Little help to figure out what caused this and if its right to keep it.

[Margarita]

Hello everyone again. I need a little help to find out what caused this "thin sides" of my hair. Okay, so.

This is my nighttime hairstyle. (the photo may be huge, im sorry)
https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=33388&d=1537434442
This shows what i do, i put one clip like that on the left side you see now, and on the right side. I do this because i want to secure my side curly hair while sleeping, and the other reason is that my hair sides frizz easily. I wonder if this "hairstyle" is damaging to my hair, because i noticed my sides are thinner like this:
https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=33386&d=1537434393
https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=33387&d=1537434423

I really cant figure out if these thin sides are just natural, or that above hairstyle caused this.
Then i noticed this bald spot:
https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=33385&d=1537434375

I cant find another nighttime hairstyles to protect my curls while i sleep. Satin pillowcases make my hair frizzy, so i dont have any satin or silk night cap.
Whats your opinion? Should i stop putting these clips on my hair?:confused::rolleyes::)

[Duchess Fuzzy Buns]

I don't really see the bald spot you're taking about, but I wouldn't sleep with those snap clips in. I imagine if you roll over or move in your sleep at all they could pull and rip it hairs. Instead of clips, what about doing sort of lace rope braids with the front part of your hair. Just try not to separate your curls too much when you do it (keep them clumped) - sometimes I do this to preserve curls over night.

[Margarita]

I don't really see the bald spot you're taking about, but I wouldn't sleep with those snap clips in. I imagine if you roll over or move in your sleep at all they could pull and rip it hairs. Instead of clips, what about doing sort of lace rope braids with the front part of your hair. Just try not to separate your curls too much when you do it (keep them clumped) - sometimes I do this to preserve curls over night.

Actually, those clips i have are quite stable so they dont pull down to rip any hair. Honestly, they actually hardly stay at place because my hair sides are naturally thinner(thats what i want to believe). Actually, maybe they are hard to stay in place when my hair is freshly-washed so because its slippery. Oh well. I dont know how to do lace rope braids, and im afraid that technique is going to make my curls very loose and frizzy. If i didnt had straight roots, it would possibly work.

[TreesOfEternity]

I don't see that as a bald spot either. The hair on my sides is less thich as well because well, there's an ear below and there's less hair on the sides that on the back haha. Also, you have bangs and that substract a lot of volume from the face-framming/side parts of the hair. Sides also look a little bit shorter than the back of the head hair (maybe you are growing from a shorter style and those hairs didn't catch up with the back yet?). So all these things come to my mind.

[Margarita]

I know that fact about the ear, tho :P
Its true my sides are shorter than the back of my hair. I had a straight-blunt bob hairstyle 6-7 months ago.
I actually meant 'thinner' hair sides, at the fact of putting every night those snap-clips. I just wonder if really those snap clips have somehow weaken the roots of my side hair and thats why it looks like that. Who knows, it may be just the natural pattern or my imagination.

[Margarita]

I don't see that as a bald spot either. The hair on my sides is less thich as well because well, there's an ear below and there's less hair on the sides that on the back haha. Also, you have bangs and that substract a lot of volume from the face-framming/side parts of the hair. Sides also look a little bit shorter than the back of the head hair (maybe you are growing from a shorter style and those hairs didn't catch up with the back yet?). So all these things come to my mind.

I know that fact about the ear, tho :P
Its true my sides are shorter than the back of my hair. I had a straight-blunt bob hairstyle 6-7 months ago.
I actually meant 'thinner' hair sides, at the fact of putting every night those snap-clips. I just wonder if really those snap clips have somehow weaken the roots of my side hair and thats why it looks like that. Who knows, it may be just the natural pattern or my imagination.

[lapushka]

I don't see what you're seeing either. If you are worried, then maybe stop wearing the clip? :flower:

Sides are always a little more fragile, but I'd leave them alone as much as possible and just keep growing.

[Margarita]

I don't see what you're seeing either. If you are worried, then maybe stop wearing the clip? :flower:

Sides are always a little more fragile, but I'd leave them alone as much as possible and just keep growing.

Im afraid i feel like i cant stop wearing the clips. Okay i know, my hair in general are all free when i sleep but since you said yourself the hair sides tend to be fragile, i wear the clips in order to protect them. Ofcourse i want to say, i keep my hair healthy, oils, conditioners, not damage, not heat tools etc. I also dyed my hair 1 week ago, finally after 5 months. I'll also try to add a bit more castor oil at the sides to get an extra moisture and protection. Thank you!

