hair Fragile by nature

[Krystle~Hime]

I'd like to focus on this statement,
"It is a fact that kinky hair [...] is extremely fragile and breaks easily. Even when you are very careful, something as simple as combing can break this texture. It is very difficult to achieve a longer length when the hair breaks, even with simple combing."
Okay, the man who said that.. I don't like him, he has his own opinion, and I don't care about him/it. but when I read this sentence.. and it reminds me.

EllePixie had started a great topic and my reply post was this :

That's weird, the reason I have breakage is not listed..
It's not due to blowdrying neither Flat Ironing (i've never use heat)
It's not due to hair coloring (i luv to much my jet black hair color)
it's not due to puff, i use a satin ribbon for doing my puff and I don't do a tight puff.
and I don't comb my hair...

I have fine hair, so I have to hide it, the brutal cold weather weakens it, the hard water breaks it etc etc,
so I don't know if I can say "Environment"

when I started my HHJ, I haven't retained length for a year, only breakage [...]

I have ALWAYS and since i've started my healthy hair journey, always and always, some breakage, when I wash, condish, style, pamper my hair.. it makes me sad, but this idiot's statement makes me wonder if I should make myself a statement about my hair : This is normal, and that's not my fault and/or not "Environment" fault as I used to think.

Maybe that..the same I had learnt to embrace my shrinkage, I should .. embrace this breakage. if it's nature.

I'd like do know some of your thoughts ? If some women on here experiment this, whatever the TLC they give to her hair is on point.

 

[Harina]

I didn't realize that this is the reason why my hair breaks so easily. But it is. My hair is definitely like spider webs in a big mass of cotton. When I was younger all I ever did was keep it braided and that is why it grew so long. I am trying to wear my hair out more and I am hoping that the bkt treatment that I plan to do will help out and strengthen my hair. I don't have damaged hair, I have fragile hair. If only I had known this earlier.

 

[Nix08]

Hopefully I will articulate this well enough...In @Sistaslick's book she explains that 'our' strands are not uniform along the length of it so if you look at these lines you'll see how our hair actually looks:

=====----======----=====----=====----

Those thinner parts are weaker.

ETA: If not in her book it was explained to me somewhere...just want to be accurate.

 

[mzteaze]

Whether you want to accept his statement or not is up to you. However from a technical standpoint, from everything I have read, it has some validity.

For a straight scientific source check out what the P & G Beauty and Grooming Research Group says about "African" hair (the text uses arcane language):

The tightly curled hair of African people twists much more frequently than in the other groups. The hair shafts are markedly oval in shape, with definite edges. The cuticle is sharply kinked at the edges, and is especially easily damaged at these points. This curious shape is the reason for the vulnerability of African hair to all forms of physical and chemical trauma, and its consequent need for extreme care in handling and very thorough conditioning.

The thing is, all of us with type 3/4 hair have acknowledged in one way or another in various threads that our hair is simply more fragile and requires special attention and time that others may not have to worry about. We might not like it but its the truth and we deal with it as it comes. Hence threads about tools that work (or don't work for a segment of population - combs, brushes, detanglers, etc.) methods like finger combing, oil rinsing and on and on, are helpful ways to deal with our hair. Look at the sheer number of LHCF members who talk about the need for 24/7 protective styling in order to keep their hair manipulation to a minimum.

While I acknowledge that there are LOTS of reasons for breakage, the first one we can't ignore is simply that our hair is more fragile due to the twists and coils we all love. Does admitting that mean we love our hair LESS?

I don't think so. I also don't think less of anyone that says they want to make dealing with their hair easier (for themselves) whether its by using a protective hair style OR chemicals. Which ever method you choose - natural, in between or relaxed - we can still wear our hair with pride. Its still beautiful.

 

[AuNaturalMaMa]

Hopefully I will articulate this well enough...In @Sistaslick's book she explains that 'our' strands are not uniform along the length of it so if you look at these lines you'll see how our hair actually looks:

=====----======----=====----=====----

Those thinner parts are weaker.

