First-world end of tether reached with dry hair - please help me, O wise Mumsnet

[ChocAuVin]

As above, basically — I have long brunette hair, slightly greying, which I don’t mind at all, so I have quarterly rounds of high/lowlights, always with Olaplex, to blend the greys a bit. My hair has never been sleek, but sadly these days it is constantly dry and parched looking :-(

Has anyone found a solution?

I only shampoo once or twice a week (once purple shampoo but appreciate that’s drying) and use plenty of conditioner, currently Charles Worthington ultraviolet and a L’Oréal masque.

I sense it’s really some kind of finishing product that I need, to lock some moisture in. I have Extraordinary Oil which helps but only marginally.

Please help me; I’m so tired of it looking so dry!

Thanks in advance 🙏

I use Philip Kingsley elasticiser every couple of days and my hairdresser was impressed with how good the condition of my hair was.

Thanks, @Graffitiqueen! I appreciate you may not know the answer depending on your own hair but do you know if the Elasticiser is suitable for coloured/highlighted hair?

Hello
Garnier mask is great, I sleep in this and then wash it out in the morning. A leave in conditioner would be good or opalex x

@ChocAuVin I am brunette with a copper balayage and it was when I went back to have it recoloured that the hairdresser was impressed with the condition of my hair.

Thank you @Graffitiqueen

@Lacey2019, which masque is it, please?

It’s a banana one x very cheap in home bargains for a tub

I have your kind of hair. The only products that work are Moroccan Oil. I use the hydrate shampoo and conditioner. Then I use the light oil before and after drying. It works and smells divine.

Rahua Hydration Shampoo
Not cheap.
It's unbelievable.

I'm getting some good results with the joico moisturising shampoo and conditioner. Blue bottle

Garnier banana mask x

Macadamia (brown and green packaging from Allbeauty- not pound shop macadamia) is amazing. I now buy the huge litre bottles which work out a lot cheaper.

The garner banana mask is pretty damned good. You can also dab a small amount back onto problem areas, after rinsing.

I've found the Aveda Damage remedy helpful on my dry frizz (put it before drying hair)

Mix olive oil and egg and coat your lengths in it, then leave it on for an hour in a shower cap.

How you use your conditioner may make a difference, btw. This explains it well.
science-yhairblog.blogspot.com/2018/08/conditioning-technique-squish-to.html?m=1

Baby oil before you blow dry.

Thank you all! @PickAChew, thanks for the link — will have a read!

I have the Garnier coconut masque and the Aloe Vera one for my kids’ mixed hair... maybe I’ll have a go?

Currently have Morrocanoil and PK Elasticiser sitting in my Amazon basket. I’ll only be purchasing one (in the immediate term, anyway...) I can’t decide which!

I have the exact same hair as you. I love Moroccan oil and use the original before drying. I also use the Aveda smooth infusion style prep smoother. Both work well but with the Aveda I don’t even have to blow dry my hair and it still works.

@LovelyBranches, thank you! I’ve purchased the Aveda and the Morrocanoil. Fingers crossed

Just an update from me: Morrocanoil is: meh. Marginal improvement — but nothing to write home about or even repurchase.

A bit filmy/sticky without getting rid of the ‘thirsty’ aspect of my hair

Try lifesaver Michael van clarke it doesnt contain silicone which just coats the hair masking dryness. I use it on my fragile fine easy breaking hair and it does what it says on the bottle! It's not cheap but does last a while

Is it worse after you have slept on it? Mine is so I bought a silk hair wrap to wear at night. It’s made a big difference and has been surprisingly comfortable in the heat.

If you are still struggling with this I think I have the answer. Extraordinary oil and Moroccan oil and a lot of those 'oil' products are actually silicone. The first ingredient something starting with c and ends in ane is a silicone. It stills on top of your hair providing a sleek shiny coating. But let's nothing through unless its washed out with a proper soap. The result over time is dry brittle hair. You need to strip it off using a shampoo that contains sodium laureth sulphate. In most cheap shampoos. Then condition with something ideally silicone free but if you have straight hair some silicone might be ok. Maybe add some oil too it - ordinary olive oil from your kitchen. Not that silicone fake oil stuff. Leave in as a mask. Maybe even put a shower cap or plastic bag over it to let it soak. Should start to recover after that. I think if you are going to use these silicone 'oils' you need to use a shampoo that can remove it as well. Expensive shampoos are often too gentle. Otherwise everything kind and nourishing you put on your hair will just sit on top of that silicone layer and get rinsed out again.

I mix about a 1/4 teaspoon of vegetable oil with whatever I’m putting on my hair (like the Argan oil products) rub over my palms and rub through the bottom half of my hair when towel dried. Definitely helps.

Interesting about the silicone products. I actually use Vitapointe leave in conditioner which is liquid paraffin based rather than silicone.

www.superdrug.com/Hair/Hair-Conditioners/Leave-In-Conditioner/Vitapointe-Leave-In-Conditioner-50ml/p/110478?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIlKan4ZWf6wIV2-vtCh3LKAFbEAQYASABEgK1BfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds#pdp__details