Do sew-ins make your hair grow or fall out?

[qchelle]

Okay, so can somebody help me out please! I'm mad that yall can successfully wear sew-ins! Because I really want to try a sew-in again as my transition won't be over until MAY! That is a long.azzz.time from now!

So this was my weave: my edges/nape were completely left out, it was sewn in a circle, no net/cap or whatever. I made sure to get down in the braids and moisturized with leave-in and sealed with oil every other day. Which is what I do normally. I also shampooed and DC'ed once/week (the braids). Which, again, is what I normally do. ALSO I did protein every other week.

When I took my weave out, the part where the braid meets the NG was incredibly matted! I know she didn't use anything to braid it because I watched her in the mirror! (She did comment on how soft my hair was though lol) Anyway, back to my anger: I've had kinky twists and micros before (when I was much younger) and this same thing happened! It was like the same gooey substance causing my hair to be matted there And I wash my freaking hair every freaking week! I had to literally pull apart my hair strands because it was like dreaded I lost a lot of hair! But my hair grew soo much in those 2 months...I have NG for days!

So I would like to try it again if anyone has any suggestions as to what is the culprit to this? Help is greatly appreciated!

ETA: maybe it was in too tight? I am extremely NON-tenderheaded and I actually like the tight feeling on my scalp while braiding...so I'm not a good gauge of how tight it was

 

[ladyfay]

I am a newbie to weaves. I am a straighten natural who is looking for a new stylist that doesn't use ALOT OF HEAT. So I decided to weave up my fine bsl hair and to give my hair a break in the process.

When ladies would refer me to people that do weaves, I would go and watch them do a sew in. Some ladies braided so tight that you saw lumps in the scalp. Others braided the hair in a circular pattern and sealed the hair off with threads all over the corn rows. I am very tendered headed, so I want to make sure I get the right person.

I went on the same day that of my friends went and we have the same texture hair. I watched the lady flat braid and used a sheet net. The process didn't take long at all. So I went to her and haven't had any problems. I go every 6-8 wks as well. My hair did grow. I am still in weaves. I like my natural hair better.

Now last month I tried to be cheap, and let my braid lady little sister weave me. (My braid lady doesn't weave) Mind you, I did not watch her process. She did not use a net. I hated the end result, took it out two weeks later, didn't realize that she double threaded me through out my hair. So I had some BREAKAGE!

So, stick with what you are comfortable with and not because the price is less.

 

[mscocopuff]

Okay, so can somebody help me out please! I'm mad that yall can successfully wear sew-ins! Because I really want to try a sew-in again as my transition won't be over until MAY! That is a long.azzz.time from now!

So this was my weave: my edges/nape were completely left out, it was sewn in a circle, no net/cap or whatever. I made sure to get down in the braids and moisturized with leave-in and sealed with oil every other day. Which is what I do normally. I also shampooed and DC'ed once/week (the braids). Which, again, is what I normally do. ALSO I did protein every other week.

When I took my weave out, the part where the braid meets the NG was incredibly matted! I know she didn't use anything to braid it because I watched her in the mirror! (She did comment on how soft my hair was though lol) Anyway, back to my anger: I've had kinky twists and micros before (when I was much younger) and this same thing happened! It was like the same gooey substance causing my hair to be matted there And I wash my freaking hair every freaking week! I had to literally pull apart my hair strands because it was like dreaded I lost a lot of hair! But my hair grew soo much in those 2 months...I have NG for days!

So I would like to try it again if anyone has any suggestions as to what is the culprit to this? Help is greatly appreciated!

ETA: maybe it was in too tight? I am extremely NON-tenderheaded and I actually like the tight feeling on my scalp while braiding...so I'm not a good gauge of how tight it was

What sounds like the culprit is your shed hairs engulfed in product build up. I would suggest using a braid spray and a light oil to condition your hair like sesame oil or jojoba. Before my sew ins, I usually do a deep conditioner beforehand, then I spray with Infusium 23 before hand. After this I braid the hair down. You want to stay away from cremes for the most part, if you are having the product build up. May I ask, how long are you leaving your install in before you remove it?

 

[beana]

People always say that you have to moisturize the hair underneath... i think thats a big no no!! IMO thats why so many people get extreme matting and tangles. I wash and DC my hair every 2 weeks while im in a sew in with no problems. The only time my braids underneath get wet or moist is during wash day.

