Strange...Advice needed (Kinda Long)

[balisi]

Ladies, can you help me with this? I have a new client who came to me for the first time yesterday for a relaxer touch-up. During her consultation, I noticed a patch of hair in the center crown of her head that looked like heat breakage or even chemical breakage. The section was about three inches long and the lengths were quite even. It very much resembles what a section of hair would look like if a too-hot marcel iron were placed three inches from the scalp and burned the hair off at that point.

When I asked my client about it, she advised me that it just grows that way and that her identical twin sister has the same problem. Upon further inspection, I discovered that most of the hair along the center of her head was in the same shape, almost down to the nape. As a result, there is a very noticeable gap in the rear center of her hair, starting at the nape. The rest of her hair is shoulder length and the ends are pretty thin (see through).

I've never seen such an extreme case of this condition before, and I'm at a loss as to how I can help her correct this, or even if correction is possible. I believe that there HAS to be a way for her hair to recover. I asked her about deep conditioning, but she never does them. I think that may be part of the problem, as that hair may be naturally weak and may thrive if fortified. I advised her about some treatments we can do in the salon and also some that she can do herself at home. She allowed me to give her a very light trim and I did my best to barely trim the short areas, but of course it wasn't enough to make a visual difference.

I would like to deep condition her hair every other week, coupled with small trims (1/4") every six weeks or so until her hair is in better shape. Any suggestions, Ladies?

 

[Enchantmt]

Has she seen a doctor in the past? How much new growth does she have? Does it appear to be even length of new growth in all areas including the damaged area? Is the new growth in the damaged area a different texture than the rest of her hair or the hairs finer or thicker than the healthier areas? (My hair has different textures, the crown is more coarse and fragile and more prone to breakage. I have to take intentional good care of it. Proper -gentle- detangling, a k cutter comb, a shower comb, regular moisture to the area will help.) Does the new growth texture feel dramatically different from the relaxed/damaged part? Does it feel brittle? How are her eating habits? She may need more protein. How is she handling her hair? Does she protect it at night? Does she sleep so that the affected area gets damaged? Being twins they could have the same medical issue or the same habits. What products does she use? Has she or does she use weaves that could have put improper stress on the area? How often does she wash her hair? If shes not getting regular moisture that will cause a problem. How often and at what temperature is she using heat appliance? What types of combs is she using, the super fine ones might be fine for parts of her hair but break off the more fragile areas. If the scalp looks healthy and its broken but not bald, then it is probably improper handling/poor nourishment/moisture. If she has a fungal issue, virgin coconut oil will help, as it is antifungal. Also put her on a good multivitimin and scalp massages using the coconut oil. If you are going to be doing her relaxers, stretching may help. If the area is weaker than the rest, it will probably straighten faster too, you may be able to relax those areas last. Some ladies here with very fine napes dont relax it at all. If her hair is porous the porosity contorl may help.

Take pictures before and after treatment to protect yourself. Tell her you want to be able to accurately monitor her progress and you cant always tell the difference from the naked eye alone.

 

[determined_to_grow]

Whatever you do DO NOT relax her hair!!!! Maybe you could suggest that she wear braids and do the C&G method to get her hair back into shape??

 

[Soul♥Flower]

Do her and her sister where the same or similar hairstyles on a daily basis. Could be the hairstyle or the way they pull their hair into the hairstyle that may be causing breakage.

 

[shocol]

I'm not a stylist but I agree w/Enchantment about asking her if she's seen a doctor. From the way you're describing her hair, it seems like she would almost have some kind of a stripe of very short hair down the center of her head. Doesn't sound normal at all and I wouldn't give her any chemical services until I found out why.

 

[balisi]

You ladies are truly the best! Thank you all soooooo much! :Rose: Enchantmt, I'm ashamed to admit that I didn't think to ask her even half of the questions you raised. She didn't seem very concerned about it and at the time I chalked it up to genetics, but the more I thought about it the more determined I became that there must be a way to fix it.


I will do some more research in the meantime and get more complete information on her next visit, as well as photos for tracking purposes.

 

[longhairluva]

You ladies are truly the best! Thank you all soooooo much! :Rose: Enchantmt, I'm ashamed to admit that I didn't think to ask her even half of the questions you raised. She didn't seem very concerned about it and at the time I chalked it up to genetics, but the more I thought about it the more determined I became that there must be a way to fix it.


