Pls read: Can broken hair retain length?

[Cayenne0622]

Hey ladies! Need your advice. I need some urgent advice on what to do about my broken little hairs. I have been bunning my hair (not tightly pulled) and not using heat 99% of the time. The front of my hair was broken pretty badly when I first jointed LHCF and it still is broken despite the rest of my hair growing and getting healthier. What should I do? In the past I would have cut all my hair shorter to even it up with the front so that it would grow out together but if I was to do that now I would have to cut my hair down to about 3 inches all over...that's about how long areas along my front hairline are. SUGGESTIONS??? Can broken hair retain length or will it just continue to break?

 

[SpiritJunkie]

Gosh!

I really wish I could help more. I'm still learning.

Are you a natural or relaxer? I would say lay off the relaxer for a bit and retain some moisture and protein for strenght for the next little while.

You may need to cut it.

I will let the experts add some more.

 

[Junonia]

I have the same problem. My hair is weakest along the front. It grows but it is thinner the rest of my hair. I sleep with a satin cap and on a satin pillow case in case my cap comes off. If I don't that is when I see al
ot of breakage. I've been struggling with this for as long as I can remember. I used to cut my hair to even this problem, however the front of my hair remains weakest.

I pay special attention to the front and try not to wear any styles that I think would cause excessive breakage.

 

[Cayenne0622]

I do have a relaxer and I have been doing relaxer stretches. I also do not relax my hair bone straight. I've been doing a prepoo with a protein conditioner like AO GPB, or Aphogee 2 min constructor, I shampoo, and then I deep condition from 30 to 45 mins. Its weird the rest of my hair can bounce back from breakage but the front is a beast! It seems so fragile and just refuses to gain strength or length! I feel like cutting bangs just to start from scratch in that area but I'm scared I'll regret it.

 

[Cayenne0622]

I have the same problem. My hair is weakest along the front. It grows but it is thinner the rest of my hair. I sleep with a satin cap and on a satin pillow case in case my cap comes off. If I don't that is when I see al
ot of breakage. I've been struggling with this for as long as I can remember. I used to cut my hair to even this problem, however the front of my hair remains weakest.

I pay special attention to the front and try not to wear any styles that I think would cause excessive breakage.

Same for me. I sleep in a satin scarf and sleep on a satin pillow case. I constantly struggle with the front of my hair. Seems like a lost cause. I guess I have to count on the sides and back for growth and fullness.

 

[Je Ne Sais Quoi]

Is it just the bang area more or less? I would NOT cut the rest of my hair to even it up with the front. Don't do that cayenne!!!!!

 

[Cayenne0622]

Is it just the bang area more or less? I would NOT cut the rest of my hair to even it up with the front. Don't do that cayenne!!!!!

Its the entire front hairline. The sides and back of my hair are at the bottom of my neck. See the pic below. The front temple area only stretches to my eye area, the front bang area stretches to my nose, sideburn area is only to my chin. Do most of the ladies on the board have this problem? I notice everyone's pics are mostly back shots. My back shot looks good too but LAWD the front!!!!! BLAH!

 

[Cayenne0622]

Here's the pic.

 

[sexyaqr]

If you have actual breakage just to the front, trim away the broken pieces. I can't believe I just said it. I am terrified of trimming. But if there is breakage you have to get rid of it. Now I am not saying trim the whole hair or cut to the same length. Just trim the hair that is breaking.

Then maybe you can do a couple of weeks of good protein treatments to strenghten your strands.

Then keep hair well moisturized.

Just my two cents

 

[Cayenne0622]

If you have actual breakage just to the front, trim away the broken pieces. I can't believe I just said it. I am terrified of trimming. But if there is breakage you have to get rid of it. Now I am not saying trim the whole hair or cut to the same length. Just trim the hair that is breaking.

Then maybe you can do a couple of weeks of good protein treatments to strenghten your strands.

Then keep hair well moisturized.

Just my two cents

Thanks. I just returned from doing a mini big chop. I cut another 1/2 inch off the longest parts of my hair and cut the front to eyelength bangs. I feel a little better. Just gotta keep this hair up in a bun so that I don't hate the parts I haven't been able to tame yet.

 

[PinkAngel]

You stated that it's only your front hairline that's broken & that you sleep in a satin scarf. It makes me wonder if you're tying your knot in the front? The tension from the knot can cause massive breakage, at least for me it did. I now tye my scarf really use then put a satin cap over it.

