Severe Breakage/Uneven Ends (Haircut suggestions)

[ChitChatChick]

Hi all. As you can see my hair has extremely uneven ends due to breakage. I plan to get my hair cut during my next relaxer (in approx. 8 weeks and was wondering if anyone had any hair cut suggestions?



Also until then what can I do to prevent more breakage and to hide my uneven ends?

 

[Caramela]

OT: what caused the breakage?

 

[morehairplease]

Hi all. As you can see my hair has extremely uneven ends due to breakage. I plan to get my hair cut during my next relaxer (in approx. 8 weeks and was wondering if anyone had any hair cut suggestions?



Also until then what can I do to prevent more breakage and to hide my uneven ends?

hi there,

I had to get my hair cut due to some major breakage from hard presses so I understand what you going through. However, I would advise against getting a relaxer with breakage in your hair. The reason being is that the relaxer may make some worse ever worser. I did not treat or do anything special to my hair though I just went to the barber and said,"take it all off." Although, I am not saying that this is what you should do I would honestly not get a relaxer right now.

ETA: have you ever tried the baggy method? Several ladies here rave about it for protecting their ends/hair from breakage/dryness. I tried it once and woke up with a cold head and said no. I plan on trying it again when I start back wearing my wig more(it is hot outside and that wig gives me the itches).

 

[Aveena]

Not knowing the exact state your hair in terms of moisture/protein balance... I'd hazard to say that if it were me (and your hair seems to 'look' similar to mine as far as relaxed texture) fine 4a/b... I would do a light protein and get some conrows.

Your hair looks like it is either protesting the comb/brush or heat... low mani is the best... there is a thread about low manipulation you may want to check that out if conrows are not an option for you.

good luck

 

[brittanynic16]

When I needed my hair cut b/c of breakage my stylist and I consulted, and it turned out great. So decide how you want your hair to grow out and then go from there. But, find out what caused the breakage first so you can put the breaks on it.

 

[ChitChatChick]

OT: what caused the breakage?

I'm not exactly sure, but I think its due to excess combing and combing while wet to try to do a wet wrap.

 

[ChitChatChick]

hi there,

I had to get my hair cut due to some major breakage from hard presses so I understand what you going through. However, I would advise against getting a relaxer with breakage in your hair. The reason being is that the relaxer may make some worse ever worser.

Hmmm, if I got my hair pressed (to deal with the new growth) and then cut would that be a better alternative to getting a relaxer and then a cut? Or are these equally bad options?

 

[ChitChatChick]

*****bump*****

 

[*closer*2*my*dreams*]

I don't recommend pressing mainly because you have relaxed hair and the heat may further destroy your ends. I suggest just baggying at night. Moisturize your ends and seal with an oil (coconut oil is pretty good) then place a showercap over your head (i usually use a shower cap and a satin cap). In the morning, your hair would be supermoist and soft and the ends would be protective. That's just my suggestion...

 

[nomadpixi]

I don't recommend pressing mainly because you have relaxed hair and the heat may further destroy your ends. I suggest just baggying at night. Moisturize your ends and seal with an oil (coconut oil is pretty good) then place a showercap over your head (i usually use a shower cap and a satin cap). In the morning, your hair would be supermoist and soft and the ends would be protective. That's just my suggestion...

I agree. I'm sort of in the same boat as you, trying to grow out severely damaged ends (but salons here don't know nothin' bout no black hair) so I'm trimming it myself.

Since it looks like you have plenty of hair to make a french roll, perhaps you should start using coconut oil and amla treatments, concentrating on the ends, then twisting it up with some good hair days pins or bobby pins.

Then 2-3 weeks before relaxing, deep condition 2x per week with something like motions silk protein deep conditioner. Since I can't get it over here, I'm adding lotioncrafters silk amino acid to my current local deep conditioner, but motions is still pretty good.

The amla and coconut oil will get your hair in better shape and able to accept moisture better.

My hair ain't perfect but it's much better than it was (especially since I live in a dustbowl!)

