Tizzles
April 25th, 2012, 03:02 PM
I swear if I knew someone to PM, I'd not make a new thread about this, I'm sorry if a new thread on this subject irritates anyone. I didn't want to hijack other threads.
I've been reading the threads debating about trimming and helping hair growth, and trimming to get rid of damage etc. I am sort of confused. Backstory: I've been letting my hair air dry since January. I think since then I might have used a straight iron 1 time from then til now and the blowdryer twice. Always with heat protectant and with the blowdryer I never let it get hot. I use my fingers to help while blowdrying because I have fine hair (thinning a bit on top) and I figure if the heat doesn't get too hot on my fingers it's not too hot on my hair. (I got that idea from another poster but I can't remember the name) I also use the cool setting a lot on my dryer, never hold it close to my hair and never in the same spot for too long. Also, I have type 2 diabetes, I figure this needs mentioning since I take Metformin(500mg 2x per day) which is known to inhibit the absorption of B-12 vitamins.
I use a sulphate and paraben free shampoo (Moroccan Oil shampoo and conditioner) when I Shampoo my hair and more often than not I will CO with the Moroccan Oil Conditioner. Since the summer time has rolled around my scalp has gotten a bit more oily even just CO'ing so I have to mix it up with a sulphate free shampoo sometimes so my hair just doesn't stick to my head. I said all that, to say this: I've been growing my hair out from an inverted bob since December. I guess the beginning of December was my last big cut to trim, it was also the last time the roots of my highlights (mostly around the face and top of the hair) were done. My hair has not been bleached since December and hasn't been majorly trimmed since then, and I've been doing S&D ever since but I am still seeing a lot of damage on the ends of my hair. I am trying really hard to get my hair back to the way it used to be (long healthy and just below BSL) but it just feels like it is taking absolutely forever and any progress I make I feel just breaks off at the ends no matter what I do.
I am desperate to try anything. I've not even really been styling my hair, I've just been pulling it back with a clip that doesn't pull at my hair and to mix it up a bit so there's not the same amount of stress on the same part of my hair every day, sometimes I'll pull it back a little loose with a cloth type scrunchie, most of the time I leave it down and leave it alone as long as I can stand it. As for growth, I guess it's been about average, 1/2 an inch per month. My hair was really short in the back like at the nape of my neck and now it is long enough just to be annoying and go into the back collar of a t-shirt. My hair only feels dry around the front, which is to be expected as it's the most damaged part of my hair from extensive highlighting and straightening with a flat iron.
I have tried coconut oil and various other oils and leave ins to help with the dryness in the front but nothing other than a little bit of mineral based baby oil helps while it's damp. I would really like some advice, and I'll try to post a pic or two if I need to (it's hard because my cell phone camera isn't super great and my husband is not the best picture taker). Basically should I just chop the front (it's a little bit longer than the back but not by much, the back seems to be growing faster than the front) to match the back? Or should I just keep with S&D and fight with the damage and breaking until it's all just eventually gone? I know it's a long process, and the quick way would be just to shave my head (lol) but that's not an option for me.
My biggest concern is the breakage and I only notice it around the front of my hair. My stylist friend who is very long hair friendly (God I am blessed for her) says that the back of my hair looks normal and not dry and isn't showing signs of breakage that it just looks like hair that is growing out layers. It seems every time I go to S&D I see breakage. Example: I S&D on a Monday evening, combat all the breakage and white dots that I see. I'll go all week without applying any heat to my hair, being as careful as possible with it, using my fingers to de-tangle after I wash it and when it dries a bit on it's own I'll use a wide tooth wooden comb to finish. If it's time for a hydrating mask, I'll do that, again, using no heat the rest of the week. Come the next Monday I'll S&D again, or just look in my hair for breakage, and there's more, maybe not AS much as there was before but still after 1 week there's breakage and I can not for the life of me figure out what I'm doing wrong.
I know this post is incredibly long winded and really, God bless the kind souls who get through it all to help me, but I am desperate for any word of advice or just a "that's typical for damaged hair" or anything really. I feel like I've just reached the point that no matter how much I baby my hair it's still going to break and cause me grief.
