ok...i cant take the breakage anymore.

[lilsparkle825]

i am transitioning, 12 months in, and for the past 3ish weeks i have been getting all this dag-on breakage. i hardly ever shed which is great, but the broken pieces started out really short and for the past week have been LONG and its so frustrating. you should have seen my denman tonight! i'm gonna lose all my progress! lets see...i cowash 3x a week, DC 2x a week, detangle after the DCs mainly with my fingers, i did a 2 min aphogee today that did NOTHING, and an emergencee about 3 weeks ago that also did nothing. no heat all this month so far and only twice last month. even when i used heat once a week this didnt happen! my natural hair is loving the moisture but is it possible my last few inches are rebelling because of it? cowashing is what keeps me sane so i dont wanna stop it if i dont have to! help me out please...before i grab some scissors and do something foolish...please and thank you.

 

[Bublin]

I just chopped all my hair. My natural hair was not compatible with my relaxed (take a look at my avi pic - i had a birds nest for roots!!).

Sorry but transitioning didn't work for me.

Maybe someone else can help you.

 

[Sunrise]

I'm 5 months in. What stop the breakage and shedding for me is to wash less (1 to 2 times a week) and, to use curly perm spray (currently using s-curl).

Or, if it is an option, trim a little off and, see how that goes?

 

[n_vizion]

Since you have been transitioning for so long, maybe it may be time to let the relaxed ends go.
Is your breakage occurring from the relaxed hair on, or is your natural hair breaking also?

 

[Determined22]

If you don't want to BC yet, try this and see if it works.

Make a 1:1 mixture of Nexxus Keraphix and Emergencee and put it in your hair, especially at your line of demarcation. Let it sit for 20-30 with NO HEAT. Then do a DC with a really moisturizing DC (I use PM Supercharged) WITH HEAT for at least 30 minutes (I do 45-60 minutes). Then add your leave-ins and style as usual. When I had a ton of NG this was the only thing that helped me.

 

[Ms.Nigeria]

Natural is not for everyone

 

[Mandy4610]

I did not have the heart or the patience for transitioning, so I just chopped everything off in March. When I was relaxed, I had a hard time stretching, so I knew that transitioning would be a no no. Maybe your hair is not liking the idea of transitioning. Something to consider. Maybe trimming a little at a time is the way to go.
Sorry, I don't have any real advise, just some things to think about.
Good luck, girl, I hope you can find something that works.

 

[tiffers]

Try Royal Roots Moisture Glaze, it's GREAT! I just wrote about it in the co washing challenge thread. I've used it for two days and it's slowed my breakage down A LOT. I went from losing about half a palm size of hair a day to losing a quarter size amount!! I used it on my dd and it made her curls POP! Her hair was soooo soft and her curls were very defined. It also made detangling a lot easier!

Here's what the bottle says:

-Softens, shines, conditions, moisturizes, coats and protects hair from breakage
-Penetrates hair strands to add needed nutrients for healthy hair
-Combats dry, dull looking hair while soothing itching scalp
-Herbal softeners and moisturizers for ultimate daily conditioning

Healthy hair maintenance
Spray directly onto hair after each shampoo. Use as a leave in conditioner to strengthen hair strands and prevent breakage. Great to use for coating and protecting hair during blowdrying. For extra protection from breakage and hair loss, spray onto hair before rollersetting and wrapping.

Great for preventing hair loss and breakage when transitioning from chemical hair to natural hair

Ingredients
Pure distilled water, shea butter, herbal extract, olive oil, herbal softeners, ginko nut oil, herbal fragrance, fruit fragrance, indian hemp extract, vitamin E, balsam softeners, silk protein

 

[redd]

I'm 5 months in. What stop the breakage and shedding for me is to wash less (1 to 2 times a week) and, to use curly perm spray (currently using s-curl).

Or, if it is an option, trim a little off and, see how that goes?

I agree, you may have too much manipulation. I was co-washing every other day and washing once a week and my hair was breaking like crazy. Now I wash no more than once a week and it has decreased alot. Also Scurl is making this transition a piece of pie, I wish I would of known of it earlier.

 

[Kurly K]

chop chop chop.

