# Hmm... Crinkly, Rough Strands, What Does That Mean?



## Soude (Oct 22, 2009)

I've been observing my hair and on many strands, at different points, there's a crinkle. The crinkle is generally about a centimeter long and feels rough and looks discernibly different from the rest of the strand. These crinkles are at various points of the strands; most, however, are near the ends. They really mess with any sort of curl pattern and I'm not really sure where they came from. 

I'll try to post a pic because I did a search and it seemed like someone with relaxed hair had a similar problem but people said it was their hair type. This is not about my hair feeling wiry or dry or hard. It's about these magical crinkles so unless hair type changes sporadically throughout a single strand, I highly doubt that these crinkles are related to my hair type.

Has anyone else dealt with these before? Does anyone know where they come from? It seems like I might have to cut to get rid of them (which I am not ready to do) but are there any temporary solutions?


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## msa (Oct 22, 2009)

I have those random crinkles as well...they're just a part of my hair type...just like I have random straight strands throughout my head.

If you're mainly finding them at the ends though it might be that they were part of a split or knot that was there before. I have no proof of that, just an idea.


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## Jetblackhair (Oct 22, 2009)

Can your crinkly ends be signs of damage? I say this because there is a picture that depicts different types of damaged ends and the crinkly end is one of them.

Has your hair always been this way or is this something new? Do you use heat?

I'm trying to find the picture as I know it's been posted and/or linked on the forum a lot.  Hopefully if I don't find the picture someone else will know what I'm talking about.


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## jamaraa (Oct 22, 2009)

That's your hair texture(s). Many people have more than  1 texture on their head. It's perfectly normal to have that crinkle down the shaft of the hair whether you're relaxed and certainly if you're natural.

The "magical crinkles" came from Africa and you can't get rid of them.  Yes, I have them too...and no, my hair's not damaged, just African textured!  Those crinkles are where "shrinkage" comes from. Nothing to do but embrace them.


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## Supervixen (Oct 22, 2009)

I have them too, it's not shrinkage crinkles.  I have two small patches of this hair near my ears.  They are notoriously dry, crinkly and don't really grow (probably just break off easily).  Even when the rest of my hair is moisturized properly, these two small patches seem dry; it's like the moisturizer never penetrates.  As I examine them more, I've noticed there are a lot of splits and not just on the ends, but up the shaft.  The rest of my hair I'm hard pressed to find a split (even pre-BC).  But, I can find a lot in these two sections.

For the last couple of days I've been thinking its and issue of pororsity?  Does that sound right?

ETA:  As I look at them at work, they even seem a different color on the ends from the rest of my hair.


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## Soude (Oct 22, 2009)

msa said:


> I have those random crinkles as well...they're just a part of my hair type...just like I have random straight strands throughout my head.
> 
> If you're mainly finding them at the ends though it might be that they were part of a split or knot that was there before. I have no proof of that, just an idea.



But I can't understand how those crinkles could be a part of someone's hair type if they interrupt a pattern in the hair. I do have strands that feel all crinkle all the way down, which I'm cool with, but in the overwhelming majority of cases, it's like there's a curl pattern and the strand is smooth and then a crinkle comes out of nowhere and the strand feels rough and bumpy and then more smoothness. I just don't understand how the change could be part of the type. Is it like how SSKs aren't inherent to our type? Is there any way I can prevent the crinkles then?



jamaraa said:


> That's your hair texture(s). Many people have more than  1 texture on their head. It's perfectly normal to have that crinkle down the shaft of the hair whether you're relaxed and certainly if you're natural.
> 
> The "magical crinkles" came from Africa and you can't get rid of them.  Yes, I have them too...and no, my hair's not damaged, just African textured!  Those crinkles are where "shrinkage" comes from. Nothing to do but embrace them.



I think we're imagining different crinkles. My crinkles don't shrink. They're just there all the time. In fact, they inhibit my shrinkage sometimes and mess it up.


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## Soude (Oct 22, 2009)

Jetblackhair said:


> Can your crinkly ends be signs of damage? I say this because there is a picture that depicts different types of damaged ends and the crinkly end is one of them.
> 
> Has your hair always been this way or is this something new? Do you use heat?
> 
> I'm trying to find the picture as I know it's been posted and/or linked on the forum a lot.  Hopefully if I don't find the picture someone else will know what I'm talking about.



I think you're right. My hair has been like this since I was natural though (I haven't practiced any good hair care since I started though and it might just be damage from my mistreatment)







The crinkles do look like that. I think you're right about them being a type of split, but how do I prevent them? How do I cause them?



Cyd Chicago said:


> I have them too, it's not shrinkage crinkles.  I have two small patches of this hair near my ears.  They are notoriously dry, crinkly and don't really grow (probably just break off easily).  Even when the rest of my hair is moisturized properly, these two small patches seem dry; it's like the moisturizer never penetrates.  As I examine them more, I've noticed there are a lot of splits and not just on the ends, but up the shaft.  The rest of my hair I'm hard pressed to find a split (even pre-BC).  But, I can find a lot in these two sections.
> 
> For the last couple of days I've been thinking its and issue of porosity?  Does that sound right?
> 
> ETA:  As I look at them at work, they even seem a different color on the ends from the rest of my hair.



I think we're dealing with the same issue. Except it's everywhere for me. how have you been dealing with it? What do you do with those sections at night?


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## StarFish106 (Oct 22, 2009)

bumping for responses because I have that too!!


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## Supervixen (Oct 22, 2009)

Ladies, is this a porosity issue?


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## ChrsLvsBks (Oct 22, 2009)

Cyd Chicago said:


> Ladies, is this a porosity issue?


