Unknown damage

[Borgessa]

I'm kinda bummed, I have been aware of damage I have caused to my hair from not using LHC techniques being unaware of how to treat my hair, or even what type hair I have. So tonight I had my hair ready for bed in different braids, I normally french dutch braid my hair for bed, tonight I did a simple dutch braid, leaving the crown of my hair unbraided, I knew i had damaged from wearing a pony tail in the one position for years, all around my parameter but tonight I noticed broken hair along the top of my head, I've noticed frizz in the area and my hair will fall out of updoes, since some of it is just too short, but i thought it was just around my fringe and parameter area. I did a close examination of the top of my head and found this :(

http://i68.tinypic.com/2z8agc6.jpg
I can see here where this hair that i'm holding up, would barely be long enough to form a short bob. Has my pony tail caused this damage or am i doing something else that is breaking the hair in this spot, there is actually a fair bit of it all in this one area broken like this, search and distroy is pretty much impossible for me to do as my eye sight is too poor to focus on the ends of my hair lol.

Please excuse the horrible pics i'm kinda upset, and its poor lighting etc at the moment.

http://i63.tinypic.com/6ejktk.jpg

I'm don't think the damage is new, i haven't noticed any large amounts of hair coming out, my comb and hair loss at the moment seems minimal, if i don't know what is the cause i may continue doing the damage, would it be my french braiding? I normally wear two one down each side because of all the little broken hairs that fall out if it do a center braid. I also sleep with a bipap machine, I'm hoping that is not the cause. I know its not heat damage as i do not put heat on my hair. I did two weeks ago, do a Henna treatment on it.

[lapushka]

Yes, it might be the ponytail causing it. I notice you wear a low ponytail and that might be doing it. Do you band the elastic tightly?

[Borgessa]

I don't wear a ponytail at all now, that was souly for the purpose of getting the longer hairs out of my way, for the photo, they came straight out afterwards. I have been Bunning with a flexi-8 or a stick, for couple of months now I have not ponytailed, once I realised it was causing a problem. At night I wear French braids. I use those gentle ties on the end of my braids.

[lapushka]

Oh I was under the impression that you wore your hair like that all the time. Sorry. :o

Maybe try having your hair down at night. The French/Dutch braids might cause tension on the hair. Or, try a regular, really loose, English braid.

[Borgessa]

Oh I did wear a ponytail on the back of my head, or is it a pigtail? It was always high up pulled tight wore that nearly everyday, in the same spot for hmmm probably 5 yrs, about 3 or 4 months ago I looked on google to see why I had all these broken hairs, when the frizz got so bad hair was sticking up out everywhere! So for 3 to 4 months my hair has been in recovery, but I'm just soooo disappointed to see this damage. I hope it's just growing out.

[lapushka]

Oh I did wear a ponytail on the back of my head, or is it a pigtail? It was always high up pulled tight wore that nearly everyday, in the same spot for hmmm probably 5 yrs, about 3 or 4 months ago I looked on google to see why I had all these broken hairs, when the frizz got so bad hair was sticking up out everywhere! So for 3 to 4 months my hair has been in recovery, but I'm just soooo disappointed to see this damage. I hope it's just growing out.

Oh that might be it, then! A ponytail generally is far worse than a bun; that elastic, especially when pulled tightly!

I have been doing a LWB for many years, day in day out, it's in the same spot every day with a hairfork (either the basic one from Ravenslair or Quattro) and have 0 breakage, but I don't pull it tightly. And at night I give my hair a "breather" by wearing it down.

[Borgessa]

Thanks Lapushka, I feel a bit better, I've been really babying my hair and being nice and friendly to it. I think it is still grumpy, I read somewhere today that "The best ingredient is time." How true is that?

[Kat-Rinnè Naido]

Hi,lapushka is correct. You have ponytail damage and you could be causing a new set of damage due to French braiding at night.
Tight and manipulative styles easily break and damage hair.
Don't despair and try not to stress too much. Understand good changes towards your hair are going to show you the old damage as you are now more aware of your hair.

