What happened to my hair?!?

[phynestone]

I decided to take out my weave that I had kept in since December (I know, what was I thinking?) and my hair seemed to be pretty thick, healthy and had grown longer. It had been detangled carefully by myself and so I attempted to wash it yesterday. Big mistake. It wasn't as detangled as I had previously thought and there were so many tangles that a comb could barely go through my hair. I tried for hours just to get them undone but to no avail. It just wasn't happening. I refused to cut my hair and so I had no other choice but to yank the comb through my head. It seems as if I have no hair now and I lost nearly all the length I had accumulated since November. I'm thinking about going to the salon this week to get a touch-up (it's been a little over 16 weeks) and to see what my stylist is going to do. I am so distraught and disappointed in myself. I don't know what to do.

 

[Eiano]

Yeah... then you know what went wrong.

Next time COMPLETELY detangle before washing. Even if you think it's combed through, put it in like 6-8 different sections and detangle each piece seperately. I've made this mistake before after taking out braids. Now I use these to separate and help with detangling.

 

[hOnii]

i know how it feels to lose progress because of this very thing. happened to me a few times. i wanted to cry. sometimes your hair will tangle even after you de-tangle it. i always detangle, then wet my hair and put in le klair cholesterol plus. immediately its soft and pliable. then i go through it with a wide toothed comb, then rinse and proceed with shampoo + cnd as normal.

 

[cutebajangirl]

Like others have make sure you completely detangle first. If however you underestimate what is needed to detangle and you find yourself in this situation again you should get the tangle tamer and that will remove the tangles.

 

[phynestone]

Where can I buy tangle tamer?

 

[DangerouslyShy]

Yeah... then you know what went wrong.

Next time COMPLETELY detangle before washing. Even if you think it's combed through, put it in like 6-8 different sections and detangle each piece seperately. I've made this mistake before after taking out braids. Now I use these to separate and help with detangling.

I agree

I use the same clips I detangle in four sections and slap on a handful of conditioner thhat has alot of slip on each section....detanle and make sure you get all the tread out... do that for each section...than wash in sections too...

than condition using a very moisturising conditioner...like Elucence....than I use NTM deep recovery mask....

I had about 11 wks of new growth I took my weave out today too...

Im sorry this happened to you... next time just take your time to detangle...clip your hair is sections or braid them... use alot of conditioner and leave in...

 

[DangerouslyShy]

Where can I buy tangle tamer?

something like the K cutter comb!

 

[BAILEYSCREAM]

I decided to take out my weave that I had kept in since December (I know, what was I thinking?) and my hair seemed to be pretty thick, healthy and had grown longer. It had been detangled carefully by myself and so I attempted to wash it yesterday. Big mistake. It wasn't as detangled as I had previously thought and there were so many tangles that a comb could barely go through my hair. I tried for hours just to get them undone but to no avail. It just wasn't happening. I refused to cut my hair and so I had no other choice but to yank the comb through my head. It seems as if I have no hair now and I lost nearly all the length I had accumulated since November. I'm thinking about going to the salon this week to get a touch-up (it's been a little over 16 weeks) and to see what my stylist is going to do. I am so distraught and disappointed in myself. I don't know what to do.

Sorry to hear this 19sweetie. I can relate to this story. The very same thing happened in January when I took my braids out. I even had some matted hair at the back left kitchen area where I had severe breakage.

I had lots of tangles myself and it got worse once I washed it. Try to use lots of conditioner in future, one that has good slip before you shampoo the hair and untangle with your fingers and also afterwards.

If you find that your hair is tangled after shampooing, then you should add lots of conditioner and try to untangle with your fingers under the shower (running water), I found this helped alot.

Is your hair still breaking? If it is I wouldn't get a touch-up just yet, I think you need to deep condition the hair to add moisture and to strengthen.

Also, I would do an Intensive protein treatment. Also, with the breakage comes split ends as I found out.

I hope it works out.

 

[simplycee]

Sorry about what happened. I ALWAYS use Better Un-Braid spray when I take my braids out. It costs about 3.99 and it works very well. I agree that detangling in sections is best and I would even wash in sections. I usually use CON to shampoo because it works great as a detangler. HTH

 

[Neroli]

Sorry this happend to you. I agree with the other about conditioner as you detangle. Here's my routine for removing braids/weaves that I got from Robin at www.growafrohairlong.com:

1. remove weave/braids and comb out thoroughtly, in sections, from ends to roots. I do not use products for this step because I find products/oils/sprays just get in my way and makes removal more difficult for me, so I just take time and remove the braids/weave and comb out each section as best as I can. I usually end up with 4 large sections loosely braided.

