Millions of broken hairs :(

[gallows_gallery]

When I have my hair out, in the light you can see millions of broken hairs all the way from the top to the bottom - like a halo of white ends that have broken at all different lengths.

I NEVER wear my hair in a pony tail, I only use bobby pins and hair sticks. Could bobby pins be doing this when I have it up in a big nest, or would it be a result of all the chemical dye (albeit dark, not bleaching)?

It drives me MAD! Any advice?

Yvette

(P.S. see all the little white flicks in the photo? EVIL!!)

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p227/mollusclove/CIMG7439.jpg

[Lisa-Maria]

It could be that your comb or brush have a few seems or rough places that are causing damage to your hair. I've fine hairs so just BBB brushing will give me split ends and broken hairs if I'm not careful :(

[Dolly]

Mine is like that too, but has been since I was a kid.....so is my mother's......I just try to keep an eye on those shorter ones to make sure they don't get any additional splitting or such....

[Samikha]

I think that's pretty normal, but it shows up more for those with glossy and dark hair. :shrug: Wish I had any advice. If you were a wavy, I'd say to emphasize the waves more so it's less noticeable. It's probably just wear and tear, and yeah, the chemical dye would probably have an effect. Do you use cones? Do moisture treatments?

[gallows_gallery]

I use what ever shampoo and conditioner is in my sister's bathroom (usually average price supermarket stuff) like Tresemme, Herbal Essences or Pantene...I do moisture masks with Redken Heavy Cream (best thing EVER) and I use coconut oil.

What annoys me about the little hairs is that they flick out in little U shapes off my head! Why won't they stay straight with the rest of the hair, dammit!?

[Samikha]

What annoys me about the little hairs is that they flick out in little U shapes off my head! Why won't they stay straight with the rest of the hair, dammit!?

My life right there! WHY won't they? I don't know what will work for you, but mine are a lot less noticeable after I went off cones, and Herbal Essences is murder for my hair, dried it out for years. Adding moisture, usually SMTs, helped me, as did going off sulphate shampoos. But it's a slow process.

[vampodrama]

I have kinda the same thing going on. less noticeable when I'm wearing something other than black though (which, naturally, happens very rarely).

I dunno, I've kinda accepted the fact that my hair is crap and I should live with it :o

(yes, I am very very lazy.)

[azahar]

me too.. I have the same problem. I'm at the research of a solution.

[Katze]

I've got the carpet of tiny sticky-out hairs too, from hairline down to about shoulder length. Since my hair is getting thicker as it gets longer, I've always thought they are new growth...could yours be, too?

These lighter ends are naturally more visible on your dark hair with a flash, or perhaps in direct sunlight, but I would be willing to bet that most people don't notice them as much as you do.

I'm always obsessing about how terribly messy my hair looks compared to other people and especially compared to pictures on this site. When other people post pictures of updos, I see beautiful smooth sleek hair. When I take a picture of a reasonable-looking updo on me, I get a picture of a sloppy, frizzy, mess. And not messy in the sense of Victorian-lady-whose-hair-has fallen down; more messy in the sense of bag lady. But you know what? I bet other peoples' hairdos look like that, too - they just don't post pics.

We are often our very own worst critics. When I look at that picture of your hair, I don't see the white spots until you mention them. I see long hair.

If you do want to take better care of your hair and maximize its potential, the ideas others have already posted (SMT, adding moisture generally) are good ones. Stopping dye is another hair-healthy thing; strong chemicals are not good for your hair, period.

hope you feel better about your hair soon.

Katze

[GlassEyes]

I have curly hair and I have them. XD I think it's a natural part of hair.

[MsBubbles]

. And not messy in the sense of Victorian-lady-whose-hair-has fallen down; more messy in the sense of bag lady.

Ha ha! Had me lol-ing on that one!

Gallows - I agree with what Katze said about us being our own worst critics and people posting sleek, perfect photos. And I see 'long hair' on you too, not 'damaged' hair.

