lots of white dots (with pics)

[Sarah4983]

I S&Ded today and I didn't have many classic split ends, but I did have tons of these white dots...

Here is a picture of a single dot close up:
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh200/sarah4983/hairdots2.jpg

And HERE you will see MANY dots that I pointed out with arrows:
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh200/sarah4983/hairdots.jpg


I have seen this picture (http://pittsburghcurly.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/white-dot.jpg) online which is a magnification of a white dot.


And I'm wondering... what in the heck causes this?!!? I'm super gentle when brushing/combing, I don't heat style anymore... I did QUICKLY run a straightening iron through last week, but it was on a super low setting and I didn't go over each section more than once or twice. Could this have been enough to cause all these tiny explosions?

[Periwinkle]

White dots are kind of embryonic splits. When they grow up, they become full-on split ends.

You can't avoid split ends, even if you're careful. Brushing, combing, washing, drying and handling all cause wear on the hair. Depending on how long it is since you stopped heat styling and how much you've trimmed since then, you could have ends/damage left from that. Also, if you've trimmed or S&D'd with none-too-sharp scissors, that can cause splits.

[Addy]

*runs away covering eyes*

That picture is scary! I have been very fortunate to not have white dots or split ends.

[Poetic]

From what I can see it looks as if the damage is on the last few inches of hair. Could it be that you held the iron longer in these spots. My hair is super sensitive and cannot take direct heat of any kind.:confused:

[spidermom]

Sometimes I look at my ends and think that I see a bazillion white dots, but a lot of times it's just dust. Now I run my fingers down the hair shafts before cutting anything. I also like to gently pull on either side of a white dot. If the hair pops apart, I then trim off the end.

[Heidi_234]

Argh I've been annoyed over those lately too. I slacked with my S&D and I have so many splits, white dots and knot all over the place. And trust me I've been nothing but nice to my hair for the last half a year (actually longer!). What really bothers me is the white dot on the tips of the hairs - they mean that the hair has already broken off, and usually it's 1/3"-1/2" above the tips. :cry:

[Sarah4983]

Thank you for the replies.

The dots are usually a few mm's from the very tip of the strand, so I doubt it's from the scissors... I wish they were because in that case I'd just get new ones and it'd solve the problem.

I also wish that the dots were only dust... I have to run my fingers down the hair sometimes because I've seen the dust you're talking about, spidermom. I wish I wish :(

My hair is ridiculous. haha... I had highlights done a couple years ago and she left the bleach in WAY too long. I am sure that a lot of the dryness and damage is a result of the bleach. I am just going to keep S&Ding and oiling... right now I'm sitting here with coconut oil on my hair in a braid. Who knows... maybe with enough S&Ding and coconut oil the last few inches of my hair will start to look decent. If not, they are gone! :scissors:

[Aer]

I wouldn't worry about the straight ironing you did last week, if it was on low setting, you probably didn't harm it. I would be worried if you did it alot, but you said you didn't. I don't know what the weather is like where you are, but if its summer and the weather is dry or really humid like it is here in the southern Applachians, then that could be the major suspect. If my hair is exposed to weather like that in the summer, it causes split ends, damage. Some people have more problems in the winter, but you might be one of the summer sufferers. Then again , split happens.

[ktani]

I S&Ded today and I didn't have many classic split ends, but I did have tons of these white dots...

Here is a picture of a single dot close up:
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh200/sarah4983/hairdots2.jpg

And HERE you will see MANY dots that I pointed out with arrows:
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh200/sarah4983/hairdots.jpg


I have seen this picture (http://pittsburghcurly.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/white-dot.jpg) online which is a magnification of a white dot.


And I'm wondering... what in the heck causes this?!!? I'm super gentle when brushing/combing, I don't heat style anymore... I did QUICKLY run a straightening iron through last week, but it was on a super low setting and I didn't go over each section more than once or twice. Could this have been enough to cause all these tiny explosions?

The many names of hair of hair breakage, from The Trichological Society, in Britain. (http://www.hairscientists.org/trichoptilosis.htm)

Split ends has its own name, Trichoptilosis but it/they can also be the result of Trichorrhexis Nodosa (white dots). And the difference is dryness.

White dots do not always lead to split ends. They do not for me.

[JasmineDaisy]

I have seen this picture (http://pittsburghcurly.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/white-dot.jpg) online which is a magnification of a white dot.


Yikes! That picture made me cringe!

[Amara]

The last few inches of my hair has lots of splits and white ends, too... I just S&D a little bit when I can. Whatever you do DON'T obsess! Just treat it nicely and it'll get better. Let the decision to trim or not come when it's necessary.

