How bad is my hair

[momoftwo708]

I post a couple time on here I been really depressed about my hair I cut off heat and been oiling every other night and monistat,
My hair was dead so I ha a cut little longer than apl it was healthy and now it's awful since I put a dye on it last month I did trim my front layers because they were damage and now I have tons of breakage all throughout my hair my long piece is almost at bsl I'm just so upset and dont know what else I can do for my hair
Here's a photo and just wondering how bad it is my hair is thick but looks thin due to layers and breakage

[dulce]

My advice is to stay away from chemicals [no more dye] and heat[no flat iron,hot blowdryer]I did this and my hair started getting thicker and stopped breaking.I never cut,but kept growing but did the stuff I mentioned plus kept it well conditioned and stopped all tight hairdos or any that pulled.Good luck! Hair can recover if you give it a chance with tender loving care..

[akilina]

Well, your hair is already dead the moment it comes out of your scalp.
I am not sure what I would recommend. Sometimes A chop is in order. Others may suggest that you micro trim and maintain to get a thicker weight line.
If you are going to color your hair don't use permanent dye if it isn't necessary. Try wearing your hair up with updos and get some neat hair forks or sticks. I hate wearing my hair up but hair forks make it way funner for me.
Personally, I would chop to a few inches below APL, but that is just me. You could trim gradually but if there is even more damage up the shaft, you'll trim a tiny bit, then it will still be breaking off. If it is that bad I would much rather just get it all off at once rather than gradually.

[Amber_Maiden]

No more chemicals or heat!
I think you may need a chop.

p.s. Hair is dead the moment it reaches air- as in grows out of your scalp!

[strangemeow]

you hair doesnt look "bad" at all. i can see how the ends look thinner, due to dye damage and layers like you said, but keep up the good hair habits and all the rest is patience. my hair is naturally thin, and i used to do evil things to it all the time (no conditioner, teasing, tons of hairsray etc), since is naturally fragile its been a slow recovery but its recovering none the less. one thing thats helped immensely is S&D and microtrims. i get frustrated easily because i dont have good hair genes to begin with so my progress is much slower than most i think, but S&D and small trims help save my hair from splits and breakage, and seems to speed up the process a bit. good luck lady :)

[momoftwo708]

I cut my hair late may and it looked good now it's back to looking dry ,
I might go to salon end of August and get a small trim I'm hopin by Christmas it little more decent and longer When I was a teen my hair was so bad it broke to my shoulders little shorter but I don't bleach for years I do coconut oil every night does that help?

[momoftwo708]

you hair doesnt look "bad" at all. i can see how the ends look thinner, due to dye damage and layers like you said, but keep up the good hair habits and all the rest is patience. my hair is naturally thin, and i used to do evil things to it all the time (no conditioner, teasing, tons of hairsray etc), since is naturally fragile its been a slow recovery but its recovering none the less. one thing thats helped immensely is S&D and microtrims. i get frustrated easily because i dont have good hair genes to begin with so my progress is much slower than most i think, but S&D and small trims help save my hair from splits and breakage, and seems to speed up the process a bit. good luck lady :)

I hate that part of my hair I get fed up and just want to cut it off but I'm getting married in September and im thinking maybe waiting but it seems when I do cut my hair it breaks more I guess I'll just keep up with the coconut oil and treatments the hardest thing is not using my instyler my hair is so frizzy

[Diamond.Eyes]

Your hair doesn't look bad at all. It just looks a little worn. Maybe it is time to take a break from chemicals and heat and wear your hair up for a little while? I think maybe trimming and inch or two off followed by a deep conditioning treatment would make you very satisfied. :flower:

[Silken]

Trim off the ends, there's no way to fix that, but otherwise, it just looks stressed, it needs a bit of TLC. CO wash, and regular oiling is in order. Before that, clarify it and then use a deep moisturizing conditioner. No more heat styling. You might be able to go back to colouring eventually, but first you must stop and repair the porosity and dryness.
And no, it doesn't look that bad, don't worry.
We are our own worst critics. :)

[momoftwo708]

