What is YOUR #1 Solution to Stop Hair Breakage??

[*Luscious*Locked*Doc]

Ladies I was just wondering what your solutions were to stop breakage and why? It seems like everyone is saying moisture but then sometimes I hear protein is the solution too or garlic....I'm somewhat confused about this even after reading sistaslick's article so I thought a poll would be helpful.

 

[Poohbear]

Avoiding ROUGH manipulation of my hair whether its washing, combing, styling, or what-have-you...

 

[almondjoi85]

Sleep on a satin or silk pillowcase, tie a satin/silk pillow over your cotton pillowcase, or tie your hair up before you sleep. Esp. if your a wild sleeper like me!

 

[Leslie_C]

I always try a few deep conditionings with heat and extra daily moisturizing and sealing before turning to protein. I also clarify first in case of buildup so my hair can be receptive to whatever treatment I am giving it. Then I try a mild protein before a strong one. My hair is just sensitive to protein though and in the past it has done more harm than good so I'm careful not to run and do a protein treatment if I notice breakage.

 

[MamaBraidedIt]

Garlic is for slowing/stopping shedding, I believe...not breakage.

 

[sareca]

When I'm having breakage issues (which isn't often), I use Biolage Fortifying Leave-in Spray. That stuff stops breakage pronto! Now-a-days, my regimen is pretty good at preventing breakage so I don't often worry about stopping breakage.

 

[FlawedBeauty]

deep conditioning, minimal direct heat, and extremely low to no manipulation.

 

[TLC1020]

Deep conditioning is a must, moisturizing and very little to no Manipulation..

 

[nappity]

I know this is the antithesis of a Long Hair forum- but when the options that are listed in the survey don't help- and you see that your ends are a mess
The sure fire way is to....... cut!
( Running off to another post)

Oh theres a great thread from Tene about this.

 

[inthepink]

Moisturizing, low manipulation and deep conditioning helped me get through a breakage period. I was a little afraid of using harsh protein reconstructors (i.e. Aphogee) though I used gentle ones.

 

[amwcah]

Garlic is for slowing/stopping shedding, I believe...not breakage.

Your correct! For breakage, I just moisturize.

 

[LABETT]

Dudley DRC 28 followed by a moisturizing conditioner like Elucence,Keracare Humecto in the tub stops my breakage dead in it's tracks.
No heat,protective styling and a good moisturizer.

 

[nycutiepie]

I know this is the antithesis of a Long Hair forum- but when the options that are listed in the survey don't help- and you see that your ends are a mess
The sure fire way is to....... cut!
( Running off to another post)

Oh theres a great thread from Tene about this.

This is what worked for me. Once I got a good cut, my hair started to thrive.

 

[keluric]

I don't have any problems with breakage but I use henna to fortify my hair.

 

[gymfreak336]

When I have breakage I do this

1) Clarify
2) Deep condition with moisture

If breakage persists I

1) wash again in 4 days
2) use a protein conditioner, something like Duo tex for 5-10 minutes
3) Follow up with moisture for 20-30 minutes

 

[aloof one]

I whip out the protein... serious protein. And a little moisture. I'm talkin prepoo with protein, clarify then do a medium protein treatment, then DC with moisture (like Silk Elements or Motions Moisture plus) and use a leave in with a lot of both protein and moisture (like this Jon Freida daily nourishment leave-in spray I just bought). I only clarify because a lot of times my hair breaks when I have too much buildup and I need to start over.

9 times out of 10 the main problem I have is mushy hair that can break when its wet, so protein really, really helps.

 

[Mortons]

Henna and moisturize

 

[Joanna721]

isnt it counter productive to pre poo then clarify?

I whip out the protein... serious protein. And a little moisture. I'm talkin prepoo with protein, clarify then do a medium protein treatment, then DC with moisture (like Silk Elements or Motions Moisture plus) and use a leave in with a lot of both protein and moisture (like this Jon Freida daily nourishment leave-in spray I just bought). I only clarify because a lot of times my hair breaks when I have too much buildup and I need to start over.

9 times out of 10 the main problem I have is mushy hair that can break when its wet, so protein really, really helps.

