Really, really damaged hair (heat styling, perm etc)! HELP, pls!!!

[Albiryo]

Hey everyone!

I´m all new to the forum and can´t find a way to solve that problem by myself.
So, I thought you, as "hair experts", could help me? Please?

It´s like this:

My hair is (naturally) really, reaaaaaaaally straight and flat, no volume at all (1a F i). -.-
That´s why I started getting perms every half a year or so since I was 13.
(Btw: Is it called perm in English? I think I read it somewhere... I´m German and when I translate it, it´s like "permanate wave"??)

In addition to that, I heat styled my hair like every day. ;(
Don´t be mad at me, I was desperate!

I got the last perm in June and it looks horrible, the waves are uneven (I hate that hair stylist!) and the ends are all broken even tough I had them cut twice already after that!

That´s why I decided to stop penetrating my hair and joined LHC.

I started washing with CWC and use coconut oil but it still looks horrible, especially because I can´t form it with the curling iron (no heat styling, blow drying etc anymore)!

And because it reaches only an inch or two over my shoulders (and I have quite short layers, ear long), it just can´t braid it.

Heeeeeeeeelp! :(

Wish kind of products should I use?
Should I have it cut?
What kind of styles (easy and for short hair? I love buns..) can I wear???


-------------

Thank you!

[Fufu]

Welcome to LHC :)


Frequent perms does affect and damage hair... the condition and texture can change and lead to hair damage.

And in addition lack of hair care and maintenance will definitely make the hair more brittle and prone to breakage. Also, you mention you heat style your hair every day, it does make your hair even more unhealthy.

No worries sweet, for myself I also neglected my hair before. However, don't have to worry, with proper hair care, your hair will come back to life again.


My hair type is 1b F ii, I just recently permed my hair also. Before the perming, for a year I did plenty of hair care to ensure my hair is ready for any chemical treatment.

I'm surprised your hair stylist did the perm for your hair, because I believe with the lack of hair care and daily heat styling, doing a perm can further damage your hair.

I will suggest getting a hair trim to get rid of any split ends and breakages.

Next, start avoiding any heat stylings, no blow drying (it's fine if you are using cool setting), no curling ion/tongs. (I'm glad you are doing this now.)

Invest in a good deep conditioner or hair mask. Or you can use good oils that are suitable for your hair. I use camellia oil as it is not too heavy, and yet nourish my hair very well. You can apply and massage the oil on your hair (including the scalp) focus on the hair ends and especially the dry ends and leave it on for 20 to 30 minutes. Then wash it off with shampoo and conditioner. After that, you can apply a few drops on the hair ends as well. Do this twice a week.

Personally, I don't wash my hair every day as it dries up the hair. However, there are people who can handle their hair well with washing it every day, this will depend on your yourself and your hair.

If you are intend to cut your hair, are you ready for short hair? Are your face shape suitable for pixie hair style? Bob? If you are, look for a hairstylist you can trust and discuss your expectations of a ideal short hairstyle. Sometimes, it is good to cut and start all over again.

I cut my once long hair to collar bone and started growing again with more care and love :)

At the meantime, embrace your natural hair and do regular hair mask and treatment.

[swetiepeti]

old fashioned rag rollers would most likely help. Add some curl and body without heat or chemicals

[Albiryo]

Thank you for your help!

@ Fufu:

I don´t think that I´ll be able to cut it reaaaly short. I´ve had a pixie and it looked horrible..
Maybe just 5 cm or so?

About the oil: I just used coconut oil for the first time.
I applied it from the scalp to the ends and kept it in over night.
But I didn´t detect a difference...
Do you think camellia is better? o_O

@ swetiepie:
I tried. But my hair is so fine and thin that they just fall out. :D


Any tips for hairstyles? Updos- buns?

[julierockhead]

:joy: Welcome to the LHC! You found the right place, just keep reading.

[Fufu]

double post

[Juneii]

For me I don't see much difference when I use camellia oil. It's a very light oil. It may not help you too much but it varies from person to person.

Because your hair is very damaged you should just be careful with it when brushing and styling. Can you do a french twist with your length of hair? Let your hair grow out and trim as much as you can. I think that leaving damaged hair to grow in favor of gaining longer hair only results in more damaged hair in the long run.

Also, to keep your hair from tangling within itself because of the damage I would suggest using products with lots of cones in it (dimethylcone... some others I don't remember). You should ask luxepiggy about those, she knows her cones.

[Fufu]

Thank you for your help!

@ Fufu:

I don´t think that I´ll be able to cut it reaaaly short. I´ve had a pixie and it looked horrible..
Maybe just 5 cm or so?

About the oil: I just used coconut oil for the first time.
I applied it from the scalp to the ends and kept it in over night.
But I didn´t detect a difference...
Do you think camellia is better? o_O

@ swetiepie:
I tried. But my hair is so fine and thin that they just fall out. :D


Any tips for hairstyles? Updos- buns?




perhaps a trim will be ideal I can't carry off pixie hairstyle too.

