Thinner at the Ends Thicker at the Roots? You May Have Trichoptilosis!

Trichoptilosis – Will Split Your Strands, leaving your hair ends thin

Trichoptilosis-  informally split ends, is the splitting or fraying of the hair-shaft due to excessive heat and mechanical stress. Hair gets old, hair gets manipulated, and hair gets damaged. When the hair has experienced a great amount of trauma or has simply reached a certain age, these little nuisances crop up with the intention of destroying our length. There is a difference between Split Ends, & Splitting Ends. Splitting Ends are places along the hair shaft where the cuticle is actively breaking apart and the cortex of the hair is exposed. Splitting ends can occur at any point along the hair shaft, but are the most prevalent near the ends of the hair shaft. Depending on the angle of the split, the tear can reach fairly high up the hair shaft, but a majority of splits simply peel away or break off not far from or right where they originate. Split ends on the other hand, are ends where the main split has already peeled away from the rest of the shaft. These ends are no longer splitting, they are already split and broken off. These ends are thin in density. While our hair will never be totally free of split ends, there are certain measures that you can take to ensure that they don’t take the beauty away from your crowning glory, or prevent length retention.

3 Causes

Thermal, Chemical or Mechanical stress can cause split ends.

Thermal: The use of curling irons, Flat Irons, Hot Combs, Blow Dryers & other heat tools may cause split ends.

Chemical: Excessive application of hair products such as  hair coloring, and bleach may strip protective layering off the outside of the hair's shaft and weaken the hair, making the hair prone to split ends.

Mechanical: Includes pulling a comb forcefully through tangled hair and repeated combing. Rough handling of the hair can also cause split ends.

Prevention

Reducing or eliminating the causes will usually prevent split ends. Trimming, or dusting  the ends of your hair  Will help to decrease your split ends. Unlike Single Strand Knots or ______, there is no remedy for split ends beyond trimming the affected hair. Some shampoos claim to heal split ends by temporarily  sealing the ends back together.

Can You Spot them? Bottom of Form

How to Detect Split Ends? What to look for?

 Look for Little “Y” Shapes at the ends of your hair, these are split ends.

There are different types of split ends…. I have had a variety  of these.

The Regular Split End This is the most common form of split end, where there is just one split at the end of a strand

Triple/ Multiple Split looks like a regular split, but there could be three, four, or even five splits on the same end.

Feather / Tree Split ends that appear all over a strand of hair, either all on one side or switching off like in the image.

Double “Y” Split This is when a split forms into another split.

Deep Split  If you haven't detected a regular split in a long time, then one end of the split just  keeps on growing.

Baby Split            The beginning of a new split. These will get worse.

Tapered Split        These are regular strands but then begin getting thinner and thinner towards the end.

White Spot Splits Pieces of a stand of hair tapered in and then tapered out (and repeated).

Thickening Splits As in the photo, the split has formed but the ends aren't separated yet.

Incomplete Splits. The split has formed, but then joined together at the end and kept on                                               growing.\

“What Are those White Dots?”

Other types of “split” ends are small breaks in the hair shaft known as TRICHORREXIS NODOSA these are areas where the actual hair cortex has swollen and actually exploded within the shaft. You can tell these types splits by the white dot or node, commonly at the very end of the hair shaft. They can also occur mid-shaft where they will appear as a hairs that bend in hard, unnatural 90 degree angles– ready to break fully away. They often appear as pesky fly always when hair is straightened.

Save Your Strands

 Remove the split ends. Get the scissors and cut depending on how bad the split ends are. Keep your kinks well-conditioned and regularly trimmed to reduce the likelihood of new split ends.

How do you fight split ends? Share Your Journey With US

Trichonodosis | How To Avoid this Length Killer!

Affecting Strands Across the Globe 

Trichonodosis

How To Avoid this Length Killer! 