[Borgessa]

Hi,lapushka is correct. You have ponytail damage and you could be causing a new set of damage due to French braiding at night.
Tight and manipulative styles easily break and damage hair.
Don't despair and try not to stress too much. Understand good changes towards your hair are going to show you the old damage as you are now more aware of your hair.

That is true enough, Ha I wish my braiding was tight, it's always loose and half my hair falls out lol. Dunno if it's my braiding or if my hair is just slippery. It's very fine.

[Kat-Rinnè Naido]

That is good that your braids are loose. You could try regular DT'S as well. This helps my hair.

[DoomPerDiem]

I can't wear my hair up at night. Even a lose cinnamon bun causes breakage, for me. I haven't found a solution. I still have this issue. There's breakage at ponytail length, regardless of the loose soft bands, twisting without bands, etc... It's frustrating.

[antler_tines]

Could it be regrowth? Sometimes when I shed a lot like durring a time of high stress or durring fall, the regrowth will look like this. All the hairs are about the same length because they regrew at the same time. When that is the case you can see the ends are tapered versus broken off or split.

Edit: I re-read your post that you couldn't see the ends. Maybe someone else could examine the ends?

[Deborah]

I think the ponytail damage is just growing out. Only time can cure that. Don't let it get you down.

[spidermom]

Some of what you are seeing is probably regrow from naturally shed hairs, which is what antler_tines is saying also. Everybody has short hairs like that, although it is more obvious in wavy/curly types.

[missrandie]

Do you by chance protect your hair from the straps on your BiPAP machine? If not, I could possibly see them causing some of the breakage.

Could you cover the straps with satin or silk fabric? I did that with the elastic on my sleep mask to make it more hair friendly.

[ElisabethS]

Could it be regrowth? Sometimes when I shed a lot like durring a time of high stress or durring fall, the regrowth will look like this. All the hairs are about the same length because they regrew at the same time. When that is the case you can see the ends are tapered versus broken off or split.

Edit: I re-read your post that you couldn't see the ends. Maybe someone else could examine the ends?

that would be my guess as well. my hair is like that especially on the temples. for me i think it's hormonal.

[Borgessa]

Do you by chance protect your hair from the straps on your BiPAP machine? If not, I could possibly see them causing some of the breakage.

Could you cover the straps with satin or silk fabric? I did that with the elastic on my sleep mask to make it more hair friendly.

I am wondering if it is causing any damage, I do wear it quick tight to stop the air escaping, its annoying cause it leaves marks all over my face grrr... I have ordered a sleeping cap two different kinds, ironically sleeping caps are not easy for me to get hold of in NZ. I ordered from Aliexpress, but that takes a while to get here. I might have to research how to use a scarf, no idea how to tie one.

Thanks for the replies everyone, I am hoping it is regrowth, and its just got to a certain length and thats why i 'm noticing it more now.. Fingers crossed anyway. I do wish i could see the ends, ain't no one gonna sit there looking through the ends of my hair, i live in a house full of men!

[hanne jensen]

I can't wear my hair up at night. Even a lose cinnamon bun causes breakage, for me. I haven't found a solution. I still have this issue. There's breakage at ponytail length, regardless of the loose soft bands, twisting without bands, etc... It's frustrating.

I have the same problem as my hair is so fragile. What has saved my hair is the Madora Bun or inverted braiding. There's a huge thread about inverted braiding posted by Madora.
Being fumble fingered I put my hair in a loose pony at the top of my head using a small bobble elastic, the ones that look like a telephone cord. After braiding my hair I gently remove the elastic sliding it onto my wrist. Secure the bun at the very top of the head using old fashioned u shaped hairpins. This bun is loose enough to be comfy and if hairs want to escape they can without breaking. Being at the very top of your head you can sleep in comfort unless you sleep standing on your head. A hairnet or silk sleep cap on top of the whole shebang helps a lot too.