Please look at this pic and sum up what you think.

[bamachic08]

Here is a pic of me .I want hairtype.Regimen suggestions...and opinions.

 

[Sistaslick]

Here is a pic of me .I want hairtype.Regimen suggestions...and opinions.

Hairtype: For the hairtype, we'd need to see a least an inch or two of unmanipulated, product free washed and dried new growth. Can't tell from the pictures.

Opinions: One thing that jumped out to me is the hairline. The braids, if you're still wearing them, will only make this issue worse for you. I'd definitely look into an alternative to them. They are HARD on hairlines.

Regimen suggestions: Well . . . What is your current regimen? Products? What are the major hair issues you'd like to fix? Relaxed/Natural-- color treated.

Give the ladies a little more info and I 'm sure someone will offer more guided help.

 

[*Muffin*]

I agree with Sistaslick. We need a little more info in order to make good suggestions to you . But I'll make some suggestions that are good knowledge for anyone. Make sure you are deep conditioning at least once a week. This makes sure that your hair is properly moisturized and has a good amount of protein. I like using DC's that contain both moisturizing elements and protein. A good one that's pretty easy to find is ORS replenishing packs. You can get it from CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, and/or in some supermarkets. I like using all natural deep conditioners and I buy mine from Health Food Supermarkets (Whole Foods, Rolling Oats, Trader Joes, etc...) I like Aubrey Organics conditioners and Giovanni Nutrifix Reconstructor. Also try not too dry out your hair too much. If you shampoo try not to shampoo more than once a week, and when you do shampoo coat your hair with conditioner or oil before you do. If you use a shampoo that contains sulfates you could add water, oil, and/or conditioner to it to make it milder on your hair. If you like to wash your hair on a daily basis you could try washing your hair with conditioner (co-washing). This affords you to be able to cleanse your hair daily but retain moisture as well. And when it comes to grooming make sure you use quality hair instruments. I like to detangle my hair when I'm showering and with conditioner. I like conair and Jilbere shower combs (they look exactly alike). You can buy the Jilbere shower comb from Sally's Beauty supply for around $1.50 to $2.00 and the conair one you can get from CVS, Walgreens, Rite-Aid, and/or some supermarkets for the same price. And if you brush your hair make sure you're using either a very soft brush (so as to not break your hair), a denman brush (which is very good for detangling), and/or a boar bristle brush (which is higher quality than regular plastic bristle brushes and won't shred your hair). I'm not a brush expert, though. I personally don't brush my hair at all, but I've learned a bit about proper brushes from the ladies who do brush their hair on this board. Also it helps to have a satin/silk scarf to put over your head before you go to sleep or a satin/silk pillow case. This will prevent your hair from losing moisture due to cotton pillow cases and will prevent breakage during the night from tossing and turning. Sorry if it sounds like I'm rambling on. I hope that I helped a little .

 

[bamachic08]

Hairtype: For the hairtype, we'd need to see a least an inch or two of unmanipulated, product free washed and dried new growth. Can't tell from the pictures.

Opinions: One thing that jumped out to me is the hairline. The braids, if you're still wearing them, will only make this issue worse for you. I'd definitely look into an alternative to them. They are HARD on hairlines.

Regimen suggestions: Well . . . What is your current regimen? Products? What are the major hair issues you'd like to fix? Relaxed/Natural-- color treated.

Give the ladies a little more info and I 'm sure someone will offer more guided help.

i CURRENTLY USE MEGATEK AND OCT MIXED IN SEVERAL APPLICATOR BOTTLES WITH WHATEVER OIL I FEEL LIKE USING FOR THE DAY(TEA TREE,CARROT,OLIVE,VIT E)aLL MIXED IN DIFFERENT BOTTLES WITH THE MT/OCT MIXTURE..I also wash every three days with mane n tail herbal gro poo and condiTIoner when ever i rinse the megatek and oct out with the mane n tail herbal gro conditioner.I dONT KNOW ANY OTHER CONVENIENT protective style and these braids have grown my hair out a lot since July this year.Oh and i dont get the hairline braided up and i dont wear them pulled too tight.the hairloss occured in 2005 so the braids arent the cause....too tight ponytails did this.I never wore braids prior to july 25 2008 and the tight want to be a chinese fad effected me as a teenager had finally caught up as well as hair glues directly over the sides did this to me.Im not worried about the hairloss because i am going to get hair grafted from the back to the balding areas in march of next year by a hair transplant dr in florida.my concern is hairtype...but i guess ill show you on dec 6th when i take the braids out.thanks though.mY ISSUE IS....retaining length so i can get to shoulder length by dec 31 2009 from the four inches i have.

