The orginal Fine hair thread 2013

[cynd]

@cynd a version of this is how I wear my hair most days...except I use a larger claw clip and twist the back up and allow the hair there to just hang up and out (instead of that bun)...the first mini claw clip makes a front poof and the second one is closer than in this pic to the first one bringing the hair by my ears up....hopefully my explanation makes sense:

I agree if I could do @KiWiStyle's braid I'd be happy but I know that's well beyond my skill level

Very pretty @Nix08! I love it and I totally get what you're saying. I have mini and slightly larger clips but never knew what to do with them. Hmmm. Thanks!

 

[SUPER SWEET]

SUPER SWEET, do you cowash and/or bun? When I started my HHJ back in April (I think) I got my ends trimmed and I was around collar bone length. When winter rolled around I started cowashing and bunning in addition to all the other healthy hair practices I adopted and that got me passed SL but not quite APL yet. I admit I find I've had a slow in growth/rentention but I do believe that cowashing and bunning helped me get to where I am now.

JBunnie
Nope. I always have the itches when I do co-washing. I just started bunning.

What do you co-wash with? And how many times a week?

 

[McQuay30]

Ok, I have low po, fine strands, 4ab natural hair no color or no heat since jan of 2011. After reading the post im not sure i have fine strands even though my strands r thinner than half a strand of thread..ummm my hair breaks when i use protein even cholestrol treaments but i beleive my texture is wiry because it holds styles for days with no gel but retention is a serious issue or maybe im a slow grower? I dont comb or brush my hair only use fingers. I will post a pix later of a two day old cornrow out.

 

[KiWiStyle]

@cynd a version of this is how I wear my hair most days...except I use a larger claw clip and twist the back up and allow the hair there to just hang up and out (instead of that bun)...the first mini claw clip makes a front poof and the second one is closer than in this pic to the first one bringing the hair by my ears up....hopefully my explanation makes sense:

I agree if I could do @KiWiStyle's braid I'd be happy but I know that's well beyond my skill level

Thanks lady! I have these clips and I'm going to try it ;-).

 

[ShiShiPooPoo]

Subbing.

My hair is fine and fits the description. It also has a ton of volume.

 

[EnExitStageLeft]

Hey guys so I washed my hair last night and had a pretty easy breezy wash day. My shampooing went well as well as my dc'in (i steamed). Detangling is always simple and my leave ins left my hair soft supple and NO TANGLES!

Castor oil is my best friend and I wont ever go without it again. My hair LOVES the stuff and since Ive been using it again regularly my hair is more lush.

I heavy sealed my ends w/Tiffani Ceramide pomade while banding and my ends feel AMAZING!

My wash days are going so well now. I think the LCOB/P'in is the reason why. This is now officially a permanent part of my regimen. My hair is def. benefiting from it in more ways then one.

 

[Dare~to~Dream]

Great thread and nice tips. Okay long post. My hair (which is fine) has been stuck at the same length....for years it seems. Though I have noticed that the sides are finally catching up with the back layer (the back of my hair was the longest layer at one point). Granted this is the longest my hair has been but it is still stuck between apl and bsl (like a little past the middle of those two lengths so I guess that makes me BSB which I didn't know until now). The back just remains the same length so I guess that is where I'm getting the most breakage?

My issues are tangles/matting/knots, thinning edges, shorter/coarser hair in the crown, and SSK. I'm also style challenged. There are just not many natural styles that I can do...so it's a bun or puff. I use an ouchless band and try to wet it with moisturizer/water or soak in oil when I remember but I still notice that hair is wrapped around it once I remove it. In an effort to give my edges a break, I played with flexi-rod curls on the sides (or finger curls) and the middle/back part of the hair in a bun. The look is "meh."

As far as products I've used: I've used protein conditioners weekly for years (UBH Conditioner) then used an argan oil conditioner, then Aubrey GPB. I also used to do Aphogee 2 Step every 6 weeks then switched to using it on as needed basis. I moved and it was hard to get certain protein conditioners (my hair was suffering without protein) so I am now using Aphogee 2 minute Reconstructor. Since my hair doesn't seem to be getting longer, I'm doing something wrong; I just haven't figured it out yet. I don't believe it is a "terminal length" issue. I plan to get the hair analysis done before the end of the year.

