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View Full Version : S&D has ruined my hemline :sigh:



Idreamlong
November 24th, 2016, 04:30 AM
As title.

I have been S&Ding my hair for 18 months now to try and get rid of heavy damage whilst growing it out. It's worked, I'd say when I started 90% of my hair was broken and split. I have successfully managed to grow it from SL/APL - BSL in that time (first time getting beyond APL in 10 years) however my hemline is now so thin and whispy and awful. A couple of months ago I said no more S&Ding, just micro trimming to thicken up and improve my hemline to get a nice, solid BSL length.

So I've done 2 small micro trims in the last couple of months as it felt snaggy and I knew there was damage. It felt better after and I thought my hemline looked a bit better...

Cue to today, I have found so much damage higher up my hair (that I would normally be S&Ding out) I couldn't just leave it so I've had a big S&D session and I can now run my fingers through snagg-free again.

My hair is so curly :cries: it is constantly tangling and knotting it takes me ages to see any real growth. It's so fragile the slightest thing makes it break.

I really want to cut out the S&Ding but I hate the thought of all the damage further up. I'm not sure I could leave it and grow my hair long because of how fragile it is. I'm pretty sure it would either just break off or travel further up the hair shaft, which I really don't want!

Any advice? Anyone else have this problem? I know the real answer is to just chop it all off from the highest point of damage....but that would mean having a chin length Bob, so, no!

Is there any way to make really fine/ fragile hair a bit coarser/ hardier?

lapushka
November 24th, 2016, 05:11 AM
Yep, if your hair is half damaged, trims are way better or you will thin out that hemline! I know because my hair was half riddled in white dots (no splits but a lot of white dots high up the strand). At hip my mom heavily did S&D and it was thinned out all the way to BSL, so we cut it back to BSL.

There is just no other way, to gradually trim or to bite that bullet and go all the way back. Your choice! :flower:

diewassermelone
November 24th, 2016, 05:15 AM
How much do you moisturize? I had a problem when I was living in a really cold area (we're talking -20 celsius) where my ends were breaking off in my hand from the combination of cold weather, really dry air inside the apartment, and being rubbed against clothing. I found that covering it in oil and leave in conditioner, and then bunning it so that the end were on the inside significantly slowed the damage (make sure that they don't freeze though, that's a whole different problem). I also sewed silky material to the insides of my hats to keep them from rubbing.
I've also found that tying my hair up while I sleep helps with damage. Curly hair has a mind of its own and finds ways to snag and knot on anything. I throw it under a very sexy silky scarf at night which cuts down on snarls the next day.
I know that doesn't tell you how to make fragile hair hardier, but maybe it will help with breakage, so that you can even up your hemline.

turtlelover
November 24th, 2016, 10:09 PM
Sometimes you are better off just biting the bullet and getting a big chop to ditch the damage, but even some regular trims would probably create an illusion of a thicker hemline even if their still is some damage.

sanguinebread
November 25th, 2016, 12:12 AM
It sounds like you want to stop S&Ding but you keep finding damage that bothers you until you do it anyway? You could try wearing your hair up or braided so you aren't seeing the damage for a while until you break the habit. Protective styles should also help it grow out with less damage and protect the wispy strands. If the thought of stopping altogether bothers you too much, could you set aside a certain amount of limited time to do it - say, fifteen minutes on wash day or Monday or whatever - and decide that apart from that time, you'll leave your hair alone? So when you see damage, you think "Okay, I'll deal with that on x day" instead of reaching for the scissors immediately.

Idreamlong
November 25th, 2016, 12:46 AM
Thanks for the responses guys! Chopping all the damage off really isn't an option for me as the thought of chopping up to chin horrifies me, plus it's not all the hair that's damaged further up, just some strands.

I just hate seeing white dots and splits, I get really restless, lol!

I have gotten rid of the worst of it all yesterday so I'm going to moisturise daily (I was doing that and it was really good in that it did stop my hair getting so dry and knotty and helped my breakage problem a lot, I just got lazy and stopped doing it) and am going to put my hair up more (I do wear it up about 4-5 times a week but lately this has slipped to about 3-4 times so I think that's contributed too as its now BSL and is rubbing on things and getting caught in zips etc!)

I'll also try a protein mask followed up by moisture mask twice a week on my wash days and see if that helps.

