My Hair Keeps Getting SHORTER!

[LegallySpeaking]

My Hair Keeps Getting SHORTER! Updated w/Photos

Since I started wearing my natural hair in late October, I've been following all the great tips I've learned on this forum, but my hair will not stop disappearing! The head of hair in my left avatar photo no longer exists. I've gone from almost bra strap to shoulder length in two and a half months! I have never treated my hair this well, so I'm extremely frustrated that I'm having negative results. I've been wearing my hair natural and not using heat, moisturizing, deep conditioning, conditioner washing, sleeping in satin scarves and on silk pillowcases, taking vitamins and doing a hardcore protein treatment every six weeks. I am at a loss about how to stop this breakage.

 

[DelightfulFlame]

do you do protective styles? buns, twists, braids...etc?

 

[LegallySpeaking]

do you do protective styles? buns, twists, braids...etc?

I have another post on here about how the only style I've been able to master is the pony puff. Besides the pony puff, I sometimes wear a french roll, headbands or scarfs. I rarely wear it completely down because I haven't mastered that style yet. Occassionally, I've done the baggie method overnight. Probably the only LHCF thing I do not do is keep my ends protected from the air during the day (because of course, the puff is exposed). Still, I'm virtually always indoors and I live in Los Angeles, so the climate is mild (today the high will be 80 degrees).

 

[dreemssold]

Wow...I just looked at your album, and I agree your hair has gotten shorter. I am stumped, but I say listen to your hair. Everything doesn't work for everyone...if what you were doing before gave you healthy bra strap hair--and it seems that it did--I'd go back to it. I don't know how all the things you are doing could possibly harm your hair, but it appears that it has. I agree that protective styles are a great idea, but I would think that with all the other things you are doing, your hair should have flourished in spite of that...after all, some ladies here wear their hair down all the time and have great progress. Hopefully, someone else will have better insight than I. Good luck!

 

[KathyMay]

I have 4a/b relaxed, not natural but maybe it is the Aphogee treatment. I have used the treatment on my hair every six weeks and it seemed to cause more damaged to my hair so I stopped using it. Now I use a light protein treatment like Elasta QP breakage serum. Also do you carry a spary bottle of your moisturizer with you for your hair during the day?

 

[GoingBack]

I agree with Dreem...whatever you were doing before, go back to it because it was working for you. I have learned that lesson recently too.

 

[simplycee]

Could it be the press that's causing your hair to get shorter? Maybe that direct heat is having a negative effect on your hair. Or maybe you need a heavier moisturizer for your ends.

When I was trying to combat dryness I deep conditioned once a week, no exceptions! Then I moisturized twice a day until my hair was back on track.

Hope this helps!

 

[LegallySpeaking]

Wow...I just looked at your album, and I agree your hair has gotten shorter.

What's sad is I haven't even posted the "short" photo yet. It had gotten shorter by that December '04 photo, but it is even shorter now

I agree with Dreem...whatever you were doing before, go back to it because it was working for you. I have learned that lesson recently too.

Unfortunately, I do not really have anything to go back to ... I was wearing sewn-in weaves before, so this is my first time wearing my natural hair in a long time.

 

[DelightfulFlame]

Sew in weaves? That's probably it. That was a "protective style". It was keeping your hair out of the elements. Even if the climate is mild, puffs can be damaging if worn too often. You have to be careful of whatever you are using to hold the puff.

 

[GoingBack]

Sew in weaves? That's probably it. That was a "protective style". It was keeping your hair out of the elements. Even if the climate is mild, puffs can be damaging if worn too often.

I agree. You were wearing a protective style with the weave. Maybe you should consider going back into a weave for a little while in order for your hair to get back on track.

 

[Kengne]

The only thing that jumped out at me that could possibly be causing the breakage is the "hardcore protein treatment" u use every 6 weeks...

Esp. on natural hair...esp if it's Aphogee...u should only use it like 2-3 times / yr! And that's IF your hair likes protein. Mine DOESN"T. It makes my natural hair dry, dry ,dry...Have u always been doing protein treatments??

