*Le Sigh* I Knew It Was Too Good To Be True. My Hair Is Breaking off...

[hopeful]

Sianna, hang in there, you've gotten great advice. I agree that wash in go's can cause a lot of damage, especially long-term. Is your hair long enough to twist without extensions? If so, you can twist, roll the ends, wear a pretty scarf (like you do with your fro in your avatar) and keep it moving. This is an excellent ps and you can moisturize as often as you need/want. Keep in twists for a week or two. Then wear a twist out for a day or two, then deep condition and re-twist. Go easy on the protein, that may be the problem, but I think your hair is tired of being "out" and wants to be left alone IMO. My hair always starts to shed and break if I wear it out too often, especially the 4b sections.

You have made excellent progress, keep pressing forward.

 

[BillsBackerz67]

The same can be said for my hair with WNG's and Im not a 4B. My hair is now thriving with ;less manipulation, washing every 2 weeks, and no WNG's

You may escape the manipulation by WNGs, but the detangling that you have to do later is manipulation that undoes all the good your low mani did. Also I do think wetting the hair all the time can weaken it. There's a school of thought that hair is weak when wet so I don't know how much this may have to do with your breakage.

If you look at MOST 4Bers with long hair, you will see that they rarely, if ever, WNG'd; they keep their hair stretched in braids or twists or cornrows or banding and hardly manipulate their hair; they don't wear their hair out every day unless it's in a braid-out or twist-out or bun. In other words, they aren't combing their hair day in, day out, but rather will give it a break from daily styling by wearing styles that last more than one day but that also do not lead to tangles that will later cost them strands of hair.



Please don't take this the wrong way but when people say that they don't have split ends, I give them the side-eye because I don't believe there's any way to know that unless one JUST had a trim a few seconds/minutes ago. What people don't realize is splits starts at a scale the naked eye cannot see. And even when the naked eye can see, you may see some even at about 1 millimeter size (but just think about how strained your eyes would be if you had to look at even just ten strands focusing on so small a split), but most times you will not see the splits because you get there too late. The absence of an actual split doesn't mean your ends are in good shape. Splits tear away and so you may not be sure what you're looking at. To help illustrate this, I took a photo of an end of my shed hair magnified 4 times. I honestly couldn't really see what it looked like just looking at it but with my camera's zoom, I could clearly see that the end is worn out. I then cut the hair so that I'd have a freshly trimmed end and the difference between a damaged end and one that isn't, is very clear.

Also you will see from my the size of my fingers/thumb that we're looking at a very small section of my hair. Imagine having to look at all your strands with such concentration/focus to know for sure that they look like the second one. Can anyone say eye-strain and headache? And because your hair is short, it's not possible for you to even do the futile S&D that many people use as their "proof" that they have no splits. Scientific photos of split ends show the damage starts at a microscopic scale so unless you're able to zoom in on each strand to that level, I think it's inaccurate for anyone to say they have no split ends. Trimming, sealing and protective styling can keep the splits to a minimum or limit them to the tips of your hair, but I don't think there's any way to fully eliminate them. Because as soon as you trim, you just exposed a new cross section to the elements, so moisture loss from that now open section is inevitable whenever it's exposed to the air thus starting the cycle all over again.



Yes you can. It'd give your hair a break from daily styling/manipulation.

 

[Sianna]

Hi ladies!! I've had time to cool off, take a deep breath, and get my thoughts, (if not my hair) in order!

I have decided to...

1. Up my protein. As I mentioned before, I think I am suffering from a lack there of, and adding more might just help.

2. Try some Ceramides! I haven't decided for sure which one I want to try, but I'm hitting the stores this weekend, and when I decide I'll let you guys know!

3. Say goodbye to the WNGs! Nonie's advice, though she mentioned 4b hair, made a lot of sense to me and honestly, I don't think my hair, (which I believe is 4a) is faring any better with them.

4. Twist my hair! Today at work I suddenly had a light bulb moment. I'm like, "Why didn't I think of this before?!" Since I can't braid for squat, I decided I would start wearing my hair flat twisted in the front with single twists in the back. If I don't like how the single twists look, (which I most likely won't) I'll wear beanies or some nice scarves!

So for right now I'll get my last day or two out of this final WNG and this weekend, I'm going to go out and invest in some nice ceramides, (I'm thinking an oil) some cute scarves and beanies and some more of the Aphogee two minute conditioner.

