Thinnest hair EVER...

[NappyBella]

HELP please!
I am having the most stressful time EVER with my hair. It seems like no matter what I do there is no change in my hair. I honestly don't think my hair had ever been this thin. I'm 100% natural and have been since 2004, I'm currently wigging it out with my rpg glueless lace wig. I rarely have a chance to let my hair breathe because other then sew ins And wigs my options are limited

 

[mrselle]

Your hair doesn't look that thin to me. I think you may just need to trim your ends to give them a fuller look.

 

[almond eyes]

Sorry about your situation.

Your ends look very fragile. Is it from heat damage? If so you may need a trim and some protein treatments?

Best,
Almond Eyes

 

[bydebra]

Maybe it would be helpful if you posted your overall regimen. Wigs can be a good protective style for some people, but you have to care for your hair very carefully underneath them.

How often are you cleaning and deep conditioning your hair? Do you moisturize it daily? Do you let your hair and scalp breath when you're home by removing the wig daily?

 

[NappyBella]

Your hair doesn't look that thin to me. I think you may just need to trim your ends to give them a fuller look.

I do need a trip since I haven't had 1 since march

 

[NappyBella]

Sorry about your situation. Your ends look very fragile. Is it from heat damage? If so you may need a trim and some protein treatments? Best, Almond Eyes

Thanks. There is some heat damage in the front of my head but the back seems to be the healthiest. I haven't had a trim in a while so I am going to get 1 soon. I'm just afraid of putting heat in my hair. But I'll definitely try a protein treatment this weekend

 

[NappyBella]

Maybe it would be helpful if you posted your overall regimen. Wigs can be a good protective style for some people, but you have to care for your hair very carefully underneath them. How often are you cleaning and deep conditioning your hair? Do you moisturize it daily? Do you let your hair and scalp breath when you're home by removing the wig daily?

Hi, sorry about that. I just started wearing wigs ago about 2 weeks ago. I was coming out of a sew in. Before wearing the wig I washed and deep conditioned with Shea moisture Jamaican black castor oil shampoo and the treatment mask. I honestly just started the moisturizer my hair by spraying with water, using olive oil and castor oil mix and sealing with Cantu Grow strong strengthening treatment and I have about 5 ceily braids. & yesss honey I snatch this wig off as soon as I walk in the door LOL, i love letting my scalp breathe. That's why I decided to go through the winter with wigs and maybe I'll go back to sew ins in the spring. My goal was to leave sew ins in the past by summer 2015

 

[pearcey]

the longer your hair gets, the more it will "appear" thin.

I freak out sometimes, but then I remember that every time I "grow it out" past the two year mark it starts looking thin, PLUS the way I do it in the shower really emphasizes my crown or lack there of due to the water pressure bearing down with force.

Best wishes, and I hope it is only a hair "awkward Phase"

ETA, my hair looks NOTHING like what it does in the avatar anymore. I just fear it doesn't get the old thin-haired, wavy/fine can see your scalp "granny" hair

many many know what i am referring too... LOL!!

 

[bydebra]

Hi, sorry about that. I just started wearing wigs ago about 2 weeks ago. I was coming out of a sew in. Before wearing the wig I washed and deep conditioned with Shea moisture Jamaican black castor oil shampoo and the treatment mask. I honestly just started the moisturizer my hair by spraying with water, using olive oil and castor oil mix and sealing with Cantu Grow strong strengthening treatment and I have about 5 ceily braids. & yesss honey I snatch this wig off as soon as I walk in the door LOL, i love letting my scalp breathe. That's why I decided to go through the winter with wigs and maybe I'll go back to sew ins in the spring. My goal was to leave sew ins in the past by summer 2015

Okay, I see. I personally can't wear sew-ins. I don't know if it's the weight of the hair or what, but they cause my hair to thin, and I always lose a lot of hair during take-down, even if I don't leave the sew-in in too long (max for me is 3-4 weeks).

 

[almond eyes]

Thanks. There is some heat damage in the front of my head but the back seems to be the healthiest. I haven't had a trim in a while so I am going to get 1 soon. I'm just afraid of putting heat in my hair. But I'll definitely try a protein treatment this weekend

Try and trim (but you can snip off little by little) and some protein treatments but do not go overboard with them. Also be careful with how you handle your hair if it is fine. My hair is fine and when I transitioned other times one major mistake I made was being rough with how I twisted and handled my hair with styling and my hair I would lose so much hair making my hair look even thinner. With this new transition I am not going to repeat the mistakes of the past.

