northernbelle
New Member
Here is a post from Spagirl. I said Supergirl. However, both are very well-informed, and give all of us here at the LHCF terffic advice.
northernbelle
Hair Food for Thought: ramblings of a female African American nappyhead (Nappica afroamericana)
last updated 03.19.03
What's wrong? Common problems and questions
<< Prev: The "products don't work" problem
The breakage problem
It’s sad that most black women (natural or not) assume that breakage is just something we have to deal with. Well, it is…and it isn’t.
The more twists and turns there are in a strand of hair, the more opportunities for breakage exist, particularly if you’re applying straight-hair methods of care. Chemically straightening such hair doesn’t make it stronger, however. With improper application, the chemicals themselves damage the hair’s structure to the point where strands are too weak to handle even a simple combing.
Flashback: When I was relaxed, part of my daily routine involved checking my back after combing my hair to make sure there weren’t any broken hairs on my clothes. Usually there were, and I’d have to brush them off (or somebody would brush them off for me, at work, for example). Since going natural, I haven’t had to do this very much because I hardly ever see broken hairs on my back the way I used to.
Nowadays, when I’m playing with my hair and I pull out a shed hair, I will occasionally break it in two by pulling on either end of the hair. Most of the time, when I do this, there is some resistance, followed by an audible snapping sound as it breaks. This is how I know my hair is stronger now that it’s natural. When my hair was relaxed, I never felt any resistance or heard any snap…the hair just broke.
Despite all this, avoiding chemicals doesn’t necessarily guarantee that you’ll never see breakage. Again, consider the structure of this hair type and the method in which it is cared for.
I’ve been growing my hair out, with trims, for almost five years. Some folks haven’t had a haircut in much longer than that. If hair grows at an average rate of 1/4”-1/2” a month, then we should be walking around with an abundance of hair. Why aren’t we? Because most of us have to handle our hair in some fashion at least once a day, and depending on the kind of hair we have and the condition it’s in, breakage is something that just happens. However, while I don’t believe you can stop breakage entirely, I believe you can control the amount of breakage you see.
First off, let’s distinguish between breakage and shedding.
Each working follicle on your head goes through three stages: the growth stage (anagen), the transition stage (catagen), and the resting stage (telogen). In the growth stage, the follicle produces the material that becomes hair. In the transition stage, the follicle stops producing the material. In the resting stage, the hair's length stays static. When the resting stage is complete, the growth stage begins again, and if the old hair has not shed already, it is pushed out of the follicle and the follicle starts making material for a new strand of hair.
The amount of time that passes with each stage varies, but in general the growth stage lasts anywhere from 2 to 6 years, the transition stage from 1 to 4 weeks, and the resting stage from 5 to 6 weeks. About 85 to 90 percent of the hairs on your head are in the growth stage at any given time, and each follicle operates independently from the others, which is why you don't shed a whole head of hair at once the way some animals do in the spring and fall. A person in good health will shed anywhere from 50 to 100 hairs a day. Out of an average of 100,000 scalp hairs, that’s not that bad (0.05 to 0.1 percent), nor is it really noticeable.
A shed hair strand will have a little white bulb on one end. Some folks have bulbs that are easily visible; others, like me, have bulbs that are more easily felt (by running the strand gently between index finger and thumb) than seen. A broken piece of hair will have no white bulb. I have noticed that, because of how my hair is built, shed strands and broken pieces tend to cling to other hairs and won’t always make themselves known until I comb or run my fingers over my hair.
Shedding is going to happen regardless of what you do. Breakage, on the other hand, is directly related to the way in which you care for and style your hair. Your methods of hair care must be tailored to your hair type and characteristics…or you WILL see breakage. Some things to consider include:
* What’s in your hair when you comb it. While it is much easier to comb this hair type when it’s wet, there are people who believe that hair is at its most fragile when wet. Personally, I think you’re much more likely to rip out this particular hair type when combing dry than you are when combing wet. Water, oil and other lubricants help the comb’s teeth move through the hair. Remember, we’re talking about springs and kinks here. You’re going to need something to get around the hair’s natural tendency to cling and tangle together.
While we’re on the subject of products:
If “Prevents breakage” is not the promise most frequently found on labels of hair care products marketed to black women, it’s got to be in the top 3 (along with “Promotes hair growth” and “Provides shine”). There may very well be products that actually do what they promise in that they strengthen and/or lubricate strands enough to help reduce or minimize breakage.
However, I believe that if you’re bound and determined to break your hair strands, you will find a way to do so, regardless of how many products you use. In other words, no matter how strong your hair is or how much goop you have on it, it WILL break if you don’t handle it properly.
So instead of relying solely on a product to “fix” breakage, look at your overall hair routine and see what ACTIONS (see below) you can change that might help you reduce breakage and, consequently, preserve your hair’s length.
* How you’re combing your hair. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t see at least a little hair in their comb when they comb. (Again, you’re shedding 50 to 100 hairs a day.) Assuming you’re combing correctly, you shouldn’t be ripping out tons of hair. However, sometimes it still seems like there’s a lot of hair coming out. Remember the structure of this hair type and its tendency to bulk up: what looks like a lot of hair usually isn’t.
Also remember that the longer you go between combing sessions, the more likely it is that you’ll see more hair in your comb. During my once-a-week post-wash combout, I take the caught hair out of the comb and put it in one place. When I’m done, I gather the hair together into a loose ball so I can throw it out. Most of the time that hair ball is about the size (but not quite the weight or density) of a small to medium cotton ball.
Your hair ball size will probably differ, but you might want to try using what I call “the cotton ball comparison” as a gauge when you’re combing to see how you’re doing breakage-wise.
* How much heat you’re using and how often. This is something that, unfortunately, I have too much personal experience with. Too much heat, used too often, will damage the hair to the point of breaking. There are women who can get away with using a lot of heat, and then there are women who can’t. I have gone from using heat every week to using it only a few times a year.
* How often you trim. Split ends and knots can cause breakage as well. Split ends weaken the hair shaft, and knots can put stress on parts of the shaft when you comb.
I happen to have the very kind of hair that does best when it’s left alone. However, the combination of fine strands, tight curls and kinks, length (many tight curls and kinks found in a strand), and my propensity for manipulating my hair on a daily basis means that I see some sort of breakage no matter what I do: little black Os in my tub on wash day, one or two small pieces on my fingers when I’m playing in my hair. The primary result of this is that after almost five years, my hair isn’t as long as most people might think or expect.
But because I know my hair’s characteristics and I know ME, I have developed a certain level of breakage tolerance. If my hair started getting noticeably shorter (the way it did on two separate occasions during my relaxed days), or I started seeing bald spots, then there would be cause for concern. But because neither of these things is happening, I’m not too worried. This is the very same advice I give to women on hair boards who are worried about breakage: If you’re not seeing bald spots, and your hair’s not noticeably shorter, don’t worry about it.
Now, after having said several times in this essay that women need to get real about their hair, I’m sure there’s someone reading this and wondering, “Is SHE being real?”
Understand: I am not one of these women whose highest self-ideal of beauty includes long flowing hair, nor am I anxiously fretting over every half-inch that my follicles produce. Time has shown me that even with the amount of breakage that I have, my hair is still accumulating length. No, it’s not accumulating it as fast as some others’ hair might be, but I decided some time ago that I would rather have slower length accumulation and more styling opportunities than faster length accumulation and fewer styling opportunities. If long hair for long hair’s sake were ever to become an obsession with me, I know my hair well enough to know what I’d have to do.
about this site
white women dyeing
my hairstory
going natural: the physical
being natural: the psychological
what is "natural"
demystifying nappy hair care
nappy hair care basics
styling
products
common problems and questions
introduction
dryness
"hand in 'fro"
combing/tangling/knots
time and energy
shine
shrinkage/different textures
curl definition
east-west
products don't work
breakage
growth/length
long hair
future generations
links and stuff
glossary
Next: The growth/length problem >>
Except where noted, everything on this site is
Copyright © 2002, 2003 by K. Lynn. All rights reserved.
