Gap in back of hair !!!!!!!

[greenmetro99]

Hi ladies I’ve been lurking for a few a while and I appreciate all the help and tips you ladies have provided! I’ve been able to grow my hair to bra strap length and im very excited. But I have a question. I have developed a gap in the back of my hair. The hair is long all over but it’s forming a w shape gap in the back. My ends look healthy. I wear a very loose bun every day so I do not understand how the hair grows or breaks like this. I get trims every 4 months, and I am telaxed/relaxed. Please help me find a way to prevent this! erplexed

 

[Napp]

I would like to know as well. Do you have a upsidedown u shaped nape hairline?

 

[A.Marie]

I had an upside down 'v' and could not figure out what caused it. I blamed it on stress, however, someone things me that ponytails could cause it. I massaged the vitamin E from the capsules in that spot and it grew back.

 

[Honey Bee]

Are you relaxed or natural?

I ask because I had that same problem for years. It wasn't until I stopped relaxing my nape (about a year before I officially started my transition) that I realized the hair back there is a complete different texture. It's soft and oddly silky, like, it doesn't even belong on the rest of my head. No wonder it couldn't barely withstand a touch up.

I say all that to say, relaxed or natural, is the texture different back there? Could there be some mechanical type of damage that the rest of your head handles just fine? Like, I wore a lot of loose buns... until I realized my placement of the hair pins (not even bobby pins, hair pins!) was contributing the the damage in that area. Think carefully about how you handle your hair. It could be something as small as applying products there last with the result that that area never gets as much conditioning as the rest.

 

[whiteoleander91]

Hi ladies I’ve been lurking for a few a while and I appreciate all the help and tips you ladies have provided!

Please help me find a way to prevent this! erplexed

How do you detangle? If you always start off by parting your hair down the middle (into halves), maybe that's the culprit. If you always section your hair the same way, maybe try switching it up.

 

[Evolving78]

Hi ladies I’ve been lurking for a few a while and I appreciate all the help and tips you ladies have provided! I’ve been able to grow my hair to bra strap length and im very excited. But I have a question. I have developed a gap in the back of my hair. The hair is long all over but it’s forming a w shape gap in the back. My ends look healthy. I wear a very loose bun every day so I do not understand how the hair grows or breaks like this. I get trims every 4 months, and I am telexed. Please help me find a way to prevent this! erplexed

either you are having breakage from the demarcation line, or you need to change what accessory you are using to pin your hair with. Also, you could do a loose braid at night and clip the end of the braid, so you aren't sleeping in a bun. I had no problems with buns, since I don't use ponytail holders or hair ties. I use good day hair pins, spin pins, or a claw clip. I don't wind the hair right around the base of the bun either.

 

[curlytwirly06]

Had this problem for years as well. My crown is shorter than the rest of my hair. I don't wear ponytails etc etc. it changed for me eventually but I think just learning and adopting healthier practices helped..

 

[frizzy]

I wear ponytails a lot, too. You have to make sure you're moisturizing the inside of the pony. Part your hair off and get the inside good before pulling it all back.

 

[Misseyl]

Are you relaxed or natural?

I ask because I had that same problem for years. It wasn't until I stopped relaxing my nape (about a year before I officially started my transition) that I realized the hair back there is a complete different texture. It's soft and oddly silky, like, it doesn't even belong on the rest of my head. No wonder it couldn't barely withstand a touch up.

I say all that to say, relaxed or natural, is the texture different back there? Could there be some mechanical type of damage that the rest of your head handles just fine? Like, I wore a lot of loose buns... until I realized my placement of the hair pins (not even bobby pins, hair pins!) was contributing the the damage in that area. Think carefully about how you handle your hair. It could be something as small as applying products there last with the result that that area never gets as much conditioning as the rest.

I bet she is relaxed. I had the same problem, couldn't understand why. Now that I'm natural I don't have that problem anymore.

 

[Napp]

I bet she is relaxed. I had the same problem, couldn't understand why. Now that I'm natural I don't have that problem anymore.

im natural and i have this problemerplexed

 

[Misseyl]

deleted deleted

 

[atlien11]

Do you sleep on your back?

