Half of my hair is gone.....long story

[EXSQUISIT]

I am very sorry this happened to you. You'll get back on track soon; just keep taking care of your hair

 

[AllAboutMoi]

So sorry this happened to you. Stay on LHCF and I'm sure the ladies will be a big help in your new hair success.

 

[God_Favor]

So sorry this happened 2 you. Sounds like 1 of my setback stories. Have you straighten the hair 2 check your fullness and length. It may not be as bad as you think. Keep us posted!!

 

[devin]

So sorry this happened 2 you. Sounds like 1 of my setback stories. Have you straighten the hair 2 check your fullness and length. It may not be as bad as you think. Keep us posted!!

no i have not straightened it. i just put affirm 5 n 1 and am deep conditioning it with kenra moisturizing conditioner and evoo right now. i am so scared that i am going to mess it up again.erplexed i did make an appointment for next tuesday to have it relaxed and trimmed since it has been about 5 1/2 months. i will keep you all posted and post pics when i have it relaxed. thanks again!

 

[SpiritJunkie]

i am so sorry this happened to you. knowing tht you have the knowledge and support of LHCF you will be alright.

 

[MsKipani]

As with everyone else I'm so sorry to hear this Hopefully our sympathy will help to make you feel better but I know that you'll be devastated for a while. The positive thing is that hair does grow back and you know all of the steps to make it recovery healthy.
I hope you feel better soon

 

[syze6]

Well I can barely type this without crying, but I figured you all would understand. I have been growing my hair for two years quite successfully thanks to this board, and all of that came to an end in one night. I had been stretching my relaxers for three or four months for the last two years and then decided to stretch longer, b/c I had an install put in. We were on vacation last week and just got back and I decided to take the hair out. I unbraided my hair and got in the shower and put a clarifier and that's when I was in hair hell! My hair tangled up and matted like a dog! HUGE clumps of hair matted up all over my head. I tried not to panic, but then it got worse. I slathered conditioner, porosity control and still no help. My husband then started to help me slowly comb out the tangles. Even with the largest jilbere comb, wide tooth comb we could not get the tangles to budge. We combed for hours and then huge clumps of hair just started coming out. I looked at half of my hair get dumped into the trash can. I have never experienced something so horrific in my life. All I could do was cry. My husband tried to be encouraging, b/c he knew how much pride I took in my hair and how long my journey had been. I felt like finally I was successful at something. Now I fell like everything I learned is down the drain. To make matters worse my hair stylist is constantly on vacation and I don't know where I am going to go to get a relaxer and cut to get back on track. I am so at a loss and feel so down and discouraged. This has been one of the worst weekends ever, I feel like I am in a nightmare and will never wake up. Just wanted to get it all out. Thanks to anyone who takes the time to read this.

I'm sorry to hear about your hair. Don't fret...now you have an excuse to get you a sexy, sharp hair cut/style for the fall. You look up and by spring it will have grown back! Get you a fresh cut and start from there. Since it will be cold soon, you can wear protective styles while your hair grows back!

I have learned in situations like these to comb through and detangle very gently. It is the hair that sheds that tangles in with the healthy hair. Once it's wet and manipulated, it tangles with the other hair. That's why on teh occasions when I braid my own hair, I comb through each braid that is taken down, I learned that the hard way.

 

[Solti]

I know you said half the hair is in the garbage but did you think its possible that its mostly shed hair that didn't come out cause you haven't combed it in so long? Cause right now you have shrinkage plus the fact you haven't combed out the natural hair that falls...Keep your head up it might not be really as bad as it seems right now. I wouldn't even trust going to some chick that will hack it into flyness. I would do a mild trim and put your hair up in a protective style and baby it through the Winter. I'm sorry this happened to you! I know on this site we are crazy about some hair but it WILL grow back! (((hugs)))

 

[Iluvsmuhgrass]

Well I can barely type this without crying, but I figured you all would understand. I have been growing my hair for two years quite successfully thanks to this board, and all of that came to an end in one night. I had been stretching my relaxers for three or four months for the last two years and then decided to stretch longer, b/c I had an install put in. We were on vacation last week and just got back and I decided to take the hair out. I unbraided my hair and got in the shower and put a clarifier and that's when I was in hair hell! My hair tangled up and matted like a dog! HUGE clumps of hair matted up all over my head. I tried not to panic, but then it got worse. I slathered conditioner, porosity control and still no help. My husband then started to help me slowly comb out the tangles. Even with the largest jilbere comb, wide tooth comb we could not get the tangles to budge. We combed for hours and then huge clumps of hair just started coming out. I looked at half of my hair get dumped into the trash can. I have never experienced something so horrific in my life. All I could do was cry. My husband tried to be encouraging, b/c he knew how much pride I took in my hair and how long my journey had been. I felt like finally I was successful at something. Now I fell like everything I learned is down the drain. To make matters worse my hair stylist is constantly on vacation and I don't know where I am going to go to get a relaxer and cut to get back on track. I am so at a loss and feel so down and discouraged. This has been one of the worst weekends ever, I feel like I am in a nightmare and will never wake up. Just wanted to get it all out. Thanks to anyone who takes the time to read this.

