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Sparklylady82
June 20th, 2014, 11:58 AM
I've been seeing some great results in my hair form not hot styling and using more gentle and natural ways to nourish my hair. I have a lot of damaged hair that I am workig on getting healthy so I can reach my length goals. I have been trying to S&D whenever I can because I have SO MUCH DAMAGE! I can literally find 20 splits, white dots, knots in a tiny section of my hair. It just seems to be a never ending task.

My question is: What can I do to protect my hair from further splitting. I just want to do everything I can to protect it. Is it best to wear hair in a bun constantly? My hair is also wavy so when I style wavy (to wear down), the next day my hair is so tangled in certain areas and all over dry feeling. I'm wondering if this is why my hair keeps breaking?

I do the CWW and LOC routine. I also use a diffuser on low heat when styling to wear down.

Anyway, I am sorry if I am rambling but I'd really LOVE advise on protective ways to preserve the hair that I have. What to DO and NOT DO? Thank you in advance!

meteor
June 20th, 2014, 12:15 PM
What helps me prevent split ends and other damage:
- wearing hair up almost every day;
- sleeping with hair contained (braided) and covered with silk satin;
- detangling only when needed with quality tools, avoiding all unnecessary manipulation;
- pre-poo oiling to minimize damage from harsh detergents, hygral fatigue and manipulating wet hair;
- oiling ends when they feel dry;
- using a lot of conditioner (10 times more than shampoo in my case);
- washing when needed, stretching washes when possible;
- covering hair with hats/scarves in very cold, very sunny or windy weather.

Anje
June 20th, 2014, 12:28 PM
Updos like buns go a long way to protecting, though they work better if you secure them the right way. For most people, that means not using hairbands to hold them -- it tends to break the more fragile hair around your face and it doesn't distribute the weight very comfortably anyway. Hairsticks, forks, hairpins (the U-shaped ones and spin pins especially), clips, and claws are typically better options. Braids are also really good for protecting hair, as long as you don't lean against them when you sit down or catch them under the strap of your bag.

Make sure, when you detangle your hair, that you're not ripping through the tangles. That just creates more splits and broken hair. Slow down, work through each knot. If you prefer to do it with your hair wet, make sure you have a lot of conditioner and be extra gentle, because hair breaks more easily when wet, even if the conditioner does help the knots slip out. (There's a point on the wavy-curly spectrum where people tend to find detangling is best done with wet, conditioner-filled hair, while straighter hair is best detangled dry.)

Depending on how you sleep, you might get some benefit by trying to protect your hair then, too. There are a lot of options. Some folks advocate sleep bonnets, often with hair loose inside; others prefer satin pillowcases. Hair braided or bunned overnight is a good way to avoid getting further tangles.

Sparklylady82
June 20th, 2014, 12:35 PM
meteor and anje:

Thank you for this advice! I am going to start to wear my hair up everyday. Is it more beneficial to wear up while wet or to air dry first? Or does it matter? I definately need to cut out my use of hair bands...I try to find the softest and most hair friendly kind but I think its still too much for my damadged hair. I also am guilty of using bobby pins...not sure if those are bad? I do have a couple spin pins that I will try and I still need to save for a hair stick or fork type thing.

meteor
June 20th, 2014, 12:55 PM
meteor and anje:

Thank you for this advice! I am going to start to wear my hair up everyday. Is it more beneficial to wear up while wet or to air dry first? Or does it matter?

No consensus on this. Some people like to wet-bun and damp-bun in order to keep hair "moisturized", but it took me over 2 days to dry my hair that way last time I tried (I was only BSL back then). I want to avoid hygral fatigue: the swelling and shrinking of wet hair. Also, wet hair is at a very fragile state, so I'd rather dry it pretty quickly, so I prefer to air-dry hair down for a couple hours before putting it up (it's still a bit damp, but that's OK).


I definately need to cut out my use of hair bands...I try to find the softest and most hair friendly kind but I think its still too much for my damadged hair. I also am guilty of using bobby pins...not sure if those are bad? I do have a couple spin pins that I will try and I still need to save for a hair stick or fork type thing.
Do you have any large claw-clips? I think they can be very hair-friendly and they are sold everywhere. I can't specifically say bobby pins are bad, but I don't use bobby pins, they can pull and damage my hair and they don't hold more than accent braids/twists for me, so kind of useless anyway. I prefer U-pins / Amish pins.
For braids, I just use a silk scarf/ribbon to tie off the tassel at night. It doesn't hold as well as a ponytail holder, but it's super-gentle.
And if you don't want to spend money on those hair toys, look for some strong, thick, decorative chopsticks in metal or wood at local Chinatown or ethnic stores. They need to be super sturdy and polished, non abrasive.

Anje
June 20th, 2014, 12:59 PM
Bobby pins don't tend to be good at holding a lot of hair, so a lot of us find them uncomfortable for holding buns up (and it takes a LOT of them). But they aren't necessarily bad, just less suited for the task.

Colored pencils make really cute hairsticks. You can coat the tip with clear nailpolish if it seems like it'll snag. It'll also give you a chance to play with different lengths to figure out what you like. Look up "Lazy Wrap Bun" on youtube and you'll see a really good, easy way to put hair up with a stick.

Do you put it up wet or dry? Hard to say. I prefer to do it dry -- hair doesn't stretch as much then, and it gets a chance to fully dry out. (In the long term, it can be bad to keep hair constantly wet. Also, my scalp really hates having a soggy bun against it for hours, which pretty much decides the issue for me.) On the other hand, I know plenty of longhaired folks who can't get their hair to stay unless they put it up damp, and it doesn't seem to have harmed them any.

FallingDarkness
June 20th, 2014, 01:15 PM
I put my hair in two low braids when it's wet, just to get it out of my way because my hair takes a LONG time to dry and since showering with cool to cold water is less damaging, and I get cold easily, it's hard to deal with my thick wet mane hanging down my back all the time while I wait for it to dry. But it's really based on preference.
Having your hair down at all subjects it to tangles and damage, so avoid it whenever possible.
Make sure to invest in coconut oil for prepoos and deep conditioning treatments.
Claw clips work wonders. Really. My claw clip is huge but it makes me happy, and it comfortably holds all my hair. If you can tuck your ends under then it completely prevents damage, plus they're super easy to use.

jacqueline101
June 20th, 2014, 01:50 PM
I do this for my routine
Weekly shampoo on scalp condition ends follow up
Cholesterol treatment Aussie deep conditioner wear it up oil daily mist growth challenge on scalp. Wear satin sleep cap nightly keep hair in loose bun day and night. Detangle when needed with my hair bean or Michel mercer brush. I keep the same routine all the time. I think this helps on my hair. I've tried different things I got build up or not good results. I clarify with shampoo on scalp conditioner on ends.

PrincessPhoebe
June 20th, 2014, 02:12 PM
I'm in a similar position with the fragile, damaged ends. I've been putting my hair up in a disc bun most days, this is the bun I find most comfortable. I started out just using crochet hooks to hold it while I experimented, but have eventually treated myself to some sticks, flexi-8s and my lovely Ficcare. At night I do a loose English braid, tie it off with a fold over elastic and sleep on a silk pillow case.

I use cones to keep the dreaded tangles away, and only use a wide toothed comb to detangle. All this has helped prevent further damage, and having it up and out the way stops me from obsessing over my ends!

I wash twice a week, air dry until nearly dry, then put it up.