Trim off the ends, there's no way to fix that, but otherwise, it just looks stressed, it needs a bit of TLC. CO wash, and regular oiling is in order. Before that, clarify it and then use a deep moisturizing conditioner. No more heat styling. You might be able to go back to colouring eventually, but first you must stop and repair the porosity and dryness.
And no, it doesn't look that bad, don't worry.
We are our own worst critics. :)


My hair did grow from when I cut it in may but I made my layers worst by cutting my front layers shorter , is it okay to coconut oil over night a lot? And use castor oil I been cutting off heat it's hard though but my hair looks better when it's curly, I just hate these layers and breakage I'm leaning toward a trim but scared that will cause more breakage

[momoftwo708]

Thanks for the support u guys are awesome I'm so mad I didn't find this site web my hair was wsl I could have saved it :(

[Silken]

My hair did grow from when I cut it in may but I made my layers worst by cutting my front layers shorter , is it okay to coconut oil over night a lot? And use castor oil I been cutting off heat it's hard though but my hair looks better when it's curly, I just hate these layers and breakage I'm leaning toward a trim but scared that will cause more breakage

A trim won't cause more breakage, it will get rid of damage. Find a hairstylist that is not trigger happy with the scissors, though, so you don't end up too short.
And oiling overnight is great, I know it helped my hair a lot when it was fried.
I also like oiling after my hair has been conditioned and air dried, just a little tiny bit on dry hair.

[kitcatsmeow]

I don't think it looks bad....def a little fried. Kinda reminds me of well, me...when I first joined. I did end up cutting off about 5 inches because of breakage but I haven't even trimmed since and it's been almost a year. And my hair is silky solft and healthy.

First get rid of ALL heat. No blow drying no curling iron, nothing. It took me months of experimenting with different methods of washing, styling and oiling to find my perfect routine. Start reading this forum! All the info you need to get gorgeous long hair is right in front of you.

Definitely no more dye. Personally I think deposit dyes are worse for you hair than bleach!

Cut a little even if it just gets rid of the worst inch and evens it out.

Be gentle with your hair when grooming. Find some good deep treatments.

And try not to stress about it. Stressing always makes things seem so much worse. Good luck!

[dulce]

When I wash my hair daily I wash it, then remove excess water,then add a good conditioner and put a shower cap over,do a HOT shower[still wearing my cap],do my nails etc then remove the cap and rinse with cool water.After it is dry, if the ends seem a bit dry still, I add a clear hair shine serum[liquid -A & G brand]Over time just doing this daily helped so much.When washing hair just add a dab of shampoo to your scalp,your dry damaged ends don't need shampoo.

[spidermom]

I agree with most: no heat, no chemicals, regular small trims.
Plus deep treatments. Your stylist should be able to tell you whether you need protein, moisture, or both. My guess would be: both.

Styling products can help you deal with frizziness, which is often caused by breaking up the wave or curl pattern with combing or brushing. You could find a moisturizing curl creme - for example, distribute it between your palms and fingers, then finger-comb it through your hair and finish by passing the palms down the surface of your hair. Then don't touch.

Also learn some up-dos. They help keep your mind off your hair.

[alwayssmiling]

You need to love those curls that I can see coming through. The longer it gets the more lovely your curls will be, honestly. Moisturise, leave in conditioners, tie it up when you think it looks messy and all will be well.....but it takes time.

[momoftwo708]

My hair actually got so curly within the last month it's just these damn layers I probably will end up cutting the longer pieces I just hate to loose more length

[strangemeow]

the only reason i cant think of trims causing more breakage and splits are if the scissors arent sharp enough. make sure your scissors are new/very sharp and dont use them on anything else except your hair. i learned that lesson a few years back. i kept wondering why i found endless split ends no matter how much i s&D, i read on here that was probably the cause and now i find very few splits when i trim it since then. coconut oil is great stuff, my hair likes it in small amounts, and loves almond oil even more, if you havent tried that yet it could be worth a shot. in my hair its less 'heavy' and more soft than when i use coconut. everyones hair is different though

[barely.there]

ive been cutting off 1/8 an inch from my hair once a week to thicken hemline/minimize layers. been doing this for a couple months now, and have noticed a significant improvement. I also S&D. I'm a little sad that my hair hasn't been taking on length, but I know it looks SO much better! It feels thicker too!