It takes at least 2 weeks to a few months to see the results of using oil on hair, it will happen so soon if you only started recently. Coconut oil is good too perhaps you will like to continue using it and monitor the results.

Not a guru in hairdos, however I do like very simple hair bun when I don't want to let my hair loose, perhaps you will want to try damp bunning.

After washing your hair, lightly gently squeeze off the excess water from hair, once the hair is damp only, apply moisturizing serum or oil and damp bun your hair up. This can help retain moisture in your hair as well. After 2 - 4 hours or even a night of sleep, take out the bun.

[pepperminttea]

You're very welcome here at LHC, but you might also want to give this place (http://www.langhaarnetzwerk.de/phpBB2/) a look. :) They'll be able to help with local products and things.

[irishlady]

Hello :)
I don't think there's anything else I can add that hasn't been suggested by the other posts. I do agree with using rags to curl your hair though. Just put them in at night when your hair is damp and by morning you'll have pretty curls. No heat :)

Perhaps you could try a satin or silk sleep cap as well? I find it really protects my hair when I sleep.

Welcome to LHC :)

[YepLilly]

Welcome! You have received great advice so far. Since your hair is fine and damaged, I'm going to suggest doing a protein treatment followed by a deep moisturizing conditioner. Keep putting coconut oil on your hair a couple hours before you wash it. Also, try to heat style a little less. LHC is a great place, you will find a lot of information here. Good luck :flower:

[Lostsoule77]

Keep up with the coconut oiling. I tend to do mine in the night before going to bed and wash it out in the morning. It will help, but the more damaged your hair is the longer it is going to take. If I was in your place, and you really want to grow long, healthy hair, I would cut it as short as you feel comfortable with. You could also just keep doing small microtrims if you don't want to cut. Stop using heat and start treating your hair well with DT's and such. Keep trimming to cut off the damage. This will all take time, but long hair is all about patience. :) You've taken the first steps and can get what you desire if you put the effort in.

Embrace your natural hair as much as possible. Read through the articles on here, there are some really great ones. I suggest you start with http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=39 & http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=79 .

There are a lot of knowledgable people on here. Just keep reading and taking good care of your hair. For styles you can try the peacock twist. I think that should work at your length.

[YesitsReal]

Welcome!

If the coconut oil isn't doing anything for you, you might try a heavier oil, like olive. Everybody's hair seems to respond a bit differently to oils, but coconut and olive are the only ones that are supposed to be able to penetrate the hair shaft & prevent protein loss.

Good luck!!

[celebriangel]

A protein treatment followed by a deep conditioner is probably the best thing to do. I've heard good things about cassia and the aphogee reconstructor stuff.

As for moisture, buy a good deep conditioner (cones are okay but find one that isn't *just* cones so it will actually condition your hair!) and make an SMT, which is:

4 parts conditioner of choice
1 part honey
1 part aloe vera gel.

[Albiryo]

Thank you, guys!

I´ll keep on reading and do what you recommended. (cutting off the split ends as much as possible, coconut oiling over night etc).

And when I watched some youtube tutorials about heatless curling I found those:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lot-6-Sponge-Round-Hair-Foam-Styler-Curlers-Rollers-/320657681234?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4aa8afeb52

I ordered them because it seems that they are easy to use, make great curls and are comfortable to sleep with. :)

But I still have some questions. :rolleyes:
(I hope I´m not too annoying? o_O )

About the cones:

I read that they hide split ends, so do you recommend that I stick with them for the moment?
Most people around here seem to avoid cones and use cone-free conditioners....

And:


Stop using heat and start treating your hair well with DT's and such.

What are "DT´s"???? :p

Thanks for your help!

[Mutinous]

^^^ Deep Treatments I believe.

Ultimately, damage has to get cut out, but you can definitely make it easier to manage and prevent it getting worse. Good luck!

[Alvrodul]

When it comes to cones, some people love them, others can't use them at all. You need to find out which you are!

As for trying new things, don't suddenly try out 20 new things at once, your hair is guaranteed to freak out, and you will never be able to find out which of the new things caused it, or if it was a combination. Baby steps is the way to go, really! The conventional wisdom here is that when you want to make changes in your routine, you make one change, wait for a couple of weeks to see how your hair and scalp reacts, then do another change.
In your case, the best thing to do will be to prevent further damage, babying your damaged hair, and giving it treatments that can help to conceal the existing damage (once the damage is in your hair, it is just not going to go away) and trimming away damaged tips. For undamaged hair, you will just have to wait for the new growth.

[Albiryo]

Hey folks!

So today I had a trim..
I kinda feel bad about it because my hair felt quite long before and now it´s like.. short. :(
I know it´s silly, the heir stylist only cut like 3 cm but still...

Anyway, these are pictures taken before the trim.
Honestly, how damaged does my hair look to you (I know it´s hard to judge from a pic)?

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.146448765450962.29964.100002575178456&saved#!/photo.php?fbid=146450405450798&set=a.146448765450962.29964.100002575178456&type=1&theater

I´ll upload more later. :)

cu

[Albiryo]

Okay, that didn´t work.

But I managed to upload one pic as my avatar.

Damn.