Ends

[AveMaria]

I just worry about my hair ends! My hair is growing longer at an amazing pace but when I touch my hair ends, they just seem so weak and fragile to me. I could use protein but maybe protein causes matting in the hair or stickiness of the hair that results in a need to detangle that might lead to more breakage althogether!! How can I protect my hair ends? How can I prevent them from being manipulated if I am wearing my hair in a braid longer than shoulder-length and they are right at the proper place to brush against my shoulder and perhaps break!! How can I prevent them from getting split? Especially if I regularly use silicones and mineral oil (Blue Magic)? Barretes, Ribbons, I am most grateful for any responses because I truly believe that saving and protecting the ends of the hair is the key to lovely growth!

 

[darlingdiva]

I use castor oil on my ends & I see that my ends have thickened up some.

However, some of the things that you do are causing problems for your ends (allowing your ends to brush against your shoulder and using barrettes, etc.).

No matter what you use on your ends, they will continue to break if you mistreat them.

 

[AveMaria]

Thanks for the suggestion. Castor oil might work since it is a humectant. I don't use barrettes on my hair. I'm thinking that it might be a good idea to weigh my hair down though, and this might even stop my shoulder-length hair from rubbing around my shoulders. Should they really be bad for my hair? I'm also thinking that ribbons might be really healthy???

Or did most of you do constant protective styling, updos, when your hair was around this length? I really like to wear my hair down, which is why I am putting my hair in braids, instead of a bun/braids the rest of the year to get from the difficult shoulder-length/arm length stage to BSL erplexed

I'm also contemplating trying heavy shea buttering for the ends after reading someone else's post. Has anyone seen this solve the problem???

 

[lilsparkle825]

i feel like it's less of a problem after you hit APL, cause my ends don't suffer as much now when i wear my hair down and i am not quite APL yet, or at least i won't know for a few weeks. you don't want to weight your hair down though, so just be careful with that. are you DCing often? that's one way to keep them more moisturized without adding too much product.

 

[AveMaria]

Thanks. I'm already actually passed APL. I just say shoulder length because my hair is only at APL (stretched). I'm natural! I'm hoping to be APL unstretched by the end of the year and BSL (stretched). I would LOVE to weigh my hair down so no worries there. I don't DC often (no more often than once every two weeks) because I like to manipulate my hair as infrequently as possible.

Thoughts?