It's growing a fair bit so the damage can't be so bad it's snapping off all the time, but it is there towards the lengths and ends and I just hate seeing it.

I swear my hair is the most fragile thing ever, lol. Worse than silk or satin....I can't actually think of anything more fragile at this time of the morning!

Borgessa
November 25th, 2016, 01:52 AM
I feel and understand your pain!

Zebra Fish
November 25th, 2016, 02:22 AM
I did that also. And it did not help :/ My hair grows slowly and with me s&d-ing heavily for the damage instead of cutting some hair (I was bsl then) I thinned the hemline totally. I also didn't want to cut back to chin. What's worse, 3,5 yrs after (a months ago) I had to cut back to mbl. I'm actually not sure atm whether my terminal is short (not accepting this!) or what, but seems I can't get back to the hair I had few years back. I would suggest you to maintain for a while till the thickness catches up, and then grow longer (I didn't do that and am pissed to mayself now :p).

lapushka
November 25th, 2016, 03:56 AM
I'd join microtrimming, get half of it off, leave half of your growth alone, and you can decide to trim monthly, or every couple of months, whatever you choose. This way you still have some growth instead of losing length.

Be careful with the protein, though. Twice a week is a LOT! Protein/moisture balance is a tough thing if you don't dye or bleach the hair.

White dots unfortunately means eventual breakage, but if you treat it very gently, those suckers can hang on for a long time without breaking off. So this way, you can take your time taking them out.

Preventing them is also key. Do you bleach, chemically dye, or use hot tools on your hair? Do you continue to do so, if so they'll probably never go away (esp. the hot tools is terrible for it).

Good luck! :)

hanne jensen
November 25th, 2016, 09:10 AM
Monthly dustings if you don't want to chop all at once. Be very gentle with your hair and never, ever, ever use a brush. De-tangle with your fingers and a very wide tooth comb. I fully agree with lapushka. Be very careful with protein. If your hair is very fine it becomes overloaded with just about anything.

I have very fine spiderweb hair that breaks or tangles if I blink my eyes. This is the hair we're born with. We have to learn what our hair likes and hates. Heavy products build up in no time. My curls have disappeared, so I can't help with the curliness.

One upside about very fine hair is we can get away with diluting everything. Shampoo, conditioner, hair masks, everything. Products last forever.

What works for me is protection. Wear hair up in protective styles. Protect hair from too strong sun. Freezing temperatures is just as dangerous and has the same effect as too much heat. Protect that hair in winter if your climate is harsh.

Good luck and congrats on reaching BSL.

Sunshine&Opals
November 25th, 2016, 10:08 AM
I'm afraid I don't have any good advice, but wanted to say that I also feel your pain!
My hair is quite fine, and fragile. I S&D a lot, which resulted in a thinned out hemline, which still felt grabby, so I cut off quite a bit recently, so I'm back at APL again.
It seems that as soon as I try to grow further than APL, my hair snarls, and snags. So frustrating! I'm still finding quite a few white dots, mid length, which I'll just S&D. Going to continue with micro trims every month, too, since that seems to help with the snagging, and feels like a more even hemline.
Might be something you might consider trying - you shouldn't lose too much length this way, but might help with evening out your hemline a bit? And it feels like you are doing something to help your hair.
I do have a question, when you say you are going to moisturise daily, what do you mean by "moisturise"? Do you mean,: a daily shampoo and condition, ;or CO, ;or spray in some water plus a leave in? Or maybe oil? Sounds like a great idea to moisturise daily, something I may well try , but Id like to be clear on what you mean?
Something I've found that has really helped with the tangling for me personally, is finding the right oil for my hair , staying away from all protein and deep conditioning with moisturing HE HH deep conditioner with every single wash. (About 4 times a week)
But yknow, ymmv, of course, and I'm certainly NOT an expert at all, still bumbling my way around , and trying to learn more about hair. Just wanted you to know that you are certainly not alone in this fragile hair struggle!
Good luck with your hair journey! Xxx

