Help!! My protective style isn't working!!!

[ibeleevenme]

Hello,
I have this issue where I was wearing weaves for months at a time. When I'd take it out, I'd go right back into another one. Overall my hair was growing down my back. Then i was so happy with the growth that I tried to wear my own hair. I didn't know what to do with it so my hairdresser pressed it cause I didn't want chemicals. Bad news, cause it eventually it began to break badly and it went from long to nada!

So I weaved up again, this time when i came out it was even longer, and I didn't press it, but it still started breaking off! So now I'm wearing wigs constantly, with an every occasional ponytail, but the only hair that seems to be growing is the hair in the front (Bang area) that is exposed to cover the front of my wig.

I can't seem to get this right, cause the back seems even shorter than before. I keep it braided underneith but I'm fighting a losing battle here.... I am so ignorant when it comes to caring for my natural hair. I have very thin hair as well which limits what I can do. Any help out there? (and I mean I seriously need to start at the basics and go from there somehow.)

Some things I'm curious on:

1. How do you "seal" your ends?
2. What is tea rinsing?
3. What is the significance of garlic and where can I get garlic conditioner?

 

[soulie]

Hi, I'm going to refer you to something you can read while you wait for the natural pros to come in and give you specifics. This is the "newbie guide" and it will have some basics for you to consider.

Basics Sticky Thread

 

[ibeleevenme]

Ahh okay, thanks, hopefull this will get me started... Newbie?? Girl, when it comes to hair, I haven't even been born yet! lol Thanks for the link.

 

[lilsparkle825]

I think the main thing you should focus on isn't tea rinses or garlic (garlic curbs shedding), but MOISTURIZING. how do you care for your hair when it's weaved up, and how were you caring for it between weaves? we need specifics -- time frames, what you were using, all that stuff. for instance, how often were you washing and DCing? did you moisturize daily? what were you using?

 

[ibeleevenme]

Okay here goes:

When it was weaved up, I was washing my scalp and weave about once a week or once every other week with either Pantene ralaxed and natural or Tresseme. I used the conditioners for each. I didn't do too much to my scalp because I couldn't get at it, but I started to use wild growth hair oil which smells horrible, but seemed to keep it oiled. My hair naturally is so very thin that I can't use too much oil in it and therefore never use very much. I tried to go back to the wild growth and use it now under the wig.

In between weaves, there wasn't very much time in between them, really about a day or so and then I'd be braided back up. I'd get it deep conditioned and a treatment by my hair dresser prior to him braiding it.

Now that I'm in wigs, I have no regime, no consistancy, and the middle of my hair always seems to itch and break off. It's the part that grows the fastest when its in weave and breaks the soonest and the most when it's not. I dont' seem to have an issue with dandruff, but I tried this shea butter oil off the shelf and it was so oily it took a couple weeks to wear out. I was scared to wash it right out since my hair is so fragile. Other than that, the I switched to Mizani conditioning shampoo (only to find out there is no conditioner in it... ) I know... I'm a complete mess! I'm hoping the hair vets can get me back on track.

 

[msdeevee]

Well from your 1st post it just seems that you leave your weaves in for too long.

You said months at a time and then you would quickly re-install right after.

You have to take care of your hair (which I know you know) underneath that weave.

I've read 6-8 weeks is the max for leaving a weave in.

That's my 2cents.

 

[ibeleevenme]

Yes msdeevee,
I learned the harddddddd way about leaving my weave in so long... It started with the fact that my hair dresser was about 3 hours away and I was in an area where I knew no one. After cutting my hair while trying to remove a weave once. I got into that bad habit.... I didn't think it was so bad since it grew so much, but I truly learned the error of my ways! Thanks for the 2 cents (but it's actually worth sooooo much more

 

[hurricane]

No hair vet but a suggestion. If you weave again spray s-curl into your scalp. I wore my weave for three months and when my beautician at the time took my hair down she was supprised how curly my hair was. Get a growth stimulating hair oil and massage that scalp. Get a good moisturizer to moisturize you hair. Get moisturizing shampoos and conditioners. The shedding should eventually stop. Then do a protein treatment after the shedding has stopped.

 

[lilsparkle825]

deep conditioning is beneficial in every way possible. if your hair is snapping off, i would start deep conditioning at least once a week, if not twice. also, please let your hair breathe for more than a day between weaves. i learned that the hard way as well.

