PDA

View Full Version : Is breakage possible without split ends first?



swearnsue
October 7th, 2014, 03:26 PM
Hi Everyone. I've been having a problem for about a year now and posted about it before a few months ago. My hair was growing because I'm growing in my silver roots and stopped using henna. Proof of growth. BUT when I measure I wasn't getting any length.

So I stopped using the silicone bands to tie off my night time braids. This helped, I went from about 23 inches to 24 inches. Then I was sooooo close to 25 inches, a couple of hairs made that line on the measuring tape so I called it 25 inches. Def. 24.75 inches easy.

NOW, about a month later, I'm back at 24 inches. WTF???

I have not seen even ONE split end, and I look every day. (many times a day)

I must be getting breakage. I've gotten more and more gentle with my hair over the last year and I think I'm doing everything right.

Any ideas? I just compared my picture (below) taken Feb 2014 to today, 8 months later and I can't see any difference, except my hair is a bit thicker.

:(

Nadine <3
October 7th, 2014, 03:31 PM
Hm, maybe it's the way you're measuring?

lapushka
October 7th, 2014, 03:40 PM
Hm, maybe it's the way you're measuring?

Yes, I can't think of anything else either.

Start taking bi-annual pictures, to keep a record of growth.

brickworld13
October 7th, 2014, 03:42 PM
It could even be a stall.

swearnsue
October 7th, 2014, 03:52 PM
Nadine and Lapushka! That is exactly what DH just told me! Maybe, just MAYBE I sort of measure and pull and wiggle the tape until I get the next 1/4 inch. But even IF I do that, it should still be longer.

Here is another way to look at it. My hair has grown from a over-the-crown method of 13 inches to 23 inches in 3 years. I've trimmed a few times especially at first to even up the hemline from growing out a shaved head. So maybe a total of 3 inches trimmed?

So that is 10 inches in three years! There's got to be breakage.

swearnsue
October 7th, 2014, 03:55 PM
It could even be a stall.

At first I thought it was a stall but I'm growing in my roots like crazy. It's pretty easy to see them because I'm going from super heavy henna to natural which is medium ash brown, gray and silver/white.

I am a patient person but this is killing me. I'd like to reach waist before I die of old age. LOL

lapushka
October 7th, 2014, 03:57 PM
Are you brushing it often? That might be a cause of breakage. I know my hair can't stand a BBB.

MJ1972
October 7th, 2014, 04:02 PM
Are you measuring at different times in your washing cycle? If so, that may explain why your hair doesn't seem to be growing. I know my own hair is considerably curlier (and therefore shorter) just after a wash than three days after a wash. Could the same be true for you?

Either way, I'd advise you not to obsess about it, as stress definitely has a detrimental effect on hair. Personally, I don't measure my hair at all. I'd rather not know exactly how much progress I'm making than obsess about a real or imagined lack of progress.

swearnsue
October 7th, 2014, 04:09 PM
Are you brushing it often? That might be a cause of breakage. I know my hair can't stand a BBB.

I brush out my hair several times a day. I use the Madora method, brushing slowly with the other hand following to cut down on static. I really like brushing it, you know feeling it and stuff. But, as you know, I just bought two Eternally in Amber combs. Should I be combing instead? How did you figure out your hair didn't like brushing?

lapushka
October 7th, 2014, 04:11 PM
How did you figure out your hair didn't like brushing?

Mostly because I used to brush more often, in my twenties (every day, multiple times and with a BBB). I had thinner hair than I do now in my early forties, with the comb/brush once a week method (mostly due to the realization that I have wavy hair and to preserve the waves).

swearnsue
October 7th, 2014, 04:17 PM
Are you measuring at different times in your washing cycle? If so, that may explain why your hair doesn't seem to be growing. I know my own hair is considerably curlier (and therefore shorter) just after a wash than three days after a wash. Could the same be true for you?

Either way, I'd advise you not to obsess about it, as stress definitely has a detrimental effect on hair. Personally, I don't measure my hair at all. I'd rather not know exactly how much progress I'm making than obsess about a real or imagined lack of progress.

