I stopped coloring my hair months ago but it is still so dry and brittle HELP :(

How often do you wash your hair? What do you use?

I wash it 2 to 3 times a week. I was using a sulfate free shampoo by Loreal, but I started using Head and Shoulders for itchy scalp about a month ago and that has helped soothe my scalp. But my hair is as dry as ever, especially at the ends. My sebum production is just not where it needs to be for my hair to be strong and healthy.

Well, it's almost definitely nothing to do with the bleaching/dying at this point, if all that hair is grown out. Which is sounds like it is. It's pretty much impossible, unless the roots were severely damaged. It sounds like you had mild burns, but that wouldn't have done it. In fact, for burns bad enough to affect your whole head of hair, you'd have had a hospital visit at the very least! Chemical burns that bad can be horrific. But mild ones, it might affect a few follicles but nothing much.

Hair does change though. It changes as we get older. It might be that you're noticing a difference now that you wouldn't have spotted otherwise had you never dyed your hair. My hair is naturally curly, but that has changed many times over the years and so has the texture. It's gone from loose waves to fairly tight curls and at the moment it's loose curls again. The texture has become more corse too, and so feels drier. Sometimes I notice this happen gradually, sometimes it appears to happen suddenly. Each hair has a lifetime of around 7 years, so every 7 years we literally have a new set of hair and it can be a bit different to the previous hair.

If you feel your scalp is dry, try washing your hair once a week and with only conditioner. It can take a few weeks to adjust, but it's worth it.

It might also be something medical, again, not connected to bleaching or dying. If the conditioner only washing doesn't help then a visit to the doctor might be required.

Dandruff shampoos (any medicated shampoo) are typically very harsh to the hair.
I would try using milder products if you want your hair to be less dry, CO washing would be my suggestion. Often dandruff is just a dry flaky scalp caused by harsh shampoos, and stopping all shampoo is the solution.

First of all, I'd like to thank both of you so much for your insight. It's very helpful. I have considered that it could just be my hair changing as I get older...at the same time, though, I'm only 24 and it just seems like a pretty dramatic change for such a short time. I actually did try cowashing for a while ( started while my hair as still bleached actually.) But after I cut it very short I assumed it would be okay to start shampooing again. Maybe that was my mistake...I'll ditch the dandruff shampoo and try cowashing again and see if that helps!  🙂

It wouldn't hurt to visit a doctor and get a check up, changes in hair are sometimes linked to other health problems. I had a hormone imbalance for a while and my hair was growing in coarser and wiry. I also have eczema on my scalp and essentially no sebum production at all; it's dry, red, itchy and flaky when it flares up. Eczema has many causes, unfortunately mine is not caused by an infection so it never really goes away. As I've grown older my eczema has gotten worse, over all my skin has gotten drier and more sensitive. Sometimes it's just part of getting older. Not saying 24 is old but a lot of my skin and hair changes happened around that age.

In the meantime do overnight oil treatments for your scalp and hair. I like argan for both skin and hair, a mix of olive and coconut oils is also nice. When my scalp eczema flairs up I like to add a teeny bit of tea tree or peppermint oil. Jojoba is also popular for moisturizing the scalp. You may find coconut oil particularly helpful for your hair as it can help prevent breakage due to dryness, it penetrates the hair into the inner part called the cortex. When the cortex swells with moisture it's less likely to snap. Put the oils on before bed and wash them out with conditioner NOT shampoo in the morning. I do this 2-3 times a week and it makes a huge difference for my horrible dry scalp and hair.

It wouldn't hurt to visit a doctor and get a check up, changes in hair are sometimes linked to other health problems. I had a hormone imbalance for a while and my hair was growing in coarser and wiry. I also have eczema on my scalp and essentially no sebum production at all; it's dry, red, itchy and flaky when it flares up. Eczema has many causes, unfortunately mine is not caused by an infection so it never really goes away. As I've grown older my eczema has gotten worse, over all my skin has gotten drier and more sensitive. Sometimes it's just part of getting older. Not saying 24 is old but a lot of my skin and hair changes happened around that age.