Keep in mind this is what works best **for me**

 

[Tif392002]

before i stared my hhj, i just wore the tracks sewd directly to my hair. that made my hair thin out, i also didnt take care of my hair underneath and i kept them in for waaay too long... so that left me with dry brittle hair....when i took them down, my hair used to shed horribly,

now i get sew ins on a weave cap, keep my scalp n hair moisturized and oiled. , and keep the sew in no longer than 6 weeks to prevent matting. i also let my hair take a break in between sew ins, and do a protien treatmnt, 2-3 weeks before an install. and now i have no problems with sew in., im in one now and plan to do this for most the year.

 

[qchelle]

What sounds like the culprit is your shed hairs engulfed in product build up. I would suggest using a braid spray and a light oil to condition your hair like sesame oil or jojoba. Before my sew ins, I usually do a deep conditioner beforehand, then I spray with Infusium 23 before hand. After this I braid the hair down. You want to stay away from cremes for the most part, if you are having the product build up. May I ask, how long are you leaving your install in before you remove it?

Thank you so much! I will def. try a braid spray next time instead of creamy leave-ins and oils all the time

And I had it in for 2 months.

People always say that you have to moisturize the hair underneath... i think thats a big no no!! IMO thats why so many people get extreme matting and tangles. I wash and DC my hair every 2 weeks while im in a sew in with no problems. The only time my braids underneath get wet or moist is during wash day.

Keep in mind this is what works best **for me**

I am inclined to agree with you! (atleast for me, too)

I think I'll try one more sew-in for March-April and see how it goes. I'll try the braid spray and only really wet it every other week. If this has the same results, no more sew-ins fore me. You ladies have given me some inspiration lol, so thank you!

 

[Monaleezza]

Ok, I keep reading that you ought to properly look after your hair while it's under the weave but what does that mean?

I wear a sew in and I'm scared to wash/DC it because I imagine that 1) my weave will become loose once I've saturated the hair, 2) my hair will become matted underneath once it's washed and naturally dried without being combed and 3) I wont be able to properly wash out the shampoo and conditioner.

So I wouldn't mind some advice as to how to go through this process while my hair is in weave because currently I don't wash it at all.

 

[SelfStyled]

I no longer do sew ins in my hair as I've had dreadful experiences. I've had 3 sew ins done-the first was great but the next two were disasters with thinning, shedding and slight balding.
Sew-ins can work, but in my experience success is depends on so many factors. You need to make sure your hair is in good condition, the braids aren't too thin or too tight, the stitching is right e.t.c. All in all for me it's too much work. I prefer a wig as it's pretty much fail proof for me.

Yup- coulda wrote this post myself. Give me a half wig, and I am good to go. Weaves are how my hair journey began. Weaves left me with bald spots, and very thin hair. I wish I could wear weaves as a protective style, but they are not for me.

 

[Tif392002]

I do think they work for some people, but it didn't work for me, and I don't agree with some of the comments that state that it totally depends on who installs and how you take care of the hair underneath. If your hair is too weak to deal with the weight, then that's just what it is. Doesn't matter if you wash/dc/moisturize religiously, IMO. If it can't take it, it can't take it. My hair thinned out horribly from a weave I had. I only wore it for a month and will be dealing with the repercussions for MUCH longer than that. I have baby fine hair, and I believe wetting my natural hair underneath the weave did more harm than good. Hair is most fragile in its wet state, and I had all this weave hair pulling on my natural hair while it was wet. Maybe if I had just let it do it's own thing, it wouldn't have broken off. I'm not gonna get another weave to test out my theory, though.

Did you use a weaving cap?

 

[Makenzie]

I can only wear a weave for a bout a month and a half at a time. The woman who does it keeps my braids firm, not tight. Either me or my mom with take it down. I learned the hard way to detangle BEFORE I wash/condition. For me, my hair grows in a sew in. But again, I only wear it 1-1.5 months at a time maybe 3 times a year.

 

[simone103]

I like weaves and think you can get great growth with them, but I don't think they're for everyone. If you have thin hair, then I wouldn't recommend getting a weave, because it'll make the situation worse. The weight of the weave on your hair (even if you use a net as a barrier) can cause thinning. Some people have success with washing their hair while it's in a weave, but for others depending on the frequency of washing it can actually cause your real hair to become very matted. Which is why I recommend (if you can stand it) to not wash the hair that's weaved up that frequently - you can wash the hair that's left out as much you like. Who installs the weaves also makes a difference, because if you or the person is sewing the thread directly through the cornrow then they are essentially cutting your hair. Because that thread is a like a knife, which is why you have to make sure that the needle is going under the base of the braid. My hair didn't start out thin, but after years of wearing a sewn-in weave repeatedly it thinned it out considerably.

