Recovering from a Setback Support Thread

[LovingLengths]

Setback: Too much protein and too little moisture.

Effects: Breakage, Thinning

Plan of Action: Lightly moisturize a minimum of 2 times per day. Pay special attention to scalp dryness (I have psoriasis). Apply specified moisture to scalp (surge, castor oil, silk elements, etc). Deep condition at least once per week, sealing with coconut oil. Limit protein treatments to once a month. I was also thinking about putting Mizani's H20 nighttime treatment in my hair at night. Limit the amount of products I put in my hair.

 

[IDareT'sHair]

I've been planning my Fall/Winter Reggie as I continue to recover from the Major Salon Disaster of 2008. i.e. Overlapping, Overprocessing, Double Processing, Poor Neutralization and Overall Negligence.

Which led me here and also determined to become a DIY and take My Hair Care into My Own Hands.

This Fall/Winter my Plan is to Incorporate Weekly HOTs, weekly use of a Reconstructor and applying MT nightly/lightly especially to the crown area where most of the damage was sustained.

And using various Butters for my Daily Maintenance to get me through the Cold Season.

Hopefully, these four steps will continue to help me RECOVER.

I think the weekly Hot Oil Treatments.

 

[justicefighter1913]

About 3 weeks ago, I went into the salon just to get a trim. I hadn't had a trim since February. I should've known that the woman had no idea what the heck she was talking about when she told me that I still had relaxer on my hair, as she was looking at it. I've been natural since 2005. Puh-leeze. Like a dummy, I let her cut some of it off, but when I looked at my hair, she had taken me from slightly APL to barely SL...
Can you say P-I-S-S-E-D!!!

I worked sooooo hard man! Oh well, I'm gonna this experience and make it into a positive experience.

Plan of action--Condition, Condition, Condition!

• No flat ironing whatsoever!
• Protective styling
• Wigging it till February!

Might try rollersetting. Is it wise to roller set in the Fall/Winter time?
Suggestions welcomed!

 

[Amerie123]

Thanks girl. I really didn't feel like I had a choice...my goal is to grow long hair, and I know I can't do that while hanging on to dried up, raggedy ends. By getting rid of it all at once, I gave my hair a fresh start, and I should be able to retain ALL of my growth from now on.

Amazing's post above reminded me that I actually had another setback at the salon. As soon as the stylist chopped off the damage, she pressed and flatironed my hair. Well, she was overzealous with the pressing comb...she went over some sections way too many times, and I actually had to tell her to stop. When I washed out the press, a section near my front hairline is bone straight AT THE ROOT! I've seen many people with heat damaged ends, but I've never seen any root damage from pressing.

So I have a stick-straight piece right in the front. I'm not going to worry about it too much...I will curl it up with perm rods when I wear my natural hair out. But guess what? No more stylists for me. I will learn how to flat iron my own hair. I can't trust anyone anymore.

Man, I don't understand why they feel the need to keep going over the same hair with heat, esp when it's already straight enough. Dang.. Sorry to hear bout that. I've been scared to really asses all the damage. As soon as I got home and vented to DH, I trimmed another half inch. Then, I couldn't take it, I DC'd my hair and braided it up and put a wig on. I still regret that day.

 

[Nayeli]

My hair and I got into a fight this morning.

My hair won - I made an appointment for a relaxer on Friday. I still have some time to change my mind but when I tell you, I stopped mid-combing to get on the phone and call my hairdresser. If she had spaces today, I would so be plopped down in her chair but that lady is always booked solid.

 

[Khaiya]

I'm making progress, i have 2 inches of NG unstretched and 3 inches stretched! I think i'm mostly recovered from my setback now but i'm not taking any chances, i'm giving my hair a break and hanging in there till December.

 

[tdwillis]

I think I've made a little progress as well. I do like using heat so instead of using heat four times a month I reduced it to twice. I have upped my DC and it seems as if my hair likes it. When I am completely natural, I do the flat twists which has lead to the infamous single strand knots at the end of my hair. However, this weekend I found that serum helps me to detangle and not lose so much hair to knots.

 

[Nayeli]

I went ahead and relaxed yesterday. I trimmed off some of the ratty ends and my stylist said my hair really didn't look thin. I was trying to take pics but my tried and true method started frustrating me.

