The Long Hair Community

Poledra · March 2nd, 2003, 02:58 PM

Hi all, I've noticed somethings over the past couple of days and I was wondering if someone here could help me out.

I've started trying ACV rinses, but now my hair actually seems duller and drier. My BF also commented to me that my hair seemed lighter than normal. This freaked me out a bit, but then realized that it might just be that the vinegar was stripping the henna I had done in August. So, I ask you, does vinegar strip henna? Could it be stripping my natural colour too?

Secondly, for as long as I can remember, I have noticed that I get strange little knots in my hair. They are usually at the end of a strand and it is a SINGLE strand that has tied itself into a knot involving only itself... strange.

I can't get them out and they eventually cause breakage and come out that way. I was wondering if anyone else has had these and knows of a way to prevent them since I doubt my hair actually grows in with knots.

Anyways, thanks for any help, and sorry if this is a bit long

Pol

Axium · March 2nd, 2003, 03:08 PM

It depends on your hair, of course. My own hair is dried by henna-type products, and the vinegar only works if I rinse it out. If I leave a vinegar rinse in, I'll get results like yours. Also, if you're leaving it in, you're putting your hair in a lower PH zone than you probably want.
Those be my thoughts...

Poledra · March 2nd, 2003, 03:17 PM

Well, I am rinsing it out, so maybe I need to rinse more. But it isn't so much the drier part that worries me since I'm not sure about that yet, it's the colour bleaching that has me worried...

Pol

Madeleine · March 2nd, 2003, 03:20 PM

I can help with the vinegar question: I use henna and do regular vinegar rinses, and I find that the vinegar actually helps to set the colour, not strip it. If I C/O wash and vinegar rinse right after a henna treatment I won't stain the towel afterwards, if I skip the vinegar I will.

Vinegar in the final rinse of dark coloured silk garments also stops the colour to "bleed" out of the fabric.

Too many henna treatments OTOH will make my hair dry and brittle from overconditioning with too much protein.

**Flaxen** · March 2nd, 2003, 03:41 PM

It could be that your hair just doesn't like vinegar. I know mine doesn't. I've tried both white and apple cider vinegars in various strengths, with and without the addition of herbs, and it all makes my hair dull.

We have very soft acidic water here, and maybe it is enough with the low ph already, LOL!

The knots you are finding in single strands of hair are called "fairy knots"(i.e. tied by mischievous fairies), and as fair as I know there is nothing to be done except snip them. As you have probably already discovered, they are nearly impossible to untie!

HTH!

Cowgal · March 2nd, 2003, 03:55 PM

Hmm... my first thought was "are you sure it's not just the henna itself fading?" Henna normally only lasts about 3 months anyhow. It might just be fading and have nothing to do with the vinegar. Just time to re-henna? I don't think vinegar rinses ever sped up my henna fading.

The little fairy knots... is your hair fine? It might just be the enevitable.

If your hair is long enough, it might be time to wear it up more and only let it down for special occasions or when you're inside and not moving around much. I think the finer strands are more prone to knotting up. I think that Teacherbear said that when she finds a knot like that, she'll snip it off just above the knot and get it over with. Since.. if it was to eventually break off anyways, the snapping might cause it to split.

Poledra · March 2nd, 2003, 03:56 PM

Fairies eh? That explains it. Well, as I have an absurd number of them perhaps I should try leaving bits of string around my room for them to tie up instead or maybe a treat...I wonder what fairies would like in return for not tying knots in my hair...cookies?

Thanks for the info =)

Pol

Rachel · March 2nd, 2003, 03:57 PM

A question for those of you who use the acv...

Do you apply it just to the outer layers of your hair, or try to work it through all your hair, like a shampoo?

Is it better to leave it in, or rinse it off - or does that depend on the hair type?

Rachel

**Flaxen** · March 2nd, 2003, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Poledra

Fairies eh? That explains it. Well, as I have an absurd number of them perhaps I should try leaving bits of string around my room for them to tie up instead or maybe a treat...I wonder what fairies would like in return for not tying knots in my hair...cookies?

hahahahahahahaha

or maybe some fairy-cake???

charlyee · March 2nd, 2003, 04:02 PM

It is an ACV based herbal rinse, I use it as a wash out rinse between by shampoo and conditioner.

Poledra · March 2nd, 2003, 04:31 PM

I would agree with you Cowgal, that it sounds as if the henna had just faded except it wasn't noticable until I started using the ACV. Anyways, maybe it's just that my hair doesn't like vinegar and it's drier and looking bleached. Tomorrow is wash day again and I won't use ACV and see if things are looking better.

My hair is medium to thick and curly, so maybe it is just the finer strands on my head that are knotting...something to check.

Thanks a lot for all of the advice

You guys are fantabulous!

Pol

**Teacherbear** · March 2nd, 2003, 04:33 PM

I can't help with the henna or ACV, buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut . . .

Quote:

Originally Posted by Poledra

Secondly, for as long as I can remember, I have noticed that I get strange little knots in my hair. They are usually at the end of a strand and it is a SINGLE strand that has tied itself into a knot involving only itself... strange.

I can't get them out and they eventually cause breakage and come out that way. I was wondering if anyone else has had these and knows of a way to prevent them since I doubt my hair actually grows in with knots.
l

YEP!!!!! I get those, and a lot of them . . . but not as many as I use to!

:shock:

I started treating them like split ends. They only do damage to my hair. They MAKE my hair knot up. Since I started snipping off that knot, my hair doesn't get nearly as knotted up as it use to.

I figured out (for me at least) how they occur. My hair gets into a knot, I gently pull the "unoffending hairs" out. They come out "clean" meaning no bends or breaks. When I finish pulling the "easy to pull out" hairs out of the knot, I'm left with a few hairs which are actually knotted. Almost always there is one of those little "single strand knots" involved. So I "kill it"

hahahahahahaaha

I can't tell you how to avoid them, but I can tell you how to manage them. Snip them off!

I often find mine by feeling my hair, and not by looking at it. I've found that I have a TON of those little buggers at the nape of my neck. I guess it is from where the hair has gotten twisted around my necklace (and NO, I won't give up my necklace for the sake of my hair!

)

I guess that's all!

HTH

Madeleine · March 2nd, 2003, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rachel

A question for those of you who use the acv...

Do you apply it just to the outer layers of your hair, or try to work it through all your hair, like a shampoo?

Is it better to leave it in, or rinse it off - or does that depend on the hair type?

After C/O washing and rinsing, I dip ends and legth into my ACV, then pour it over my head while massaging my scalp. Definitely trying to work it through all of my hair.
Then I apply regular conditioner to length and ends, comb through, and rinse off both conditioner and vinegar.

I guess it won't hurt if you experiment with different water/vinegar ratios, leaving in, rinsing out etc until you find what works best for your hair.

Rachel · March 2nd, 2003, 07:20 PM

Thanks, Madeleine - that helps!

Rachel

**dancingbarefoot** · March 2nd, 2003, 07:41 PM

but I sure get a fairy knot now & then! (I didn't know there was a name for those -- how cute!)

I end up just snipping them off right above the knot, since I can't get them out. Luckily, it doesn't happen very often.

Since this is about ACV, too.... I've been interested in trying that. Can I use white vinegar, too? I have a bunch of that but don't want to go buy a big jug of apple cidar vinegar just to find out that I don't like it.