I will do some more research in the meantime and get more complete information on her next visit, as well as photos for tracking purposes.

Why can't all stylist be like you. Oh I wish I was in ATL.

 

[LocksOfLuV]

I don't buy the "it grows in like that" thing. The same thing used to happen to my sister and she was admittingly too lazy to seek the cause so she said the same thing, "my hair just grows like that." Well, we have just about the same genetics and my hair doesn't grow like that. There is SOMETHING that her and her twin is doing that is causing that, I think it is between the three of these options:

Parting down the middle every night to wrap/style

Parting down the middle and applying relaxer there first (my sister's culprit)

Overprocessing that area

 

[balisi]

I'm not a stylist but I agree w/Enchantment about asking her if she's seen a doctor. From the way you're describing her hair, it seems like she would almost have some kind of a stripe of very short hair down the center of her head. Doesn't sound normal at all and I wouldn't give her any chemical services until I found out why.

shocol, that's exactly what it looks like!

 

[balisi]

Why can't all stylist be like you. Oh I wish I was in ATL.

Blushing...

 

[shocol]

I don't buy the "it grows in like that" thing. The same thing used to happen to my sister and she was admittingly too lazy to seek the cause so she said the same thing, "my hair just grows like that." Well, we have just about the same genetics and my hair doesn't grow like that. There is SOMETHING that her and her twin is doing that is causing that, I think it is between the three of these options:

Parting down the middle every night to wrap/style

Parting down the middle and applying relaxer there first (my sister's culprit)

Overprocessing that area

ITA...I don't think your client is being completely honest with you. She may be coming to you to fix what someone else or herself has done to her hair. A lot of times we aren't completely honest with our stylists about the things we do to our hair outside of the salon.

 

[balisi]

I don't buy the "it grows in like that" thing. The same thing used to happen to my sister and she was admittingly too lazy to seek the cause so she said the same thing, "my hair just grows like that." Well, we have just about the same genetics and my hair doesn't grow like that. There is SOMETHING that her and her twin is doing that is causing that, I think it is between the three of these options:

Parting down the middle every night to wrap/style

Parting down the middle and applying relaxer there first (my sister's culprit)

Overprocessing that area

LocksOfLuV, you're right. That's why I find it so strange. I thought it might be the way her previous touchups were applied, but she tells me that her twin keeps her hair in its natural state, and has the same problem. I would love to see her twin's hair, but she lives in Texas. I believe that the major culprit is that she doesn't devote much time to taking care of her hair. She also advised that the current length of the damaged areas is actually longer than usual.

 

[blac_quarian]

Balisi - be very careful with new clients with questionable or unexplained hair history, particularly if you work for a large chain salon. My stylist at JCP told me of a first time client who came for a relaxer service with what appeared to be a blown out/straightened jheri curl. However, the client denied she had ever a curl process. Luckily my stylist is very experienced (20+yrs) and refused to relax her hair. Long story short, it turned out this woman had been to a couple of other JCP salons to request a relaxer and it was subsequently discovered that she had attempted (unsuccessfully) to sue salons for damage to her hair in the past.

 

[balisi]

ITA...I don't think your client is being completely honest with you. She may be coming to you to fix what someone else or herself has done to her hair. A lot of times we aren't completely honest with our stylists about the things we do to our hair outside of the salon.

This says a lot. I know, and I've seen it happen, which is really unfortunate.

 

[preciousjewel76]

Balisi - be very careful with new clients with questionable or unexplained hair history, particularly if you work for a large chain salon. My stylist at JCP told me of a first time client who came for a relaxer service with what appeared to be a blown out/straightened jheri curl. However, the client denied she had ever a curl process. Luckily my stylist is very experienced (20+yrs) and refused to relax her hair. Long story short, it turned out this woman had been to a couple of other JCP salons to request a relaxer and it was subsequently discovered that she had attempted (unsuccessfully) to sue salons for damage to her hair in the past.

Wow! That is beyond shady. It's a shame the things people do to get money.

