any ladies manage to crawl their way back from damaged tresses??

[misscrystal]

i'm at SUCH a loss on what to do with my hair. /images/graemlins/wallbash.gif i've bought and tried so many products, but nothing has managed to help. my hair is still SO weak. you can't BREATHE on it without it snapping. /images/graemlins/mad.gif my comb is always full of hair, and i find little short hairs EVERYWHERE. in the sink, the tub, in my SHOES!! (no joke).

i don't know WHAT to do. at this point, i'm ready to give. up. /images/graemlins/frown.gif

before i throw in the towel, can anybody who's come back from hair like this give me any advice?

 

[Tene]

My hair use to be like that last year and some years before that. I would have hair everywhere, on my shirt, sink, bathtub, just everywhere. Mutiple hairdressers have broke off my hair. Luckily I've found a wonderful hairdresser. I got my all of the damage cut out. I had to get my hair cut, one side was ear length and the other side was a little longer. I found this board and other boards and started taking advice from people on the boards. I started washing my hair once a week and doing co washes. I always use moisturizing conditioners and shampoos, deep condition once a week and and use no heat. I started taking vitamins, doing heavy duty protein treatments once every six weeks and doing light protein treatments once a week. I stretched my relaxers to every 8 to 12 weeks. I started using this spray called Surge Plus 14 and I started moisturizing my hair everyday. As of today my hair is healthy, damage free, and growing wonderfully.

 

[webby]

Sorry sweety /images/graemlins/frown.gif

I cut mine too. I'm impetuous; I see one, two OH NO, THREE broken hairs and I'll do a lop job in a heart beat. I've had my hair short, long, shorter, longer and I can tell you...it grows back, but damage is not reversible.

ETA: I had to come back to actually answer you question, my tree-climber was /images/graemlins/cry3.gif

For me, nursing my hair back depends on just how extensive the damage is. I've only had severe damage once; it caused me to cut it all off. That was a couple of years ago. I was close to cutting it again recently, because I started to exprefience post-partum shedding.

Thanks to the product recommendations from the ladies here, I opted to use various products, which helped tremendously. However, I always recommend handling the hair as little as possible, when healthy, but most definitely when damaged.

 

[TigerLily]

My hair was damaged very badly when I was a teen. I was getting jheri curls and the nut beautician didn't put conditioner on my hair AT ALL and it thinned, shed, and broke off terribly. You could see through my hair! It was shoulder length. /images/graemlins/frown.gif

What I did was use activator as a moisturizer and keep my hair in a bun. I washed my hair biweekly with Fantasia IC tea shampoo and used Fantasia IC leave-in w/Aloe for dry hair. Fantasia IC products were a life saver for me! I followed this routine for 10 mo. My hair thickened up and was healthy again. No more curls for me!

HTH!!!

 

[Isis]

[ QUOTE ]
misscrystal said:
i'm at SUCH a loss on what to do with my hair. /images/graemlins/wallbash.gif i've bought and tried so many products, but nothing has managed to help. my hair is still SO weak. you can't BREATHE on it without it snapping. /images/graemlins/mad.gif my comb is always full of hair, and i find little short hairs EVERYWHERE. in the sink, the tub, in my SHOES!! (no joke).

i don't know WHAT to do. at this point, i'm ready to give. up. /images/graemlins/frown.gif

before i throw in the towel, can anybody who's come back from hair like this give me any advice?

[/ QUOTE ]
Mine was like that before I came to LHCF. That's how I discovered the hair boards. I got sick of looking at all the broken off hairs on the floor and sink and that nasty, nauseating burn smell from my curling iron and hot comb. /images/graemlins/nono.gif

The advice you will learn here will help your hair tremendously. The main thing I learned to stop all that breakage was to moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. For me that meant washing my hair more often (now every 3 days), keeping my ends moisturized, throwing out all heating appliances and learning how to airdry my hair, using a leave-in conditioner for the first time and extending my relaxers. Learning about protective styles for the first time helped also with my damaged hair, it gave it a rest. It also helped me to learn new styles, like buns, French Twists (my favorite), etc. Not using heat stopped the breakage almost immediately for me as well as learning how to balance using protein and mosturizing conditioners on my hair. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[DatJerseyDyme]

My hair was very very thin..but after some TLC, that has improved! Just don't give up, God didn't create the earth in one day, and it's going to take some time to transform your hair! I know you can do it!

