Sos: Needing Help To Restore Color Treated Natural Hair (trying To Reverse Breakage)

whosthatgurl

here.... but i'm not here
So this weekend I realized that my hair is shedding way more than it should after detangling. When I ran my fingers over the ends of my hair I noticed fine strands. Yesterday when I attempted to do a braid out on stretched hair when I started to detangle, more hair came off than what it should do me.

This morning when I did my braid take down, I had two tangled knots and I nearly had a panic attack. (lol).

So when I went to wash my hair this evening (failed braid out to do a flat twist out), I noticed my hair still coming out in fine strands: aka me diagnosing myself with breakage.


I just colored my hair in January, and it's already a tad bit brittle. As i speak, I'm doing a silicone treatment and I'll do a deep condition after, but I really need someone's expertise on this one.

Help please?
 
Oh yeah. If not Olaplex, then the ION dupe you can get at Sally's. It's very good. Get both the steps. What kind of color was used OP ???
@whosthatgurl
I honestly wish I knew. I'll have to ask my hair stylist. I *want* to say the boxes were purple. But I could be lying.

What would the ION dupe be?
 
Was it a permanent color? Did you do a hard protein treatment within 10 days of color? If not you need a hard protein. Even if you do Olaplex, it's suggested to be done after the protein treatment.
And it was a permanent color, lifted, highlighted then rinsed.

I've been doing deep conditions every time I washed, but apparently that's not working.
 
And it was a permanent color, lifted, highlighted then rinsed.

I've been doing deep conditions every time I washed, but apparently that's not working.
Permanent Color is a chemical treatment which impacts your cuticles. So if you lifted first and then highlighted you more than likely have holes in your cuticles. No amount of conditioning will correct that. Only hard protein fixes holes in the strands.
 
Permanent Color is a chemical treatment which impacts your cuticles. So if you lifted first and then highlighted you more than likely have holes in your cuticles. No amount of conditioning will correct that. Only hard protein fixes holes in the strands.
Thank you. I'll pick one up this week to use.

Do you or anyone else know how much time it takes to reverse it? I'm literally scared to touch my hair now smh.
 
Thank you. I'll pick one up this week to use.

Do you or anyone else know how much time it takes to reverse it? I'm literally scared to touch my hair now smh.

I don't have an answer to your question, so I will let others give there's.

Just remember when your hair is color treated, you need to use protein at least every 6 to 8 weeks. Your hair may always need protein so listen to it.
 
A protein treatment will stop the breakage. I like and use Aphogee.

I know nothing about Olaplex- from personal experience.

What I do know is that I discovered Aphogee many years ago when a friend's hair started breaking and crunching and falling out after a relaxer touch up. When I saw her a couple of days later after that incident and asked about the breakage, she told me that her stylist had recommended Aphogee and that the breakage had stopped immediately.

I've used it since that very day. I am with @Miss Kane on this one. It stops breakage immediately. This I know from years of experience.

The product is the Aphogee 2 Step (use every 6 to 8 weeks) you can buy at Sally's. Do not get the Aphogee Keratin 2 Minute or the new Aphogee Amino Acid 6 week product. They are not the same.

If you decide to go this route, here is a suggested way to use it:
  1. Wet hair with water only (If it is too fragile to handle to shampoo)
  2. Aphogee Protein w/heat-
  3. Aphogee Moisture Balance Shampoo (or your own protein free deep conditioner with added olive oil and honey that you put in yourself)
**I put Aphogee in a bowl and whip it. It is less messy.

Here's the link to the thread I started about how to use Aphogee as a whipped product in case you may have an interest:

https://longhaircareforum.com/threa...aphogee-2-step-protein-treatment-pics.808623/

No matter what product you choose, or action you decide to take, I hope things work out for you and your hair!
 
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I know nothing about Olaplex- from personal experience.

What I do know is that I discovered Aphogee many years ago when a friend's hair started breaking and crunching and falling out after a relaxer touch up. When I saw her a couple of days later after that incident and asked about the breakage, she told me that her stylist had recommended Aphogee and that the breakage had stopped immediately.

