SOS, PLEASE SOMEBODY HELP ME!!!

[ShortyDooWhop]

OK, here's the situation.

I'm natural and have been natural for the past four years, and I literally have split ends on virtually every single strand of hair (from the straight up split ends to the knots on each strand to splits up the shaft) - bare damage.

So I'm thinking maybe it's time to transition back to a perm - maybe that will allow moisture to get to my hair and prevent the splits.

Now, I've pressed my hair several times, and it's weakened my hair to the point that there are areas that will not revert and areas where my hair has just broken off completely (two patches).

At this point, I would like to perm my hair, but am afraid that perming it will just break it all off. Not to mention, I want a gentle, knowledgeable stylists who can shower my hair with TLC and won't further damage my hair. What to do? What to do?

P.S. I live in Brooklyn, so I am looking for a really great stylist in the NYC Metro area who will be gentle with my hair.

Also, what products can I use to care for my hair - I want 2007 to be a year full of beautiful, health, SPLIT-END-FREE hair...

 

[sweetwhispers]

I really wouldn't perm your hair at the moment. It sounds very damaged, and i've never had a perm, but on the box it always says it should be done on healthy hair. I don't think it will turn out well in my honest opinion. Why don't you cut out pressing, trim often and do protective styles to get your hair healthy again, then you can relax if you so wish to. What do you currently do to your hair? I want to understand why its so dry.

 

[navsegda]

I really wouldn't perm your hair at the moment. It sounds very damaged, and i've never had a perm, but on the box it always says it should be done on healthy hair. I don't think it will turn out well in my honest opinion. Why don't you cut out pressing, trim often and do protective styles to get your hair healthy again, then you can relax if you so wish to. What do you currently do to your hair? I want to understand why its so dry.

Exactly. Relaxers are not for damaged hair. And if you have splits everywhere, then you should definitely trim. Also, you might want to use a product that can help prevent split ends after you've gotten rid of the ones you have. I really like Garnier Fructis Length & Strength Anti-Split Ends Treatment. In fact, the whole Length & Strength line is good.

Furthermore, heat is not for damaged hair. Ditto on cutting out the pressing (also, what were you using when you used heat [type of flat iron, protectant or not, etc.?])

 

[BrownSkin2]

I wouldn't perm right now either. It sounds like you've suffered from heat damage. I would trim the split ends, and stop pressing, get a really good regimine to include weekly shampoos, deep conditioners, hot oil treatments, a good leave-in and moisturizer, oils such as evoo, coconut or castor oil. Good luck on nursing your hair back to health. I'm sure it will be back in no time.

 

[ShortyDooWhop]

I went to an Aveda Concept salon to get my hair pressed. I always got a deep treatment before the press, and the stylist used his flatiron. I bought IC fantasia glosser and heat protectant, so I don't think that caused the damage.

I would wash my hair (CON), then douse it with conditioner and let it dry. Alternately, I was using IC Fantasia Sparklites gel. My hair would stay moist, because the gel would not dry on the ends.

I guess that begs the question are some people's hair predisposed to splitends

 

[ThursdayGirl]

I went to an Aveda Concept salon to get my hair pressed. I always got a deep treatment before the press, and the stylist used his flatiron. I bought IC fantasia glosser and heat protectant, so I don't think that caused the damage.

I would wash my hair (CON), then douse it with conditioner and let it dry. Alternately, I was using IC Fantasia Sparklites gel. My hair would stay moist, because the gel would not dry on the ends.

I guess that begs the question are some people's hair predisposed to splitends

I'm inclined to believe that some are. Particular ultra-curly dry hair. Think about it, black hair supposedly is flat like a ribbon and has fewer cuticle layers. That means its prone to being dry... the ultra-curliness makes it prone to breakage and I'm thinking splits.

I have been fully natural for almost a year now, so I still remember what my relaxed hair was like. I know for a fact that my hair didn't have as many splits and wasn't quite as dry when it was relaxed. Before I totally give up on natural, I have a few more things to try, but so far, I wind up getting a quarter of an inch to an inch or so cut every 4 months because of splits . I am retaining less length as a natural than I was relaxed.

Since you have been a natural for so long, I imagine you have tried just about every thing. If your hair is really damaged, I wouldn't get the relaxer. You want to give your hair the best chance possible to be healthy while relaxed. You should out or cut off the heat damage before you relax.

 

[InnerSoul]

I wouldn't perm right now either. It sounds like you've suffered from heat damage. I would trim the split ends, and stop pressing, get a really good regimine to include weekly shampoos, deep conditioners, hot oil treatments, a good leave-in and moisturizer, oils such as evoo, coconut or castor oil. Good luck on nursing your hair back to health. I'm sure it will be back in no time.

by doing what's in bold... this can definitely improve the health of your hair as well as making it stronger and more conditioned.

 

[joyous]

I've been natural for four years, and I always make sure I use something to protect my ends, like Nav suggested. It is vital. Even though you went to a professional salon and he used a flat iron, it still sounds like heat damage. When your hair won't revert back that sounds like it was over processed.
I would cut off the damaged hair and nurse my hair back to health as Brownskin suggested. Have you tried rollersets, it may help to straighten the hair some without applying to much heat. I wish you the best.

 

[kimbaparis]

I really liked Dickey. He wrote the book Hair Rules (and despite what Cathy Howse says on her site, he is not white.) He is a big believer in natural hair, but he also believes in helping you find what works for you. He won't even put a texturizer in your hair until it is healthy enough. He just moved from Louis Licari to a new salon on the upper east side. This is the address:
OC61
33 East 61st Street
New York, NY 10021
212-935-6261

He's not cheap, but he's very good--all about the health of your hair. And he is cheaper than lots of others. His website is hairrules.com

 

[glamazon386]

I agree. Don't perm it just yet. Take some time to baby it and get it healthy. Then maybe you can perm it. Also it may not be a matter of if your hair is prone to split ends. Maybe some people's hair is. But things you're doing to it could also cause splits and breakage. Do you comb dry hair? What kind of comb are you using to detangle?