@Nonie - Thanks for posting that! I have been dusting. I take off about 1/4" every 3-5 months. I was getting it mixed up with S & D which is a bit different. I wonder if I should do it more often...
@greenandchic, if you have fine strands, I believe you should do it sooner. Did you see how badly my ends became after I waited just 4 months to dust? I had been having very good ends and it took just 4 months for them to get so bad that I had to chop of 2 whole inches. If I had been dusting regularly, all I'd have taken out in that time would have been 0.5 of an inch and I'd have retained 1.5 inches gained. So instead of being stuck at 9-11 inches needing 2 inches chopped off leaving me at 7 inches or so, I might have been at 10.5-12.5 inches!!!
If you're waiting till you have damage that has gone so far and then only chopping off a 1/4 inch, then you're just leaving the hair to break off on its own. Strands that are already torn will not stick around. No wonder you feel your retention sucks.
You may have to make a big cut like I did to get your hair to where your strands have the same thickness to the ends, and THEN start doing your regular dusting. Because even if you dust sooner but are still leaving split or thinned ends, you are still allowing breakage to keep costing you length.
If you PS religiously, you might be able to spread the cut over a longer period but IMO the longer you take to fix the problem the longer it'll take to see your hair turn around.
bluehatter said:How long have you been using the Tangle Teaser? There have been other members who were happy with it at first, but after a bit of time they noticed that it was causing breakage and splits. When Mwedzi (who is a hair twin of mine) reported that it damaged her hair, I knew to stay far away from it.
Are you saying that you have been CBL since 2009? When did you stop relaxing?
Nonie said:What PSing and resting of your hair do you do? softblackcotton?
softblackcotton said:Psing to me has been wearing my hair in micro twist extensions for extended periods of time past 3.5 months. I also had medium braids for 2.5 months prior . So I wore my hair in some kind of braid or twist extensions for the past 6 months. I have trimmed each time I removed the extensions. I think I trim about an 1/2 inch,but it could be more since my hair has 80-90% shrinkage. When my hair is not in extensions I do not PS because nothing looks good due to the bald patches which are growing in so painfully slow. Last time I braided my hair in December the patch on the left side of my head had enough hair to grip, but when the braids fell out it ripped out my hair with it. I guess the hair wasn't long or,strong enough to hold a braid extension for a long period of time. I'm so embarrassed. I had to get extensions again to cover that patch until it has grows out again. There are no styles I could wear on my natural hair without the patch being seen.
Psing to me has been wearing my hair in micro twist extensions for extended periods of time past 3.5 months. I also had medium braids for 2.5 months prior . So I wore my hair in some kind of braid or twist extensions for the past 6 months. I have trimmed each time I removed the extensions. I think I trim about an 1/2 inch,but it could be more since my hair has 80-90% shrinkage. When my hair is not in extensions I do not PS because nothing looks good due to the bald patches which are growing in so painfully slow. Last time I braided my hair in December the patch on the left side of my head had enough hair to grip, but when the braids fell out it ripped out my hair with it. I guess the hair wasn't long or,strong enough to hold a braid extension for a long period of time. I'm so embarrassed. I had to get extensions again to cover that patch until it has grows out again. There are no styles I could wear on my natural hair without the patch being seen.
Psing to me has been wearing my hair in micro twist extensions for extended periods of time past 3.5 months. I also had medium braids for 2.5 months prior . So I wore my hair in some kind of braid or twist extensions for the past 6 months. I have trimmed each time I removed the extensions. I think I trim about an 1/2 inch,but it could be more since my hair has 80-90% shrinkage. When my hair is not in extensions I do not PS because nothing looks good due to the bald patches which are growing in so painfully slow. Last time I braided my hair in December the patch on the left side of my head had enough hair to grip, but when the braids fell out it ripped out my hair with it. I guess the hair wasn't long or,strong enough to hold a braid extension for a long period of time. I'm so embarrassed. I had to get extensions again to cover that patch until it has grows out again. There are no styles I could wear on my natural hair without the patch being seen.
I just started wearing a wig but I read that you should use a headband to protect your edges from the wig cap. I lay the headband on my edges and then place the wig cap over it. That way any rubbing is on the headband and not on my edges.
For my daughter.
Hair profile: 4b, fine strands, very thick.
Reggie and products: Wash once a week in loosely braided sections with diluted Dr. Bronners castile soap mixed with oil followed by diluted white vinegar. Condition with Baba de Caracol under steamer.
