Hair is breaking off *pics

[Sinthia]

Hi everyone. My hair has been breaking off for a year now. I believe it's from henna and indigo? Do you guys have any idea why it's doing this? I was wondering if maybe the paste was too heavy for it and it breaks it off? I hate it so much and wish it wouldn't do this. I have broken hairs all over but it's most noticeable on hair line and nape line.

My hair is wet and roots are a Lil blonde atm so it looks very sparse. I have really thin hair a bit past bsl

https://imgur.com/a/Ajf0a

Thanks for looking!

[Decoy24601]

Are you sure those hairs aren't new growth? If you look at the ends, are they frayed, split, or anything like that? Maybe they're new growth and you just haven't noticed them before the henna/indigo because your hair was lighter?

[Sinthia]

Yah I'm positive. It's been like this for a while now and the nape hairs just broke off more. I used to be able to have them all up on a bun but now they are short and fall out :(

[Decoy24601]

Hmm, do you have any health problems or anything? If your hair is breaking off that easily it's not normal. If you can, I'd see a doctor about it, that way you can know for sure if you're deficient in anything.

How's your diet? Do you take multivitamins and eat enough protein everyday?

[Arctic]

When I was growing out henna I had pretty severe breakage going on at the demarcation line. Hairs seemed to be weak there, maybe because of slight difference in texture and rigidity. I had also a protein overload at a time - something that can also cause breakage on me - which probably is the reason for it's fair share of the causes, but the breakage was clearly happening at this certain level.

Are your hairs very rigid and stiff and dry, perhaps? Henna can cause similar effects than protein apparently.

In my case I needed tons of water based moisturizing, avoiding proteins - and I also ended up cutting my henna off after a year, year and half of growing out. It was mostly to get of the colour though. Mind you, I did not notice any particular breakage caused by henna before I started the growing out process. (And since you mentioned indigo too, I mostly used pure henna but the last maybe year I used a mixture containing a bit of indigo.)

But boy I hated the heavy henna mud, don't miss it one bit.

[PixieP]

Take a look at the shed hairs you find, do it after brushing/combing your hair in the morning. Is there a white tip on the end of most of the strands? If so they aren't breaking, they are falling out naturally, and what you have there is new growth. If you can't see any white tips on the hairs, then it's breakage.

[Sinthia]

Thanks for the replies! It looks like a lot of the hairs have a white tip. But if this is new growth how come it's the same length for over a year on my bang line and why did I notice new hair broken off at the nape? Hair is complex for me I guess lol!

I'm good on vitamins and Minerals. I get them tested. I do have hashimotos and know that can mess with hair. My levels aren't too bad right now though. Slightly low free t3 but I've had lower without hair breakage

[eadwine]

How tight do you do your updos? It could be too tight which can also make hair break off.

[lapushka]

Are you sure those hairs aren't new growth? If you look at the ends, are they frayed, split, or anything like that? Maybe they're new growth and you just haven't noticed them before the henna/indigo because your hair was lighter?

Yeah, from what I can tell that doesn't look like breakage to me. Just wispy hairs we all have and possible new growth. Whatever was going on, it was a long time ago, if it is regrowth. Did you have a child? Possible remnants of post-partum shedding?

[Alma Petra]

Henna did exactly the same to me. It was like a protein overload and it made my hair extremely dry. My hair kept breaking whenever I tried to brush so I stopped brushing, kept finger detangling only and put a lot of moisture in my hair until the effects of Henna wore off.

[lapushka]

Henna did exactly the same to me. It was like a protein overload and it made my hair extremely dry. My hair kept breaking whenever I tried to brush so I stopped brushing, kept finger detangling only and put a lot of moisture in my hair until the effects of Henna wore off.

Henna made my hair really dry, but not to the point of it being brittle. Thank goodness it never snapped off, but I got the same effect from henna as I did from bleach. Highly porous hair.

[Alma Petra]

Henna made my hair really dry, but not to the point of it being brittle. Thank goodness it never snapped off, but I got the same effect from henna as I did from bleach. Highly porous hair.

Wow really? My hair was already porous and that's why I wanted to use henna because I had read that it patched the hair up and closed the cuticles but it was dramatically awful for my hair unfortunately. It seems that it doesn't agree with all heads of hair.