 

[KAddy]

I too had damaged hair that I am currently nursing back to health. When I joined here my hair was alright, but it was still fragile and breaking off. I found one thing that I was missing and that was protein. I NEVER put protein in my hair AND it doesn't help that I don't eat like I should. Once I found the right products and do a protein treatment every now and then I can attest to having fewer strands everywhere. I always kept my ends trimmed so split ends weren't the problem. I am glad I found LHCF because I have learned some invaluable lessons here that I pass on to friends and family.

 

[A_Christian]

The following things helped bring my hair back from damage a few years ago:

- Getting strong protein treatments from my stylist (She's into healthy hair care and knows what she's doing, you have to make sure you get someone who knows what they are doing or else these types of treatments could cause even more breakage!)

-Getting roller sets or roller wraps on magnetic rollers

-Dustings (not full cuts, just trimming off the damaged ends gradually)

I'd also like to add that I haven't had any hot irons applied to my hair in 8 months and whereas I used to have a fair amount of split ends, now I can't find any at all.

Hope this helps. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[KAddy]

I agree with A_Christian.

I think I failed to mention that I don't do direct heat either. I just rollerset my hair and wrap. Cut out the heat, if you are using any. I mean I sit under a dryer for my rollersets, but no blowdryers or curling irons.

I also just dust the ends to ensure there are no split ends.

 

[buffalosoldier]

years and years ago I kept my hair weaved up for 6 months ( 2x 3 months sew in)
when i took out the weave I literally had a new head of hair. but ask a hairdresser for advice first cos everyones hair is different

 

[sylver2]

Twice- 10 years ago and this Summer.
1st-About ten years ago I was putting in my own relaxers when I was at college. My hair was a little past shoulder length. That combined with trying a new relaxer(Gentle treatment) Broke off about 40% of my hair in the crown. I chopped it all off and started over. Hair grew back full 2 years later.

This past summer I decided to try a cheaper salon. The one I was going to was Wonderful but cost $85. The cheaper one cost $50 and It came highly recommended from some people. I started going there for just my touchups. My hair was couple inches past bra strap. Well all of a sudden it started breaking off like crazy. I noticed breakage on my hairline and all around. I didn't know what it was because I have been doing my same routine. Until I talked to another girl who stopped going to that same salon because they overprocessed her hair and it broke off.
She described the exact same woman who did mine.

I got a blunt cut of about 4inches. I did an aphogee treatment and just been deep conditioning every couple of days. I am not getting another touchup until..I'm going to try for April. The last one was Oct 26. It is doing so wonderful. I saved it just in time. It has already grown an inch and I had it cut about 2 weeks ago. No heat and I wrap it as much as possible.
Never again will I try something new just because price. I am a routine person when it comes with my hair. I am going back to my $85 stylist next year.
I tell you ladies, there is NOTHING like that feeling of seeing your hair break off....Nauseating

 

[Desert Skye]

my hair was just torn up. I like to highlight my hair and before i came to the board i didnt deep conditioner and keep it moisturised. it seemed just about every strand of hair was split. I started little. First i cut down on the heat. Now i no longer use my blow dryer. Then i had to get the ends cut. So i kept getting trims regularly until i got to the healthy ends. Then i leanred what treatments my hair needed and now its the healthiest it has ever been.

 

[inthepink]

I've recoverd from damaged hair after a bad relaxer. Like sylver, I tried someone new when I should have kept going to the same person. My hair broke down to less than an inch in spots and all over. I noticed but other people may not have been able to tell...
Since my hair was so long when this happened, I knew it would never be health all over until I cut my hair to that new hair. So, I transitioned for a year and a half and cut off my relaxed below bra strap length hair to shoulder length in late August. It's already growing back and the thing I love the most is that I can say my hair is healthy instead of washing my hair and being able to pick out sections of damage.

