

I usually use herbal essences shampoo & conditioner, the blue moisturing one. I use to use pantene, but left my hands very dry.

I hate the colour at the moment, but i'm holding back the colour, i'm desperate to try and improve the condition before colouring it again!

Can anyone recommend any other products that may help rescue my poor hair?

Invest in philip kingsley elasticiser. Its a miracle in a jar. Its pricey but really worth the money.

I completely steer clear of shampoos/conditioners from the big brand makes,I use tigi catwalk oatmeal & honey shampoo & conditioner for regular hairwashes for damaged hair & when needed I use biolage matrix ultra control deep smoothing masque when I need an extra boost,more expensive than what you currently use but you use far less & the results are better as they don't coat the hair like the cheaper brands do.Alongside only colouring when I really need it,regular cuts my hair is starting to fair better :o

I would watch the ingredients.

Read all bottles of shampoo and avoid anything with Sodum Lauryl sulfate or even TEA lauryl sulfate

It is an industrial chemical that strips oils and moisture from your skin and hair and obviously dries. But it does foam nicely, hence the reason it is in alot (ie most high street) shampoos, shower gels etc. It is usually no 1 on the ingredient list.

I use faith in nature - one of the reasons is it's not too pricey. (it is a big bottle - lasts yonks) I get mine from a local health shop

their website has a store locator if you were did want to buy.

If you have a waitrose near you, they stock quite a few friendly ones - but always always read the ingredients

don't be fooled with marketing. even Simple, has harsh chemicals in.

Agree with furball. Shampoos have chemicals in them that strip the sebum from your hair (sebum is the protective outer layer of your hair) which then exposes the cuticle (inner shaft of the of the hair-the bit shampoo commercials show you when they do that close up/under a microscope thing) This is why all products you see advertised on tv recommend using the conditioner because it then coats your hair with a fake sebum to try and repair the damage the shampoo has done. I could go on a lot more but will try to restrain myself!

I use lavera shampoo from here because it's free delivery! and don't need to condition at all any more as it's so much more gentle and doesn't take away all the things my hair produces on it's own and needs to look healthy and shiny.

Most people will not change their products from high street brands though so if you want to keep using what you've always used then the best thing you can do is give your hair some protection before you use your harsh, chemical shampoo on it. Either put some coconut oil on your hair before bed or a mix of 2 tbsp honey and 100 ml oil on for 30 mins before washing it will protect the length of your hair - put it from where a bobble would go if you tied your hair up since you only need the area closest to your scalp to be washed.

Hope that makes sense.

When mine gets bad I dont use shampoo but just conditioner, it may feel a bit heavy at first but its much better in the long run.

Or you need some real intensive deep conditioning, but I find the less I wash it the better.

I usually use baby shampoo....very mild for obvious reasons! Always put conditioner on. Also I rarely blow dry or straighten my hair (think once every 2-3 months!). And I only wash it every 3 days. Basically leave it alone!

It's a bit of a waiting game for you now...you just need to wait till new nice strong hair grows through! Eating a cube of jelly a day helps!

Moroccanoil works wonders to help condition/care until it grows..

Deesus - if your shampoo is Johnsons or similar - it will still contain harsh oil stripping chemicals.

Even Johnsons natural has a renamed version of SLS - Sodium Trideceth Sulfate

Even Simple

It really is a minefield trying to avoid it.

Elasticiser elasticiser elasticiser. It's exactly what you need. Slather on a fair bit (my hairdresser told me there are seven uses in a tub.) It really is the answer!

If I leave my hair to dry naturally, it looks atrocious. When people say they do this, what does your hair look like when it's dry?

I'd agree with elasticiser, it really is the most amazing product and definitely worth the price. Also invest in some Moroccanoil for daily use. Get it trimmed regularly too.

Aussie 3 minute miracle re-constructer!!

agree furball almost impossible to avoid altogether but they are milder forms used in it than in 'adult' shampoos.

said i usually leave my hair to dry naturally - it goes nice & shiny, no flyaway bit and my natural wave comes through. Might work better with mine as it's very long so doesn't actually need any styling, straightening, etc. I don't even brush it after I've washed it just run my fingers through it a few times

ugh...I've tried them all!!!...am using Aussie products atm because I like the 3 min miracle conditioner but I have to use it each time I wash...i only wash my hair every 2 days and blow dry it...dont use straighteners anymore.

My hair is falling out at an alarming rate ad is now very thin and weak.

I started to go grey at 17 so have been colouring my hair since then (wash out ones til about 3 years ago no i use semi permanent)

Am getting it cropped again I think, and start to put treatments on it....what is morrocanoil????

at your hair type Deesus. Mine is longish, I never brush it and it looks like a frizzier version of this if I leave it to dry naturally

cut it off :)

seriously

crops are very cool (i have one )and then you can start again from scratch

I don't use chemical dyes anymore - they just ravaged my hair, plus the effect didn't last for more than a week before it looked fried.

I've been using henna since the beginning of the year, and I can honestly say my hair is the best it's ever been condition-wise.

Trouble is, you need to get your hair back to it's natural colour before you use henna on it. It doesn't strip the hair like chemical dye, it only coats it. So the resulting colour will depend entirely on the colour of the hair it's covering, iyswim.

You would also need to buy 100% henna, or "body art quality" as they call it. If you buy cheap henna, it sometimes contains chemicals which aren't mentioned on the packaging, and these chemicals can react with the chemicals in the dye already on your hair, resulting in a not-so-nice frog green effect. (Google images will give you some examples).

I have a feeling that once you start using henna you can't go back to chemical dyes for this reason, or that may only be the case if you use cheap henna, and then return to chemical dyes. So it's a bit if a commitment.

It's not for everyone, but I bless the day I started using it - my dark brown hair is consistently soft, silky, glossy and has a beautiful red tinge under a light/in the sun, which people always comment on.

Here endeth the sermon.

said that made me giggle. Don't be too if it makes you feel any better it surrounds a face that has at least one too many chins

OOh am tempted by the elasticiser do you use it before or after washig and do you leave it on?

said, made me laugh, mine too looks like James May's if i leave it to dry naturally!

Thanks for all the replies, i have decided there is only one thing for it - a good cut :( i am devastated.

May my locks R.I.P.

I just need to ring the hairdressers to make the appt......