I've been reading the threads debating about trimming and helping hair growth, and trimming to get rid of damage etc. I am sort of confused. Backstory: I've been letting my hair air dry since January. I think since then I might have used a straight iron 1 time from then til now and the blowdryer twice. Always with heat protectant and with the blowdryer I never let it get hot. I use my fingers to help while blowdrying because I have fine hair (thinning a bit on top) and I figure if the heat doesn't get too hot on my fingers it's not too hot on my hair. (I got that idea from another poster but I can't remember the name) I also use the cool setting a lot on my dryer, never hold it close to my hair and never in the same spot for too long. Also, I have type 2 diabetes, I figure this needs mentioning since I take Metformin(500mg 2x per day) which is known to inhibit the absorption of B-12 vitamins.
I use a sulphate and paraben free shampoo (Moroccan Oil shampoo and conditioner) when I Shampoo my hair and more often than not I will CO with the Moroccan Oil Conditioner. Since the summer time has rolled around my scalp has gotten a bit more oily even just CO'ing so I have to mix it up with a sulphate free shampoo sometimes so my hair just doesn't stick to my head. I said all that, to say this: I've been growing my hair out from an inverted bob since December. I guess the beginning of December was my last big cut to trim, it was also the last time the roots of my highlights (mostly around the face and top of the hair) were done. My hair has not been bleached since December and hasn't been majorly trimmed since then, and I've been doing S&D ever since but I am still seeing a lot of damage on the ends of my hair. I am trying really hard to get my hair back to the way it used to be (long healthy and just below BSL) but it just feels like it is taking absolutely forever and any progress I make I feel just breaks off at the ends no matter what I do.
I am desperate to try anything. I've not even really been styling my hair, I've just been pulling it back with a clip that doesn't pull at my hair and to mix it up a bit so there's not the same amount of stress on the same part of my hair every day, sometimes I'll pull it back a little loose with a cloth type scrunchie, most of the time I leave it down and leave it alone as long as I can stand it. As for growth, I guess it's been about average, 1/2 an inch per month. My hair was really short in the back like at the nape of my neck and now it is long enough just to be annoying and go into the back collar of a t-shirt. My hair only feels dry around the front, which is to be expected as it's the most damaged part of my hair from extensive highlighting and straightening with a flat iron.
I have tried coconut oil and various other oils and leave ins to help with the dryness in the front but nothing other than a little bit of mineral based baby oil helps while it's damp. I would really like some advice, and I'll try to post a pic or two if I need to (it's hard because my cell phone camera isn't super great and my husband is not the best picture taker). Basically should I just chop the front (it's a little bit longer than the back but not by much, the back seems to be growing faster than the front) to match the back? Or should I just keep with S&D and fight with the damage and breaking until it's all just eventually gone? I know it's a long process, and the quick way would be just to shave my head (lol) but that's not an option for me.
My biggest concern is the breakage and I only notice it around the front of my hair. My stylist friend who is very long hair friendly (God I am blessed for her) says that the back of my hair looks normal and not dry and isn't showing signs of breakage that it just looks like hair that is growing out layers. It seems every time I go to S&D I see breakage. Example: I S&D on a Monday evening, combat all the breakage and white dots that I see. I'll go all week without applying any heat to my hair, being as careful as possible with it, using my fingers to de-tangle after I wash it and when it dries a bit on it's own I'll use a wide tooth wooden comb to finish. If it's time for a hydrating mask, I'll do that, again, using no heat the rest of the week. Come the next Monday I'll S&D again, or just look in my hair for breakage, and there's more, maybe not AS much as there was before but still after 1 week there's breakage and I can not for the life of me figure out what I'm doing wrong.
I know this post is incredibly long winded and really, God bless the kind souls who get through it all to help me, but I am desperate for any word of advice or just a "that's typical for damaged hair" or anything really. I feel like I've just reached the point that no matter how much I baby my hair it's still going to break and cause me grief.