Sooo, i just had my first setback.

[Nerd.]

I am pissed.

(Can you say pissed on LHCF? Sorry to offend.)


So, I wash my hair about every 1.5 to 2 weeks.
Usually while I detangle I am like "oh wow, my hair is growing so much, this whole no flatiron/lower manipulation thing is really working ...etc"
Looks longs, feels long.
LIES.

Come last night, I decide to straighten and what do I see?

Broken. BROKEN off hair.
Come to find out, during my 2 months hiatus of no heat and minimal manipulation, my hair has slowly been inching it's way back up to Month 3 of my journey. I am infuriated. How could I not know this, you ask? My hair was not straight for 2 months. I was not seeing any broken hairs, just the usual shedding. My moisturizing game was on POINT. Sealing with oil. Protein treatments. I was high fiving myself everyday at my good work.

DECEIVMENT.

Let me tell you exactly what I tweaked from regimen in January that has led to this set back in what is now March:

Washing every 1.5 weeks. Flatiron once a month
-TO NOW-
Washing every 1.5-2 weeks. No flatironing for 2.5 months (substituting the flatiron with a flexirod sets and blow drieding the roots using tension with hands)

Result- An inch and some change completely gone.

Are you all familiar with the 5 stages of Grief? Well I am somewhere around denial & anger right now. I am sure the depression is next.
In conclusion, I am going into seclusion for a while. Please be careful with regimen tweaking. If your hair is not suffering from your current regimen, consider it a blessing and think twice before you go looking for "a better regimen". It simply might not exist.

 

[Ms Lala]

Oh no I'm sorry to hear this and I totally understand. I've been stuck at the same length for about 4 years now because I keep having setbacks when I get close to my goal. I'm sorry the no heat thing didn't work out for you. Did you pin point the culprit? Was the hair tangling or something because it sounds like your regimen was fine. I know my hair doesn't do well w/sitting under the dryer or blow drying too often because it sucks out the moisture. Atleast you caught the problem now and you can remedy it, your hair will grow back and now you know what to avoid.

 

[foxee]

I'm so sorry about your setback. I understand - I've been there.

ETA: My story - I did a personal no heat challenge for 6 months. When I finally did my BKT I had to cut off close to two inches. I was half an inch above APL.

 

[BlkOnyx488]

Sorry to hear this, this happen to me
I added Aphogee 2 min protein to my reggie

and 4 months later
I had no growth 8 days later an inch of my hair disappeared.

I cut 1-2 inches of damaged hair off and braided my hair back up.
I started taking 7500 mcg of Biotin got rid of the Aphogee and I keep my hair in cornrow crochet styles.

I am not doing an offical length check until September so I have not proof but my hair is back to the length it was before the cut!

 

[Dposh167]

Nerd, we are in the same boat. I'm suffering thru my first setback of low manipulation as well. I'm about 1 inch shorter than my avi. *tear*. I think i got a lot of knotting and breakage from that.

 

[Ms Lala]

Sorry to hear this, this happen to me
I added Aphogee 2 min protein to my reggie

and 4 months later
I had no growth 8 days later an inch of my hair disappeared.

I cut 1-2 inches of damaged hair off and braided my hair back up.
I started taking 7500 mcg of Biotin got rid of the Aphogee and I keep my hair in cornrow crochet styles.

I am not doing an offical length check until September so I have not proof but my hair is back to the length it was before the cut!

Is your hair protein sensitive?

 

[BlkOnyx488]

I think if I had stuck to using it once a month I would have been ok
but I read that the 2min was not as strong and could be used more
so I started using it once a week

And because I always PSed my hair when it was wet I didn't realize until I did a length check the damage I was doing

Is your hair protein sensitive?

 

[caribgirl]

I'm so sorry about your setback. Tried and true does work but like you, I tend to wander and regret later.
How was your moisture/protein balance during your low mani reggie? It seems from your siggy that you are transitioning. Is your hair breaking from the line of demarcation?

 

[Ms Lala]

I think if I had stuck to using it once a month I would have been ok
but I read that the 2min was not as strong and could be used more
so I started using it once a week

And because I always PSed my hair when it was wet I didn't realize until I did a length check the damage I was doing

Yeah it's not as strong as the 2 step one but still pretty strong, especially if u are natural. I only use it once every couple months.