[leayellena]

My sides are thin too or at least they look thin.
I figured this happens because:
1. You have fine hair
2. Normal thickness + fine hair = thin hair look (until u check the ponytail circ.)
3. Thin side's. Yes, some people simply have thin hair on the sides or thin hair on the crown and thicker hair on the sides
4. I don't see any Breakage though...
5. Cowlicks don't appear only on top, but also on the sides. Confusing I guess... but cowlicks mean hair growing in a different direction to the normal growth. Hope I make sense...
6. Fine hair tends to fall flat because it's getting oily quicker than the coarse hair. So you are experiencing flatness. Usually flatness is on top but that's what the media and hairdressers know about.
7. There's curly with flat top or curls beginning quite straight then suddenly curl. Check curly penny on youtube. She has a video where she talked about her hair being curly but flat and fine.

[nycelle]

I don't see a bald spot either.
Also, if you haven't noticed extra shedding on that side of your head, I doubt it's thinning.

It could just be you have less hair on that side, or the curl pattern is a little different making it look or feel thinner. Could be a few things actually. Either way, I wouldn't sleep with clips in my hair. You never know if it's going to weaken your strands.

Regarding a satin pillowcase making your hair frizzier - I know we all have different hair with different needs, but a satin weave should never make your hair frizzier, it defies logic. I don't know what kind of pillowcase you have, but it doesn't sound like a satin weave.

[Obsidian]

I can't see the pic with the clips but if they are the kind I'm thinking, I wouldn't wear them to bed. I've actually have hair get cut on them so I'm pretty careful now.
I'd suggest a silk sleep cap. Not satin or satin like but good silk. It keeps your hair contained and keeps it from getting frizzed out.
If you do loose some curl at night, mist your hair the next morning and scrunch them back.

[Margarita]

leayellena Oh, i was wondering if my hair is fine or medium. It happens sometimes for my hair to be thick, and the other thin. It confuses me, truly.
So, i dont have to worry much about the thin sides since its natural pattern.

nycelle Thankfully no, there is not any shedding from that side. Only if i start to brush them, then i'll notice shedding but it will be under the act of brushing so, that will cause that. I can see i have less hair at the sides, i noticed actually it curls harder than the back of my hair. I have cotton pillowcases.

Obsidian I removed the picture with the clips. I put one clip at the left side and right side of my hair, so i can keep the front/side hair at the back of my ears and hold them overnight so they will not frizz and loose. Im trying to find silk sleep cap but i cant find any here in Greece :/

[lapushka]

Why do you wear the clips? A clip that tight, if you move around it could cause breakage. :flower: I would sleep without the clips, there is no "need" to protect the sides, and I doubt that clip is protective. But that's me. :)

And if you are sleeping on cotton, I would seriously consider a microfiber pillowcase or a silk one. Or spread out a silk scarf over your pillowcase. It will help *hugely*!

[Julescarm]

Have you tried bobby pins? I heard they can help. The most I use is hair sticks and forks and a satin sleep cap that I got at Wal-Mart for 3 dollars. Begore blow dryers women often used bobby pins criss crossed to twist and secure they're hair to get curls. They would then put a stocking on to keep them in place and sleep in it.

[Margarita]

Why do you wear the clips? A clip that tight, if you move around it could cause breakage. :flower: I would sleep without the clips, there is no "need" to protect the sides, and I doubt that clip is protective. But that's me. :)

And if you are sleeping on cotton, I would seriously consider a microfiber pillowcase or a silk one. Or spread out a silk scarf over your pillowcase. It will help *hugely*!

As i explained above, i wear the clips to protect the sides of my hair, especially the curls. I've noticed time ago when i didnt wear anything to bed, my front and side hair would be frizzy and loose curly. Good thing the clips dont slide off of my hair so it doesnt pull out any hair. The person Julescarm said about bobbypins. Im sure its safer and im gonna try it tonight. I guess bobbypins are kind of safer than clips right?
Im not that interest to buy any silk or microfiber pillowcases, and i dont want to spend money on that :)

[Alibran]

Just sleep on it, and use some water and maybe a little conditioner to pick your curls back up in the morning. Curls go flat when they're slept on. That's why curlies need to refresh. It gets easier when it's longer and you can get it into a band on top of your head, but if you don't want to wear a sleep cap, there aren't really any other options at that length.

