Head damage got me...I chopped AGAIN :( Pics

Heat damage got me...I chopped AGAIN Pics

I still can't believe I big chopped again!

The first time around (2008) I did this

2010 was growing well

2011 decided to heat train, using the brazilian keratin treatment... BAD IDEA!


My afro was just not the same! serious heat damage, you can see my hair didn't hang the same, it was just horrid and difficult to work with! In the picture below my hair felt like Velcro and my twist out just didn't feel or look right



I stopped using heat in June or so of last year and decided to transition out of the damage cutting slowly. But it was too difficult, the two textures were not getting along at all so two weeks ago I big chopped!



I still can't believe I cut so much of my hair again! LHCF was my inspiration to chop the first time around, and again! Honestly I can now say that health is a lot more important to me than length.

I chopped live on camera so enjoy watching my frustration on my channel http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0XP...nGQu6AzwRlkV7MEcMJ6-jqualkyv-90&feature=inbox

I'd be very grateful if you could share any tips you have on keeping 4b/4c hair moisturised, mine gets dry very quickly!

You look lovely. If I didn't know better, I would think you planned to cut your hair into that style. If your hair gets dry quickly, you will probably be better off getting tips from the high porosity thread rather than focus on just your curl pattern.

so pretty! beautiful skin!

Thanks Ogoma. I will check that out, I figured I must have porosity issues but Ive also noticed that a lot of 4b girls' hair behaves like mine.. always thirsty lol.

Trust me, I didn't plan to chop at all that day, was going to wait till the end of the year but I was soooooooo frustrated that morning. I welled up in tears after it took me about an hour to detangle one little braid then I decided its really not that serious, chop it! It was my goal to be bsl by my 25th birthday so it was a very hard decision but Im happier now

The title said head damage I was like "oh no!"

I'm so glad it was just heat damage!..well not really. It sucks that you had heat damage

But I do love your new cut. It really suits your face!

What it BKT or heat that was the problem? What kind of BKT did you use?

Beautiful eyes and lips...you have perfect features. Simply gorgeous. Seriously, I wish I looked like you.

LaughingOctopus said:

The title said head damage I was like "oh no!"

I'm so glad it was just heat damage!..well not really. It sucks that you had heat damage

But I do love your new cut. It really suits your face!

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Me too, I thought you got a concussion.

Also...we have a very similar story and timeline for our BC...I wasn't heat training...just ONE Dominican blowout in NYC when I was frustrated/in a hurry and wam...heat damage aaaaahhhhhhh. I'm one of those people that HATES unhealthy hair and all the effort it takes to make unhealthy hair "look" healthy...I would much rather just have short healthy hair. I grew it out an inch and on February 21, 2012, I BC'd and was left with less than a quarter inch of hair. My hair is now 2.5 inches long and healthy...I LOVE it. It's even healthier than the first time I BC'd because I know what works and doesn't work for my hair and don't have to deal with the experiment or PJism of the first BC.

Sorry...didn't mean to threadjack but I saw your hair and I was like YES! someone to watch lol.

ETA: I guess I need to update my avatar...it's just been sooo long since I have actually been on here NOT lurking.

2ETA: What are your growout plans? After my BC I have just been wearing it out and loving it but has gotten to the point where it's long enough for me to start seeing SSKs. I am thinking kinky twist...wigging it helped me grow it out last time but it killed my edges.

Omg ! You re so beautiful ! That 2nd pic blew me away ,look at all that hair !
Please share your Skin routine and make up in last pic

LaughingOctopus said:

The title said head damage I was like "oh no!"

I'm so glad it was just heat damage!..well not really. It sucks that you had heat damage

But I do love your new cut. It really suits your face!

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Haha! my attention to detail is slacking, thank you!

abioni said:

What it BKT or heat that was the problem? What kind of BKT did you use?

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Both actually, they use a lot of heat for bkt. I had it done the first time I was in NY in 09. I don't know the brand they used, and I continued in London. When I stopped the bKT it was obvious I had two textures... terrible

cmw45 said:

Also...we have a very similar story and timeline for our BC...I wasn't heat training...just ONE Dominican blowout in NYC when I was frustrated/in a hurry and wam...heat damage aaaaahhhhhhh. I'm one of those people that HATES unhealthy hair and all the effort it takes to make unhealthy hair "look" healthy...I would much rather just have short healthy hair. I grew it out an inch and on February 21, 2012, I BC'd and was left with less than a quarter inch of hair. My hair is now 2.5 inches long and healthy...I LOVE it. It's even healthier than the first time I BC'd because I know what works and doesn't work for my hair and don't have to deal with the experiment or PJism of the first BC.

Sorry...didn't mean to threadjack but I saw your hair and I was like YES! someone to watch lol.

ETA: I guess I need to update my avatar...it's just been sooo long since I have actually been on here NOT lurking.

2ETA: What are your growout plans? After my BC I have just been wearing it out and loving it but has gotten to the point where it's long enough for me to start seeing SSKs. I am thinking kinky twist...wigging it helped me grow it out last time but it killed my edges.

