Has anyone cured the problem with nape breakage?

[carolb21]

I was just wondering since this seems to be an ongoing problem with my hair, if anyone on the board has lost all of their hair in the nape area and successfully growned it back and maintained it. I have been checking out our black women with relaxed hair and most of their napes are broken off or shaved. I know that the chemicals have something to do with this, because when I am braided up my hair grows and grows.

I love having my hair relaxed and I know from previous threads that I need to stop manipulating my hair so much. I just went a little crazy when I got some length and started to blow it out, on a coool setting, and bump it with my FHI iron. My hair looked really good, but then it started breaking especially after I had Morena put in Sebastian colorshine. I could not rinse that mess out of my hair, it took weeks and about 12 shampoos.

If anyone else on the board has or has had this problem, I would love some words or advice on this subject.

Holla back!!

 

[HoneyDew]

I had this problem and honestly, TLC to the areas, moisture and wearing my hair up is what got me past it.

 

[karezone]

yeah what honeydew said.

Also relax that area last. I know some people alternate, they relax the nape every other touch up in order to protect it.

 

[Cichelle]

I don't relax my hair, but I still need to be very gentle with that area. It's been all about gentle manipulation and keeping my hair up.

 

[lana]

Wow, this must be an old thread. Stretching relaxers in the nape helps me retain length now, plus I texlax instead of relaxing. Little to no heat and regular trims. Hope this helps.

 

[goldensensation]

Luckily, I have never had this problem. My nape is just as long as the rest. HOWEVER, my mother had this problem and I grew her hair back.

1- If your nape area is sensitive, be conscious of what brushes up against it. Collars, hoods, car headrests, etc.

2- Get a softer brush if you like brushing your hair.

3- Try changing the position of your ponytails, buns, et cetera.

4- relax less frequently than the rest of your hair. Since I always applied
her relaxer to the nape last, that wasnt the problem.

 

[hopeful]

You will always have to treat your nape area differently from the rest of your hair, extra moisture, extra conditioning, less manipulation, more oil, etc. and no color, even temporary. It is what it is. That's one of the reasons I went natural as well. That hair still does not grow in like the rest of my hair though because it simply is a different texture, tightly coiled 4a hair that is fine and extra dry whereas the rest of my hair is thick and either 4b (soft but strong z pattern) or more loosely coiled 4a. My nape also grows at a slower pace than the rest of my hair, but it does grow, loves moisture and is MUCH thicker and healthier without relaxers. Relaxed or natural though that hair just always need to be babied for it to thrive.

 

[StartinOvah]

my nape came back. i tried a few things at once so i don't know if one worked better over the others...

i stopped relaxing (main reason for breakage in my case)

i stopped heat (i air dry)

i moisturized it (i never used to do that)

i washed and deep con'd it more frequently

i had the split ends trimmed

 

[carolb21]

I truly appreciate all the responses and I know that the relaxer plus color (even a rinse) are big culprits. This happened once before and when I let her use that color I was afraid that I would be making a mistake. But I have a learned a valuable lesson. I have started babying that area and it seems to love the Mega Tek, I am also using Ojon for moisture. I am going to hit that area at least four times a day with something. I would love to have good growth back there. Do you think that pulling it back is also part of the problem?

Morena gave me Espirit de Canela to use on my nape. It has cinnamon oil and I think cayenne because it burns like fire sometimes. Has anyone ever used this? It is for skin disorders she said and she has used it on several customers with good results. When I do my own hair it seems to grow much better and plus I save a lot of money. That is my new plan.

Thanks again guys for all your help. This board has been invaluable to my hair growth. I am taking pictures and will post some soon.

 

[hopeful]

I truly appreciate all the responses and I know that the relaxer plus color (even a rinse) are big culprits. This happened once before and when I let her use that color I was afraid that I would be making a mistake. But I have a learned a valuable lesson. I have started babying that area and it seems to love the Mega Tek, I am also using Ojon for moisture. I am going to hit that area at least four times a day with something. I would love to have good growth back there. Do you think that pulling it back is also part of the problem?

Morena gave me Espirit de Canela to use on my nape. It has cinnamon oil and I think cayenne because it burns like fire sometimes. Has anyone ever used this? It is for skin disorders she said and she has used it on several customers with good results. When I do my own hair it seems to grow much better and plus I save a lot of money. That is my new plan.

