Will my hair ever...

[UglyTresses]

:(

This is going to sound really immature but I was on Facebook and a friend of mine posted a picture of herself with her natural hair. It's so gorgeous and shiny (even after dying it) and it's wavy and ugh. I felt SO envious. I know that's horrible but I just wish my hair could look a fraction of the way it does on her head.

Atm, I know my hair is damaged and all, but even naturally and as a kid, I've always had very dry, thin hair that is frizz-prone.

Lately I've been taking really good care of my hair and I made a thread a couple weeks ago about my new hair regimen and all that. I've chopped off like 8 inches worth of dead hair and it's barely past APL and all that.

But I feel really sad =/

If my hair was thicker, I don't think I'd have as many problems, but it's so thin, I have so many fly-aways and frizz and roughness....

Do you guys think I'll ever be able to change/fix my natural hair type? Or am I always going to have dry hair that looks damaged? :(

Please be honest, it's okay if I'll never have my dream hair, no big deal :P

I know this sounds like my previous post, but I realize that while I CAN rehabilitate my hair and make it healthy over a very long period of time, making it "healthy" might not look like the definition of healthy for my hair because it's naturally dry and all that...

[MsBubbles]

What is your hair type? I think there is generally hope for all hair types, especially here! It might help people give you advice on what works for their (similar) hair type if they knew what yours was :-)

[Soniasonia]

Your hair is a reflection of what you put into your body. Make sure you take a good multivitamin and drink plenty of water.

[UglyTresses]

I'm not sure how to describe it using the letters and numbers like 1b and all that, so I can give you like a little description :)

1) Thin
2) Dry
3) Colour/heat damaged
4) Frizzy
5) A medium amount of volume everywhere except the roots. Wish it was flatter, but it's not horribly poofy either.
6) Smooth-ish but overall coarse appearance.
7) Barely at APL.

[UglyTresses]

I drink 8 glasses of water and all I take in is healthy food :( I never never eat junk food. I eat lots of veggies, fruits, etc. and my diet is pretty balanced overall.

[heartgoesboom]

if i recall your past post, even though you cut off a lot of length... there are still hair that is heat styled? so keep treating your hair with care and soon you'll get all virgin hair.

[UglyTresses]

if i recall your past post, even though you cut off a lot of length... there are still hair that is heat styled? so keep treating your hair with care and soon you'll get all virgin hair.

Really? Even if I have a certain amount of damaged hair, I can still get all virgin hair without completely shaving it off?

But I guess it's just a long process overall. I just wanted to clarify if I could change the way my hair is, because naturally, in its healthy state, it was still pretty dry.

I'm sorry I just never understood how it works.... like does the damaged bits grow out, and the new hair is at the top, and then eventually I'll grow out all the damaged length? :S

[Madora]

You'll need to keep an eye on any damage still remaining and trim it while it's growing. Small trims every 3 or 4 months to prevent further damage.

You might want to look into a little bit of coconut oil for those frizzy bits and for dry ends. You don't need a lot.

[xoxophelia]

I would suggest when you hair is 75% dry putting a few drops of oil through it and then damp bunning. When you take it out an hour or so later it will look much better.

[Merewen]

Really? Even if I have a certain amount of damaged hair, I can still get all virgin hair without completely shaving it off?

But I guess it's just a long process overall. I just wanted to clarify if I could change the way my hair is, because naturally, in its healthy state, it was still pretty dry.

I'm sorry I just never understood how it works.... like does the damaged bits grow out, and the new hair is at the top, and then eventually I'll grow out all the damaged length? :S

Assuming you trim your hair, the damaged ends will eventually all be trimmed off. If you don't want to lose length, it can be a long slow process. But you will get there!

[heartgoesboom]

Really? Even if I have a certain amount of damaged hair, I can still get all virgin hair without completely shaving it off?

But I guess it's just a long process overall. I just wanted to clarify if I could change the way my hair is, because naturally, in its healthy state, it was still pretty dry.

I'm sorry I just never understood how it works.... like does the damaged bits grow out, and the new hair is at the top, and then eventually I'll grow out all the damaged length? :S

yes, you can still get all virgin hair while growing out the damaged length... obviously, you need to stop the heat styling, highlighting and everything else that damages hair.

[AshNight1214]

It my take a long while, but there's hope! You just need to experiment and find out what works for you. I've been a lurker here for quite some time and I'm still figuring things out! :)

[McFearless]

Your hair being dry means you have to work a little harder but you can have soft hair. Moisture is key. I have naturally dry hair and it being coarse means it will never be as soft as fine hair. It feels crunchy naturally! Trust me the grass is always greener.
Healthy hair takes time, just keep at it and stay patient. Fly aways come in all hair textures, fine, medium and coarse. I'm an example of that. Thick hair does not equal beautiful hair, and there are loads of thick haired people on here who have hair problems. Why else do they have an account? :p

P.S- stop comparing yourself to your friend! Its a losing game.

