Why'd My Hair Break-Off & Thin Out?!?!?!

[wyldcurlz]

i got a sew-in weave in november to "hide my hair" for a few months and hopefully grow it longer than the BSL length it was at. i put the weave in in Nov kept it in 3 mos as i was instructed, took it down and put it back up the same day & kept it in for another 3 mos - from feb til may. when they took it down, my hair was soooo much thinner! it didn't grow very much and it looks as if it broke off! there's a noticeable line of separation from the ear down. its a mess!!!! i'm mad, i'm sad! i don't know what could've gone wrong! can someone please explain?!?!?! one person said maybe my hair is too "fine" for a sew-in and couldn't take the tension? i have no idea, i've always considered my hair healthy and fairly strong.

please, someone explain! help! i'm back at square 1 - pre LHCF status hair.

 

[lilsparkle825]

1) did you wash/DC/all that stuff in those 3 month cycles?
2) putting weaves in back to back like that is not good for the hair.

i know this from personal experience...i did the same thing. i put a weave in last july, took it out in sept, put in another the same day, then took that out in october. no washes or anything in between except for once during the first weave, and i went against advice to leave the weave out for a week because i had just started a new semester and didn't want people to know it was a weave. i went from SL to ear length the day that thing came out and i cried for days till i went to the dominicans and they whipped my hair back in shape.

ETA: 4-6 weeks is as long as a weave should stay in from what I have been told.

 

[wyldcurlz]

wow! so you've had a similar experience. i washed it about once a week & followed up with conditioner and let it air dry then flat-ironed it. or i'd get it done at the salon. the stylist and the woman who "made" the hair for me said i could go 3 months straight with the weave left in, but now i'm wondering if that was my mistake?? i'm near tears. my hair hasn't been this short or looked this bad/damaged in years! over 12 years! its unreal. i don't know what to do! i kind of want to get the weave put back in so my hair can grow. but my question is: will this happen each time i weave? can i just not take weaves? or was this a mistake with the take down process or just leaving it in too long?

 

[LynnieB]

why would you leave a weave in your hair for so long? you're already natural, right? so you don't have to worry about dealing with 2 textures or anything like that.

i can't tell you what to do but i can tell you what i would do and that's leave the weaves alone and just work with your natural hair.

There are dozens and dozens of women here who have grown out their hair by using rollersets, buns, updos and other protective styles. without the need for weave.

gosh, i'm really am sorry that you experienced so much damage, it's so heartbreaking but it could also be a sign that it's time to find alternatives.

you'll get plenty of help and support here to do just that, i promise you that.

Rock what you've got sis

 

[Fine 4s]

why would you leave a weave in your hair for so long? you're already natural, right? so you don't have to worry about dealing with 2 textures or anything like that.

i can't tell you what to do but i can tell you what i would do and that's leave the weaves alone and just work with your natural hair.

There are dozens and dozens of women here who have grown out their hair by using rollersets, buns, updos and other protective styles. without the need for weave.

gosh, i'm really am sorry that you experienced so much damage, it's so heartbreaking but it could also be a sign that it's time to find alternatives.

you'll get plenty of help and support here to do just that, i promise you that.

Rock what you've got sis

I'm thinking she needs to rock it too.

 

[belleama]

why would you leave a weave in your hair for so long? you're already natural, right? so you don't have to worry about dealing with 2 textures or anything like that.

i can't tell you what to do but i can tell you what i would do and that's leave the weaves alone and just work with your natural hair.

There are dozens and dozens of women here who have grown out their hair by using rollersets, buns, updos and other protective styles. without the need for weave.

gosh, i'm really am sorry that you experienced so much damage, it's so heartbreaking but it could also be a sign that it's time to find alternatives.

you'll get plenty of help and support here to do just that, i promise you that.

Rock what you've got sis

Great post!

OP sorry that had to happen to you. I agree with LynnieB, its time for you to leave those weaves alone.

 

[tinkat]

Wow, I am sorry about your hair. It not good to leave it in that long (only 4-6 weeks) and it is important to give yourself a break. I was guilty of doing both though at one point of time during my transtion and first year being natural. I just stopped wearing them back to back this past January. Luckily I did not get much damage. I agree with above, it may just be best for you to take a break from the weaves and focus on your hair. Weaves are not a bad for protective styling, we just have to learn the proper techniques of taking care of the hair underneath. I got great growth from sew-ins but the area where my part was located is where I was getting breakage. But it had nothing to do with the sewin, it was due to me not taking breaks with my hair. In my fotki, you can see it and it has grown out alot since...I have before and after pictures. Luckily it was something I could hide and it was not throughout my whole head.

