What could be causing my recent hair breakage?
 

Ugh! So I think my hair has been breaking lately. When I pull it back the top looks frizzy. I've figured out I can get my ponytails fairly smooth by detangling my hair and pulling it back directly under the shower stream. But that isn't working anymore.

I've made a few changes to my routine. Which of these do you think could be causing the breakage:
*Bentonite clay mask (w/ACV) for 30-60 mins...I've only done this 2 times, one week apart
*Clarify with baking soda in diluted shampoo (Motions), weekly
*Ponytail rollersets, also done twice

I'd gotten into the habit of deep conditioning, but I haven't done that lately besides the bentonite. So I KNOW I need to start doing that again.

why do you clarify weekly?

Because I never used to clarify at all. And I realized I had a lot of buildup. I use a lot of product still, so I'm just trying to keep my scalp/hair clean now. Is weekly too often?

What kind of products are you using that's so heavy that you need to do it weekly?

do you style your hair daily , or are you styling weekly and moisturizing everyday? Even if youre moisturizing every day, you shouldnt have that much buildup that you need to clarify weekly? Maybe cut it to biweekly?

I use a lot of butter products and I only clarify monthly, I do wash weekly but its either a regular shampoo bar, cleansing conditioner , or cowash.

Yeah, I style daily or almost daily. I generally use Suave Naturals coconut as a co-wash, detangler and styler. It used to be great for WnGs. But now that my hair is longer and bigger, I don't like the Suave as much. I need/want something that defines my curls better and de-volumizes it. I don't like my hair when it's too big.

When I wear my hair pulled back I used EcoStyler olive oil to keep the top in place. Sometimes I rake the gel throughout my entire head. That gives great definition, but it also
a) takes too long
b) makes me rip my hair out as I rake it through
c) takes forever to dry
d) makes my hair crunchy


I guess I don't technically do much that's specifically for moisturizing. Hmmm...I just recently started sealing my ends with castor oil.

Sounds like you need to use a moisturizer either via a leave in or a hair milk.

Have you tried the prayer method when putting gel in your hair? I don't rake because I was pulling my hair out...with the prayer method my curls are weighed down, I'm getting the roots and ends evenly and I'm not losing a bunch of hair. The trick is to make sure to use a slippery leave in, Tresseme Naturals is great, cheap and moisturizing.

...i'm supersonic

Hmm...the prayer method. I'd never heard of it but just looked it up. I'll try that. Thanks, everyone, for the recs!!

WHOA Phoenix!!!!!

Baking soda AND shampoo? ACV? All of that is super drying. Bentonite itself is clarifying and not moisturizing. I think you are doing too much drying to your hair and not enough moisturizing.

You need to cut back on that and start using more moisturizing products. If your hair is brittle and dry it will break.

and that gel has protein in it\

it always breaks the back of my hair off and the very front if im not too careful

IMO, if you aren't using products with silicones and petroleum/mineral oil, even once a month should be adequate. Also, if you are dcing, you need a really moisturizing dc to balance all the stripping you're doing.

This is all food for thought. Thanks! I got some Tresemme Nat. I'll cut down on the clarifying and step up the moisture. Glad I asked!

I have noticed that when older people get mad they want to pull that "little girl" card. Don't think you can just say whatever you want to me and I am going to go along with it because I'm young. I don't care about you calling "little girl" because that just makes you look immature when I haven't called you anything. But if I were you "old a$$ mare" your feelings would be hurt.

^^^ are you in the right thread?

LOL...ok yeah she is in the wrong thread. But I was just thinking about the same topic today, which is a very weird coincidence.

Girl, wrong door! LoL!


😜🍸Sent LIVE from my JPhone 4s using some CurlTalk app. 😜🍸

http://AfroCurls.wordpress.com

Oh Lord. That man made me so mad I'm up here venting in the wrong thread. LOL.


But I did want to say I have to clarify ever week. No cones but I use a lot of leave in, heavy oils, gels. My hair is quick to get greasy and my hair won't absorb well if it is not clean so using a shampoo with cocomidropropyl (sp?) betaine works well. I actually like my hair to feel slightly stripped because my dcs do much better. I am probably going to add another midweek shampoo but one that is gentler. I think if you have buildup problem then doing all that extra stuff every week seems like overkill. I used baking soda on my hair once or twice and both times it was a dryness disaster. I told myself never again.

^^^yea, a regular shampoo will work. I also think a regular non SLS shampoo will work to remove cones and styling polymers (I haven't tested this because I don't use cones). You just need to use a good shampoo.

I use a non sls shampoo once a week. Baking soda works well too (1tablespoon only in 1 litre of water)--I have never had dryness from baking soda. I just use a conditioner afterwards. I haven't done it in a while because I mostly use my shampoo during wash days.

Man, natural hair care is getting so complicated. For me anyway...

It doesn't have to become complicated :(

my routine isn't anyway. Goodluck on turning your hair around :)

So...Ive been reading a bit about hair and pH. I didn't realize how alkaline baking soda is and how bad that is for the hair! Ugh... that would account for some of the damage I did. I'm getting a hair cut tomorrow. Maybe that'll help.