What is wrong with my hair?

[Munkeyface]

Really hard to describe so I'm hoping someone can relate.

I have a shoulder length fine hair bob. When dry it looks ok.

Every once in a while my hair feels incredibly dry only when wet!
I only wash it twice a week.

I wash it and apply conditioner but it almost feels crunchy as though all moisture has gone!
Makes it really hard to wash.

I use cheap shampoos, shampoo with out sle. Clarifying shampoo. Can use hair mask after hair mask and it makes no difference.
Currently using a kerestase shampoo, followed by a serum and olaplex no6 bond soother.

My hairdressers only suggestion is to use a hair mask once a week.

I haven't swam for a while so can't be chlorine.

Any suggestions gratefully received that would help!

Do you have highlights or dyed hair? I get something similar after I’ve had my hair done - but using a conditioning oil once a week has really improved my hair - try to leave it in all day before washing out.

Yes sorry should have mentioned. Have highlights every 8 weeks or so.

You need sulfates if you're using conditioner or styling products with silicone in. It won't be labelled as silicone. As a general rule anything ending "cone" "conal" or "xane" is silicone. But there are others. And unfortunately the product makers keep changing ingredients. So the only way to know is to research all the ingredients, get to know the baddies and check every time prior to purchase. Sulfate shampoo is the only thing that'll get silicone off your hair. If you don't get it off it builds up. Silicone is plastic basically. So you'd be coating your hair in layer upon layer of plastic, which will stop it absorbing moisture, meaning it gets dryer and dryer. Could be why it feels ok dry when it's covered in its smoothing layer of silicone, but awful when wet.

Other than that it could be an incorrect balance between moisture and protein. Might be that using conditioner twice a week isn't enough. Although if you over moisturise your hair becomes straw like and you'd swear it was dry and needed more moisture, but really it needs protein. I think kerastase and olaplex is protein. Some hair just hates things with protein in it and won't behave when using those products. Trial and error to find what your hair likes.

I've heard of hair feeling like that on the curly hair forums when it has to much protein the advice is that if your nails don't flake and are fairly strong then you don't need protein that often in your hair.