KINKS Causing breakage..HELP!!

[GodivaChocolate]

I'm 100% natural and I straighten, lately I have been experiencing, kinks along the hair shaft and/or SSK when I straighten that is causing my hair to break in that spot along the shaft. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrongerplexed I will straighten a piece of hair and the strands will either stick together or go in different directions, sometimes looping or crinkling causing that point to break and some of the hair feels crispy or rough. Has anyone experienced this? Do I need to get a better flat iron? I didn't deep condition with heat this time could that be the culprit, I rinse with cold water mixed with ACV, use a leave in, seal with olive oil and use a heat protectant..(oh i did use some castor oil to seal this time.....maybe that's the problem, I don't think heat and castor oil mix) ..Please help I dont wan to lose my progress
I dont have split ends just kinks along the hair shaft on some strands.

 

[EllePixie]

Sounds like you need more moisture overall to fight SSKs, not just when straightening. I moisturize and seal nightly and that is helping me a ton.

 

[Vavavoom]

Wow, you moisturize nightly? If you don't mind, what's your regimen & what do you use?

 

[Guitarhero]

I'd get a Chi or FHI flat iron, seriously. Also, use Chi Silk for the ironing. Apply your castor after you're done. Some of them singe the hair because they are cheaply made. You have heat damage. Do hot oil treatments weekly and moisturize at night and avoid heat for now. LeKair Natural Shea Butte Cholesteral Creme is a leave-in and is very good for moisturizing. I'd braid the hair after applying and sleep on satin.

 

[EllePixie]

Wow, you moisturize nightly? If you don't mind, what's your regimen & what do you use?

I currently cowash daily so I'm not worried about messing up my hair (it's short) - shampoo once a week. Mainly do wash and gos - seal w/ oil, use a LI (Shea Moisture Shea Butter LI is my fave, Oyin Honey Hemp is also great), then styler (today used Donna Marie Curling Creme but I'm a PJ so this varies greatly lol). At night, I'll add more moisture of some kind - I like agave nectar, or AfroVeda Cocolatte Moisture Mask, or Donna Marie Super Butter Cream, etc...then seal with my ceramide mix (hemp seed oil, JBCO, flax seed oil, jojoba, glycerin, etc). Put on my satin bonnet, sleep on my satin pillowcase and done! Oh, and I usually DC 2x a week.

Hope that helps!

 

[labellenoire]

It sounds to me like you need to deep condition better before you straighten. I am 100% natural with coarse coily hair and the first time I tried to straighten my hair, I had the same experience you speak of. Also, maybe other naturals who straighten will chime in, but I find that using oil prior to straightening is no good. WestEndBeauty (sp?) who is a LHCF'er has a really good vid on how to straighten and I tried her method, my hair came out beautifully. The only place I deviate from her method is I add a leave in conditioner and use a dime size amount of heat protectant (per section) as a sealant. Hope this helps.

 

[GodivaChocolate]

Thanks Ladies, I will definitely try all of your suggestions and I truly appreciate your advice. I'll keep u posted!

 

[PPGbubbles]

It sounds like your not keeping your hair stretched! try plaiting your hair into about 10/12 twists or braids each time you wash, co-wash, DC or etc. Doing this will not allow your hair to coil on itself thus virtually eliminating SSKs. and you can air dry like this eliminating a lot of manipulation.

Also when flat ironing, use the comb-chase method to eliminate bends/kinks in the hair while flat ironing....this method adds some tension to the hair so that the flat iron can smooth the hair and the comb keeps the strands separated. This will stop the crinkling and looping you mentioned