I'm really trying to regain the hope and determination I had in the very beginning when I started this healthy hair journey. With these changes, I am hoping to see some improvement and retention! I'll keep you ladies updated!

ETA: I think I'll also give finger combing a shot. I don't really like the idea of giving up my comb and Denman, but if I can reduce the amount of breakage I'm seeing, it'll be worth it. I'll probably just do a thorough (comb and brush) detangling once a month.

 

[hopeful]

So happy you are regaining your optimism. A year from now your hair is going to be so long!

 

[Sianna]

quick question, how did you "verify" ur breakage? Now that Im natural I really dont see broken off ends, though I figure there must be some. Like did u notice little "Cs" and "Os" when you wash/comb etc?

The reason I know my hair is breaking, is because I normally comb my hair while it's loaded with conditioner and so a lot of times, I pause to rinse excess product off my hands. Well, as of late, I'm starting to see an alarming amount of tiny broken pieces of hair in the sink. Some extremely small, and some that appear to be up to 1/4 inch, maybe even a little longer! I never really notice much hair on the comb, or even in the brush when I use that, but when I rinse my hands I can see those all those little pieces of hair as they swirl down the drain.

 

[Sianna]

I would like to thank each and every one of you ladies who responded to this thread! Even though I post pretty frequently, I am still pretty much a newbie here, yet you all make me feel very welcomed, accepted and even loved! I really appreciate all the encouragement, every bit of advice, and every word typed in response to this thread. You all could have just ignored my pleas for help and encouragement, but you didn't! Even those of you who didn't really have any advice, you still took the time to say a few kind words. I cannot say enough truly express my depth of gratitude.

It's really nice to be able to "talk" to you all as you genuinely seem to understand where I'm coming from. As far as hair, I can talk to you ladies in a way I can't talk to anyone else, because other people either don't care, give bad advice, or just don't get why it's so important to me to grow my hair.

I am so glad I joined this forum!

 

[curlyninjagirl]

I read a scientific article that equated combing afro-textured hair to getting a haircut. Since reading that, I haven't touched a comb or brush in three months and my breakage has drastically been reduced. I also read that every single thing we do to our hair that involves touching it causes damage, especially when you factor in the weak points created by the natural bends and shape of our hair.

Considering these facts, I think there's always room for improvement in the way we manipulate our hair and in our product choices. There's not a whole lot of proven information on afro-textured hair, so I feel like I'm my own guinea pig sometimes....LOL

http://thenaturalhaven.blogspot.com/2010/01/combing-damage.html

 

[Chevelure618]

Don't Panic! I've found that when my hair starts to act up the best thing is to ERR ON THE SIDE OF MOISTURE. Stop the protein for a while. I think Aph 2 step and Aph K&GTR is too much hard protein.

Try EVCO warm. Use you hands. Gently smoothe your oiled palms over sections of your hair and forget the roots, just midshaft down.

Do you have a hair steamer?

Also, try a moisturizing spritz. I use UBH Dew spray moisturizer, but Nexxus Botanicals has a very light one that is good too. HTH

 

[Sianna]

Alright ladies, I'm really trying to get back on track, so here's what I've done.

1. I tried twisting my hair in the front and doing the single twists in the back, but I really didn't like the way it was looking, plus I was having a "bad hair day;" meaning that everything I was trying to do just was not looking right. I ended up getting tired and frustrated and finally just decided to pull it back, like so.

I'm going to keep it like this for a while, conditioning probably once a week. I think the twice a week I had been doing might have been a bit too much.

2. I restocked on my Aphogee two minute reconstructor! In the last recent months I think I might have been overloading my hair with moisture and not enough protein. Now I'm trying to balance the scale!

3. I gots me some ceramides!!! Since I was already at the local BSS, I picked up some Hot Six oil, which has wheat germ oil as the third ingredient, I think. I also went to grocery store to look for some wheat germ oil, but couldn't find any. So instead, I ended up getting Sunflower AND Walnut oil! I couldn't remember which one was the ceramide so I just got both! Imagine my delight when I got back home, checked out the ceramide thread, and found out they both were! Might be going a little hard with it, but hey, desperate times...

So, I think since I have all these delicious oils, I'm going to start doing some hot oil treatments. I don't really know when or how I'll fit them into my hair care and protective styling routine, but I'll figure it out somehow.

I'll continue to keep you ladies updated! Wish me luck!

 

[Nonie]

Sianna, you know I LOVE it when you wear your hair in a bun like that^^. Very becoming indeed.