Thanks again guys for all your help. This board has been invaluable to my hair growth. I am taking pictures and will post some soon.

Hi Carol, I just wanted to say to be careful with the Espirit de Canela. I have never used it but it sounds like it could irritate your scalp since that area is so sensitive. I would focus on moisture, conditioning, oil and low manipulation. You don't want to add another problem by setting that area on fire.

 

[Renaylor]

My nape recently started to thin to the point it was noticeable when I pulled my hair up, and at that time I have almost shoulder length hair. I just cut it 3 months ago into a graduated wedge so the thinning wasn't obvious. Thanks to LCHF I found my old staple-Jamaican Black Castor Oil(aka Palma Christie Oil if sold in salons) and since using it for 2 months my nape and my hairline grew back in. This week I may have my hairstylist switch my perm from Motions to Affirm and I also started taking Flax Seed Oil Capsules which should help my skin(I suffer from eczema) and my hair health.

 

[Miss_Jetsetter]

Mine hasn't really grown at all in the two years that I've been on the hairboards I've done the TLC, Surge and all the other remedies and nothing has worked for me. I've often wondered why this is...

 

[Sosoothing]

Any new ideas and advice?

 

[Kinky4Agirl]

My nape area was getting thin due to sleeping on my back and resting my head on the back of my head board every night while watching tv.

 

[Sosoothing]

My nape area was getting thin due to sleeping on my back and resting my head on the back of my head board every night while watching tv.

How long ago did you notice this? Have you since seen improvement?
I happen to not like sleeping on my back so that's not it for me.
I have noticed my nape tangles more easily than the rest of my hair. And I am pretty sure I moisturize it enough so I don't know why that happens. I probably just have to treat it more delicately than the rest of my hair.

 

[Kinky4Agirl]

How long ago did you notice this? Have you since seen improvement?
I happen to not like sleeping on my back so that's not it for me.
I have noticed my nape tangles more easily than the rest of my hair. And I am pretty sure I moisturize it enough so I don't know why that happens. I probably just have to treat it more delicately than the rest of my hair.

I noticed it this summer, when I stopped leaning back on my head board it got better. Just like when we see babies hair that's bald on the sides and back, it comes from sitting all day long in a car seat or baby carrier. Pressure on our heads for hours is not good for our hair.

 

[Prettymetty]

I never figured out how to stop my relaxed nape from breaking. It's just a fragile area. Even now that I'm natural I get breakage back there every now and then, but this is the longest my nape has been in my life. I mainly keep my hair braided under wigs and I wash weekly.

 

[Sosoothing]

I never figured out how to stop my relaxed nape from breaking. It's just a fragile area. Even now that I'm natural I get breakage back there every now and then, but this is the longest my nape has been in my life. I mainly keep my hair braided under wigs and I wash weekly.

That's true. My hair if definitely a very different texture in that area. I had a time period a few years ago when I had managed to have it grow well with the rest of my hair. But I took my methods for granted and can't remember exactly how I accomplished that.
But I figure I can't go wrong with deciding to essentially treat it like a separate area. I haven't been doing that.

 

[Kinky4Agirl]

Also, wigs and anything else we put on our heads will take our hair out in the back too... Stocking caps, anything with elastic, tying up our hair at night, etc

 

[DarkJoy]

Well if the ends are broken and split, you'll it need to start with a fresh cut back there because the breakage won't stop no matter the babying methods until the splits are gone first. Then wear it up, etc etc.

 

[Sosoothing]

Well if the ends are broken and split, you'll it need to start with a fresh cut back there because the breakage won't stop no matter the babying methods until the splits are gone first. Then wear it up, etc etc.

The hairs aren't broken. They are as long as the rest of the other hair but just thinner. But then again, I suppose the area might be thinner because of breakage.
My nape tangles much more than the rest of my hair and truth is, I haven't been gentle with detangling and I think that is the majority of my problem. I need to figure out why it tangles so much, plus be more patient and gentle when detangling.

 

[Sosoothing]

Also, wigs and anything else we put on our heads will take our hair out in the back too... Stocking caps, anything with elastic, tying up our hair at night, etc

I'm not much of a wig wearer and I'm careful with stocking caps. I don't bun and don't wear ponytails.
This has actually been helpful because I think I am finally figuring it out with this process of elimination.