Devastated...I have crown breakage!

[ladybuddafly]

Today I decided to trim my hair, as it was long over due. So I did my prepoo, co-wash, DC and then blow dried and flat ironed my hair to prep for the trim. Well, as I was trimming, I noticed breakage on the crown. I am so hurt. *sigh* I've never had crown breakage as a natural. I remember having it years ago when I was relaxed. What happened? *strictly rhetorical*

Do I have to cut the area that has broken off? What do I do exactly as far as trimming it? And I know that obviously I need to "baby" that area, but is there something specific I can use to baby it and make it grow faster and stronger? Most importantly, how do I PREVENT this from happening again?

 

[1QTPie]

I don't know what you can do to make your hair grow back faster but do you wear a lot of puffs or ponytails??

 

[ladybuddafly]

I don't know what you can do to make your hair grow back faster but do you wear a lot of puffs or ponytails??

Well, I never wear ponytails at all. I only wear my hair out. Rarely comb it and today was the first time I used heat in about two months. I really don't understand what could've happened.

I also need to know if I should cut/trim the breakage or leave it?

 

[almond eyes]

I have also had my whole crown break off. The entire thing went from six inches to just about 1/2. Crown breakage is either due to poor neutralising during relaxer process or stress.

Best,
Almond Eyes

 

[ladybuddafly]

I have also had my whole crown break off. The entire thing went from six inches to just about 1/2. Crown breakage is either due to poor neutralising during relaxer process or stress.

Best,
Almond Eyes

Ooohhh, stress...? Well, that could very well be the culprit in this case. How did you handle it?

 

[IDareT'sHair]

I have also had my whole crown break off. The entire thing went from six inches to just about 1/2. Crown breakage is either due to poor neutralising during relaxer process or stress.

Best,
Almond Eyes

This is Exactly one of the Main Areas that Broke for me During My Salon Mishap for the Reason Highlighted above along with Overlapping and Overprocessing.

For You, As a Natural, That is probably going to be one area for you that will be a "Problem" it is probably just alot "weaker" than the rest of your hair in general, especially if you said it was also a problem for you when you were "Relaxed"

I would just baby that area extra, perhaps start using some JBCO on it. Less Manipulation in that area and make sure when you 'Poo or whatever, that you rinse that area extremely well.

As a Relaxed Head, now since I am a DIY'r, I always process that area last and even intentionally underprocess it. And I am currently using Mega-Tek as well as JBCO to kind of help it along and 'strengthen it'.

No....I have not Cut that area, I have left it alone. My Plan is to Nurse it Back to Health, Keep it Moisturized & Conditioned, Keep the Pressure off of it, let it continue to grow out and then eventually even/trim everything up.

 

[Charz]

Are you moisturizing in sections? Sometimes the crown area gets neglected if not.

 

[destine2grow]

I have experienced crown breakage over the years. I was told it was stress. I am trying really hard to stop it from breaking. So far it has stop. I don't moisturize in sections. However I make sure I get my crown area.

 

[Bubblingbrownshuga]

Awww you are not the only one who've suffered breakage in this area. I had it both as a natural and when I relaxed. I had it so bad as a relaxed head, I passed it off as a layered section but that was before learning how to deal with this area. Since I am natural again, I found that I have to take smalls sections and comb it more delicately than others. I also have to keep it very moisturized and stay away from color. I am going to start applying cassia to this area to help loosen the texture a bit more so it will be easier to handle.

 

[Barbie83]

This is a mystery since it sounds like you take good care of your hair. If not stress, maybe it's the headrest in your car? My hair used to snag on mine, so I covered it with a scarf. And do you sleep on a satin pillowcase?

 

[sexylonglegs]

I'm going through the same thing right now. I am transitioning and I blow dryed and flat iron my hair every 6-7 days and I was also wrapping which is big no no. My new growth was coming in and wrapping did to much stress and lets not forget relaxing and rough combing which caused crown area to break and shed. I'm currently wearing protective styles and no heat and I see a diffrence already.. The hardest part for me is patience...You will get through it just take it one day at a time. LHCF is your best defense right now..

It's just hair and will grow back.

 

[ladybuddafly]

This is Exactly one of the Main Areas that Broke for me During My Salon Mishap for the Reason Highlighted above along with Overlapping and Overprocessing.

For You, As a Natural, That is probably going to be one area for you that will be a "Problem" it is probably just alot "weaker" than the rest of your hair in general, especially if you said it was also a problem for you when you were "Relaxed"

I would just baby that area extra, perhaps start using some JBCO on it. Less Manipulation in that area and make sure when you 'Poo or whatever, that you rinse that area extremely well.

As a Relaxed Head, now since I am a DIY'r, I always process that area last and even intentionally underprocess it. And I am currently using Mega-Tek as well as JBCO to kind of help it along and 'strengthen it'.

No....I have not Cut that area, I have left it alone. My Plan is to Nurse it Back to Health, Keep it Moisturized & Conditioned, Keep the Pressure off of it, let it continue to grow out and then eventually even/trim everything up.

