My fourteen year-old cousin is going bald!

[chellee]

It's true. She's been getting box braids since she was six years old. For the last 4 years she has had them with no breaks in between.

Removal->Shampoo->NO DEEP CONDITIONER->Blow-dry->Rebraid.

That's the process. One day I watched her remove them and noticed her hair was less than half-inch in some lengths and no longer then 4 inches in others and thinning. I have made suggestion after suggestion but her mother won't listen. She once sent her to my house one day with a relaxer and I refused. Relax what? And style it how?

The most obvious alternative would be for her to cut her hair short and allow it to grow back healthier. She won't do this because she is conscious of her reputation in school and says she will be embarrassed if people know that she doesn't have any hair. I told her to get a trendy cut but the maintenance is out of the question.

PLEASE HELP! Maybe if she deep conditions her hair while in braids her strands won't be so weak? How do I just stand back and watch this happen?

 

[karezone]

I know how sensitive 14 year olds can be.
Can she switch from box braids to cornrows. I don't know if it is financially feasible but she can get her hair cornrowed every week enabling her to wash and deep condition before getting her cornrows put in. And as the hair grows trim. This way she still has a fashionable style and she gets weekly washes and deep conditioners. But no more relaxers until the damage is grown out. There is really no need to relax if all you are going to do is slap some more braids in it. Get her some stimulating balm, maybe some peppermint oil to help with the bald spots.

Also deep condioning while in braids can help some also.

 

[mkh_77]

Maybe she can keep getting the braids but do the Crown and Glory method. Suggest a big chop and a serious weekend of conditioner, and then she can go back to braids. But, at least this time she will know how to take care of them. Or, maybe you can help her boost her confidence enough to sport a TWA and be different from all the other girls! Then she could focus on the health of her hair.

 

[sillygurl18]

I'd tell her:

Stop with the braids or continue to lose her hair.

Cornrows cause thinning so I wouldn't do that. Her hair is probably weak.

I don't know what style to suggest. I wouldn't put any chemicals on it. She's too young for a wig. I'd just tell her to get it all cut even. That's all she can do. Right?

 

[good2uuuu]

Have you taken her to the growafrohairlong.com site? Those basic tips could really help her a lot.Also, some aphogee and some good deep conditioning will go a long way for her.

 

[mermaid]

I'd tell her:

Stop with the braids or continue to lose her hair.

That's what I'm sayin'.
I had a 14 year old daughter a long time ago (she's 20 now) and if she was told her hair was falling out because of something she was doing- she would stop right then and there because teenage girls do NOT want some oddity about their hair, and going bald at 14 would be odd.
Show her a picture of Naomi Campbell's hairline and tell her that is her future if she keeps on.

 

[chellee]

I referred her to the site and she seemed receptive (growafrohairlong I mean) although she could have been being polite. I try not to come across as imposing b/c I am in no way an authority on hair care, I just know what she is doing is dead wrong. She told me the bald spots were because a few of her braids fell out, from the root I suggested braid spray and she said she doesn't like her scalp to feel wet and she wanted the braids to last longer. There goes execting her to wash them much less deep condition them. Her mother and 2-year older sister are losing their hair too due to wearing sew-in weaves 365 days of the year. It's the blind leading the blind.

I feel really sad because I see an inevitable diseaster. I will try again with the braid spray suggestion. AT LEAST the braid spray. Soon she will have no hair to attach hair to and she will have no choice but to wear a TWA.

It looks like this (Don King) and I'm not being funny: