Right side broken and shorter...so depressed...

[Chevelure618]

Well last week I went to my stylist because I wanted him to look at my hair. The right side in front seemed shorter. He went all through my hair. He said the hair on that side looked broken.

I have about 3 inches of bone-straight left and the rest is texlaxed now. I love my new stronger hair. But today when I washed it I felt the left side come over my shoulder. I was so happy because I have about an inch of NG and so I had this hair hanging over my shoulder with SHRINKAGE! Yaaayyy! Right? Wrong. When I looked at the back in the mirror, the back right was 3 inches shorter than the left. I was so bummed I could cry. I noticed some breakage after my rollerset for the BET Honor Awards Ceremony in DC on Saturday, but my hair looked nice for that and I wrote off the breakage thinking it was about 15 pieces per day for the last week so it was OK. But now I see where the breakage was coming from.

My right side has always been my weak, slow side. There is an underprocessed area in the right front but I've been dusting it to save it from breaking and I thought that worked.

Now it looks like I'll have to relax early (8 weeks) and trim. I am so disapponted because I don't think I will reach my goal of BSL for my birthday in June. I thought I could get the 3 inches from December 1st 'til June.

The only thing I can think that I did wrong was blow dry and flat iron like 3 times in a row starting about 2 weeks ago. I knew my hair didn't particularly like b-drying, but I didn't know it HATED b-drying and flat-ironing.

Then I had another thought....maybe the tail in the back left of my head is just an area that grows faster than the other side....wishful thinking. Looks like I'm going to have to do the Shima hair technique from now on. Protecitve style for 2 weeks straight.

Do you all think I am right at this point to just trim it even and cut my losses? Cathy Howse would say to do a hard protein treatment and NOT to trim. She just doesn't believe in trimming. I am so confused. To trim or not to trim. I just don't know.

 

[chebaby]

i wouldnt trim. i would just baby the hair. if you have to protective style then do so but i would not trim.

 

[Chevelure618]

Thanks...how do I get more opinions. I need strength...he is going to be yelling at me to trim and I NEED STRENGTH

 

[Moroni]

Well last week I went to my stylist because I wanted him to look at my hair. The right side in front seemed shorter. He went all through my hair. He said the hair on that side looked broken.

I have about 3 inches of bone-straight left and the rest is texlaxed now. I love my new stronger hair. But today when I washed it I felt the left side come over my shoulder. I was so happy because I have about an inch of NG and so I had this hair hanging over my shoulder with SHRINKAGE! Yaaayyy! Right? Wrong. When I looked at the back in the mirror, the back right was 3 inches shorter than the left. I was so bummed I could cry. I noticed some breakage after my rollerset for the BET Honor Awards Ceremony in DC on Saturday, but my hair looked nice for that and I wrote off the breakage thinking it was about 15 pieces per day for the last week so it was OK. But now I see where the breakage was coming from.

My right side has always been my weak, slow side. There is an underprocessed area in the right front but I've been dusting it to save it from breaking and I thought that worked.

Now it looks like I'll have to relax early (8 weeks) and trim. I am so disapponted because I don't think I will reach my goal of BSL for my birthday in June. I thought I could get the 3 inches from December 1st 'til June.

The only thing I can think that I did wrong was blow dry and flat iron like 3 times in a row starting about 2 weeks ago. I knew my hair didn't particularly like b-drying, but I didn't know it HATED b-drying and flat-ironing.

Then I had another thought....maybe the tail in the back left of my head is just an area that grows faster than the other side....wishful thinking. Looks like I'm going to have to do the Shima hair technique from now on. Protecitve style for 2 weeks straight.

Do you all think I am right at this point to just trim it even and cut my losses? Cathy Howse would say to do a hard protein treatment and NOT to trim. She just doesn't believe in trimming. I am so confused. To trim or not to trim. I just don't know.

I DO know how you feel, Chevelure, . Yep, I surely do. If you take a look at my fotki, you'll see how damaged my right rear side was about a year and a half ago. I did lots of DCs, bunning, rollersetting and dusting away the damage. But if you're thinking to protectively style for TWO WEEKS only.....hmm... well, buck up, honey. If that's ALL you need, then shout your praises! Move your BSL goal if you need to, it's only time, and gently love your hair back into great shape. I'll be protectively styling this entire year. Good luck, Honey. Your avi looks just great.

ETA: I wouldn't trim, though. Just baby it and dust it away. A little at a time.

 

[Angelicus]

By the way, do you wrap your hair?

 

[~*~ShopAholic~*~]

If you don't want to loose all you length you can trim into a U or V shape saving your length in the back, or do a treatment & moistrizing DC and trim the left side to meet up with your right.

 

[Luxurious12]

I know I am going against Ms. Cathy but trimming what is damaged is best. I think you should do it little by little. Why? Because you may very well stop ylour growth spurts on that side. The longer you have damaged ends the harder it will be for your strands to revive. Don't loose your length though. Just go back to get it trimmed every 6-8 weeks just as you would if you were relaxing your hair. Eventually it will be snipped away with trimming and the health of your hair will progressively catch up with the rest. I've been where you are and trimming it has always worked better than waiting it out. When you put heat in your you MUST keep up your trims. Heat doesn't have to be such a negative thing as long as you are taking care of it and with heat comes trimming! Good luck with your goal. I honestly think you will still make it you just have to tweak your regimen a bit.

 

[caribgirl]

Don't worry too much because I can definitely say that using protective styles, dc-ing, and moisture, moisture moisture will help you without trimming!! Try this for 3 months and use NO direct heat during this time. Trimming will not solve the issue IF your hair tends to grow this way.
My hair grows in spurts. I have found that my right seems to grow faster than my left BUT when the right side slows down, the left side gets a chance to try and do catch up!
I have used Longhairdontcare's fotki as a great inspiration for not trimming when I get discouraged about this issue. She had the same problem and within a few months the other side caught up with the other .
I also pulled a ton of hair out in my left nape area in Jun. I can proudly say that it is catching up nicely .

 

[Quest4healthyhair]

My hair is the same way. It's usually my right side, but right it's my left side. I had great success with Minoval. It took about 4 months to see results, but my hair evened out.

 

[Luxurious12]

Well seems like others had success waiting it out, but you just can't put heat in your hair until that side can revivie itself. Good luck with everything!