I've used it since that very day. I am with @Miss Kane on this one. It stops breakage immediately. This I know from years of experience.

The product is the Aphogee 2 Step (use every 6 to 8 weeks) you can buy at Sally's. Do not get the Aphogee Keratin 2 Minute or the new Aphogee Amino Acid 6 week product. They are not the same.

If you decide to go this route, here is a suggested way to use it:
  1. Wet hair with water only (If it is too fragile to handle to shampoo)
  2. Aphogee Protein w/heat-
  3. Aphogee Moisture Balance Shampoo (or your own protein free deep conditioner with added olive oil and honey that you put in yourself)
**I put Aphogee in a bowl and whip it. It is less messy.

Here's the link to the thread I started about how to use Aphogee as a whipped product in case you may have an interest:

https://longhaircareforum.com/threa...aphogee-2-step-protein-treatment-pics.808623/

No matter what product you choose, or action you decide to take, I hope things work out for you and your hair!
When you say with heat, do you mean a hooded dryer?
 
When you say with heat, do you mean a hooded dryer?

Hi @whosthatgurl,

You can use a hooded dryer. You just put it on and sit under the dryer. For awhile, I did not have a hooded dryer here. At that time, I would put on the product, then I blowdried my hair until the product was hard. This method is more effort driven and inconvenient, but it works, too.

Hang in there with your hair. You will get through this. I liked that you asked for help. I am trying to do a better job of asking for help when I need it.
 
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Hi @whosthatgurl,

You can use a hooded dryer. You just put it on and sit under the dryer. For awhile, I did not have a hooded dryer here. At that time, I would put on the product, then I blowdried my hair until the product was hard. This method is more effort driven and inconvenient, but it works, too.

Hang in there with your hair. You will get through this. I liked that you asked for help. I am trying to do a better job of asking for help when I need it.
I appreciate the knowledge here. Now I'm going to go with your method because I couldn't find a good sized bottle of the Olaplex dupe.

When you say honey, can it just be regular honey out of the store? And this was what I purchased since Sally's had a buy 2 get one free. I just didn't know if I was getting the right product
 

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I appreciate the knowledge here. Now I'm going to go with your method because I couldn't find a good sized bottle of the Olaplex dupe.

When you say honey, can it just be regular honey out of the store? (Yes) And this was what I purchased since Sally's had a buy 2 get one free. I just didn't know if I was getting the right product
(It's right.)

Yes, that's it. The one that is the 4 ounce bottle that says 2 Step is the the critical product. Don't be afraid to use the whole bottle if you have to do so.

The 16 ounce bottle is the shampoo which is optional. You can use that, your own or a gentle baby wash. You can skip it and just rinse with water. Since you bought it, you may want to go ahead and use it. I don't know the ingredients for the shampoo. I have never bought it. I only buy and use the 2 Step System.

The 8 ounce bottle is their moisture balance conditioner. You can use this and doctor it up with regular store bought honey (about 1 table to 1/4 cup) and some olive oil (1 table spoon to 1/4 cup). Or you can use this conditioner as is and follow up with another of your own moisturizing conditioners. If you follow up with your own, you can add the honey and oil into that.

You selected the right items based upon what I had mentioned. You need to do that treatment as soon as possible to arrest the breakage. The longer you wait, the more breakage you may have.
 
(It's right.)

Yes, that's it. The one that is the 4 ounce bottle that says 2 Step is the the critical product. Don't be afraid to use the whole bottle if you have to do so.

The 16 ounce bottle is the shampoo which is optional. You can use that, your own or a gentle baby wash. You can skip it and just rinse with water. Since you bought it, you may want to go ahead and use it. I don't know the ingredients for the shampoo. I have never bought it. I only buy and use the 2 Step System.

The 8 ounce bottle is their moisture balance conditioner. You can use this and doctor it up with regular store bought honey (about 1 table to 1/4 cup) and some olive oil (1 table spoon to 1/4 cup). Or you can use this conditioner as is and follow up with another of your own moisturizing conditioners. If you follow up with your own, you can add the honey and oil into that.