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I love your post! its nice to know that someone else has been in the same position. Im wigging now, like I did the last time and my ultimate goal is bsl, hopefully that shouldn't take so long. I braided for 5 months and got good growth but the ratty ends made it seem like a waste of time!

bellebebe said:

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lmao! what is going on here? hehehe

Kindheart said:

Omg ! You re so beautiful ! That 2nd pic blew me away ,look at all that hair !
Please share your Skin routine and make up in last pic

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All that hair is gone now *wails*

I have the crappest skin routine lol, so Im not going to go there, but Im wearing Mac's girl about town lipstick in the pic, match master foundation and rimmel gel liner

Thank you!

It says "Head damage". I was like, what's going on here. You look good with the cut, becoming. I am doing this hair analysis, its helped some ladies here go to the bottom of their hair problems. Here's the link: http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=626329

Endlesslegs said:

lmao! what is going on here? hehehe

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I'm sorry I "hijacked" the thread for a bit. I saw this in someone's siggy, I laughed so hard, I forgot about everything else.

Re: Heat damage got me...I chopped AGAIN Pics

virtuenow said:

It says "Head damage". I was like, what's going on here. You look good with the cut, becoming. I am doing this hair analysis, its helped some ladies here go to the bottom of their hair problems. Here's the link: http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=626329

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omg! thank you so much for this info. Ive been meeting to check my hair out under a microscope. I live in the UK though, I hope they'll still be able to sort me out

Awww I'm sure you'll bounce back! You look beautiful with the cut. This time round use zero heat lol

Ladies I promise you I have tried to change the title of this thread to 'heat damage...." LHCF won't let me be great

Well, kinda hate you felt you had to cut, but your hair is still beautiful and so are you. Your hair grows so thick and full, love it!

Thanks so much for posting this. I had to cut knots out of my hair last night so, I've decided to go ahead and BC. I'm sure it was my relaxed ends causing the drama so, I'm gonna avoid going thru this again. I'm excited and nervous at the same time.

I was gonna just do it but, after seeing your video, I'm thinking about recording it too. You did a great job btw. Thanks so much for sharing.

NJoy said:

Thanks so much for posting this. I had to cut knots out of my hair last night so, I've decided to go ahead and BC. I'm sure it was my relaxed ends causing the drama so, I'm gonna avoid going thru this again. I'm excited and nervous at the same time.

I was gonna just do it but, after seeing your video, I'm thinking about recording it too. You did a great job btw. Thanks so much for sharing.

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OMG NJOY! You have been one of my major inspirations on this journey, as I've seen where you came from and I've been amazed at how fast your hair grows! If you do decide to bc I bet it will grow back just as fast! record and I'd love to see a video

nice pic! heat damage scares me as well...you will be back to your old length in no time.

You are so gorgeous! Your hair looks lovely as well, it'll be back before u know it.

cmw45 said:

Beautiful eyes and lips...you have perfect features. Simply gorgeous. Seriously, I wish I looked like you.

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I was about to say the same thing.

You have a beautiful face. Good luck with your hair, it's going to be ok. I struggle with frizz and shrinkage and I always day dream of doing a BKT so my hair can hang. Then I read horror stories and think oh heck no.

You are such a pretty lady!

And I hate that you had to cut your hair off from the damage but here is what I have done to work with my 4b hair...and I feel like it took me ten years to finally get along with it and learn a routine.

My main thing is only using creamy products, cold pressed EVOO, humectants such as honey and vegetable glycerine to hold in moisture, and keeping my styles simple to where I don't manipulate it much.

I used to use black soap to shampoo but I switched to using a creamy shampoo (Suave shampoo plus conditioner) to keep my hair from getting stripped and squeaky clean.

I also use Tresseme conditioner but I take the portion that I use to slather in my hair after washing (about 1/2 a cup because I have a lot of thick 4b hair) and I add about a teaspoon of cold pressed EVOO to it.

I don't deep condition but after I wash my hair in twists, I spray each twist with a little vegetable glycerine mixed with distilled water (about 1 table spoon to 1 cup of distilled water) then I put a little of my leave in conditioner mix (1 cup of Cantu Leave in conditioner mixed with 2 table spoons cold pressed EVOO and 1 tablespoon honey...mix until creamy and light green) on each twist and retwist with just that.

I don't oil my scalp but I do spray my scalp every night with a mix of 2 tea spoons Hollywood tea tree oil, 1 teaspoon cold pressed EVOO, and 1 1/2 cups of distilled water.

Or you can just purchase Smooth and Shine Tea tree and Olive oil Braid and Weave spray. It leaves your scalp feeling cool, tingly, and your hair at the root moisturized.

Don't manipulate your hair too much. 4b hair pretty much has to just do it's thing and it is happier when it is put in very simple styles like braids, cornrows, and twists.

Twistouts are alright also as long as you can retwist the sections without combing through every night.

Hope this helps fellow 4b'er.

You are very pretty!
Congrats on your new HHJ!

Endlesslegs said:

Ladies I promise you I have tried to change the title of this thread to 'heat damage...." LHCF won't let me be great

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Lhcf, why won't you let her be great??!!