 

[ronie]

I had one until recently. My nape has very loose curls... 2ish type. The hair in the middle of my nape is super low density. So that is the cause of my gap. It grows like that from my scalp. When I was relaxed I used to get burn back there a lot. I remember removing burn crust from that are up to 2 weeks after a touch up. I believe the follicles in that are are damaged.
My last flat iron surprisingly, the gap was not at all visible. The curls are still looser than the rest of my hair, but maybe the hair is thicker. Good luck.

 

[greenmetro99]

Hi ladies, thank you so much for the response. I do appreciate it.

My hair is relaxed but has lots of texture left in it. I don't have any empty or bald spots in my scalp so i dont believe my scalp has been damaged. So there's lots of hair back there, and my nape area is thick. The gap is towards the ends. It comes back every time i trim it. The back of my hair is a loose hair texture, maybe 3a and it doesnt have much curl. When i have 4 months of new growth i dont get much curl back there. I relax the back of my hair last.

I bun, but i dont use booby pins or hair ties. I use goody spins to secure the bun.
I do part my hair the same way when i detangle. I part in 4 sections, straight down the middle.

I dont sleep on my back. I sleep in my side. I dont wear buns to sleep. I sleep with a bonnet on.

I will try to moisturize the inside of the ponytail maybe. Maybe my spin pins are breaking it off, but my sister uses them and her hair is just fine.

I tried to take a picture in the mirror, this is the best i could do. Its at the top of the thread

 

[Silverstreaks]

I have a similar situation. I realized that a) my hair is a much softer texture around my hairline b) my hair is shorter on the crown c) the hair on the back of my head just below the crown is the kinkiest, driest and much more prone to breakage, thereby creating the gap in the center, which for me runs from front to back. Lots of micro-layers. My plan of action is to continue to ensure the driest part receives adequate moisture, continue search & destroy trims in that area a little more, ensure adequate protein treatments, and keep that hair in its own section when twisting my hair. That one area has always been no more than 3 inches long. Since learning my hair better over these past several years, that area has improved quite a bit. My goal is to even it out as much as possible while still advancing my length goals.

 

[greenmetro99]

I have a similar situation. I realized that a) my hair is a much softer texture around my hairline b) my hair is shorter on the crown c) the hair on the back of my head just below the crown is the kinkiest, driest and much more prone to breakage, thereby creating the gap in the center, which for me runs from front to back. Lots of micro-layers. My plan of action is to continue to ensure the driest part receives adequate moisture, continue search & destroy trims in that area a little more, ensure adequate protein treatments, and keep that hair in its own section when twisting my hair. That one area has always been no more than 3 inches long. Since learning my hair better over these past several years, that area has improved quite a bit. My goal is to even it out as much as possible while still advancing my length goals.

Thank you for the reply. I appreciate it. I am going to start carefully moisturizing back there. And I might stop bunning. After reading threads about bunning. Im guessing that is probably the culprit. So I guess protecting styling can cause more harm than good. When I wore my hair down everyday I never had a gap. I mean I loosely bun, and I don't use bobby pins or hair accessories.

 

[Silverstreaks]

Thank you for the reply. I appreciate it. I am going to start carefully moisturizing back there. And I might stop bunning. After reading threads about bunning. Im guessing that is probably the culprit. So I guess protecting styling can cause more harm than good. When I wore my hair down everyday I never had a gap. I mean I loosely bun, and I don't use bobby pins or hair accessories.

I usually keep my hair in 2-strand twists. I keep them fairly large and I do wear them pulled in a loop bun. I use a satin-like scrunchie. I like to dampen the scrunchie before I put it on. I try not to have it too tight. My winter go-to style.

 

[Silverstreaks]

Another thing I just thought of: the areas of my scalp that itch the most are areas where there had been noticeable breakage from scratching. Areas afore mentioned. Controlling that also helps.

 

[BostonMaria]

This used to happen to me when my hair was relaxed. It would happen when the stylist would over process my hair. You might want to trim until its even. Sorry this happened to you.