 

[ajoyfuljoy]

I think everyone's hair is different in terms of how long the two textures can live together on one strand. Some people transition for years (and never BC), others for weeks.

Maybe it's time to make a decision as to what you wanna do? That may not be what you wanna hear right now I know but as someone else said, it's just something to think about.

BTW, twelve months is a LONG time, I'm impressed girl!

 

[bluefolli]

If you don't want to BC yet, try this and see if it works.

Make a 1:1 mixture of Nexxus Keraphix and Emergencee and put it in your hair, especially at your line of demarcation. Let it sit for 20-30 with NO HEAT. Then do a DC with a really moisturizing DC (I use PM Supercharged) WITH HEAT for at least 30 minutes (I do 45-60 minutes). Then add your leave-ins and style as usual. When I had a ton of NG this was the only thing that helped me.

I agree with the bolded...however, I recently stopped transistioning for other reasons. I had breakage everyone once in a while and it was when I just put products in my hair without thinking about it. When I took my time and focused on my demarcation line and ends, I had minimal breakage. Good Luck on your Journey. I totally feel your pain.

 

[BrockStar]

I just chopped all my hair. My natural hair was not compatible with my relaxed (take a look at my avi pic - i had a birds nest for roots!!).

Sorry but transitioning didn't work for me.

Maybe someone else can help you.

Yeah I had to chop at that point

If you don't want a short 'do, maybe do a protective style until it's the length you want...Either way good luck!

 

[nodisrespect]

Hate to say it since it's what you don't want to hear, but it's most likely the frequent co washes... I think after a certain point post relaxer it just gets to be too much manipulation. I had the same problem because I loved co washing as part of my shower routine but I got too much hair when I came out... now I just co wash once during the week and shampoo once on the weekends and try not to comb it much in between and keep it moisturized.

 

[myronnie]

Lilsparkle, i used to feel this way when i was onoly 16 weeks post..
Now what i finds works for me is BRAIDING MY HAIR IN SECTIONS before washing. I braid my hair in two sections, braiding the bangs in two sections also then wet my hair and apply any shampoo or condition normally. I find that my hair gets much cleaner this way, and i havent had a tangle or matted hair since I've been doing this! Sure, it may take 5 extra minutes, but it is well worth it.
I DC once a week(had to cut back on dc's because time..) and cowash in between dc'ing with Suave coconut and my hair couldn't feel more detangled and less prone to tangles. It's the only thing that helped me with my tangles, and it's a godsend!

 

[myronnie]

I'm 5 months in. What stop the breakage and shedding for me is to wash less (1 to 2 times a week) and, to use curly perm spray (currently using s-curl).

Or, if it is an option, trim a little off and, see how that goes?

Yes, this is key also. But the thing with washing infrequently is you have to find that balance where your hair is nicely and adequately detangled, but you aren't putting it through a lot of manipulation, and making it more tangled. For me, i saw the need for a wash and DC once a week, and a simple cowash in between because the cowash detangled my hair but didn't manipulate it to the point of creating or allowing tangles to develop easier.

 

[loulou82]

IA with the suggestion that frequent co washing may be causing more manipulation than needed. I wash once a week and make it a big day (pre poo with oil to help detangle, shampoo, DC with protein, followed by moisture with Roux Porosity Control mixed in). Also, have you tried washing your hair in sections or with 4 or 5 twists. These two things are SAVING me from BCing before I want to. What happened to the Kinky Twists idea??

 

[lilsparkle825]

IA with the suggestion that frequent co washing may be causing more manipulation than needed. I wash once a week and make it a big day (pre poo with oil to help detangle, shampoo, DC with protein, followed by moisture with Roux Porosity Control mixed in). Also, have you tried washing your hair in sections or with 4 or 5 twists. These two things are SAVING me from BCing before I want to. What happened to the Kinky Twists idea??

its still there, i just wanted to stick it out till july 1st before putting them in.

these are all great suggestions - i have heard 2 or 3 people say the "wash in braids" thing so i will try that, and :takes a deep breath: cut down on the cowashing. these should get me through.

i also hear y'all who are suggesting chopping - its in the back of my mind being that i gotta do it anyway! i could always cut THEN do the kinky twists...

thank you guys for your input. i seriously thought everyone would be like "cut that crap off!" LOL