Please Help

[girlyprincess23]

all you stretchers. what are you guys using to stop breakage at the line of demarcation? like which proteins or whatever, because i don't know if this is breakage or regular shedding but when i do go and get a touch up i don't want to have a bunch of broken hairs from stretching!! ANY suggestions would be greatly appreciated. BTW Aphogee is not working nemore!!!

 

[buttaflye03]

I'd like to know as well. Last time I stretched to 13 weeks only because I was so busy with other stuff that I "forgot" about my hair. erplexed I had it in a ponytail the whole time. Luckily, I didn't suffer a lot of breakage. I only noticed some near where I part my bangs.

How many weeks post are you?

 

[mzhotniz86]

whatever you do , DONT use protein. use anything moisturizing. do a dc with a moisturizing con( doing it on dry hair is even better) make sure you saturate the newgrowth mostly. keeping my ng soft is what helped me stretch.

 

[Dposh167]

^^i agree...the more softer the better.

when it gets too unruly for me, i break out 'the big guns'....or wave noveau in a spray bottle with water.

usually when i do caramel treatment, my ng behaves better too!

 

[♦K.O♦]

I dont do anything special, other than making sure my hair is thoroughly detangled after each wash.

 

[Misshairdiva]

I stretched last year for seven months, and I know for ME the key was to keep my hair moisturized at all times! I would put a moisturizing cream in the morning, and also before I went to sleep. Where the dem line is it should be ESPECIALLY more moisturized!! If not.. break break break!

 

[girlyprincess23]

I'd like to know as well. Last time I stretched to 13 weeks only because I was so busy with other stuff that I "forgot" about my hair. erplexed I had it in a ponytail the whole time. Luckily, I didn't suffer a lot of breakage. I only noticed some near where I part my bangs.

How many weeks post are you?

16 today...it sux, not because i cant get it to lay down or whatever because of this breakage (i think it's breakage) i have a LOT of anxiety over it!!

 

[girlyprincess23]

^^i agree...the more softer the better.

when it gets too unruly for me, i break out 'the big guns'....or wave noveau in a spray bottle with water.

usually when i do caramel treatment, my ng behaves better too!

i did a caramel treatment and it got stuck in my hair and pulled out a lot of strands!!! hmmm okay so it's not protein i need it's more moisture!! ok i thought it was protein to strengthen the line of demarcation ( i read that somewhere) well I guess ill be putting the praital silkworm moisturizer in daily!!

 

[girlyprincess23]

any more advice is certainly welcome. and many thanx to the ladies who have responded

 

[Likeyouneverseenme]

I concur with the ladies. I'm 17 weeks post and my ng is about 3". I make sure I moisturize morning and night, I use the Elasta QP Mango Butter. DC before every wash on dry hair. I have satrted doing that lately and it is amazing how soft your ng will be. Don't comb or brush hair, For some who like to style their hair I know it might be close to impossible, but for me is has done wonders, I only finger comb to detangle when I condition hair and I have little to no breakage.

HTH

 

[HoneyDew]

whatever you do , DONT use protein. use anything moisturizing. do a dc with a moisturizing con( doing it on dry hair is even better) make sure you saturate the newgrowth mostly. keeping my ng soft is what helped me stretch.

I agree with you, but why do so many ladies say they up their protein when they stretch.

That's why I just don't stretch to the point where I am getting breakage and shedding and all. I punk out when it comes to stretching.

 

[Soliel185]

I agree that moisture is the key, but I also think that light continuous protein is better ( at least for MY hair ) then a super strong treatment. I used SAA in my moisture spray, then a creamy leave in, THEN sealed with oil to insure that my hair would hold the moisture. I DC'd and added SAA and Aphogee 2 minute reconstructor to the mix. I like Protein oils like peanut and avocado b/c they reinforce the demarcation line, but they aren't harsh on my hair.

In my experience hydrolyzed gentle proteins when mixed with a moisturizer work for me, but all breakage defense shampoos, conditioners, and treatments just leave me with super dry hair. And then b/c the hair is dry ON TOP of lacking nutrients it just makes breakage worse. Aloe Vera Gelly or Juice is very good for moisture, so is glycerine and adding honey to my DC helped as well. I like castor oil to seal if I'm wearing my hair up - I use a mix of lighter oils if wearing it down. HTH

 

[mzhotniz86]

I agree with you, but why do so many ladies say they up their protein when they stretch.