Trichonodosis  (knotted hair) A trauma induced knotting of the naturally curly/wavy/coily hair. This traumatic knot can cause breakage, and lead decreased length retention. These Single strand knots are usually found on the lower part of the hair strand. The knots fracture  the cuticle and expose  the cortex where these knots form.  So now these knots are weak points on the hair strand since the cuticle layers are now bent into a knot shape, making detangling natural hair even more complicated. These single strand knots can reduce your length retention. 

These knots are weak points on the hair strand since the cuticle layers are now bent into a knot shape, they simply intertwine with itself or other strands of hair, making detangling natural hair even more complicated, they are normally on one strand of hair, or more than one strand all together in one knot. 

Because tightly curled hair is not oval or round, like straight hair, but ribbon-shaped and does not lie flat, it creates spirals which when pulled and released may lead to entangled hair forming knots

Half-hitch knots have a pattern and possibly could be detangled if they are not tight.

Shed hair, before leaving the scalp, tends to tangle with other hairs forming knots on its way down the hair strand.

 

How to Save Your Tresses

Wrap up your hair at night. Hair that's free during the night will be tangled and knotted in the morning. Use the pineapple or the mini pineapple method to preserve curls, and reduce tangles. 

Wash and detangle hair in sections

Rock Low manipulation/protective styles

Keep your natural hair in a stretched state as often  as possible

Styling should prevent friction and knot creation. Wearing the hair up means that hair is in a fixed position and is not forming meet and greet knots with all of the other spiral hair strands. This is a hard one because I like wearing my hair out and intend to do so when it gets to my desired length. However, because I know when my hair is out it means that it’s freely moving around tangling with other hair, I keep it moisturized  and  finger comb out any loose knots before they form into tighter ones.

If you find yourself with a Single Strand Knot, use a safety pin and put the needle right in the middle of the knot and gently loosen your damp stands. I also unravel loose knots with my fingers using my Home Made Detangling Mist & Lotion For Curly Hair 

Sometimes, when none of the above works. I cut these knots with a pair of barber’s scissors if the knots are close to my ends. If they are too high up on my hair strand, I don’t cut it, I  just can’t bare to. 

Since making adjustments to my styling and detangling, I notice less SSN (Single Strand Knots)  I do not straighten my hair often so the knots close to the root don't bother me.

Keeping your hair moisturized and  your cuticles closed will also cut down on the single strand knots. 

My Curls Smell Like Cookies! And Melts in my Hands!

My Curls Smell Like Cookies! And Melts in my Hands! 

I washed, conditioned and detangled my hair, rinsed and plopped dried my hair. I applied this to my hair in sections. Immediately my hair was softened and I could feel that my hair loved everything about this stuff. Section after section my hair felt amazing and the smell... Mmm heavenly, like my favorite cookies! I left this on overnight and rinsed in the morning. 

My hair felt soft, and smooth. It rinsed out clean and didn't leave a residue feeling. My type 4  curls were  hydrated and frizz free. And I could feel that it had penetrated my hair. I noticed a bit of a strengthening affect because there was less shedding when I was styling my hair afterwards. The packet was 2$. And I'm glad I decided to go with this out of the other options.  I am very pleased with this, will buy again and would suggest this to anyone who likes macadamia oil, needs a moisturizing treatment or just want to revitalize their hair. 

My only gripe... I just wish they made this in a jar or bottle size, it would just make it a bit more convenient. 

What it promises: Macadamia oil hydrating deep conditioning hair treatment with keratin, is an ultra-restorative, moisturizing treatment that will rejuvenate dry damaged chemically treated or over processed hair. Macadamia oil, native to Australia, is known for its absorbing deep penetrating and cuticle sealing qualities while leaving even the most damaged hair soft and nourished for incredible shine. Treat you hair with this nourishing treatment. I have a feeling Australian’s know a thing or two about curly, frizzy hair.

                                                                                               

How I Nursed My Heat Damaged Hair, and why I'm seeing results!