 

[vestaluv1]

i got a sew-in weave in november to "hide my hair" for a few months and hopefully grow it longer than the BSL length it was at. i put the weave in in Nov kept it in 3 mos as i was instructed, took it down and put it back up the same day & kept it in for another 3 mos - from feb til may. when they took it down, my hair was soooo much thinner! it didn't grow very much and it looks as if it broke off! there's a noticeable line of separation from the ear down. its a mess!!!! i'm mad, i'm sad! i don't know what could've gone wrong! can someone please explain?!?!?! one person said maybe my hair is too "fine" for a sew-in and couldn't take the tension? i have no idea, i've always considered my hair healthy and fairly strong.

please, someone explain! help! i'm back at square 1 - pre LHCF status hair.

I have experienced this, plus a lot worse from a weave I took out in February of this year (which I only had in for two weeks).
This is what eventually led me to LHCF in the first place.
I think that my relaxed hair was too fine and stressed, and possibly overprocessed in the area that was damaged BADLY to deal with the tension of the sew in, and also, I believe it was too tight.
I was left with this patches and baldness in an obvious pattern of one of the cornrows that were in the back . But all I can do is move on and try to fix it.
Because of this I will NOT be getting another weave and I'm finding alternatives. I'm even scared to get regular braids or cornrow extensions.
From now on, stay away from the sew-ins .
This exerience even led me to transition...all that relaxing had obviously not agreed with my hair and made it weak...I'd rather have strong, healthy natural hair from now on.

Don't worry, you will get your healthy hair back and reach your hair goals...this is just a minor set back. You live and learn and this is just part of your hair care journey . Good luck!

 

[Ediese]

OP I'm so sorry this happened to you. I'm not sure what happened in your case. I know alot of people that have been able to grow out their hair wearing weaves for 3 mos at a time. I can personally attest to that. I've always used it as my number one protective styling option. Last year when I cut my hair to neck length, I wore an install from Feb to July and probably washed my hair once a month (pre hair board). My hair didn't experience any breakage, and it grew to full SL. I then put another sew-in in July and kept it from July to September. My hair grew about 2 inches past SL in that time. I put the next one in from September to December and got 1/2 inch away from APL (grew about 2 1/2-3"). This is when I found the boards in Sept, and starting using my regimen.

Again, I'm not sure what happened in your case, but it could have been that your hair was a little fragile and your strands couldn't handle the stress from the braids idk. You should probably try another method like LynnieB suggested or start wearing your installs for a shorter period of time if you decide to go back that route. Since I'm transitioning, my weaves help me deal with two textures and retain length at the same time. I plan on wearing my current install that I got done in February until August. One other thing, it also helped thicken up my hair.

This is my regimen with my sew-in:
Wash every 2 weeks with Creme of Nature
Condition w/ Mane N Tail
DC every 2 weeks w/ORS replenishing pak or Pantene Pro V relaxed and natural
Leave in conditioner - Infusium 23
Use MN whenever I remember
Spray the hair that's left out, and my braids with a glycerin/water mix and seal my ends with castor oil
Clarify 1x month w/Suave clarifying shampoo
I've also started to incorporate using Mega tek and applying it to my scalp every day

I hope everything works out for you. I hope everyone doesn't believe that weaves are the debil because it does help alot of people without causing damage. By this Septemer (my 1 yr anniversary taking care of my hair), I could possibly get to BSL from NL last year. The main reason is because of my sewins, and the regimen that I've incorporated. You'll be back to where you were in no time. This board has all the information to get you there!

 

[Iluvsmuhgrass]

I'm relaxed. I know this is weird (and it may even sound gross) but I never washed my hair with a sew in (leaving them in for 4-6 weeks with tightening in-between.) I cleaned my scalp, used essential oils in a bottle with a nozzle on the scalp, and used braid spray on the cornrows. My hair never smelled sour but I'd use black-n-sassy braid shampoo (it's just a spray that you spray on and towel off) and it worked pretty well. I'd lightly wash the weave but left my hair alone. I have very fine hair and it's worked well for me in the past. I'm going to do it this summer so that I can have some relief with manipulation.

 

[starfish]

OP this happened to my hair too. I had a weave for 6 weeks, washed and dc'd weekly, then took it out and put it another one same day for 6 more weeks. I'd previously had growth with a 6-week weave, but never put it a second one before. that second 6 weeks did me in. My hair was extremely thin and broke off at the nape of my neck.

I have fine hair that grows fast and is healthy so I decided to grow my own damn hair. I babied it and took care of it and haven't used direct heat in almost two years. It thickened back up and grew to BSL.

Leave the weaves alone and find what works with your own hair. It takes time and every now and then I want my Amerie weave hair all down my back...but I resist the temptation.

