I've Been Too Proud To Ask For Help...

[Tierras]

And it's breaking my hair too..

Lately, for some few months now, these small fragments of hair have been breaking off. Like, I'll run my fingers through my hair and these tiny fragments would come out. They look like little eyelash or eyebrow hairs, and I don't know what I'm doing so wrong that my hair is breaking like this. I also find split ends every so often. I hadn't been washing more than once a week, I had been in twists practically all last month, the only products I use on my hair would be my shea butter mix (shea butter, aloe vera gel, coconut oil, honey, and a squeeze of CD's hair milk and some vanilla extract, both of which my mix could have done without), oils (mainly coconut and olive), water, and sometimes my water/glycerine/lemon e.o. mix, and of course, my oyin's honey hemp conditioner. That's all I'd been using last month. I reintroduced Suave's conditioner two nights ago, and I had used it in the past, so I don't think that's the problem. It was breaking off before two nights ago.

I don't know what to do. Do I need to do a protein treatment? Is it my diet? Is it what I'm using? Is my regimen lacking??

Someone please help me.. :(

[Drea17]

want you use the basic oils like olive oi land shea butter. Try natural shampoos & conditoners or make your own, do a protective style.

[santwon]

I deal with this issue every now and again. Are you handling your hair while dry? I don't mean dry because of no product, i mean dry as in the opposite of wet (or damp, better said). That's when I notice those tiny ends breaking off the most. Try to mist your hair with water before handling it at all and see if that helps.

[Tierras]

Santwon- Actually, I noticed the breaking pieces whenever I'd condition my hair and detangle, when it's sopping wet. I've never noticed them while my hair has been dry, and I don't really handle/style my hair when it's dry (except for last night when I flat twisted it for bed instead of cowashing again) unless it's got some sort of sprayed water on it. And when I did that last night, no small broken pieces. Only when wet.

& drea17: I have been. And I have been in protective styles for the last month, I just took the twists out a few days ago.. but this was happening before I started protective styling, too.

[santwon]

Only when wet eh? Hm, that *may* mean that you need to add more protein. How are you detangling? From the ends up?

[nappy_crown]

If its only happening when wet, then I would suggest you try a protein treatment. You don't have to jump out there and get aphogee (although that's what I use) because it can be a bit strong, but Elasta QP has a mild protein treatment call breakage repair serum. You apply it to wet hair, and sit under a warm dry (with a plastic cap) for 10-15 minutes. It's a lot less "chemically" than the aphogee, but works.

HTHs

[rlcarson]

Hey babyafricana,

Don't you ever be afraid to come in and ask for help.

This is where is all started so always feel free to come back to the family.

I notice both long hair and a few short peices when styling but I don't worry much about them since I'm not seeing overall issues.

A lot of folk get summer shedding also.

Have you been doing a lot of protective styling or just wearing your hair loose?

Your products are great.

I'd definitely do a protein treatment an up the moisture.

[nappy_crown]

oh...I forgot to add...it might be time for a trim. I know when my ends are dry/ragged and not in the best health, they start snapping off like that. A trim should stop that and any splits and also set you on the right path.

[MzBNS2010]

It seems like you are moisturizing enough so try a trim and a protein treatment.

[Drea17]

i agree with every post above. plz dont be afriad.
I know we have some mean threads sometimes its okay.lol :hug:

But Iknow where your coming from with your hair, like another poster said maybe you can dust your ends, and are you using satin or silf garnment on your head at night?

[dajo]

hi babyafricana...i second the previous "emotions" ^^^.

if all else fails, begin to reduce what you're using (1 product/mixture at a time) to see if you notice a difference. also, what is your diet like? are you drinking enough water, do you eat enough protein, etc.? or are you stressed, or getting enough sleep? a lot of what we take in mentally manifests itself physically. just something to think about...

[Syrel]

Hello Babyafricana, I scanned the other replies tho not carefully & agree that it might help to simplify your product use until you learn what each does to or for your hair. For example, is your vanilla extract the kind with alcohol? Does your hair like all the different oils? Mine gets a little crunchy when I use coconut oil alone, though not when I mix it with shea butter. Maybe the combination of so many products may be having an unexpected effect. (You haven't used any hot appliances on your hair, have you? That could also explain damage & breakage on the ends.)

I think the poster who suggested a trim was probably right. Nothing will permanently fix split ends except removal. (Unless there's a new miracle product out there I don't know about.)

Hope you find your answer quickly!
Syrel

[Samii2004]

oh...I forgot to add...it might be time for a trim. I know when my ends are dry/ragged and not in the best health, they start snapping off like that. A trim should stop that and any splits and also set you on the right path.
[/b]

I agree with both advice that Nappy Crown gave. OP, I started having the same problem as you a few weeks ago. Although I normall avoid too much protein because my hair doesn't like it, I did a protein treatment and trimmed my ends. My hair seems fine now. Let us know if it works.

[Tierras]

Yep, I use a silk pillowcase and I still put satin bonnets on my hair.

