Its Hair Mumsnet, but not as we know it! HELP!

[HaveAGoodDay]

Okay so i admit it, i've seriously abused my hair over the last several months, like you wouldn't know! i'm talking about several+ colours (home ones) and two bleach baths! But, in my defence, i've had two trims!

The last time i went to the hairdresser for a trim, she actually said my hair wassn't in that bad condition - only the ends were a bit dry and weekly conditioning masks should sort it out. I've always thought i was quite lucky with strong, thick hair and that its stood strong against anything that i've thrown on it. Never had any clumps falling out.

The last time i coloured it was just over a week ago with a ONE BOTTLE 8 wash out colour. it was fine after that. Now - for the last few times while i've been washing it, its like trying to wash matted dog fur? I've never come across this with my hair before? i then rinse the shampoo out best i can and apply conditioner as normal, which obviously smooths and detangles my hair. After rising the conditioner as normal, i wrap it in a towel ready blow dry and blot dry the excess water off, i can hardly get a comb through it - i have NEVER EVER experienced this before!

I've used my usual shampoo & conditioner, (herbal essensess) have tried intensive conditioner and last night tried Dove shampoo & conditioner - i use to use it ages ago and was quite good. I use my usual hair serum on wet hair before blow drying and its like i can't get my brush through to blow dry my hair anymore? It ends up a frizzy mess?

I have just got a new hairdryer - with an AC motor, rather than a standard dc motor, although the matted hair washing hair washing started before i got the new hairdryer so it can't be that & im sure a new hairdryer can't be to blame.

What on Earth could it be?!!!!

I did try the coconut thing ages ago but didn't work for me? About two weeks ago i slathered on Olive oil and Argan oil onto wet hair and left it an hour and washed it out as a treatment.

HELP!!!!!:( :( :(

Sounds like one colour too many to me! Get some coconut oil and slather it on your hair and sleep over night then wash off in the morning by putting shampoo on before water.

I'd do this at last twice a week.

Just saw you already tried that! No clue then

Your hair is fucked. Sorry. Go to the hairdresser and get as much cut off as you can bear. Silicone free shampoo/conditioner. Oil hair treatments (check ingredients). No hairdrying. No straighteners. No hair brushing (just combing). No colouring/bleaching/perms. Keep getting the ends cut off until you have healthy hair again.

Leave olive oil on all night off that worked for a treatment.

Wash your hair, cover it in olive oil, pile it onto your head and wrap in cling film, warm with a hair dryer and then wrap your head in a towel

Leave it on as long as you can stand it then rinse it

But it will need a good cut

a spray in leave on conditioner and two drops of argan oil.

ItsAllGoingToBeFine has said it all! Do exactly as she says!

Did you put the colour on top of bleach ? Some hair products have metallic elements in them and if put onto bleached hair it reacts and turns the hair to a chewing gum texture IIRC

Use coconut oil and apply it EVERYWHERE for at least an hour then wash your hair using organic Sulphate/Silicon free shampoo and conditioner. Lay off anything to do with colouring your hair too!!
My hair was fried at the ends when I was blonde so I dyed it back to my normal colour and I have been doing what I've wrote abover for about a month or two and it looks so much better. I got some layers put in at the front to so I didn't need to lose alot of length plus it frames my face. Also you should invest in a Tangle Teaser brush, it will be more gentle on your hair. You are not going to see improvements right away but if you do this religiously and only use the bare minimum of heat on your hair then you should be back on track. My hair was awful to begin with and was all dry but now it actually looks healthy, even the ends!!

Also you should do the coconut oil treatment at least once a week. I use the Body Shop's Rainforest Shampoo and Conditioner (Sulphate and Silicon free), they are £4.50 each but they have a deal online just now where if you buy any 2 products you get 2 free if you use the code MUM.

Thanks ladies for the advice.

Oh fecking hell - I've really messed my hair up good & proper haven't I? & I'm desperate for long hair :( I'm far too fugly for short hair :(

I will follow some of the advice give here. I've been so naive, like I knew I was colouring my hair far too much but because it wasn't actually breaking off I thought it was ok......

Oh I forgot to ask - why the sulphate/silicone free stuff? Would a normal deep cleansing shampoo be just the same?

Silicone free because it dries out your hair.
I'd say avoid deep cleansing shampoos too as they are pretty harsh.

Yep, as everyone said you have chemically damaged hair. The activators in hair dye make hair more porous, if you use too many too close together you permanently damage your hair. Protein treatments will help temporarily but growing out the damaged bit is the only permanent fix sadly. I learned this the hard way!

Last night I found some of that Dove overnight creme and I had just enough to cover all my hair so slapped it on. I'll wash it out later. I could kick myself.

I wouldn't go silicone free until your hair is in better shape. It ruined my hair, went like straw and I stuck it out for weeks. My hairdresser looked slightly bemused as to why I even tried

I have to say I'm tempted to get hubby's clippers out & shave the lot off! But I won't. I am seriously thinking of getting a good few inches chopped off though, if it doesn't improve. I washed that dove overnight stuff off this morning & (naughty I know) blow dried my hair using a denman brush rather than the fierce looking barrel brushes I've been using. My hair felt probably marginally better. I have no intentions of straightening it for a long time so it's going to be clipped back from now on to hide the split frizz!

I usually wash it every other day but I'm going to try & manage going every two days if I can as well. I'll see if Ivan get some sort of normality back into it over the next couple of weeks, if not I'll go for a good cut :(

I have a very very wide face with full cheeks. It's not Kate Winslet round or Kirsten Dunst round - like when I google for hairstyles to suit a round face they throw up their faces! As if! No I'm talking Roseanne Barr round! That's why I can't have short hair!:(

Ivan Who's Ivan?! I can!

I find Aussie three minute miracle for dry hair really good in this situation. I have overbleached my hair in the past and this happened. I didn't cut it off, just kept treating it carefully until it grew out. It looked ok as long as I kept the dryer on low and used frizz ease products before drying it. You could do that if you don't want to cut it yet.

I only wash my hair once a week, I obviously shower every day lol. But if you leave your hair for longer then you are giving your hair a chance to balance out its natural oils instead of stripping it of them so shouldn't be as dry.