 

[justsimply]

I agree braids can be hard on the hairline and considering the fact that you want to pamper that area, I would definitely ditch the braids. As a matter of fact I would go as far as to not have any tension or rubbing in that area (pulled back hair styles or any kind or even wearing wigs would be a no-no in my book). Look for hairstyles that will allow you to leave the area alone. Comb coils or twist, wash-n-gos if you rock that would be better choices imo.

My hair is 4b and natural and only about 5 in in length. My only concerns are keeping it conditioned/well moisturized and lo manipulation. I deep condition and co-wash on the weekend. Then I twist it up for the week using rinses throughout the week and I spritz several times during the day. On the weekend I will wear a twist out the day that I plan to deep condition.

My rinses are just whatever herb I think I want to try but usually is peppermint, rosemary and chamomile. My spritz bottle has water (mostly), infusium 23 leave-in, peppermint and rosemary essential oils).

 

[vkb247]

I just wanted to suggest that you use castor oil on your edges. Lots of ladies have used it to successfully regrow hair in places where they used to have patches.

It seems like you are on your way to happy, healthy hair. HHG!

 

[loulou82]

Is your hair colored? Colored hair is prone to dryness and needs extra moisture and deep treatments.

 

[bamachic08]

Is your hair colored? Colored hair is prone to dryness and needs extra moisture and deep treatments.

no color hun...the braids are a 27mixed with 33 in color.my real hair is a sandy brownish color though....i never had black colored hair.i dont do the dyes!!!! i dont plan on ever dying my hair.i do like colored extensions though.maybe the camera shot has to much undertones in it.

 

[Chevelure618]

ITA about the braids. No more braids...I think your hairline will come back. If you don't stop the braids you risk looking like Susan Taylor, and none of us want that.

I started with the Cathy Howse regimen, which is a good, basic regimen. I swear by her products but I think you can use her regimen with other conditioners and moisturizers. From there, you can tweek your reg for what works best for you.

I'd get rid of the color. Sorry, but color, tension and relaxers are most stressful for afro-textured hair.

I found it most interesting on the Crown and Glory site about the method for combing afro-textured hair. Our hair should be combed crown to front rather than front to back due to its texture. I swear this helped reduce my breakage so much.

I have a long way to go to MBL, but I'm getting there and my hair is in such better condition than when I started 17 months ago.

 

[bamachic08]

I dont have color in my hair.....
i HAVE COLORED BRAID EXTENSIONS.....THATS NOT MY HAIR THAT IS DYED...MY HAIR IS LIKE A NUMBER 3 OR FOUR SERIOUSLY.i DONT HAVE BLACK COLORED HAIR LIKE MOST OF YOU I SEEN ON HERE.i THINK YOU SHOULD READ THE POSTS I PUT ON THIS THREAD

 

[bamachic08]

i LOST MY HAIRLINE THREE YEARS AGO...IT WAS WORST BUT THE TWO TEMPLE SPOTS DIDNT COME BACK IN WITH THE REST...MY CONDITION IS CALLED ALOPECIA...I LOST THIS HAIR YEARS AGO SO IM GETTING THE EDGES GRAFTED.i HAD TO GO TO A DERMATOLOGIST FOR THIS AND THAT WAS THE RECOMMENDATION.i ONLY BEGAN WEARING THESE BRAIDS EVER IN MY LIFE STARTING JULY THIS YEAR.SO THE BRAIDS ISNT THE CAUSE FOR ME TO START LOOKING LIKE SUSANTAYLORaND ONCE AGAIN NO DYES ON MY NATURAL HAIR....JUST NUMBER 27/33 WET N WAVY HAIR EXTENSIONS.

 

[justsimply]

i LOST MY HAIRLINE THREE YEARS AGO...IT WAS WORST BUT THE TWO TEMPLE SPOTS DIDNT COME BACK IN WITH THE REST...MY CONDITION IS CALLED ALOPECIA...I LOST THIS HAIR YEARS AGO SO IM GETTING THE EDGES GRAFTED.i HAD TO GO TO A DERMATOLOGIST FOR THIS AND THAT WAS THE RECOMMENDATION.i ONLY BEGAN WEARING THESE BRAIDS EVER IN MY LIFE STARTING JULY THIS YEAR.SO THE BRAIDS ISNT THE CAUSE FOR ME TO START LOOKING LIKE SUSANTAYLORaND ONCE AGAIN NO DYES ON MY NATURAL HAIR....JUST NUMBER 27/33 WET N WAVY HAIR EXTENSIONS.