 

[aloof one]

isnt it counter productive to pre poo then clarify?

not necessarily. a lot of folks do. the conditioner penetrates your hair and all it keeps it moisturized so the clarifying doesnt dry my hair out. i clarify so i don have buildup and the protein can penetrate my hair

i did mean to say i prepooed with moisture though, like humectress or something, that way i dont have to spend forever DCing. sometimes, however i do use protein as a prepoo

ETA: blah this is basically what happens for me at least (the clarifying doesn't happen everytime, but rather when I feel I have lots of buildup); lemme know if it sounds weird, I posted a thread asking what I should do if I wasn't straightening my hair, and no one replied, but I did this and it worked very well. This is the first time I have airdried with minimal breakage in a long time..

Prepoo (Motions CPR)
Clarify
Ion Effective Care Treatment (medium protein)
Silk Elements Nourishing Conditioner (moisturizing)
Leave-In (the Jon Frieda one I mentioned earlier, forgot the name)

 

[skyborn09]

Well first you need to pluck one of your hairs from your head and slowly stretch it. When I always do this my hair snaps which means I need more moisture...which is always the case. If it stretchs to much then you know you need protein to recontruct your hair.

 

[MochaSilk]

When my hair wants to start breaking (around 9-10 wks post) I do a pre-poo Amla oil soak for a few hours. On the rare occasion that I still had breakage a few days later, I clarified, then did a protein treatment followed by a DC.

My hair doesn't like too much protein so I only use it when all else fails. I've used it 3x in 2007. The rest of the time Amla oil has stopped my breakage.

 

[HoneyDew]

I rarely get brakage because I need protein. I guess that is because I regular light protein monthly and henna onlt a little less often than that.

Most times when I am getting breakage, my hair needs moisture. Of course a moisturizing deep condition is in order. My leave-ins and moisturizers alwys come through for me. Sometimes, I am going to far between washes and it is just time for one.

I used to think protein protein protein, but I found out that those hardcore treatments were making it all worse.

 

[tocktick]

i voted other. i know it doesn't totally answer the question but i think preventative measures are better. so i stick to low manipulation styles, comb gently, use actual hairdresser scissors to dust and keep my hair moisturised/conditioned etc.

however, i think if you need to actually stop breakage then do a protein treatment and deep condition regularly. always treat your hair gently and with care. if the cause of the breakage is split ends then a trim will be due. split ends travel up the hair strand causing damage to the entire strand. so it's best to cut them off when they are lower down the strand even though it's hard (mentally) to do that. however, it's better in the long run for your hair.

 

[bravenewgirl87]

Molasse For Breakage
Honey for moistureerplexed
Paul Mitchell Super Strong
Pantene

Hard to believe.

 

[foxieroxienyc]

I've found that my hair needs a combination of both at each wash. When I strayed from this for trial and error and focused more on moisture (also washed my hair more often and air dried more) my hair tended to break (despite that it was pretty well moisturized). For me I realize my hair journey is just about maintain an ALREADY healthy head of hair and keep an eye on my edges (which arent split nor damaged). So now I KISS, I do a deep conditioning w/ heat pre-poo with a protein (Aphogee 2 min Keratin Reconstructor which my hair LUUUUVS, mixed in with African Pride Mayo - I never liked their products but I'm really diggin this stuff), then CO wash with a moisturizing conditioner (Pantene line products usually the Blue line Moisturizing Hydrating Con. or the Pantene Restoratives line Anti-Frizz Con, OR (lol) the Pantene R&N Moisturizing Conditioner), then oil rinse with EVOO, follow with a final rinse out with a mix of Mane and Tail Deep Moisturizing Con and VO5 Soy Milk Conditioner Line (both contain a little bit of protein but leave my hair feeling soft). When all done, I put in some Aphogee Pro-Vitamin Leave-in (my hair looooooves this stuff so much) and Salerm 21. Then I ROLLER SET! For me when I wet roller set (using water in a spray bottle alone w/ no products) my ends come out so smooth and breakage ceases immediately. During the week I section off my hair and apply ORS Olive Oil Moisturizer and then pin curl at night or occasionally wrap. I'm experimenting with NO sealing because the oils may be drying out my ends (but my moisturizer's first ingredient is water and has lots of great oils in it already). I'm totally going off of less is more and my hair is responding better already.

