Not so new Newbie who needs advice on hair! *WARNING* Long post ahead!!

[WhereItsAt]

Hello All,

I am a not so new newbie because I lurk a lot but I rarely post..

I currently have texlaxed 4b/4a hair with my nape being 3c..

Back in March of 2011, I went natural. My hair was growing just fine.. In July of that year, I did a length check. I noticed a few weeks later than my hair had broken off on the lower left part near my ear. So I go into a sew-in for a few weeks to see if it will grow back..

September, I took my sew in down and the my hair hadnt grown in that spot.. at all.. So I do another BC to like 1.5 inches of hair.. To match the short spot thinking that I just needed to start over..

A year passes and we get back around to September 2012.. All my hair grown out more.. I do notice that the left side in general was acting like it stop growing as much while my right side and back is growing like crazy..

Keep in mind that I wore wigs with either twists or cornrows underneath it during this time period.. I sprayed my hair with glycerin/water mix twice a day for moisture. Whenever I washed, sometimes I pre-pooed with oil before washing to minimize SSK's. I also deep conditioned every week. I sealed with different oils, as well as massaged with oil with a few drops of peppermint oil for my tingle/stimulation.. Lol!


So in October of 2012, I texlax because I am tired of being natural and I go into a sew in.. I just took it down a few days ago because my leave out was breaking off and I just wanted to air my hair out before I go into another sew in with a closure in a couple of weeks to prevent myself from having any leave out that I have to flat iron often...

Although my left side looks like it is playing catch up and has grown a bit, that same spot near my left ear has NOT grown at all while the rest is growing.. There is no bald spot there and it is not breaking off. It is literally the same length as it was over a year ago and I have no clue what is going on.

I take vitamins, I was doing massages on it prior to my sew in in October. I moisturized under my sew in.. It may be newgrowth there but I am not sure because my hair still shrinks even with it being texlaxed.


I am currently stretching with the possibilty of it turning into a long term transition because I am battling with if I want to go back to being natural or not..

I do not know if anyone is familiar with what this could be. It is almost like my scalp is asleep in this area. There is roughly 1"-1.5" difference in length between my right and left side..

I am confused and out of ideas.. I do not want to cut my hair again..

Any advice is appreciated.

 

[southerncitygirl]

WhereItsAt

we need you entire reggie and what products you use so we can tweak things.

 

[WhereItsAt]

Ok.

My reggie consists of:

-Washing my hair every week with Elasta QP Moisture Shampoo and Condition
-I use a cheapie conditioner to finger detangle.
-I deep condition every week with Creme of Nature Intense deep conditioner with Argan Oil.
-I then put my hair in twists and I seal with grapeseed oil
-I spritz my hair twice daily with a mixture of glycerin and water or I use my s-curl and then seal.

When I have a sew-in, I just wash with my shampoo/conditioner, do a protein treatment for my leave out, and deep condition it. Then I would twist my leave out and seal it.

I don't do very much to my hair..

 

[southerncitygirl]

WhereItsAt

i'm not sure whether that dc has enough protein. are you sure that the technique used to install the hair isn't damaging it? i didn't retain for a whole year because a lady i went to thought small braids made for a flatter weave and i would always have splits....that's not true at all. watch the wigs as well cause ppl get breakage in random spots from the friction. are you sure that you aren't overmoisturizing? i suggest a hair analysis from komaza care as she is studying to be a trichologist and could look at your strands microscopically.

 

[KittyMeowMeow]

It is probably something related to that particular area.

Maybe that area is just naturally short (short terminal length)? I have hair that is naturally short around my hairline- nape, in front of ears. If the hair feels normal, not rough or damaged, maybe it is just that?

Maybe that area is getting regular stress? Hair accessories, purse strap, sleeping habits, etc?

Maybe you have a different hair type there? If the hair is super fine, try some protein just in that area. If it is really dry, a heavy oil or cream.

Either way, I wouldn't BC again if it doesn't catch up. Just do your best with the spot and carry on. It's just a little patch on the bottom- it won't really be noticeable.

 

[WhereItsAt]

@WhereItsAt

i'm not sure whether that dc has enough protein. are you sure that the technique used to install the hair isn't damaging it? i didn't retain for a whole year because a lady i went to thought small braids made for a flatter weave and i would always have splits....that's not true at all. watch the wigs as well cause ppl get breakage in random spots from the friction. are you sure that you aren't overmoisturizing? i suggest a hair analysis from komaza care as she is studying to be a trichologist and could look at your strands microscopically.

I read on here about the hair analysis and had actually thought about having it done so I can see.. Well my current weaveologist does not braid my base too tight.. She braids it just right. But when I noticed the spot had gotten drastically shorter in July 2011, I decided to get a sew in for a few weeks to see if it will grow back and when it didn't grow, I BC'ed again. So I took a break from weaves for a whole year to see if it would improve.. But alas, it still is short..

I guess I will get the hair analysis and try to just keep it sew in and leave it alone.. Thank you for your advice! I appreciate it!

 

[WhereItsAt]

It is probably something related to that particular area.

Maybe that area is just naturally short (short terminal length)? I have hair that is naturally short around my hairline- nape, in front of ears. If the hair feels normal, not rough or damaged, maybe it is just that?

Maybe that area is getting regular stress? Hair accessories, purse strap, sleeping habits, etc?

Maybe you have a different hair type there? If the hair is super fine, try some protein just in that area. If it is really dry, a heavy oil or cream.