I don't have any regular time to measure since my hair is naturally straight so it didn't occur to me that clean vs. "dirty" hair might change the length.

I'm try not to obsess too much, but now I want to know if I have a problem with breakage so that I can fix it. You are right about stress not helping but once I find a solution it will feel better.

swearnsue
October 7th, 2014, 04:21 PM
Mostly because I used to brush more often, in my twenties (every day, multiple times and with a BBB). I had thinner hair than I do now in my early forties, with the comb/brush once a week method (mostly due to the realization that I have wavy hair and to preserve the waves).

You brush once a week? I could do that. I think. How do you handle the shed hairs though? I like to brush out the loose hairs so new ones will grow in. This isn't a scientific thing, just a swearnsue thing! LOL. Do you finger comb though every day to just move your hair around? Sorry for the stupid questions, I feel like a newbie all of a sudden.

lapushka
October 7th, 2014, 04:24 PM
You brush once a week? I could do that. I think. How do you handle the shed hairs though? I like to brush out the loose hairs so new ones will grow in. This isn't a scientific thing, just a swearnsue thing! LOL. Do you finger comb though every day to just move your hair around? Sorry for the stupid questions, I feel like a newbie all of a sudden.

About as of day 4, at night, my hair gets fingercombed, that's when most sheds come in. I don't lose many hairs prior to that day. During the day, though, it is just put up, no combing whatsoever not even fingercombing!

swearnsue
October 7th, 2014, 04:53 PM
About as of day 4, at night, my hair gets fingercombed, that's when most sheds come in. I don't lose many hairs prior to that day. During the day, though, it is just put up, no combing whatsoever not even fingercombing!

Wow. I'm going to change my routine how I brush/comb by hair. No brushing except before I wash it, which is about every 5 or 6 days. I'll comb it when I put it up in the mornings.

This will be like giving up an addiction! It's definitely worth a try. All my brushing may be breaking off my poor ends.

Thank you.

lapushka
October 7th, 2014, 04:58 PM
Wow. I'm going to change my routine how I brush/comb by hair. No brushing except before I wash it, which is about every 5 or 6 days. I'll comb it when I put it up in the mornings.

This will be like giving up an addiction! It's definitely worth a try. All my brushing may be breaking off my poor ends.

Thank you.

You're welcome. It's worth a shot, in any case! :)

MsPharaohMoan
October 7th, 2014, 05:13 PM
Might be useful to just measure your roots to decide growth?

spidermom
October 7th, 2014, 06:11 PM
Yes, you can get damage that shows up as roughened cuticle that you would only see with a magnifying glass or with very good vision. Hair will break quite easily where the cuticle has been disrupted.

Try monitoring growth by taking one picture per month on the same day of the month and wearing the same patterned shirt. Horizontal stripes are ideal. Measuring is problematic. Measuring tapes lie.

ravenheather
October 7th, 2014, 07:20 PM
I have the same problem. I haven't grown in 10 months. I measure wet so it's not a wavy hair thing. Just tried trimming a bit for the first time so we shall see if that helps. I also keep waffling on the bbb issue. Although I wasn't brushing the first part of this stall. I am also not using anything on my night braids now. They mostly stay in. I just keep bouncing between 27 and 28 inches. Maybe I will give no brushing a try.

Adiro
October 7th, 2014, 10:57 PM
Just brush once over a light colored counter, or over a light colored cloth and see if there are many broken hairs. The shed ones will be full length, the broken ones in smaller pieces, like 1-2 inches long. they are usually easy to see on the counter ( or in the sink) then on own's clothing .... I always get some breakage, even if I just comb, but then I know I don't have enough time to do it patiently.