 

[balisi]

Balisi - be very careful with new clients with questionable or unexplained hair history, particularly if you work for a large chain salon. My stylist at JCP told me of a first time client who came for a relaxer service with what appeared to be a blown out/straightened jheri curl. However, the client denied she had ever a curl process. Luckily my stylist is very experienced (20+yrs) and refused to relax her hair. Long story short, it turned out this woman had been to a couple of other JCP salons to request a relaxer and it was subsequently discovered that she had attempted (unsuccessfully) to sue salons for damage to her hair in the past.

Great advice! That's why a proper consultation is so important. Thanks for sharing your stylist's story.

 

[scoobygirl]

I just want to add another perspective. I have a patch of hair about in the same area, but not as big that does the same thing. It looks broken off at about 3 - 4 inches and it stays drier than the rest of my hair. I didn't really notice before until about 2-3 years ago (when I was trying to take pictures of my hair for comparison shots). They stylist I went fto for four years also noticed it and we couldn't figure out the cause. I didn't sleep on my back, I wore a satin cap at night, and I didn't use flat irons and only occasionally used hair dryers.

When I switched stylist the new lady noticed the same things, and tried to work on it. We first extended my relaxer touch-ups from every 6 weeks to every 8 weeks. Then she switched relaxers to Mizani mild. I've been going to her for 1 1/2 years now and I did see some changes but not a drastic difference. That area is still very difficult to moisturize and it seems to grow in a texture different than the rest of my hair in that area.

I've prodcuted junkied my way through almost everyone salon/designer hair products known to man to fix it but so far I have just learned to live with it because it's not that noticable unless you are trying to find the spot.

 

[Lin]

It could be also that she pulls the hair out in that spot. Trichotillomania -compulsive hair pulling. That patch could be in a constant state of baldness, half grown in (which could look broken off, but is just shorter).
your hair skills AND your compassion may be needed to get to the bottom of this.
xoxo,
Lin

 

[hopeful]

I just want to add another perspective. I have a patch of hair about in the same area, but not as big that does the same thing. It looks broken off at about 3 - 4 inches and it stays drier than the rest of my hair. I didn't really notice before until about 2-3 years ago (when I was trying to take pictures of my hair for comparison shots). They stylist I went fto for four years also noticed it and we couldn't figure out the cause. I didn't sleep on my back, I wore a satin cap at night, and I didn't use flat irons and only occasionally used hair dryers.

When I switched stylist the new lady noticed the same things, and tried to work on it. We first extended my relaxer touch-ups from every 6 weeks to every 8 weeks. Then she switched relaxers to Mizani mild. I've been going to her for 1 1/2 years now and I did see some changes but not a drastic difference. That area is still very difficult to moisturize and it seems to grow in a texture different than the rest of my hair in that area.

I've prodcuted junkied my way through almost everyone salon/designer hair products known to man to fix it but so far I have just learned to live with it because it's not that noticable unless you are trying to find the spot.

Co-signing with scoobygirl. Sometimes people do just have a troubling spot that won't grow right. So be sensitive to this. It can be very frustrating when a stylist starts trying to fix a problem that nobody else has been able to fix. If you decide to work with her (even if you think she's mistreated her hair) treat her like you believe her and trust that she has done her best, compliment her on what she has done right. Just because the problem is rare or odd does not mean that she is lying to you.

 

[jaiku]

This sounds like a case of extreme permanent part. I know a lot of women who have damage running down the center of their head from constantly wearing their hair parted down the middle as a child. I can create a perfect center part to this day with just my bear hands and no mirror because of it and I haven't worn my hair parted down the middle in about 18 years. This might be the reason both her and her sister have the same issue.

 

[Kimberly]

I used to have a spot at the back of my head that WOULD NOT GROW. I'm sorry, I know I've told this story on LHCF so many times but it's the truth. That spot was seriously overprocessed and was slick straight.

Did your clients area have new growth?

Mine did not and every stylist I went to would slap relaxer on this hair even though it had no new growth. Anyway, after coming to LHCF, I used Surge and WGO on that spot and a slick bald spot that I had on the left side of my head from one of my earliest attempts at self-relaxing. The slick bald spot grew back and the short, dry, overprocessed spot at the back of my head finally began to grow!

I thought it was genetic, too. My mother had a similiar spot on the back of her head and I remember the stylist giving her electro-shock treatments trying to get her's to grow. She may think it's genetic if she's not known it to be any other way.