Best,
Almond Eyes

 

[NappyBella]

the longer your hair gets, the more it will "appear" thin. I freak out sometimes, but then I remember that every time I "grow it out" past the two year mark it starts looking thin, PLUS the way I do it in the shower really emphasizes my crown or lack there of due to the water pressure bearing down with force. Best wishes, and I hope it is only a hair "awkward Phase" ETA, my hair looks NOTHING like what it does in the avatar anymore. I just fear it doesn't get the old thin-haired, wavy/fine can see your scalp "granny" hair many many know what i am referring too... LOL!!

Lol that's my biggest fear! I'm hoping that something changes because I would loveeee to 1 day wear a pony tail that's not as thin as a bang! Lol

 

[NappyBella]

Okay, I see. I personally can't wear sew-ins. I don't know if it's the weight of the hair or what, but they cause my hair to thin, and I always lose a lot of hair during take-down, even if I don't leave the sew-in in too long (max for me is 3-4 weeks).

I have been wearing them for so long this time around after I took my sew in down my scalp seemed extremely sore. I know I need a serious break for them but I just loved the convenience of them through the summer. But I know back to back sew ins can be damaging. I just would tell myself that it was a protective style

 

[NappyBella]

Try and trim (but you can snip off little by little) and some protein treatments but do not go overboard with them. Also be careful with how you handle your hair if it is fine. My hair is fine and when I transitioned other times one major mistake I made was being rough with how I twisted and handled my hair with styling and my hair I would lose so much hair making my hair look even thinner. With this new transition I am not going to repeat the mistakes of the past. Best, Almond Eyes

Thank u so much! I'm definitely going to do a protein treatment before I go to the shop for a trim. I tried trimming my own hair before but that was a major FAIL!lol So I decided to leave the trimming to the professionals, although I would love to save money by doing it myself I just can't grasp the concept of self trimming

 

[BrownSkin2]

Sew-ins might be the culprit. Sew-ins thinned my hair the last time I wore one and I also have fine hair to begin with. They are a no no for me. I would suggest doing a mild protein treatment, then a moisturizing treatment afterward weekly. Give your self a trim..

 

[NappyBella]

Sew-ins might be the culprit. Sew-ins thinned my hair the last time I wore one and I also have fine hair to begin with. They are a no no for me. I would suggest doing a mild protein treatment, then a moisturizing treatment afterward weekly. Give your self a trim..

I am going to stay away from sew ins for a few months & pray that there is some progress with my hair. And thank u, I am definitely going to get a trim and do a protein treatment this weekend

 

[MiamiChic]

As others have mentioned, you definitely need a trim and a protein treatment. I encountered this issue after a box dye damaged my hair. I wanted to start off slow to avoid protein overload. So I did the cherry lola without baking soda to see if I saw a difference, and I did. I then followed that by a deep condition. I gave my hair some TLC for about two weeks by using the Aphogee Keratin & green tea spray daily or every other day in order to see if my hair got better or needed more protein. I needed more protein because my was was still a bit weak. So I then did the Aphogee protein treatment and my hair is good now. Much thicker and stronger than after the damage. You need to be sure you are THOROUGHLY moisturizing your hair during this protein process and be sure to ease the protein into your strands along with moisture retention. You will find that your hair will become more thirsty with the addition of protein and to avoid breakage, you will need to quench its thirst. The process took me about a month to reach a good protein, moisture and health balance. Good luck!

 

[Evolving78]

Your hair is thin and you are doing the right thing to stop getting the sew-ins. I would start with a nice trim and work on thickness. Wigs will be your friend.

 

[NappyBella]

As others have mentioned, you definitely need a trim and a protein treatment. I encountered this issue after a box dye damaged my hair. I wanted to start off slow to avoid protein overload. So I did the cherry lola without baking soda to see if I saw a difference, and I did. I then followed that by a deep condition. I gave my hair some TLC for about two weeks by using the Aphogee Keratin & green tea spray daily or every other day in order to see if my hair got better or needed more protein. I needed more protein because my was was still a bit weak. So I then did the Aphogee protein treatment and my hair is good now. Much thicker and stronger than after the damage. You need to be sure you are THOROUGHLY moisturizing your hair during this protein process and be sure to ease the protein into your strands along with moisture retention. You will find that your hair will become more thirsty with the addition of protein and to avoid breakage, you will need to quench its thirst. The process took me about a month to reach a good protein, moisture and health balance. Good luck!