 
If your hair feels rough from the end to the root, your hair’s texture is coarse. Coarse hair is a sign of damage. I do not know how true this is since my hair all over my hair feels like this. I have noticed that protein treatments and henna help fill in the “gaps” so to speak. The treatments do not solve the problem but act as a repair.

If I cut off the strands that felt this way, I would have little hair on my head. I am hoping it is simply how my hair texture feels.

Porosity deals with how well your hair accepts moisturizers, oils, dyes, etc. The more porous your hair the more likely it is damaged. A good way to check porosity is to perform the float test. Take shed hairs and place them in a cup of water. If they float, your hair is porous. If they sink quickly (1-3 minutes), your hair is not porous.


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## 1QTPie (Oct 22, 2009)

I've had a crinkle or two before. I just cut it off just like I do the knots and splits.   It's like a sheared ribbon or something.  I assume it comes from friction.  Like pulling the hair through a  ponytail holder or something.


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## Supervixen (Oct 23, 2009)

Cyd Chicago said:


> Ladies, is this a porosity issue?


 
I did some research, and I'm convinced mine is a porosity issue.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...mage_result&resnum=4&ct=image&ved=0CBEQ9QEwAw


> To determine the porosity of your hair, simply feel it - both when wet and when dry. If the hair feels straw-like and rough when dry, or if it feels gummy or slightly rubbery when wet, then you probably have a problem with overly porous hair.


 

http://www.verticalsinhair.com/test.shtml


> *Test the porosity of your hair.* In order to test accurately for porosity, use three different areas: front hairline, in front of ears, and near the crown. Grasp small strands of dry hair and comb smoothly. Hold the ends firmly with the thumb and index finger of one hand and slide the fingers of the other hand from the ends towards the scalp. If the fingers do not slide easily, or if the hair ruffles up as your fingers slide down the stand, the hair is porous.
> The more ruffles formed, the more porous is the hair. The less ruffles formed, the less porous is the hair. If the fingers slide easily and no ruffles are formed, the cuticle layer lays close to the hair shaft. This type of hair is least porous, is most resistant and will require a longer processing time.


 

http://ezinearticles.com/?Hair-Porosity-Explained&id=1809811


> Simply put, porosity refers to your hair's ability to absorb and retain moisture. Hair can have a low level of porosity, a normal balance or be highly porous. A normal balance is ideal because it ensures that our hair absorbs and retains moisture adequately. Low porosity is not a concern either; it only means that it will take your hair longer to absorb chemicals.
> Hair that is highly porous, on the other hand, has more difficulty absorbing moisture. Porous hair also absorbs chemicals and heat faster than hair that is less porous. Resultant, it is more susceptible to damage from over processing. Another problem with highly porous hair is how quickly it loses moisture. Because the cuticle is open and stressed, it readily absorbs and loses moisture, causing the hair to look and feel dry and straw-like.
> Test your Hair's Porosity
> You can check whether your hair has a problem with porosity by completing a strand test. Glide your fingers through a strand of hair from root to tip and see whether the hair feels rough and dry at the ends. Another simple test is to place a few strands of hair in a cup of water and see how quickly they sink. Faster absorption of water (moisture) may seem ideal but it is not because highly porous hair will lose the moisture as quickly as it gains it.
> ...


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## Jetblackhair (Oct 23, 2009)

Soude said:


> I think you're right. My hair has been like this since I was natural though (I haven't practiced any good hair care since I started though and it might just be damage from my mistreatment)
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Yes, that's the picture I was referring to.  I've had crinkly strands and only on the ends, but I don't know what caused them.  I was thinking at the time they came from heat damage.

The only other way I wear my natural hair is in a twistout or I keep it in braids (6) or twists.


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## Supervixen (Oct 29, 2009)

Ladies, I wanted to post back about my experiences.  The POROSITY CONTROL shampoo has really worked well for me...I posted this in another thread, but I wanted to post here as a followup.

Please note, I bought the Revlon Porosity Control; I don't know if that's the predecessor to the Roux Porosity Control or what.  I went to a janky 'hood BSS, so you never know with them...



> I tried again last night, with marvelous results!!!!
> 
> First, I did a dry protein pre-poo with ORS Hair Mayo. I let it set for about an hour with heat.
> 
> ...


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## twnz&1mo (Nov 4, 2009)

I have this too, so we must be hair sisters.  



Soude said:


> I've been observing my hair and on many strands, at different points, there's a crinkle. The crinkle is generally about a centimeter long and feels rough and looks discernibly different from the rest of the strand. These crinkles are at various points of the strands; most, however, are near the ends. They really mess with any sort of curl pattern and I'm not really sure where they came from.
> 
> I'll try to post a pic because I did a search and it seemed like someone with relaxed hair had a similar problem but people said it was their hair type. This is not about my hair feeling wiry or dry or hard. It's about these magical crinkles so unless hair type changes sporadically throughout a single strand, I highly doubt that these crinkles are related to my hair type.
> 
> Has anyone else dealt with these before? Does anyone know where they come from? It seems like I might have to cut to get rid of them (which I am not ready to do) but are there any temporary solutions?


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## vkb247 (Nov 21, 2009)

I have this at the crown of my head naturally and also on my damaged ends. The crown area get itchy a lot too so I am wondering if I have some type of scalp issue here. I am hoping ayurveda will take care of it.


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## locabouthair (Nov 21, 2009)

ChrsLvsBks said:


> If your hair feels rough from the end to the root, your hair’s texture is coarse. *Coarse hair is a sign of damage. *





 Having coarse hair doesn't mean your hair is damaged.
 Some people just have coarse hair. I am one of them. Some people have thick, wiry strands.


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