Ohhhh OK, now I understand. You're just looking for suggestions on taking care and growing on, you're on top of the "repair" thing . I got it...I jumped too quick.

My previous post included my regimen. It's kind of general and simple enough I think to work for anyone with short natural hair no matter the type and it consumes minimum time (except for the twists). I think your biggest hurdle is going to be just nailing down products that work for you. For me that was trial and error. A lot of people swore by nexxus and some other line that I no longer remember that didn't work for me. (I only remember nexxus' humectress because I hated it so much that I just gave it away). There are a few that I like... Neutragena Triple Moisture, Dove, Pantene and Suave. But like I said, I think it's different for everyone; you just have to see how your hair responds. So my advise??? co-wash, Condition, moisturize, lo manipulation...avoid bandwagons.

 

[BrownEyez22]

I just wanted to suggest that you use castor oil on your edges. Lots of ladies have used it to successfully regrow hair in places where they used to have patches.

It seems like you are on your way to happy, healthy hair. HHG!

At the bolded: I was about to type the same thing. Its a simple cheap solution that most ladies find effective in re growing and thickening up the hairline.

Welcome to the board! Hopefully more ladies will chime in with helpful advice.

 

[Mortons]

Are you relaxed?

 

[Solitude]

Rollersets are the best thing for hair that is too short to bun in order to retain length, IMO. I retained all of my length from July-Nov and I went from Chin Length to grazing SL. I went to the salon at first, then learned to do them myself. Give them a try!

I naturally have a "high hairline" but it is FULL b/c I:
1. never wear tight ponytails...
2. never wear braided extension for longer than 1-2 weeks
3. never use any gel or heavy/ stiff product on my hair line
4. never relax my edges or "baby hair"
4. always change my part & avoid pulling my hair back for any reason

You really may want to try some of the cheap solutions suggested before getting that treatment. Happy hair growing!

 

[MeechUK]

Here is a pic of me .I want hairtype.Regimen suggestions...and opinions.

Hi Bamachic,
I can't see the picture!

MeechUK

 

[Solitude]

i LOST MY HAIRLINE THREE YEARS AGO...IT WAS WORST BUT THE TWO TEMPLE SPOTS DIDNT COME BACK IN WITH THE REST...MY CONDITION IS CALLED ALOPECIA...I LOST THIS HAIR YEARS AGO SO IM GETTING THE EDGES GRAFTED.i HAD TO GO TO A DERMATOLOGIST FOR THIS AND THAT WAS THE RECOMMENDATION.i ONLY BEGAN WEARING THESE BRAIDS EVER IN MY LIFE STARTING JULY THIS YEAR.SO THE BRAIDS ISNT THE CAUSE FOR ME TO START LOOKING LIKE SUSANTAYLORaND ONCE AGAIN NO DYES ON MY NATURAL HAIR....JUST NUMBER 27/33 WET N WAVY HAIR EXTENSIONS.

Oh, I see. I guess it is more serious than regular breakage & thinning. Still, I hope some of the suggestions will help.

 

[bamachic08]

Hi Bamachic,
I can't see the picture!

MeechUK

go to the top of this thread and you will see four small pics ...i started this thread so it should be viewable by everyone.

 

[DayStar]

hairline needs some TLC...get rid of the braids

 

[bamachic08]

Are you relaxed?

yes i shaved my head dec 27 2007 bald and i gave into another relaxer six months later..... talk about confused...but i like straight hair anyway just not damaged straight hair.anyhow i am relaxed...olive oil no lye hair relaxer....

 

[bamachic08]

yes i shaved my head dec 27 2007 bald and i gave into another relaxer six months later..... talk about confused...but i like straight hair anyway just not damaged straight hair.anyhow i am relaxed...olive oil no lye hair relaxer....

and yes i am currently stretching 12 weeks at a time.my next relaxer is due on dec 15th.