 

[Firefly]

I agree with LynnieB. First off, everyone is different so what works for one, may not work for another. For some people it's not healthy for your hair to leave a weave in for that long....I speak from experience. It messes with the elasticity of your hair and if the braids are too tight it can cause thinning, breakage and some times alopecia. Please don't try putting another weave in your hair until your hair is healthy. If you want to hide your hair, try using a wig. That way you can take it off and do thorough deep conditioning. Once your hair is healthy, maybe you could try the Crown & Glory method (but definitely not until your hair is healthy).

 

[vonte422]

Im glad you asked because the same thing happened to me and I only had it in for 3 weeks. I went from APL to SL. . and I dont understand how I have won a sew in before for months and y hair benefitted from iterplexed

 

[foxieroxienyc]

Wow OP and others, so sorry to hear you guys went through this. I just took my tracks out (MYSELF ) after 4 weeks and my hair seems to have grown a bit (had two at the nape and now it's even with the rest of my hair as I wanted it). And I had worn weaves for 2 years (one RIGHT AFTER the other) straight, no breaks in btw and that's what really made my hair flourish. I think it has a lot to do with installation (if it's too tight and your hair's too fine, and not only the braids being tight but the way your stylist SEWS IT IN are MAJOR FACTORS you will see some major trouble). And also how you take it out is SO IMPORTANT too. It's best to have someone else do it, but because I had done this before I knew what to expect. It took me an hour and a half for two tracks, used two mirrors and a lot of patience. Let me tell you that if I didnt really baby my hair along the take down process I would have lost A WHOOOOOOOLE lot of hair. So you've got to look at that too. You know how stylists are sometimes, she could have rushed the take down process, or been too rough, and that caused you your healthy tresses....

 

[wyldcurlz]

I'm thinking she needs to rock it too.

i would rock it...and have for 15 years until now...but thought i'd experiment and play - in what i thought was a "safe" way. i'm just lost as to why it seems to have thinned and why it broke. Also...now i feel that it looks too "ugly" to "rock what i've got." this is the worst my hair has looked since the days when relaxers were breaking my hair off at the nape.

 

[wyldcurlz]

Wow OP and others, so sorry to hear you guys went through this. I just took my tracks out (MYSELF ) after 4 weeks and my hair seems to have grown a bit (had two at the nape and now it's even with the rest of my hair as I wanted it). And I had worn weaves for 2 years (one RIGHT AFTER the other) straight, no breaks in btw and that's what really made my hair flourish. I think it has a lot to do with installation (if it's too tight and your hair's too fine, and not only the braids being tight but the way your stylist SEWS IT IN are MAJOR FACTORS you will see some major trouble). And also how you take it out is SO IMPORTANT too. It's best to have someone else do it, but because I had done this before I knew what to expect. It took me an hour and a half for two tracks, used two mirrors and a lot of patience. Let me tell you that if I didnt really baby my hair along the take down process I would have lost A WHOOOOOOOLE lot of hair. So you've got to look at that too. You know how stylists are sometimes, she could have rushed the take down process, or been too rough, and that caused you your healthy tresses....

i'm really wondering if that's what happened. she was very rough and quick with the take down - it was my first weave so i didn't know. she said she had to go fast to avoid dreadlocking....my head was (mildly) sore for a few days after she took it down. maybe that cost me my healthy hair?!?!

i could understand losing hair if my hair were damaged or fragile or in some other way impaired. but healthy (i think strong) hair...i don't get that!

 

[ivyQuietstorm]

What a bummer! OP I'm sorry to hear about your set back, but look on the bright side...at least you aren't out here blind with thin/broke off hair. LHCF is your ticket to reconstuction. Put this incident behind you and keep it moving. (I know it hurts, but you have to move on.)

You can do it gurl! We're on your team!

Try wigs and falls as an alternative until you get to the hair length you want to be. At least you can take them off and throw them on the dresser at night.

 

[kbfluff]

Yes, so sorry for your loss!
This happened to me as well. I had grew my hair to one inch away from APL, check my Fokti, then I decided to do my usual weave to protect and get thicker. I took the weave out and it was substantialy thinner. Also I must have comb a little too hard and the back broke off really bad.
I had to trim my hair back up to slightly above collarbone.
I was so happy about the growth I wasn't baby'n my fine strands as I should have and just stuck a weave in it thinking I would get to Full APL/ BSL by doing so.
I think thay once MY hair had gotten longer I shouldn't have put the weave in it...it probably needed alot of TLC in it's longer state. My hangtime needed to be baby'd instead of tucked away under cottonthread and weft tracks rubbin all up on it.
Currently, I have been taking care of my OWN hair with conditioner washes, wraps, cornrows and airdrying techniques.
I exercise daily and I take 4 supplements. (amino acid, viviscal, phyto and rainbow light one a day) I drink lots of water too.
My hair is healthy and I've noticed that the top layers are growing to catch up with the bottom longer layers.

Try cornrows, wraps etc... rock your own hair. Embrace your face and try styles that bring out your beauty with the current length that you have.