[Tangles]

I get these and I don't heat style my hair. :shrug:

[frodolaughs]

Like Tangles, I get these despite gentle handling and no heat styling. Some hair is just prone to it. :-(

[redneckprincess]

Im noticing as my hair is getting longer and longer and I can start to see the ends I am having a few of these white dots in my ends

[Sarah4983]

Interesting!! So...we're getting these mysterious strand explosions even without heat styling...
I found a recently posted article (http://pittsburghcurly.wordpress.com/2009/07/05/the-battle-of-trichorrhexis-nodosa/) on this... I recognize the owner of the blog from LHC! I hope it's okay I'm using your blog... (I lurve it!)
She explained how heat styling caused her dots, but when I clicked the PG definition link it took me to an article that explained "It is a classic sign of cosmetic and chemical over-treatment of the hair. So its appearance should always prompt the thought, 'What is this person doing to the hair more than the rest of us are doing?"

Hmmm... I should have NEVER had highlights put in years ago. And to think... I did it all for a guy... a guy I'm not even with anymore!!! :brickwall :angry:

The last 6 or 7 inches of my hair is beginning to turn that brassy orangey color I can't stand (it tends to do that a few months after I color)... So I maaaay just color the hair below my ears next time instead of my whole head since it's close enough to my natural haircolor that it won't have an obvious mismatch... then just let it grow out and do micro trims every couple months. Otherwise I'm going to chop this mane off for good!! :mad:

[SimplyViki]

Hey, just popping in to say that I also get those white dots and split ends, and I don't ever heat style. :ponder: Actually, I did *once* use a blow dryer to get my hair dry (not even to style, I have no clue how to use it) for an event last December... but I think I used it on cool. Not sure though.

Anyway, I don't think it's necessarily from the heat styling, but not necessarily not, either. On me, white dots and splits are just a fact of life. When I can be bothered to snip them, I do, but otherwise, I don't worry about it. They happen regardless of what I do. I had thought mine might be due to old dyes in my hair, but then I found a split end on a 3-inch long hair (howtheheckdoesthathappen?!?!) and concluded they are simply unavoidable for me.

[karli]

Hey, just popping in to say that I also get those white dots and split ends, and I don't ever heat style. :ponder: Actually, I did *once* use a blow dryer to get my hair dry (not even to style, I have no clue how to use it) for an event last December... but I think I used it on cool. Not sure though.

Anyway, I don't think it's necessarily from the heat styling, but not necessarily not, either. On me, white dots and splits are just a fact of life. When I can be bothered to snip them, I do, but otherwise, I don't worry about it. They happen regardless of what I do. I had thought mine might be due to old dyes in my hair, but then I found a split end on a 3-inch long hair (howtheheckdoesthathappen?!?!) and concluded they are simply unavoidable for me.

I agree with everything!
Perhaps I have managed to reduce the number of white dots by oiling, using a satinsilk pillowcase and more gentle handling, but with my hair it is impossible to not have them at all.
I am trying to accept them.

[lora410]

It is breakage and it could be from when you used to style it. I had a lot of breakage up until this year. I still have breakage, just not as much. Some people hair are more fragile then others. I haven't used heat for about two years myself and I am super gentle. I use a BBB and this seems to help reduce breakage a bit.

[Darkhorse1]

Those dots could be from anything--most likely the velcro curlers. They adhere to the hair and can tear the shaft. Hair is very delicate--apparently it doesn't take much to break it/damage it.

I get those on occassion--usually after a windy day at a horse show. I just snip them off when I have a free moment.

Your ends look AMAZING though!! I wouldn't worry :D

[Nes]

Just thought i'd pop in and suggest catnip.

Haven't got around to trying it myself, but have heard very good things from others with split prone hair.

Maybe check it out?

Nes x

[LaurelSpring]

I use to have a ton of white dots! This was when I had layers and use to blow dry and curl my hair with a curling iron every day. I also had fragile ends from coloring. It took awhile but I quit blow drying and curling and started using henna. After getting several regular trims over a period of several months and beginning to treat my hair well, the dots are mostly gone. The very ends are still color damaged and prone to dotting, but for the most part its much better. I did start to use catnip and my hair feels better also.

I think the dots are probably from past damage like mine and some little trims would probably help. If you keep coloring it though it will make it weaker, especially the ends.

[Lamb]

Sometimes I look at my ends and think that I see a bazillion white dots, but a lot of times it's just dust. Now I run my fingers down the hair shafts before cutting anything. I also like to gently pull on either side of a white dot. If the hair pops apart, I then trim off the end.

This has been my experience as well. Only this morning, I thought my hair was full of white dots. Then I swept off the morning dust/flakes with my fingers, and my hair magically improved.

[rogue_psyche]

I have gained some white dots since joining LHC and stopping my once-occasional heat styling. I think they are either brushing or braid tie-off damage on top of my peroxided hair. I hope that when I eventually have unbleached hair throughout my length I will stop seeing such damage.

