Ok, I have to ask now... Is this breakage?!

[AndreaPetrea]

I've been driving myself crazy trying to figure out what is wrong with my hair:

I have a lot (a LOT!) of shorter hairs that are sort of... crinkled at the ends? Like tiny waves. Especially in some light - like in fitting rooms or bathrooms or elevators - they really ruin the look of my hair. When you see my hair you think "breakage", but the ends of the hairs are tapered (I carefully bent some hairs to compare the thickness of the ends to the rest of it) and lighter in color. So it maybe isn't breakage but new growth? But what would cause the ends to be like that? :confused:

I also thought they could be splits. But wouldn't it be strange to only see them when they were split all the way up? I only recently found a "baby" split end, in one of those hairs, actually, and it was the first in eight years.

I would show you pictures, but the upload function is still not... functioning.

Maybe you can help me with a "diagnosis"? :o Thank you in advance.

[Madora]

Doesn't sound like damage to me. New growth would be near the scalp, not at the ends. As long as the hair is not damaged (splits or white dots) then your crinkles might be attributed to other influences...perhaps the result of handling?

[BeckyAH]

I think it's the time of year - ie: spring/summer. Growth spurt doesn't necessarily just mean hair on your head growing longer, but replacing the hair you lost in the fall/winter shed. God knows I am currently so frustrated by my short-hair re-growth (not just normal shed - anemia being treated regrowth) that I could scream. Or shave my head. Trying to tough it out until fall, but GAH.

[AndreaPetrea]

Doesn't sound like damage to me. New growth would be near the scalp, not at the ends. As long as the hair is not damaged (splits or white dots) then your crinkles might be attributed to other influences...perhaps the result of handling?


Thank you for answering :)

These hairs have nearly every length, from one inch to several inches. But there are most of them around ear length. Last month they were at "top of ear" level, now they are a bit longer.

I only found one split end and, a few weeks ago, a white dot.

I am sorry, but I am not sure what you mean by handling..? :o

[jacqueline101]

It sounds like damage.

[AndreaPetrea]

I think it's the time of year - ie: spring/summer. Growth spurt doesn't necessarily just mean hair on your head growing longer, but replacing the hair you lost in the fall/winter shed. God knows I am currently so frustrated by my short-hair re-growth (not just normal shed - anemia being treated regrowth) that I could scream. Or shave my head. Trying to tough it out until fall, but GAH.

Thank you for your answer!

I did shed quite a bit last fall, probably as a result of some very stressful months. But why are the new hairs (if they are new hairs) crinkled? :confused: It's really annoying!

I am not sure, but I think it gets worse in humid weather.

[Madora]

Thank you for answering :)

These hairs have nearly every length, from one inch to several inches. But there are most of them around ear length. Last month they were at "top of ear" level, now they are a bit longer.

I only found one split end and, a few weeks ago, a white dot.

I am sorry, but I am not sure what you mean by handling..? :o

"Handling" can range from how you use your fingers when washing your hair to how you brush or comb it..how you sleep on it, what hair toys you clip in it..or if you use any type of straightener, curling iron or blow fryer on it.

Did the crinkles only appear as your hair became longer..or were they there all the time?

[AndreaPetrea]

It sounds like damage.

This is, of course, what I'm afraid of.

[AndreaPetrea]

"Handling" can range from how you use your fingers when washing your hair to how you brush or comb it..how you sleep on it, what hair toys you clip in it..or if you use any type of straightener, curling iron or blow fryer on it.

Did the crinkles only appear as your hair became longer..or were they there all the time?



I try to be gentle, but my hair is thin and fragile. I don't use heat on it, but my hair dresser blow dries it. That happens about three times a year.

I don't have many options for hairstyles since my hair is still quite short, so I usually wear it down or in a cinnabun (with ends sticking out everywhere). I sometimes, but not often, wear it in a ponytail with a Flexi-8.

Maybe I should try a silk satin pillowcase.

The crinkles have been there all the time, but they certainly haven't gotten better. And even the new hairs stick up at my part. I can't see how I would have managed to break hairs that short, but maybe I'm just really talented :laugh: :(

[lolot]

i have those, i know what you mean, they are mostly in the top part of my head, but i have others longer, sometimes when they are long enough i cut the tip leaving the straight part so it can style better, but they are anoying, i dont know what they are but i have always had them

[AndreaPetrea]

i have those, i know what you mean, they are mostly in the top part of my head, but i have others longer, sometimes when they are long enough i cut the tip leaving the straight part so it can style better, but they are anoying, i dont know what they are but i have always had them

I'm not alone :joy:
But yes, they are so annoying! I would like to find a solution.

[CarpeDM]

I've got those as well, I'm not sure why, but they have been growing in that way for a few years now and yes they are super annoying to deal with!

[darklyndsea]

I have those, and I feel like I've been seeing them more lately. I've been starting to think that mine might be sun damage. No idea why it'd be on so many of my short hairs if that's it, though. Maybe it's just the way some hairs grow, or has something to do with the condition of a particular area of scalp when they first pushed out? </wild guessing>

[AndreaPetrea]

I've got those as well, I'm not sure why, but they have been growing in that way for a few years now and yes they are super annoying to deal with!

I'm sorry you have to deal with them too, but I'm kind of relieved that I'm not alone :o

I don't know if it can have anything to do with it, but sometimes when I CO-washed I got waves in my underlayer.

[CarpeDM]

I'm sorry you have to deal with them too, but I'm kind of relieved that I'm not alone :o

I don't know if it can have anything to do with it, but sometimes when I CO-washed I got waves in my underlayer.

You are certainly not alone :) I think for me, my hair has just been changing texture over the years.

[AndreaPetrea]

I have those, and I feel like I've been seeing them more lately. I've been starting to think that mine might be sun damage. No idea why it'd be on so many of my short hairs if that's it, though. Maybe it's just the way some hairs grow, or has something to do with the condition of a particular area of scalp when they first pushed out? </wild guessing>

No, exactly, it's like there are too many of them for it to be damage.

It's an interesting guess... I wonder how we would be able to find out if that's the case.

[brave]

I get these too -- they're crinkly little things like wires right? I always wondered if it was from accidental stretching or something.

[AndreaPetrea]

You are certainly not alone :) I think for me, my hair has just been changing texture over the years.

I really hope this is just a texture change - otherwise... :scissors:


I get these too -- they're crinkly little things like wires right? I always wondered if it was from accidental stretching or something.

A few of them are coarse and like wires, all bumpy... But most of them have the thickness of the other hairs (=very fine), they just end in tiny waves.

[Mesmerise]

It sounds like damage.

Sorry, but I disagree :o. It sounds like new growth hairs to me. I have a few new hairs that do that (they're crinkly for no known reason...or maybe they're gray and I can't tell cause I dye them). I also sometimes find hairs that are fairly smooth but with a crinkle near the end. They're just new hairs, and are perfectly healthy! (Okay, they're weird and annoying, but not a sign of damage).

[AndreaPetrea]

Sorry, but I disagree :o. It sounds like new growth hairs to me. I have a few new hairs that do that (they're crinkly for no known reason...or maybe they're gray and I can't tell cause I dye them). I also sometimes find hairs that are fairly smooth but with a crinkle near the end. They're just new hairs, and are perfectly healthy! (Okay, they're weird and annoying, but not a sign of damage).

This calms me down a bit - thank you!

And the last sentence made me LOL :D Yes, they are weird and annoying! Stupid hairs :slap:

I'm glad I started this thread. I thought I was either Queen of Damageland or that my hair had a rare and possibly dangerous (lol) condition...

[cremenoir]

i have tons of those wiry, crinkled, tapering hairs too, and they definitely aren't breakage. as for why they grow in that way, i have no idea!

[jojo]

It sounds like damage to me

[AndreaPetrea]

So we have different opinions here :laugh: :o

But if it is damage, then why are the ends tapered?

[lapushka]

Another vote for new growth here! I don't think it's damage nor breakage, esp. not if the ends are tapered. I have those tiny hairs all around my hairline too, only they're not crinkled.

[Laylah]

I'm pretty sure it's new growth. I had a whole bunch of those a few years ago after a major shed. All the short hairs on my head are "crinkled", so I think its just the texture. As your hair gets longer it probably stretches out the wave.

[AndreaPetrea]

Thank you, ladies :)

The ends are definitely tapered.

It's interesting that all of you with crinkled ends have wavier hair than I. I might do a new hair typing just to be sure that my hair is 1b. Also, I'm watching closely for splits. I figure that if there are not many - at the moment I cant find any - it can't be too bad. Or maybe I'm wrong?

I've broken many of my shed hairs to see what happened (good thing no one saw me :o), they are not tapered and some even split right away, yikes. Is that a bad sign?