Another thing...glad u've been staying away from the heat. Maybe the press you got in Oct 04 by the stylist, combined with the braids you had damaged your hair more than imagined. All I know is that I refuse to do cornrows again, with or without extenstions..it's just too drying on my hair! Yes, I could spritz with moisturizer every day but then the braids get sloppy and my hair gets very dirty, very quickly.

So my advice: stay away from the heat, protein and the braids (unless its single braids)..

K.

 

[nurseN98]

I've heard that Aphogee is too strong for natural hair. It was designed for processed/damaged hair. Maybe you should cut that out for a while to see how your hair responds. Replace it with Aubrey GPB or some other light protein.

Maybe you should put your hair in twists or some other protective style for a bit. Or change your regimen. BTW, what is your regimen?

 

[prettygrl]

I think it is probably the protein. Too much protein, can be a terrible thing. My hair broke off tremendously because I was using protein treatmens that were way too strong to frequently. My hair was healthy to begin with...and I did not need all of that hard core protein.

 

[LegallySpeaking]

Ladies, thanks for all the advice.

I feel like I've noticed less shedding after doing the Aphogee treatment, but obviously my hair is going somewhere. I'll lay off Aphogee for awhile.

Some explanation my be helpful ... my hair did grow while I was wearing weaves, but I've worn them for nine years and recently decided that I want to wear my natural hair. Since virtually no one I know, including my fiance, had ever seen me without a weave and many did not (and still do not) know I even wore weaves, this has been a drastic change. So, to make a long story short, the October 2004 press photo isn't because I'm into pressing, but is basically the first time I left the salon after getting my weave taken down without getting a new weave put in. Before deciding to stop wearing weaves, I browsed sites like LHCF because I did not want to lose the length I've gained. Originally, I thought I would probably relax, but decided to stay natural because I thought it would be better for my hair since it had been braided so long. I do not really want to go back to wearing weaves or any braided style, but do want to stop my hair from breaking.

 

[Eiano]

You know what,

I'm all for the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" school.

Your hair was *gorgeous*. What made you decide to change your routine? Rembmber, what works for someone else may not necessarily work for you and vice versa. If it was a want to go baco to natural, then you should go natural and keep on doing what you were doing before.

 

[LegallySpeaking]

BUMP because added the distressing evidence to my photo album Prepare to be shocked, the hair loss from October 2004 to January 2005 is insane.

 

[AJamericanDiva]

I haven't seen your pics yet, but I'm bracing myself. First of all, what is your regimen... let's walk through this process together hand in hand....

Oh yeah... Happy Birthday!!! I almost missed that!!!!!

 

[LegallySpeaking]

I haven't seen your pics yet, but I'm bracing myself. First of all, what is your regimen... let's walk through this process together hand in hand....

Thanks Diva, I obviously need some help.

My Regimen

Wash & Deep Condition at least 1x/week under a hard bonnet dryer (NTM products, Aphogee Keratin conditioner (1/month), Creme of Nature or Surge Power Wash)

Conditioner Wash 1 or 2x/week w/NTM or Suave Milk & Honey (Thinking of switching to Nexxus Products)

Take GNC Hair, Skin & Nails vitamins 2x day

Moisturize 2x daily with CD HHB, CD Hair Milk, Protectiv Healthy Ends, QP Mango Butter, Surge 14, Elasta QP H2, WGO or S Curl

Aphogee Treatment for Damaged Hair 1x/6-8 weeks (Going to stop this)

Wear daily in pony puff, french roll, headband twist out/braid out (
Stopped using heat after December 5th measurement photo - January 2005 photo (will not use heat anymore, but used NTM leave in, Redken Heat Glide & Dudley's Creme Press before applying heat)

 

[AJamericanDiva]