 

[bamachic08]

hairline needs some TLC...get rid of the braids

 

[Kneechay]

First, I would suggest you loosen your braids. Take the band off that's keeping them in that tight ponytail. I used braids to successfully transition with no damage and the key thing is to NOT pull them back so tight. I wore my down almost all the time. If you must tie them back, tie them loosely at the bottom of the braids or use a cute scarf around your hairline. For now though, I suggest you lay off the braids for a while. Maybe a month or two and if you want to, look into kinky twists.

 

[bamachic08]

First, I would suggest you loosen your braids. Take the band off that's keeping them in that tight ponytail. I used braids to successfully transition with no damage and the key thing is to NOT pull them back so tight. I wore my down almost all the time. If you must tie them back, tie them loosely at the bottom of the braids or use a cute scarf around your hairline. For now though, I suggest you lay off the braids for a while. Maybe a month or two and if you want to, look into kinky twists.

okay i had them like this to get a good shot.i know better than to wear them this tight.they are worn so loose that it looks like a messy pony tail.i will take the braids out and rest since all of you are so adamant about th ebraids being the cause of this problem that actually started three years before i ever tried braids i noticed a lot of you are against braids on this forum...

 

[cuteazz1]

okay i had them like this to get a good shot.i know better than to wear them this tight.they are worn so loose that it looks like a messy pony tail.i will take the braids out and rest since all of you are so adamant about th ebraids being the cause of this problem that actually started three years before i ever tried braids i noticed a lot of you are against braids on this forum...

I don't think that most of us are against braids.You posted a picture and asked for advice and they are only trying to give it to you.Even if the hair loss did not come from the braids,The braids are not helping the area to improve.I am not reading anything here except encouragement and help.

The castor oil is very helpful as someone mentioned.I will PM you my 'before" hair so that you can see.

 

[**SaSSy**]

I don't think that most of us are against braids.You posted a picture and asked for advice and they are only trying to give it to you.Even if the hair loss did not come from the braids,The braids are not helping the area to improve.I am not reading anything here except encouragement and help. (I agree completely!)

The castor oil is very helpful as someone mentioned.I will PM you my 'before" hair so that you can see.

It sounds like to me you want the ladies on here to tell you what you want to hear wheather it's the truth of not. I'm not a big fan of braids, but I use to wear them all the time when I was natural and it made my hairline really thin compare to not wearing them.

If you are so gun hold about wearing your braid then wear them smartly. Before you get your hair braided load it up with castor oil, and never wear it too tightly to the back. Always message your hairline at night with first a moisturizer and then some oils. Also don't try to wear you hair in braids no more than 2 weeks at a time because from the products to the sweat you get around your hair line it will put tension around your hair line.

 

[v2.0]

i LOST MY HAIRLINE THREE YEARS AGO...IT WAS WORST BUT THE TWO TEMPLE SPOTS DIDNT COME BACK IN WITH THE REST...MY CONDITION IS CALLED ALOPECIA...I LOST THIS HAIR YEARS AGO SO IM GETTING THE EDGES GRAFTED.i HAD TO GO TO A DERMATOLOGIST FOR THIS AND THAT WAS THE RECOMMENDATION.i ONLY BEGAN WEARING THESE BRAIDS EVER IN MY LIFE STARTING JULY THIS YEAR.SO THE BRAIDS ISNT THE CAUSE FOR ME TO START LOOKING LIKE SUSANTAYLORaND ONCE AGAIN NO DYES ON MY NATURAL HAIR....JUST NUMBER 27/33 WET N WAVY HAIR EXTENSIONS.

Wouldn't getting braids aggravate the problem?

 

[bamachic08]

Wouldn't getting braids aggravate the problem?

well i dont have a follicle in the scalp to aggravate.however im switching to a wig when i take the braids out on dec 8.The follicle is gone.thats why three years later no hair has sprouted through.Believe me I have rubbed the temples with everything and after seeing the scalp under the microscope i finally realized that there wasnt even a follicle left.

 

[bamachic08]

It sounds like to me you want the ladies on here to tell you what you want to hear wheather it's the truth of not. I'm not a big fan of braids, but I use to wear them all the time when I was natural and it made my hairline really thin compare to not wearing them.

If you are so gun hold about wearing your braid then wear them smartly. Before you get your hair braided load it up with castor oil, and never wear it too tightly to the back. Always message your hairline at night with first a moisturizer and then some oils. Also don't try to wear you hair in braids no more than 2 weeks at a time because from the products to the sweat you get around your hair line it will put tension around your hair line.

thank you ladies for all the opinions you have offered.I appreciate the insight.