 

[balisi]

It could be also that she pulls the hair out in that spot. Trichotillomania -compulsive hair pulling. That patch could be in a constant state of baldness, half grown in (which could look broken off, but is just shorter).
your hair skills AND your compassion may be needed to get to the bottom of this.
xoxo,
Lin

Thanks Lin. I've heard of this condition before. But the fact that the hairs in that short patch are all about the same length lead me to believe that it is something else.

 

[winterinatl]

I can't read all responses right now, but this sounds familiar. She might have a compulsive disorder to pull her hair: I have a girlfriend that does this and the pattern sounds similar. She wouldnt want to admit to that.

 

[balisi]

Co-signing with scoobygirl. Sometimes people do just have a troubling spot that won't grow right. So be sensitive to this. It can be very frustrating when a stylist starts trying to fix a problem that nobody else has been able to fix. If you decide to work with her (even if you think she's mistreated her hair) treat her like you believe her and trust that she has done her best, compliment her on what she has done right. Just because the problem is rare or odd does not mean that she is lying to you.

I definitely don't think she is being dishonest. I've been doing her teenage daughter's hair (who happens to be one of my favorite clients), so I've gotten to know her a bit.

 

[balisi]

This sounds like a case of extreme permanent part. I know a lot of women who have damage running down the center of their head from constantly wearing their hair parted down the middle as a child. I can create a perfect center part to this day with just my bear hands and no mirror because of it and I haven't worn my hair parted down the middle in about 18 years. This might be the reason both her and her sister have the same issue.

Hmmmmm. I'll have to ask her about this. Thanks!

 

[balisi]

I used to have a spot at the back of my head that WOULD NOT GROW. I'm sorry, I know I've told this story on LHCF so many times but it's the truth. That spot was seriously overprocessed and was slick straight.

Did your clients area have new growth?

Mine did not and every stylist I went to would slap relaxer on this hair even though it had no new growth. Anyway, after coming to LHCF, I used Surge and WGO on that spot and a slick bald spot that I had on the left side of my head from one of my earliest attempts at self-relaxing. The slick bald spot grew back and the short, dry, overprocessed spot at the back of my head finally began to grow!

I thought it was genetic, too. My mother had a similiar spot on the back of her head and I remember the stylist giving her electro-shock treatments trying to get her's to grow. She may think it's genetic if she's not known it to be any other way.

Yes, it actually did have new growth. She said it was the longest she'd seen it in a long time, so it does appear to be growing. If she does become a regular client of mine, I really hope she is committed to doing her part in treating this condition, because it will take our combined efforts to bring about a positive change.

 

[patient1]

Hey Balisi,

I really appreciate that you take the time to investigate AND cop to not asking the questions. I think a lot of stylists want to act infallible to the detriment of their client's hair. Others would have just processed regardless and put the cash in the register.

Thought: Is it possible for her twin sister to come in or show pics so that you can see the similarities between the spots? I think it could help you decide if and how you should deal with it.

I think sometimes I take for granted as "common knowledge" all that I have learned over the years via hair boards and hands on experience. If she's sort of accepted it, then what's lost if she gives some natural remedies a shot. Barring no conditions that would exclude rosemary essential oil, I'd suggest she whip it with castor oil and apply it to the areas.

Let us know what develops! I might have to take a trip to ATL to get a the VIP treatment!

p1

 

[balisi]

Hey Balisi,

Thought: Is it possible for her twin sister to come in or show pics so that you can see the similarities between the spots? I think it could help you decide if and how you should deal with it.

Let us know what develops! I might have to take a trip to ATL to get a the VIP treatment!

p1

Hey girl! Her sister lives in Texas and it may be a while before I get a chance to see her. When I get back to work I will give her a call and ask her some more probing questions and proceed from there.

Come on girl! I have a chair waiting for you.

 

[jrae]

I didn't read all of the responses but my hair was like this. At the crown it was coarse like thick straw and from the crown straight down the back, very short and fine.

The texture at the crown has improved significantly and the short areas are retaining length. I "think" MSM improved the texture and changing relaxer strength saved the short areas. I now use Mild and will sometimes skip relaxing the back part. Sleeping on a satin or silk pillowcase made a big difference, too.

The crown got damaged "I think" from a sewn-in weave many, many years ago and the back was always hard to grow since I was a little girl.