Thanks for the great advice. What's JBCO and Mega-Tek? I'm relieved that I don't have to cut it. I'm definitely going to baby from now on.

 

[ladybuddafly]

Are you moisturizing in sections? Sometimes the crown area gets neglected if not.

Ummm...I sure don't. Uh oh.... In my defense, part of the reason is that my hair is really thick and I don't really comb my hair often. So parting it into sections I think would do more harm than good. So I usually take a ton of product and just put it all over with my hands. If you guys have any suggestions I am open.

 

[IDareT'sHair]

Thanks for the great advice. What's JBCO and Mega-Tek? I'm relieved that I don't have to cut it. I'm definitely going to baby from now on.

JBCO = Jamaican Black Castor Oil (there are threads about the growing properities and alot of ladies love it)

MT = Mega-Tek. And I would 'seriously' read up on that one too. It can get a little 'dicey' for some of the users. But Honestly, it has given me good results. After My Mishap, I had a Bare/Clean Spot on the side of my head about the size of a 0.50 cent piece Feb '09. By the End of April '09 you would have never know it was there.

There are 50-11 Threads on Mega-Tek as well. The Good. The Bad. And the Ugly. But it worked for me. It's a High Concentration of Protein. And you MUST keep it Balanced out with Moisture (folx have been known to have problems, others ---like myself) have had really Good Results. So, You Should Read Up On it and Then Decide, if it might be right for You.

I also wanted to say: That I bet, if I was "Natural" I would also probably, more than likely experience 'problems' with my Crown Area. Just alot weaker and a different texture. Drier. Fragile. The Whole Gamut. And Overprocessing that area led to a Major Disaster.

For Some People it's the Nape, For Some People it's the Edges and For Some of Us, it's The Crown.

Girl, One day, I was so frustrated, I wanted a Friend (that's a Kitchentician)to just cut everything off and she said: "the rest of your Hair is Totally Healthy and I think you would be making a mistake to shave everything down/off." Just let it grow/fill back in and then even everything out.

 

[ladybuddafly]

Awww you are not the only one who've suffered breakage in this area. I had it both as a natural and when I relaxed. I had it so bad as a relaxed head, I passed it off as a layered section but that was before learning how to deal with this area. Since I am natural again, I found that I have to take smalls sections and comb it more delicately than others. I also have to keep it very moisturized and stay away from color. I am going to start applying cassia to this area to help loosen the texture a bit more so it will be easier to handle.

Oh Emm Gee! Your hair is gorgeous! What is cassia and the benefits of using it? Oh wait...I'll do a search.

 

[lila_baby]

i looked at old threads on crown breakage and it seems to happen to ALOT of women. i just don't know what is up with that area! same thing happens to me; it's always gets TANGLED, THIN, SCRAGGLEY, and VERY difficult to detangle. i use organics liquid mayonnaise to detangle my hair and i have to use a tonne on the crown to prevent it from breaking off when i detangle that area. i also might try plopping a protein DC on that area even if i use a moisture DC on the rest of my hair to strenghthen it up a bit.

good luck.

 

[Minty]

I definately agree with bubblingbrown... I don't color my hair anymore, only henna, or color showers. It is a stress issue and the hair just weakens. I also started cowashing more frequently, and use hair rinses with ayuvedic powders. So far so good.....also, i take a stress supplement.

 

[GinnyP]

I definately agree with bubblingbrown... I don't color my hair anymore, only henna, or color showers. It is a stress issue and the hair just weakens. I also started cowashing more frequently, and use hair rinses with ayuvedic powders. So far so good.....also, i take a stress supplement.

Not trying to be nosey but what stress supplement are you taking? I was stressed around Christmas part of my crown broke off it's weird a section just broke off

 

[Urban]

What do you ladies mean when you say stress? I sure hope you mean mechanical stress ... how can mental stress cause breakage on the hair shaft? Shedding I can understand ... but breakage???

 

[Honey Bee]

Ummm...I sure don't. Uh oh.... In my defense, part of the reason is that my hair is really thick and I don't really comb my hair often. So parting it into sections I think would do more harm than good. So I usually take a ton of product and just put it all over with my hands. If you guys have any suggestions I am open.

My crown breakage was from a weave (the crown was left out), and it was so bad. I was scared just to touch it, much less comb it (and this was way before I found LHCF). I'm just now getting over the problem you're having, and a big part of my solution was to moisturize in sections.

Now, I'm lazy, I rarely even moisturize twice a day, so for me, it has to be easy. This is what I do: use a rat tail comb (the rat tail end) and divide your hair into three horizontal sections. Pin off the top two sections (the bang section, and the crown section), and start at the back. The way I do it, I don't even take the time to section each section further. I put plenty of product on my hands and manually break the big section down into three, to make sure you get all the roots and everything. As I finish each big horizontal section, I detangle with my fingers or a shower comb, twist, pin up.