I don't have any tips but I found that the best method for detangling my dry hair is the horn comb provided that my hair isn't matted. I don't have one now and all horn combs are not created equal. A good one will get damaged if its left in damp, wet/humid areas. I used virgin mango butter (hard to find so I don't use it anymore and refined mango butter just isn't the same) to seal in the past and it kept knots and tangles away. I briefly tried jojoba and avocado butters but didn't stick with them.

 

[mshoneyfly]

For the ladies who experience matting: I'm not natural but I have to stretch my relaxers. I was getting bad matting and dredding until I started doing chicoros prepoo before washing. All it is is Aloe vera juice, an oil, then coconut oil on your head with heat for over 20 mins. it helps to seal the cuticle, which also reduces tangling. Also keep product buildup to an absolute minimum. This means shampooinh everytime I wash for me. Im thinkg cowashing with a conditioner without cones may work, but i haven't found one that effectively moisturizes my hair yet. also stretch from the roots as you wash. These are things I've learned to cut down on the damaging effect of matting and dredding. What have you learned?

I have noticed that I no longer have scalp issues since I started prepooing with oil. I cant wait to try my brahmi oil for my next prepoo!!

Also, I will try to remember stretching from the roots during wash sessions when my ng starts to become really major.

Sent from my iPhone using LHCF

 

[Evolving78]

fine hair relaxed lady checking in! i have to cleanse my hair often to avoid buildup and i have to trim my hair often. i don't have hair that i can just comb through when wet like some thick hair ladies i see on youtube. my hair is prone to breakage, so i have to be very gentle. i try my best to keep my hair balanced, but it is a game of sorts.

i am knocking on BSL, so hopefully i get there by the late summer. i hope i don't go through crazy post partum hair loss either in the next few months.

i have to be careful with the styling options that i chose as well. my hair can appear to be thick when i air dry.

 

[freecurl]

Definitely subbing to this thread.
Thanks for posting.
I need to go back and read every post.
I have fine, fragile, natural hair. I have tried many things, except henna, to try to get strength and length.
People think my hair is full and thick but it's not.
Will come back later with more details.

 

[Evolving78]

Question: how often do you ladies shampoo or cleanse? My scalp CANNOT go more than three 3 days w/o washing but then I see girls with long preeeeetty hair that wash like once a month! I know everyone's different but seriously, this is doing my head in!

For those of you that struggle with tangles, I think it's because of our combination of fine and curly. Curly and coarse/med and wavy/fine seem to have no problems but curly and fine? Lol! When I wear my hair set or straight, I never EVER get tangles. I slept w/o my scarf, manipulated it, bunned and worked out for a week and I had absolutely zero breakage whatsoever. Just curly? Hair tangles within an hour, poofy crown with miserable ends, snarls in every direction.



So, I've decided that me and curly hair will have to part. My hair can handle manipulation like a champ when it is straight/wavy but I won't even need to do so b/c there's none of the tangles there in the first place.


I just wish I knew how to do roller sets!!!

i have to cleanse my hair every 2-3 days as well. my scalp is fine, but my hair can't handle buildup. even when i was natural, i had to cleanse my hair often. my hair is prone to tangles. (natural or relaxed)

 

[Evolving78]

Yes, I always wondered why I can't have second day hair. I thought my DD and sister had some type of special curl trained hair to retain curls made with irons. My DD can literally sleep without any scarfs/bonnets and still wake up with beautiful curls. I'm so jealous!!

Sent from my iPhone using LHCF

no second day hair for me unless i sleep pretty!

 

[Nix08]

fine hair relaxed lady checking in! i have to cleanse my hair often to avoid buildup and i have to trim my hair often. i don't have hair that i can just comb through when wet like some thick hair ladies i see on youtube. my hair is prone to breakage, so i have to be very gentle. i try my best to keep my hair balanced, but it is a game of sorts.

i am knocking on BSL, so hopefully i get there by the late summer. i hope i don't go through crazy post partum hair loss either in the next few months.

i have to be careful with the styling options that i chose as well. my hair can appear to be thick when i air dry.

@shortdub78 are you still taking your prenatals...that helps with the post partum shedding.

I too wash often (cowash daily actually). Day 2 hair is just not the business for me

 

[keranikki]

Question: how often do you ladies shampoo or cleanse? My scalp CANNOT go more than three 3 days w/o washing but then I see girls with long preeeeetty hair that wash like once a month! I know everyone's different but seriously, this is doing my head in!