[paintedmuse]

The last 6 or 7 inches of my hair is beginning to turn that brassy orangey color I can't stand (it tends to do that a few months after I color)... So I maaaay just color the hair below my ears next time instead of my whole head since it's close enough to my natural haircolor that it won't have an obvious mismatch... then just let it grow out and do micro trims every couple months. Otherwise I'm going to chop this mane off for good!! :mad:

Try indigo, maybe. I've colored my hair with chemical dye so many times (red, red, black, dark brown, brown, brown as far as I can remember)... and the last two times I did it exactly because of that strange brassy orange color I was getting after a while. Indigo really helped. (My hair is still reddish since I also use henna, but its a reddish I like :D)

[jojo]

Yep my hair breeds these too by the million, even on my hair when it was all virgin I got them and I get no more or less since highlights, just the type of hair I suppose.

[Nyghtingale]

That last picture was scary! :scared:

[daydreamer]

I agree, possibly it is past damage. I get tons of these in my bottom few inches -- where all my dye and hair abuse damage is! I'll probably keep getting them until the last of the dye is cut away.

[Speckla]

I get those too. I sometimes worry and know that I shouldn't. My hair keeps getting longer even with a ton of those. I did this http://www.hystersisters.com/vb2/images/smilies/bigcry.gif for a long time. Now I tend to just ignore them.

[MoonCreature]

I get a huge amount of these in my ends. If I'd have to guess, I would say they are from the time that I had my hair a lot in a ponytail, and from wearing braids (even if I use the non-metal-hairties). So now I avoid wearing braids often, and if I do I change the place where I tie it of.

[Cassi]

I get a huge amount of these in my ends. If I'd have to guess, I would say they are from the time that I had my hair a lot in a ponytail, and from wearing braids (even if I use the non-metal-hairties). So now I avoid wearing braids often, and if I do I change the place where I tie it of.

I wear braids and ponytails a lot. Why do you think it was causing the white dots for you? I don't have any that I can see, and I don't want to cause them to start! Was it just the manipulation of the strands or something else? I do wet my hair to damp and then oil my hands before braiding....maybe this helps my hair not break/split? I also saturate my ponytail holder (if cloth) with oil. Of course I can't soak the little rubber ones that are suppose to be "no tear" on the hair. I only use those at the end of a braid if absolutely necessary.

[prettigurl]

I have a lot of those towards the ends of my hair. Some of them are really fragile, if I tug it it'll break.

[Vermelha]

I S&Ded today and I didn't have many classic split ends, but I did have tons of these white dots...

Here is a picture of a single dot close up:
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh200/sarah4983/hairdots2.jpg

And HERE you will see MANY dots that I pointed out with arrows:
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh200/sarah4983/hairdots.jpg


I have seen this picture (http://pittsburghcurly.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/white-dot.jpg) online which is a magnification of a white dot.


And I'm wondering... what in the heck causes this?!!? I'm super gentle when brushing/combing, I don't heat style anymore... I did QUICKLY run a straightening iron through last week, but it was on a super low setting and I didn't go over each section more than once or twice. Could this have been enough to cause all these tiny explosions?

Do you wear your hair in tight styles like buns or twists. If so, the repetitive twisting and manpulation of the hair can cause weak spots along the hair shaft.

I've had these too, but my hair is curly and very dark, so I can't see any of these types of splits. I straightened once a while back and saw them, but they never broke off. I trimmed anyway. I also see these where I've had knots. So I trim those away too.

But I noticed that when I pull my hair in tight ponytails (or even the ponytail holder itself) causes little ruptures along my hairshaft. I'm wearing my hair in much looser styles now, which should help lots, since it's not constantly in a ponytail or twisted.

But perhaps cotton/fabrics could be a suspect? When I wear my hair down and it snags against my clothing, I get these too, but not as much anymore, since after protein treating it, my hair doesn't break easily like it used to. HTH?

[Sarah4983]

Do you wear your hair in tight styles like buns or twists. If so, the repetitive twisting and manpulation of the hair can cause weak spots along the hair shaft.

I've had these too, but my hair is curly and very dark, so I can't see any of these types of splits. I straightened once a while back and saw them, but they never broke off. I trimmed anyway. I also see these where I've had knots. So I trim those away too.

But I noticed that when I pull my hair in tight ponytails (or even the ponytail holder itself) causes little ruptures along my hairshaft. I'm wearing my hair in much looser styles now, which should help lots, since it's not constantly in a ponytail or twisted.

But perhaps cotton/fabrics could be a suspect? When I wear my hair down and it snags against my clothing, I get these too, but not as much anymore, since after protein treating it, my hair doesn't break easily like it used to. HTH?


How interesting...

I always twist my hair into a bun... wet, damp, dry... and the ends twist tighter because the ends of my hair are much thinner than the bulk of it... this could be causing damage and I would have never thought of that.

I'm going to try what you did and wear in looser styles to see if it makes a difference.

As others suggested it could very well be from the mistreating of my hair over the years (dye, hairspray, etc) as they are mostly in the ends but I will also focus on protien treatments and not twisting the ends.

Thank you everyone :)

[justme]

Do you use protein products? I used to have tons of little white dots several years ago, but not very many at all in the past two or so years. The only thing I changed was not using a protein deep conditioner regularly. I'm not sure if there is a relationship (or if I just trimmed off the damaged ends), but if other things don't help you, this might.