GOING HOME SICK BECAUSE OF BREAKAGE!!!!!!!!!

[Ms. A.Sunshine]

I am so stressed...I got serious about my hair in July of 2009....I have been mostly bunning, baggying and protective styling....My hair has FINALLY gotten to a place where I am happy with wearing it down and NOW IT STARTS BREAKING LIKE CRAZY......I am going home to do a protein treatment. I can't even focus at work.....I did recently start wearing my hair down more....I am hoping that protective styles aren't the only way I can wear my hair without risking a setback......I am also stretching considering transitioning...maybe this is the problem...EITHER WAY I'M LEAVING....I want to cry!!!!!

 

[Foxglove]

Take 5 minutes. Go take a walk around the block or something. A protein treatment now and a protein treatment at the end of the day won't make much of a difference. Post your regimen and the ladies can help you figure out where your breakage is coming from. Hair isn't so urgent that you need to take off work to go do a protein treatment. What's your regimen? How much protein do you use? What products do you use and what protective styles do you use? You'll be a lot less stressed over hair if you can identify the cause of the breakage and identify a solution (which the ladies here can help you identify)

 

[Ms. A.Sunshine]

WOO-SAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have literally been bunning my hair at least 4 out 7 days a week.....I co-wash every other day....baggy sometimes (I used to be more consistent) I DC on dry hair before I flat iron which is usually every other weekend...and I was retaining and growing.....I washed and flat ironed on Tuesday and MY LAWD!!!!!! Little broken hairs (and shed ones) EVERYWHERE!!!!! And I don't think this white cardigan is helping matters.....I am really hurt. Trying to remain level headed but ummm EVERYTIME I look down I see a new victim on my sweater......UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Foxglove]

Your hair could be heat sensitive. Try cutting out the flat iron and see how your hair responds. Maybe rollerset or pincurl to get straight hair. You could look to youtube or macherieamour's rollersetting dvd for advice on how to rollerset
I would also do a reconstructor protein treatment at some point. What are you using for protein?
ETA the cowashing every other day could also be complicating things. For some people every other day is too much manipulation. Also if you do it so often you need to balance out your hair with a protein conditioner every so often

 

[Foxglove]

Also put your hair up in a bun or something so it's not rubbing against your clothes. That's a common cause of breakage. Hair rubbing against your clothes (especially sweaters, scarves, coats, etc) leads to split ends and breakage

 

[Love~Above~Color]

Don't panic!
Foxglove is sooooooooo right. There are a lot of ladies here who can help.
Keep on wooo~saaaaahhhing. It's all gonna work out ok.

 

[Ms. A.Sunshine]

I wasn't using really anything for protein because I used to use the entire Aphogee for damaged hair line and got breakage as a result then...so I started using moisturizing products primarily and my hair really turned around.....yes the frequent co-washes are newly implemented...that could be it. I do use choloesterol and Ors replenshing packs....I thought those contained some form of protien?? So I thought I was good.....umm I think I am going to try an egg treatment....I have read wonderful reviews.

 

[Foxglove]

You need a balance of both protein and moisture. You were getting the breakage with the all-aphogee regimen bc you were getting too much protein and not enough moisture. Now you're getting too much moisture and not enough protein. Combine that with the flat iron every couple of weeks and there's the reason for your breakage. Here is sistaslick's article on moisture protein balance. Read through it. It cleared things up a lot for me

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/278612/the_fine_art_of_protein_and_moisture.html?cat=69

And the rest of her articles on hair breakage and shedding
http://public.fotki.com/sistaslick/sistaslicks-healthy/hair-breakage-and-s/

 

[Ms. A.Sunshine]

You need a balance of both protein and moisture. You were getting the breakage with the all-aphogee regimen bc you were getting too much protein and not enough moisture. Now you're getting too much moisture and not enough protein. Combine that with the flat iron every couple of weeks and there's the reason for your breakage. Here is sistaslick's article on moisture protein balance. Read through it. It cleared things up a lot for me

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/278612/the_fine_art_of_protein_and_moisture.html?cat=69

And the rest of her articles on hair breakage and shedding
http://public.fotki.com/sistaslick/sistaslicks-healthy/hair-breakage-and-s/

*SIGH* Ok thank you for your help......the sad thing is too I just got a trim....do you think I will have to trim again??

