Re: Hello - need some advice
Hello and welcome! :)
You hair sounds similar to mine when I was younger - I used to bleach it a whole lot and dye it rainbow colours, I never had it longer than shoulder length as it was just so damaged. The best advice I can give is to just have a little patience while the bleach grows out, trimming it regularly. I’m sure you could then dye your hair again if you wanted, but just in a gentler way to take care of those ends moving forwards; I’ve heard great things about olaplex for that and I think there’s a thread here somewhere about it too.
I’d also be avoiding blow drying/heat styling if you don’t already, and don’t be too rough with the towel when you dry off your hair.
My longer hair is actually in a similar stage right now, I had it bleached initially with olaplex at the hairdressers to remove a box dye and so admittedly my ends aren’t totally fried, but the damage there is still noticeable compared to the rest of my hair. I’m trying to grow lovely long locks but I also need to keep trimming out the bleach on the way. It’s a frustrating process so I’m trying to be patient too! :)
Other than that you could try conditioning your currently damaged ends with coconut oil each day, or hair masks, but I’m not really sure how reversible heavy bleach damage is to be honest.
Failing that, you could always take the plunge and get a cute pixie cut, that way you get rid of the damage all in one go and can start fresh - you’ll notice your growth really quickly at that length too which can be fun! (Though you would need to navigate the dreaded mullet stage whilst growing it out ..)
I’m sure others here will have lots of awesome advice to add, that’s just my 2 cents.
Good luck! :)
Re: Hello - need some advice
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Diana Prince
Hello everyone! I need some advice for my very fragile and short/medium hair.
I can't let it grow longer than my shoulders because it just breaks/I get so many split ends that I can't run my comb through my hair without damaging it. I didn't colour my top part of hair for about a year now, but the bottom half has been bleached and coloured several times so the texture is different (and worse). I just don't know what to do about it :(. I really want to get longer hair, but I have no idea what I can improve so I don't have to keep cutting it short every few months.
Thanks in advance for your advice!
I think you'll have to wait until you see longer.
It takes somewhat over a year of doing nothing for all the new hairs which are right now sprouting all over your scalp just to reach the back of your neck so they can all be drawin into a ponytail and somewhat longer for them to reach and pass shoulder. From your description, it seems you've about 8 inches of hair left to grow out. So pick "shoulder length" and don't allow any hair to grow past that level, but at the same time don't cut higher than that level either. At the end of a year, the damage will be gone and you'll be left with only virgin hair. Or you could just do it all at once and go pixie.
But either way, you'll still have to wait that long just to get to where you are now, if that makes any sense.
Re: Hello - need some advice
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Diana Prince
Hello everyone! I need some advice for my very fragile and short/medium hair.
I can't let it grow longer than my shoulders because it just breaks/I get so many split ends that I can't run my comb through my hair without damaging it. I didn't colour my top part of hair for about a year now, but the bottom half has been bleached and coloured several times so the texture is different (and worse). I just don't know what to do about it :(. I really want to get longer hair, but I have no idea what I can improve so I don't have to keep cutting it short every few months.
Thanks in advance for your advice!
Do you heat style (blow dryer on warm/cool, no matter), but I'm talking the straighteners, the curling tongs, because that is the N°1 reason for breakage and non-growing hair, that and frequent trims, like 6 to 8 weeks.
Just questions I would ask any newbie with the same issues.
Welcome.
Re: Hello - need some advice
Avoid the damage when possible by using olaplex if you keep bleaching, that may help your hair a little if you chose to keep coloring.
Otherwise, yes to what others have already said... time to grow it out, cut the damage out, and patience. That's why we keep each other company on this forum! :D welcome
Re: Hello - need some advice
Many thanks, everyone!
I use the blowdryer when my hair is almost dry in a cool setting. Every now and then I have to use it on hot because I don't have time to wait for it to dry naturally, but that happens rarely (once a month or even less).
I will purchase Olaplex and coconut oil to try on my lengths :). I don't plan on bleaching or colouring it again because I like my natural texture better and it's way cheaper to keep it natural.
I have seen people recommending silk bonnets and wet brush. If someone else tried, do they help? I think a lot of breakage happens because I toss and turn all night and it's too short to wear it up (unless it's a very tight ponytail, but that gives me headaches so I don't do it).
Re: Hello - need some advice
Oh, I forgot to add this: my hairstylist always uses a straightener when cutting my hair. I get it cut every 2-3 months to get rid of the damage and as others said here, I'll probably have to keep cutting the splits before I have a chance to let it grow long.
Re: Hello - need some advice
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Diana Prince
Oh, I forgot to add this: my hairstylist always uses a straightener when cutting my hair. I get it cut every 2-3 months to get rid of the damage and as others said here, I'll probably have to keep cutting the splits before I have a chance to let it grow long.
My stylist used to do this too until I plucked up the courage to ask her not to, now I won’t let her blow dry it either (even though she keeps telling me it’s better for my hair.. she’d use high heat and drag a metal brush through! ) Usually I just get a dry cut now to save trouble, I still feel a bit awkward telling her what to do, although she is really understanding. I’m hoping to feel comfortable trimming my own hair soon, but I’m not there yet and it’s definitely much more difficult to do yourself on shorter hair too.
I haven’t tried the items you mentioned, I usually braid my hair at night. Ponytails can damage hair too, and if worn too tight I think they can cause hairline alopecia? I know people use silk pillowcases though to reduce friction :)
Re: Hello - need some advice
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Diana Prince
Many thanks, everyone!
I use the blowdryer when my hair is almost dry in a cool setting. Every now and then I have to use it on hot because I don't have time to wait for it to dry naturally, but that happens rarely (once a month or even less).
I will purchase Olaplex and coconut oil to try on my lengths :). I don't plan on bleaching or colouring it again because I like my natural texture better and it's way cheaper to keep it natural.
I have seen people recommending silk bonnets and wet brush. If someone else tried, do they help? I think a lot of breakage happens because I toss and turn all night and it's too short to wear it up (unless it's a very tight ponytail, but that gives me headaches so I don't do it).
I have wet brush dupes, and I don't use anything else any longer. A wide tooth comb even will tug at my scalp if I don't use the "right" conditioner, and I don't have that with the wet brush at all. I use it pre-wash, dry, I have a separate one, because a lot of "lint" comes out due to styler usage. Saves your drain too, BTW (and I have a drain catcher thingie). Hair still comes out, but less, so it is useful to do that before washing, less knots and tangles during the wash as well, so yay. And after my hair comes out the towel, I wet detangle with the other one. So I have 2 that are in constant use, and I don't use anything else to detangle. Not anymore. I have a sensitive scalp and this is great, amazing even!
Anyway, let me stop rambling.
About the blow dryer. If you use it on a setting that is warm, as long as it does not burn the skin, the temperature should be just fine for the hair as well! So don't worry too much about that.
It is the curling irons and straighteners that are killers.
And chemical processes like... yeah, bleach. That'll do it. :(
You could join the microtrimming thread and get rid of the damaged ends bit by bit as new growth comes in. They will welcome you there with open arms!
Re: Hello - need some advice
Thank you! I will put to practice what you've all told me. I'm glad I found this forum!