Is this old damage?

[MaryMarx]

For 1,5 years now I've been growing out black dye, and 2 years ago I stopped straightening my hair.
I have curly hair, but after one nights sleep they're gone and the ends of the hair starts to look... damaged!

Because I had been dying my hair for many, many years, I don't really know how healthy curly hair should look, or atleast not my own.
So, here's some pictures, please take a look and say what you think!
I'm in the 'no trims for 2013' challenge so regardlessly I'm not going to cut, I just want to know. :)

What do you think?
Is it old damage or just brushed out curls?
All the hair with a different colour used to be black for 8-9 years I think.
I have no splits and it doesn't feel especially dry.
Thanks for reading. :o

Pictures!
(Please excuse the greasiness.)

http://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t399/schakt/DSC09453_zps90bb161c.jpg

http://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t399/schakt/DSC09461_zps1e89955b.jpg

And this is how it sometimes looks the same day I've washed it:

http://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t399/schakt/Dec2012_zpsa53f250e.jpg

[Kiwiwi]

I'm not sure.
I guess I'd have to see and feel it in person.
It does look like brushed out/poofie curls. My hair is healthy but when it's brushed out it can look super poofie and therefor damaged, but it's not. So I don't know.

You say you have no splits and it doesn't feel dry. So that's good.

But I think all that dyeing and heat styling must have left some damage. Therefor I wouldn't really suggest to go no trim for a whole year. Hair doesn't just break off cos of split ends. Also when it's just damaged, even when you don't really see it. I suggest micromicro trimmming/dusting every few months.

I'm sorry I am not more helpful.

EDIT: Hmm, you say you stopped the heat two years ago. And your length looks like what I achieved in two years from a pixie cut. So would you say the possible heat damage is already cut off? Cos then you'd have pretty much virgin hair, no?

[eternallyverdan]

Hmmm, I'm no expert on curlies, but to me that looks like a combination of slept-on floofiness and brushed-out curls. Do you have a sleep cap or a satin pillowcase? Either of those might help to keep your hair neater while you sleep. I didn't see anything about your routine in your profile, but do you detangle in the shower with a wide-tooth comb or do anything to encourage curl formation? Either of those might help to make your curls look more cohesive.

Your hair still looks lovely, though! Very shiny, and your curls are gorgeous. :D

[spidermom]

It looks like brushed out waves/curls to me, too. My hair gets like that - each individual hair takes off on its own trajectory. Give it plenty of moisture.

[sisi33]

I agree with the general LHC opinion- looks like you brushed out all your little curls! Also, weather this time of year is changing for everyone, so that might have something to do with it. Smack a SMT on your hair, and see if that helps any.

[MaryMarx]

No, you are helpful, Kiwiwi! :)
I don't think I'll be going a whole year either... it's not worth it if it creates (more) damage.

Actually I have been cutting a lot off, it was almost APL when I stopped colouring and straightening, so I think I've been cutting off maybe 20 cms/ 8 inches.
So I think there shouldn't be much left, since the last year or so of straightening I did it only to the face framing parts.

[MaryMarx]

Hmmm, I'm no expert on curlies, but to me that looks like a combination of slept-on floofiness and brushed-out curls. Do you have a sleep cap or a satin pillowcase? Either of those might help to keep your hair neater while you sleep. I didn't see anything about your routine in your profile, but do you detangle in the shower with a wide-tooth comb or do anything to encourage curl formation? Either of those might help to make your curls look more cohesive.

Your hair still looks lovely, though! Very shiny, and your curls are gorgeous. :D

I hope it is! I feel kind of stupid but I really don't know myself. My hair has just been so damaged all these years, and even though I've been cutting and cutting, I'm not sure all the damage is gone.
I will get a satin pillowcase as soon as I find one where I live at a resonable cost.
I kind of don't need to detangle... I don't have that much hair. ;) Or actually I detangle with my fingers when I'm out of the shower. :)

Thank you so much!!

[Kaelee]

OH your hair is so shiny and looks very soft!

I think it's brushed out curls. Have you tried the Curly Girl method? I think it might really help you. Worth a shot, anyway.

[MaryMarx]

spidermom and sisi33, that sounds great, thank you! :)

[catasa]

Your hair looks a lot like my hair when it is brushed out/slept on, i e no longer "clumped" waves/curls. This is why I wet my hair almost every day, for sure all the days that I want to keep it down... My hair is dry and possibly has some damage in the ends from semi-permanent chemical dye which I stopped using two or three years ago (can´t remember!), but otherwise I never use heat or harsh chemicals. I don´t think your hair look really damaged either, your waves and shine are lovely! :-)

I have had luck with using pure mineral oil on dripping wet lengths as a leave in for moisture/shine/"clumpiness", I buy it in the pharmacy as liquid paraffin ("Flytande paraffin"). For me it has worked best without using conditioner at all (scary thought! :) )

Regarding silk pillowcases, I have bought from a Swedish shop called Siden Selma (http://www.sidenselma.se/). My first pillow cases though I made myself from a silk travel sleeping sack bought in a sports store, and that material is softer than the ones I bought ready-made.