Thank u for the Info. I do have the aphogee protein treatment. What would u recommend as a good moisturizing conditioner? I have AO honey suckle rose(I think that's the name) and I have a deep moisture mask by karens body beautiful.

 

[NappyBella]

Your hair is thin and you are doing the right thing to stop getting the sew-ins. I would start with a nice trim and work on thickness. Wigs will be your friend.

Thank u! I'm going to stick with wigs for as long as I can.

 

[koolkittychick]

Looks like everyone gave you some sound advice. I would just add that you could also look into what you are doing for your hair nutrition/exercise/sleepwise. I know that when I started to eat healthier, take a supplement regularly, exercise more and sleep 2 hours more per day, I was able to increase the density and retention of my strands by almost 30%. It's definitely a commitment, but well worth it, especially for me. Menopause seems to be doing it's best to try to give me see-through granny hair (and my hair used to be so thick people would ask me if it was a wig!), but I ain't giving up my strands without a fight!

 

[Misseyl]

It looks thin to me. Those sew-ins probably did a number on your hair, and if it didn't, it could be when you are removing them you rip and tear at your hair. I would ease up on the sew-ins, cover hair with silk caps under wigs and wear more bantu knots and twists. You said you have been natural since 2004, that's a very long time. 10 years and still no length. You need to reassess how you take care of your hair, products used, how you comb your hair etc.

 

[NappyBella]

Looks like everyone gave you some sound advice. I would just add that you could also look into what you are doing for your hair nutrition/exercise/sleepwise. I know that when I started to eat healthier, take a supplement regularly, exercise more and sleep 2 hours more per day, I was able to increase the density and retention of my strands by almost 30%. It's definitely a commitment, but well worth it, especially for me. Menopause seems to be doing it's best to try to give me see-through granny hair (and my hair used to be so thick people would ask me if it was a wig!), but I ain't giving up my strands without a fight!

That's the same thing my best friend said I should look into, I just recently started eating chicken again. I was a pescatarian for 2 years and added chicken back into my diet August 2014 but once I added chicken all of my healthy eating went out of the window. I've just recently started eating healthy again and I'm taking a dance class today and looking into yoga. I use to go to the gym 3-4 times a week but I was preparing for Miami, I lost like 10 pounds in a little less then 2 months and after the trip I fell completely off. So bad, I know!lol But I want to get it together so I can leave the weaves and wigs to a minimum. That's my New Years resolution!lol

 

[NappyBella]

It looks thin to me. Those sew-ins probably did a number on your hair, and if it didn't, it could be when you are removing them you rip and tear at your hair. I would ease up on the sew-ins, cover hair with silk caps under wigs and wear more bantu knots and twists. You said you have been natural since 2004, that's a very long time. 10 years and still no length. You need to reassess how you take care of your hair, products used, how you comb your hair etc.

I have been natural since 2004 but I didn't care for my hair, I was only 16/17 at the time so I used to put a lot of glue in weaves, a lot of heat, gel ponytails and never cared for hair care until I found LHCF. That's when I started to understand the importance of hair care more. So when I take out my sew ins I am VERY conscious on how I take them out and I take the proper care when detangling. All the things I learned from lurking on here. I sleep with a satin scarf and I don't wear my natural hair out so Bantu knots and twist outs are a no no for me right now. But thank you for ur tips!

 

[MiamiChic]

Thank u for the Info. I do have the aphogee protein treatment. What would u recommend as a good moisturizing conditioner? I have AO honey suckle rose(I think that's the name) and I have a deep moisture mask by karens body beautiful.

I've heard that conditioner is good but I haven't used it. I used a mixture of conditioners because I'm a closet PJ. The mix I used consisted of Roux Porosity Control and Corrector Conditioner, Aussie Moist 3 min miracle and Trader Joes Tea Tree Tingle. I may have threw in the Organix Argan oil & Shea butter conditioner too. I left this on from an hour to sometimes overnight. I followed my deep condition with Aphogee Curlific moisture rich leave in (to build up protein and balance the moisture/protein levels), SM Curl Enhancing Smoothie, castor oil, grapeseed oil. The "after method" would vary based upon what is in reach. I then put my hair in twists and threw on a wig for the week and my hair would stay moisturized and over time I noticed the strength rebuilding.