I'm also wondering if you should try henna, or cassia (does not give hair color, just deep conditions and makes it shiny).

keep babying it the best you can. it will respond, just give er time :)

[McFearless]

Your hair does not look like the type that can handle heat or dye but it does not look bad. I would just immediately stop those things and maybe get a chop to start fresh. What is your wash method?

[Silverbrumby]

I post a couple time on here I been really depressed about my hair I cut off heat and been oiling every other night and monistat,
My hair was dead so I ha a cut little longer than apl it was healthy and now it's awful since I put a dye on it last month I did trim my front layers because they were damage and now I have tons of breakage all throughout my hair my long piece is almost at bsl I'm just so upset and dont know what else I can do for my hair
Here's a photo and just wondering how bad it is my hair is thick but looks thin due to layers and breakage

http://i50.tinypic.com/5vagq0.jpg


What I think might be the basics (it's different for everyone)

* No heat
* No flat ironing
* Wear it up and in buns etc
* Satin Pillow slip (amazon has them)
* Sulfate free shampoo and conditioner if possible
* only 2 or 3 drops of oil after shampoo then no more (I WAY over oiled)

Leave in conditioner works for me. Not for some. Cassia seems to work well in my hair for shine and conditioner but not henna so much.

Good luck.

[FrannyG]

I agree with just about everyone else. Stop any heat appliances, do deep moisturizing treatments when you can, and wear your hair up to forget about it.

Trim about 1/2 inch every three months or so, if possible. Your hair will still grow, so you will still see progress, but you will be gradually trimming away damage.

Believe me when I tell you that one day the damage that you are feeling and seeing will be a thing of the past, and you'll be surprised at how quickly it happens,

While you can never repair damage, you can certainly improve the way it looks and feels in the meantime. Wishing you well. :blossom:

[red-again]

I cut my hair late may and it looked good now it's back to looking dry ,
I might go to salon end of August and get a small trim I'm hopin by Christmas it little more decent and longer When I was a teen my hair was so bad it broke to my shoulders little shorter but I don't bleach for years I do coconut oil every night does that help?

Well, we are almost hair twins! Your texture is a m not a f like mine though but minor diff!
Coconut oil makes my hair dry. Even the smallest amount. Maybe try a different oil? Sweet almond etc.

And maybe if ou post your routine from brushing, styling, washing methods ete, etc there may be something that could be changed to help.

[momoftwo708]

Yes we almost are! I'm going to try almond oil, even when my hair is really long my hair looks dry and damage but it's just these damn layers i feel like just added extensions to the sides to even it up lol, I been using castor oil on my roots

[heidi w.]

LHC has a couple of warnings of things not to do to your hair, and dying is one of them and cutting is the other. IF you cut you don't get long hair. It also appears as though you might have had a perm? Can't tell. The first photo shows straight hair, unwavy. The subsequent photos show a wave pattern, so I don't know if you flat iron or what. Flat ironing is another huge no-no for healthy hair long term.

The thing is you've done it so now what?

I would simply return to the basics. In a few weeks things will be better and after a longer bit of time, things will get yet better.

It seems the haircut also involved getting some form of layers? Not sure...but your ends unfortunately are quite thin. The thinning of hair means you don't have your normal volume, so layers, overall are ill-advised by us purists.

I don't know what your original issue was that caused you to cut and all, but I contend that far too often those newer and sometimes those that have been here a while tend to kind of over-react to a perceived issue, and quite often don't end up solving the problem they don't actually have. They get over-aggressive and then regret.

I would advise that since you've dyed, you make SURE you use a lot of conditioner and a quality conditioner. I suggest Biolage's Conditioning Balm. It is biodegradable, probably thicker than anything you've ever used before, and it's a very good conditioner. I use it every hair wash, but a lot of LHC folks use it as their conditioner for deep conditioning sessions. You must use a shampoo that is for use for dyed hair. These products help to protect the color.

You actually might consider giving CO washing a try?

Then I suggest you learn how to oil the length of your hair as that will help a lot in maintaining the moisture level you need for this kind of treated hair.

I'm also assuming you have no scalp skin issues that needs to be taken into consideration.

If you can use softened water or filtered water somehow.

For a while and most immediately stick to the basic care ideas. Detangle properly, hair wash properly, sleep on a satin pillowcase, maybe BBB your hair although curly hair typically does not respond well to this.