I understand EXACTLY WHAT YOU MEAN!!!! Girl my hair did this to me earlier this year. It hurt me to my heart. I lost thickness and length. BUT months later my hair's coming back. Don't worry it will fill in. Get little trims and maybe don't stretch as long? I'm learning that my hair can not do the three to six month thing without matting. Once again, I know it hurts but be encouraged that it is coming back. Mine is. Yours will too!

 

[RabiaElaine]

I had it in for 2 1/2 months. that's where i made the mistake. i didn't detangle with conditioner before hand.

Awww I'm soooooo sorry to hear this happened to you. And I agree w/ the other ladies you have all the knowledge to get your hair back.

If you ever try weaving again, try to leave the weave in for 4-5 weeks max. And gently detangle your hair before jumping in the shower. S-curl is great to spray on your hair while detangling. Then you could let conditioner sit in your hair, or you could go straight to shampooing if you think it's detangled enough...but the key is really in not leaving in the weave for much more than 1 month.

Feel better, sometimes the damage looks worst than it actually is.

Hugs!

 

[Eiano]

I'm sooo sorry this happened to you.

Clarifier even tangles my straight hair. I learned early on it may not be necessary and may do more harm than good if not used correctly.

It will grow back longer and stronger now that you know it can be done.

 

[Sunshine_One]

Devin I'm so sorry this happend to you. As many others had already said I think the damage may not be as bad as you think. A lot of that hair was shed hair. I suggest you continue to baby your hair and try deep conditioning on dry hair and following up with a conditioning rinse. I find this helps a great deal with preventing tangles and adding moisture to the hair.

I know you hair will be back on track in no time.

Feel better girl!!

 

[flower]

I am not sure if this will help. When my hair gets tangled/ matted, I do a hot oil treatment and wear a shower cap to let the oil set-in. I wear the shower cap for a day.

DO NOT GIVE UP NO MATTER WHAT!

 

[SEMO]

I'm so sorry to hear about what happened. We'll be here for you.

 

[curlcomplexity]

I truly wish that I could give you a hug right now Devin!! It's going to be alright, your hair will grow back even stronger than before. Just take this as a lesson learned and before you know it, your will have that length back. In the meantime, take this opportunity to seek other options that you would not have before. For instance, short cuts are soooo HOT right now (i.e Rihanna's). Also, have you wanted to try going natural? This would be the time. Take pride in what you have for now...Take care ((((HUGS)))))

p.s I would send you a smilie...but I'm at work and it'll cause my computer to shut down lol!

 

[~*~ShopAholic~*~]

I understand how you feel, this happened to me b4 and it took me 3 days to detangle my hair (I learned never to shampoo at the kitchen sink again, let alone 3+ months worth of NG). Don't make any rash decisions now, once you relax you will be able to see if it's really damaged. It may just look or seem worse than it really is especially since you have alot of NG, hopefully your hair will be fine.

 

[MiWay]

(((Hugs))) I'm so sorry this happened to you!

I had a similar situation with 2 weaves, so I decided I wouldn't do them again. Please don't get discouraged...this is just a small setback. Just take some time and baby your hair and it will fully recover...probably better than before. You know what to do now, so that's half the battle.

 

[glamazon386]

the first thing you do is detangle and apply conditioner to the hair before washing it out. Maybe that's where everything went wrong.

I'm sorry OP!! It'll be alright. I agree with this. You should never wet hair that has not been completely detangled. Especially when taking out weaves and braids. Detangle dry hair section by section (Don't wait until you've gotten all the fake hair out because it will be hell) and you can add some conditioner if it's hard to get through. DC overnight if you have to, to loosen up the tangles. This is the second post like this, this week. Also, It sounds like you were trying to do too much all at once. Clarifying, then the Porosity Control, and stretching, and detangling, etc. Dealing with a lot of new growth from a long stretch and detangling is a job in itself. I wouldn't have used the clarifier first because it strips the hair and since you already had tangles and a lot of new growth it could have lead to more shedding and breakage. I would have just detangled dry hair, then washed and DCed and went from there.