That's why I just don't stretch to the point where I am getting breakage and shedding and all. I punk out when it comes to stretching.

girl i have no clue. i have a part in my journal that shows my hair when i did a protein treatment while i was stretching. i went to detangle and had big ball of broken hair when i was done. i learned i have to keep the newgrowth as soft as i can , cause if its dry and rough, the relaxed part breaks off when i comb it. when its moisturized i can style it easier. i also used to spray leave in on the newgrowth, and then add moisturizer , and that helped me for when i needed to make a ponytail or whatever. i only do a protein treatment when i know im about to get a touch up within the next couple of weeks. it all depends on the hairtype and the amount of newgrowth. but if the hair is already starting to break, then use as much moisture as you can on the ng

 

[shtow]

Honestly---- I just stretch until I start to notice increased breaking and shedding which is usually around 3 months. Why torture myself when I have enough NG? Im not transitioning, so relax time

 

[janeemat]

I agree with you, but why do so many ladies say they up their protein when they stretch.

That's why I just don't stretch to the point where I am getting breakage and shedding and all. I punk out when it comes to stretching.

I up my protein to keep my hair strong during the time I stretch which is 12-14 wks. During that period I will do at least 3 aphoghee treatments (that's counting 1 the wk following my relaxer, 1 in the middle of the stretch and 1 the wk before my relaxer) followed by a deep moisturizing conditioner. I will also use the lighter protein treatments like Aveda Damage Remedy, Mizani Hydrafuse/Keraphuse or Emergencia (Domician) during my stretch. No specific times, I just through them in depending on what my hair needs. However, I do a deep moisturizing cond w/heat without fail twice a week.

 

[Songbirdb]

I dry condish my hair, this adds moisture and leaves hair already detangled so you should have any problems with it. I deep condition my hair like crazy. Like 3 times a week at least. Also, before I deep condish, I oil rinsed with a humectant oil like castor oil so this brings in moisture as well. The key to do this right is to only use two capfulls of oil depending on your length or your hair will be too oily. After you rinse, then deep condish your hair. I was able to stretch 4 months with no probs at all and could've went longer, but I was curious about my growth so I relaxed. This time I'm going on a 6 month stretch! Another way to add moisture is to co wash. Southerntease co-washes daily and I'm starting to do this to now. I do it because I enjoy it and it adds a lot of moisture.

 

[Songbirdb]

On another note, I used both protein and moisture. I even did my hard core Aphogees every once in a while and my hair was good because its all about balance. Just keep your balance in check.

 

[SleekandBouncy]

I rollerset and roller upwards (it straightens out the new growth better IME). Then I blow dry straight the roots with a small round brush or a fine tooth comb. I've not had any problems with breakage. The key is to keep the new growth moisturized and as a result soft.

 

[tiffers]

Girl, join the deep conditioning challenge!!! Usually at about 10 weeks post, my hair starts acting a fool. But once I joined the dc challenge and started dc'ing 3 times a week, my breakage dang near came to a halt. I usually stretch 12 weeks, but I was able to make it to 14. I could have went longer, but I wanted a fresh relaxer for when I have this baby. My hair and newgrowth were soooo soft. I'm addicted to dc'ing now

 

[girlyprincess23]

okay i think i know what i need to do. it prolly wasnt moisturized enough AND i was trying to comb it into ponytails!! I think i will just keep dc it with the praital sw, (since ive discovered it's not aleave in!!!), and i think ill up it to 3 times a week like the challenge and just go back to my plaits for the next 2 weeks until my tu. also next time i ill only go to 10-12 weeks!! there should be enough ng to avoid overlapping o maybe ill give a try again with this knowledge. Im just scared btw!! has anyone had like moderate breakage and when they got their tu their hair looked fine?? bc my hair is already fine and thin on top is not going to be cute!!! right now im trying to sike myself and tell myself with all the air on my head those 3 or 4 clumps arent going to be missed ( i hpe not) also to everybody thanx for the advice and he moisturizing seems to be doing it, this morning i washed and went to dc (previously i had moisturized 2 days) and i only had 2 broken strands!!

 

[br0wney3z]

whatever you do , DONT use protein. use anything moisturizing. do a dc with a moisturizing con( doing it on dry hair is even better) make sure you saturate the newgrowth mostly. keeping my ng soft is what helped me stretch.

Really? I thought you were suppose to increase protein to help strength the shaft.