Ok, gurl... here's my take on it, granted, I still need to know your regimen. Once upon a time I used to be a weave queen. People hardly saw my hair... just as quickly as the weave was out, I put one in. What I found is that while my hair would grow long, it would be reaaaaally thin. Even though my hair appeared thick in its natural state, once straightened out, my ponytails probably wouldn't even be the diameter of a quarter. Very pitiful indeed. This is my experience. Eventually I would get all that thin stuff trimmed off. What I'm thinking is that the nonstop weaving all of those years got you the length, but the ends got damaged. That, in addition to the heat, may have been too much. I know Cali isn't that dry and all, but I think that your hair also may have wanted more moisture. Anytime I lose hair, I find it's one of three things: lack of moisture, not enough strength from protein or no protective styling. I've also heard that heavy duty protein can be hard on natural hair. Are you sure to follow up your protein treatments with heavy duty moisturizing treatments? At the sound of "crackle" I get my "s-curl gun" and kill that sound in its tracks. Then again, you also mentioned your stylist's hair handling practices.... I decided to try a new stylist and even went twice... both times when they shampoo my hair it was a tangled mess. Then they turn around and want to detangle with that fine tooth comb. I noticed when I braided my hair that I had short pieces throughout my head. Eventually that'll result in thin hair. You know I'm not going back to that hairdresser, right? That's my two cents, but let me see your regimen first before I sign off on this one....

 

[AJamericanDiva]

Ok, you posted your regimen while I posted.....

 

[AJamericanDiva]

How often did you do the heat? When it did get heat treated, how many days at a time did you wear it straight? I don't think my hair likes heat... at least not when I did it. What were you using for moisture when it was heat treated? I'd imagine that it'd revert with any moisturizing products when worn straight. Did you notice any broken hairs? See, that's the thing with this breakage... it'll sneak up on you and you won't even notice... one minute the hair is to there, then all of a sudden, "Whoa! Where'd it all go?" This seems to me that it's something that has been happening over time and you're finally taking notice of it.

 

[OnceUponAtime]

I have to agree about the protein treatments. My natural hair loves protein, but I will only do a hardcore treatment (Aphogee, Dudley's DRC) every 8 - 10 weeks now. Sometimes 12 weeks. Once my hair was strengthened by the treatments, I had to stretch out the time between because I started to see more breakage with the 6-8 week intervals.

Have you thought to add the baggie technique to your routine? Even a modified one may help. When I don't feel like wearing the baggie all day everyday, I sometimes Surge my hair, add my oil, put on a plastic cap or plastic wrap and put my heat cap on or sleep with my scarf over it. Helps with moisture and reduces breakage.

 

[aqualung]

Wash & Deep Condition at least 1x/week under a hard bonnet dryer (NTM products, Aphogee Keratin conditioner (1/month), Creme of Nature or Surge Power Wash)

Conditioner Wash 1 or 2x/week w/NTM or Suave Milk & Honey (Thinking of switching to Nexxus Products)

Looks like mechanical damage to me. Natural tightly coiled type 4 hair is easily ripped it out during wet detangling. You are handling your hair VERY frequently, and it's already brittle from all that protein.

How large are the hair balls after you finish detangling during each wash?
Are you satisfied with the detangler you use?
Save the hair balls after each wash and see if they don't add up.

To retain length again, either go back to the weave OR keep your hair straight and dry in a protective style for a month at a time (rollerset or pressed). You want to MINIMIZE the # of times per month that you wash, rinse, and comb through it while it's wet and coiled. I'd aim for once a month in your situation.

Also, look up threads relating to good combs and detangling tips.

 

[Isis]

I would like to suggest another possibility...

How are your iron levels? This happened to me several years ago and my hair kept getting shorter and shorter (I didn't know about haircare but even that wasn't it.). I was at my wits end since I wasn't doing anything different, I finally went to the doctor. He did a blood test and I learned my red blood cell count was very low. My scalp wasn't getting the nourishment it needed and in a brief period of time, my hair got shorter and shorter. As soon as I started taking iron, that problem ended, almost right away. I was amazed and so glad I went to the doctor when I did.

Besides the other great advice you were given, getting your blood tested is something you may want to consider. I really feel what you are going through LegallySpeaking, and with all of us, we will help you solve this.

BTW, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!