Mechanical Damage

[soslychic]

I'm thinking that there are 4 types of damage that can occur to hair.

1. Chemical
2. Heat
3. Outside Elements
4. Mechanical Damage

I'm finally getting most of this down. Chemical (I'm trying to only relax my hair 4 times a year)
Heat (I'm limiting myself to 1-2 times a month and protecting my hair when i do use heat. Almost using ceramic flat irons and curling irons to prevent hot spots and practically no blow drying)
Outside elements (I'm wearing protective styles to protect my ends which are the most fragile)
Now for the part where I have trouble. Mechanical damage from combing, brushing, handling.
I'm condition wash basically everyday which means that I have to comb everyday. So I find myself combing conditioner through and combing when I have everything washed out to get rid of all tangles and combing again to get it in a bun and then brushing a little to get it smooth in my bun. This has to be too much, but how can I reduce this? I'm basically taking all measures to prevent hair breakage and then breaking it manually!

Any suggesions would be appreciated! TIA!

 

[FineChyna]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm thinking that there are 4 types of damage that can occur to hair.

1. Chemical
2. Heat
3. Outside Elements
4. Mechanical Damage

I'm finally getting most of this down. Chemical (I'm trying to only relax my hair 4 times a year)
Heat (I'm limiting myself to 1-2 times a month and protecting my hair when i do use heat. Almost using ceramic flat irons and curling irons to prevent hot spots and practically no blow drying)
Outside elements (I'm wearing protective styles to protect my ends which are the most fragile)
Now for the part where I have trouble. Mechanical damage from combing, brushing, handling.
I'm condition wash basically everyday which means that I have to comb everyday. So I find myself combing conditioner through and combing when I have everything washed out to get rid of all tangles and combing again to get it in a bun and then brushing a little to get it smooth in my bun. This has to be too much, but how can I reduce this? I'm basically taking all measures to prevent hair breakage and then breaking it manually!

Any suggesions would be appreciated! TIA!

[/ QUOTE ]

i know you asked for advice but i have a question. if you hair isn't shedding in the comb or brush and you are using the proper brushing materials should you worry about "damage" really? i can see how problems would arise from using a bristle brush constantly, but not a wide tooth comb. i wear my hair in ponytails but i put jell in the edges of my hair line to smooth it down. i used a bristle brush to get the sleek look but i try to brush in a manner that won't allow the bristles to "rake" through my hair. so far i haven't seen any problems with this and i've been doing it for a while now.

 

[soslychic]

Hmmm.......well I'm not really noticing any EXCESS shedding or breaking at this point. It just seems like I'm putting too much stress on it combing it 3 times a day.

 

[nita4]

Why are you combing your hair three times a day? I understand relaxing 4 times a year - I hate relaxing my hair, but this is what I do to maintain it so...but I only comb my hair twice a day. Morning and evening when I moisturize. I keep it in a protective style 99% of the time which eliminates combing.

Oh well, Practice makes perfect.

Good luck.

 

[A_Christian]

I stopped combing the conditioner through. Now I just put the conditioner on my hair with my hands. I start by concentrating conditioner on the ends and then working my way up the strands until I have conditioner on every part of my hair. I don't actually comb my hair until I have washed all of the conditioner etc... out and then I use a spray bottle filled with water, nexxus humectress, and Kera Care essential oils to spray each section of hair (starting with the ends) to ensure that my hair has as much slip as possible. Since I stopped combing the conditioner through I loose maybe 15 hairs (which is low for me) after a wash, whereas before I was loosing so much hair I was too afraid to count how many strands were shed. Also, perhaps you could smooth your hair into a bun without the extra combing and brushing, that will probably save strands. I think most brushes, even the gentle ones, put too much extra stress on the hair. My hair is much thicker than it was years ago when I used a brush. Usually smoothing the hair down can be achieved by putting a little extra moisturizer on your hair and gently smoothing it back with your hands, but if you want a really sleek look maybe a tiny bit of gel such as Kera Care protein styling gel (or another gel you like) can help to smooth you hair down without a brush. Hope this helps

 

[soslychic]

Thanks A_Christian! Those are wonderful suggesions and using them, I should be able to get my hair combing down to once per day

Thanks so much!

 

[Chichi]

Hi,

Try doing ACV rinses for reducing the tangles.

I believe that there is such a thing as too soft hair (overmoisturized). Are you doing protein treatments to strengthen your hair to reduce shedding?

One of my staple products is Humectress used as a conditioner and leave-in because it helps me moisturize but keep my hair strong because it has protein in it.

I also use the John Frieda Texture Correcting Serum (RELAX line) on my wet hair (before combing) to give me good slip. I lose like five hairs (or less) a day

Chichi

 

[soslychic]

Yes, I do do acv rinses and I do do protein treatments to reduce shedding and I don't have a lot of hair in my comb. It's just excess stress on my hair basically that I was worried about that may or may not cause problems in the future.

 

[aqualung]

[ QUOTE ]
So I find myself combing conditioner through and combing when I have everything washed out to get rid of all tangles and combing again to get it in a bun and then brushing a little to get it smooth in my bun. This has to be too much, but how can I reduce this?

[/ QUOTE ]

When I use these products separately or in succession on my fine, 4b, relaxed hair, the tangles are minimized.

1.Keracare hydrating and detangling shampoo (days I clarify)
2.Clairol Renewal 5X conditioner for colored/permed hair
3.John Frieda Relax Texture correcting serum

In the shower, I comb through my hair hair after the conditioner has been on it 3-5 minutes. My head is tipped back as if I'm looking at the ceiling or leaning back in the washbowl at the salon. The hair's all falling 1 direction, and the water's combing it too. I use a Jilbere shower comb, but there are fewest tangles if the hair's been in a bun since the last wash.

I don't comb or brush my hair at all outside of the shower. I smooth it into a bun with my palms and pin it up with 2 Good Hair Day pins. The serum makes it look more "finished," and sleeping in the silky scarf molds it further.

 

[soslychic]

Thanks megonw!