I'm an ovo-pescatarian, no other meats/meat products whatsoever, and I take a multivitamin everyday, and heavy intake of fruits and vegetables.. the only things I drink is water and soy milk.. too blessed to be stressed, and I sleep for a healthy amount of time every night.

I guess I'll make a new shea mixture and only add oil/aloe vera to it? I tried to get fancy with my old one.. Yeah, the extract had alcohol in it, but it was like, maybe a teaspoon of the stuff.. and the CD hair milk, too, which makes my hair scream bloody murder. wasted shea butter.. ugh. &mhm, my hair likes the oils.. coconut oil really softens my hair.. but i'll watch it!!

Everyone says protein treatment and to dust my ends.. I will give that a shot, definitely. I'm not too keen on doing a aphogee or whatever though, since it's "chemically"? would Aubrey Organic's GPB work? Or it could be gbp, or something, I just know it's a protein conditioner though, and I can buy it where I am. however, if it's absolutely necessary that I use aphogee or something of the sort, i can!

I also have another question.. last night I tried something new.

1. I'm beginning to notice that when I use my shea butter or my oils on dry hair, I feel a difference. I feel no difference in my hair whenever I use it on wet hair. In fact, whenever it dries, it feels just that- dry. But this morning when I'm feeling my hair, it's softer than when I use it on wet hair. Why is that?? I thought wet hair absorbed product, and dry hair just lets product sit on hair? or is that only for some?

2. I crash-course detangled on dry, sectioned off (my celie twists) hair.. lol. I didn't expect a pretty turnout, but I did get one.. less hair loss than whenever I do it on wet hair. It's like, whenever my hair is wet, the texture is there, and my coils are small, so I normally have hair wrapped around my comb's teeth. This wasn't the case last night. Will detangling on dry hair have any bad turn outs in the future?

I feel like a salmon swimming up the river.. because this is definitely not the norm for me, lol. like, I literally took notes and printed out papers of what everyone was saying: "this is what it is" and a year later, it's the complete opposite.. is this what they mean by, as your hair grows, it will react differently? well darn.. lol

I'd like to take this time, also, to thank everyone. You have helped me alot, and I really appreciate it. Thanks so much.

[Naptae]

Thank you for asking the question... I too, was to proud to ask. I am going to try the QP product and add more moisture.



Yep, I use a silk pillowcase and I still put satin bonnets on my hair.

I'm an ovo-pescatarian, no other meats/meat products whatsoever, and I take a multivitamin everyday, and heavy intake of fruits and vegetables.. the only things I drink is water and soy milk.. too blessed to be stressed, and I sleep for a healthy amount of time every night.

I guess I'll make a new shea mixture and only add oil/aloe vera to it? I tried to get fancy with my old one.. Yeah, the extract had alcohol in it, but it was like, maybe a teaspoon of the stuff.. and the CD hair milk, too, which makes my hair scream bloody murder. wasted shea butter.. ugh. &mhm, my hair likes the oils.. coconut oil really softens my hair.. but i'll watch it!!

Everyone says protein treatment and to dust my ends.. I will give that a shot, definitely. I'm not too keen on doing a aphogee or whatever though, since it's "chemically"? would Aubrey Organic's GPB work? Or it could be gbp, or something, I just know it's a protein conditioner though, and I can buy it where I am. however, if it's absolutely necessary that I use aphogee or something of the sort, i can!

I also have another question.. last night I tried something new.

1. I'm beginning to notice that when I use my shea butter or my oils on dry hair, I feel a difference. I feel no difference in my hair whenever I use it on wet hair. In fact, whenever it dries, it feels just that- dry. But this morning when I'm feeling my hair, it's softer than when I use it on wet hair. Why is that?? I thought wet hair absorbed product, and dry hair just lets product sit on hair? or is that only for some?

2. I crash-course detangled on dry, sectioned off (my celie twists) hair.. lol. I didn't expect a pretty turnout, but I did get one.. less hair loss than whenever I do it on wet hair. It's like, whenever my hair is wet, the texture is there, and my coils are small, so I normally have hair wrapped around my comb's teeth. This wasn't the case last night. Will detangling on dry hair have any bad turn outs in the future?

I feel like a salmon swimming up the river.. because this is definitely not the norm for me, lol. like, I literally took notes and printed out papers of what everyone was saying: "this is what it is" and a year later, it's the complete opposite.. is this what they mean by, as your hair grows, it will react differently? well darn.. lol

I'd like to take this time, also, to thank everyone. You have helped me alot, and I really appreciate it. Thanks so much.
[/b]

[Tierras]

No problem.. let us not be too proud anymore!! :) Lol

I also forgot to add, I haven't used heat on my hair for over a year now, and I never will.. no desire, no need..

also also, the detangling I did was on dry STRETCHED hair, not shrunken.. that would indeed be suicide.

[BlackAngelPlayah]

:yes: They covered it all. :yes:

From more protein to normal shedding. You have indeed gotten some great advice and helped others who didn't wanna ask for help. :wub:


Don't wait so long next time. We are ya nappy family, after all.



:lol:




:wub: