So broken

[x0h_bother]

I have SO much breakage and it hasn't improved since coming to LHC. I don't know if I thought the hair would magically grow back uniformly or I just didn't know the extent of the damage until some of it got to the 'viewing' stage of chin length. Either way, it is discouraging to look down at the hair you care for to tenderly and quit heat styling for and still find every other strand broken and uneven. :boohoo: Has anyone else gone through this after quitting heat styling? Does it get better? :cry:

[ChloeDharma]

By heat styling do you mean flat irons? Unfortunately once damage is done...it's done, you just have to wait for it to grow out. Sad, but true :(.
You could try moisture treatments as the hairs ability to retain moisture after being subjected to high temperature styling can be reduced.
For strengthening you could try cassia, yogurt treatments worked wonders on me and of course oiling helps to provide protection.

[Luckysock]

yup, ChloeDharma is right, you just have to grow it out - hang in there.

I S&D a lot to help me feel like I am doing something about the damage :) and yes its discouraging after a year of no flat iron, no blow fryer, to still see so many split ends, but the reality is that I still have a good 6-9 inches of hair on my head that lived through the 'dark years' ;) so its going to take time till it grows out.

[Smile4Kiki]

i am actually in the same place as you right now. I have damage from past flat-ironing and have been dying to trim lately but am trying to wait until my hair gets past my shoulders. In the mean time I am going to deep condition once a week and try to diminish the velcro feeling my ends have at the moment. My hair has also been tangling more than usual but that could be due to it getting longer as well. I did an smt for the first time yesterday and it worked amazingly. I think I will be doing those much more regularly until I can finally trim. HTH.

[Copasetic]

I had a lot of damaged ends from years of heat styling. I put up with them for a little while, but I have slowly started trimming them off. Like the others have said, you can't undo that kind of damage.

[baobhan sith]

While you can't undo damage, sometimes you can deceptively make it seem better. I know coating hair with silicones will make it look and feel smoother, and can also help hold moisture in hair which will now be porus. I've never used heat on my hair, but my damage was like you describe - What I do is rub a lot (by which I mean handfuls) of a not-too-light cone-free conditioner the entire way through my hair and leave it a few minutes before rinsing it out (though not trying too hard) and then shampooing only my scalp, and conditioning the ends again with a nice conditioner (I use aussi luscious long). I'd also reccomend SMTs and maybe putting conditioner on dry hair, and then washing it out.

[spidermom]

You will always have uneven lengths because of shedding old hairs and growing new hairs every day. It's probably not all breakage.

[x0h_bother]

You will always have uneven lengths because of shedding old hairs and growing new hairs every day. It's probably not all breakage.
I appreciate this, sometimes I blame myself when it could very well be the growth cycle too.

I've decided to put my hair up more (insert shock and awe) to reduce my noticing the brokenness and to help reduce further breakage. I also had avoided moisture for the summer, but I will reincorporate that now that it's not humid. Thanks all. :blossom:

[ChloeDharma]

I appreciate this, sometimes I blame myself when it could very well be the growth cycle too.

I've decided to put my hair up more (insert shock and awe) to reduce my noticing the brokenness and to help reduce further breakage. I also had avoided moisture for the summer, but I will reincorporate that now that it's not humid. Thanks all. :blossom:

I doubt i could have coped with growing out damage if i had not kept my hair up nearly all the time so i think that will help alot.
I did also find cones very helpfull while growing it out....my hair just needed that coating until it was virgin again.

[squiggyflop]

my damage (from chemicals) stayed until i cut it off.. damage is permanent.. it grows out.. my hair grows unevenly.. the back grows twice as fast as the canopy.. that doesnt mean my hair in unhealthy

[sarahbrownie]

My hair stayed around shoulder length for 2 years because of excessive straight ironing. I didn't realize all these 1 inch hairs in the sink were mine. I got a lot of the greatly-feared white dots where the hair would just break off with not much more than a brushstroke. It also got boiled and badly chemically treated. It's a shade darker and very easy to separate it. It basically from my ears down.

