Brittle Hair

[Livin'onLife]

Since starting to eat 100% raw a little more than a year ago my hair has been really brittle, and it's been breaking like crazy. At first I thought that it was just the stress of a diet change, hormones, etc., but it's not getting better. The weird thing is that it's been growing faster, my nails are stronger, and my skin is better than ever. I was using only baking soda and acv to wash my hair, even before raw, but I think the baking soda was drying it out more. I don't heat style it, and I try to be gentle with it, but it keeps breaking. So, I was wondering what suggestions y'all have.
Thanks in advance!!

[queenfluff]

Since starting to eat 100% raw a little more than a year ago my hair has been really brittle, and it's been breaking like crazy. At first I thought that it was just the stress of a diet change, hormones, etc., but it's not getting better. The weird thing is that it's been growing faster, my nails are stronger, and my skin is better than ever. I was using only baking soda and acv to wash my hair, even before raw, but I think the baking soda was drying it out more. I don't heat style it, and I try to be gentle with it, but it keeps breaking. So, I was wondering what suggestions y'all have.
Thanks in advance!!

Stop the baking soda and switching to water only. The baking can be too stripping. You need your natural oils to keep your hair strong. I tried the baking soda a few times on my hair and I didn't like it - it felt too dried out. You also could be using too much.

My hair is so much stronger now since switching to water rinsing.

Start taking MSM and doing scalp massages.

make sure you are getting in the right foods for hair. Here is a post I put up about nutrients that are needed to grow good hair:
http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?p=425515#post425515

Hemps Seeds is a good one to start with.

Do you have any chemicals in your hair (like old perms or colorings)? If so, you might want to get several inches cut off your hair so new stronger hair can grow in. It might a good idea to just get rid of the brittle stuff straight off.

Honestly, switch to water rinse, take higher dosage of MSM, get hair foods in, scalp massage (or get alot of exercise to get circulation moving to the scalp) and keep your hair trimmed up well until stronger hair starts growing in.

[Whisper]

I had the same problem and thinning last year when I was losing weight fast -- I take hair food vitamins (Walmart and Holland and Barret Uk) and Biotin -- My hair is now back to thick (well as thick as blonde gets!!) and shiny. I also upped my normal day ones.

The advice to do green smoothies is good as they contain a lot of the enzymes etc.

I did not cut mine -- just accepted that it needed treating with care and did not brush it hard or tug!! Mine grows so slowly anyway -- trimming it does not hel me at all!!

What about a coconut oil dressing -- not necessarily on the salad -- good too but on your head!! Feed it both ways. More oil in diet helps a lot.

Hope these comments help,
take care
Whisper

[littleindiangirl]

Trimming hair helps keep those damaging split ends at bay! Doing it regularly will help keep your hair healthy and full with less break offs. (thinning near the ends)

Curly hair is also a lot more fragile than straight hair. A lot of super fab hair stylists are telling woman with curly hair to wash less often and condition the ends more.

I found the baking soda thing to not work on my hair. I have super thick wavy/curly hair. Not only did it take a lot of baking soda to get to the roots, a lot got stuck in the body of hair itself. Just not worth it. I did it for something like 4 weeks, never happy.

Now, I wash my hair with mostly a good scalp scrubbing for blood flow, and nice warmish water. Hot water can often irritate your scalp and increase dandruff! Once a week I use a gentle shampoo to get rid of the grease and dirt, but my hair has been doing fantastic like this!!! It grows about an inch every month, and almost all of my old dry dead died hair is ready to be completely cut off.

[Livin'onLife]

Thanks y'all for the great suggestions!!

[RawPaw]

I've only done this for a couple of weeks but it has been amazing so far. And yes, I have crappy hair. Sickly, dry and oily at the same time. Anyway, I did 2 things. I started drinking a teaspoon of hemp oil and eating a teaspoon of hemp seeds everyday, and I use a fantastic lemon/shea butter based shampoo.

Drink lots of water, too.

[mblessed]

RawPaw, I found your post very interesting, as I have thinning and dry hair. I have been using hemp oil and hemp seeds too, but I wanted to ask you what brand of the lemon/shea butter based shampoo do you use?

Thank you so much for sharing!

Blessings and peace,

Marcia

[RawPaw]

RawPaw, I found your post very interesting, as I have thinning and dry hair. I have been using hemp oil and hemp seeds too, but I wanted to ask you what brand of the lemon/shea butter based shampoo do you use?

Thank you so much for sharing!

Blessings and peace,

Marcia

Avalon organics...but I'm looking for another shea shampoo that has less ingredients, however, it's the best shampoo I've ever used...but I'm sure the hemp added lots of softness to my hair.

How long have you used hemp?

[Livin'onLife]

Thanks for the suggestion, RawPaw!

[carolg]

I was born with dry, brittle hair and has continued that way for decades now.

I have hemp oil sitting in the refrigerator for weeks. I use hemp seeds in smoothies, but as consistent as I should be.

rawpaw, Very interesting sharing. Thanks. How are you taking your hemp seeds?

MSN stuff. How much?
I was going to take it for an long standing injury with the "assistance of my personal trainer" which I thought was tendon or hamstring injury. It just left after 2 months, deep tissue massage 4x in 2 weeks, and now nothing taken with pain finally gone.

Thanks for sharing.

I love the sharing that we give it each. What a great gift!

Update: Just had a teaspoon of hemp seed oil--right off spoon and will take getting used to; also had teaspoon of hemp seeds--super delish and tasted like chewed up sunflower seeds. I would love to have thick beautiful long hair one day like soon.

carolg

[freespirit]

as far as hair products go, I buy mine from a place called Lush- they have stores or you can order online. A lot of products are vegan and they use little additives and preservatives. And they smell amazing!!

[mblessed]

RawPaw,

Thank you for your response to the brand of shampoo that you are using!

I haven't been using hemp oil very long. At first I didn't like the taste, so it sat in the fridge while I used up my flax oil. Then I tasted the hemp oil again, and liked it. I mix it with olive oil when I am making my olive oil and apple cider vinegar salad dressing and also my raw ranch dressing. The other day I made some walnut/cashew butter in my food processor, and it needed a little oil to mix up to the nut butter consistency, so I added a small amount of hemp oil. It was truly delicious. I am also starting to add hemp oil to my green smoothie and late afternoon raw vegetable juice.

Thanks again for all your awesome input! I truly appreciate the wonderful sharing on this board! :)

Blessings and peace,

Marcia

[RawPaw]

rawpaw, Very interesting sharing. Thanks. How are you taking your hemp seeds?

I just talk a spoon and eat it raw. Same with the oil. I don't want to waste a drop. :D

[Conscious Midwife]

Give your hair an EVOO treatment once a week.

MAssage sacalp then saturate hair with oil, wrap head in a plastic bag, wear bag while doing chores or exercising. Rinse in warm water then in cold.

Trim ends and style without heat as usual.

[maui_butterfly]

if you're using maca, stop. caused my hair to break and my nails to get weak too.

[Livin'onLife]

Thanks for all the great info!! I am so excited to feel like I have the information to make the best decisions about what to try to make my hair stronger and thicker. I have my note pad in front of me full of all of your wonderful suggestions, and I will let y'all know what works for me.
Maui_butterfly, I thought your post was interesting! I had recently started using maca, and I haven't noticed that my hair has been worse, but I will definitely stop using it and see if that helps.