Fighting a battle with breakage...

[TheCurlyMermaid]

Hello! :blossom:

I got my whole head of hair bleached* back in 2016 due to a lack of clear communication with the stylist and a lack of knowledge on my part, and since then it has grown out significantly. What I've noticed, is that for all the length that has grown out (almost to my shoulders), hardly any of it has been retained. Maybe 3 inches out of 7 have stayed on, while the other 4 have broken off along the way I assume. I'm trying to figure out what it is that I can do to really baby this bleached section in an effort to retain length.



So far I've come up with some ideas, but please let me know if you have any length retention tips other than these or have anything to add at all.

Ideas:
-Protective styles 90% of the time
-Sleep with braids, satin scarf & satin pillowcase
-Weekly hot oil treatment & DC (moisture 3x/mo, protein 1×/mo)
-Inversion method with homemade growth oil for 7 days each month
-Focus on keeping ends moisturized/babying them
-Try to finger detangle during inversion method week
-Cut down on hair tie use.


https://scontent.fwzy1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/12932932_1305301286163414_9022611705113462020_n.jp g?_nc_cat=0&oh=5f7665b854051a6b74479b3922b6e6e0&oe=5C019418

Above is from April 2016. You can see my current length in my signature. My hair is pretty fine and on the thinner side, and I have 3b/c curls. *Although the highlights are bright, the all-over bleach wasn't a bright blonde, but rather from darkest brown/black to a terrible coppery color, I think they used either 30 or 40 vol.
Any thoughts?

Wishing I could turn back time...the things one does to their hair when heartbroken. I didn't cut my hair but instead tried to go from Sally Owens to Shakira overnight. :rolleyes:

[TwilightMermaid]

Yep, you pretty much got all of it!:p Jokes aside all of those methods are great for retaining your hair length. I'd say you should S & D Often because damaged hair is more prone to single strand knots and split ends. You can also try using fermented rice water. It contains a chemical called inositol which strengthens the hair and in basic words makes it more elastic so it will be able to withstand more mechanical handling. You can also try taking supplements such as collage, biotin, or some form of protein. This will allow your body to do its own thing and regulate protein. This is especially good if you want o balance the moisture-protein ratio because you are not directly attributing a heavy amount of protein, such as a mask. And, as always, protect your ends! Butter them, oil them, Ziploc bag them! :DWhatever you have to do.

[MissMuse]

Yep, you pretty much got all of it!:p Jokes aside all of those methods are great for retaining your hair length. I'd say you should S & D Often because damaged hair is more prone to single strand knots and split ends. You can also try using fermented rice water. It contains a chemical called inositol which strengthens the hair and in basic words makes it more elastic so it will be able to withstand more mechanical handling. You can also try taking supplements such as collage, biotin, or some form of protein. This will allow your body to do its own thing and regulate protein. This is especially good if you want o balance the moisture-protein ratio because you are not directly attributing a heavy amount of protein, such as a mask. And, as always, protect your ends! Butter them, oil them, Ziploc bag them! :DWhatever you have to do.

thanks for the tip about rice water. I'm in the same boat as Thecurlymermaid as far as blonde breakage so will give that a go :)

[*Wednesday*]

Many, many years ago I had hair breakage from highlighting and over-coloring. I used to use hair cholesterol in my hair along with micro-trimming every 8 weeks.
Once you have hair damage with breakage there is never stopping it, just getting it under control. Breakage also causes splits. You will gradually have to cut that out.

I know you are trying to grow your hair, but breakage can be counter-productive as you won’t have length retention. Slowly micro-trim that out is my best advice keeping
with your current regimen.

[lapushka]

-Protective styles 90% of the time
-Sleep with braids, satin scarf & satin pillowcase
-Weekly hot oil treatment & DC (moisture 3x/mo, protein 1×/mo)
-Inversion method with homemade growth oil for 7 days each month
-Focus on keeping ends moisturized/babying them
-Try to finger detangle during inversion method week
-Cut down on hair tie use.

Depends on what you consider "protective" styles. Are you talking weaves or locs or crochet braids, because those I would hardly call protective (they tug at the root area like no other).