ETA: It does take time and depending on the level of damage, it can take years before your hair is back the way you want it. I am so happy to now have healthy natural hair but I CANNOT wait until my hair is back to its old length.

 

[Shariracquel]

Hi, Im currently experiencing the same thing, and what Im doing now is using more protein treatments and also I was my hair weekly and Im also cutting down on the heat. Well I can't really say I was my hair every week, because sometimes I might do it twice a week the most, because sometimes the oil can be a bit much for my hair and because it is light, it gets weighed down more easily. I just joined this forum and believe that I will be on my way to recovery soon. I also started using surge, I do not know how it is working so far, for I've only been using it for a week now and I just got a touch up a couple of days ago.

 

[Shinka]

I feel I have completely revamped my hair. check my sept album and my end of nov album.

I stopped using all direct heat, it left hair lookng dull no matter how much product i added for sheen.

My regimen:

Wash- dilute mostiruzing shampoo with water. (bottle with point tip, make sure I massage scalp)

Deep condioner: Use Cathy Howse UBH cond. for 20 min under hood dryer

Instant conditioner: use vo5 conditioner as I shower to relieve hard feeling after conditioner

Rollerset: rollerset for 45 min.
Spray a lotta body setting lotion and motions foam wrap on ends to wrap around rollers,
UBh dew or motions oil mositurizer ( use when hair is still hardish)
and either Hot six oil or Organics Olive Oil sheen to lock in mosturisers before drying.

I did this twice a week. I didn't wrap at night. I pinned my hair under and put a bonnet on.


Now My rollerset can last a week, which I perfer. I don't wrap or pin now. I finger comb the rollerset for style and put a bonnet on. This way the curls just loosen over the week, by a weeks time it starts to look like a wrap althought I didn't manipulate it.

**Everyday I spray dew, and a night I put motions mositurizer on ends.

I spray sta so soft on my edges and kitchen ( nape), because I choose not to relax those parts to benefit thinning.

I have way to go for lenght, but My regimen over a months time have really change the appearance and condition of my color treated relazed previoulsy dry damaged hair.

Hope this helps, pm me if you have more questions /images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[bronzehair]

i've recovered from very damaged hair, this stylist cut 4 inches off and my hair as nape length and i couldn't find any styles so i was using my flat iron almost everyday /images/graemlins/naughty.gif after a couple of months my hair was really brittle,thin and worst of all one side was a good 2 inches shorter than the other.I wore braids for about 3 months back to back and then just went ahead and got a good trim, rather a good cut.I lost probably 2-3 inches but cutting gave me a chance to start over with healthy hair.To keep it healthy now i lay off direct heat completely i vary between braids,rollersets and braidouts.I've come to find the less i bother my hair the better. Good luck

 

[LadyZ]

I feel you pain girl........
/images/graemlins/frown.gifHang in there.. I have been struggling with a come back for the past 3 months /images/graemlins/wallbash.gif /images/graemlins/mad.gif.... My hair is finally getting better /images/graemlins/wink.gif... But I had a lot of damage and had to get a major cut /images/graemlins/mad.gif, over 3" by the time I wasted trying to save it(my own fault, not using products right).... but get some good products and condtion, condition, condition....

 

[Babygurl]

When I started my hair journey, my hair was damaged. My ends were chewed up, ugly, and stringy. I even had a spot in my crown area that would grow to about 2 inches then snap RIGHT back off. Who would have guessed it was the daily curling iron use LOL!
I nursed my hair back to health using the moisture routine (with a little protein) stopped using heat and went on the bun challenge and I saw growth for the first time since I started taking care of my own hair. I made sure to deep condition EVERY time I used shampoo (every 3 days) and my hair snapped back pretty quickly. I started off with a trim to get rid of ugly ends and I never looked back. Be good to your hair. If I can see growth ANYONE can!