Gertrude
October 8th, 2014, 06:29 AM
I love brushing and my Mason Pearson brush, but my hair can't take the George Michael method that Madora describes. She has astonishingly wonderful thick hair. On my hair I do brush but slowly and for as few strokes as I can, just enough to smooth it out. Avoiding the handling with the other hand as the MP, for me, does take away most static. It wears my fine hair out and I do get breakage, and in my case breakage is as often not due to splitting as it is due to it. In the London GM salon they teach the bent over, brush with static laden Kent brush, move the other hand through and I can feel snap, snap, snap. As my blood pressure goes funny if I bend over I have declined since...........I am sure on the right texture hair it works fine, but I think all hair needs a good comb and most hair can probably manage without a brush. But I would miss mine ........

stachelbeere
October 8th, 2014, 07:00 AM
breakage without split ends? totally possible. I am living proof. I rarely have any split ends but I have breakage going on. It's probably due to old heat damage from approx. 2 years ago :(

swearnsue
October 8th, 2014, 08:58 AM
Just brush once over a light colored counter, or over a light colored cloth and see if there are many broken hairs. The shed ones will be full length, the broken ones in smaller pieces, like 1-2 inches long. they are usually easy to see on the counter ( or in the sink) then on own's clothing .... I always get some breakage, even if I just comb, but then I know I don't have enough time to do it patiently.

That is a GREAT idea! I see short hairs all the time and have been thinking it's dog and cat hairs. Maybe those short hairs are my ends!

swearnsue
October 8th, 2014, 09:04 AM
I love brushing and my Mason Pearson brush, but my hair can't take the George Michael method that Madora describes. She has astonishingly wonderful thick hair. On my hair I do brush but slowly and for as few strokes as I can, just enough to smooth it out. Avoiding the handling with the other hand as the MP, for me, does take away most static. It wears my fine hair out and I do get breakage, and in my case breakage is as often not due to splitting as it is due to it. In the London GM salon they teach the bent over, brush with static laden Kent brush, move the other hand through and I can feel snap, snap, snap. As my blood pressure goes funny if I bend over I have declined since...........I am sure on the right texture hair it works fine, but I think all hair needs a good comb and most hair can probably manage without a brush. But I would miss mine ........

We have similar hair types and I also like to brush my hair and I think I've been brushing too often. I think the reasoning behind the bending forward to brush is that it is great for increasing blood flow to the scalp. However, I think a gentle massage with finger tips and not bent over would work just as well. Or well enough.

swearnsue
October 8th, 2014, 03:41 PM
Just brush once over a light colored counter, or over a light colored cloth and see if there are many broken hairs. The shed ones will be full length, the broken ones in smaller pieces, like 1-2 inches long. they are usually easy to see on the counter ( or in the sink) then on own's clothing .... I always get some breakage, even if I just comb, but then I know I don't have enough time to do it patiently.

OK, I tried this great suggestion. I brushed and not too gently over my white sheets. I got 2 long hairs with root bulb attached. BUT I thought that maybe there are broken ends caught in the brush. So I then combed my hair over the sheets and got one hair with a root bulb. No broken hairs.

Well, this doesn't mean I'm not getting some breakage from my brushing, just not at this one moment in time. So I'm going to only brush before I shampoo and if my scalp feels like it needs attention I'll massage with fingertips.

meteor
October 8th, 2014, 06:03 PM
I absolutely agree with what lapushka said on limiting brushing.

I would add too that I immediately stopped getting new split ends and mid-shaft breakage when I ditched my brushes. You just need to detangle hair (with fingers and/or wide-tooth seamless comb), but the polishing with a brush is totally extra: and can only be done successfully if you have the right technique down, have the right brush and your hair isn't too fine or textured... basically, too many if's... I'd recommend trying less brushing to see how it works for you. :)

swearnsue
October 10th, 2014, 10:55 AM
So far it hasn't been that hard to not brush my hair all the time. I've been grooming the dogs and cat though more that usual just to get my "brushing fix."

Thanks everyone for your help.

lapushka
October 10th, 2014, 11:01 AM
So far it hasn't been that hard to not brush my hair all the time. I've been grooming the dogs and cat though more that usual just to get my "brushing fix."

Thanks everyone for your help.

I'm sure they love it! :D And you're welcome. :o