I will give you a video I made showing how I detangle, oil, BBB and it gives an updo idea as well. A kind of all in one packet for hair care for straight hair types. Glean from it what is useful. As a wavy haired person you will likely fare better if you oil while your hair is wet. Spritz on a little oil that you put in a spritz bottle. Also you might like conditioning and detangling in the shower by coating your hair with conditioner and then dipping your wide-toothed comb in the vat of conditioner over&over again, as necessary, and then let it sit on the hair briefly then rinse it out.

IF you use a vinegar rinse, I recommend that you use white vinegar or lemon juice over Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) because you have dyed hair and I don't know how the reddishness of ACV might affect the discoloration of your dye and your hair. ACV is known to tinge the hair a reddish hue, especially for lighter hair colors.

I'm sorry you have to deal with this. This is going to take a while to resolve, but you can do it. And let this be a lesson learned the hard way. Don't do this again, obviously.

In hair you can't really have your cake and eat it too. If you want colored hair and hair texture other than you have, hair is gonna show the mistreatment. If you want beautiful natural hair, then you have to decide on that. It just depends on what your priorities are. You usually can't entirely have both.

There are some people who can, but likely they're working with someone professional in hair care and who really knows their stuff when it comes to perming, coloring and cutting hair. I did at one time in my life, and he was the only person I let treat my hair. And when he died, I just never trusted anyone else to get it right. So I went au naturale.....(There's a picture in my hair album of my color treated short hair, if you want to see it.)

heidi w.

[momoftwo708]

No my hair isn't perm it's just curly, I just want healthy hair and will let it grow out I made a mistake by cutting my front layers shorter by an inch because of dead ends and now my hair looks thin due to that

[torrilin]

2a isn't curly... but most of your pictures don't really look to me like 2a either. Where I see waves, there's a pretty damn tight wavelength. Since you've used both dye and straightening a lot, I don't think it's worthwhile right now to try and retype your hair. Instead, I'd pamper your hair like everyone else is suggesting for a month or two. Chances are the damage is really messing up your natural curl or wave pattern.

You mention that trimming to try and remove damage seems to have added damage. You're also listing your thickness as ii/iii even with heavy layers. That makes me worry that your stylist may have used a razor to cut in the layers. Razors dull very quickly, and a dull razor can be very damaging to your hair. Unfortunately, it can be pretty difficult for a stylist to get this sort of damage cut out with scissors. Microtrimming, dusting and search and destroy are all terms used for cutting out just the split and damaged parts of your hair. If you purchase a pair of sharp hair scissors and reserve them just for your hair, chances are over the next year you can trim off a lot of the damage yourself.

Most people have on the order of 100,000 individual hairs on their heads, so looking at every strand isn't usually possible. But if you sit down and hunt for damage every so often, you can make a dent in the problem. If you're inclined towards obsession or addiction, be warned... this can be addictive! If you know you tend this way, schedule your sessions so you don't accidentally give yourself a counterproductive habit.

[MrsGuther]

Maybe a couple inch trim is on order and then some deep conditioning treatments. Your hair doesn't look awful. Just needs a trim, and stay away from the hot tools. :)

[momoftwo708]

I trimmed my front layers myself

[momoftwo708]

I actually had no clue in typing my hair :( I did my best

[momoftwo708]

My front layers are what bothering me so if by end of next month if it doesn't look better than I will have a trim

[torrilin]

Well, a lot of us get our type wrong at first, nothing wrong with that. For now, I think a 2something is reasonable, since you're definitely not a 1 and definitely not a 4 :). As your hair recovers from the heat and dye damage, you can study up on curly hair care. There are natural ways to straighten hair if you can't face the idea of life as a curly, but most natural techniques will work best on healthier hair.

If you trimmed your front layers yourself and the damage popped up, that suggests your scissors were dull. If your local sewing shop has a regular sharpening service, you can get them sharpened. Otherwise, I'd buy a new set. Dull blades just don't help, whether it's razorblades or scissors or knives.

If the splits are bad enough that the front layers are hard to detangle even if you start from the very ends and you're having a lot of yanking and pulling, I'd get them trimmed as soon as possible with good sharp scissors. If it just looks messy or bad, but there's no actual splitting problem, well... I'd leave it. Hair does not grow evenly, and unless you *know* you want to keep the layers, the less you trim it, the faster it'll be long. Eventually the layers will blend into the rest of your hair, and the more patient you can be about it the better.

And yeah, basically 75% or more of growing long hair is being patient. The other 24% or so is figuring out the routine that gives you a look you like with the least possible damage. Maybe 1% is how you cut it :).

[momoftwo708]

Am I apl or bsl? I'm really not sure

[anitacs9101]

I post a couple time on here I been really depressed about my hair I cut off heat and been oiling every other night and monistat,
My hair was dead so I ha a cut little longer than apl it was healthy and now it's awful since I put a dye on it last month I did trim my front layers because they were damage and now I have tons of breakage all throughout my hair my long piece is almost at bsl I'm just so upset and dont know what else I can do for my hair
Here's a photo and just wondering how bad it is my hair is thick but looks thin due to layers and breakage

http://i50.tinypic.com/5vagq0.jpg
Hair twins!! Lol. The things that helped me the best was using a satin pillowcase (reduced so much tangling and I no longer woke up with matted dry afro hair), coconut oil and CO which made my hair super duper shiny and silky. Although I stopped doing it because I had to wash my hair a lot more but I might try again later.

I think the trick is to love your hair in every state. There are things I dislike about my hair, such as my layers and the bit of bangs I still have to grow out before all my hair is one length. But I look at it this way: this is the last time I'll be able to enjoy having layered hair, so I might as well have fun with it! I think that fairytale ends (the opposite of a blunt hemline) are so pretty. I always thought hair that "thinned out" at the end was prettiest, and disliked how my hair was flat at the top then poofy at the bottom. I learned to accept it though. I saw this on someone's siggy once, not sure who it was: no matter how much you hate your hair, someone wishes they could have it. Such as me, a few months ago, I would have loved to have such lovely wispy ends such as yours. Just think of it this way, while you're working towards thickening your hair. This is the only time you'll ever have these ends again, so why not enjoy it?

[Pandora.]

When my hair was at this stage I just cut down on heat styling and went overboard with oil treatments and all sorts of deep conditioning and it improved big time pretty quickly.

Your hair isn't bad at all, and it is easily fixable. :)

[ravenheather]

I would probably trim a couple of inches then baby your hair. I definitely would lay off the heat and color all together.

[dulce]

I agree with Pandora!

[momoftwo708]

Hair twins!! Lol. The things that helped me the best was using a satin pillowcase (reduced so much tangling and I no longer woke up with matted dry afro hair), coconut oil and CO which made my hair super duper shiny and silky. Although I stopped doing it because I had to wash my hair a lot more but I might try again later.

I think the trick is to love your hair in every state. There are things I dislike about my hair, such as my layers and the bit of bangs I still have to grow out before all my hair is one length. But I look at it this way: this is the last time I'll be able to enjoy having layered hair, so I might as well have fun with it! I think that fairytale ends (the opposite of a blunt hemline) are so pretty. I always thought hair that "thinned out" at the end was prettiest, and disliked how my hair was flat at the top then poofy at the bottom. I learned to accept it though. I saw this on someone's siggy once, not sure who it was: no matter how much you hate your hair, someone wishes they could have it. Such as me, a few months ago, I would have loved to have such lovely wispy ends such as yours. Just think of it this way, while you're working towards thickening your hair. This is the only time you'll ever have these ends again, so why not enjoy it?



I don't mind layers but I accidentally cut my front ones to thick and short so I'm hopin by September it even it out because it's makin my longer strands unnoticeable when I put my hair up u can tell how thick it is but when it's down it looks thin due to layers I am depressing all day about it I always had Long hair an I'm so not liking this ,

Any ideas for a good conditioner ?

[momoftwo708]

Hair twins!! Lol. The things that helped me the best was using a satin pillowcase (reduced so much tangling and I no longer woke up with matted dry afro hair), coconut oil and CO which made my hair super duper shiny and silky. Although I stopped doing it because I had to wash my hair a lot more but I might try again later.

