I just got my haircut and I had them do a conditioning treatment. I've never done this before so I thought I'd try it, but now my hair is sticky and stiff. I hate it. Does anyone know how I can get it back to he way it was? I doubt this is going to last forever or anything but it is gross!

What kind of conditioning treatment did they do?  If your hair is sticky, did they use some sort of styling product?  A clarifying shampoo and/or a vinegar rinse should help remove whatever they used.

I don't know exactly what it was but I did a vinegar rinse and it feels better.
The stylist told me something odd though. She said that conditioners with proteins in them make your hair stronger but also if you use it too often it will make it brittle. This sounds a little fishy to me, but the leave in I use has some wheat protein in it and she thought this was bad for my hair. What do you think?

Yes, excess protein will make your hair brittle as it builds up on the hair.  This is a common problem for people who "go overboard" on their conditioning or feel, if a little is good, alot is better.  Whenever protein is used in conditioners, you should be sure to clarify on a regular basis.

I'm glad the vinegar rinse helped.  :D

That is so true-I also thought the 'more the better' regarding protein conditioners-thinking that protein in conditioners would be only good for the hair!But after some time with very crunchy ends,I have avoided protein conditioners almost totally!

wrote on Apr 6^th, 2004 at 3:17pm:

That is so true-I also thought the 'more the better' regarding protein conditioners-thinking that protein in conditioners would be only good for the hair!But after some time with very crunchy ends,I have avoided protein conditioners almost totally!

I think we have all "been there, done that" on this one!  ;D

Well that's good to know. It's just that so many conditioners tout all their protein, and it's kind of hard to avoid.  >:(
But maybe I'll watch better. I do a vinegar rinse regularily so that might help. But I have really dry hair. I only wash every other day, but I live in Colorado and it is ridiculously dry. When I lived in Oregon my hair was in much better condition.
Do you know of a leave-in conditioner that doesn't ahve protein?
I used to use olive oil on my hair but I guess jojoba oil is closer to the molecular structure of sebum, so maybe that will help better. IT's certainly less messy. I could probably dab a bit on after I wash my hair instead of leave-in conditioner.

I'm not saying that having protein in your conditioner is bad, you just need to make sure you don't over do the protein.  The vinegar rinses will also help.

As for a leave in conditioner, I just use a tiny bit of my regular conditioner on my hair as a leave in.  So far that has worked well for me  :D

Yeah, I know you aren't saying protein is all bad. Just that I think that might be contributing to the crunchiness of my hair. I have really dry hair, baby fine, and there is a ton of it. Actually my hair is some kind of freaky genetic mutation, according to the dermatologist my mother took me to when I was little. They did all these experiments on it and journal articles and crap. So everything is hit or miss with my hair.  If I don't treat it like its a silk spider web I get a blond afro. I like the jojoba oil though. IT's really making a difference and I only just bought it yesterday. Maybe if i lay off the leave-in and just use a bit of that after I wash and condition, it might be enough.
Thanks so much for your knowledge. It's really helping me to sort out how to take care of my hair better.

ok, can someone please explain exactly what a vinegar rinse is? What quantities? Doesn't it make your hair smell and isn't the acid in vinegar going to be bad for it? I know that skin and hair has a slightly acidic pH anyway, .... I'm confuzzled....

I use like a 1 to 5 ratio of apple cider vinegar. I only do it maybe 3 times a month and it doesn't do anything weird to my hair. It just makes it soft.
I just wash with my normal shampoo and then pour the water-vinegar over my hair. I let it sit on my head for a minute and then rinse. Then I use a conditioner. It doesn't smell at all. It gets rinsed out. I think there is a thread on here about how to do it or maybe if you click on the hair care recipe link there might be more there.

wrote on Apr 8^th, 2004 at 12:04am:

ok, can someone please explain exactly what a vinegar rinse is? What quantities? Doesn't it make your hair smell and isn't the acid in vinegar going to be bad for it? I know that skin and hair has a slightly acidic pH anyway, .... I'm confuzzled....

Heavens no!  We can't have you confuzzled! :o

The ratio of vinegar to water is not an exact science.  I don't measure anything.  Yes, the vinegar is acidic, but that is what helps remove the buildup of products.  Vinegar is not so acidic that it harms the hair, especially when diluted.  Most people I know that do a vinegar rinse, do it between their shampoo and conditioner.  This eliminates the odor.  Some people do the vinegar as a final rinse and claim their hair does not smell.  I'd guess it doesn't as long as the hair is dry, but if it gets wet again, it will probably smell a bit of vinegar.  I don't notice any odor with my hair when I do the rinse before conditioning.

You guys are wonderful! Thank you!