How I Nursed My Hair 

Back From Heat Damage

It’s not hard to fall victim to heat damage.  Pressing Combs, Flat Irons, Blow Dryers, Curling Irons, the options are many, when It comes to stretching your curls. I was caught in a damaging cycle, despite frequent deep conditioning treatments, and trims, my hair was breaking as fast as it was growing.  I was stuck in a mid-length rut! To give my strands a rest I put them  in a protective style, and maintained my moisture regimen, moisturizing every 3 days using waster, butters, and oils.

It wasn't  until I removed the protective style that was able to see just how much damage I had caused. The damage was compounded by a hot comb incident. My new growth was think, healthy, lively, and curly. My heat damaged ends, were straighter, dry, and brittle. There was a clear line of demarcation between the healthy hair,  and  my damaged ends.  I jumped into action, first researching  the types of damage.  Most hair damage is non-reversible.  What’s done is done.  I began to strengthen my porous  strands with protein,  alternating weekly deep conditioner treatments, with hot oil treatments. If you're unsure of your hair’s porosity, you can do a quick test at home to determine it.

 

Next  I micro Trimmed my ends, letting go of any split ends. Split ends cannot be permanently mended.  To avoid any further splitting, I trimmed the troubled ends.  This not only made detangling much easier, but styling as well. My twists appeared  thicker, and their definition lasted longer. After a day I did not miss those 2 inches of limp hair.

Lastly, I put my heat tools on Ice.  I kept the irons out of sight, and relied on protective styles, and low manipulation styles, for 2 months after first noticing heat damage. The Low manipulation, combined with a rigorous moisture, and strengthening  routine was a success!  Months later, my hair is much healthier,  noticeably longer,  and holds its style better than before.  I made 3 simple changes and my hair has not stopped thanking me. I was stuck in a heat-induced Rut, that was further compounded by a hot comb incident.  If you’re stuck in a rut, I suggest a few things:

Analyze- what are you doing? How is your hair reacting? Research Possible solutions

Act-  Make changes in your regimen, and note the changes in your hair.  Moisturize & Protect.  Avoid heat as much as possible. 

Adjust – You may not be able to step completely away from heat tools, but adjusting to a cooler setting, or using  them less are possible options.  And worthy sacrifices for healthy curls.

Heres The Progress in 90 days

Day 1
 No Bangs! Lots of Breakage Damaged Ends











Began Moisture and Deep Conditioner routine
and
Low Manipulation Styles 

Day 14






Trimmed Ends
Holding Definition Longer
Hair seems thicker, less breakage

Day 30

Removing Mini Twists Protective style
Finally Seeing Progress

Day 60

Things I Wish I Knew BEFORE Going Natural

Transition with Easy Tips

Transitioning is a physical and mental journey. Heres what Curly Girls Need to know

Girlfriends & Curlfriends You'll need both!– Like any major change in your life, you’re gonna need the support & advice of loving people who can relate to what you’re going through.  Some of your girlfriends may not understand, so you might have to add some new CURLfriends to your circle! There are oodles of natural Facebook groups & online sites with hundreds of other curly girls waiting to connect with you.  Join in & make a friend!

      But WHY? Heres Why! –  Be ready for the questions you will be asked once you go natural.  I’ve gotten everything from “Is everything Ok?” to “What are you going to do with It?” Some people will never understand your decision, while others will embrace you on sight! Both groups, though, will be curious, so share your story defenselessly & go on your curly way!
 

2.   

4.   Keep Your Receipts – You’re probably gonna try 20+ different products in your search for the perfect curl or protection while transitioning. The good news is most beauty & haircare items can be returned to major chain stores, so keep your receipts or you'll end up with an overstuffed bathroom cabinet of “trial & errors.”
 

5.   Experiment - feel comfortable experimenting with different products & styles to find what works best for you & your locks. Frohawlks, afro puffs, and coils, go nuts!