 

[Foxglove]

Not really. Just address the moisture protein balance and go from there. Also look around threads for protective styles so you can still feel stylish while protecting your ends

 

[Whimsy]

(((((((hugggsss))))))

You already got good advice above.

I just wanted to say sorry this is happening.

 

[changedname]

I just wanted to say that I completely agree with the advice given already. My hair seems really protein sensitive and I got major breakage a while ago with protein products as well. So I pretty much cut out protein and used moisturising products for a while. My hair seemed fine and the breakage stopped but this week I started to get breakage again. I came on the site earlier on in the week and asked for advice and I was told to do the Aphogee 2 step as I might have overdosed with moisture. My hair has now stopped breaking and it's healthy and happy. So I'd go for a protein treatment when you get home, followed up by a nice long moisturing treatment. Your hair will be fine.

Just wanted to add, don't get too upset about breakage. It's distressing yes, but your hair is always growing. You will reach your goal eventually. Just remember that to much of anything is usually good for nothing.

 

[NikkiGirl]

What you are describing is exactly what would happen to me when I would flat-iron. I finally realized that my hair doesn't like direct heat and I keep away from it. I hardly ever use a flat iron. I would have little pieces of hair on my clothing, on my desk at work, on my sink at home. I cut my hair to shoulder August of last year and got serious about staying away from heat. Try reducing the direct heat and see if that helps. Sorry you are going through this.

 

[Ms. A.Sunshine]

What you are describing is exactly what would happen to me when I would flat-iron. I finally realized that my hair doesn't like direct heat and I keep away from it. I hardly ever use a flat iron. I would have little pieces of hair on my clothing, on my desk at work, on my sink at home. I cut my hair to shoulder August of last year and got serious about staying away from heat. Try reducing the direct heat and see if that helps. Sorry you are going through this.

I unfortunately think its the flat iron too....which is devastating within itself esp considering I don't do it often.....so what do you do when you want to wear it down?? Rollerset?? Thanks.

 

[havilland]

i agree with all the advice you have been given. so go get your protein and moisture balanced out chica. a few protein treatments and you should be fine. try a mild protein first.

i empathize with you on the protective style burnout. i hate protective styles. but i have to wear them 95% of the time in order to keep my growth. so i only use flat iron and direct heat for special occasions, vacation and length checks.

i had to tell myself, "you can have short hair you wear down all the time, or long hair you wear up all the time." that's just how my hair works.

as for styling - roller setting (flat iron JUST the roots on warm if you want a straighter style) is a great way to style without direct heat on your ends.

and for the record, so you know you are not alone, i have gone home on a hair emergency before too. sometimes it just is like that

i'm sending ((((hugs))))

 

[Chevelure618]

My hair is like that. Usually all it takes is one or two flat irons and I start to see it in the sink. It hasn't done it lately though because my hair is in good condition; really strong..so strong that I can take a strand and pull it at both ends and it takes a lot of strength to get it to POP!

The way I got it that strong is to train it with Aphogee Keratin Green Tea Restructurizer. That stuff reallly works. Sometimes I alternate between that and DCs. Put it on clean, damp hair and air dry. You have to take a break from flat ironing for a while though. Try this...it works.

 

[nysister]

That happened to be a few weeks ago. I thought I'd flat iron (not too hot) well, I started seeing bits breaking off in the sink! I just about passed out. So I conditioned it braided it and went to work the next day. There were still pieces breaking! So I finished work and skipped lab (I've not done that before) just so I could go home and baby my hair.

I've been conditioning like mad, and it's been fine for the past 2 weeks. I gave it a 1/2 inch trip, condition daily and baby the ends.

BTW My hair is extremely protein sensitive. It can deal with some wheat and silk protein, but for me using Aphogee is a good way to loose my hair.

 

[hillytmj]

If you are relaxed, the extensive stretching may be causing the breakage. If you are indeed transitioning, I bet the other transitioners can recommend tips to help prevent the breakage.