Idreamlong
November 25th, 2016, 10:32 AM
I'm afraid I don't have any good advice, but wanted to say that I also feel your pain!
My hair is quite fine, and fragile. I S&D a lot, which resulted in a thinned out hemline, which still felt grabby, so I cut off quite a bit recently, so I'm back at APL again.
It seems that as soon as I try to grow further than APL, my hair snarls, and snags. So frustrating! I'm still finding quite a few white dots, mid length, which I'll just S&D. Going to continue with micro trims every month, too, since that seems to help with the snagging, and feels like a more even hemline.
Might be something you might consider trying - you shouldn't lose too much length this way, but might help with evening out your hemline a bit? And it feels like you are doing something to help your hair.
I do have a question, when you say you are going to moisturise daily, what do you mean by "moisturise"? Do you mean,: a daily shampoo and condition, ;or CO, ;or spray in some water plus a leave in? Or maybe oil? Sounds like a great idea to moisturise daily, something I may well try , but Id like to be clear on what you mean?
Something I've found that has really helped with the tangling for me personally, is finding the right oil for my hair , staying away from all protein and deep conditioning with moisturing HE HH deep conditioner with every single wash. (About 4 times a week)
But yknow, ymmv, of course, and I'm certainly NOT an expert at all, still bumbling my way around , and trying to learn more about hair. Just wanted you to know that you are certainly not alone in this fragile hair struggle!
Good luck with your hair journey! Xxx

Hi,

Re the moisturising, I just mean daily oiling of the lengths and ends with Moroccon Argan Oil. I was doing this for about 4-5 months last year/ early this year and it really helped actually, I had a lot less splits/ breakage but I just got lazy!

Re protein, I only wash my hair once/ twice a week and I found on one of the washes, using Joico K-Pak, followed by Joico intense hydration also really helped. My top layers are bleached so need some protein!

Thank you, good luck with yours too, I'm sure we'll get there ☺️

truepeacenik
November 25th, 2016, 10:37 AM
Canopy damage is such a joy. :justy:

I'm not a great fan of cones, but since your hair seems to need some help while new, healthy hair and new care routines come in, a serum spray might be helpful.
I'm using it for a tangle prone area in my own hair, but I limit use to as needed but no more than twice a week. Usually right after my washes. I don't use sulphate shampoos, and the mist does wash out well.
Alternately, a canditioner with a bit of cones mixed with non cone could keep buildup under control.

on the protein, if only a layer of your hair is bleached, try to isolate that for heavy protein. It can make hair crunchy and dry, and delicate.

Sunshine&Opals
November 26th, 2016, 02:05 AM
Thanks for clarifying that, idreamlong! That sounds like a really great idea, especially if it worked for you well in the past. Don't you find that it makes your hair look kind of oily , if you oil every day though? Mine does, but maybe it depends on which oil you use, and your hair type?
And using protein totally makes sense if you have some bleach damage and your hair likes it. Truepeacenik, your suggestion for using protein on just the damaged parts seems like a great idea.
May I ask which serum spray you are using, Truepeacenik? Thanks.
I was pondering, Idreamlong, if you had read the catnip thread? I'm not sure about it, but was thinking that if my current routine doesn't reduce the white dots and breakage, to maybe try that next? But it just seems a bit odd to try! What do you think, is it something you might consider trying?

Idreamlong
November 26th, 2016, 05:09 AM
I was pondering, Idreamlong, if you had read the catnip thread? I'm not sure about it, but was thinking that if my current routine doesn't reduce the white dots and breakage, to maybe try that next? But it just seems a bit odd to try! What do you think, is it something you might consider trying?

Hi, no I haven't read it actually, though I've vaguely read about catnip. I hadn't actually considered Catnip, but, like you if the breakage continues I think I'll definitely give it a try! Anything to retain length and thickness!

ravenreed
November 26th, 2016, 02:43 PM
When I consistently use catnip rinses I see a huge reduction in splits. I don't get too many white dots, but split ends have always been the bane of my existence. I have a large mason jar that I fill with water and a tablespoon or so of catnip. I microwave it for about four minutes, let it cool over night, strain, and use that for my final leave in rinse.

hannabiss
November 26th, 2016, 08:57 PM
This year I finally just excepted that no matter what you will at some point have split ends and white dots. Some people more so than others. But I'm no longer going to worry about them. No one but me can see them. My hemline doesn't look bad at all. Not that my head is a safe haven for all the split ends of the world to congregate. But I do have some. But I'd rather just let it grow.

My point is... try not to let them drive you crazy. Do micrograms if you feel the need but just try to enjoy your hair.