 

[missliberia]

OP, what is your moisture/protein balance like? I had this issue for a good 2 years straight where my hair in the middle was super thin so I had a W hemline. All that was needed was adequate protein. I was moisturizing and cowashing like I needed optimum moisture but my strands were BEGGING for protein. So now my regimen consists of protein 3 times a month and a moisturizing DC once a month. Try this and good luck. I know how frustrating this is.

 

[greenmetro99]

Thank you ladies for the tips. I use ION Intensive treatment once a month ( Protien). I use a OGX coconut moisturizing conditioner once a month as well. I wash my hair every 2 weeks. The hair back there is fine so I wonder If I do too much or too little protein.

 

[CenteredGirl]

Mine WAS from straight up scab hair leftover from my perm over 15 years ago. It only has recently gotten longer and fuller since have started a new regimen.

 

[greenmetro99]

What's your regimen ?

 

[PlainJane]

I realized that this same thing is happening to me about a week ago. It is mostly from sleeping in my buns. I see that you don't sleep in your buns, but that might still be the issue since you wear them during the day. Sorry I don't have more to add, maybe switch it up for a while.

 

[CenteredGirl]

What's your regimen ?

greenmetro99 I wash my hair with water only. Game changer. Do it everyday.

 

[Honey Bee]

I do part my hair the same way when i detangle. I part in 4 sections, straight down the middle.

Aha! This is the problem!!!

I used to do this too!! But when I started transitioning, I found that, while my nape and edges were fine and silky, I had two kinky patches, one behind either ear. It's so weird. The silkiest part of my hair is side by side with the kinkiest part of my hair. Anyway, as a result, I changed where I parted my hair to detangle/ condition/ etc because the different textures required different methods.

I now part the back of my hair into three. I hadn't really been paying attention (my new problem area is the crown ), but now that I think about it, that area is now as long as the side bits. It's still a little weak, but I dust there regularly.

HTH!

 

[crazytrish75]

My hair used to do that and still will if I don't pay attention. My texture is completely different at my nape, very soft and silky. I haven't relaxed my nape in 2 years. I just part that section and saturate it in conditioner, put vaseline on top of that and then braid it and pin it under when I am relaxing. Also, one of the culprits was the way I was tying my scarf there every night. I switched to bonnets but the elastic irritated my hairline, so I stretched the elastic so it was looser and use a soft headband pulled low on my forehead to hold my bonnet on place. Not very sexy, but it works!

And also, my fave protective style: I was having issues at the nape and right down the middle from my crown. As somebody else pointed out, I tend to part there when doing anything. So I have been separating that section, slathering it in leave in condish, soaking it in coconut oil then braiding it down and tucking under. Then, I take the rest of my hair and French braid over it so that it is covered. A braid within a braid, if you will.

 

[greenmetro99]

Thanks for the reply. I have noticed that my parts are like permanent now lol. I can wash my hair and those parts remain no matter what. I will try to change the parts when detangling. But also I'm a air dryer, so maybe I will braid 2 braids in the front and 1 big braid in the back. I will also trim about 4 inches of ends in the spring time to get it even again. No more buns either.

 

[krissyhair]

I don't see this as a problem actually. My hair line at the nape simply grows in thick at the sides of my neck. If I wore a short cut, that's what I would edge up. But since I wear it long, I get a natural hair line, and a hem that represents the line.

If the hair at the sides of my nape is fills in on the skin lower down my neck, the hairline will reflect that shape. Also, the hair in the middle of that place comes from my crown, way up on the top of my head. It makes sense that there would be a gap. If I get a blunt cut, an edge up or an under cut, a year later it would look the same.

 

[Cattypus1]

Hi ladies I’ve been lurking for a few a while and I appreciate all the help and tips you ladies have provided! I’ve been able to grow my hair to bra strap length and im very excited. But I have a question. I have developed a gap in the back of my hair. The hair is long all over but it’s forming a w shape gap in the back. My ends look healthy. I wear a very loose bun every day so I do not understand how the hair grows or breaks like this. I get trims every 4 months, and I am telaxed/relaxed. Please help me find a way to prevent this! erplexed

I have a cowlick in the middle of my nape. The hair grows up there instead of down. I have two cow licks that I know of. Other hair really breaking or just growing in a different direction.