You selected the right items based upon what I had mentioned. You need to do that treatment as soon as possible to arrest the breakage. The longer you wait, the more breakage you may have.
Thank you so much. I will do it tonight and check back in. Is there a certain routine that you do while using it?
 
Thank you so much. I will do it tonight and check back in. Is there a certain routine that you do while using it?

I braid my hair in eight braids. I'm not sure how fragile your hair is at this point so it may or may not be recommended for you.

I wash my hair in those same braids.

Then I put on the Apogee 2 Step in those same braids, the one in the 4 ounce bottle in your picture. I put it in a bowl and whip it with an electronic egg beater/mixer for 3 minutes until it is fluffy like shaving cream. Scoop out with fingers onto hair. Then I saturate each braid from tip/ends to root, ensuring the last 6 inches of the hair are covered. You can shake the Aphogee bottle with the product inside into a more solidified foam as well but shaking is not as effective as putting the mixer in it. A stick blender might work, too. I don't know as I've never tried to make Aphogee creamy with a stick blender.

After the product has been placed in my hair, I gather my braids at the top of my head and gently wrap them together with a knee high with ends of the hair out pointing toward the 'roof' of the dryer cap or hood. Stay under until hair gets super hard.

  • Don't get the Aphogee liquid it in the eyes because it burns horribly. The product is horribly runny and it runs continuously while under the dryer. By whipping it and making it creamy, this makes it less runny.
  • You may want to apply it bare chested [no clothes on the upper body] so the hair and product don't stick to your neck and/or back and/or your clothing. The hair may break easier once it sticks to your skin. Put on a shirt after the Aphogee application has been completed, but before you go under the dryer, so that when you sit under the dryer you don't burn your delicate skin on your body.

Rinse out the hardened, dried hair under running water. Try not to manipulate it too much until the product has been softened on the hair. Proceed with your deep conditioner which can be used with our without heat. Then style [careful to not break hair]. Never skip the deep, moisturizing conditioner.

Let us know if it helped with the breakage. I hope it does.

It's 11:03 pm here so I am going to bed. So I probably won't check here until tomorrow morning my time. I hope I have provided enough information for you to have a good session and hopefully successfully arrest some of your current breakage.
 
I just washed it out. I couldn't get it to foam. I followed the instructions and as I was drying, my stylist called me and basically told me to wash it out. At that point it had been in for about 20 or so minutes anyway.

I'm still having strands in my fingers, I haven't started to detangle yet to truly notice a difference yet.
 
I just washed it out. I couldn't get it to foam. I followed the instructions and as I was drying, my stylist called me and basically told me to wash it out. At that point it had been in for about 20 or so minutes anyway.

I'm still having strands in my fingers, I haven't started to detangle yet to truly notice a difference yet.
you know the Aphogee is supposed to dry until it gets hard from root to tip - no conditioning cap is used either. Once dried, you let water run over it until it softens. Don't try to manipulate it while it is hard. You should continue with the other steps after you wet and wash it out. I honestly don't think 20 minutes was enough to get it dry all the way so the treatment was not complete.
 
you know the Aphogee is supposed to dry until it gets hard from root to tip - no conditioning cap is used either. Once dried, you let water run over it until it softens. Don't try to manipulate it while it is hard. You should continue with the other steps after you wet and wash it out. I honestly don't think 20 minutes was enough to get it dry all the way so the treatment was not complete.
Awww... it was stiff when I went to wash it out. Minus one tip. I'll try it again at some point later this month or next.
 
I just washed it out. I couldn't get it to foam. I followed the instructions and as I was drying, my stylist called me and basically told me to wash it out. At that point it had been in for about 20 or so minutes anyway.

I'm still having strands in my fingers, I haven't started to detangle yet to truly notice a difference yet.
I don't think you let it stay in long enough. It should have felt rock hard when you it dried. You will probably need to do it again.
 
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