 

[bellesocialite]

I had a similar experience when I came out of braids. I knew nothing about extensions so immediately after removing the braids, I jumped in the shower and my hair was sooo matted. I lost a lot of hair. It's actually what got me onto LHCF. It'll be a long road to recovery, but if you remain steadfast, you'll be just fine.

 

[BillsBackerz67]

I'm sorry OP!! I agree with this. You should never wet hair that has not been completely detangled. Especially when taking out weaves and braids. Detangle dry hair section by section (Don't wait until you've gotten all the fake hair out because it will be hell) and you can add some conditioner if it's hard to get through. DC overnight if you have to, to loosen up the tangles. This is the second post like this, this week.

Im sorry that happened to you devin.
I was going to suggest the same thing.

 

[hothair]

I had it in for 2 1/2 months. that's where i made the mistake. i didn't detangle with conditioner before hand.

Sorry this happened, maybe some of the hairs are shed hair? I hope you didn't have to cut out tangles cause sometimes after a crisis you think you hair is worse than it is. But eitherway keep your hair (get it? ) up you've done it before and you can again. I know some ladies can keep their weaves/ braids in for months but for me the max is 6weeks cause of the amount of shed hairs and the fact I get bored easily.

 

[LovelyLionessa]

I'm sorry Devin this happened to you. I know matting is no joke, I had it happen once on a smaller scale at my nape on a wash day, before I learned to wash in braids. You live and learn from these experiences. I agree with the other ladies, after 2 1/2 months, a lot of that hair had to be shed hair. And the rest that wasn't already shed was gonna be soon anyway. Don't worry, it'll get better. We are all here for you. *Hugs*

 

[Hair Iam]

-It can only get better from this point.

 

[Glib Gurl]

(((OP)))

I'm so sorry you experienced this . . . thankfully, though, you know the good hair habits you will need through this board to come back triumphantly. As my mom always says, "It's just hair . . . it will grow back." (Okay, I know we don't agree with that first part, but the second part is definitely true.)

(((more hugs)))

 

[Mortons]

I am so sorry. I know hair means a lot to all of us and I can only imagine the detestation. I hope you are feeling a little better, and it can all be fixed.

 

[devin]

it is a slow process, but i am starting to feel a little better. i really do appreciate all the words of encouragement from you lovely ladies. i have certainly learned my lesson the HARD way, I wish that I wouldn't have had to, but you live and you learn and I suppose there is a reason for all of this. i am sure some of it was shedding hair and some was just ripped out, it was a lot of hair and i don't think that large of a pile could have all been shed. I will see when i get my relaxer, but my ends and ponytail are much, much thinner than they were before my hair matted up. Hopefully I can grow my hair back and grow it better than ever.

 

[metalkitty]

Gee wizz, I'm sorry you had to go through all this *hugs*. I've done the exact same thing before. Twice at least actually I think, a combination of leaving braids/ weave in too long then not detangling properly/ acquiring surprise dredlocks. Luckily my hair didn't suffer too much and came out okay, not good but okay. Plus when I was a newbie and almost killed my hair from dying it too much, resulting in going from around bra strap length to a little above my shoulders. It's been at a standstill at collarbone length since. It's slowly getting better though, I just need to work on protective styling...
Just thought I'd share my mini horror stories to help you feel better. I guess the best thing to do would be the litha technique. I'd try my hardest to keep it moisturized and wear half wigs until I could get back to a stylist to analyze my hair. Sorry for being so long winded, just thought sharing might help a little.

 

[Mom23]

I'm so sorry Devin. Hugs to you...

 

[blue_flower]

I'm sorry to hear that, devin. You have this forum you can come to for support. You'll grow your hair back!

 

[crlsweetie912]

it is a slow process, but i am starting to feel a little better. i really do appreciate all the words of encouragement from you lovely ladies. i have certainly learned my lesson the HARD way, I wish that I wouldn't have had to, but you live and you learn and I suppose there is a reason for all of this. i am sure some of it was shedding hair and some was just ripped out, it was a lot of hair and i don't think that large of a pile could have all been shed. I will see when i get my relaxer, but my ends and ponytail are much, much thinner than they were before my hair matted up. Hopefully I can grow my hair back and grow it better than ever.

Just think that you had 2 1/2 months worth of shed hair that was mixed in with your own hair. That shed hair is just sitting there mingling with your own hair attached to your head. We loose approx 50-100 hairs a day, just multiply that times 75 days! Hair that's shed dies and the cuticles open up which causes all the tangling and matting. When you wash, you open up the cuticles even further, hence more tangling and matting. Always slather on conditioner, comb out all the shed hair, then shampoo. That will negate a lot of this. HHG!