I think the trick is to love your hair in every state. There are things I dislike about my hair, such as my layers and the bit of bangs I still have to grow out before all my hair is one length. But I look at it this way: this is the last time I'll be able to enjoy having layered hair, so I might as well have fun with it! I think that fairytale ends (the opposite of a blunt hemline) are so pretty. I always thought hair that "thinned out" at the end was prettiest, and disliked how my hair was flat at the top then poofy at the bottom. I learned to accept it though. I saw this on someone's siggy once, not sure who it was: no matter how much you hate your hair, someone wishes they could have it. Such as me, a few months ago, I would have loved to have such lovely wispy ends such as yours. Just think of it this way, while you're working towards thickening your hair. This is the only time you'll ever have these ends again, so why not enjoy it?



I don't mind layers but I accidentally cut my front ones to thick and short so I'm hopin by September it even it out because it's makin my longer strands unnoticeable when I put my hair up u can tell how thick it is but when it's down it looks thin due to layers I am depressing all day about it I always had Long hair an I'm so not liking this ,

Any ideas for a good conditioner ?

[momoftwo708]

http://i46.tinypic.com/2cr9d6v.jpg

That my hair today no conditioner in it so it tangles but u can see the side layers are really short

[vanillabones]

My hair looks very very similar to yours, but my hair is naturally straight no curls, it looks like yours could go very curly if it wanted to :) My hair was equally as damaged if not more when I first joined this site.... Damaged bleached pixie is what I had at this time 2 years ago, and now I'm APL! You have have have to choose with such a delicate hair type to go one way or the other.... treat it like long lace or style damage and dye it. Long hair care fits into my lifestyle perfectly and I never thought I could have pretty hair before the help on here. I would do a big cut and grow it out healthy if I were you :(
PS I love the color of the picture you just posted :D

[aspartame gram]

Don't worry! Your hair can be salvaged! Everyone's advice was absolutely amazing.

To add to it, I braid my hair at night in order to help prevent tangles. That might help you, as well. Some put their hair into a bun on top of their heads, if you're able to tolerate that. It just hurts my scalp to do it.

I really like using avocado oil on my length. Castor oil has helped some grow thicker hair, but it might slightly darken your color. Definitely up to you. In regards to the length, you might have to chop some of it off, but first do a couple of oil treatments and see if that doesn't help the condition. You might not need the trim, your hair might just need some moisture and protein.

Good luck and keep us posted! :D

[momoftwo708]

I will deff keep you all posted, for the next two months I am going to treat it like a baby, I have been and I see a little difference. I pray these layers will grow out fast ,
I should of let my hair when it was long and saved it but I didn't come to this fourm until after, but I'm glad I found it now :)
I got some sweet almond oil today and it feels good , coconut oil was hard to get out of my hair. If my hair still looks the same by September then I will trim

[Elenna]

This is about your hair ends.

You mentioned using coconut oil overnight. There are a lot of people here who love using coconut oil. But some of us can't use coconut oil because it causes hair to retain protein, so the hair ends can go dry and brittle because of that. In addition, protein is added to a lot of hair care products.

[momoftwo708]

That how my hair was until it start breaking and started to look awful and had to cut

[anitacs9101]

I don't mind layers but I accidentally cut my front ones to thick and short so I'm hopin by September it even it out because it's makin my longer strands unnoticeable when I put my hair up u can tell how thick it is but when it's down it looks thin due to layers I am depressing all day about it I always had Long hair an I'm so not liking this ,

Any ideas for a good conditioner ?
I asked the same question when I first started it lol, I wasn't sure if you needed a lighter one to make up for the lack of shampoo or what o.o

I used Suave Humectant Moisture, although it is pretty thick and oily. If your hair gets greasy quickly you might want to try something lighter. Cheapo conditioners like VO5 or Suave Naturals or White Rain or something else that you'd find at the dollar store are usually ideal for that...try something labeled "clarifying," "volumizing" etc :)

[bunzfan]

http://i46.tinypic.com/2cr9d6v.jpg

That my hair today no conditioner in it so it tangles but u can see the side layers are really short

I know you don't want to trim but, because you have used heat etc the ends are thinner due to damage i have been there just get a small trim at a salon ask for a blunt straight across which helps the hair look thicker in my opinion and do a treatment every week. I did this when i straightened a lot and it really helped.

Some oil on the ends saved my hair when i joined it was bleached,dry,frizzy mess in fact i put oil on it daily it really made a big difference you dont need to use a lot.

