Fixing Damage from Long Term BS/ACV washing?

Hey everyone, I'm almost 3 years into my dreading process (100% neglect) and have been doing the BS/ACV rinse since about day 1. Over the last few months I've noticed my hair is incredible brittle to the point that some of my dreads became very week and even had a couple break off part way down (YIKES!). At first I thought it was maybe damage from using hair ties early on in the process, from tying them back too tight, or from an art-related alginate malfunction. Lately my partner who washes her hair the same way (no dreads though) had a conversation with a friend about how her hair seemed more brittle, and the friend said that the BS wash method might be to blame.

I did some research on this site and others and it seems like that's a very plausible reason. I basically have been doing it twice weekly or less often since day 1 (a long time at this point!) because I love the method. I'll admit I kind of picked up the BS/ACV process haphazardly in the beginning and have taken to pretty much eyeballing the ammountt of baking soda and apple cider vinegar in my rinses, and I definitely have the ratios all wrong which is something I'll need to fix.

In the mean time, are there any good methods of rehydrating and strengthening my hair? I am thinking of switching back to the dreadlocks shampoos from Bucks County Soap which I used for a while but abandoned in favor of the BS/ACV rinse - mostly because I was a poor college student - haha! Will this help cure my ills? I'm nearly at the point where I'm worried a strong wind will cause my dreads to disintegrate but I hope it doesn't get to that point.

updated by @cam: 01/13/15 10:05:04PM

switch back to www.dreadlockshampoo.com after 4 years just bs/axcvmine was super weak troo and lost the ends off many dreads i switched to dls and very quickly they got stronger and healthier

thats all you need to dio use the bars report back in a month

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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

The BS/ACV wash & rinse is really good for a very deep clean. However I found it to be too harsh for even a weekly wash, even with accurate ratios. Like any chemical reaction it really shouldn't be eyeballed haphazardly. Precise ratios will yield optimum results (full disclosure: I'm a Medical Scientist). When dealing with organic structures you don't want to stray too far from their intended pH, for hair that would be slightly acidic.If your hair strands are brittle it is fair to reason that is from too much alkalinity of the hair shaft from the baking soda. Your cuticles are standing on end instead of lying flat against the shaft as they should. In the beginning this helps create a rough surface that tangles & dreads up quicker along with stripping of the lubricating sebum (oil).However I don't think it is wise to continue it long term as it has the potential to not just open up the cuticle, but over time weaken them to the point of them breaking off leaving "holes" in the hair shaft. You see the same issue with women that have had repeated harsh alkaline procedures done on their hair like perms, coloring dyes or hydrogen peroxide "bleaching".The good news is you can easily repair the hair by gently acidifying the hair shaft to relax and lower the cuticle down along the shaft. Replace the BS with Dreadlocksshampoo.com like Soaring Eagle suggested. In addition continue to do your ACV rinse, I've read that adding lemon juice to the ACV enhances it's acidifying effects and is a natural home remedy that makes good scientific sense.In addition keeping some brewed loose leaf hibiscus tea in a spray bottle in your fridge to use in between wash days would help as hibiscus tea is some of the most acidic & sour tasting teas. Plus who doesn't like the smell of hibiscus, it just takes me back to India & Hawai'i.Good Luck & Blessings and keep us posted on your healing. http://www.davidsonstea.com/Hibiscus_Flowers_cs_Loose_Leaf.aspx

lemon is too acidic and penetrates a few layers into the hair shaft and canb stay there slowly breaking it down from the inside

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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

I think it's hilariuous that everyone here promotes BS so much... Of course it's going to eventually eat away the hair. I BS every 4-6 months, just to eat away the dandruff that will inevitably built up.

Thanks for the info everyone! Will make the switch as I planned.

I like using BS/ACV though. ;\ I've only been doing it for about a month now, once every 7-10 days, and my hair hasn't been negatively affected yet, but I like the idea of using something completely natural. I would like to keep using it for a long time but I suppose it's not a good idea huh? Does the dry, brittle hair happen to everyone who uses BS over time or it just depends? I rinse my hair with cool water at the end to close the cuticles and I'm sure that helps. I just wonder if that's enough.