But anyway, the topic of damaged hair is at the forefront of my mind right now because I have horribly damaged hair at the back all of a sudden (past 2 months) and wonder why. Have you gone through the usual checklist?:

Are your combs/brushes snagging your hair?
Do you sleep with it down on a cotton pillow or on a satin one, or do you sleep with it up?
Your shampoos and cond's might be upsetting your hair
Do you wear your hair down mostly?
How often do you wash your hair?
Do you pile it on top of your head in the shower?
Would monthly 'dusting' help?
etc etc. I can't remember them all right now but this is what I'm going through right now and am on the search for more answers to my snaggy split ends too.

Anyway I think your hair looks gorgeous and I would LOVE to have that length myself right now :).

[ClareDee]

I might be wrong, but couldn't they just be lots of new hairs?...

We lose hairs every day, sometimes almost 100 a day, and I assume they're replaced at a fairly good rate... which would mean there are many, many hairs of several lengths on our head at all times. The longest (majority) ones are just the oldest hangers-on.

I have much shorter hair than you, but lately I am noticing I have lots of these shorter hairs too... I have a feeling that going cone-free left my hair a bit less 'sleek', so I get to see these newer hairs popping up all over the place much more easily than before.

I'm sure some of them are broken hairs (since I'll bet we all have a certain amount of those, no matter what we do), but possibly only to a minor extent...

Just a thought anyway...

[spidermom]

I've got 100,001 different lengths sticking out all over the place. I'm sure some of them are broken hairs, but most of them are new hairs.

[Anje]

I've got zillions of those, too, and most of mine aren't even broken. My hair just curls at the ends, so every short hair sticks out and often curls upwards.

The best solution I've found is to smear some of Fox's shea butter conditioning cream over my entire canopy, which weighs them down. Getting the perfect amount is tricky, though. For straighter hair, a lighter oil might do the trick.

[gallows_gallery]

When I take a picture of a reasonable-looking updo on me, I get a picture of a sloppy, frizzy, mess. And not messy in the sense of Victorian-lady-whose-hair-has fallen down; more messy in the sense of bag lady.

Ahahahaha story of my life! I totally sympathise.

Please excuse my terrible ignorance (this is my first week on LHC)...what are SMTs?

[gallows_gallery]

Have you gone through the usual checklist?:

Are your combs/brushes snagging your hair?
Do you sleep with it down on a cotton pillow or on a satin one, or do you sleep with it up?
Your shampoos and cond's might be upsetting your hair
Do you wear your hair down mostly?
How often do you wash your hair?
Do you pile it on top of your head in the shower?
Would monthly 'dusting' help?


I use really bad quality, cheap combs and brushes. A plastic wide-tooth comb (yes, the 50c kind from the supermarket) and cheap plastic bristle brushes...I posed a bulletin today called "Mason Person..Kent" asking about what good quality tools I should invest in.

I probably sleep 50% with it out and 50% with it in a plait.

I'm too poor to afford good shampoo and conditioner, so I just use supermarket stuff...also...how do I know if something is "cone free"?

I usually wear my hair in a plait or messy blob pinned with bobby pins. I wear it out when I go out or have oiled it.

I have it out down my back in the shower.

What is dusting!? Oh I'm soooo new!

[Samikha]

SMT recipe here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=128&highlight=SnowyMoon%27s+Moisture+Treatment), cones information here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=13):) Generally, if you're wondering something, check the articles. Lots of good info there, written by lots of smart people.;)

Dusting is usually meant as a very small trim, just enough to leave a "dusting" of hair behind. But I've seen it used for trimming split ends only too. There are a lot of acronyms and words to get used to, but don't sweat it. We've all been new once, some of us not so long ago:o

[spidermom]

Diluting your shampoo with water and washing CWC style (conditioner to length, wash scalp, rinse, more conditioner to length, rinse) is a good way to avoid stripping your hair with cheap supermarket products. I bought and saved a small shampoo bottle to mix my diluted solution in. It's amazing how well a little squirt of shampoo shaken up in water and squirted all over your scalp can clean. I only need to repeat if I've heavily oiled my hair.

[maskedrose]

I bet your combs and stuff are partly to blame. Many of us use cheap shampoo/conditioner because we find that it works better than much of the expensive stuff. I personally use Suave stuff and I know others swear by V05. Bobby pins also tend to tear and break hair, so maybe check out Amish pins - there is info about them in the hairtoys forum, I think.