For those of you that struggle with tangles, I think it's because of our combination of fine and curly. Curly and coarse/med and wavy/fine seem to have no problems but curly and fine? Lol! When I wear my hair set or straight, I never EVER get tangles. I slept w/o my scarf, manipulated it, bunned and worked out for a week and I had absolutely zero breakage whatsoever. Just curly? Hair tangles within an hour, poofy crown with miserable ends, snarls in every direction.



So, I've decided that me and curly hair will have to part. My hair can handle manipulation like a champ when it is straight/wavy but I won't even need to do so b/c there's none of the tangles there in the first place.


I just wish I knew how to do roller sets!!!

Laylaa--I personally co-wash my hair 2x a week if I'm just going to wear it out. I will use an actual shampoo once a month to clarify my hair. I never have product buildup on my scalp after cowashing, but I will get a buildup on my hair after a while. Getting the dirt and dead skin off your scalp is more about physical manipulation than using shampoo or conditioner to wash your hair.

I agree with you about why our type of hair tangles so easily. What you stated never occurred to me. Also, when I get my flat-ironed, I do not see as much breakage as I do when my hair is in it's natural state. On the other hand, when I leave my hair alone, it doesn't break as much either. Too bad I can't walk around with a curly/ matted fro 24/7. That would be awesome! I would detangle my hair like once a month for a LC.

 

[Nonie]

I am sorry I haven't read all posts so I apologize in advance for that.

I have fine hair but for me, this has not felt like a handicap at all. I am not at WL or any of the longer lengths but I think that has more to do with my lack of effort.

First let me tell you what hair don'ts I do:

• - I have not baggied my hair or tied it for the night (a major part of my regimen since I don't use moisturizing leave-ins) since May 2012.

• - Since May 2012, I wash my hair when I think of it or get a headache instead of twice a week as is healthy for it. Because I don't use moisturizer leave-ins, I get moisture from my hair from washing so going a whole week w/o washing and not bagging is a crime I have been guilty of.

• - I don't seal ends or protective style but this is a lifelong habit

But even with these wrongs, I am still enjoying easy hair. It is probably still at BSB where it was early last year because of me dropping the ball in the simple regimen I have, but considering that I never thought I would make it past SL, I am content with the length I have. I am one of those people who has managed to enjoy my hair at every step of the way.

So to what do I owe this easy relationship I have with my hair? I believe the following habits help:

• - low manipulation (I live in twists) so my hair gets to "rest" and grow;

• - never letting my hair tangle (which means if it isn't held in twists or braids that prevent tangling ie if loose, then I comb it daily both in the AM and PM and I always braid it for the night. Because I don't allow tangles to exist, I never endure the headache of detangling);

• - dusting religiously every 8 weeks IMO is what I owe my retention to since it means I get rid of split ends before they have a chance to cost me length and make my hair hard to manage.

BTW, I don't agree with the article in the OP that fine strands don't hold curls. I actually think they do it better than coarse strands since gravity has little effect on their hardly there mass. In fact fine strands shrink a lot because their coils hold so well. I believe DCing and bagging have helped improve moisture content in my strands so that my hair is always coily unless I stretch it in braids.

My regimen when I am not being meh about my hair is shampooing twice a week with any gel-like shampoo (Garnier Fructis, Giovanni 50:50, etc), conditioning with any moisturizing shampoo (Aussie, Nexxus Humectress, HSR etc), ending with an ACV rinse. Once a week (on one of the two washes) I do a DC with a reconstructor (AO GPB or Nexxus Emergencée). Then I baggy nightly or under hats and wraps and dust the ends of my twists once every eight weeks. I redo my twists one at a time whenever I feel like it (usually while watching TV) and each time I fully finger comb the twist section as shown in this clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5iU4NgNGgI

The rest of the time, I style my twists as if loose hair or just let them be. CWing I do once in a while if I need to get my twist to hang straight (I drip dry for this) or I may just spritz with an ACV-essential oil-water mix. Moist twists are easy to get into a style.

Oh in case anyone is wondering where S Curl comes in, that is only for my hair when loose. I do use a leave-in then or I would not be able to comb my hair. I am also not afraid to comb wet hair. In fact if my hair is loose, wash day involves braids that get undone, combed, rebraided throughout the wash (You can read about my wash in braids regimen here). You just need to stretch out your strands as shown in the clip below and if you have kept tangles at bay like I do, then even a fine tooth comb is a breeze to use.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCcoXph8tF4

 

[kesalica]

Finally a thread I can relate to! I'm a fine haired, color treated, curly girl. Right now I'm on a quest for length. I embarked on my HHJ last year at this time but I've technically been natural since 2005 (Prior to last year I texturized and maintained a short bob since I was wearing my hair straight).