Also, invest in a good silk scarf to wear at night. If you sleep wild and it comes off, try the scarf on your head and a satin pillowcase to provide more slip.

Your hair is in a really fragile state right now, but you'd be surprised how much you can save if you switch up the regimen a bit.

If all else fails, get yourself a wig, and baggie your hair underneath with deep conditioner in it 2x a week and coconut oil the rest of the week.

I did this for 1 month and it prevented me from losing most of my hair to dry weather. Try to not let the cut dictate how you grow your hair. You want your hair in good condition so you can get your hair cut however YOU want.

 

[morehairplease]

Hmmm, if I got my hair pressed (to deal with the new growth) and then cut would that be a better alternative to getting a relaxer and then a cut? Or are these equally bad options?

hi there,

I would not reccommend that you use any heat(pressing comb, flat iron, curlers) with the breakage that you have. I would honestly purchase a wig, check out the Wig Challenge 2008 thread it is awesome, or get cornrows(not too tightly though). When I had some breakage last summer, I would pre-poo(deep co), wash, apply leave in, water based moisturizer, and oil sealant and get my hair braided into cornrows by a lady that stays in the same complex as me. She did not charge me anything but I would give her between $40-50 b/c she was doing something that I could not do(braid) and she is such a sweetheart(ours kids play together all day long and we make each other laugh). To dress the cornrows up, I would wear a silk scarf that was folded in half and tied softly in the back(the top of the cornrows were exposed. I would spritz my hair daily with my water based moisturizer and seal the ends with oil. At night, I would baggy my entire head and apply a silk scarf. My hair's health was back before I knew it. But I had to go and get those d*** presses....

 

[ackee walk]

Hi all. As you can see my hair has extremely uneven ends due to breakage. I plan to get my hair cut during my next relaxer (in approx. 8 weeks and was wondering if anyone had any hair cut suggestions?



Also until then what can I do to prevent more breakage and to hide my uneven ends?

oh, i've been there and have the pictures to prove it. your hair kinda' looks like mine did last year. for me the breakage was caused by underprocessing from a bad relaxer. if your hair is breaking because it needs to be relaxed, then i would say go ahead with the relaxer. if your hear is breaking because your strands need either protein or moisture or some combo of the two, then i would suggest that if you can wait to get your relaxer done, you should treat your hair until the breakage stops.

as far as your original questions:
when i had breakage similar to yours, i got my hair cut into a graduated bob-- it was shorter in the back and longer in the front-- nothing too drastic but the back was cut short enough so that my ends were no longer see through.
and as to what you can do now to hide your uneven ends? what i did was i wore my hair curly and/or wore my hair loosely pinned up. hit me up if you need encouraging pics or examples of the cut i got.
i'm sorry about the breakage.

 

[beana]

Hello!

I dealt with a similiar problem for years... i suggest getting a layered bob cut, with 1 or 2 professionally cut layers to rid yourself of the damage at the crown... an 1inch or so off the length would probably also help. Also, be very careful when you apply the relaxer, give yourself a good proetin treatnet the wash before your relaxer and you should be fine.

Btw, i figured out that my severe breakage was caused by years of ponytails, it stressed my crown area too much. I still wear loose ponytails when i workout, but never for more than afew hours at a time and 2 days straight.

 

[caribgirl]

Hmmm, I would not trim at all until I found out what was the exact cause of the damage. Why?- because cutting does not solve the issues that led to the damage- my starting picture (below) shows my hair growing back after a bc to a twa 1 year before. I still had uneveness and some breakage even after the BC. Well, I found this site and decided not to cut again and I just cowashed 2x a wk, moisturized/sealed/baggied and 1/2 wigged every day. I found that my hair needed all of this. My hair is thriving and the uneven hair is gradually blending in and is hardly as noticeable as it was when I started my journey.

So I say the above to encourage you to perhaps hide your hair for a few months and investigate what your hair really needs before cutting. Keep us posted, sweetie!