The way I worked around that was creating a "half wig" or "psuedo weave" which is what I like to call mine, because it looks exactly the same way it did when I wore a weave. The only difference is that the tracks are not directly sewn onto my cornrows the way it is in a tradional sew-in. I took all the extensions plus relaxed texture that I used in the past, and created a wig with it using one of those cheap net caps that you can buy at the BSS. I braid my hair in a vertical pattern which is the same pattern I used in the past when I installed my weave and leave out a horse shoe of hair in the front and the edges out. I sew the wig around the perimeter of the braids.

 

[MISSBOSSY]

The way I worked around that was creating a "half wig" or "psuedo weave" which is what I like to call mine, because it looks exactly the same way it did when I wore a weave. The only difference is that the tracks are not directly sewn onto my cornrows the way it is in a tradional sew-in. I took all the extensions plus relaxed texture that I used in the past, and created a wig with it using one of those cheap net caps that you can buy at the BSS. I braid my hair in a vertical pattern which is the same pattern I used in the past when I installed my weave and leave out a horse shoe of hair in the front and the edges out. I sew the wig around the perimeter of the braids.

This is what I do but I apply mine with combs. I love weaves and they allowed me to keep my hands out of my hair, BUT I wasn't retaining as much as I could have. My hair is very fine and broke off easily from the weight of the wefts and the thread. They also thinned out the front of my hair. Since I've been wearing my homemade "quick weaves" I've been able to care for my hair and scalp better and the front of my hair and my edges have filled in drastically.

Weaves can be a great protective style, but they are not for everyone.

 

[tHENATuRALhAiRpRoJEcT]

This is what I do but I apply mine with combs. I love weaves and they allowed me to keep my hands out of my hair, BUT I wasn't retaining as much as I could have. My hair is very fine and broke off easily from the weight of the wefts and the thread. They also thinned out the front of my hair. Since I've been wearing my homemade "quick weaves" I've been able to care for my hair and scalp better and the front of my hair and my edges have filled in drastically.

Weaves can be a great protective style, but they are not for everyone.

yes exactly.... weaves THINS my hair significantly EVERY SINGLE TIME

 

[mscocopuff]

People always say that you have to moisturize the hair underneath... i think thats a big no no!! IMO thats why so many people get extreme matting and tangles. I wash and DC my hair every 2 weeks while im in a sew in with no problems. The only time my braids underneath get wet or moist is during wash day.

Keep in mind this is what works best **for me**

Also a superb Idea. This is how I do mine as well.

 

[mscocopuff]

Ok, I keep reading that you ought to properly look after your hair while it's under the weave but what does that mean?

I wear a sew in and I'm scared to wash/DC it because I imagine that 1) my weave will become loose once I've saturated the hair, 2) my hair will become matted underneath once it's washed and naturally dried without being combed and 3) I wont be able to properly wash out the shampoo and conditioner.

So I wouldn't mind some advice as to how to go through this process while my hair is in weave because currently I don't wash it at all.

Your hair should not mat if it is in the sew in for the allotted time frame. You don't want to wash it everyday. You want to stick with every week or two as all the other ladies here have stated. Your extensions shouldn't come loose because essentially you would wash it about three to four times during the life of that install (about 1 1/2 months to two). You can always opt to do a co-wash on your extensions as well, the thing to be concerned with when washing is the actual extensions matting. You avoid this buy smoothing the shampoo or conditioner on in a sideways praying motion. Smooth it down your hair a few times, then rinse out. Never rub the hair together. I wash my extensions in the shower because it is easier to let the water run down, but you can also wash it in the sink if you are careful, but the shower is easiet. Hope this helps!

 

[Imani]

Personally, I have never known anyone who used sew-ins to grow their hair, that actually grew strong healthy hair. Now 5+ years later they have thinned out, chewed up hair and now they feel they have to wear sew-ins. 100% of them said they wish they never started wearing them. Plus they got addicted to having long hair.

This is what happened to my home girl. In college she always had past SL or APL nice relaxed hair. Then she went natural, but was always in straight weaves for about 5 years. We lost touch but I would occasionally see pics of her weaved up and I would be thinking wow she's been natural all this time and her hair was already nice before, I bet she has so much hair now! We recently reconnected and she had a right above SL bob, she said the weaves took her hair out and she said she's leaving them alone from now on. She said she had gotten really attached to them and it was hard to let them go and to have to cut her hair into a bob. From what I remember from college, her hair is naturally thin, not the strands, but density and she is like a 3c/4a. She was mostly doing the weaves herself

I can see both sides. The method and who's putting it in makes a big difference I'm sure, I mean just look at all of Reniece's success stories. However, I also agree with another poster who said somethings just weren't meant to be for some people. Just like some people just can't do relaxers/heat no matter what technique is used.

