Advice Please (pics)

[LadyD]

I need help figuring out what I'm doing wrong. My hair has grown and I do think it has gotten thicker but I am just not retaining any length and I can't pinpoint what the problem is.

I wash and DC with a heating cap weekly. I moisturize twice a day. I use Giovanni products and seal with my Shea, coconut and aloe mix. I am wearing buns daily. I redo my bun daily but other than that I am not manipulating my hair. Daily I have to sweep the bathroom floor because it is covered with knots and curly hairs. I do protein treatments with Duo-Tex maybe once a month. I am using Mega-TeK right now and shedding is not too bad.

The perimeter of my hair is a looser texture than the top and crown. The pics show how much tighter it is. I have like three different textures going on. Do you think the difference in textures is causing the problems with breakage? I am considering texlaxing in an attempt to even out the textures. I tried to texturize before but I still have the same problem. I was thinking maybe if I relaxed a little straighter than a texturizer it would be better.
Any ideas?

 

[naturalgurl]

Hello hair twin! I have that same pattern. Like 3c-ish around the hairl line, 4a as you get closer to the crown and then a strong 4b crown. When I bun I make sure that the 4b area is soaking wet. That 4b hair needs more moisture because it dries up quicker. Also only comb that 4b area while it's wet, never when it's dry. Once it's recovered and has all the moisture it needs you'll start seeing retention. I had this too and this is what I've learned of this head. Different sections have different needs. Sort of like a mother with 3 kids, you don't treat them all the same. That's just my 2 cents. HTH

 

[joib]

Are you bunning too tight? When transitioning you have to be extra careful when you do manipulate your hair. With all of the different textures, you don't want to pull. I had a regular perm and started to trans. to texlax. I noticed that I could not be too harsh with my hair or it was breaking. Also what are you using to secure the bun with?

 

[LadyD]

Are you bunning too tight? Also what are you using to secure the bun with?

I don't think so. I use the foam donut wrapped in a sock soaked in olive oil. I put the donut on and then secure with a Scunci hair thingy. (can't remember the name LOL)

 

[aloof one]

You may be doing too much, and using too many products for your hair. Have you tried just using conditioner and leaving it in?

I would suggest using a good cheapie conditioner (like HE or Organix or Suave or Dove's Moisture line) and after DCing after the protein treatment, detangle with the cheapie conditioner and leave it in. Every day you can just rinse it out and put some more in, and at the end of the week you can detangle again and repeat. Instead of redoing the bun have you considered just keeping a scarf on it so you don't have to take it down so much?.

My guess is its snapping because of so much protein, so much messing with it everyday to do your regimen, etc. You don't have to keep it in a bun, especially when its wet all the time and loaded with protein in the first place. Moisturizing twice daily isn't going to do anything if you are still doing protein treatments so regularly, especially if you are not bone straight relaxed. You need moisturizing conditioners, that way you wont have to moisturize during the day (or maybe you'll be able to do it less). The bun may be taking your hair out too. Can you wear a puff? Maybe a WNG? a few braids? French braids?

 

[naturalgurl]

Girl we are too much alike! That's how I bun except I do it when my hair is wet. Anyway, I feel the pulling it too tight. I got a little paranoid that I might be pulling too tight. I didn't see any breakage, but the more protection the better. I now sometimes do a "loose" bun. I take my scrunchy head wrap and slide it back like I'm doing a puff. Then I take the "puff" hair and twist it like a tornado. Sort of looks like a frosty freeze soft serve ice cream cone. You know, like a troll doll with all the hair up to a single point. Then I take that point and pin it in the middle of the "puff". Imagine a sofa pillow with a button in the middle. Then I sort of fold in the hair and pin it in a donut shape. It's really working well for me. I have a pic. I'll put it in my siggy. Let's see how long that'll take me!

 

[JustKiya]

I need help figuring out what I'm doing wrong. My hair has grown and I do think it has gotten thicker but I am just not retaining any length and I can't pinpoint what the problem is.

I wash and DC with a heating cap weekly. I moisturize twice a day. I use Giovanni products and seal with my Shea, coconut and aloe mix. I am wearing buns daily. I redo my bun daily but other than that I am not manipulating my hair. Daily I have to sweep the bathroom floor because it is covered with knots and curly hairs. I do protein treatments with Duo-Tex maybe once a month. I am using Mega-TeK right now and shedding is not too bad.