In the meantime do overnight oil treatments for your scalp and hair. I like argan for both skin and hair, a mix of olive and coconut oils is also nice. When my scalp eczema flairs up I like to add a teeny bit of tea tree or peppermint oil. Jojoba is also popular for moisturizing the scalp. You may find coconut oil particularly helpful for your hair as it can help prevent breakage due to dryness, it penetrates the hair into the inner part called the cortex. When the cortex swells with moisture it's less likely to snap. Put the oils on before bed and wash them out with conditioner NOT shampoo in the morning. I do this 2-3 times a week and it makes a huge difference for my horrible dry scalp and hair.

I have used coconut oil overnight but I always washed it to out with shampoo? Will conditioner really be effective in cleansing out such a thick oil? (but come to think of it, I guess shampooing it out is defeating the whole purpose...) It is very possible that I just have eczema on my scalp...do you use Scalpicin or any topical medication on your scalp? I definitely need to get a check up....

Conditioner is actually better at removing oils than shampoos.

Another thing to consider is that maybe you aren't rinsing for long enough. I've 'cured' several people's 'dandruff' and dry scalps just by getting them rinse longer and make sure all the shampoo and conditioner is off the scalp. I used to have dandruff and dry scalp  issues, and still do occasionally, purely because I have hair that is very densely packed on my head so it's actually hard to make sure it's all clear. It even takes a while for water to get on my scalp, when a hairdresser asks how the temperature is when washing my hair, I have to wait several seconds before I can tell them as I just don't feel it for a while!

24 is starting to get old in terms of your body. Your hair has already been through three full cycles.

I used to use scalpicin a lot but it's just for itch relief and doesn't get to the heart of the problem. My eczema is hereditary and flares up with changes in the weather. For me using oils to moisturize frequently works best. If i know the weather is going to turn i do oil soaks the night before. Drying things like shampoo especially ones for dandruff (medicated shampoos are sometimes helpful for eczema from bacterial and fungal infections) clarifying and styling products like dry shampoo and hair spray are big NOs. Ironically bleach seems to help as it takes off a lot of the dry crust and allows the oils to get into my skin better. Of course i Coconut beforehand so i dont get any irritation from the bleach.

The best thing for you is to get your scalp checked by a doctor so you can find the cause.

Are leave-in conditioners a good idea or a no no?

I will say that when I got it cut very short back in June it felt amazing and the most like it did before any coloring. It felt like that for maybe two weeks and then as it grew out it started to feel brittle and dry again. I got it cut again month ago , but I kept the bangs longer and it's the bangs that really are the dryest and feel the most damaged. I don't know why, but I'm just making the connection now. Lol

It could be multiple things; a health issue, your diet, weather, heat damage or even mechanical damage ( if you touch it a lot) it is difficult to pin point the problem and suggest a solution without some more history. Have you changed your diet recently? Or are doing anything new to your hair? Styling, products, do you play with it a lot? It can be a combination of things.

The connection you're making is highly unlikely, as I said, almost certainly not from bleaching or dying. It'll be something else. I'm still certain it's not.

I use normal conditioner as a leave in. It wouldn't work for everyone, but it's perfect for me. I just use a pea sized amount and squeeze it into the ends after I've done the last rinse.

I did what you suggested, spooki, and I'm pretty amazed at the results. I coated my hair with coconut oil and left it in overnight and cowashed it out in the morning. Before when I would do this and use a harsh shampoo to wash it out and it didn't feel any better. My hair is so soft and strong compared to what it was like 3 days ago. Will definitely continue with this and quit shampoo for the time being.

Glad to hear that worked better for you! I used to do the same thing with coconut oil and shampoo and was constantly frustrated. I either had greasy hair or overly dry hair. Conditioner takes out just enough oil to get rid of the greasy feeling but not enough to strip it all out of the hair.