[jacqueline101]

Sware off chemicals heat and stiffening agents. Then get a good hair cut. Oil the ends and monistat to grow what was lost.

[TiffanieJean]

I have to agree with the comments I read on the 1st page. You have to stop using heat and chemicals. It's really taken a toll on your hair. I had a really hard time cutting heat out of my routine, but no-heat methods like sock buns (signature pc is my hair with sock bun curls) or cinnamon bun waves helped a lot.

If this were my hair I would just bite the bullet and cut off somewhere between 5 inches or to chin length and focus on growing it out from there. Try using Jojoba Oil in your hair masks as well. Castor Oil would be a good option too. Also, you can try using a gentle shampoo and conditioner. I really like giovanni products. They are all natural/organic and dye, artificial fragrance, paraben, sulfate and phthalate free. Just the basics, but it works very well.

An easy test to know if your hair is lacking moisture or protein is to take a couple shed hairs after a shower - you can also use a few hairs from your brush and get them wet. Wrap one side or the ends around a finger, and the other ends on a finger of the other hand and slowly stretch/pull them. If your hair stretches 30%-50% it is normal. Less and it breaks easily; then you need moisture. If it is very stretchy and almost gummy you need protein.

I hope you can figure out something that works for your hair! Good luck.

[momoftwo708]

I will just keep babying my hair, my ends don't really have split ends , it's the layers that ruined my hair I have cut off heat and will be going to salon in September 1 so I have time to help my hair out. I can't cut it all off, I am getting married in two months and my stylist told me to leave my hair because if I cut it shoulder length an updo with be hard. I gave two links on how my hair was not sure if it work

[momoftwo708]

Thanks for all the advice

[xoxophelia]

It can be fixed over time. No heat, updos, some oiling, gentle brushing, and regular small trims. Overtime it will improve so just have patience and keep in mind your hair's potential.

[momoftwo708]

My hair took couple seconds to break

[Deborah]

If I were you I would cut up to shoulder, then baby it and let it grow.

[momoftwo708]

I'm just gonna baby it I already cut it and don't wanna loose more length my layers that r inch and half shorter than my hair and the layer so thick I messed up so that's why my hair looks that way I just hope it grow out

[jojo]

Your hair to me looks dull and I am wondering if you have been trying a few too many things, so I'd recommend clarifying your hair to see exactly what's going on. I'd say just eyeballing your hair it looks like you need a good protein treatment and some moisture put back into you hair. These don't have to be super expensive one conditioner which is an old time favorite of mine is by tigi " moisture maniac" it's pretty cheap on eBay and can be used as adeep conditioning treatment too, for protein you could try either a natural one such a mayo, or egg please if you use eggs rinse off in Luke warm water or you will end up with scrambled egg on your hair ;) or you could even try a hard core protein like aPhogee 2 step, the rule with hair is what a product takes out as with dyes or hear, we need to put back for healthy looking hair!

Once you have tried all these, take another look at you hair, it should feel stronger and look healthier, if your ends are splitting, they need trimming off, nothing, no product will get rid of them only scissors! You can even trim them all off in one go or trim half your growth monthly, the choice is yours.

Heat is ok every now and again,i use it but not on a regular basis and protect those ends keep it up!and I'd also recommend a few drops of baby oil on damp hair, it's really helped my naturally fragile hair from breaking and has helped stretch my trims from every 3 months to every 6 months.

Overall I don't think your hair is the worst I've ever seen, I think the layers make it look thinner though, but then I'm not a fan of layers apart from on thick hair.

Good luck, you will see improvements quite quickly, you've had some wonderful advice now I hope you get some wonderful results too.

Eta always follow a protein treatment with a moisturising one, I use an egg shampoo by Vatika and follow with a dep conditioner moisture one for 5 minutes and I do a longer deep conditioner treatment weekly! Kent to add that but was writing to quick lol

[momoftwo708]

Thanks for the advice jojo, I been doing more oiling, I was at first doing egg and I think my hair seem better after it. I need to get a good shampoo also, I will have a small trim in September, I regret I haven't found this fourm when my hair was long I could of saved it :( I'm hoping my hair and my crazy layers are back to normal by Christmas