 

[jellynote]

When I first found this board last year I had just cut all my damaged hair off. I had no hair on my sides or my neck because of the damage that had happened to my hair that's the hair cut I had to get. I found this board 2 months later and I've been growing healthy hair ever since. It took some time, but my hair is 4 in to my brastrap and some of that came from my pregnancy. I haven't expreienced any postpartum shedding thank god so I've been able to retain all that lenght and my little one she's now 4 months old. You can do it with tender loving care of your hair. If it's that badly damaged I would cut it and start all over. you'll be starting with fresh healthy hair and with the help of this board and what you've learned about hair care you should do a wonderful job keeping it healthy. happy Hair growing!

 

[Poohbear]

Back in 2003, I would use curling irons almost everyday. Eventually, my hair started to have a fried feelings and my ends got thinner. Then I cut it in October, put permanent hair color in it in March 2004 and July 2004.

What helped my hair was when I stopped using heat in either August or September. My hair loved me for that. Before I joined this board in April, I didn't know about protein treatments and never saw the need to do conditioners or hot oil treatments. I did a hot oil treatment for the first time this month and it made my hair feel great.

Right now, I'm recovering from doing the baggie method. I'm doing braid-outs.

 

[A_Christian]

[ QUOTE ]
KAddy said:
I agree with A_Christian.

I think I failed to mention that I don't do direct heat either. I just rollerset my hair and wrap. Cut out the heat, if you are using any. I mean I sit under a dryer for my rollersets, but no blowdryers or curling irons.

I also just dust the ends to ensure there are no split ends.

[/ QUOTE ]

I forgot to mention not using blowdryers either, they dried out my hair really badly and caused split ends just like the hot irons. But like Kaddy I do sit under a dryer for roller sets. The heat from hooded dryers is suppossed to be better for the hair because there's a more even heat distribution. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[LB_Williams]

Been there, done that and feel your pain. Seriously.

Gosh I am not going to tell you anything new except maybe I only got about half of my damage cut off. It has helped a lot but I am probably going to have to get the rest cut off later. I figure in 6 months I will have enough growth that should I still need to get the remaining damage cut off, at least I won't be bald. The reason I say "probably" is that while I still do have breakage, I am not seeing any split ends so I think the health of the hair is improving. I credit this to proper moisturizing and not using heat!

My damage is a combination of daily heat frying, poorly moisturizing and over colouring relaxed hair (now there is a hair killing combination!). I am thinking of giving cassia obovata a go to see if it will help strengthen what is left. I thought of using pure henna but really don't want any color change. Of course having read this and the henna for hair board has educated me enough to know to buy a sample first and test it on some harvested hair before I have another hair disaster on my head!

I have had very good luck with the AO Honeysuckle Rose shampoo and conditioner. I also use the conditioner as a leave in with a little SWO and air dry. I also use the AO GPB weekly. I have been styling with the Caruso curlers but not everyday because the sets last for me. Even though the steam is warm, my hair is seriously loving the moisture. HTH!!!

[ QUOTE ]
Babygurl said:
If I can see growth ANYONE can!

[/ QUOTE ]

thank you for saying this. i am finding the short hair pretty depressing.... /images/graemlins/frown.gif so looking forward to looking like a girl again! /images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[jetcitygirl]

Hi misscrystal~ I just peeked at your album and from what I could see, you appear to have rather fine strands of hair, not thick or coarse. I also saw that you were using a flat-iron and/or curling iron on relaxed hair. /images/graemlins/shocked.gif I'm no relaxed hair expert, but I would think that all those things together would be too much for your poor hair to withstand! You can bring your hair back to health after damage, it's been proven by many ladies on this forum including myself! In my case I just had to break some bad habits and relearn some better ones. The relaxed ladies can give you good advice on how to keep your hair healthy, but you'll have to experiment with some no-heat ways of styling your hair.

 

[TrustMeLove]

Im still trying to find a routine where no damage occurs because of my routine.My hair has grown, which I see, but I feel my hair is kind of thin (Could be genetic, which I think it is)and I see some brekage here and there. Its now at the base of neck, growing out from a ear length cut. But, its taken like 2 years do to stylist chopping off my hair always given me a blunt cut, instead of letting it grow out layers.

I usually wash my hair and my conditioners have really good slip so I just put it in a ponytail and go to sleep or let it air dry and then, pin it back up with a bobby pin, until the next wash.