 

[Nayeli]

How's everyone doing?

 

[Amerie123]

How's everyone doing?

hey, can you post pics now since the last time wasn't a good time for you?

 

[Nayeli]

Which pics amazing? From after my relaxer?

 

[Arian]

Last night, I tried the egg protein conditioner mix and my hair did not like it at all!!!

Tangles, tangles, and I lost more hair than usual. But...when I mixed my Humecto, honey, Coconut oil, and Jojoba Oil together for a DC, all was well with the world again. I did a twistout so I can't really tell if any damage was done without straightening, but since I am doing a 10 week stretch (baby steps), I am going to lay off the heat styling because I believe that is what caused problems last time. Whew...I'm done now.

 

[Nayeli]

This is the main reason I'm petrified of trying new things. I have been in tangle city before. Not pretty!

 

[Arian]

This is the main reason I'm petrified of trying new things. I have been in tangle city before. Not pretty!

But it's hard not to try things when so many women with beautiful heads of hair do these things...I guess I think if I do that, then I will have hair like hers...

Not always true

I'm always so caught up in what someone else is doing to their hair that I don't really know what my hair likes!

 

[Nayeli]

True - it's a catch 22. You have to try new things to find staples and effective practices but you run the risk of battling with your hair. Sigh - the things we do!

 

[TLC1020]

I am still recovering from the setback I had... My hair was shedding with the white bulb so much that nothing could stop it... I went to see a dermatologist and was told for an adult women to have a healthy head of hair her iron ferritin level should be at least 40.. Mine were 18 .. She prescribed me iron tablets to take everyday... Then I became pregnant and the iron pills and prenatal iron were a bit much so I stopped taking them.. Now my dr. do a blood test to check my iron level and guess what....... My ferritin level is now 11 it's lower than it was at first.... My doctor said it is ok to start back taking the iron pills.... So hopefully by next summer of 2010 my hair be back on track.

 

[hopeful]

I am making slow but steady progress. My hair thickening back up.

 

[Nayeli]

Thanks for checking in you guys. I wish you the best of health TLC!!!

 

[SistaSista]

I'm glad I found this thread. This is really giving me more encouragement to stick with a simple regi.

Setback: I had my son a little over a year ago and started shedding constantly. On top of that, I was not taking care of my hair properly. I wasn't moisturizing like I should have and I wore my hair in a pony tail majority of the time.

Effects: Thinning/dry hair; damaged ends

Plan of Action: Since I found this forum I have developed a simple regi and I will stick to it. Direct heat once a week only, wash/DC once a week low manipulative hair styles, protein as needed. I've cut off damaged ends, about 1 1/2 inches. I will keep hair and esp ends moisturized at all times.

Estimated date of Recovery: June 2010

 

[Misseyl]

bumping..

I have something a major setback to add but I'll do it when I get home..

 

[Nayeli]

Welcome to LHCF SistaSista!

 

[Misseyl]

bumping..

I have something a major setback to add but I'll do it when I get home..

Yep, left my relaxer 7 minutes over the allotted time and my hair broke off. I was so distraught that I waited until it dried then cut it off. Now it's hitting my neck and I just have to start over. Currently, I'm in love with anything Profectiv and I knowing what I know about that product, I believe it will grow back in no time. I'll take pictures to document my progress.

 

[aprilbiz]

Long journey on LHCF.

Setback: Parts of my hair had reached BSL, but due to terrible neglect, and over-processing, the back of my head was 3-4 inches shorter than the rest. If I wore my hair down, I had to do a "comb-over" to try to blend it so it looked all one length.

This had happened many times before, but I usually cut my hair to meet the length of the back. Perhaps my wild sleeping is to blame. I have not met a silk/satin bonet that can stay on my head.

Things started going down hill when I self-installed an atrocious glue-in weave. My hair was over-processed, damaged and color treated. Then I did something really special for my hair and applied a "super" strength relaxer from a very suspect beauty supply store. Something told me not to pick that stuff up, but I didn't listen to my inner wisdom. My hair couldn't get a break!

It's hard to trace when the breakage started because I was wearing it in a ponytail, and in that atrocious weave. This went on for months before I reached in the back of my head one day and realized my hair was extremely close to my scalp.

