Is there anyway I can weasle my way out of what nature gave me?
 

So my hair is naturally porous. Or, at least, that's what I assume, since it's never been colored, rarely been heat treated (save for a year of straightening only my bangs, but that damage has mostly grown out), and...well, yeah. That's about it.

It's always been fine, but I remember there was one point in time when it felt like it had a little more...substance, I guess. A little more movement. It was sort of heavier, in a sense. I don't know how to describe it, but I guess it felt more "normal porosity" than "high porosity". Or maybe I'm remembering wrong.

Anywho, I really want that, for my hair to be a little stronger and swingy-er and feel less delicate. I know I shouldn't hope for too much of a radical change, since my hair has always been and probably always will be fine, but can I fix the porosity? I give it PTs and I condition a lot, which seems to help, but not in the way that I'm hoping for. I don't currently have a DT - I just have a moisturizing condish - would a DT help?

Thanks for any help! It just recently dawned on me that I have high porosity hair, so suddenly I'm re-evaluating my approach to my locks. :tongue8:

Oh, and another somewhat related question - I'm still on the fence about whether or not I have hard water buildup, but if I decide that I do, is it punishable by death to use a SLS shampoo to clarify? The only shampoo I have on hand that has EDTA in it is also a sulfate shampoo. I don't want to damage my hair further, especially since it's porous, but I don't want mineral buildup either...

You do realize that using SLS will result in an instaban here right? ;)

Seriously, though, I can't help you with volume, since I have a lot of medium/coarse hair. I use a PT about twice a week, which really helps, and a DT once a week. I think it's a good idea to do a DT weekly, unless you get OC'd quickly.

As for using a sulfate poo to get rid of hard water build up, IAgirl has done a little experiment regarding low-poos and sulfate poos. She concluded that using a diluted sulfate poo does not damage hair, so as long as you dilute it well, you should be fine. You could also use Del's Spritz&Condish method, and use a sulfate poo after you've put a lot of conditioner in your hair.

HTH

I find that collagen (in your nexxus emergencee) really adds strength to my hair. You could try doing a PT more often or leaving it on longer. I usually PT an hour-ish without heat. I'm sure it is too much work at collage, but when you are back home, you should try IAgirl's gelatin PT. It also has hydrolized collagen. Bonus: it is cheap as dirt.:thumright:
I cosign everything niske said about a hard water sulfate shampoo.
Moohoohoo whaaahaha. *Runs to put on hood and tries to remember where I keep my ax.*:evil1:
Edit: Ummmmm. Forgot to add that the last part was a CG police joke. I was tired when I wrote that and it totally made sense to me at the time. I thought there was some reference before to a CG lynch mob in this thread, but there doesn't seem to be one. Note to self. Read, but don't post when exhausted.

Thanks a lot guys!
I'll try leaving my PT on longer, I think. I also did do a sulfate shampoo wash (diluted!) and I think it helped. My hair is a lot shinier.

Hmm...and I'll also try a DT. Couldn't hurt. :toothy8:

You two were very helpful. Except for the part where I'm almost beheaded. *flees*

To help with protein/moisture balance, I sometimes mix the PT and DC.

A wonderful DT is Spiral Solutions Deeply Decadent Moisturizing Treatment. The owner recommends this after using her protein treatment. A little goes a long way, depending on hair volume.

See my edit above. I was sick and exhausted when I wrote that. I made perfect sense to me at the time as a CG joke. When I reread it, it seems random, violent, and doesn't make much sense at all.:colors: Sorry. I guess I was way too tired to be funny.

No, it's fine! I thought it was funny! I hope I didn't sound offended. I generally have a dark/dry sense of humor anyway, haha. :joker:

Na. I knew you weren't offended.