Has anyone ever had to cut their almost bra strap due to thin ends or breakage?

[Ladylynn]

My hair is nearing brastrap length. I had a relaxer mishap with Revlon lye and it began breaking the back of my hair off at the nape. Although my hair is not breaking anymore now, it looking really thin and see through after it passes my shoulders. My nape is around shoulder length. In order to make my hair look full again and all one length, I would have to cut it from armpit length to just barely pass shoulder length. Has anyone ever had to do that? How long did it take to grow back? My hair is very healthy, and since my mishap, I've learned what my hair likes and dislikes thus eliminating breakage. I just think I would rather have a healthy looking head of hair, than longer hair that's thin. What do you all think? I think if I cut it, now would be a good time to do so since it's about to get warm and my hair seems to grow fastest in the summer months. I just can't believe I'm going to cut off all of my work. I just had to cut my hair last May because it was thinning. That was due to heat damage though. It had grown back so... much. I don't know what to do. Is there any way to grow out the nape and have it catch up with the rest of my hair? Take a look at my progress pics in my album. The latest length shot is the wet hair with the red bra.

 

[gorgeoushair]

I looked in your album and it doesn't look bad. Do you have a pic with dry hair? There are a lot of people who have had problems with their nape area and they chose not to cut but to give it more TLC. They kept it well moisturized, plaited, and also they would not relax that area on their next relaxer. You could try doing a search and also you can check out DSD's album. Sorry about your relaxer mishap. HTH

 

[cocoberry10]

There are a few ladies on here that have cut their hair once it reached brastrap length. I remember Dana03 being one of them. I'm not sure if she still posts, but her hair looks to have grown back healthy and thick!

Also, you may want to wait to see if your hair can grow another inch or two before you trim it. I know scraggly ends aren't our first choice, but if it grows a little more, then cutting may not be so bad.

 

[MissYocairis]

Girl, your hair looks good to me and not too thin at all! Why are you cutting it?

 

[wadadligyal]

Yeah your hair looks great!!!!! Are you sure you need to cut it?

 

[syze6]

My hair is about a inch past bra strap. I have some breakage in the back in the middle. When I went to get a trim, the stylist didn't trim that part. She said it would be best if I let it grow out and then trim it. I am going to wait until it gets longer and then I'm going to cut it.

I figure if I cut about 2 inches it won't be so bad once the broken area reaches close to bra strap. It is thin looking in that area, so I keep it moisturized, massaged and avoid any heat. I wash, rollerset, rod or airdry. I know if I cut it now, I won't be happy!

 

[BrownBetty]

I was an inch past brastrap and just had 3.5" cut, they were thin and breaking. I haven't looked at your album but if you can deal with your hair for now and it looks good, I say don't cut. I was feed up with my ends breaking and my hair looking thin at the ends.

 

[Blu217]

The underside of the back of my hair broke off when I tried to stretch a relaxer. Horrors! I don't break off normally and didn't know what to do. I thought I might have to cut my hair to my shoulders, but then I realized after my relaxer it's been growing out, my other ends are blunt to the end, which I dig, and my stylist recommended just riding it out. I wear my hair in curls or ponytails, which helps hide any issues I'm working thru.

I'd say if you can, just keep trimming where you are and give the broken hair a few months to grow out. It may not be as bad as you think.

 

[BK Bombshell]

Wow, sorry to hear about your hair. I've got the same problem. My hair is natural and about 1/2 inch from BSL so I thought I'd flatiron it. BIG mistake. I just keep it curly now and I plan to cut about 5" over the next few months - about 1/2 inch per month just so I don't go into shock. I think the hair is growing out a little thicker since I've been using MTG. I don't know how you usually wear your hair, but maybe you could try some curly styles to give the illusion of more thickness.

 

[SandySea]

Make sure you don't cut your hair out of frustration. I prefer to trim slowly rather than do a drastic cut unless my hair looks drastically bad. My nape is at my shoulders and the rest of my hair is about 3-4 inches longer. I just wear flattering hairstyles and forget about it because I'm not cutting off my hard work. If I wore my hair bone straight with no bump or curl, this would be more of a problem. Now I'm glad I did not cut my hair; because, truth is, it will probably never look perfect no matter how often I cut it. If you're in doubt, give it a few weeks and experiment with different flattering styles, then make your decision.

 

[Ladylynn]

Thank you ladies so much for the encourgement. I'm glad I didn't cut my hair out of frustration. It just makes me mad to see all my hard work go down the drain from a relaxer gone wrong. Anyway, I have decided not to cut. I'm going to do as some suggested and braid the back of my hair and keep it moisturized. I'm also going to do curly rollersets until I see some improvement. I'm going to set my first goal to September 06. I'll make an album and keep my progress pics there. Thanks again. I don't know what I would do without the support I get here.

 

[Keen]

Thank you ladies so much for the encourgement. I'm glad I didn't cut my hair out of frustration. It just makes me mad to see all my hard work go down the drain from a relaxer gone wrong. Anyway, I have decided not to cut. I'm going to do as some suggested and braid the back of my hair and keep it moisturized. I'm also going to do curly rollersets until I see some improvement. I'm going to set my first goal to September 06. I'll make an album and keep my progress pics there. Thanks again. I don't know what I would do without the support I get here.

I looked at your album. I have to agree with gorgeoushair, it is not that bad. It would be barely noticeable when your hair is dry. I don't think you should could it unless you have another bad case of breakage.

 

[Isis]

I looked at your album and your hair looks so pretty to me. I don't see the thinning you are talking about.

I turned my nape area around starting March 2005 by not relaxing it anymore and babying it even more than the rest of my hair. It is now very thick and growing very nicely. It's been a year and I've still not relaxed it. I keep it braided and well moisturized.

I have a feeling the nape area on many of us is a different hair texture than the rest of our hair so we need to treat it differently, especially when relaxing.

 

[cocowhite]

I am sorta in your position. I don't have problem with my nape area, but today I actually wore a braid out without putting it up into an updo and found two hairs in my sweater with spilt ends very small split, but netherless a split end, so I cw, blow dried, and trimmed. I took before and after pics. I was touching bra strap before cut and now I am back to 2 inches away from bra-strap. I will post pics tomorrow.

 

[KiniKakes]

I agree w/the others. I just checked out your album and your hair doesn't look as damaged as you described. I really expected to see long, stringy, totally see through ends. You know we are our own worst critic.

Most people's hair appears thinner at the ends, esp. when wet. I think that, with the proper TLC, your hair is totally salvageable. As it grows out, I would continue to dust regularly (note key word "dust," not trim), until all or most of the damage is gone.

 

[simplycee]

Girl put those scissors away and let your hair grow! Your hair looks good to me. Different areas of my hair grows at different rates so sometimes my ends may look a little thinner, even more so when its time for a touch up.

 

[Kimberly]

I'm having similar issues and was contemplating making a similar post when I saw yours. I'm about 3 inches fron BSL and I would probably have to cut off about 5 inches to get to look full and healthy.. I don't know what to do. I'm on here now looking for some news I can use.