I'm refining my regimen but so far I've been prepooing with olive and coconut oils, cleansing, deep conditioning, and then sealing my freshly washed hair with a dime size amount of oil per section before applying my leave-in and shea butter mix. I use a cleansing conditioner as needed during the week since I work out a lot. I also want to alternate between moisturizing and protein weekly and will probably do the Aphogee 2-step ever two months.

Do any of you ladies workout a lot? I go to the gym/work out about 4-5 times a week and sweat in my head. I've just started wearing wigs so that I can retain length and look cute at the same **** time but I'm wondering what other ladies do...

ETA: I totally forgot to add my hair properties. I have fine (duh), low porosity, medium density hair. Don't know my hair type. I'm very fortunate that I can detangle very easily in the shower. I mostly finger detangle and only use a comb/denman when absolutely necessary.

 

[hair4today]

Question: how often do you ladies shampoo or cleanse? My scalp CANNOT go more than three 3 days w/o washing but then I see girls with long preeeeetty hair that wash like once a month! I know everyone's different but seriously, this is doing my head in!

For those of you that struggle with tangles, I think it's because of our combination of fine and curly. Curly and coarse/med and wavy/fine seem to have no problems but curly and fine? Lol! When I wear my hair set or straight, I never EVER get tangles. I slept w/o my scarf, manipulated it, bunned and worked out for a week and I had absolutely zero breakage whatsoever. Just curly? Hair tangles within an hour, poofy crown with miserable ends, snarls in every direction.



So, I've decided that me and curly hair will have to part. My hair can handle manipulation like a champ when it is straight/wavy but I won't even need to do so b/c there's none of the tangles there in the first place.


I just wish I knew how to do roller sets!!!

laylaaa, I failed miserably at roller setting the traditional way but found setting the hair with curlformers have given me roller set like results. Keeps my hair stretched and tangle free up till next wash day. Sheds slip out easily and my hair retains moisture. Maybe give CF a try before making an permanent change to your hair.

 

[hair4today]

@Ilan, you're so right about manipulating wet hair causing unnecessary breakage. I used to lose tons of hair when I detangled in the shower regardless of the amount of slip in the conditioner. Now that I remove sheds at the pre-poo/post wash stage on damp hair, I'm amazed at the difference of how much hair used to end up in the garbage (at least 3 times the hair ball size). As for lint and dust attaching to fine hair, I don't have this problem but my dd does and I don't have a solution for you. Hopefully someone can chime in.

 

[Renewed1]

Fine haired - low to medium density - texlaxer converting to natural.

I keep my hair moisturize every single day; especially the ends, it has help preventing SSKs.

When I was working I would style my hair similar to Allandra's (first post in below link). It has help me retain my length.

http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=601817

I do use reconstructors weekly and my hair has thrive with it. But I'm going to try the hot oil treatments.

Thanks!

 

[coolsista-paris]

Fine haired natural! I'm MBL and trying to get to WhIP. This is the longest, healthiest, and thickest my hair has ever been.

wow. we are gonna beg for a picture ! wanna see that mbl almost whip hair of yours .

 

[Saga]

Things that I have learned:


cornrows will ruin your edges. Any tension or your edges will ruin your edges. You can have long hair, but a missing hair-line if you do a PS to tight and aren't mindful or what amount of tensions is appropriate.

Too many pulled back styles can also put tension on various places in your hair AND can cause the center/crown area of your hair to matt. For instance, many ladies mentioned how their hair always matts when they wet bun-the hair on the INSIDE of the bun will not be as stretched or elongated at the hair on the OUTSIDE, thus creating a giant ball of fuzz which you must go through and detangle. And we all know that constant detangling/manipulation = more breakage.


DO NOT WEAR YOUR HAIR IN A SHRUNKEN STATE. EVER. Unless you want SSK's, splits, tears, and extreme breakage when you finally go to wash it again. Fine hair dreads and matts so easily, allowing it to simply "do what it do" is not an option if your goal is to achieve length.


