Am I overreacting? (long)

[Arian]

After this wash night, which was Friday, I have noticed after styling my hair that I have small pieces of hair and some splits. Now, mind you, the smaller hairs are few (maybe 5-7) and the splits are mostly in the front, but that could be because I cannot see what is in the back. My hair "looks" fine at a distance (if that makes sense), but when I examine it closely I see the splits. I just got a trim 4 weeks ago! Also, the small pieces look like those that may have broken from those L shaped splits...again, not a lot, but it still worries me...so much so, that I examine my hair and stay on the boards excessively while at work. Ok, so here is what I did:

1. Pooed twice, once with Kenra Clarifying, then Elasta Cream Cond.
2. Used Roux Porosity Control, 2 mins.
3. Used Aphogee 2 min Reconstructer (15 mins, no heat)
4. Used a conditioner mixture of Lekair Cholesterol/Sweet Almond Oil/Elasta DPR-11 (1 hr, no heat)
5. Allowed to airdry 60%--blowdried with Aphogee Green Tea.
6. Flat ironed with Sedu and Chi Silk Infusion.

My hair was soft and the ends didn't feel crunchy, but something must have gone wrong. In fact, I had lots of 'swang'--best flat iron job I've ever done!

I am tempted to do a strong protein treatment, as I have NEVER done one of these before. But would that be too much since it is just a small amount of small hairs? erplexed

I am relaxed.

 

[Miss*Tress]

You might have residual damage from previous handling. All in all, 5-7 small broken hairs is not a lot though. Maybe you should do a mild/light protein treatment once a month or every two months to keep breakage and split ends at bay.

ETA: I forgot to mention my solution to virtually every problem: roller sets! It's one of the safest ways to smooth hair with little risk of damage. If you're comfortable sleeping with rollers, you can air dry overnight. I used to do that when I had a bob-length cut.

 

[CaliDiamond]

Maybe you should try no heat for a while until you see improvement. I like Miss*Tress' idea as well.

 

[Arian]

You might have residual damage from previous handling. All in all, 5-7 small broken hairs is not a lot though. Maybe you should do a mild/light protein treatment once a month or every two months to keep breakage and split ends at bay.

ETA: I forgot to mention my solution to virtually every problem: roller sets! It's one of the safest ways to smooth hair without little risk of damage. If you're comfortable sleeping with rollers, you can air dry overnight. I used to do that when I had a bob-length cut.

I don't know how to rollerset. I tried--failed miserably.

 

[Miss*Tress]

I don't know how to rollerset. I tried--failed miserably.

Keep practicing - I used to roller set dry hair to learn how to position and pin the rollers properly. That way I wasn't fiddling with my hair too much when it was wet and in a fragile state.

 

[Arian]

 

[Kranbery]

Are you using a seamless comb/brush, without balls on the end? When I started using a brush will balls on the end to detangle I starting getting splits. If your scared of protein, don't go too far yet. How about egg or mayonnaise, or Africa's Best Mayonnaise (which I love)?

 

[Arian]

Are you using a seamless comb/brush, without balls on the end? When I started using a brush will balls on the end to detangle I starting getting splits. If your scared of protein, don't go too far yet. How about egg or mayonnaise, or Africa's Best Mayonnaise (which I love)?

Well, when I blowdried, I used a paddle brush with the balls on the ends...I do want to try the egg protein treatment. I am thinking about doing that and then doing an intensive moisturizing treatment. I used coconut oil the other day to see if that would help with the small pieces of hair, but it made my hair super greasy ...guess coconut oil is not for me.

 

[Arian]

I'm gonna bump one more time....

I know there are some pros on this board!!!!!

 

[MissMeWithThatIsh]

I would suggest perhaps a small dusting or trim? I had a few splits and rough ends that would not be moved no matter what happened. I just got a trim and it handled everything. Sometimes, it's just time to trim.

 

[vkb247]

You are always going to have some hairs that are shorter than the others because each strand has its own growth/shed cycle plus it is impossible to get rid of all splits and breakage. But you definitely need to get rid of the brush with the balls on the end because it can be very damaging.