So if you want to use any of this, or if you have any comments, drop me a line, okay?
Thanks.
northernbelle
Hair Food for Thought: ramblings of a female African American nappyhead (Nappica afroamericana)
last updated 03.19.03
What's wrong? Common problems and questions
<< Prev: The "products don't work" problem
The breakage problem
It’s sad that most black women (natural or not) assume that breakage is just something we have to deal with. Well, it is…and it isn’t.
The more twists and turns there are in a strand of hair, the more opportunities for breakage exist, particularly if you’re applying straight-hair methods of care. Chemically straightening such hair doesn’t make it stronger, however. With improper application, the chemicals themselves damage the hair’s structure to the point where strands are too weak to handle even a simple combing.
Flashback: When I was relaxed, part of my daily routine involved checking my back after combing my hair to make sure there weren’t any broken hairs on my clothes. Usually there were, and I’d have to brush them off (or somebody would brush them off for me, at work, for example). Since going natural, I haven’t had to do this very much because I hardly ever see broken hairs on my back the way I used to.
Nowadays, when I’m playing with my hair and I pull out a shed hair, I will occasionally break it in two by pulling on either end of the hair. Most of the time, when I do this, there is some resistance, followed by an audible snapping sound as it breaks. This is how I know my hair is stronger now that it’s natural. When my hair was relaxed, I never felt any resistance or heard any snap…the hair just broke.
Despite all this, avoiding chemicals doesn’t necessarily guarantee that you’ll never see breakage. Again, consider the structure of this hair type and the method in which it is cared for.
I’ve been growing my hair out, with trims, for almost five years. Some folks haven’t had a haircut in much longer than that. If hair grows at an average rate of 1/4”-1/2” a month, then we should be walking around with an abundance of hair. Why aren’t we? Because most of us have to handle our hair in some fashion at least once a day, and depending on the kind of hair we have and the condition it’s in, breakage is something that just happens. However, while I don’t believe you can stop breakage entirely, I believe you can control the amount of breakage you see.
First off, let’s distinguish between breakage and shedding.
Each working follicle on your head goes through three stages: the growth stage (anagen), the transition stage (catagen), and the resting stage (telogen). In the growth stage, the follicle produces the material that becomes hair. In the transition stage, the follicle stops producing the material. In the resting stage, the hair's length stays static. When the resting stage is complete, the growth stage begins again, and if the old hair has not shed already, it is pushed out of the follicle and the follicle starts making material for a new strand of hair.
The amount of time that passes with each stage varies, but in general the growth stage lasts anywhere from 2 to 6 years, the transition stage from 1 to 4 weeks, and the resting stage from 5 to 6 weeks. About 85 to 90 percent of the hairs on your head are in the growth stage at any given time, and each follicle operates independently from the others, which is why you don't shed a whole head of hair at once the way some animals do in the spring and fall. A person in good health will shed anywhere from 50 to 100 hairs a day. Out of an average of 100,000 scalp hairs, that’s not that bad (0.05 to 0.1 percent), nor is it really noticeable.
A shed hair strand will have a little white bulb on one end. Some folks have bulbs that are easily visible; others, like me, have bulbs that are more easily felt (by running the strand gently between index finger and thumb) than seen. A broken piece of hair will have no white bulb. I have noticed that, because of how my hair is built, shed strands and broken pieces tend to cling to other hairs and won’t always make themselves known until I comb or run my fingers over my hair.
Shedding is going to happen regardless of what you do. Breakage, on the other hand, is directly related to the way in which you care for and style your hair. Your methods of hair care must be tailored to your hair type and characteristics…or you WILL see breakage. Some things to consider include:
* What’s in your hair when you comb it. While it is much easier to comb this hair type when it’s wet, there are people who believe that hair is at its most fragile when wet. Personally, I think you’re much more likely to rip out this particular hair type when combing dry than you are when combing wet. Water, oil and other lubricants help the comb’s teeth move through the hair. Remember, we’re talking about springs and kinks here. You’re going to need something to get around the hair’s natural tendency to cling and tangle together.