DEPP CONDITION YOUR ROOTS, I tried this recently and it worked wonders. If your hair often matts at the roots when you do twists, braids, or any other type of ps then this may be a practice that you want to implement into your wash day.


As someone said earlier, pull your hair apart gently. Do not rake things through your hair before doing this crucial step, and make sure your hair is either saturated in a slippery oil or conditioner. Also, I know as naturals we practice starting from the ends of our hair and then work your way up, but for fine haired ladies the roots are JUST as important as the ends. The roots will determine how long your hair style will stay neat, how long before your next detangling session, how easily you can or cannot distribute product on your hair. Don't just give attention to the ends when you dc, moisturize, and seal. Give your roots some love. Just because they're the newest pieces of hair doesn't mean they should be left to fend for themselves.


Think of it in the terms of human age. Babies need to be nurtured and guided in order to grow up big and strong, and older people need proper care in order to slow down their deteriorating health. The same idea applies to your hair. Give your roots a fighting chance to eventually become the ends of your hair! If you treat it bad now, how healthy will it be when it grows out??


Do not wash your hair loose if you have HIGH DENSITY fine hair. It will tangle and fight once it gets to shoulder length and beyond. There are many different versions of washing hair in sections whether it be braids, twists, clips, or while you're in a ps already. Your hair needs to STAY STRETCHED so that it can be properly moisturized and avoid having gnarly ragged ends.




disclaimer: I am not a hair expert, but I have been natural for 5 years now with varying hair lengths and have experienced quite a few set backs. This advice is based on my experience, personal observations, and the advice I have received from other places.

 

[coolsista-paris]

@coolsista-paris, where do you work, if you don't mind me asking.

@laylaaa, thank for the spritz recipe!

@EnExitStageLeft, what's the modified LOC method?

My shed hairs tend to tangle towards the end as well. I always get shed hairs that knot with an attached hair at my ends. Plus my ends never twists together. But that's probably a combination of my heat damaged ends and my fine strands.

@NappyNelle, can you share what you did to get to that length and to keep your hair healthy?

I work in a 4 star hotel facing the Eiffel Tower...and were blacks are not allowed to braid! I am gonna braid my hair anyway in about 2-3 weeks.

There whole chignon is just breaking everyones hair off. my caucasian colleagues all end up cutting to nl to avoid doing the chignon every day.

I can not just cut of (we have difficult to grow hair !!)lol
+ if i do a chignon with their method + fine hair = im back to ear lenght. soooo NO way.

i did get spoken to about that by my bosses but i explained we blacks do not have the same hair.

her answer : "my hair is fine and breaks so easily too"..pfff (she was waist lenght, cut her hair to nl it grew back in just about 5 weeks to cbl so come on...) it grows Well! mine doesnt

 

[grow]

I totally agree. My fine hair will knot up into a matted ball if it's not straightened.

Also, I've noticed that SOME heat (I had stopped ALL heat for almost 3 years) actually helps keep ssk's from forming.

It's all about keeping my fine hair manageable and smooth.

 

[coolsista-paris]

Great a thread for fine hair.

I have fine hair, un-chemically processed, and grazing waist (at least last time I checked). I always have a fuzzy looking crown. My hair doesn't like butters, it makes it shed. My hair likes really light gel like flaxseed gel for hold when doing twists, I just tried the shea moisture gel and it worked really well for me. I don't "seal" my hair because my hair doesn't like heavy butters, occasionally I put a small amount of olive oil in my hair. I guess using a gel could count as sealing.

I don't use heat often because my hair doesn't really like the mechanics of heat styling. My hair never seems to get heat damage, my ends look good to me.

I would say the hairs in my crown seem slightly thicker than my overall head which isn't saying much.

Subbing to hear about others' fine hair.

Letting my hair be, want to get it to tailbone in the future. It seems to have slowed down, so I haven't bothered length-checking for a few months.

My hair looks fullest when twists are done on damp hair.

here you are. another long fine haired lady. pleasssse post a pic (if you don't mind) we need to dream in here. we need motivation here.

 

[coolsista-paris]

Fine haired conundrum here. I'm natural, fine, thin strands, but ridic density!
Found better luck as a straight haired natural for now. Use heat 2x-3x a month and good heat protectants.

im also using heat twice a month. i stretch my hair that way. Im doing fine too.