 

[NappyBella]

I've heard that conditioner is good but I haven't used it. I used a mixture of conditioners because I'm a closet PJ. The mix I used consisted of Roux Porosity Control and Corrector Conditioner, Aussie Moist 3 min miracle and Trader Joes Tea Tree Tingle. I may have threw in the Organix Argan oil & Shea butter conditioner too. I left this on from an hour to sometimes overnight. I followed my deep condition with Aphogee Curlific moisture rich leave in (to build up protein and balance the moisture/protein levels), SM Curl Enhancing Smoothie, castor oil, grapeseed oil. The "after method" would vary based upon what is in reach. I then put my hair in twists and threw on a wig for the week and my hair would stay moisturized and over time I noticed the strength rebuilding.

I have trader joes tea tree and the Aussie moist 3 min miracle as well! I'm major product junkie lol But I do have to invest in a good leave in. The last leave in I used made my hair feel crunchy ! Thank u so much for the info! I'm definitely going to do my best to fix this issue! I refuse to give up on this hair of mines!

 

[ckisland]

Hey OP

I have a couple of questions:
1. How long do you go between sew-in installs?
2. How often do you use heat on your hair?
3. How do your hair look in its natural state? Do you have any pics?
4. How long have you actually been on your healthy hair journey?
5. Do you know if you're anemic?

Like other posters have said, your hair is too fine to handle sew-ins (I think this is true for many ladies actually). Also, you seem to have a protein heavy regimen. Fine hair needs protein, but fine hair also seems to be prone to being super dry. I think you need to focus on moisture moisture moisture with lighter protein thrown in. Finding a creamy leave-in (even if its condish) and a non-protein sealant. I also suggest not touching heat, sew-ins or braids, at all, for at least a year.

 

[FemmeFatale]

Op do you know if you're anemic? I saw a video recently from a lady who had the same issue:

http://youtu.be/yhdmjm8f06E

 

[NappyBella]

Hey OP I have a couple of questions: 1. How long do you go between sew-in installs? I USUALLY LEAVE THE INSTALL IN FOR ABOUT 3 MONTHS AND AFTER I TAKE IT DOWN ITS NORMALLY 1 DAY BEFORE MY NEXT INSTALL 2. How often do you use heat on your hair? THIS YEAR I USED HEAT ON MY HAIR TWICE. FEB WHEN I HAD A TRIM AND JUNE. OTHER THEN THE TOP OF MY LEAVE OUT MY HAIR RARELY TOUCHES HEAT 3. How do your hair look in its natural state? Do you have any pics? I ACTUALLY DONT HAVE ANY PICS BUT I WILL TAKE SOME LATER ON THIS EVENING 4. How long have you actually been on your healthy hair journey? I WANT TO SAY MAYBE 2 1/2-3 YEARS. I STARTED TAKING IT MORE SERIOUS THIS PAST YEAR AND I HONESTLY CAME A LONG WAY FROM WHERE I WAS. I COULD BARELY GET A PONYTAIL 3 YEARS AGO LOL 5. Do you know if you're anemic? I HONESTLY DONT KNOW. MY MOM SAID I SHOULD CHECK BECAUSE IM ALMOST ALWAYS COLD! Like other posters have said, your hair is too fine to handle sew-ins (I think this is true for many ladies actually). Also, you seem to have a protein heavy regimen. Fine hair needs protein, but fine hair also seems to be prone to being super dry. I think you need to focus on moisture moisture moisture with lighter protein thrown in. Finding a creamy leave-in (even if its condish) and a non-protein sealant. I also suggest not touching heat, sew-ins or braids, at all, for at least a year.

Hiiii ckisland I answered ur questions above. I am definitely staying away from sew ins for as long as possible. I really want to try to wait until my family trip which is in July. But if I can get more fullness by then I won't even bother with a sew in! Thank u so much for the info. I'm going to look into finding a creamy leave in!

 

[NappyBella]

Op do you know if you're anemic? I saw a video recently from a lady who had the same issue: http://youtu.be/yhdmjm8f06E

Hii I'm honestly not sure but after watching that video it is definitely possible. I see A LOT of shedding when I take down my sew ins but I'm not sure if that's the normal shedding since my hair is braided up. But I'm going to make a doctors appt to get my iron checked.

 

[ckisland]

Thanks for responding!

I think once you ditch the sew-ins, use a moisturizing DC and leave-in regularly, and make sure your iron levels are okay, your hair's going to thicken right on up and you're going to see your length retention take off

Good luck girlie!!!!