...I can really see this on my strands when looking at them very closely. Where the hair bends/curls is so much thinner and transparent than the other part. I believe I can feel it too when running my fingers down each strand. The shed ones that is.

 

[Nix08]

...I can really see this on my strands when looking at them very closely. Where the hair bends/curls is so much thinner and transparent than the other part. I believe I can feel it too when running my fingers down each strand. The shed ones that is.

Me too, I can certainly see and feel it....yes shed strands of course

 

[MrsHdrLe]

Nix08 hit the nail on the head in describing what I see in my hair too. I don't have splits nor "dead ends". My hair ia as healthy as I've ever had it. I am delicate with it and ps most of the time, but I still see pieces after grooming and based on what I see when I examine shead hairs, ====---=====----===== is EXACTLY why!

So, what now?

 

[curlyninjagirl]

I think the biggest problem we've had in our hair care history is that we try to treat our hair like straight hair. (small tooth combs, harsh chemicals, daily combing/brushing, hairstyles that cause tension, etc.)

You wouldn't eat an apple the same way you eat an orange, but they are still both delicious! (Translation: So what if you must use different techniques, afro textured hair is as beautiful as straight hair!)

 

[Etherealsmile]

This is such a great thread!

I am too tired of seeing breakage in my hair, this is one of the reasons why I've been in cornrows for the past two months non-stop.

As much care and patience as i take with my hair, i still noticed breakage, it depressed the hell out of me and made me feel i was doing everything long. I have reached APL so I've managed to retain length as well as great thickness despite or inspite of my breakage but if i can minimize my breakage to at least 2-3% I'd be so incredibly ecstatic.

*wonders if a high consumption of protein (from food, supplements etc) will greatly strengthen the hair and reduce breakage considerably....hmm*

 

[Aireen]

I don't think so. I also don't think less of anyone that says they want to make dealing with their hair easier (for themselves) whether its by using a protective hair style OR chemicals. Which ever method you choose - natural, in between or relaxed - we can still wear our hair with pride. Its still beautiful.

^ Thank you for this. I couldn't just click the button, I had to post my gratitude. I wish more people grasped and were able to articulate this point as well as you just did.

 

[Nonie]

I agree with mzteaze. I don't know if I agree with the ====---=====----===== description. Methinks that because our hair is shaped like a ribbon, what happens when you stretch it out, the parts that look thin are just twisted.

Here's what I mean. Let's say this is a kinky hair (Type 4 bunch):

If I stretch it out, I'll see the full surface area of some parts and the parts that twist will look narrower like this:

If you could look at your hair with a magnifying glass, you would see that it's twisted and so where lights falls on it fully, you see a thick part, but where it turns so that only the edge is facing you, it looks thin.

 

[Nonie]

Besides the fact that our hair is flat-ish so the edges are where it's sharp are easily damaged, our hair also has a groove along its length which further makes it weak:

This is African hair (as indicated by the groove along its length): this type of hair, more than any other, needs the protection of conditioning

(Source)

 

[Lynnerie]

Its also important to learn what your hair can handle. I have a mixture of fine and medium strands and as much as I would love to color my hair I know I can't if I want to preserve my strands.

Right now as a natural using heat is working for me but if I were to ever relax again I know I could not use direct heat. Its all about knowing YOUR hair and what it can take.

 

[Curlykale]

I don't know... This kind of hair can be fragile but it does get strong when you let it be and give it food.
A big part of its fragility is due to the wrong care and products and lack of knowledge on the few things that it needs. We do many things to damage and few things to nourish it, just invert the 2 and it works.
Fragility is something that marketing relies on, as well. Beauty is fragile when it is not supported by health, the more fragile it is the more things we need to buy to fix it. This is, of course, only my point of view.

I avoid 100% heat, tools and chemicals and one could say that my hair is fragile because of that, but my hair becomes strong when I do it, so as long as there is a solution, fragility stops existing.