But i dont know if i should try banding or something. im lazyyyyy lol

 

[laylaaa]

shortdub78

i have to cleanse my hair every 2-3 days as well. my scalp is fine, but my hair can't handle buildup. even when i was natural, i had to cleanse my hair often. my hair is prone to tangles. (natural or relaxed)

Yay, I don't feel so alone. For me, it's the opposite. I can't remember the last time I had build up on my hair but my scalp? I definitely need to use a gentle cleanser on my roots with conditioner on the rest of my hair for protection otherwise it starts to get real uncomfortable - to the point where I feel tempted to reach for my heavy duty clarifying shampoo. Because I'm co-washing 2-3x a week now, my plan is to use a mild protein conditioner to combat the extra moisture and then a reconstructor + DC.


The culprit is definitely my HHJ. When I didn't care about my hair, my scalp didn't say peep.

keranikki

Getting the dirt and dead skin off your scalp is more about physical manipulation than using shampoo or conditioner to wash your hair. [/QUOTE]

What do you mean? Curious about this.

[QUOTE]I agree with you about why our type of hair tangles so easily. What you stated never occurred to me. Also, when I get my flat-ironed, I do not see as much breakage as I do when my hair is in it's natural state. On the other hand, when I leave my hair alone, it doesn't break as much either. Too bad I can't walk around with a curly/ matted fro 24/7.:grin: That would be awesome! I would detangle my hair like once a month for a LC.:yep:[/QUOTE]


I reckon it's because fine hair is weightless and the cuticles on curly hair are less likely to lie flat (in addition to being naturally more porous and dry) so it's a (un)lucky combination when left alone. Straight hair means flat cuticles that can't snag on each other, OTOH.

[USER=149416]hair4today

laylaaa, I failed miserably at roller setting the traditional way but found setting the hair with curlformers have given me roller set like results. Keeps my hair stretched and tangle free up till next wash day. Sheds slip out easily and my hair retains moisture. Maybe give CF a try before making an permanent change to your hair.

What are CurlFormers? Are those the bendy straws? I'll look into them now, thanks!



*goes to back watching rollerset tutorials*

 

[Froreal3]

many ladies mentioned how their hair always matts when they wet bun-the hair on the INSIDE of the bun will not be as stretched or elongated at the hair on the OUTSIDE, thus creating a giant ball of fuzz which you must go through and detangle. And we all know that constant detangling/manipulation = more breakage.

Yes, yes, yes! That's why I stopped wearing buns all the time. I will wear them once in a while, but not often. When I do, it's usually a cinnabun style.

 

[coolsista-paris]

@MileHighDiva

...ERMMMMM! Let me not lie lol. I'm really not good at describing scents, however I will say that they all have a pleasant scent. Nothing pungent or irritating to the senses. Aphoghee 2 Step just was NOT for me. First off, IT STANKS! Second off, it messy. Third off, IT STANKS!. I just couldn't get with it. I'm not going to front though, my results were pretty freakin' spectacular. However I get the same results with the spiral solutions protein treatment and duo tex and cul junkie repair me if your looking for something better . I recommend those if your looking for something similar .

Hope this helps.

Also ladies there is a challenge were we are focusing on thickening our hair in volume and strand. Here is the link: http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=675599. I hope to see some of you wonderful ladies there.

thanks a lot for this advice !
I am trying to finish up my apoghee 2 step....i Hate the smell ! and i hate the way it sticks to my skin + STING THE EYES like your gonna loose them ! i hate it .

im gonna have to look in what you advised

 

[laylaaa]

As an aside, I don't think it is impossible for us fine-haired girls to grow our hair to long lengths; we just have to customize a few of the conventional wisdoms is all. The longest my hair has ever been was TBL and I'll be darned if I don't get there again!

 

[coolsista-paris]

Subbing!
I unfortunately have the dreaded combo of Fine hair + Low density + Patchy hair loss (esp around temple) + crazy scalp.
I have been growing my hair for the last 4yrs and not yet APL. While I want length, its the reducing density that bothers me more, anytime I think my hair is on track it always seems to have a setback.
I pretty much wear a wig always cause styling is out of the window, the unequal lengths and fuzz/frizz(4c/4b) does not yield good results.

Thanks for the venting space! will post about products/processes that have actually worked later

do you do scalp massages? it may help.

I remember when i lost my hairline after front lace. I started massaging scalp with castor oil. I massaged everyday (but just 2-3 times a week with the oil).
i was doing fine.