 

[missnurselady]

^^^ITA. I would take at least 2-4wks to baby my hair in between installs. Since you already wear wigs this shouldnt be a problems. I notice to that when I was wearing wigs and cornrowing my hair underneath I had breakage and raggedy ends, I blame it on my braiding technique. Now when I wear wigs i just either do 4 braids or one braid and pin it up flat to the top of my head. HTH

 

[luvn_life]

Hola,
now this might be completely against what most ppl say... but I wore fake hair for about 10 years and in 2007 I decided that I would start growing my hair underneath the weaves and last year in August I finally took it out... so anyways what I would do while my hair was weaved up was.... ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. I would just leave it alone for 8 wks. take it down wash it really good, moisturize it and put the weave back in... suprisingly my ahir never stannk or anything LOL... but when u decided to wear your real hair again u need to find a GOOD SHAMPOO. Also, u need a good moisturizing deep conditioner and protein conditioner. I use Aussie Deeeep 3 minute moisture treatment and ApHogee 2 minute reconstructor they make your hair feel like butter. And finally u need a good moisturizer and oil. Coconut is a good one. and since your hair is thin u need the least amount of manipulation on your hair. So try low maintenance styles like bunning.
Hope This Helps

 

[ibeleevenme]

Hmmm, I was wondering why my hair does better when braided inside a weave. When it's braided under a wig it does horrible. This is the shortest its been in a while. I've been reading about cowashing and I was like eruuuu???? But the more I read the more it made sense... It seems that my hair is being severely neglected. OMG.

 

[GabbanaGirl]

I definitely agree with everyone here, in that you should really "baby" your hair in between weaves. I had massive breakage years ago from installs I let a professional do, when I say massive, I mean I had a teeny weeny afro.
Then I started doing my own, and the breakage completely stopped. For me this meant the person that was doing my install was braiding my hair entirely too tight, and sewing the tracks on tighter than a **** for lack of beter words LOL This was the cause of my breakgae, too much stress on my already weak hair. - Tight braids already apply a certain amount of stress to the hair, top that off with taught string for holding the weave in place, and guess what, if your hair already isn't in good condition it will break. I learned this the hard way, and have been doing my weaves ever since, every head is different though, I am really just trying to give you another perspective. I have learned that for me, looser braids work best, they don't last that long, but the upside is that I can retain length. Anytime you put stress on your hair from braids and weaves, to covering your scalp completely with a wig, I would suggest taking really good care of your hair, by moisturizing, moisturizing, moisturizing. Let your hair breath for a bit for now, get it strong and healthy before getting another weave. Part of the regimen building process is really listening to your hair, and making a diagnosis, but you need longer than a few days in between weaves to do this.Tea/herb rinsing is great, I have never tried garlic but I heard good things about it, and I am a fan of cowashing for now. If you are going to do tea rinsing, may I suggest some Blue Malva herb thrown in there to steep for good measure, this helps prevent and also stop breakage, as with any herb it won't stop it overnight, but after continued use you will notice a significant difference. You can also add some Marshmallow and Licorice root, or some Irish Moss anything that will produce a lot of mucilage (plant proteins and minerals) will give your hair good slip, and other vitamins to keep your hair natural and strong. Ayurvedic herbs also work, but that is a whole nother thread! And I have babbled long enough! Good luck, if you want more information on herbs, or how to use the ones I mentioned, please PM me! Thanks and happy hair growing!!!!

 

[ibeleevenme]

GabbanaGirl your hair is amazing looking... your tag is cute too! "I dream of hair" lol you don't have to! lol

At any rate, that is a lot of good information! I am going to pm you on the herbs too because I have never heard of blue malva, marshmallow or licorice root.... I have no clue if I can get them locally or get them all from one website. Gracious lol

You are absolutely right about the tight braiding too. I went to this lady once - The shop is supposed to be all about braiding. From micros to sew ins. Well the girl braiding it in was braiding so tight I thought I was going to die. They keep excedrine on hand and the woman had the nerve to be proud of the fact that she could braid so tight!!! The owner was like "but you'll love it when it's done." (rolling my eyes) Well let me tell you a week later, I found a bald spot in my hair that was the size of about a dollar coin and I wasn't even happy with it... but they did introduce me to aphogee and that's the only good thing I got out of that shop. That was back in 2000 though. After that, my stylist didn't braid tight and I always used to wonder why and he told me that he stressed technique rather than tight.

I am absolutely going to try to find what's necessary and start my fokti tonight so that I can track my progress.

You all have given me strength, I can feel my hair is all dry up under this wig now..

Today Ladies, things are going to change!!!!!!!​

Stay tuned to my sickly hair revealing. ( I feel like I'm on national geographic) and I look forward to the journey.

 

[supermodelsonya]

I don't know guys...sounds like she needs some protein. I get installs back to back...(sometimes there is like a week in between)

I DC 2x a week, I do a mild protein (Aphogee 2 min) once a week.

I make sure I do a protein treatment along with a good DC before getting in a weave and I've retained all that I grew last year.

OP sounds like you need to stick to a regimen. Before you weave, baby your hair, after you take your installs down, baby your hair. Wash your hair once a week in the installs, moisturize your tracks, and use a nice braid spray while in your install.

That is what I've done. Weaves are great for retaining length....but it really depends on who is doing the install.

 

[ibeleevenme]

Yeh it seems like I need some protein, and some serious moisturizing. I'm looking at this henna page on hennaforhair.com and seriously I didn't know that henna was a dye. ( I feel dumb) I thought that dye only damaged but so many people are swearing by it.