Need help with shedding :( 3B fine hair

[melahnee]

Good morning/afternoon, i hope everyone is well.

I am recovering from bleaching my hair 3 times in one day..I actually did this a little over a year ago, but I am still paying for it because I continued to dye it and straighten/use heat on it everyday. I don't even want to think about how many inches i lost, what matters is that it's growing back, but I have one major problem: my hair sheds a lot!

I have read a lot of threads on here about fine hair. Everyone says not to use too much product on it, little to no heat, low manipulation, be gentle with it etc, but these are all things i've been doing with my hair. what do you girls think I should try to make it a little stronger/control the shedding? by the way, before I bleached my hair, it was pretty long, reaching waist length, but even then it would always shed unfortunately.

I have also attached a picture for reference.

 

[Amarilles]

The hair looks just fine in the photo. Do you really mean shedding, or breakage? Hair will shed daily...it's the normal course of the hair cycle. If the hair has white tips you shouldn't worry about it.

 

[bhndbrwneyes]

Do you use protein in your regimen? Well...what is your regimen? Maybe ladies can tell you some steps to add or take out and recommend products for you. Protein helps with breakage and something like a Apple Cider Vinegar or tea rinse can help with shedding.

 

[melahnee]

Thank you both for responding!
Please bare with me, because I'm fairly new at taking GOOD care of my hair, lol.
As far as whether it's shedding or breaking, I honestly do not know, but it feels like more is coming out than it should.

I do eat protein, if that's what you mean. I deep condition it every time I wash it, which varies. anywhere from once a week to every other week. I've never done any kind of rinse, but I will probably try it since it's one of the things I haven't done yet.
I used heat on it for the first time in like four months last week (picture in OP). I just started taking Phytophanere as well (only since last week), so I'm hoping that works for me! I've never experimented with any hair supplements. I don't dye it anymore and I've never relaxed it. 99% of the time, my hair is braided or in a bun.
I don't really know how to describe my regimen because I try not to do too much to it I hope I have given enough information.

 

[melahnee]

Oh and also, I hardly moisturize or put oil in it unless I go to the salon. :/
But when I do, I use coconut milk by organix.

 

[Nonie]

@melahnee, why do you believe you shed more than you should? Are you aware that NORMAL shedding = up to 100 strands of hair PER DAY? And that is only if you are manipulating your hair enough to remove all 100 EVERY SINGLE DAY. Whatever you don't take out one day adds onto the hundred that will shed the next day. If your hair didn't shed, it would not grow. Shedding is part of the growth cycle.

I believe the previous poster was asking if you deep condition with a protein treatment. If you're new to good haircare, I'll tell you what I did that helped me get the basics so that this forum was easier for me to navigate. I got a book that laid the basics on haircare down so I understood what it that hair needs. You don't have to buy a book. Reading a website like this one can give you basics of what hair needs, so you can start to understand your hair.

 

[bhndbrwneyes]

@melahnee based on what you have said so far here is my input:

1.) By protein I mean adding protein-based products to your regimen. You need to balance protein and moisturizing products (perhaps balancing them evenly or just depending on what your hair prefers or needs...some people are "sensitive" to protein. My hair LOVES it). Protein makes your hair stronger. You can tell a product is protein-based if it has the words "strengthening" or "restorative" in the description/subtitle. When I first started my HHJ not too long ago my first protein conditioner was Nexxus Keraphix Strengthening Conditioner. Now I'm using either Aubrey Organics Glycogen Protein Balancing (AO GPB) or HydroQuench Systems The Slip Silk Protein Hydrating Conditioner. I use one of these on every co-wash which I do 3-5 times per week. I also have more intense protein treatments in my stash such as Aphogee 2-Minute Reconstructor and Nexxus Emergencee. I only use those maybe once every month.

Moisturizing products will usually have "moisturizing" (not to point out the obvious), "hydrating", or "nourishing" in the description/subtitle. It IS possible for your hair to be over-moisturized causing the hair to stretch and eventually snap (elasticity). This is why it is important to get both moisture and protein.

2.) When you deep condition, make sure you are doing it with a product that is made for deep conditioning. Not all conditioners are deep conditioners so leaving a standard conditioner on for a long time may have no added benefit. I have found that DCing with heat works better for me. If you don't use heat at least wear a plastic cap for 30 minutes to an hour so that it can trap your body heat. The deep conditioners I use (currently experimenting with a few products but I like them all so far) are ORS Hair Mayo, Its a 10 Miracle Mask, HydroQuench Systems Botanical Peppermint Coconut Repair Mask, HydroQuench Systems Coconut Mango Hydrating Mask, and Nexxus Humectress Deep Conditioner.

3.) I would say you need to up your moisturizing efforts if not daily then every other day. (People will probably yell at me for saying "if not daily"). Some people don't need to do it daily because their hair is naturally oily. I've heard great things about coconut milk. I'm currently experimenting with 100% pure Jojoba and Sweet Almond oil. Several of the daily moisturizer products I recently bought have coconut milk (as well as those other 2 oils I mentioned) in them and so far I like effects. I recently purchased and liked Hairitage Hydrations Mango Colada, Hairitage Hydrations Pink Lemon Mimosa, Hairitage Hydrations Soft Coconut Marshmallows, HydroQuench Systems Coconut Lime Oil, and HydroQuench Systems Greaseless Moisture....Ok, yes I went on a product binge recently lol.

My hair is low porosity which means it has a small amount of pores on the hair shaft to allow moisture in. It takes a while for my hair to be moisturized and then takes a while for my hair to release moisture. HydroQuench and Hairitage Hydrations have a variety of products that seem to suit people of all hair types (low-high porosity, thin-thick).

4.) Its good that you keep it braided or bunned most of the time. Protective styling such as this will help prevent breakage. Make sure you also protect your hair at night by sleeping on a silk pillowcase or with a silk/satin bonnet. Traditional cotton pillowcases are too rough on unprotected hair. Also try to protective style your hair at night so that you don't form unnecessary tangles.

5.) Make sure you detangle on a regular basis. Most people including myself suggest detangling only on wet hair and using either your fingers or a wide-toothed comb. Detangling helps remove shed hair that is trapped among your other strands. If you go too long without detangling then these trapped shed hairs will get tangled on your other strands causing them to pull out whether hair it is currently knotted to. Also, it is normal to shed between 50-100 strands of hair per day so if you don't detangle for 2-3 days you can expect a much greater number.


I'm sure other ladies will chime in. Welcome to the forum and good luck!

P.S. As a beginner, you can also read several of VictoriaCrystal's post (sorry inside joke)

 

[melahnee]

wow, thank you both SO much for this information you have given me.

I have a few things to say but I will in the morning since it's pretty late

bhndbrwneyes thank you so much for taking the time to write that out!! I will definitely be taking a lot of your advice, as will as noting a few of those products