Either way, I wouldn't BC again if it doesn't catch up. Just do your best with the spot and carry on. It's just a little patch on the bottom- it won't really be noticeable.

I am not sure if it is my terminal length or not. That spot usually grows along with the rest.. That spot is only like 2 inches at the most while the other side in that same area is 7 inches now..

I did realize that my crown grows slower but it is my kinkest part of my head when I was natural so I expected it to be slower in growth while my sides, front, and back/nape grow like ligthening but are loose in texture..

I guess it wouldn't bother me but since it is on the outside, you can tell the difference when my hair is down.. But I will try to do what I can with it and protect it all year and hope for the best.. My left side is trying to catch up with my right but that spot just won't budge.. I am not going to cut it again.. Ill just let the rest grow out and pray that it grows long enough to take away from that spot! Oh, and the hair does indeed feel like normal hair.. Not rough, not breaking, not bald or thinning..

Thank you for your advice!!

 

[TamaraShaniece]

Does the spot above your ear get new growth?

My front hairline is naturally short. It doesn't grow past 2 inches without shedding

 

[WhereItsAt]

Does the spot above your ear get new growth?

My front hairline is naturally short. It doesn't grow past 2 inches without shedding

It does not appear to have any newgrowth...

 

[havilland]

Do u sleep on that side? Or so anything else on that side on a regular basis? Friction or pressure or traction could be the cause.

I def suggest the hair analysis becuase it sounds like u are doing everything else right.

 

[BostonMaria]

Do u sleep on that side? Or so anything else on that side on a regular basis? Friction or pressure or traction could be the cause.

I def suggest the hair analysis becuase it sounds like u are doing everything else right.

Was about to ask the same thing. I used to have the same problem a few years ago. My left side grew slower than my right, or so I thought. I found myself always sleeping on my left side so I started to make an effort to sleep on my right side or alternate. I bought a satin cap so there would be less damage. I also stopped twirling my hair. My hand in hair disease lol was causing breakage.

OP don't cut your hair just yet. If you didn't have this issue with relaxed hair then there has to be a logical explanation.

Sent from my iPad using LHCF

 

[Gryphyn]

It sounds like you're doing the right things to me. Now that you're texlaxed are you actually getting new growth in that area? If not maybe go see a dermatologist.

 

[WhereItsAt]

Do u sleep on that side? Or so anything else on that side on a regular basis? Friction or pressure or traction could be the cause.

I def suggest the hair analysis becuase it sounds like u are doing everything else right.

Yes, I do have the tendency to sleep on my left slightly more than my right side. I think I might do the hair analysis.

 

[WhereItsAt]

Was about to ask the same thing. I used to have the same problem a few years ago. My left side grew slower than my right, or so I thought. I found myself always sleeping on my left side so I started to make an effort to sleep on my right side or alternate. I bought a satin cap so there would be less damage. I also stopped twirling my hair. My hand in hair disease lol was causing breakage.

OP don't cut your hair just yet. If you didn't have this issue with relaxed hair then there has to be a logical explanation.

Sent from my iPad using LHCF

I do suffer from hand in hair disease.. I think it is a nervous habit.. Which is why I try to keep my hair protected because I have the tendency to pull my hair and twirl it.. I have had it in a sew in for three months before I took it down this past week..

And my relaxed hair did not have this problem.. Even when I was a lot younger and had no clue and abused the crap out of it..

It was a few months after going natural when that spot broke off and stayed broken off..

I am not going to cut it off again.. I am going to see how long it will grow and whether or not my hair will eventually even itself back out..

 

[WhereItsAt]

It sounds like you're doing the right things to me. Now that you're texlaxed are you actually getting new growth in that area? If not maybe go see a dermatologist.

You know, I feel like saying no on this one because to me it does not appear to be longer, but my hair shrinks even being texlaxed so..

I also thought about seeing a dermatologist and having a scalp biospy as well..


*sigh*

 

[WhereItsAt]

Sorry to bump an old thread but I wanted to update. I found out the cause of my hair not growing in that spot. It was a simple fix..

My vitamin D levels were really low!!!

I remember in 2009, my hair wouldnt grow and broken off in that same spot. I moved to a big city and had blood work done. My vitamin D level was 3.

I was given high dose supplements and I went into a sew in back to back and my hair grew back. Then I bc'ed in 2011 and my hair stopped growing..

So I went a whole year without that ever occurring to me..

I got a sew in Feb 22 of this year and I started taking vit d supplements. 5000iu a day a couple a weeks before that. I started out that first day with two of those pills and double them every Sunday for the first few weeks.

I also got my vit d levels tested April 1st.

I took my hair down April 14 and I will be damned that my hair grew over an inch in that spot as well as the rest of my hair. I kept thinking how come I didn't put two and two together!!

I just got my results back of my vitamin d levels yesterday bc I had to see my doctor for something else.

I had taken my supplement already that day and my levels were still just 29.2. Even after taking them for two months at that point. Normal levels start at 30. I was likely pretty close to zero. So that was the problem. My sister is severely deficit in vitamin d and my mom was also.

So I will have to take this probably for the rest of my life.. I will probably have to up my dosage a few times again to get my levels up higher bc my doctor didnt prescribe me any. I have read on here about deficiency in Vitamin D and stunted hair growth and I dont know why I didn't put two and two together for myself knowing my history and I wasted a year of almost no hair growth in that spot. So I am in a sew in again and well on my way to APL.. I hope.