ADVICE

[sweetdaises2000]

my hair started breaking because of stress, it thinned out and everything. My hair stylist says i should cut it and start over. Is that good advice? /images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[Kitkat]

Hairdressers are always so quick to suggest cutting all the hair off and starting from scratch in cases of breakage. In my humble opinion, this should be the last option unless all else fails. If you use heat, do roller sets to minimize heat damage. Cut out the use of flat irons until you get the situation under control. Try doing some protein treatments followed by a good moisturizer. Put your hair into stress-free styles like a bun (if you can), a braid-out, or a french roll. Trim the damaged hair gradually. Treat your hair to some good ol' TLC. If you don't already, take some B-5, aka pantothenic acid, which has really helped thicken the tresses of some women here with great hair. Hopefully, the stressful situation has passed, or will be passing soon. A stylist told me once that hairdressers who advocate cutting all the hair off because of damage are too lazy to deal with the problem and help you restore your hair. I don't know if this applies to your stylist, but it's a point of view.

Starting from scratch should be your last resort, girl. Don't let you stylist talk you into it if you don't want to go this route, and I don't think you should.

 

[Nyambura]

I agree with KitKat. The only thing I would add is to try MSM. Some ladies, like myself, have fared quite well with this, experiencing ceased shedding while retaining length. /images/graemlins/smile.gif It is only fair to warn you, however, that others have not fared so well on it and have suffered a variety of physical ailments, from acne to headaches and severe stomach cramps. /images/graemlins/frown.gif I just wanted to let you know both sides so you have a least a little information before deciding whether to explore this option further.

Also-
I know at some point last year (Autumn? Summer? /images/graemlins/confused.gif) Mahalia Lee shared with the board that her hair used to be in a severe state of emergency BUT that she took radical, intensive care procedures to nurse her hair back to health instead of cutting. I believe I read a post of hers recently, sharing that her hair was past bra-strap length in the back. She has copyrighted these procedures into recipes that I and others have happily and successfully used for our own hair health recoveries. Perhaps if you PM her she can share them with you. Otherwise, I have them, copyright included, and you can PM me.

Good luck! /images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Integrity]

i agree with everybody, first deep condition and moisturize the hell out of your hair first. otherwise you might end up cutting hair that could have been repaired. after 6 months of all that and vitamins consider evening out your hair! /images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Allandra]

My hair thinned out really bad in late 1998 early 1999 (due to medication). I was so upset about it, and I'm sure when I stressed about it back then, it only made matters worse. I decided to get my hair cut in a short Bob (up to my earlobes). My hair stylist (at the time) was shocked. /images/graemlins/blush.gif She told me my hair still looked very healthy, but it was so much thinner (and my hair is naturally VERY thick). I learned to love my new hair cut back then. I decided to let it grow out (because I joined the infamous Black Hair Super Grow Out Club - BHSGO in September 2000). After running into Jade and a lot of other ladies, I decided to grow my hair out. Since then, my medication has been changed, and I haven't had any problems with thinning hair (now it's just as thick as it once was - thank goodness). I said all that to say, I think you should make your own decision about whether you should cut it or not. You have to do what you think will work for you. Everybody thought I was crazy when I got my hair cut, but it grew out even longer once I did. I'm so thankful I ran into hair boards when I did (and Jade too). /images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Guest]

I would go ahead and go for the cut if your hair looks unhealthy, but again w/o being able to see it, I can't give you a fair assessment. Conditioning will not "repair" hair that's already damaged... it may temporarily improve it's condition though. Hair grows back, and if it's going to grow back healthier then what do you have to lose? I had a major cut, something like 5 inches last fall, and I was so scared to do it /images/graemlins/shocked.gif But I'm very happy I did. My ends were starting to thin b/c of the products and tools I was using. But now, my hair is beginning to regain it's length and my ends are nice and full/thick now. It's a personal decision, but you have my support if you want to start over /images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Zgirl]

I have been transitioning to natural, and I found that I dont really need to cut off too much of my ends. I like to wear my hair straight, and have found that with natural hair your hair is much nicer and thicker, relaxers would just thin my hair out.
I usually roller set my hair and let it air dry and then I use an electric pressing comb and smoth out the roots, try not to let the heat touch the relaxed ends. It has worked so far. But if you indeed want to wear your hair natural, you might want to cut off the relaxed ends. I think I will eventually do this, but I want to keep my lenght for now. /images/graemlins/smile.gif /images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Integrity]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
Caramela said:
Conditioning will not "repair" hair that's already damaged...

[/ QUOTE ]

i agree with you! what i meant was i would not rec cutting of hair that looked unruly since more will be cut off than required, a reconstructor or deep protein treatment would strenghten and tame those bits of the hair that are not so badly damaged, just weak. then we are in a good position to judge how much needs to be cut.

on the other hand, why waste your time with deep cond. if u feel like starting all over? i cut my hair off to a TWA and havent looked back since starting again from scratch! /images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[Nyambura]

Ok, I just wrote a post that disappeared. /images/graemlins/ohwell.gif Regardless, I agree that conditioners won't have a curative effect on severely damaged hair. However, my point is that cutting is NOT the only option when someone wants to restore her/his hair to health. Mahalia Lee is a good example of this, as is Lisa Akbari, the author of "The Black Woman's Guide to Beautiful Hair," a book which, I believe, is also offered through this website.

Just as there are many preferences for hair care products on this Board, there also exist various approaches to hair care itself, and no one person has all the answers. It often comes down to individual preference. /images/graemlins/wink.gif