[Margarita]

Just sleep on it, and use some water and maybe a little conditioner to pick your curls back up in the morning. Curls go flat when they're slept on. That's why curlies need to refresh. It gets easier when it's longer and you can get it into a band on top of your head, but if you don't want to wear a sleep cap, there aren't really any other options at that length.

Refresh the curls with water and a bit conditioner? Sounds like a good idea. Should the tiny amount of conditioner stay at the hair, or wet my palms again and scrunch? I guess that method you're talking about isnt damaging, right?

[Obsidian]

Get a spray bottle, fill with water and add a tiny amount of conditioner. Shake well and lightly spray hair, scrunch.

You don't have to use conditioner, water will work, some people add aloe or herbal teas. There is a thread around here someplace about what people use, its its something like "what is in your spray bottle".

[Margarita]

Get a spray bottle, fill with water and add a tiny amount of conditioner. Shake well and lightly spray hair, scrunch.

You don't have to use conditioner, water will work, some people add aloe or herbal teas. There is a thread around here someplace about what people use, its its something like "what is in your spray bottle".

Ohhh, thats what you meant by water and conditioner. The bottle method, yes, i did that but for some reason it stopped working after a few times. I dont know, maybe i did it wrong, so im gonna try it again and see what will happen :)

[JennGalt]

I’m with Lapushka on getting rid of the clips. Maybe try sleeping with your hair in a pineapple ‘do and get a silk or silky-feeling pillow case? You’d be shocked what a difference your pillowcase can make. It was such a game-changer for me I even put one over the headrest in my car. Well worth the money!!!

I had some trouble finding a sleep ‘do after my braid started strangling me at night. I tried sleeping with a loose bun held by a hair fork. I’m not a particularly wild sleeper, but the fork caused a little breakage and even yanked a small lock of hair out. Sleeping with hair toys other than maybe a non-damaging hair tie that isn’t very tight simply doesn’t work for a lot of people, and I think that might be especially true for us curlies—so much easier for them to snag on curls!

I think Penny Tovar (formerly Curly Penny) and Bianca Renee have some videos on YouTube about sleeping with your hair in a pineapple and refreshing the next day. And if you can’t find those, there are certainly other videos on there about it. (I personally refresh with aloe gel or a specific conditioner I use as curl cream instead of conditioner and water. They work well for me.) :flower:

[Arciela]

I don't see a bald spot either.
Also, if you haven't noticed extra shedding on that side of your head, I doubt it's thinning.

It could just be you have less hair on that side, or the curl pattern is a little different making it look or feel thinner. Could be a few things actually. Either way, I wouldn't sleep with clips in my hair. You never know if it's going to weaken your strands.

Regarding a satin pillowcase making your hair frizzier - I know we all have different hair with different needs, but a satin weave should never make your hair frizzier, it defies logic. I don't know what kind of pillowcase you have, but it doesn't sound like a satin weave.

Seconding this. I have a similar "bald spot" and its just that I have less hair on that side , hardly noticeable at all really unless I try to find it :) and yeah I also wouldn't sleep with clips in my hair..I did one time for a month before I found LHC way back when..it made my hair weaker and my scalp was always hurting, the second I ditched the clips and used a stain sleeping cap + satin pillow case..all my issues went away :flower:

[lapushka]

I think Penny Tovar (formerly Curly Penny) and Bianca Renee have some videos on YouTube about sleeping with your hair in a pineapple and refreshing the next day. And if you can’t find those, there are certainly other videos on there about it. (I personally refresh with aloe gel or a specific conditioner I use as curl cream instead of conditioner and water. They work well for me.) :flower:

Good suggestions. There are tons of curly girl friendly channels on YT that you can watch. Like MAD curls (just discovered that one). Their curls are a little tighter, but the tips go for any curly girl out there!

If you don't want to invest in a microfiber or silk pillowcase, and if you insist on wearing the clips, then there is nothing more we can do. :shrug:

[Corvana]

You could also maybe wrap your ringlets with rags like a rag curl? If you follow the natural curl and then gently tie it up, then it should stay put just fine and not lose itself. You could even get it a little damp or wet before bed so they don't get too frizzy.

That's all I can think of to help!

[lapushka]

I agree with Corvana, putting them up in pin curls on the side (with a bobby pin) would probably be better than that clip! That is not the greatest of hair clips, TBH.