 

[Iluvsmuhgrass]

Disclaimer: I'm not a hair expert... I just relate my own personal experiences

Truthfully I just thought the same thing msshic said. Tying a scarf too tight will mess you up!!! (Ask me how I know ) If you're bunning and pulling your hair back too tight it WILL cause the front to break.... especially if your hairline is fragile like mine. Personally... if your hair isn't damaged..... I'd find another way to style it so that it's not as stressed.... give it a month or so and see what it does. Don't pull it back so tight and don't tie the scarf so tight it doesn't move. I wouldn't cut my hair unless I knew it was damaged. I started chopping and lopping and come to find out.... I didn't need it. You betcha I was kicking myself later....... and quite hard.

 

[MzOptimistic]

Hey ladies! Need your advice. I need some urgent advice on what to do about my broken little hairs. I have been bunning my hair (not tightly pulled) and not using heat 99% of the time. The front of my hair was broken pretty badly when I first jointed LHCF and it still is broken despite the rest of my hair growing and getting healthier. What should I do? In the past I would have cut all my hair shorter to even it up with the front so that it would grow out together but if I was to do that now I would have to cut my hair down to about 3 inches all over...that's about how long areas along my front hairline are. SUGGESTIONS??? Can broken hair retain length or will it just continue to break?

I read through the thread and you said you have cut the damaged ends....okay that's good...How often do you deep condition? Maybe you need to show that area some extra, extra TLC, some extra moisturization and also like msshic said you could be tying your scarf too tight but up deep conditioning and see what happens HTH.HHG

*forgot to add. JMO*

 

[Cayenne0622]

YAY!! Thanks! More responses! I wonder if its the scarf thing?? Hmmm...I had been tying it pretty tight but I started paying attention to tying it more loosely lately. I'll be really careful with that from now on. As far as pulling it tight. I never pull my hair back tight. When my hair was underprocessed and in desperate need of a relaxer, I would put it in a bun and apply Jam and non alcohol gel to the entire front hairline to smooth it and tie it with wrap strips until it was dry. I used my fingers to smooth. Keep in mind, my front hairline was already damaged pretty badly prior to LHCF. I found out the culprit was my hairspray when I read Cathy Howse's book. Since then I have been babying my hairline and never use hairspray. I guess I'm disappointed because I thought by now it would have grown and and showed some progress (its been 6 months). So now I wonder if the broken hair just continued to break no matter how much I was babying it and this is the result. Its so frustrating. I don't use any heat and its like I can't win. I thought henna, moisturizing and even doing doing protein treatments once in a while would result in me having a head full of beautiful hair by now and that's definitely not the case. Instead, there is breakage and shedding.
I just want to be over this hair thing already. It is irritating as hell!!!!

 

[e$h]

Its the entire front hairline. The sides and back of my hair are at the bottom of my neck. See the pic below. The front temple area only stretches to my eye area, the front bang area stretches to my nose, sideburn area is only to my chin. Do most of the ladies on the board have this problem? I notice everyone's pics are mostly back shots. My back shot looks good too but LAWD the front!!!!! BLAH!

Yeah the front of my hair is a bit on the BLAH side too. I don't know why. I guess it just grows that way. I've been doing what I need to so maybe it is a lost cause.

DO NOT cut your hair though. Just give it a lil more TLC and let GOD handle the rest.

Good luck to ya girl!

 

[~*~ShopAholic~*~]

The bolded is what I was going to suggest, especialy if the top front is where the breakage is, that way you get to keep what's healthy and start over wiht the bangs w/o a drastic cut. Do you think that your front area is getting to much protein and not enough moisture? That could be adding to the problem since it's more fragile. Once it starts growing in you may need to keep that area trimmed more often than the rest of your hair to rid of spits and maybe only relax that area every other touch up. HTH's

I do have a relaxer and I have been doing relaxer stretches. I also do not relax my hair bone straight. I've been doing a prepoo with a protein conditioner like AO GPB, or Aphogee 2 min constructor, I shampoo, and then I deep condition from 30 to 45 mins. Its weird the rest of my hair can bounce back from breakage but the front is a beast! It seems so fragile and just refuses to gain strength or length! I feel like cutting bangs just to start from scratch in that area but I'm scared I'll regret it.

 

[~*~ShopAholic~*~]

I just read the rest of the post and it may not be that bad, I wish there was a pic of your hairline so I can give a better answer. It could also be the scarf thing.

 

[glamazon386]

Personally, I wouldn't cut it. What if you cut all your hair off and start over for it to break off in the front again? That would be such a waste. Just try and keep it trimmed and baby it. Could it be that that section of your hair is a different texture and may need to be cared for differently than the rest of your hair? I know the section of my hair in the very front is a looser texture than the rest. And now that I think about it, after having bangs cut that section of my hair never really grew even years later. Many people have problems with their nape not growing bc that hair is a different texture than the rest of their head. Some people on this board don't relax their nape at all for that reason.