 

[Janet']

I guess it IS true sometimes, If it ain't broke, don't fix it...Sorry OP that this happened to you.

 

[ms.blue]

I'm sorry for your setback. Heat sometimes is beneficial. I actually lose less hair when I blowdry my hair then when I airdry my hair in braids. The only good thing about not using heat is that my hair seem to get thicker. Maybe you should go back to your old heat reginme b/c if it aint broke why fix it.

 

[I Am So Blessed]

DAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM........ im sorry.

see, thats why my reggie stayed the same even after i texlaxed. what worked for my natural hair is still working for my relaxed hair.

im sorry this happend to you mama, im mad right along with you

 

[MyAngelEyez~C~U]

I feel your pain. I constantly feel like I take one step forward for every two steps back. Don't fret to much, it will grow back. It's all part of the hair learning curve.

 

[Day36]

Huuugs my Nerd awww! It will all be better, pinky swear

 

[Chevelure618]

I understand your disappointment, but how many areas of broken hair are there? And are they not blendable into the majority of unbroken hair?

I am going through similar with parts of my hair which kind of stay broken like the area in the middle of the back of my head (ponytail tension I think) that no matter how much I condition or baby it is shorter than the rest.
I have also found that flat-ironing my hair on a low setting (no more than 325) seems to put my hair in BETTER condition. I think it is because it seals my cuticle and after that my hair is so easy to comb through until the next washing. Air dry and bantuknot outs seem healthy and I think they are, but there are also more kinks in the hair along the shaft which act as tension points to break off.

Generally I think heat is bad for hair. But these high-end flat irons with ceramic/tourmaline/ionic whatever on a low setting might seal in the moisture, or at least the products and on my hair they seem almost heat-activated. Like Aphogee green tea....with heat that stuff creates such shine that it has to be because with heat the cuticle is sealed so tight.

Examine your hair carefully again and don't panic.

 

[Nerd.]

I appreciate all of your kind words. A lot of your stories really shocked me.

I think I need to just step back from the boards for a short time and focus my mind on something else. I believe the most painful thing about this entire ordeal is that I went through a lot of ugly days in pursuit of an end result. I basically put up with so many things that I truly did not "feel" like doing (or afford to do) thinking that it was good for me, and in the end my big reveal was less than what I had before.
To see my hair back to how it was almost 4 months ago it just..hurtful really.


My hair broke off from the ends, the thing that I cared for the most. And up to this day I still truly have no idea what the culprit could have been. Thus leading me to believe that I need to fall back (for lack of better words)
The e-hugs were awesome. thanks a lot

 

[I Am So Blessed]

I appreciate all of your kind words. A lot of your stories really shocked me.

I think I need to just step back from the boards for a short time and focus my mind on something else. I believe the most painful thing about this entire ordeal is that I went through a lot of ugly days in pursuit of an end result. I basically put up with so many things that I truly did not "feel" like doing (or afford to do) thinking that it was good for me, and in the end my big reveal was less than what I had before.
To see my hair back to how it was almost 4 months ago it just..hurtful really.


My hair broke off from the ends, the thing that I cared for the most. And up to this day I still truly have no idea what the culprit could have been. Thus leading me to believe that I need to fall back (for lack of better words)
The e-hugs were awesome. thanks a lot

The fact that you were taking good care of your ends and they still broke scares me .

 

[Ms Lala]

I appreciate all of your kind words. A lot of your stories really shocked me.

I think I need to just step back from the boards for a short time and focus my mind on something else. I believe the most painful thing about this entire ordeal is that I went through a lot of ugly days in pursuit of an end result. I basically put up with so many things that I truly did not "feel" like doing (or afford to do) thinking that it was good for me, and in the end my big reveal was less than what I had before.
To see my hair back to how it was almost 4 months ago it just..hurtful really.


My hair broke off from the ends, the thing that I cared for the most. And up to this day I still truly have no idea what the culprit could have been. Thus leading me to believe that I need to fall back (for lack of better words)
The e-hugs were awesome. thanks a lot

Girl I totally understand. Try finding styles that are healthy for your hair but still look attractive to you.