I got my hair chemically straightened. For a while it was great. Now it's dry tangles easy, and when I wash it it gets matted even after conditioning. Then I spray it with stay-in conditioner and apply serum for drying. It still looks like dolls hair. Please help.
About the only thing you can do is cut it off short because the hair is fried when you cut it off it will grow out again and stay away from perms they are the worst for hair just buy some good rollers and roll your hair the old fashioned way will save you a lot of headaches and hair loss in the future.
I had chemically Straightened hair for 3 years, and my hair ended up like dry doll's hair as well...breaking all over the place, frizz...etc. What worked for me was to get a very good haircut, keep it trimmed regularly, use very good conditioner, home treatments mentioned above work great, I did most of them :-) and try to stay away from the hairdryer/flatiron as much as possible, air drying is the best thing. I know the haircut part sounds drastic, but it will be worth it, remember, it's only hair, it will grow back, mine did, and it looks so much better.
Coconut oil is a wonderful deep conditioning treatment for dry hair. Slather it on, then comb it through, and wear a plastic conditioning cap for an hour or so. Then shampoo and condition as usual. The shampoo won't lather a lot because of the oil on the hair, but that's OK. It's still doing its job, and if you condition afterward, there's no need for a second lathering.
Your post didn't mention race so I'm going to assume that because you chemically straightened your hair that you used a relaxer and are possibly Black. The deep conditioning with mayo was a great idea. If you have breakage, also try a deep conditioning Aphogee treatment which is available at most beauty supply stores. It's a bit pricey and smells horrible but stops any breakage and the moisturizing 2nd step does a great job at restoring moisture. I would also recommend you consider replacing your shampoo and conditioner w/products that baby chemically treated hair. Pantene's Relaxed and Natural line is a good one. And last but not least, hot oil treatments after every shampoo. Perhaps your hair texture wasn't suited to a relaxer or your expectations weren't in line with what the process does.
Most black women that use relaxers are going for the "baby doll"hair look. And as another poster said, be patient. It will take time to grow out the process and dealing with the new growth will be frustrating but it can be done. Oh, and if you liked the initial texture, it's possible you just used a relaxer that was too strong for your hair. You may need a gentle or regular if you used super. Or you may need a 'lye' instead of a 'no-lye'. I can't use no-lye relaxers because of the very problem you describe: it dries my hair out horribly and changes the texture in ways I don't like. You may have to experiment w/different types and strengths to get it right. Hope this helped!
Do a deep conditioning treatment over night. Put a towel on your pillow and slather mayo all over your hair, and then put saran wrap, (very Important) around your hair, and make it a tight fit. Then tie a plastic grocery bag around your hair, then put a towel around your hair and go to bed for the night or for 3 hours which ever comes first. It will get warm and will deep condition. I love doing this. When you are ready to get up or 3 hours has passed, then rinse with warm water at first and then once it wet enough to lather wash it with some shampoo. It might take two shampoos which I usually do. I love the softness. It is amazing. Do this as often as you need to. Racer
It is definitely going to take some time for your hair to come back to its natural state before the chemical treatment. Keep on using the conditioner and regularly get your hair cut. You will probably have to live with it for a while, but it's not forever.
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