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sweetm
February 24th, 2011, 10:20 PM
I've always noticed that the hair grown from the area above the nape of my neck is always in really horrible condition. I can never get it healthy, and it always looks fried and stringy. It's also the first place I get tangles. You would think that this area would stay healthy since its shielded from the elements.

Any advice on how to prevent this?

AnnaJamila
February 24th, 2011, 10:22 PM
It might be because sweat builds up there or it continually rubs against your neck/shirt/jewelry. Maybe keeping it up would help?

walterSCAN
February 24th, 2011, 11:10 PM
I've always noticed that the hair grown from the area above the nape of my neck is always in really horrible condition. I can never get it healthy, and it always looks fried and stringy. It's also the first place I get tangles. You would think that this area would stay healthy since its shielded from the elements.

Any advice on how to prevent this?

Are you talking about the little short nape hairs at the hairline back there?

If so, I have the same problem-- and not much helps mine. I have found a little improvement by concentrating on them a bit more when I'm applying my coconut oil mixture, with my head flipped over.

ETA--> With the hairs I'm talking about, there's really no hope of keeping them up... they slip/wiggle out of almost everything. I've done a perimeter-braid across the back of my neck to try to catch them, and that held for a little while, but they still managed to escape!

I think I've read somewhere here about people shaving them out of frustration... shudder: but I think that that would make me crazy!

sweetm
February 26th, 2011, 12:52 PM
Are you talking about the little short nape hairs at the hairline back there?


They do seem to be finer and shorter than the rest of my hair, but its not limited to just those hairs... its like the entire section of hair from the hairline at the neck and up about an inch on the scalp.

sweetm
February 26th, 2011, 12:54 PM
It might be because sweat builds up there or it continually rubs against your neck/shirt/jewelry. Maybe keeping it up would help?

Great point about the rubbing against jewelry - I wear a thin necklace 24/7 and sometimes I notice the hairs getting caught in the necklace.

Yozhik
February 26th, 2011, 01:19 PM
In addition to friction -- collars, coats, jewelry, which I think might be the main culprit, I've noticed that for me, my nape hairs are finer in texture than the rest of my hair.

Whereas overall I mostly have medium strands, with a couple of coarse ones thrown in, my underlayer is all made up of fine strands. Maybe it's the same with you? If so, then probably they need gentler care and would benefit from updos. Each night I try to finger comb mine and eliminate any split ends that have developed.

linnepinne
February 26th, 2011, 01:46 PM
I've experienced the same thing. But for me it's been getting better and better the longer my hair gets. Might be because it's easier to put it when my hair is longer and little bits of nape hair doesn't always fall down and rub against collars and stuff....
Maybe you should try babying the hairs with a light oilings often? Also try to keep your hair up in protective styles (I always feel like braids are especially gentle on my nape hairs), and also try sleeping with your hair up. I like sleeping in one or two french braids.
And maybe try a silk pillowcase? I have not tried this myself, but others on this forum have had great success in minimizing damage sleeping on silk.

Good luck!

jaine
February 26th, 2011, 02:28 PM
My hairs are just curlier back there so they get tangled more ... if I want it to look really smooth in an updo then I dry it in a damp/gelled/combed updo during the first part of the day and then it's all straight and smooth for a smooth dry updo later. The nape hairs are straightened by damp-bunning and so are my bangs, so I can do a nice updo with straightened wispies hanging out.

Anywhere
February 26th, 2011, 02:30 PM
My hair is up 99% of the time and my nape hairs still manage to wiggle their way out of my updos. They're frazzled and perma-split and have quite a few fairy knots, and its too hard to S&D them.I guess if you trimmed them or tried your absolute best to keep them in updos they might be in slightly better condition, but I have a feeling these hairs are just rebellious.:p

PrincessBob
February 26th, 2011, 02:37 PM
A satin pillowcase might help with that...?

AspenSong
February 26th, 2011, 04:04 PM
I know exactly what you mean! I have the same thing. My nape hairs, are like they don't belong with the rest of my hair. Describing them as feeling "fried" is Exactly how they feel to me. It's horrible. =( Mine tangle something fierce.
I have given up on them to a point though. I oil them, I baby them, I don't wear anything that rubs against them or can tangle in them, and I sleep in a satin cap, on a satin pillowcase AND my sleepshirt is satin. So *shrug* I don't know what else can be done.
But it's def irritating. =/

M.McDonough
November 21st, 2014, 09:33 AM
Why don't you show us how it looks like?

Stellaaa
November 21st, 2014, 10:20 AM
If I don't brush my hair daily I get tiny dreads on my nape. Two days of lounging around in my sleep braid and I definitely need de-tangle lotion.

MsPharaohMoan
November 21st, 2014, 07:32 PM
... I sleep in a satin cap, on a satin pillowcase AND my sleepshirt is satin. So *shrug* I don't know what else can be done.

Wow AspenSong! Your commitment to a damage free lifestyle is admirable! :lol:

As for me I recently ripped out a tangle that had formed at the base of my neck. Oops. So now I'm regrowing these nape hairs. I find BBBing helps coat them in sebum for protection as well as babying them with whatever leave-ins I'm using at the time. Other than that I keep hair up and gradually let them grow into my bun. Sigh! Not much else you can do!

nakima
November 22nd, 2014, 10:00 PM
mine was doing that to and the only thing that seemed to help me was to lose the hoodies for a while and oil the hair at the nape. It still isnt like the rest of my hair but it did get a little longer and somewhat healthier.

RachelRose
January 1st, 2015, 08:16 PM
Ugh this I slept with my hair down on a satin pillow case last night and I woke up with a baby dread at my nape so I carefully picked it apart to find a lot splits I had just trimmed with brand new scissors made for hair ugh

tokugawa.miyako
January 1st, 2015, 08:21 PM
This same thing happens to me; the hair at the nape of my neck always feels really dry and it tangles way more than the rest of my hair. Last year, I actually go so frustrated with a small section of hair there that I just cut it off. Oops. :rolleyes:

I have been trying to put more oil and conditioner on that area when I oil or condition my hair and that seems to help. It's not perfect, but giving that hair a little extra attention makes it behave a little better.

animetor7
January 1st, 2015, 08:47 PM
If you wear your hair up most of the time this could be breakage. I learned about this problem from Torrinpaige and she recommends leaving your hair down for a bit each day.

Nique1202
January 2nd, 2015, 07:56 AM
I have about a half inch section at the nape of my neck that grows in extremely fragile and fine, and no matter what I do it gets damaged and matted and breeds tangles in the rest of my hair if I leave it down. So, I trim it regularly. It doesn't look obvious in updos, and it makes styling and keeping the rest of my hair healthy a lot easier. The "new" underlayer doesn't suffer any noticeable damage from collars, styling, etc. the way that 1 cm wide section at the nape does, so I think that section is just a transition area from full head-hair to the peach fuzz that generally covers the rest of the body, you know?

RachelRose
January 2nd, 2015, 02:44 PM
This got me thinking . I have a 1x1 inch section of my hair that is guaranteed to rat up if left down and it's where I put hydrogen peroxide on my hair to test it out for ombré hair . I blowdried it like sun in (smacks forehead ) at least I had the good sense not to put it all over and I did not go for the ombré look . Well I did years ago but it was awful so I cut it all off . Anyway I think the peroxide wrecked that strand because it's still ate up with splits and s&d always ends there :(

captaincrunch
January 2nd, 2015, 03:04 PM
This area of my hair is my pet peeve! I particularly hate combing the tangles out of it.

Red'N'Curly
January 2nd, 2015, 03:58 PM
My hair does this too. I coat it in Shea Butter, which helps significantly.