I give my very velco ends much TLC and the breakage decreases. They are just very fragile. I wish I could get away with not trimming but I find it helps with the feel of ends and makes it manageable. Unfortunately makes hair growth sluggish but I feel it might be easier to slowly trim off the damage than go with one big chop only to catch up where it was before. Washing hair with cold water helps with shedding but also those very heat-damaged areas that won't take anymore exposure without breaking or getting more brittle. I just bend over the tub because I take very warm showers.

I can't wait until it's all off! :p I constantly stroke the hair above my ears to feel how soft and different it is from the damaged hair.

[x0h_bother]

My hair stayed around shoulder length for 2 years because of excessive straight ironing. I didn't realize all these 1 inch hairs in the sink were mine. I got a lot of the greatly-feared white dots where the hair would just break off with not much more than a brushstroke. It also got boiled and badly chemically treated. It's a shade darker and very easy to separate it. It basically from my ears down.

I give my very velco ends much TLC and the breakage decreases. They are just very fragile. I wish I could get away with not trimming but I find it helps with the feel of ends and makes it manageable. Unfortunately makes hair growth sluggish but I feel it might be easier to slowly trim off the damage than go with one big chop only to catch up where it was before. Washing hair with cold water helps with shedding but also those very heat-damaged areas that won't take anymore exposure without breaking or getting more brittle. I just bend over the tub because I take very warm showers.

I can't wait until it's all off! :p I constantly stroke the hair above my ears to feel how soft and different it is from the damaged hair.
I'm going through this very much. I don't have as much virign growth, but I stroke near my scalp and wonder one day what it will be like :) like a little baby heehee. I will say progress is when you don't see those spikey hairs sticking out of your head near your scalp anymore :D But it is slow gro-ing.

[x0h_bother]

Still dealing with all-over 'breakage' and tangle. All the way up the shafts collectively there are uneven hairs. Not just the part where the most damage occurs at the ends. I'm talking by the roots. I have never had hair this fragile in my life. I thought my roots would be better because it's been over a year since I cut down on the flat iron and 6 months at least of miniscule ironing. Here is some of potential culprits:
-I always brush out tangles wet, and cannot stop this practice, but I do not brush again when dry nor do I brush pre-shower or in-shower
-I omit moisture conditioners in the summer due to glycerin frizz, so I cone all summer long; this may cause breakage
-I have omitted protein for a while, and I have lots of damage on legnth; this may cause tangles
-I wash with (harsh) H&S daily on scalp, I cannot switch out the poo because H&S reduces my shedding. I can only stretch washes to every other day, but I haven't been..
-I never wear protective styles except to sleep. Once in a while half up.
-I don't use leave ins; I used to use spray or a little conditioner, and both were drying ? . ? . ? Sometimes I use a coney serum.

Okay I need my slap on the wrist...:( I tried using more glycerin/moisture, Idk if this will help. But seriously, what is the best behavior to change?

[Elenna]

With all the past heat styling and harsh products, my hair still retains damage. This currently is in the form of white dots and brittle ends. But the rest of my hair is now in good condition. We just do the best we can for better hair.

[growing2shine]

Well when I first joined I knew that my hair was damaged, but I didn't know how bad... Now I know. And now I do EVERYTHING different. I bun all the time, I wash only once a week, I dilute my shampoo, I condition a lot, oil all the time, and S&D. I do everything I can to prevent any more damage and that has really payed off. My hair is now so much healthier but because of all the S&D sessions (and damage) I have so much tapering that I'll have to grow out. You are very welcome to take a look in my album. I have some pictures that really shows, both good and bad, the condition of my hair. I don't really know what to say to help you other than the more you do to take care of your hair the more you will appreciate it later. :flower:

[Lamb]

Still dealing with all-over 'breakage' and tangle. All the way up the shafts collectively there are uneven hairs. Not just the part where the most damage occurs at the ends. I'm talking by the roots.
That is unlikely to be the result of heat styling, if you see shorter hairs at the roots, those are new hairs which haven't caught up with the rest of your hair yet. :) Like spidermom said.
Have you had a seasonal shed lately?