 

[Sianna]

Sianna, you know I LOVE it when you wear your hair in a bun like that^^. Very becoming indeed.

:Blush2: Thanks Nonie! You're the BEST!!

I mentioned this before, but you ladies are awesome! I was, and still am very pleasantly surprised by the outpouring of support and advice you all have given me! I really do appreciate it!

 

[Sianna]

I Finally decided what I'm going to do with my hair!!!

Yarn braids!! Well, I think I'll do twists instead of actual braids, but we'll see. Anyway, I already got the yarn and precut it according to how long I want the braids. So today after work I'll just have to wash and condition my hair and then get to braiding! It's probably going to take most of the weekend to get it all done, but I can't wait to see what it's going to look like!

Oh, and you don't even have to say anything cause you betta know I'll be posting some pics of the finished product!

 

[Freespirit02]

I'm sorry babygirl..(cyber hug). I know the feeling. I don't know much about hair..still a newbie..so i don't want to give bad advice. Maybe it's something to do with your moisture and protein balance..maybe you should up the moisture. I hope someone can help you, my love. Good luck!

 

[Bigmommah]

You've received so much excellent advice, I'll just add ***HUGS*** and keep going. I can't wait to see your braids.

 

[Guitarhero]

My hair shed like crazy this past Spring and it seems I have 1/2 my hair thickness now. Then, it started breaking a bit on the ends. You're not the only one. I think that a lot of people have been shedding lately (some weird pollution or what???) and now some are beginning to break due to the colder and dryer air coming. I normally notice dryness at this time of year. Up your deep conditioning and do as much protective styling as possible. Hold off on heat tools and massage scalp daily, eat more protein and good fat supplements.

 

[lana]

I actually wanted to suggest that you make sure you are taking some form of oil as a supplement. That will help your scalp, which in turn will help your hair. I take EPO and rotate with Flaxsee/Fish/Borage Oil. Also, I use Mane & Tail Conditioner religiously! It works for retaining length on my hair. I use Keracare Shampoo and Conditioner (I love my Keracare Humecto Conditioner!)

I wear a bun through the fall/winter and that helps me to keep healthy hair and retain length. I wear my bangs out, but I'm not trying to grow my bangs. Also try to keep in mind that hair HEALTH is more important than LENGTH. If you get the hair HEALTHY then it will grow longer and retain length readily. I hope this helps.

 

[Afro|Psychedelicdisiac]

I know how you feel. I feel as if I wanna give up too. But with words of encouragement from the other ladies, I hope everything gets better for you.

 

[SimJam]

any updates Sianna?

 

[Sianna]

any updates Sianna?

Actually, the breakage seems to have gotten a little better! I don't want to jinx myself, but I think the ceramides are helping! I think the protective styling is going to be just what I need to help me retain!

Thanks for all the support ladies!

 

[SimJam]

Actually, the breakage seems to have gotten a little better! I don't want to jinx myself, but I think the ceramides are helping! I think the protective styling is going to be just what I need to help me retain!

Thanks for all the support ladies!

wooohooo !!!!
Ceramides are awesome !

 

[Sianna]

I Think I may Have Solved My Retention Issues, Using Ceramides and Yarn Braids!!

Hey everyone, I'm back! I just finished my yarn braids!! Well, twists actually.

Also, I suppose I could have started a new thread, but I wanted to keep this one. If my hair retains like I want it to, this thread will become really inspiring some day.

Anyway, I started the braids yesterday evening after work. I thought it would take the whole weekend to complete, but I was actually able to finish much sooner than I expected!

Check it out!

I started by sectioning my hair, like so.

I was looking good babeh!

I never employed this technique before when braiding my hair, but it I think I will do so from now on. Even though the sections were not perfect, they did help be quite a bit. It's a lot easier making even parts when the hair is sectioned off this way!

Several hours later, and here's the final product!

Even though I referred to them as braids, they are actually just two strand twists. I twist faster than I braid so I think that's part of the reason I was able to do it a lot faster than I expected. Plus the yarn was so much easier to work with than hair! It doesn't tangle like hair does! It really made a big difference!

Well thanks for looking and thanks so much for all your advice ladies! I think this protective style is just what I needed to get back on track with my retention!

I WILL make SL by the end of the year!!

 

[BillsBackerz67]

Wow I would have thought a professional did that. It looks awesome!

 

[Evallusion]

Two Thumbs Up!

 

[lilsparkle825]

looks awesome. i'm happy for you!