The rest seems to be fine.

Your hair seems fine in your signature!

[TheCurlyMermaid]

Depends on what you consider "protective" styles. Are you talking weaves or locs or crochet braids, because those I would hardly call protective (they tug at the root area like no other).

The rest seems to be fine.

Your hair seems fine in your signature!

Thanks for answering! I'm talking about braids with my own hair, sometimes dutch braids, but not tight. I'm very familiar with traction alopecia where I live, I've never had it but I see it very often. Basically my plan is to braid and bun, in different areas of course so one area doesn't get too much stress. I would just twist and bun, like a normal bun, but my curly hair very quickly will make dreads out of the twists if that makes sense? So I braid it to avoid a 3 hour detangling session. Thank you for saying my hair seems fine, it's just that I wanted to make sure that there wasn't something extra I could/should be doing for the bleached ends to prevent breakage.

[TheCurlyMermaid]

Yep, you pretty much got all of it!:p Jokes aside all of those methods are great for retaining your hair length. I'd say you should S & D Often because damaged hair is more prone to single strand knots and split ends. You can also try using fermented rice water. It contains a chemical called inositol which strengthens the hair and in basic words makes it more elastic so it will be able to withstand more mechanical handling. You can also try taking supplements such as collage, biotin, or some form of protein. This will allow your body to do its own thing and regulate protein. This is especially good if you want o balance the moisture-protein ratio because you are not directly attributing a heavy amount of protein, such as a mask. And, as always, protect your ends! Butter them, oil them, Ziploc bag them! :DWhatever you have to do.

Thank you, fellow mermaid! :o I'll keep those in mind!



Many, many years ago I had hair breakage from highlighting and over-coloring. I used to use hair cholesterol in my hair along with micro-trimming every 8 weeks.
Once you have hair damage with breakage there is never stopping it, just getting it under control. Breakage also causes splits. You will gradually have to cut that out.

I know you are trying to grow your hair, but breakage can be counter-productive as you won’t have length retention. Slowly micro-trim that out is my best advice keeping
with your current regimen.

Definitely something to think about! Thank you!

[Lanalavallama]

My suggestion was fermented rice water, too.
You will have to judge what it wants, but it sounds like you know what will work best for your head.
I am sure you are going to have the most gorgeous head of curls to thank you before long!

[TheCurlyMermaid]

My suggestion was fermented rice water, too.
You will have to judge what it wants, but it sounds like you know what will work best for your head.
I am sure you are going to have the most gorgeous head of curls to thank you before long!

I'll definitely try that on washday (Sunday)! Thank you! Trying to be Moana for Halloween!

[Dark40]

I had significant hair breakage do to over-coloring and over-processing. I use cholesterol conditioning cream by Queen Helene, and that has really worked wonders for my breakage.

[LittleHealthy]

My hair is straight but I have the same problems (retaining length) due to badly bleached hair... my turning point was when I started keeping my ends oiled at all times. Not heavily oiled, but enough to be able to tell. And protective styles instead of tangly hair ties haha. I feel your pain.

[lapushka]

Thanks for answering! I'm talking about braids with my own hair, sometimes dutch braids, but not tight. I'm very familiar with traction alopecia where I live, I've never had it but I see it very often. Basically my plan is to braid and bun, in different areas of course so one area doesn't get too much stress. I would just twist and bun, like a normal bun, but my curly hair very quickly will make dreads out of the twists if that makes sense? So I braid it to avoid a 3 hour detangling session. Thank you for saying my hair seems fine, it's just that I wanted to make sure that there wasn't something extra I could/should be doing for the bleached ends to prevent breakage.

Oh that seems fine to me! :) :thumbsup: I'm sorry if I may have jumped to conclusions, but "protective styling" can mean so much and you just never know. :flower:

It does seem fine in your signature, and I like the color. :D

[TheCurlyMermaid]

Oh that seems fine to me! :) :thumbsup: I'm sorry if I may have jumped to conclusions, but "protective styling" can mean so much and you just never know. :flower:

It does seem fine in your signature, and I like the color. :D

Thanks! :o