I have never had hair this fragile in my life. I thought my roots would be better because it's been over a year since I cut down on the flat iron and 6 months at least of miniscule ironing. Here is some of potential culprits:
-I always brush out tangles wet, and cannot stop this practice, but I do not brush again when dry nor do I brush pre-shower or in-shower
-I omit moisture conditioners in the summer due to glycerin frizz, so I cone all summer long; this may cause breakage
-I have omitted protein for a while, and I have lots of damage on legnth; this may cause tangles
-I wash with (harsh) H&S daily on scalp, I cannot switch out the poo because H&S reduces my shedding. I can only stretch washes to every other day, but I haven't been..
-I never wear protective styles except to sleep. Once in a while half up.
-I don't use leave ins; I used to use spray or a little conditioner, and both were drying ? . ? . ? Sometimes I use a coney serum.

Okay I need my slap on the wrist...:( I tried using more glycerin/moisture, Idk if this will help. But seriously, what is the best behavior to change?

Glycerin is not equal to moisture, there are lots of moisturizing agents which are not cones, either. Cetyl alcohol, for instance, can be found in most conditioners.
I would stop brushing out tangles in wet hair, that leads to mechanical damage. Also, do a clarifying wash or two - if you find conditioners to be drying, as you write, buildup could be an issue.
Also, definitely try leave-ins. I have fragile, baby-fine hair, and I have noticed the canopy is in vastly better condition since I got into the habit of using a leave-in conditioner every day. The hairs seem to be coarser, even, more resilient.
(I'm not growing my hair actively atm, but I'm trying to keep what remains of it healthy.)

[mellie89]

I would try incorporating some protein back into your routine. Have you ever tried cassia? It's really wonderful for strengthening hair, and it was an absolute holy grail for me when I was growing out heat damage.

Also, please try not to brush your hair while it's wet. If your hair is that fragile, you shouldn't touch it at all until it's dry. If you need to use cones to cut down on the tangles, that's fine. They might make you feel better about your hair for the time being. Just be sure to clarify every once in awhile so you don't get too much build up.

The last thing I would advise is to microtrim with some sharp scissors on a regular basis. That way, you can slowly even out your hair and trim out the worst of the damage without losing length.

[FrozenFlame22]

I'm in the same boat as many here as far as breakage goes. For the past 20 years I've been going through a cycle of hair abuse, a big chop, a period of growth and babying the hair, followed by hair abuse again.

My most recent hair sins include:
- blowfriers
- harsh cheap shampoos with poor handling of wet hair
- flat iron
- using the same messy bun hairstyle constantly
- sporadic and insufficient conditioning
- Very harsh brushing using really bad stamped style plastic combs and nubby-ended bristle brushes

The worst thing I did was start using the no-poo method up until 3 weeks ago. Unfortunately the baking soda caused massive breakage and may have severely damaged all of the hair I have now.

My plan for better hair health:
- Lots and lots of search and destroy sessions
- Water only method of hair washing
- Deep conditioning at least monthly (but only after my scalp oil production has stabilized using the no poo method.
- More varied hair styles and gentler handling of hair
- Got rid of all the bad brushes and combs and now I'm strictly finger combing until I can get a better wide tooth comb for detangling. I also have a boar bristle brush for styling and moving the sebum down the length of the hair.
- No More Blowfriers or Flat Iron!!! I'm learning to embrace the natural texture of my hair.

Even though the damage can't be repaired, can only be grown out, I have noticed a difference in the past few weeks. Properly moisturized, my hair is much more manageable and just looks and feels better.

[x0h_bother]

That is unlikely to be the result of heat styling, if you see shorter hairs at the roots, those are new hairs which haven't caught up with the rest of your hair yet. :) Like spidermom said. Have you had a seasonal shed lately?
I hope this is true. I think some are growing back, but some are definately breakage. Perhaps the ones closer to the scalp are new growth and the ones further down breakage? Both cause more tangling.
I had a Spring shed.


