Two things....hairline breakage and thickness of braids

[princessdi]

Anyone else's braids start out thick at the top and seem to thin out at the bottom or are as thin as mine?

Also, I have breakage in my hairline on both my right and left side. I've been battling this breakage since my hair journey. Can anyone tell me what the problem may be. I'm puzzled..

See pics below.

 

[ms.blue]

My braids start like that but I believe it's b/c my hair has natural layers. Also for the hairline, are you braiding or twisting?

 

[Nonie]

princessdi, I don't notice the thinning toward the ends that you're talmbout. I do think you have fine hair which is why your braid "ropes" are narrow, but they seem to have a uniform thickness from what we can see. Seems your hair is too long to fit in the photo frame coz if the ends are thin, we sho as hell can't see them. Maybe if you cut it a bit, so it can fit in the picture frame, we may be able to assess it better.

I'm kidding with that last line.

Not sure what the reason for your hairline breakage is. How do you normally wear your hair? Do you use heat? You may have to share more of your regimen for people to be able to help you figure out the reason for the breakage.

 

[Kurlee]

subscribing

 

[faithVA]

@princessdi, I don't notice the thinning toward the ends that you're talmbout. I do think you have fine hair which is why your braid "ropes" are narrow, but they seem to have a uniform thickness from what we can see. Seems your hair is too long to fit in the photo frame coz if the ends are thin, we sho as hell can't see them. Maybe if you cut it a bit, so it can fit in the picture frame, we may be able to assess it better.

I'm kidding with that last line.

Not sure what the reason for your hairline breakage is. How do you normally wear your hair? Do you use heat? You may have to share more of your regimen for people to be able to help you figure out the reason for the breakage.

Yeah, what she said. Your braids looked uniform all the way down from what I could see.

 

[curlyninjagirl]

I've been wondering the same thing, OP.

 

[princessdi]

Thanks for the resonses. No, I don't use any heat and relax 3 times per year. I wear my hair mostly in buns or in two side plaits under a wig. I make sure there is no tension when it's in a bun and my hair is protected by a wig cap under my wig. Just not sure what's going on but I hate it with a passion.erplexed

 

[mscocoface]

I have this same issue and I have only twice in the last few years used a hot comb. I am all natural but right at the temple I have this maddening issue. I can twist my hair, not twist my hair, leave it loose, it doesn't matter it just breaks over and over, it is the most frustrating.

I do know that I sleep with my silk hair wrap but I sleep in my stomach which means my face is moving back and forth through out the night. I am a wild sleeper. When I wake up in the morning my silk wrap in not covering my edges. But my sides are okay just the gosh darn temples. So I am trying my hardest to sleep more on my back but it is difficult.

Arrrgggghhh. It is just frustrating.

 

[MekyakaKinkerbelle]

Thanks for the resonses. No, I don't use any heat and relax 3 times per year. I wear my hair mostly in buns or in two side plaits under a wig. I make sure there is no tension when it's in a bun and my hair is protected by a wig cap under my wig. Just not sure what's going on but I hate it with a passion.erplexed

I can't really see the thinning at the ends that you're talking about, but based on what you said, it seems to me that your choice of consistent protective styling my be the culprit.

Are you changing up the position of your bun? Bunning all the time can lead to breakage if you do not change the position of where the elastic is on your hair. Also, because you are wearing wigs, and a wig cap, the elastic around the edge of your cap might be slowly rubbing your hair line away. What type of wig cap are you wearing? Is it the nylon material? Have you thought about changing up the material to silk or satin?

 

[swgpec]

I just have to say Nonie--I don't respond much but I laugh so much at your posts, they are witty, and helpful... I love you e-personality. princessdi, I only see beautiful healthy hair. I am battling similar issues and I agree with Nonie's response about the fine hair being equivalent to thin ropes. Recently I have started using the JBCO so that I can have the healthiest ends and hairline possible for my hair type but I have come to the realization that I will never have a dense hairline or coarse strand.

 

[princessdi]

I have this same issue and I have only twice in the last few years used a hot comb. I am all natural but right at the temple I have this maddening issue. I can twist my hair, not twist my hair, leave it loose, it doesn't matter it just breaks over and over, it is the most frustrating.

I do know that I sleep with my silk hair wrap but I sleep in my stomach which means my face is moving back and forth through out the night. I am a wild sleeper. When I wake up in the morning my silk wrap in not covering my edges. But my sides are okay just the gosh darn temples. So I am trying my hardest to sleep more on my back but it is difficult.

Arrrgggghhh. It is just frustrating.

Girl, I feel your pain!

 

[princessdi]

I can't really see the thinning at the ends that you're talking about, but based on what you said, it seems to me that your choice of consistent protective styling my be the culprit.

Are you changing up the position of your bun? Bunning all the time can lead to breakage if you do not change the position of where the elastic is on your hair. Also, because you are wearing wigs, and a wig cap, the elastic around the edge of your cap might be slowly rubbing your hair line away. What type of wig cap are you wearing? Is it the nylon material? Have you thought about changing up the material to silk or satin?

I try to switch up my buns. I must admit, I need to work on doing this more often, but how can this effect my front edges (certain areas...i.e., one small side on the right and one small side on the left)? I could maybe understand if it was the whole front hairline but it's not. It's very confusing.erplexed

I don't wear the nylon caps. I normally wear the male wave cap, which is silk.

 

[princessdi]

I just have to say @Nonie--I don't respond much but I laugh so much at your posts, they are witty, and helpful... I love you e-personality. @princessdi, I only see beautiful healthy hair. I am battling similar issues and I agree with @Nonie's response about the fine hair being equivalent to thin ropes. Recently I have started using the JBCO so that I can have the healthiest ends and hairline possible for my hair type but I have come to the realization that I will never have a dense hairline or coarse strand.

Like you, maybe I just have to accept that my hair will never be lush and thick either. I could live with that if I could at least keep my hairline and sides from looking so sick.

I've started applying JBCO to my hair line and sides. I hope that I see an improvement soon; however, I still don't know what to do about the breakage in the front.

 

[Nonie]

princessdi, have you considered bangs or combing your hair forward and swept to the side over your ear as phony bang?

This is an exaggeration of what I'm thinking about:

...but it's something I did with my braids. The pic to the top right in the set below sort of shows you what I mean:

I created an angled part to our left and swept the hair forward then to the side instead of having it all pulled back in a way that could cause traction alopecia.

You can see a similar thing here where I was demonstrating how I'd cross wrap my braids when I wanted to wear them down straight as in the above pic:

Alternatively ever considered bangs? You could have them come from a little way back so that the hair camouflages the edges till they grow in.

These bangs would be hard to do if your hair is thin or broken in the front:

These bangs though use more hair from the back and can be pulled off even with breakage in the front:

 

[ms-gg]

hairline breakage comes from stress to your hairline. You said you wear wigs and buns. Both of those things stress your hairline, especially if you wear them often without switching up hairstyles.

If you don't want to cause stress to your hair, then you have to constantly switch up styles and where you place your buns and other things. And truth be told, the braids aren't going to help your hairline either.

That is why IMO it isn't the act of wearing your hair down once and letting it brush against your clothing that causes damage to your hair, it is the repetitive act of doing it day after day that does it. If people wore their hair down every now and then, I doubt they would be left with irreversible damage. But that is just my opinion and don't come after me with a pitchfork if my theory is wrong .