[ange1ito]

You are in great company hon. This forum has so many friendly, helpful people here I'm sure you can attain your goal. I joined after lurking, major shed and damage, poor health habits, stylist gone crazy layers and splits even in my fringe due to dryness. A year on today I searched my hair to search and destroy in natural light and found 1 actual split!!! You can get there, don't loose hope ;)

[lacefrost]

Do you guys think I'll ever be able to change/fix my natural hair type? Or am I always going to have dry hair that looks damaged? :(

Please be honest, it's okay if I'll never have my dream hair, no big deal :P



One day you'll see your hair as your dream hair. Or if not, it'll be 2nd place!


I'm not sure how to describe it using the letters and numbers like 1b and all that, so I can give you like a little description :)

1) Thin
2) Dry
3) Colour/heat damaged
4) Frizzy
5) A medium amount of volume everywhere except the roots. Wish it was flatter, but it's not horribly poofy either.
6) Smooth-ish but overall coarse appearance.
7) Barely at APL.

Number 3 will grow out. Once Number 3 grows out, you'll have less of 4, 2, 1 and 7. In a year, the difference in your hair will amaze you. In 6 months, you'll be SO much happier. Your hair will be shinier, softer, thicker and longer.

[WinterButterfly]

It is hard having finer dry and columus hair. You need to find the right balance of oils and conditioning treatments for your hair. Damp bunning is a great idea. I do that a lot and it does help. I would say be careful not to wash too much or to use to harsh of shampoos. Now I want to tell you that all hair types arbeautiful. Just try to keep your new growth healthy, and don't try to alter your natural color or texture too much. Heat styling is instant damage to a lot of people, especially to those with fine or curly hair. Don't compare yourself to others. It makes the process harder. Know that your hair is also beautiful.

[WinterButterfly]

I meant volumous. The c is right next to the v!

[UglyTresses]

Thanks everyone! :)

Yep, growing out the damage will be a loooooooooong process but eh, I damaged it, now I gotta fix it x)

Anyways, thanks for the time + feedback. The support here is always amazing.

[jeanniet]

My guess is that most of the problems you're seeing are due to the damage. Once you've gotten rid of that, you'll see a vast improvement in your hair. You just have to be patient and grow it out. Keep doing small trims, treat the virgin hair that's growing in well, and wait about a year. Be sure to take pictures now so you have something to compare to.

I know a year sounds like a long time, but think about it; if you continued heat styling and coloring, what would you have in a year? The same damaged hair you do now. By starting to treat it better now, in a year you'll see a major difference.

[ccmso12]

Im sorry, but your screen name bothers my big time!!!!!

Change it! We are all beutifull strong women here!

[katienoonan]

Flyaways may be new little hairs growing through, indicating it will get thicker over time! :D

[Toadstool]

I'm sorry I just never understood how it works.... like does the damaged bits grow out, and the new hair is at the top, and then eventually I'll grow out all the damaged length? :S

Yes, that's right :)

ETA if you want it thicker, a lot of people here use henna and it is non-damaging and thickening. although some have said it dries out their hair but I think there might be stuff you can add to prevent that?

Also, for what it's worth, I have very thick, coarse hair, and am always trying to make it appear thinner!

[Desideira]

Flyaways may be new little hairs growing through, indicating it will get thicker over time! :D

yes , you are right:D its sometimes a good sign that new hair is growing.:cheese:

[Ginny Mae]

I'm sorry you feel that way about your hair! I had BSL dyed blonde hair for a while and what helped me grow out the colour was growing my (red) roots back in a bit then getting a hairstylist to dye the blonde pretty close to my natural colour. Maybe you could do something similar if you think you would have a dye line?

You can't really mend damaged hair after a certain point but you can make it look a lot better. A lot of "mainstream" products with silicones are aimed at doing exactly that. I know that what worked to make my damaged hair look decent would make my virgin hair look really dull and weighed-down.

[Gulbahar]

Im sorry, but your screen name bothers my big time!!!!!

Change it! We are all beutifull strong women here!
I second this. Change your name and picture yourself with beautiful hair! How do you want to get there with a name like this?

[Anje]

I drink 8 glasses of water and all I take in is healthy food :( I never never eat junk food. I eat lots of veggies, fruits, etc. and my diet is pretty balanced overall.
Are you getting enough protein and healthy fat? Both are also necessary for hair. As is physical health: if you're dealing with a problem like anemia or hypothyroidism, hair is often the first indicator that something's wrong.

[YepLilly]

I guess everyone has felt like that at one point or another. Just brush it off and don't dwell on it too long!

The truth is, all hair has the potential to look beautiful. It's a matter of determining which works best for each person and each type of hair. Some people can go with flat-ironing every single day while others need to pay more attention to their hair.

I'm sure of two things though: 1) your hair doesn't look as bad as you think, 2) your hair will look even better once you start applying all the useful tips here :)