Dear Shari: Why is my hair greasy??? I take showers every day and I get grease if I go under the front part of my hair (if that makes any sense”>. I don’t know why—I use sulfate-free shampoo and Suave Naturals coconut conditioner.
A: Without knowing the history of your hair and your diet, it is difficult to offer a solid answer. However, there may be synthetic ingredients in the products you are using that are weighing down your hair and causing a reaction. Is your facial skin oily as well? With limited information, I would like to suggest that you only use the conditioner on your ends and not on your scalp. Also, when you are cleansing the scalp area, make sure you scrub well and rinse well. Lastly, if you are using any stylers on your hair when it is dry, this, too, may be causing the greasy effect.
Dear Shari: I have 3b (50:50 chemically treated, natural-in-the-process-of-growing-out”> curls, and I’ve been using Deva No Poo for almost close to a year now. I have found myself on an extended vacation in Grenada (Caribbean”>, and it’s probably the weather and frequent ocean swims that have lead me to wash my hair more often than usual (from twice a week to three times a week”>. And I’ve run out!!! Any suggestions? I have at least another 3 weeks with no access to any line of sulfate free shampoo….what do I do? My scalp is drying me crazy. Also what’s the deal with sea water…good or bad?
A: Sea water contains salt—BAD for the hair. It is dehydrating. I suggest that you use conditioner as both the cleanser and the conditioner and leave some in when rinsing for extra moisture. Make sure the conditioner does not contain silicone as it will clog the hair and prevent moisture from penetrating.
Dear Shari: I’ve been shampoo free for about 2 weeks now, and my hair is already feeling great, but I’m having a situation with my root hair. It’s super oily/over-conditioned, I don’t know, it’s impossibly soft. Perhaps it’s only the change, going from a sulfate shampoo to co-washing… So I thought I’d better use a low sulfate shampoo every two weeks or so. I don’t know what to do.
A: There is nothing wrong with only using DevaCurl Low-Poo which has less moisture than DevaCurl No-Poo. In addition, do not use the conditioner on your scalp at this time. It seems not to need it.
Dear Shari: I did a shampoo free method from April-August because I found out I was pregnant and the texture of my hair changed and wasn’t getting the results I wanted so I just stuck with a low-sulfate shampoo and conditioner. Now I decided to go back to the shampoo free method since it worked so well for me the first time, but when my hair dries its TOO soft and therefore creates frizz. Does this mean I’m over conditioning? I’m using the same amount and same kind as before but didn’t have this problem. Could it be that because I’m still pregnant my hormones changed and now my hair is more sensitive to conditioner?
A: It could be a number of things and yes, hormones have much to do with the current state of your hair and scalp. Try using DevaCurl No-Poo on the scalp and DevaCurl One Condition on the ends with a little bit of DevaCurl MirrorCurls added to the ends. However, it seems highly doubtful that if your hair is over-conditioned, that is what is causing frizz. Perhaps you need a gel to define your curls? Perhaps you are touching it too much when it is wet and when it is dry which causes frizz?
Dear Shari: Three months after my pregnancy, I began to notice heavy hair loss. I have thick hair, so I’m no stranger to the daily 100 in the shower. However, this hair loss was different. One day I looked at myself in the mirror while I was pulling my hair back and noticed I had developed a widow’s peak! My hair is also tangling something fierce with all the hair I’m losing.
My hair is past my shoulders and while I don’t really want to, I’m considering getting it cut short again to avoid dealing with all the tangling and to get some hair in my face to cover the peaks.
From reading the forums, I realize this hair loss is normal, but I’m curious as to how others have handled it? While I am not a doctor, I do know that hair loss after pregnancy is normal. It usually takes 6-12 months for hair to return to a somewhat balanced state.
A: Why not trim it for now and see what happens? You can always cut more in time. It also sounds as if the texture may have changed causing the tangling. be gentle with it during this time and use a little extra moisture on the ends and the nape.
