Help Ssk's...

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Daina

Well-Known Member
I am experiencing more shedding than usual because of SSK's and I am not sure what is causing them? My go to style is typically a braidout for 3 weeks of the month and bunning 1 week a month. Do I maybe need to stretch the hair more by lightly blow-drying? I'm afraid I'm going to lose length soon with the volume and amount of SSK's and hair shedding I've seen in the last 2 weeks.

Thanks!
 
Keep the last 4-5 inches of your hair lubed up, so your strands can't start lovin' on each other. Intimacy of strands = SSKs. Your M&S routine is SSK/tangle prevention (Birth Control). Also, I highly recommend keeping afro-textured hair stretched to prevent strand itimacy issues.

Have you dusted/trimmed in the past 3-4 months?
 
MileHighDiva said:
Keep the last 4-5 inches of your hair lubed up, so your strands can't start lovin' on each other. Intimacy of strands = SSKs. Your M&S routine is SSK/tangle prevention (Birth Control). Also, I highly recommend keeping afro-textured hair stretched to prevent strand itimacy issues.
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@MileHighDiva, thanks maybe I'm not moisturizing as well as I thought? I'm definitely focus more on the last 2 - 3 inches of hair so I will go further up the strand as well with extra attention. I will either rollerset or lightly blow-dry and french-braid this week to see if I can reduce the SSK's and shedding.
 
Daina said:
@MileHighDiva, thanks maybe I'm not moisturizing as well as I thought? I'm definitely focus more on the last 2 - 3 inches of hair so I will go further up the strand as well with extra attention. I will either rollerset or lightly blow-dry and french-braid this week to see if I can reduce the SSK's and shedding.
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Have you also done a protein treatment in the past few months. I hope you locTe the issue.
 
I did an Aphogee 2 step in March and have used the 2 minute reconstructor twice since then, actually just used that 2 weeks ago. Maybe my hair needs some protein weekly?
 
a good trim plus thoroughly detangling the hair after washing/conditioning.also using a tshirt to dry my hair before air drying has help me a lot. Matter of fact I have rarely gotten them since doing these three things. rarely meaning i can't remember the last time i've gotten one.

i oil my ends pretty good as well. i hope this helps.
 
cocomama said:
a good trim plus thoroughly detangling the hair after washing/conditioning.also using a tshirt to dry my hair before air drying has help me a lot. Matter of fact I have rarely gotten them since doing these three things. rarely meaning i can't remember the last time i've gotten one.

i oil my ends pretty good as well. i hope this helps.
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Can you describe your detangling process? Thx!
 
When's the last time you had a trim? I would start there since you're already stretching your hair. I agree with ajargon02 on the protein treatment.

When and how are you detangling?
 
cutiepiebabygirl said:
Can you describe your detangling process? Thx!
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Since I've been natural I have tried my best to just finger detangle but I discovered it doesn't work for me. mY hair is at it happiest when I make sure it's detangled completely…plus I've discovered that I can wash my hair loose without putting it in braids or twist and I still rarely get ssk. I don't really get tangles of any kind any more.

For at least two years I have been using the Magic star comb and over the last year I added the detangle brush to my regimen. After I wash/condition I put my hair into four parts then detangle each section with the comb first. Lastly I used the detangle brush to finished the job. Easy peasy!!!

Let me find the comb and brush pics.
 
cocomama said:
Since I've been natural I have tried my best to just finger detangle but I discovered it doesn't work for me. mY hair is at it happiest when I make sure it's detangled completely…plus I've discovered that I can wash my hair loose without putting it in braids or twist and I still rarely get ssk. I don't really get tangles of any kind any more.

For at least two years I have been using the Magic star comb and over the last year I added the detangle brush to my regimen. After I wash/condition I put my hair into four parts then detangle each section with the comb first. Lastly I used the detangle brush to finished the job. Easy peasy!!!

Let me find the comb and brush pics.
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Thank you!

I have fine hair but it's very dense and I know it's reccommended to finger detangle, but I'm finding my hair needs more than finger detangling. No matter how thorough I think I'm doing it or how long I take, it never seems detangled.

I used the Magic Star rake before, I will revisit and see how it works with me being very gentle.

That brush looks good too, I will research if any fine-haired naturals have luck with it.
 
Ladies thank you all for the wonderful replies and suggestions. To answer a few of your questions. I finger detangle with coconut oil prior to washing and then I use a wide tooth comb in the shower. I cleanse in sections usually 4 twists. I stretch every week in either a braidout or twists with a t-shirt towel if I'm lightly blow-drying.

I've noticed that I get the most tangles and SSK's with a few day old braidout. I typically do a bun after day 3 of a braidout. Retaining moisture is an issue for me right now and I think I need to moisturize daily instead of every other night.
 
Daina said:
Ladies thank you all for the wonderful replies and suggestions. To answer a few of your questions. I finger detangle with coconut oil prior to washing and then I use a wide tooth comb in the shower. I cleanse in sections usually 4 twists. I stretch every week in either a braidout or twists with a t-shirt towel if I'm lightly blow-drying.

I've noticed that I get the most tangles and SSK's with a few day old braidout. I typically do a bun after day 3 of a braidout. Retaining moisture is an issue for me right now and I think I need to moisturize daily instead of every other night.
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When was the last time you did a hard protein treatment like aphogee 2 step?
 
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Daina said:
Ladies thank you all for the wonderful replies and suggestions. To answer a few of your questions. I finger detangle with coconut oil prior to washing and then I use a wide tooth comb in the shower. I cleanse in sections usually 4 twists. I stretch every week in either a braidout or twists with a t-shirt towel if I'm lightly blow-drying.

I've noticed that I get the most tangles and SSK's with a few day old braidout. I typically do a bun after day 3 of a braidout. Retaining moisture is an issue for me right now and I think I need to moisturize daily instead of every other night.
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Perhaps you may want to consider minimizing the number of days you wear a braid out. Maybe for your particular hair after 1 or 2 days the tangles start. Or, perhaps you might consider rebraiding your hair at night to continue wearing the braid out instead of leaving it loose in a "pineapple" at night. You didn't say you did this. I'm just inferring based on what a lot of us do with braid outs at night.

I personally can't wear a lot of braid outs or twist outs. My hair draws up to 1/5 th its length. I always get monster tangles and lose whole, entire curls after wearing a braid out.

It seems to me that the braid out to bun timeframe, how you are styling and wearing that style, is where the issues may be originating.
 
ajargon02 said:
Have you been alternating light protein with moisture dc since? Did you do a trim when it was straight?
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@arjargon02, yes to both. I've done the Aphogee 2-minute, ORS hair mayo and Redken Extreme Strength Builder Plus since the Aphogee 2 step. Also had about a 1/2 inch trimmed.
 
Chicoro said:
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Perhaps you may want to consider minimizing the number of days you wear a braid out. Maybe for your particular hair after 1 or 2 days the tangles start. Or, perhaps you might consider rebraiding your hair at night to continue wearing the braid out instead of leaving it loose in a "pineapple" at night. You didn't say you did this. I'm just inferring based on what a lot of us do with braid outs at night.

I personally can't wear a lot of braid outs or twist outs. My hair draws up to 1/5 th its length. I always get monster tangles and lose whole, entire curls after wearing a braid out.

It seems to me that the braid out to bun timeframe, how you are styling and wearing that style, is where the issues may be originating.
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@Chicoro, I've done both just put on a bonnet or rebraided. Rebraiding definitely helps but I still get some ssk's. I'm going to cut back on how often I do a braidout to only once a month. My hair has also been very dry so I'm trying to work on that as well.
 
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