~4.5 months in, still trying to refine routine to fix dandruff/dry ends

[carajargao]

Hi all,

Apologies in advance for this very-long winded post!

So I went cold-turkey from using Aveda shampoos to BS/ACV washes just about 4.5 months ago. I have shoulder length, brown, fine, and wavy hair - this is the longest my hair has ever been. Initially I decided to try no-poo because as long as I can remember my hair has been very greasy. If I didn't wash every second day at least, my hair would become a complete mess of grease, and I want to be able to go for 3 or 4 days without washing. I started using 2 tbsp. of BS to 8 oz. of water, but quickly adjusted down to 1/2 tsp. because any more than this seems to fry/break/dry-out my hair. Similarly, I started using 2 tbsp. of ACV in 8 oz. of water and quickly moved down to 1 tbsp. I definitely have soft water.

It's probably important to note that I had never experienced any dandruff / scalp issues prior to contracting a really nasty intestinal parasite in South America, around a year ago. I'm pretty much all healed at this point, but I would definitely say that it's permanently effected my hair - initially it became very brittle and I lost a fair bit due to breakage, and the dandruff started. While I was using Aveda, I just moved to the scalp-benefits line of products, which seemed to resolve the issue as I was washing around every second day. Since moving to BS/ACV, the problem has returned.

Initially I was washing with BS/ACV once or twice a week, but rapidly transitioned to once every 3 weeks, over the course of about 2.5 months. Immediately following a BS/ACV wash I will get about 3 days of clean, non-greasy, mostly fine hair. It's a little dry near the ends, and it can feel a little straw-like. From this point onwards, I do WO washes every second day until 3 weeks has passed. If I don't do this, my hair becomes very greasy, at the roots and through the ends. Paradoxically, my scalp itself also becomes very dry and I develop pretty bad dandruff, which almost forms in clumps or specific spots all over my scalp. I always use the 'scritching' technique described, which definitely does help to mitigate the dandruff during the day. I also always wash with luke-warm water and rinse with ice-cold. I mix my wash and rinse in two small drinking bottles so I can concentrate where I deliver the BS and the ACV. Having said that, the BS mix almost always gets on my ends anyways, as does the ACV rinse on my scalp.

At some point I decided to try adding 2 drops of tea tree oil to my BS mix, and about 1 tbsp. of raw, organic honey to the ACV rinse. I had read the tea tree oil might help control scalp problems, and that the honey might help to soften my ends. It has worked to some extent, but not completely.

At this point I am considering moving to washing with BS/ACV once a week, because my hair doesn't seem to be getting any better from spacing the washes so far apart. I have read WV in a 50/50 mix might be the way to go to resolve my scalp issues, but have yet to test this. The only other lingering issue I feel, is that the day of washing my hair with the mix, it's still a little too straw-like for my liking. My ends don't meet, and everything just looks a bit staticy and frizzy.

I also never comb/brush my hair; I just use my fingers to detangle at multiple points throughout the day. Any time I have used a brush/comb, I just end up losing a tonne of hair (even high quality brushes), and everything becomes super staticy. I also never blow-dry my hair; I squeeze it with a towel, and leave it to air dry the rest of the way. I don't do any strenuous exercise, so it never really gets sweaty either. If it helps, it was winter where I live when I started this, and it's still very cold and dry.

Is anyone who has experienced similar problems able to recommend anything I can try to improve my hair beyond this point?

Many, many thanks!