Switching to a natural hair care routine is a great move, both for your hair and the planet. It won’t be a smooth ride, though. The beginning of a hair detox can be frustrating, but this phase is only temporary. In the end, it will all be worth it, and you will have healthier hair
Everyone’s hair is different, and the type of damage can vary, but there are three basic detox responses. You may be lucky and only experience one symptom. Or you might be unlucky and experience all three of them over the course of your detox. Just know that it is normal and part of the process while your scalp and hair readjust and regulate the oil production cycle.
Your hair feels sticky, heavy, matted, and/or tangled -
This is the most common of the detox symptoms. When your hair and scalp release all of the chemical build-up, the plastics from your previous hair care products stick to anything they can touch, including your hair.
Your hair and scalp feel extremely oil - If you have oily hair, it’s because your scalp is used to being stripped of its oils constantly and is overproducing oil to compensate. Once your scalp readjusts the oil output, this will go away. If you use a shampoo with sulfates in it during your detox, you can shock your scalp and will have to go through the entire detox process again.
Your hair feels dry, rough, and brittle - If you have used conventional hair dyes, hair straightening products, sulfate shampoos, etc., then this damage will rear its ugly head during the detox process. As you start shedding the silicones from your hair, you will see the true nature of the damage that has been done to your hair.
The change can take up to 4-6 weeks depending on the amount of build-up in the scalp and hair, but in most cases, 2-3 weeks is enough to find a new balanced state in the scalp and hair. Keep going it will be worth it !
