Less heat=More Breakage???

[DMJ's Mom]

Is it just my hair or does it seem like the less heat that you use the more breakage you get? Even when I was relaxed and blowdrying and flat ironing once a week or sometimes 2x a week I never had this much breakage. The first time I went natural(at APL) I was still straightening every other week and never had a problem with breakage but it seems like this time around (I'm at APL again) everything I do is making my hair break and I haven't changed my reggie AT ALL (same products and everything). It worked great (ie no breakage very little shedding moisturized and defined curls) when my hair was shorter but now that its longer its failing miserably. Even my standby of shea butter and coconut oil isn't working as well. I know they say that pregnancy can change hair texture (and I have noticed texture change towards the crown and center of my head) but I can't tell if my reggie just needs to be changed, if its just the winter drying it out (but I didn't have this problem last winter) or if its really just the pregnancy. The best I can come up with right now is just blowdry on light heat every week (my hair seems easier to moisturize and needs far less detangling on wash day) until I can figure a better solution. Any ideas ladies?? TIA!!

 

[jamaraa]

BC Congrats on your baby :woohoo:

I don't think pregnancy would cause breakage (maybe someone else will chip in here)...winter IS drying tho it shouldn't cause breakge per se, but for some folks keeping the hair straight(er) helps them avoid tangling issues involved w/ shrinkage. Shrinkage-tangling-breakage are a trinity in my mind. The more you get of the 1st, the more of the other . Maybe you need to keep it straight or streched somehow as a regular thing. After all, your hair IS getting longer (pregnancy is supposed to cause THAT ) and the longer your hair gets, the more tangling becomes an issue (for most).

That's all I can offer ya...I know it's not conventional wisdom around here, but diff strokez for diff folkz!

 

[SueA2]

I was pregnant in '08 and had a similar experience. My hair was breaking like crazy; I couldn't wait to see my stylist so I chopped it off myself. After cutting it, the breakage subsided within a couple of weeks. My stylist told me that it was the pregnancy hormones.

Don't worry, your hair will start to grow like crazy within a few months; those pregnancy hormones are no joke. lolol!

 

[cutiebe2]

I have not used any heat in two years. I think I will start straigening twice a year. With natural hair its hard to tell how healthy my ends are and I keep getting knots on my ends

I am planning on upping the amount of oil I use to see if that helps

 

[DMJ's Mom]

Well I'm already 7 months and just noticing the breakage and the texture change all within the past month or so which is why I'm not sure of what's causing it. My growth rate hasn't increased just the breaking.

 

[Mz.Shug]

I'm not an expert but what's your night time hair routine?

 

[DMJ's Mom]

I put a little moisture on the ends braid it and put on a durag. I've been doing that since I was in high school and never had this problem

 

[DMJ's Mom]

Bumping for more help!!

 

[Hairsnob]

I tend to agree about having more breakage without heat, at least for me. When I wet my hair a lot I feel like there is more shedding even when finger-combing. Especially when you're getting towards the end of a stretch and you have to manipulate it more. Of course the heat is no good for your ends but I definitely like my hair straightened from heat once a week after washing. I'm just extra careful about applying heat protecting sprays, especially on the ends.

Along with that goes the usage of silicone products with heat. I believe that makes my hair stronger. Without heat I tend to use different products. That's because silicones itch my scalp without heat (I don't know why but this is my belief). I think it's because with heat the products never really get a chance to run off onto my scalp.

 

[Heavenly]

I think, for myself, that heat and product makes my hair more stronger. If I do not use heat, it becomes brittle and snaps like nobody's business. Don't know why.

When I rollerset and airdry = breakage.

Even when my hair was virgin, straightening with heat made it stronger.

In my relaxed state, I retained the most length in my life. As a kid, my natural hair never got longer than my shoulders.

 

[CaliDiamond]

I think, for myself, that heat and product makes my hair more stronger. If I do not use heat, it becomes brittle and snaps like nobody's business. Don't know why.

When I rollerset and airdry = breakage.

Even when my hair was virgin, straightening with heat made it stronger.

In my relaxed state, I retained the most length in my life. As a kid, my natural hair never got longer than my shoulders.

This is the case for me too..I think that the heat makes the cuticle lie flat which causes less tangling and breakage.

I know that I am using heat sparingly for a while, and I have to tweak my regimen to include more "slippy" conditioners and rinse with cold water. This has been helping.

 

[DMJ's Mom]

Thank you ladies for the replies!! I'm so glad that I'm not the only one. I guess I'll just keep blow drying on light heat and try to ride out the winter without too much more damage then see what happens come spring time

 

[sharifeh]

Congratulations on the baby!!!!! I wish the baby a long healthy life!!

 

[blkbeauty]

This was the problem I had after the first couple of years in being natural without using heat. I think I was getting breakage because the hair was getting tangled. I use heat more often to straighten my hair, so I do not get alot of breakage.

Also OP, I had started to get breakage over the past year or so. I went to the doctor and found out I had anemia. I am currently on iron pills (ferrex) now and notice less breakage. I don't have any children, but do pregnancy cause an iron loss and do you think that this could be the cause of your breakage?

 

[melodies815]

It was a long time ago for me (13 years) but I remember how my hair changed while pregnant like it was yesterday. Thankfully, it did grow, but it was also more breaky...

Congratulations on your pregnancy, and I hope you are able to keep up with your hair changes.....

HHG!

cj

 

[HeChangedMyName]

Well I'm already 7 months and just noticing the breakage and the texture change all within the past month or so which is why I'm not sure of what's causing it. My growth rate hasn't increased just the breaking.

sounds like it may be the pregnancy. Your hormones are changind rapidly and your body is doing all kinds of new things. How's your water intake. Remember that it is taking extra fluids to maintain the amniotic fluid and the blood in the baby and the placenta. Try bumping up your fluids and see if that will help.

 

[hillytmj]

I don't know...I may have to agree with the OP. I am an avid rollersetter, but I have noticed that when I flat iron, I only see long strands shedding.
As a rollersetter, I have shedding everywhere and some breakage.

Not sure why since no heat is supposed to be better?