Short/broken hair in bang area - need advice

[GettingKinky]

I’ve been inspired by all the helpful information in the recent thread about split ends so I decided I should make a thread about my issue.

The hair in my bang area is much shorter than the surrounding hair. It’s about 6 inches long while the hair just behind it is about 14 inches long. It’s a very narrow strip of short hair if I separate out a proper bang, the majority of the hair is normal length.

I don’t think this is a new issue for me. I remember even when I was a kid that the hair in this area didn’t always reach my ponytail holder.

Up until about 3 months ago I wore my hair in a wash n go pretty much exclusively so this short area didn’t bother me. But when I bun it’s a pain because it doesn’t reach the base of the bun and then it frizzes up. So now I want to make this a focus and try to get it to grow longer.

The hair in this area doesn’t look or feel any different than the surrounding hair. The only culprit I can think of is friction when I sleep. I usually wear some kind of silk lined sleep cap, But I think the edge of the cap probably rubs on the perimeter of my hair. I’ve tried silk pillowcases, but they make me hot (maybe they weren’t real silk). I need to explore this again.

My hair are routine is pretty simple. Once or twice a week I wash, and condition. I use a deep conditioner with protein 1-2x a month ( I only leave it in for ~10 minutes while I detangle and wash my body).

I style with a botanical gel, sometimes I use a leave in underneath. Between washes I don’t add anything to my hair, except maybe a bit more gel to my edges to try and keep my bun somewhat sleek.

For the last 3 months I’ve been bunning every day. I use spin pins instead of a ponytail holder to minimize friction/breakage at the base of the bun.


If anyone has any suggestions for growing out this problem area I would love to hear them.

I’ve added some pictures to show the problem area.

 

[BeautifulRoots]

Hi there, you could try putting some cornrows or a few mini braids/plaits in the front to isolate the area and protect it in hopes of retaining length there.

I have seen a youtuber named If She So Pleases (she's a former member here) isolate the very front of her edges and put them in mini braids. She mentioned this helped her grow that area out.

I can't find the specific video where she talks about it, but I am attaching a short clip of her hair in the mini plaits/braids so you can get a visual. They are the tiny plaits in the very front of her hair.

 

[MzSwift]

Because you mentioned a sleep cap, I'm wondering if there's a bit of friction there when you sleep. I learned early on that sleeping with something loose on my head leads to friction and/or tangles and possible breakage. I tend to prefer to use something that is more stationary because if my hair is kept confined, then I don't experience those issues.

Because that area has been a consistent issue for you, I agree with doing something extraordinary with it. Just like the ladies who have nape issues and have been able to overcome them by braiding that area. So I could see that working as well with the front of your hair. Maybe you could do a small side part and brad the front down the edge. Similar to this:

or even smaller

You could leave it exposed or you could attach some hair to it to cover and do an exaggerated bang like this:



You could do a plait there (loose at the roots) and then add the braid to your bun or pin it back similar to this:



The braid could be left in for a week at a time. Take it down finger detangle, finger comb and then rebraid it for the week. No comb or brushing it. It could be easily added to a low bun or a high bun.

Or a French braid into a high bun like this:



You could even alternate all of these styles week to week.

I actually used to have a thinning spot there in the same spot for years. Then I realized that that's where I knotted my satin scarf at night, every night. Even though there was a layer of scarf underneath the knot, the pressure from the knot caused my hair to thin in that spot. So now I switch between tying the knot in the front and in the back (I'm a side sleeper so I can't put it on my sides). And when I tie it in the front, it is slightly off center to either side. That has fixed my thinning spot.

If you aren't already, I'd also suggest babying that area with EXTRA moisture, in addition to decreasing manipulation and a more stationary head covering at night.

Maybe even an aggressive topical growth aide just there. I've had good results with MT and GHEing.

GL to you! ((HUG))

 

[GettingKinky]

@MzSwift My sleep caps are pretty stationary, but I’m sure there is still friction. And this is the area where the band makes contact with my hair.

Those braid styles are all so pretty. I would have to really up my skill level to be able to incorporate something like that into my hairdos. I guess I should start practicing.

Or maybe I can just braid it up before I go to sleep, then it doesn’t have to look presentable.

I am definitely going to be babying that hair and giving it extra love