I really couldn't believe I didn't see my hair falling out? I can only think that perhaps it washed down the drain...again. See I'm so bright, I had a similar situation happen to me about 15 years ago. Lesson unlearned.

Effects: Well...missing hair in the back of my head. The sides were still very long. I was in denial for several months and wore a weave thinking my hair would "grow right back." It was not to be.

Plan of Action: Well, losing my hair was the worst and best thing that ever happened. I cut it all off 6 months ago, save 1-2 inches of new growth. I felt all the things women feel when they go natural. It really was bigger than just the hair. I don't proselytize, but highly recommend becoming natural to all.

I let my hair be for now, since I'm working from home. I am using B&B Supergro which has always been an old faithful of mine. Love the sulfur and coconut smell. I've been trying out the whole ORS kit. Will try the scrub soon. Again, I'm still not consistant, but really working towards it.

Ordered MTG for the first time this morning. My hair is not growing back very fast in the back. It's been 1.5 years and it's only 2-3 inches, whereas the rest of my hair that was cut to the same length has passed it up by inches.

The journey continues...

 

[Nayeli]

Misseyl - same setback here. As for me, I must have left the relaxer on more than 20 mins too long. Goodness knows how I still have hair on my head. Everytime I think about how thick my hair could have been I get angry.

Welcome Aprilbiz!

 

[Khaiya]

My hair is recovering, slowly but surely. I relaxed a week ago and the shedding has cut down dramatically and i dont notice any thin spots or anything. I am gonna do a good even-ish cut come december though, then 2010 will be all about growth. This was my year for health.

 

[Misseyl]

Thanks for this thread Nayli and sorry for what happened to you.

At this stage of the game, it all comes down to experience and if my memory serves me well, I came on this site when I wanted to grow my hair, and it did grow, so now I'm going to take what I've learned to rebound from the major setback I experienced recently.

When I first mentioned my setback on this website, I felt so alone, it seemed like nobody cared or wanted to know. Some people offered advice, but, overall, I got the impression that who gives a fig. I finally said to myself I'll get over this and moved on. Nevertheless, this is what happened to me.

On October 17 I used my beloved Phyto and over-relaxed my hair something fierce. When I was in the rinsing phase, I noticed at lot of hair coming out but I didn't put two-and-two together until I remembered that I had overextended my relaxter time by about 7/8 minutes. I don't know what possessed me to do that but that's what happened. Anyway, my hair broke off where I first put the relaxer, the back, so I waited until my hair was dry then I cut if off.

My birthday was around that time so I figure I can say I gave myself an haircut for my birthday. I think I've found some products that really agrees with my hair and I will be using those products to help in the growing phase. Additionally, my hair on the left side wasn't growing as fast as the hair on the right so I cut my hair off the same length as my left, hoping that the left side will grow at the same pace as the right.

I was really distraught/upset/pissed but once I cut it off, I felt liberated. I just have to buckle down and start threating my hair like silk. I have pictures and I won't be taking anymore until my next relaxer in February, June & October. It will grow back and hopefully better than it was before.

 

[TWest905]

I need a plan badly! OMG, I got a touch up on this past Sunday, 10/25/2009. While I have gained a lot of inches in length, my hair is so thin you can see my scalp! :-O I have always had soft thin hair. (I have always hated that!) I know that it's impossible for me to get a full beautiful head of thick hair, but can I get it a little bit thicker?! :-(

I need some advice on what to do. Please, help!

 

[Amerie123]

I went ahead and relaxed yesterday. I trimmed off some of the ratty ends and my stylist said my hair really didn't look thin. I was trying to take pics but my tried and true method started frustrating me.

Which pics amazing? From after my relaxer?

Yeah, the pics that you were talking about taking in the top quote, where you mentioned you was trying to take pics but then you got frustrated.

 

[Khaiya]

Wow, have you noticed how many of us have had relaxer setbacks?

 

[locabouthair]

Wow, have you noticed how many of us have had relaxer setbacks?

If it werent for those relaxer setbacks I would have been APL by now instead of nape length

All my setbacks were from stylists who didnt wash out the perm properly and I would have to keept cutting it to even out the damaged side to the rest of my hair.

I'm a DIY now.