[faellen]

I agree with the consensus that it's just brushed out curls. Looks lovely and soft, the colour is really pretty too :)

[ravenreed]

If you spritz your hair with water, do they curl back up? That they are all nice and curly the day of washing suggests to me that they are not damage, just curls that need reviving.

[lapushka]

Looks like brushed out curls to me too; I don't particularly see damage, but it's kind of hard to tell from this distance and on pictures. I'd suggest trying the curly girl method out too. Just Google it, you'll find lots of information. This page might be helpful:
http://www.wikihow.com/Follow-the-Curly-Girl-Method-for-Curly-Hair

[Redhead Rebel]

I have curly hair with damaged ends from chemical dyes, heat and being bleached 6 times( they were terrible until I did a trim last week). They were all bent, split and very very dry with white dots everywhere.

Your hair looks no where near damaged compared to mine. I think its just brushed out curls that need some extra moisture :)

[bunzfan]

I hope it is! I feel kind of stupid but I really don't know myself. My hair has just been so damaged all these years, and even though I've been cutting and cutting, I'm not sure all the damage is gone.
I will get a satin pillowcase as soon as I find one where I live at a resonable cost.
I kind of don't need to detangle... I don't have that much hair. ;) Or actually I detangle with my fingers when I'm out of the shower. :)

Thank you so much!!


I'm in the uk and i got mine got mine from a ebay seller in china i could send you the link. I have wavy hair and mine hair does that to for the record it looks like brushed put wavy hair if i do that i find a tiny amount of coconut oil soothes the poufiness out ;)

[jacqueline101]

If you didn't brush your curls it could be damage my perm did that after it got damaged. In the mean time oil and leave in conditioner.

[oktobergoud]

It looks just like frizzy hair to me. Not damaged frizzy but the kind of frizzy you get when it's very humid or in winter?? :)

[MaryMarx]

If you didn't brush your curls it could be damage my perm did that after it got damaged. In the mean time oil and leave in conditioner.
They are brushed out in those first pictures! Thank you for your advice, I have just bought my first coconut oil and I think my hair likes it (my skin doesn't; rash :( )

[MaryMarx]

It looks just like frizzy hair to me. Not damaged frizzy but the kind of frizzy you get when it's very humid or in winter?? :)
Thanks! Actually I don't know how it behaves in summertime (because it has been damaged all previous summers) so you might be right! My skin has been really, really dry too.


I'm in the uk and i got mine got mine from a ebay seller in china i could send you the link. I have wavy hair and mine hair does that to for the record it looks like brushed put wavy hair if i do that i find a tiny amount of coconut oil soothes the poufiness out ;)
I will try coconut oil, and also some WO's since I've been itchy. I prefer to buy in physical stores, but thanks anyway! :D


I have curly hair with damaged ends from chemical dyes, heat and being bleached 6 times( they were terrible until I did a trim last week). They were all bent, split and very very dry with white dots everywhere.

Your hair looks no where near damaged compared to mine. I think its just brushed out curls that need some extra moisture :)
Yay! Thank you. :)


Looks like brushed out curls to me too; I don't particularly see damage, but it's kind of hard to tell from this distance and on pictures. I'd suggest trying the curly girl method out too. Just Google it, you'll find lots of information. This page might be helpful:
http://www.wikihow.com/Follow-the-Curly-Girl-Method-for-Curly-Hair
I will check it out, thank you so much.


If you spritz your hair with water, do they curl back up? That they are all nice and curly the day of washing suggests to me that they are not damage, just curls that need reviving.
I have not tried that, but I sure will. Thanks. :)


I agree with the consensus that it's just brushed out curls. Looks lovely and soft, the colour is really pretty too :)
I don't think I have to worry any more, I knew it would be a great idea to ask all of you. :)
Thank you so much!


Your hair looks a lot like my hair when it is brushed out/slept on, i e no longer "clumped" waves/curls. This is why I wet my hair almost every day, for sure all the days that I want to keep it down... My hair is dry and possibly has some damage in the ends from semi-permanent chemical dye which I stopped using two or three years ago (can´t remember!), but otherwise I never use heat or harsh chemicals. I don´t think your hair look really damaged either, your waves and shine are lovely! :-)

I have had luck with using pure mineral oil on dripping wet lengths as a leave in for moisture/shine/"clumpiness", I buy it in the pharmacy as liquid paraffin ("Flytande paraffin"). For me it has worked best without using conditioner at all (scary thought! :) )

Regarding silk pillowcases, I have bought from a Swedish shop called Siden Selma (http://www.sidenselma.se/). My first pillow cases though I made myself from a silk travel sleeping sack bought in a sports store, and that material is softer than the ones I bought ready-made.
That sounds great, I will try to wet it down some day and see what happens! Thank you so much. :)
I'll take a look at Siden Selma too. The sleeping bag idea was just great, i wish I had an old one just lying around...