[lapushka]

Wow really? My hair was already porous and that's why I wanted to use henna because I had read that it patched the hair up and closed the cuticles but it was dramatically awful for my hair unfortunately. It seems that it doesn't agree with all heads of hair.

No it doesn't. Looks like we're in the minority with these experiences too, because most benefit from henna in some way. Oh well...

[Shorty89]

No it doesn't. Looks like we're in the minority with these experiences too, because most benefit from henna in some way. Oh well...

I get dryness with henna too, but it also seems to strengthen my hair. :shrug: I'm fairly new to the henna game, but I foudn that a good SMT solved any dryness etc. But, I do seem to need to be careful with protein now.

[turtlelover]

Yeah, I totally love henna on my hair so far, and if anything, it seems to CLOSE the cuticle and make it less rough. My texture is waaaay better than it was before henna after only two full head hennas, but I was sure to use organic, BAQ stuff w/ no additives, and I didn't mix it with a strong acid. I think that there is a lot of crappy henna w/ unlisted bad ingredients floating around out there that trashes peoples hair, and it gets falsely blamed on henna when really it is the other crap that it contains.

[Sinthia]

I had a baby two years ago. I feel like. I've had the wispy hairs for as long also.

I also have tried to use the more natural lines of shampoo and conditioner. Silicone sulfate parade free fragrance free etc and my hair was always oily looking or just tangly. I used regular shampoo and conditioner this week and it feels better.

I also just had my hair cut a Lil longer than shoulder length cause it was driving me nuts lol

[Hypnoteyes]

Well this isn't a solution but I would say damage control and just a suggestion based off my initial thoughts...

If you haven't already, start doing deep conditioning treatments once a week, don't comb while wet or over-wash your hair, start taking hair, skin and nail gummies (Nature Bounty has done WONDERS for me!).

It's been like this for a while...maybe it's time to see a doctor. It could be all kinds of things; nutritional, hormonal, or as simple as not amble compensation for henna...time to start the process of elimination?

[Hypnoteyes]

I think if it were breaking of, it wouldn't just be at the nape of the neck and in your hairline but all over, including in the bulk of your hair. Honestly, that really looks a lot like new growth to me.

I have hormonal imbalances and every now and then I get a surge of new growth that looks identical to that. I don't mean to belittle your concerns, because you know your hair best and this is something very precious to you, but I wouldn't discount it altogether. A dermatologist could tell you if that is new growth or not. My sister's a dermi at the Mayo Clinic and she put my initial fears to rest when I thought I was breaking off hair, too. Turned out to be a pleasant surprise!

[lapushka]

I had a baby two years ago. I feel like. I've had the wispy hairs for as long also.

I also have tried to use the more natural lines of shampoo and conditioner. Silicone sulfate parade free fragrance free etc and my hair was always oily looking or just tangly. I used regular shampoo and conditioner this week and it feels better.

I also just had my hair cut a Lil longer than shoulder length cause it was driving me nuts lol

I think that coincides with post partum shed months after the baby, and where your nape hairs are now. So, I guess it's regrowth and I wouldn't worry. The front wispy hairs are normal! Have a look at the wispy hair club thread:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=131555

[school of fish]

^^ Post-partum regrowth rings familiar... I had my second baby 2 years ago as well and I have the very same wispies at the nape and the hairline as you have there :) It's a little harder to see the hairline ones on me because I have a faceframe layer around that length, but the nape hairs are unmistakeable and right at the same length as yours.

I was actually surprised to see them because I never noticed the classic thickening/shedding that many other women seem to get in pregnancy - however I'm wondering now if perhaps I did have it too but just wasn't dramatic enough to notice.

[Sinthia]

Thanks so much for all of the responses! I guess it's a mixture if post partum and hormonal issues. I think I'm bound to have them forever lol.

[Silverbrumby]

I found my thyroid issues caused a lot of wispy hair and made it difficult to grow my hair as long and thick as before. BUT i also had a baby late in life and maybe iwas going through normal (for some) hormonal shift and shortening of terminal. It runs in my family on my dads side.


As we age out hair overall thins and grows more slowly ao our terminal is shorter.

Following advice here I've had definite improvements.