 

[br0wney3z]

i did a caramel treatment and it got stuck in my hair and pulled out a lot of strands!!! hmmm okay so it's not protein i need it's more moisture!! ok i thought it was protein to strengthen the line of demarcation ( i read that somewhere) well I guess ill be putting the praital silkworm moisturizer in daily!!

I was just going to mention a caramel treatment that i did last night and it made my hair and NG super soft and did I mention no breakage and very little shedding. Other than that I don't have any other suggestions

 

[kiesha8185]

I didn't read all of the responses in this thread, but protein is a requirement for me. I stretched for 32 weeks, and if I didn't use protein at least once a month during my stretch, my hair would have been breaking like crazy. This year, I am stretching for 12 months, and I couldn't imagine doing it without some form of protein.

Protein is important for me when I stretch because it strengthens my hair and helps my hair retain moisture better and longer. It actually made my hair softer when it was dry (airdried). When I needed protein, my hair would be mushy and soft when wet and dry and breaking when dry. I could put half a bottle of moisturizer on my head and it would be dry dry dry two hours later Oh, and dcing with a conditioner just made it worse (made my hair more mushy and soft). I don't really know how it works (maybe Gym can jump in here) but from what I learned, protein strengthens the hair strands allowing it to hold moisture. It your hair is weak (especially due to frequent chemical services, over-use of heat, or from being over-moisturized) it will not be able to hold the moisture you apply to it.

I would use Aphogee or do a henna treatment, depending on the degree of the breakage, which wasn't much. I used Nexxus twice a month for preventative purposes.

But I can only speak for my experiences and my hair. The two most important things that determines how long you can stretch, IMO, are the products you use and how you handle your hair. Once you find the right moisture-protein balance that reduces breakage, you are good to go!

Also, the difference between shedding and breakage is that with shedding, the hair has a little bulb you feel on the end, but breakage does not. While stretching, breakage at the demarcation line can be a problem because of the different textures in one strand. This is why protein is important because it strengthens the point where both of your textures meet. I also suggest being very very gentle to your hair, especially when it is wet, because that is when it is most vulnerable.

Hope this helps!! Good luck on your stretch.

 

[gymfreak336]

I didn't read all of the responses in this thread, but protein is a requirement for me. I stretched for 32 weeks, and if I didn't use protein at least once a month during my stretch, my hair would have been breaking like crazy. This year, I am stretching for 12 months, and I couldn't imagine doing it without some form of protein.

Protein is important for me when I stretch because it strengthens my hair and helps my hair retain moisture better and longer. It actually made my hair softer when it was dry (airdried). When I needed protein, my hair would be mushy and soft when wet and dry and breaking when dry. I could put half a bottle of moisturizer on my head and it would be dry dry dry two hours later Oh, and dcing with a conditioner just made it worse (made my hair more mushy and soft). I don't really know how it works (maybe Gym can jump in here) but from what I learned, protein strengthens the hair strands allowing it to hold moisture. It your hair is weak (especially due to frequent chemical services, over-use of heat, or from being over-moisturized) it will not be able to hold the moisture you apply to it.

I would use Aphogee or do a henna treatment, depending on the degree of the breakage, which wasn't much. I used Nexxus twice a month for preventative purposes.

But I can only speak for my experiences and my hair. The two most important things that determines how long you can stretch, IMO, are the products you use and how you handle your hair. Once you find the right moisture-protein balance that reduces breakage, you are good to go!

Also, the difference between shedding and breakage is that with shedding, the hair has a little bulb you feel on the end, but breakage does not. While stretching, breakage at the demarcation line can be a problem because of the different textures in one strand. This is why protein is important because it strengthens the point where both of your textures meet. I also suggest being very very gentle to your hair, especially when it is wet, because that is when it is most vulnerable.

Hope this helps!! Good luck on your stretch.

Yep, your hair needs protein to hold on to moisture. The line of demarcation needs to be strong and flexible. Protein makes your hair strong but moisture helps the flexibility. Using a protein conditioner will give you some strength in that area and it will help the moisture adhere to help increase the flexibilty to help the strand not break. Alot of women prepoo with a protein conditioner as well to help keep this balance up.

 

[girlyprincess23]

just in case i saw i have some more nexxus protein stuff in my cabinet im going to use that then do a deep conditioning with something moisturizing nad then leave it alone and count the time until touchup on saturday!!!