Okay, so the other day I was in the shower, right? And as I was rinsing out my conditioner, I noticed something weird. A few strands of my hair felt, well, stretchy. Like, way more stretchy than usual. I kinda freaked out a little, not gonna lie. I mean, hair isn’t supposed to be like Silly Putty, is it?
So, I pulled a few more strands, just to check. Same thing. They’d stretch and stretch, and then… snap! This was definitely not normal for me. My hair’s usually pretty strong, even when wet.
My Deep Dive into Stretchy Hair
First things,I grabed my phone,and I typed into Google “why is my hair so stretchy when wet?”. Down the rabbit hole I went.
I scrolled through a bunch of articles and forum posts. Turns out, stretchy hair, especially when it’s wet, is a sign of something called “hygral fatigue.” Basically, it means your hair is absorbing too much water.
The reason maybe my hair’s protein-moisture balance was off. See, our hair needs both protein (for strength) and moisture (for elasticity). When there is to much moisture,and it can make your hair overly stretchy and weak.
What I Did About It
Based on my newfound knowledge, I decided to take action. Here’s what I did:
- Clarified:I have used clarifying shampoo to remove any product buildup.
- Deep Conditioned (Wisely): I switched to a deep conditioner that had some protein in it, but wasn’t super heavy on the oils.
- Used a t-shirt:I gently blotted my hair with it, and avoid harsh rubbing.
- Air Dried (Mostly): I let my hair air dry as much as possible, then I used the cool setting if I really need the hair dryer.
The Results (So Far)
It’s been a few weeks since my stretchy hair scare, and I’ve definitely noticed a difference. My hair feels stronger and less, well, elastic. It still stretches a bit when wet, which is normal, but it doesn’t feel like it’s going to snap at any second.
I’m still keeping a close eye on things, and I’m being extra careful with my hair. But overall, I’m feeling much better about the situation. It was a good reminder that even something as seemingly simple as hair can tell you a lot about what’s going on inside your body (and your hair care routine!).