CO wash with Baba De Caracol.
Oil rinses
How do you style your hair: I apply a mixture of unrefined coconut oil, soybean oil and olive oil to each section before braiding or putting into ponytails. Tie it down. Airdry only. Still looking for a really good leave-in that works consistently.
What problems do you have with your hair: Knots...little ones. I have to make sure I feel through each section and carefully remove them before braiding her hair and this takes up alot of time. Some can be found closer to the scalp, others middle of the section.
Dryness. I still struggle to find the perfect spray moisturizer without glycerin so the search is still ongoing.
@softblackcotton
May I suggest cornrows and a wig for a while to give your scalp/hair a chance to heal up and those patches to grow back. Your folicles may not beable to handle the weight of the extentions.
Do you need to trim so often? It also sounds like you're trimming off all your progress
@softblackcotten, You need to give your hair and scalp a rest from the extensions. Some people can handle wearing extensions back to back and for long periods. But it can still be taxing on the scalp.
I feel you on the bald patches. You may want to put in braids with your own hair and wig it for a while. Your scalp needs a rest. And you need to get to your scalp on a regular basis to give it some much needed TLC.
Honi I never had a problem with knots.... Even if I did, I didnt notice.. Nonie NappyNelle Allandra Any insight? Why do you need a spray moisturizer? A cream won't work?
@softblackcotton I just feel like you need to start this journey all over again... So sorry you have been going through this... If I were you, I will trim it really short... and wear it out for at least 6 months... staying on a strict reggie.... What is your hair type again? 4B? Fine/medium/course?
I wish a could find a wig that I thought was attractive on me. I like half wigs that look like curly natural hair. I wore a wig that looked like micro braid extesions for the entire year of 2008 until my hair grew long enough for braids again (after my BC of natural hair in 2007) and I was extremely self conscious most of the time, (people staring at my hairline and scalp wondering if my hair was real ) Maybe a curly natural looking full enclosure weave could be an option but it have to be extemely convincing. I've never had a sew in before. I honestly want to BC again because I feel a bit hopeless at this point.
@judy4all, That's what I am thinking too. All signs are pointing towards BC again. It would be my 2nd BC as a natural. My hair type is mostly 4B with fine and medium strands with high density or thickness. I'm not looking forward to being bald again.
Nonie,
So what do you to your hair during the week in between washes?
How long do you all baggy for?
From the advice, it seems that I should just shampoo, condition, protein, and deep condition and moisture and seal on the same day once a week... and maybe seal a couple of times a week if needed.
I'm confused on how to handle my hair in between wash/condition days as it gets dry during the week which is why I baggy my dc and/or cowash in between wash days.
I'm scared of this new routine, but I'm going to try.
The knots/matting I think is from the shed hair that gets wrapped around the strands. When I take the time to remove it it's just one strand that comes out. I guess I should work with smaller sections but I don't have that much time in the world. I have to work quickly while her hair is still damp and her hair seems to expand.
Can someone answer my question of how to keep hair moisturized throughout the week if I'm not supposed to moisture and seal daily, nor cowash more than once a week, or deep condition more than once a week?
I honestly want to BC again because I feel a bit hopeless at this point.
Honi I never had a problem with knots.... Even if I did, I didnt notice.. Nonie NappyNelle Allandra Any insight? Why do you need a spray moisturizer? A cream won't work?
@softblackcotton
I have the same exact hair type. I've been on this HHJ for about 10 years now and have had to BC at least 4 times..maybe more. I've lost count at this point. I love my hair texture, but what's the point if it's so fragile and picky.
Can someone answer my question of how to keep hair moisturized throughout the week if I'm not supposed to moisture and seal daily, nor cowash more than once a week, or deep condition more than once a week?
If you really feel that another BC is in order, then go for it. Ideally, you want to reach a point where you are comfortable wearing your own hair out without extensions, just to give it a break. Does it seem like your bald patches are growing back? If you did a BC again, would you be okay wearing your hair that way or would you want to use wigs?
lushcoils: I hear your frustration and feel it all the time my dern self.@softblackcotton
Can someone answer my question of how to keep hair moisturized throughout the week if I'm not supposed to moisture and seal daily, nor cowash more than once a week, or deep condition more than once a week?
Can someone answer my question of how to keep hair moisturized throughout the week if I'm not supposed to moisture and seal daily, nor cowash more than once a week, or deep condition more than once a week?