[Margarita]

Thank you all for your suggestions. The pineapple method is not enough for my hair, if my hair was longer then ofcourse i would do it. I have seen the pineapple method, and im afraid that would make my nape hair curls very loose and frizzy the next day. Because, even now, when i tie my hair back in a tall ponytail, a few nape hair start to fall so i cant use the pineapple method YET. A few days ago, i would put the snap clips EVEN at the back of my crown but thankfully i stopped it because my hair would be flat the next day. The only spots that are clipped are the sides, ONLY. The rest of my hair is all free. The snap clips i use are quite stable so its a good thing they dont slip off of my hair, i can say in the conclusion my sides are naturally thinner and less. By the way, i dont feel any 'root pull' from the clips i put, it doesnt at all make my hair hurt, and its a good thing i keep the sides pinned since they're thin less so it wont be worse if they were all free in my sleep.
The method Corvana said, i really CANNOT stand in front of a mirror and pin and pin and pin my curls, its a big waste of my time and i feel very tired to do this every night, i just...cant. I try to find easier and fast ways to do a nighttime hairstyle.
You know what, i just need more time to wait for my hair to grow longer and then i decide my next nighttime hairstyle.:o

[Simsy]

Thank you all for your suggestions. The pineapple method is not enough for my hair, if my hair was longer then ofcourse i would do it. I have seen the pineapple method, and im afraid that would make my nape hair curls very loose and frizzy the next day. Because, even now, when i tie my hair back in a tall ponytail, a few nape hair start to fall so i cant use the pineapple method YET. A few days ago, i would put the snap clips EVEN at the back of my crown but thankfully i stopped it because my hair would be flat the next day. The only spots that are clipped are the sides, ONLY. The rest of my hair is all free. The snap clips i use are quite stable so its a good thing they dont slip off of my hair, i can say in the conclusion my sides are naturally thinner and less. By the way, i dont feel any 'root pull' from the clips i put, it doesnt at all make my hair hurt, and its a good thing i keep the sides pinned since they're thin less so it wont be worse if they were all free in my sleep.
The method Corvana said, i really CANNOT stand in front of a mirror and pin and pin and pin my curls, its a big waste of my time and i feel very tired to do this every night, i just...cant. I try to find easier and fast ways to do a nighttime hairstyle.
You know what, i just need more time to wait for my hair to grow longer and then i decide my next nighttime hairstyle.:o

I have a similar curl pattern to you, Margarita. The side pieces are just how the curls form and sit; I get exactly the same look if I wear a high style late in a wash cycle. As for the night style problem; I used pigtails from ear to shoulder length. Either pigtail ponys or French braided pigtails; as the ends got longer, I was able to braid them as well. If you are really worried about the small edge pieces; I use small French or Dutch braids around the hairline and added to the braid/s at the back. Might be a bit easier on the length and you can leave the small braids in for a few days if you are so inclined.

[Margarita]

I have a similar curl pattern to you, Margarita. The side pieces are just how the curls form and sit; I get exactly the same look if I wear a high style late in a wash cycle. As for the night style problem; I used pigtails from ear to shoulder length. Either pigtail ponys or French braided pigtails; as the ends got longer, I was able to braid them as well. If you are really worried about the small edge pieces; I use small French or Dutch braids around the hairline and added to the braid/s at the back. Might be a bit easier on the length and you can leave the small braids in for a few days if you are so inclined.

Pigtails, huh? I will try that one night and see what will happen. I saw some pics of your hair, and it seems way more thicker and wavier, actually. Oh, i stopped doing french braids, it made my roots thinner some time ago.

[leayellena]

leayellena Oh, i was wondering if my hair is fine or medium. It happens sometimes for my hair to be thick, and the other thin. It confuses me, truly.
So, i dont have to worry much about the thin sides since its natural pattern.
U can try this: http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.com/2012/06/is-your-hair-fine-medium-or-coarse-how.html

Exactly 16 strands I can pack into a mm! So confusing!
Even gossamer talked about scalp cleavage and she has iii hair. Fine hair loves to clump and leave gaps

[Alibran]

Sorry, I forgot I commented here. The water and conditioner I use is to spray with plain water first, then smear some conditioner on my hands and use 'praying hands' (palms and fingers flat against each other with hair in between) and just run them down the hair. Then scrunch if you need to. I don't because it tends to make my hair frizz. I just give the hair a little shake and let it curl up again on its own. You need to experiment to find out how much conditioner you need (if you need any at all). I use loads, but my hair is very thick and coarse.