Also, definitely try leave-ins. I have fragile, baby-fine hair, and I have noticed the canopy is in vastly better condition since I got into the habit of using a leave-in conditioner every day. The hairs seem to be coarser, even, more resilient.
(I'm not growing my hair actively atm, but I'm trying to keep what remains of it healthy.)
This is a good idea, I need to find one that works for me.

I would try incorporating some protein back into your routine. Have you ever tried cassia? It's really wonderful for strengthening hair, and it was an absolute holy grail for me when I was growing out heat damage.
I really really want to try cassia when I figure out what store to buy it locally.
I can easily bring protein back, thanks.


Also, please try not to brush your hair while it's wet. If your hair is that fragile, you shouldn't touch it at all until it's dry. If you need to use cones to cut down on the tangles, that's fine. They might make you feel better about your hair for the time being. Just be sure to clarify every once in awhile so you don't get too much build up.

The last thing I would advise is to microtrim with some sharp scissors on a regular basis. That way, you can slowly even out your hair and trim out the worst of the damage without losing length.
I'd love to not brush but it's SO tangly and with wavy hair it's bad to take out the wave by brushing dry. But I will try.
You are right, I do need to microtrim.

[tinti]

Have you tried just fingercombing? I'm not brushing my hair at all atm. I just ingnore it untill it is wet, and then I just finger comb it lightly to get the tangles out. I also keep it in the same old, same old messy bun most of the time, but I'm gonna try to keep it in a braid style in stead from now on to reduce damage, and be ten tiimes more careful and gentle with my hair.

[Icialine]

Still dealing with all-over 'breakage' and tangle. All the way up the shafts collectively there are uneven hairs. Not just the part where the most damage occurs at the ends. I'm talking by the roots. I have never had hair this fragile in my life. I thought my roots would be better because it's been over a year since I cut down on the flat iron and 6 months at least of miniscule ironing. Here is some of potential culprits:
-I always brush out tangles wet, and cannot stop this practice, but I do not brush again when dry nor do I brush pre-shower or in-shower
-I omit moisture conditioners in the summer due to glycerin frizz, so I cone all summer long; this may cause breakage
-I have omitted protein for a while, and I have lots of damage on legnth; this may cause tangles
-I wash with (harsh) H&S daily on scalp, I cannot switch out the poo because H&S reduces my shedding. I can only stretch washes to every other day, but I haven't been..
-I never wear protective styles except to sleep. Once in a while half up.
-I don't use leave ins; I used to use spray or a little conditioner, and both were drying ? . ? . ? Sometimes I use a coney serum.

Okay I need my slap on the wrist...:( I tried using more glycerin/moisture, Idk if this will help. But seriously, what is the best behavior to change?
Woah!You BRUSH the tangles out of your wet hair?I think you have your main culprit right there!I thought it was odd that you would still have damaged hair so close to the roots a year after stopping using heated tools but brushing wet hair will often cause what you're describing especially if your ends are damaged-it's as if the brush yanks all the weak,rough hair it touches and then some.
I know some people use a brush on their hair without damaging it but I'll tell you I got rid of most of my split ends -and split pretty much everywhere else-when I started to only untangle my wet hair with a very wide tooth comb.Hope I'm right and you can soon start enjoying your hair growing process.;)

[x0h_bother]

Thanks Icialine, guess I've got to revise my ways! :p

[Icialine]

Welcome,:) and I just thought of something else I haven't had split ends in ages but my hair did freak out recently to the point where I was wondering if I should get a major haircut but there is a treatment discussed in the forum called the Caramel Treatment that helped so much even after the first use that my hair almost feels like it did when I was a child .
It also feels much stronger which is surprising because I already thought my hair was in pretty good shape so I'd give it a try as well if you want a quick fix.:D