I clarify once or twice a month to get a gentle poo wash in and to get rid of build up. On those wash days I dont pre-poo, instead I follow with a deep conditioner made-up of Aphogee 2 min Reconstructor, EVOO, African Pride Hair Mayo, and Pantene Anti-Breakage Mask - then sit under the dryer for an hour.

I'm also finding that FOR ME sticking to the same product line has helped a lot. My staples are Pantene and Aphogee because my hair just LOVES these two lines and really seems to thrive when I use them.

 

[dlove]

When I'm having breakage issues (which isn't often), I use Biolage Fortifying Leave-in Spray. That stuff stops breakage pronto! Now-a-days, my regimen is pretty good at preventing breakage so I don't often worry about stopping breakage.

Sareca,

Would you recommend using this daily as a moisturizer then sealing with oil or does it contain too much protein?

 

[aloof one]

I rarely get brakage because I need protein. I guess that is because I regular light protein monthly and henna onlt a little less often than that.

Most times when I am getting breakage, my hair needs moisture. Of course a moisturizing deep condition is in order. My leave-ins and moisturizers alwys come through for me. Sometimes, I am going to far between washes and it is just time for one.

I used to think protein protein protein, but I found out that those hardcore treatments were making it all worse.

I can relate to that. I wish I had learned that before I used the Aphogee Treatment for Damaged hair... 3 times this year. I thought it was something I was missing and needed, but it really only hurt me in the long run. I wouldn't have had to cut my hair as much as I did from it, and I really regret using it. I would tell anyone interested in it who hasn't tried it and has decent hair to just save it for the salon. My hair wasn't in bad shape, I think the PJ in me just wanted to try something I never had before.

But I do still use protein, just not the heavy kinds (especially from Aphogee)--- I prefer the Ion Effective Care Treatment because it makes my relaxed hair feel strong while I'm still transitioning. It really isn't that harsh. But I don't know if I'll need all the protein when I'm natural.

 

[prospurr4]

My breakage solution is a combination of several things that are just part of my regimen:

1) Stopped direct heat (which dried out and weakened my texlaxed hair)
2) Gentle detangling on dry hair before shampoo or DC (prevents excessive tangles and matting in my hair)
3) Protect hair from rubbing against rough clothing
4) Regular DC

ETA: 5) Daily moisturizing/sealing

 

[aloof one]

I've found that my hair needs a combination of both at each wash. When I strayed from this for trial and error and focused more on moisture (also washed my hair more often and air dried more) my hair tended to break (despite that it was pretty well moisturized). For me I realize my hair journey is just about maintain an ALREADY healthy head of hair and keep an eye on my edges (which arent split nor damaged). So now I KISS, I do a deep conditioning w/ heat pre-poo with a protein (Aphogee 2 min Keratin Reconstructor which my hair LUUUUVS, mixed in with African Pride Mayo - I never liked their products but I'm really diggin this stuff), then CO wash with a moisturizing conditioner (Pantene line products usually the Blue line Moisturizing Hydrating Con. or the Pantene Restoratives line Anti-Frizz Con, OR (lol) the Pantene R&N Moisturizing Conditioner), then oil rinse with EVOO, follow with a final rinse out with a mix of Mane and Tail Deep Moisturizing Con and VO5 Soy Milk Conditioner Line (both contain a little bit of protein but leave my hair feeling soft). When all done, I put in some Aphogee Pro-Vitamin Leave-in (my hair looooooves this stuff so much) and Salerm 21. Then I ROLLER SET! For me when I wet roller set (using water in a spray bottle alone w/ no products) my ends come out so smooth and breakage ceases immediately. During the week I section off my hair and apply ORS Olive Oil Moisturizer and then pin curl at night or occasionally wrap. I'm experimenting with NO sealing because the oils may be drying out my ends (but my moisturizer's first ingredient is water and has lots of great oils in it already). I'm totally going off of less is more and my hair is responding better already.

What does KISS mean?

 

[foxieroxienyc]

Kiss = Keep It Simple Sister

Lol, one of my teachers from high school used to say it meant to Keep It Simple Stupid, lol. Which is what the original version actually is...

My hair thrives on simplicity...