Personally I've only had like 2 sew ins and I don't recall any breakage or anything but I don't recall feeling like I wanted to keep doing them either. I just don't like the idea of not having access to my hair for extended periods of time like that and it was always so dry once I took them down, no matter what I did. So I won't be trying weaves in the future, I will just stick to my half wigs for now.

 

[classi123]

I retained my length with weaves...

 

[HollyGolightly]

They helped my hair grow, but only up to a certain point. Once it got longer than shoulder length, the sew-ins began to damage my ends.

I got a kinky curly sew-in last fall and it really damaged my hair. I had to cut several inches off.

 

[Jrsmith]

I have a co worker who grew her hair from sl to full bsl in 2 years using weaves. She is natural and used weaves as a constant ps.

I, on the other hand, was not so successful using weaves as a pc. When I had the weave I was relaxed and the beautician I was going to was only concerned about money and making her job easier. As a result she would relax my hair and weave it up on the same day....a BIG no no. ( I know better than to let this happen now). After 2 years I was still at a nl and really broken off and damaged.

 

[MsChelle]

I do sew-ins during the cold months because this is when I seem to suffer from breakage the most. I wouldn't say the weave helps my hair to grow but it is excellent for retention for me. My real hair is almost APL.

 

[mischka]

Sew ins grow my hair without a question. I would still be wearing them if I hadn't decided wearing my own hair is more important. The hair I had under the sew in would inch longer and longer while every time the hair I left out got shorter....

 

[yardyspice]

I think weaves work if you take your weave down every six weeks or you make a wig. We've seen Nichi and Ediese grow their hair to bsl and beyond using weaves. That's proof enough for me.

 

[natural2008]

It depends on who braids your hair when a sew in is installed. For example I wore singles ( braids for years) and still have my edges. People always ask me how so. I say becasue I go to someone who knows what they are doing. Not everyone knows how to weave and the same goes for braids. Braids make people's hair fall out when so called braiders put too much hair on a single strandof your hair, which makes it heavy and it falls out. Go to someone who knows what they are doing and you should be fine :0).

 

[GlamSuiteSalon]

If done correctly, sew-ins should make your hair grow. Also, you can't just get a sew-in weave put in and don't take care of your own hair properly underneath. It should not be falling out.

 

[beauti]

sew ins are what helped me retain my length! i do them myself. very low manipulation. i started wearing wigs but weave is better, there's no take down every day to remoisterize. in a sew-in i just dip my head back in the shower everyday! no matting.

 

[RegaLady]

People always say that you have to moisturize the hair underneath... i think thats a big no no!! IMO thats why so many people get extreme matting and tangles. I wash and DC my hair every 2 weeks while im in a sew in with no problems. The only time my braids underneath get wet or moist is during wash day.

Keep in mind this is what works best **for me**

ITA! I have done it both ways(moisterizing my hair everyday under a weave and not moisterizing it at all) It worked out well both times. With my last install, I moisterized like heck before install. I prepped it really well. When I got the install I washed once a month. Thats right, no manipulation at all during those months. By 8 weeks, when I took my hair down, my hair thrived AND I retained alot. Right now I have a sew in and I don't anticipate washing more than once a month either, but this works for me.

 

[lonelysky]

How the heck does a sew in 'make' your hair grow?

 

[Blue_Berry]

I think I retain length wearing sew-ins. You just have to take care of your hair underneath. It can break off if you leave the hair in to long.

 

[curlcomplexity]

I wouldn't say that the sew-ins made my hair grow. I think that they helped me with retention....

I wore them for months straight until I reached BSL. I think that there are a great protective style if taken care of property

 

[Princess Tam Tam]

I answered Yes.

But, I had set back this week becuz of a too tight thread over my edges. I foolishly braided my hair all back for a full sew in last month. I usually do a circle pattern too prevent pressure on my edges.

I wanted to try something different it ended up losing 3 inches in the front and gaining small bald spot. I never lost so much hair in my life. It was a truly depressing moment when I realized what happened. I cried a little.

Now, I going to read all the info about growing your edges. I have no clue yet on what protective style to rock this summer. I'm thinking a curly half wig...maybe.