2. use cholesteral (or other thick creamy conditioner) and apply to "dry" hair, section by section as if relaxing (this is more like a pre poo, where the conditioner is applied and hair is fully detangled before washing). I do each section at a time, using as much conditioner as I need and combing out each section until totally saturated with conditioner and TOTALLY detangle, rebraid each section and go to next one until entire head is fully saturated with conditioner and fully detangled and you have 4 large loosely braided sections soaked in conditioner.

3. rinse out conditioner, keeping hair in sections, one section at a time, undoing one braid at a time, rinse well and rebraiding until all 4 sections are done completely rinsed and rebraided

4. 'poo in sections as above.

5. condition again as above.

6. apply leave, again in sections, one at a time and depending on how hair will be style, do THAT in sections as well. For example, my new growth is FIERCE after braids and this is the ONLY time I blow dry, to smooth out new growth after braids so that I can wear hair "out" for a week or so before relaxer. Thus, I would blow dry in sections as well.

Hope this helps . . .

 

[Hair2day]

Sorry this happend to you. I agree with the other about conditioner as you detangle. Here's my routine for removing braids/weaves that I got from Robin at www.growafrohairlong.com:

1. remove weave/braids and comb out thoroughtly, in sections, from ends to roots. I do not use products for this step because I find products/oils/sprays just get in my way and makes removal more difficult for me, so I just take time and remove the braids/weave and comb out each section as best as I can. I usually end up with 4 large sections loosely braided.

2. use cholesteral (or other thick creamy conditioner) and apply to "dry" hair, section by section as if relaxing (this is more like a pre poo, where the conditioner is applied and hair is fully detangled before washing). I do each section at a time, using as much conditioner as I need and combing out each section until totally saturated with conditioner and TOTALLY detangle, rebraid each section and go to next one until entire head is fully saturated with conditioner and fully detangled and you have 4 large loosely braided sections soaked in conditioner.

3. rinse out conditioner, keeping hair in sections, one section at a time, undoing one braid at a time, rinse well and rebraiding until all 4 sections are done completely rinsed and rebraided

4. 'poo in sections as above.

5. condition again as above.

6. apply leave, again in sections, one at a time and depending on how hair will be style, do THAT in sections as well. For example, my new growth is FIERCE after braids and this is the ONLY time I blow dry, to smooth out new growth after braids so that I can wear hair "out" for a week or so before relaxer. Thus, I would blow dry in sections as well.

Hope this helps . . .

THANK YOU FOR THIS POST. I TAKE MY BRAIDS DOWN ON 04/13/05

 

[Champagne_Wishes]

The K-cutter comb can be purchase at the following place(s):
http://www.ebonyline.com/britprofkcut.html

http://www.allurebeautysupply.com/browseproducts/GOLD-MAGIC-K-Cutter-Comb-(Rake).HTML (cheapest I have seen).

http://salon.wimexbeauty.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=4008

I cannot vouch for these places so you are on your own.

 

[phynestone]

UPDATE!

I got a touch-up on Friday and my hair turned out okay. My ends had to be trimmed, but other than that, the hair on my head seems to be doing just fine.

 

[Shariracquel]

I had the same problem also like 2 or 3 years ago. I took out my braids and went into the shower to wash my hair. Except with me, I caused this on myself because I did not detangle at all because I felt it would be easier to detangle in the shower with conditioner but I put Shampoo first and tangled it up and stuff it was horible when I tried to comb it out when I put the conditioner in it, big horrible Knot and it had to be cut real short up to my chin, and my hair has gone through some troubling times since then, that is why I joined this board, it never grew back to the same length cause it was continuously being cut and it was huge cuts after that because i guess I did not find the right hairdresser and I did not know what to do with my hair anymore. But just like I'am recovering and will continue recover until I reach my hair goal, hair grows back so don't worry about it. Its just like nails you put acrylic and stuff on it and when you take it off u say oh wow it's grown a lot and then they just break off cause its weak. When ur hair is brittle and frizzy and stuff it is weaker and more fragile so that is why it broke of so easily especially since you had the weave in for so long. All I want to tell you is to be careful with the weave next time and good luck.