HTH and HHG!

 

[MsCounsel]

I had severe crown breakage. I used a kiddie relaxer - DUMB!!!!! I cut some of the hair to even up but by the time it was all said and done, my hair was about an inch long. It looked like a mullet.

1. I moisturized the area constantly.
2. I do long stretches between relaxers. When I did relax, I did not relax that area.
3. I take Chlorella/Spirulina. Normally during the winter months, my hair slows down. The C/S mix is allowing me to maintain my normal growth rate.
3. I wore clip on bangs and wigs for months.
4. At home I wore bandanas to cover my head cause I could not stand looking at myself in the mirror.

The whole process took about a year. The growth started slow but I got rid of all of the damaged crown hair and allowed new crown hair to grow. At this point, I am now able to wear a low pony tail and my hair is growing in nicely.

You will get it back but patience and I seriously mean patience is key. The more you worry about it, the worse it will be.

 

[Pompous Blue]

What do you ladies mean when you say stress? I sure hope you mean mechanical stress ... how can mental stress cause breakage on the hair shaft? Shedding I can understand ... but breakage???

Stress can be caused by manual manipulation; but breakage can also be the result of mental or physical stress. Stress can be from personal or professional turmoil or from a physical illness that devastates the crown and other areas of the head. And, yes, it can cause breakage all the way down the hair shaft.

It is well known and documented. I, myself, have experienced crown breakage from physical and mental stress (in fact, my crown went bald). And I agree with everyone else, you just have to baby the area until it grows back. And, if possible, remove the stress from your life or learn how to cope with it.

 

[SerenavanderWoodsen]

What part of the head is the crown ? Ive been wondering for a while. Is it the front around the edges or the top/back of the head. Ive always been confused about this...

 

[Pompous Blue]

What part of the head is the crown ? Ive been wondering for a while. Is it the front around the edges or the top/back of the head. Ive always been confused about this...

Look at this thread:
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=372057&highlight=
Crackers Phinn has a picture of her crown and the breakage she was experiencing in the area.

 

[Urban]

Stress can be caused by manual manipulation; but breakage can also be the result of mental or physical stress. Stress can be from personal or professional turmoil or from a physical illness that devastates the crown and other areas of the head. And, yes, it can cause breakage all the way down the hair shaft.

It is well known and documented. I, myself, have experienced crown breakage from physical and mental stress (in fact, my crown went bald). And I agree with everyone else, you just have to baby the area until it grows back. And, if possible, remove the stress from your life or learn how to cope with it.

I see. Can you tell me where it's been documented, I'd be interested in reading about how this happens. As far as I'm aware, what happens physiologically when you're stress can't affect the shaft what's already out of the scalp and dead. So I'd be interested in the underlying process.

I'd also think that if your crown went bald, it would be a matter of shedding (which stress can cause) ... because, well, if it was breakage you'd still have had hair on your crown, just shorter.

 

[Pompous Blue]

I see. Can you tell me where it's been documented, I'd be interested in reading about how this happens. As far as I'm aware, what happens physiologically when you're stress can't affect the shaft what's already out of the scalp and dead. So I'd be interested in the underlying process.

I'd also think that if your crown went bald, it would be a matter of shedding (which stress can cause) ... because, well, if it was breakage you'd still have had hair on your crown, just shorter.

I can only speak of my experience……

My hair loss occurred in 1986. When my hair started breaking I went to my derm who could not find any medical problem. (At the time I suffered from eczema; but never in my head). Then when my hair actually started coming out, he attributed it to stress. (Yes; I was going through extreme stress in both my personal and professional life). He gave me literature to read….have long since discarded it. But I’m sure if you do a Google search on “stress and hair loss in women”, you’ll find documented cases.

 

[carolinetwin]

I have also had my whole crown break off. The entire thing went from six inches to just about 1/2. Crown breakage is either due to poor neutralising during relaxer process or stress.

Best,
Almond Eyes

Almond, how did you over come it. My avatar is what my hair looked like in October. It's filling in and growing, but it'd be interesting to hear your tips

 

[MahoganyJazz]

My crown broke down to about 1/4 of an inch a few months ago. It's now about 3 inches and steadily growing. As the other ladies have stated, you have to baby and be patient.

 

[grownwomanaz]

It certainly seems like a lot of us have this same problem. I attributed mine to relaxing gone wrong. Stress may or may not have been a contributing factor. I actually had a bald patch about the size of a quarter in addition to the thinning in that area. The bald spot filled in and is about 4 inches long now. Like the other ladies have stated babying, moisturizing, and patience is the key. I also gave up the creamy crack almost 9 mos ago. For me, that was the best decision because I realized my hair texture is much looser in that area and probably just gave up the fight after years of relaxing it. Happy re-growing to all.

 

[I Am So Blessed]

awww, this happened to me a long time ago so i just did a BC. and everything worked out. i would suggest you give just a little trim. less than half inch on the crown and keep that part more moisturized then the rest of the hair.