Hair Diagnosis

[highlightedmess]

Hi everyone,

I am hoping some of you wonderful hair experts can help me a) figure out what type my hair is b) help me from going crazy about my natural part and c) help me decide what to do about my hair color

The first picture is of my hair after washing and air drying without brushing/combing of any kind:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=9402&pictureid=122151


I have started noticing that my part is extending way far back onto my scalp. It is visible from the back and sometimes my hair separates at the top back of my scalp in such a way that it looks weird and bare there. If I comb it back more carefully, then it is covered just fine. I have never noticed this in my entire life until a couple of months ago. No one has ever said anything to me about it. The only things I can think of are that my hair is either thinning or I'm noticing it more because I've been doing less manipulation on my hair recently?

Also, my highlights are really looking like a mess right now, especially in the back. I can't decide whether to try and stick it out some more or just go get it dyed a light brown.

Here is a picture of what it looks like when pulled back:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=9402&pictureid=122152

Thank you so much!!

[heidi w.]

I don't see your hair part whatsoever in these photos. So I see no problem. However, if you're concerned, you might consider an Ob-Gyn blood screen panel to check on thyroid issues, perhaps. OR if you're vegetarian, it's remotely possible you may not be eating enough protein and having anemia which can chronically increase hair shedding, and you won't notice it until it advances somewhat.

Maybe just posting a better photo will help.

heidi w.

[spidermom]

It's too early for me to tell. It looks like some of those strands may spiral when they get more length to them. Right now I'd guess your hair type at about 1C, especially considering how straight your hair looks after it's been combed, which might not mean much. My hair gets pretty straight, too.

Anyway - welcome. If it were me, I'd keep growing my highlights out rather than dye over them because I wouldn't want to add to the damage. Alternatively, I might get something temporary to blend the colors, even something kind of crazy, like Manic Panic purple.

[girlcat36]

You look to be about a 2b to me, and I wouldn't worry about the part thing. There are so many of us here with that kind of 'scalp cleavage' and it seems to go along with having very fine hair. Your color is pretty as is, but if it were me and I didn't want the maintenance of highlights, I would probably color with a light brown semi-permanent color(Wella color charm at Sally Beauty supply is good) and grow it all out to natural color. I would do a heavy coconut oiling pre-color, though. Hope this helps!

[highlightedmess]

I don't see your hair part whatsoever in these photos. So I see no problem. However, if you're concerned, you might consider an Ob-Gyn blood screen panel to check on thyroid issues, perhaps. OR if you're vegetarian, it's remotely possible you may not be eating enough protein and having anemia which can chronically increase hair shedding, and you won't notice it until it advances somewhat.

Maybe just posting a better photo will help.

heidi w.

Hm well that's encouraging I suppose because it looks like a huge bald spot to me lol :)

If you look at the top photo, at the very top of my head there is scalp showing.

[highlightedmess]

Here is a picture of my hair before I ever dyed it (although my roots seem to be lighter than this now):

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=9402&pictureid=122150

Also, here is a picture of my hair from several years ago (with much better looking highlights that aren't showing a ton of roots). This was well before I started noticing anything weird about my part in back and I didn't do anything other than brush my hair. I guess it does still look a little separated in that area.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=9402&pictureid=122153

[LaceyNg]

i'd say you're a 2a-- and i love your waves!

as for the scalp clevage, i have it too! REALLY badly! always have :( it shows up even worse when my hair's unwashed, as in my most recent length photo. my counsins have it too. gets onmy nerves soooo much b/c like you said, i feel like it looks like a bald spot or something! but its comforting to know that others have it too.

as for the color, i'd just let it grow out. i think different colored hair looks faboulous in braids t obring out the different colors! and i think that the more it grows out the less obvious it will be. at least thats how its beeno my hair, thank god! :)

[highlightedmess]

Thank you all for the compliments and it's good to know I'm not alone!

I did have a full blood panel at my last annual checkup this year and everything was normal. I'm not a vegetarian either although I generally choose chicken over red meat.

My hair does brush out straight with a slight wave. This may sound kind of silly but I didn't really know that I naturally had all those curly waves until coming here. I just sort of always thought it was a tangled rat's nest and brushed it out as fast as I could lol.

[coffinhert]

Just my two cents, I have pretty thick hair but my part goes all the way back and starts going down, you can see it in photos from behind me. I only noticed since I joined LHC and started photographing the back of my head, lol.