I've got a bunch of baby and broken hairs all along my length as well and like everyone else has said, its a natural process. However, I know that due to some harsh medication my hair is much, much more brittle than it used to be, so I've started using catnip to strengthen it as well (there is a long article about this in the henna and herbal haircare forum).

Good luck and don't sweat it too much - you hair looks lovely right now!

[vindo]

Are you sure this is breakage? It could also just be shorter hairs that stick out. Its more noticeable on straight hairtypes since it interrupts the smooth surface.
I do have that too and it is visible in certain light.

I mean I really hope it is not breakage...I avoid everything that could be harmful in even the slightest way.

Edit: I just looked at your profile picture and it really does look like short hairs to me..not so much like breakage. :)

[Longlove]

Hi.

I also have 1a hair. Unless you see obvious splits/breaks in those errant hairs, they're just regrowth. We all have regrowth, thank God!

I suspect the likely cause is static. I live in the dry desert and am forever fighting these static-y "cactus hairs" that stick out.

Although I classify my long hair as 1a, when I cut bangs they were not completely flat. Obviously the weight of the length makes hair straighter. So the shorter and therefore lighter the individual hairs are (ie. the regrowth), the more likely they are to not lay completely flat.

If your hair is in good condition, don't worry about it. Just make sure your hair has plenty of moisture which will minimize static and potential damage. :)

[annarose]

. And not messy in the sense of Victorian-lady-whose-hair-has fallen down; more messy in the sense of bag lady.

Katze

That had me laughing out loud too! But it is so true, I think it is the curse of us Wurlie Ones. :shake:

[heidi w.]

For those not used to having long hair, or new at this game, they may not realize that what they think are tons of broken hairs may well not be that at all.

You see, hair is in a constant cycle of replace, rest, shed, replace....etc. All hair follicles are not on the same shift and this then prevents you from being bald on occasion. (If it all shed at the same time?....)

Thus, individual strands are on their own timeline of growing in to be the same length as the overall majority of strands. Therefore, when hair works its way down to the hemline at the bottom, it may well stick out on top, looking kind of like a halo effect of frizz or fuzz. With some added length it gains weight and thus lays down, but the ends can still jut out from the midst of the length, wherever along the path. Take a close look. Any of those ends appearing to be white dots? (Look in sunlight or under a halo lamp against a contrasting cloth that is in contrast to your hair's color.) Likely not. They just look like normal ends, and the newer fresher ends may even be a tad pointed.

This is new growth, my dear.

If it is damage you can S&D (people here call it S&Ding, I call it dusting...a GM salon will likely call it a split end trim) and trim out one point of damage per strand at a time. Ask us if you don't know how to do this, the how to, including the proper scissors to use, or what to look for in such scissors.

heidi w.

[Curlsgirl]

This thread really is making me feel a WHOLE lot better! My hair is in fairly good condition but I have these. Mine are easier to hide in the curls I think and it's light too. Your hair is gorgeous honestly. Combs and the right hairtoys do make a huge difference though!

[TennesseeGirl]

my hair is not near as long as yours but I notice the same things in my hair. The strange this is some days are much worse than others. I just can not find a routine that works well for me.

[goodenough]

I have these, but they are new hairs. They are so wiry. I have straight hair, too, so I notice them a lot. No one has ever said anything about it to me, so I asume that I am the only one that notices. I find it's worse on wash day, so I only wash two times a week now. Oiling helps a little, but mostly I just put it up and smooth the top with a bbb a little. I like to wear my hair down with bun waves, and I like the softer look the little wayward hairs give me. I have really straight hair, and one of the things I really like about wavy hair is the way it looks soft.

I think my routine is in my profile, but I have NO $ right now, yet I think I'm doing good by my hair--suave coconut conditioner is great, olive oil, putting it up with hairsticks (I only have a couple generic ones from walmart, and not blowdrying.

[sky]

I use what ever shampoo and conditioner is in my sister's bathroom (usually average price supermarket stuff) like Tresemme, Herbal Essences or Pantene...I do moisture masks with Redken Heavy Cream (best thing EVER) and I use coconut oil.

You might wish to buy your own products. Go for the good stuff only!

I have 2c/3a wurly hair, and use Too Shea conditioner from jessicurl.com to CO. I have the advantage that my splits hide in the waves, but eventually I get to the point where I must have the ends trimmed. Too Shea has really helped that!

sky