While we’re on the subject of products:
If “Prevents breakage” is not the promise most frequently found on labels of hair care products marketed to black women, it’s got to be in the top 3 (along with “Promotes hair growth” and “Provides shine”). There may very well be products that actually do what they promise in that they strengthen and/or lubricate strands enough to help reduce or minimize breakage.
However, I believe that if you’re bound and determined to break your hair strands, you will find a way to do so, regardless of how many products you use. In other words, no matter how strong your hair is or how much goop you have on it, it WILL break if you don’t handle it properly.
So instead of relying solely on a product to “fix” breakage, look at your overall hair routine and see what ACTIONS (see below) you can change that might help you reduce breakage and, consequently, preserve your hair’s length.
* How you’re combing your hair. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t see at least a little hair in their comb when they comb. (Again, you’re shedding 50 to 100 hairs a day.) Assuming you’re combing correctly, you shouldn’t be ripping out tons of hair. However, sometimes it still seems like there’s a lot of hair coming out. Remember the structure of this hair type and its tendency to bulk up: what looks like a lot of hair usually isn’t.
Also remember that the longer you go between combing sessions, the more likely it is that you’ll see more hair in your comb. During my once-a-week post-wash combout, I take the caught hair out of the comb and put it in one place. When I’m done, I gather the hair together into a loose ball so I can throw it out. Most of the time that hair ball is about the size (but not quite the weight or density) of a small to medium cotton ball.
Your hair ball size will probably differ, but you might want to try using what I call “the cotton ball comparison” as a gauge when you’re combing to see how you’re doing breakage-wise.
* How much heat you’re using and how often. This is something that, unfortunately, I have too much personal experience with. Too much heat, used too often, will damage the hair to the point of breaking. There are women who can get away with using a lot of heat, and then there are women who can’t. I have gone from using heat every week to using it only a few times a year.
* How often you trim. Split ends and knots can cause breakage as well. Split ends weaken the hair shaft, and knots can put stress on parts of the shaft when you comb.
I happen to have the very kind of hair that does best when it’s left alone. However, the combination of fine strands, tight curls and kinks, length (many tight curls and kinks found in a strand), and my propensity for manipulating my hair on a daily basis means that I see some sort of breakage no matter what I do: little black Os in my tub on wash day, one or two small pieces on my fingers when I’m playing in my hair. The primary result of this is that after almost five years, my hair isn’t as long as most people might think or expect.
But because I know my hair’s characteristics and I know ME, I have developed a certain level of breakage tolerance. If my hair started getting noticeably shorter (the way it did on two separate occasions during my relaxed days), or I started seeing bald spots, then there would be cause for concern. But because neither of these things is happening, I’m not too worried. This is the very same advice I give to women on hair boards who are worried about breakage: If you’re not seeing bald spots, and your hair’s not noticeably shorter, don’t worry about it.
Now, after having said several times in this essay that women need to get real about their hair, I’m sure there’s someone reading this and wondering, “Is SHE being real?”
Understand: I am not one of these women whose highest self-ideal of beauty includes long flowing hair, nor am I anxiously fretting over every half-inch that my follicles produce. Time has shown me that even with the amount of breakage that I have, my hair is still accumulating length. No, it’s not accumulating it as fast as some others’ hair might be, but I decided some time ago that I would rather have slower length accumulation and more styling opportunities than faster length accumulation and fewer styling opportunities. If long hair for long hair’s sake were ever to become an obsession with me, I know my hair well enough to know what I’d have to do.
about this site
white women dyeing
my hairstory
going natural: the physical
being natural: the psychological
what is "natural"
demystifying nappy hair care
nappy hair care basics
styling
products
common problems and questions
introduction
dryness
"hand in 'fro"
combing/tangling/knots
time and energy
shine
shrinkage/different textures
curl definition
east-west
products don't work
breakage
growth/length
long hair
future generations
links and stuff
glossary
Next: The growth/length problem >>
Except where noted, everything on this site is
Copyright © 2002, 2003 by K. Lynn. All rights reserved.
So if you want to use any of this, or if you have any comments, drop me a line, okay?
Thanks.
