2 totally different hair types, I need help (pics)

[aprils13]

Ok, here's the deal. Something is wrong with my hair, I think. I have about 80% type 4 hair, I dont know the letter. The other 20% is straight and it is growing in straight, no curl, no wave. I'm not sure if it is damaged or if that the way its going to grow.

I havent had a perm in 3 years, BUT I always wore it straight. I flatironed every week, sometimes more when it got humiderplexed. But I always wrapped my hair every night. I thought I had healthy hair practices until I noticed alot more shedding. I decided to cut a large portion of my hair because I thought it was damaged and I wanted to start over. My hair is thick and grows fairly fast.

Could this straight hair be overprocessed hair not wanting to revert back? Has anyone else experienced this? Coincidentally, this happens to be area wear I always used to part hair.

I just want it to kink up like the other part. Help a sista out!

 

[CarLiTa]

You say you flat-ironed every week.

Then that's definitely heat damage. Unfortunately, it's not reversible (as far as I know).

I am not sure what you can do... maybe find a way to curl that area for when you want to wear your hair in a fro, or after your hair grows out some more, you can cut off the damaged part. It seems significant enough that you would have to cut the same amount off your entire hair rather than just that one section. It would be noticeable.

I'm sorry this happened. One of my friends is recently natural and she went to the salon ONCE to get her hair straightened and had a section that was heat-damaged. Fortunately for her, it was small enough that she could snip it and it would blend in with the rest. She actually hasn't cut her hair. When she wears it in a fro, she just sticks the damaged part within the fro to camouflage it.

Good luck though!

 

[lipati]

Ok, here's the deal. Something is wrong with my hair, I think. I have about 80% type 4 hair, I dont know the letter. The other 20% is straight and it is growing in straight, no curl, no wave. I'm not sure if it is damaged or if that the way its going to grow.

I havent had a perm in 3 years, BUT I always wore it straight. I flatironed every week, sometimes more when it got humiderplexed. But I always wrapped my hair every night. I thought I had healthy hair practices until I noticed alot more shedding. I decided to cut a large portion of my hair because I thought it was damaged and I wanted to start over. My hair is thick and grows fairly fast.

Could this straight hair be overprocessed hair not wanting to revert back? Has anyone else experienced this? Coincidentally, this happens to be area wear I always used to part hair.

I just want it to kink up like the other part. Help a sista out!

If it grows out straight, then thats the way it is. I don't think its heat damage. I have the same type of hair around the nape and I don't use heat.

 

[MummysGirl]

I don't think it's heat damage because this also includes hair that's growing in. That seems to be the texture of your hair in those areas.

Naturals who have this just try to do styles that blend these different textures, like twists/twistouts, braidouts, etc.

I'm transitioning and can already see my hair along my hairline is nowhere as coily as the rest of my hair and I don't use flat irons or blow dryers...

 

[lashannasmall]

twist outs, and roller sets baby

 

[aprils13]

Thanks for all the responses ladies.

If it is damaged then, what can I use?

Also, I will not be using heat for about 6 months. I have been wearing twist outs, but that one section doesnt not hold twists, even with a small rubber band on the end. The so called twist out looks like straight hair with a slight wave. What would y'all recommend?

 

[wish4length]

If it is heat damage, I would suggest the usual protein treatments, deep conditioning, etc...
I have different textures in my head as well and have found the BEST thing for me was to care for the most fragile type(whatever that is for you) on the entire head.

 

[MekyakaKinkerbelle]

Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do, short of cutting it little by little. I know you say it is growing in straight, but I agree with one of the previous posters that this is heat damage. Because this is the area where you parted your hair, more heat is typically used here. And because you've been wearing it straight, it's damaged the entire length of the strand of hair. You may think it is growing in straight, but because you keep straightening, you haven't had time to see the actual wave of the hair.

This is how my hair used to be. The top is wavy and wiry, so when it was heat damaged from all the straightening, it looked like it was growing in straight. Wouldn't hold twists here to save my life.

This is a pic of my heat damaged hair (and my siggy shows my current healthy hair). At the time, I didn't know any better. I was natural (hadn't had a relaxer in at LEAST three years), and I just thought this was how the hair at the top was. Now, I still have more than one texture still, but I am much more aware of the lasting effects of heat on my hair - which is why I personally use NONE!

 

[so1913]

I concur with everyone else! I believe that is heat damage, something I suffered from using heat CONSISTANTLY through out my transition. My experience is VERY much like MekyakaKinkerbelle's and I agree with her commentary.


My only solution was patience and to start gradually trimming off the damaged hair. Eventually, I got one big cut to get rid of most of it and things were easy sailing from that point on. It was almost like a "second" transition period for me which I why I really caution people to be VERY careful when using heat on their natural hair.

 

[chebaby]

this is so true. that is most def heat damage. i just cut off what i thought was all my relaxed ends leaving me with one side perfect curls and the other side stretched out curls from all the heat. the bang area is completly straight and i cant deal with it so im just going to get it all cut off tomorrow. i rather start over than deal with certain areas that wont twist or curl. i wont be using any heat now.

 

[Rei]

.

This is a pic of my heat damaged hair (and my siggy shows my current healthy hair). At the time, I didn't know any better. I was natural (hadn't had a relaxer in at LEAST three years), and I just thought this was how the hair at the top was. Now, I still have more than one texture still, but I am much more aware of the lasting effects of heat on my hair - which is why I personally use NONE!

If I had hair like yours I would never use heat either