Hair Breakage (White Dots) Help Needed

[waidz]

Hi All
Hopefully someone can help ! I am driving myself crazy with hair breakage. I do S&Ds about 1-2 a week. However I continuously have white dots at the ends and in the middle lengths of my hair. It seems no matter what I do - from the white dots I can only assume that my hair is breaking off.
Although my hair is growing from the vitamins, MN and Gro Aut - I feel like I'll get nowhere if it continues to break off.

My current routine is as follows:
Shampoo and condition about twice a week. CO or Deep Conditioning 2-3 times a week. Oiling 4 times a week, with Coconut Oil on my lengths, and an MN, Castor Oil and Gro Aut mixture on my scalp only. I have to admit that I blow dry once a week.

My natural hair is curly (I think 3a with some b, medium and fine). The split ends are diminishing, but the white dots continue. Does anyone have any advice for hair breakage, or know what could be causing it ? Is t possible that once a week blow drying is causing the breakage ?

[akurah]

Sharpen your S&D scissors, and if you're not using hair scissors for S&D, go buy real hair scissors. Dull scissors will fray the ends that you cut and cause white-looking dots on the end.

[waidz]

Thanks Akurah. This is definately one of the things I am going to try. The scissors I use mall hand scissors that I found in the hair section of our pharmacy - perhaps it's not actuall hair scissors ? I will go and buy a real pair - just nd to find them lol !

[OhioLisa]

What sort of updos are you doing? And do you comb or brush?

[waidz]

I use a wide toothed comb. I don't do any updos as unfortunately I'm prone to migraines if there is any pressure on my head...

[spidermom]

Sometimes what looks like white dots is really dust or fabric fluff.

[waidz]

Hi Spidermom
I really wish it was that - but I've seen the difference between what is just fluff and what's actual white dots lol ! And it's mostly on my previously (and still a little) damaged hair I forgot to mention.

[birthmarkie]

white dots at the ends, in my mind (because I have ton) are the beginnings of potential splits. That doesn't mean they will become splits anytime soon, but that they are more likely to split than tapered hairs. Try not to worry about them unless they are splitting. If they are in the middle and are truly breaks, you can cut them off. Blowdrying is probably not a good idea if you want to prevent them.

[tiny_teesha]

I'd say its the damage doing those. I get them too. We just have to be patient and keep on top of S&D until it grows out. I'm only up to my ears with virgin hair and to my chin with only dyed once hair!!!!
It's going to take a LONG time! (my hair grows slow!)

[jojo]

just a thought but are you shampooing all the length or just the scalp? if its all the hair it could be that your shampoo is too harsh for you, maybe a chemical free one would help. i also agree with seeing if your scissors are sharp too.

[AmandaPanda]

Do you color? perm? I had a lot of those white dots (my hair would snap at that spot if I pulled each end of the hair in the opposite direction) before I chopped my hair. It was damage from dyeing

[akurah]

Thanks Akurah. This is definately one of the things I am going to try. The scissors I use mall hand scissors that I found in the hair section of our pharmacy - perhaps it's not actuall hair scissors ? I will go and buy a real pair - just nd to find them lol !

If it was in the hair section they may be genuine hair scissors--the only way to be sure is the packaging label.

I use a pair of 7 dollar conair hair scissors and they do fine.

[Beesweet]

Does it look like this?
http://www.pg.com/science/haircare/hair_twh_73.htm

These are hairs that got so heated up that the water in them.....boiled....I guess.
From flat ironing, other heat damage, or other stuff.
My daughter, who chemically relaxed her type 4"X" hair( beyond 4b!) had that after the stylist flat ironed her hair. My child freaked out. She'll never flat iron again. She had a lot of breakage right at the white dots. The just broke off effortlessly.

The other thing that I hate to mention, but it's the diagnostician in me.....
lice eggs look like white dots on the hair shaft.......

[Isilme]

is your hair sensitive to protein? Too much of that makes my hair fragile.
And if you can't wear your hair up, wear silk and satin tops with a lot of slip and keep the hair off from rough surfaces (like a winter coat)