But, what im realizing is that I have to make sure my hair is thoroughly dried and detangled, because I just keep it pinned up, because my hair wasn't detangled as well as needed because I only use wide tooth combs. I hate small tooth combs, because it breaks my hair off so I really don't like doing home rollersets. But, Im going to probably rollerset 1 week and blow dry the next week.

In saying this, my point in short is that you have to figure out a routine thats right for YOU. Some people can just wash and bun their hair up and not have a problem with tangling...or then can blow dry every week and have some of the most beautiful hair you've ever seen. But, find what works for you, with the advice of the ladies here.

 

[DDTexlaxed]

I got the b/c 1/8/05 bc overprocessed hair. My hair was prob 1.5" now thanks 2 Surge,ORS products, and no heat....no need for it anyway w/ my twa! Now my hair is ab 3" and growing. My hair was yr length b4 I cut it. I wased w/ a moisturizing poo and deep cond ev. wk. It looks to me like yr hair needs more moisture....hope I did't offend. Your bob style is pretty, girl.

 

[prettygrl]

Hey Crystal--

I've been there and back a few times...

If you don't already have a regimen try to develop one. I know it is hard when you are in school to spend money on products and tools--but the good thing is that you don't necessarily have to use expensive products or spend a lot of money to get good results.

Things that I have found helpful are:

1.) don't use a blow dryer.

2.) deep condition weekly (protein followed my mositurising conditioner)

3.) tie hair up w/ a silk scarf at night (sometimes I wrap it, sometimes not...the important thing is that it is tied up)

4.) moisturize ends daily (sometimes 2x a day- usually I do this at night I sometimes do it in the early evening when I get home also) Remember oil seals in moisture. So it is important to moistuize w/ a water based product. In a pinch, I have sprayed my hair w/distilled water and sealed w/ EVOO.

5.) try not to manipulate the hair too much. (meaning don't comb excesively, brush, or play with hair too much)

6.) If I want to use a flat iron--I only do so occassionally and I use a ceramic flat iron. I do not use it every day.

7.) be careful when it comes time to relaxer touch ups- comb thru your hair to get rid of tangles (Deep condition a week prior w/ protein treatments) Don't overlap the relaxer on previously relaxed hair....

but most of all be patient when dealing with your hair. My hair has been long and healthy, long and damaged, short and healthy, short and damaged....etc..

with time all things change. Good luck to you!

 

[Tracy]

I've repaired my hair a million and one times it feels like over the course of my life. The most recent repair experience was a very public one right here on this board. I'm a notorious color junkie at LHCF and over the course of a year, I colored and re-colored my hair upwards of 20 times. I went very blonde, then less so, then very red, then back to blonde, then dark, then brown, then tried to go light again - and DID - but my hair was DONE by then and was beginning to look a little worse for wear....

My hair was past shoulder length, and continued growing despite some scary bouts with breakge and GOBS of shedding a few times that almost gave me a heart attack on a FEW occasions.

I still say the absolute KEY reason I was able to keep my hair even with ALL of that damage, was PROTEIN. I live and die by regular doses of heavy duty protein (Aphoghee, Emergencee, Penetraitt, Elasta QP Breakage Control, Dudley's DRC 48 are all examples) to keep my hair strong (once every three weeks) followed by equally frequent doses of moisture and oil to keep my hair soft and pliable (usually administered right after a protein treatment). In addition, I also use regular doses of protein moisture mixes to ensure that even when I'm not doing MAJOR protein, I'm still getting some.

I have had to cut off a few inches, but not NEARLY as many as I might have had I not been taking very good care of my hair. My motto is DO cut when you need to, but begin by cutting the least amount you think you need, and then try some repair tactics and see what happens. Continue cutting little by little and keep up the care until the breakage slows considerably. Then just be consistent with your regime - ESPECIALLY protein...

Good Luck to you!

 

[Champagne_Wishes]

I am on my way. I did a number on my hair. I gotten most of the damaged ends off but there are some more left. I think the stylist scissors are dull. Ladies that self trim, please make sure that your scissors are sharp. What I am doing is doing the baggie method and deep condition my hair and give myself hot oil treatments.