The perimeter of my hair is a looser texture than the top and crown. The pics show how much tighter it is. I have like three different textures going on. Do you think the difference in textures is causing the problems with breakage? I am considering texlaxing in an attempt to even out the textures. I tried to texturize before but I still have the same problem. I was thinking maybe if I relaxed a little straighter than a texturizer it would be better.
Any ideas?

I think that the bolded is your problem, in a nutshell. You are sweeping up all of your growth off of the floor.

Are you doing wet or dry buns? Are you combing your hair as you redo your bun? What state of detangledness is your hair in when you are doing the buns? Are your ends colored/relaxed? What are you moisturizing with? Does it have cones? What are you DC'ing with? How often do you clarify?

Off hand, just based on what you've already said, I'd suspect that your hair is under-moisturized, and that however you are manipulating your buns to redo them is just too much manipulation for your hair. You should NOT have enough hair on the floor to need to sweep on a daily basis - that's right scary.

 

[LadyD]

Are you doing wet or dry buns? Are you combing your hair as you redo your bun? What state of detangledness is your hair in when you are doing the buns? Are your ends colored/relaxed? What are you moisturizing with? Does it have cones? What are you DC'ing with? How often do you clarify?

I spray with water, moisturize with Giovanni Direct and Shea/aloe and bun. I brush it into the bun but I comb the ends so I can tuck under. I don't think the Giovanni has cones but I'm not sure. I DC with either Profectiv Growth Conditioner or Giovanni Smooth as Silk. I clarify monthly when I do my protein treatment and I use ORS Creamy Aloe Shampoo. No color on ends and I'm sure the majority of the texturizer is gone now. It's been awhile.

 

[JustKiya]

So you are brushing AND combing your wet/damp hair daily? And you're natural?

Urm, yeah. I'd suggest dropping the brush and comb, and fingercombing your hair into your bun - that (in my mind) is waaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy too much manipulation.

 

[naturalgurl]

So you are brushing AND combing your wet/damp hair daily? And you're natural?

Urm, yeah. I'd suggest dropping the brush and comb, and fingercombing your hair into your bun - that (in my mind) is waaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy too much manipulation.

ITA with Kiya. First, spraying your hair with water isn't enough, that's just my opinion. I comb my hair while it's wet right out of the shower. I just squeeze the water out with my hands and go. I use a wide tooth comb and just get it gathered to the center top. I don't comb through to the ends. Once I detangle while wet that's it for comb throughs. Then I finish the bun. After it's bunned then I might pass a boars bristle brush across the top just to flatten it or make it neat. I usually use castor oil to slick it with the brush. When I detangle while wet I only get 10 hairs in the comb and that's combing the entire head. I think you need more moisture...

 

[LadyKaypnyc]

ITA with Kiya. First, spraying your hair with water isn't enough, that's just my opinion. I comb my hair while it's wet right out of the shower. I just squeeze the water out with my hands and go. I use a wide tooth comb and just get it gathered to the center top. I don't comb through to the ends. Once I detangle while wet that's it for comb throughs. Then I finish the bun. After it's bunned then I might pass a boars bristle brush across the top just to flatten it or make it neat. I usually use castor oil to slick it with the brush. When I detangle while wet I only get 10 hairs in the comb and that's combing the entire head. I think you need more moisture...

I was going to add my two cents but Kiya and Naturalgurl said it all. ITA with them

 

[Miss*Tress]

Too much, too much!
Too much handling and too much products.

 

[LadyD]

You may be doing too much, and using too many products for your hair. Have you tried just using conditioner and leaving it in?

My guess is its snapping because of so much protein, so much messing with it everyday to do your regimen, etc. The bun may be taking your hair out too. Can you wear a puff? Maybe a WNG? a few braids? French braids?

No I haven't tried conditioner as a leave in. I love puffs but when I wear them I have so many tangles I can hardly comb through it.

 

[LadyD]

Thanks everyone! I will stop all the combing and brushing and see if I noticed any improvement.

 

[aloof one]

No I haven't tried conditioner as a leave in. I love puffs but when I wear them I have so many tangles I can hardly comb through it.

Conditioner is your best friend! Try it out and let us know how it goes. I'm convinced it should work. My hair was coming out in clumps because I focused too much on styling products and leave ins and manipulating with combs and brushes. As soon as I did my mini chop and started leaving it alone with just conditioner and my fingers (I even threw down my Denman brush )... all of a sudden my hair got soft and stopped coming out, and there was no need to do much of anything but rinse and add conditioner again the next day and finger comb it back into my style. The only time I use anything other than conditioner now is when I am flatironing.