6.   Find Your HAIRSpiration – I often hear people say “What’s the big deal…it’s just hair?” That’s true to an extent, but I also understand that our hair is an extension (no pun intended) of who we are. Whoever or whatever it is, find something that inspires & encourages you to realistically start your journey. 
 

7   

      Change Your Status – If you’re currently single, you can go ahead & change your FB status to “In a relationship.” Your transitioning journey is going to require you to nourish it with the same goodness you would a new beau – patience, care, commitment, understanding, flexibility,  forgiveness & most importantly love. “It’s complicated” will be your new status if any one of these are missing along the way…

8.   It’s a Wrap – I spoke with The Great Curldini & she predicts bad-hair days are in your future. Ahh, but hold up! She sees a solution…HEADWRAPS! If your crop is acting up, wrap it up! Head scarves, headbands, & beanies are accessory necessities…get a few in every color.
 

9.     When in Doubt, Twist it Out – The two-strand twist out is by far one of the easiest & cutest natural hairstyles that works for all textures & lengths.  Jazz it up with jeans or be dashing in a dress!

Do YOU, Boo Boo! – Last, but most certainly, not least… BE YOU!  This journey is personal, and everyone’s path is unique. Don’t let anyone “define” what natural is for you.  If deciding not to chemically relax your hair opens your mind to other aspects of healthy, natural living, go for it!  But if you wanna rock your curls with freshly manicured tips eating a double cheeseburger with blue contacts, that’s fine too!

All Important GENERAL TIPS 

• Avoid heat.   Heat can really dry out and permanently damage our hair. The worst thing that you can do to your hair is to press or flat iron to blend the two textures.  This will cause the hair to break at the demarcation line, which is the line where the relaxed hair meets the natural hair aka new growth. The demarcation line is the weakest part of your hair when you are transitioning.  If you must have it straight do it once every 2 months. 

• Put your hair in protective styles As often as possible . Where you're not obsessing about hair length every minute of the day. Find styles that will blend the two textures such as perm rod sets ( very small rollers originally used for curly perms you can find them at beauty supply stores), roller sets, braid-outs, twist outs, bantu knot outs, box braids, micro twists, and kinky twists or sew in weaves.
•  Have your braids touched in between appointments. If you are using braids to transition, get the front and sides touched up between braiding. This is where a lot of product and gunk builds up. Having it touched up every two weeks between full braiding’s will keep your hair looking nice and keep the edges from being so tangled when your take them down.
•  Always detangle from tip to end, Preferably with your fingers. Detangling transitioning hair requires patience.First you will want to start from the ends of the hair while you have conditioner on your hair. Separate the hair into four sections, and apply conditioner to each section. Detangling your hair is very important!! Failing to detangle properly will lead to hair breakage and failing to detangle at all will cause the hair to matte.
• Keep your hair moisturized. Dry hair breaks. Nothing beats water when it comes to moisturizing hair,this is the time you can start using natural hair products to seal your hair. 

• Protect Your Edges. Avoid transitioning styles that put too much tension on your temples and the nape of your neck. These areas are much finer and delicate!!!

TRIMMING

• Set a cutting/trimming schedule.
• Only use hair scissors to trim your ends. Never cut anything else with those scissors.
• If you feel uncomfortable trimming your ends ask the help of a friend or go to a salon. I twist my hair in sections and snip the ends of each twist for a trim.

QUICK TIPS

• Use sulfate-free shampoos when shampooing, or co wash
• Detangle from ends to roots.
  
• Minimal styling to prevent breakage.
• Do not flat iron or press the hair to match textures
• Deep condition every other week especially right after a shampoo.
• Keep the hair moisturized with a water based product.
• Do not use products with petroleum or mineral oil as the first ingredient.

Damn That Damage | Grow That Hair!

Damn That Damage! 

We Have The 411 On Length Retention

Sorce: nikisgroove.tumblr.com/

"My Hair is not Growing"

      Fact Check: Unless you have a medical condition  your hair IS growing! It may be breaking at the same pace, or even faster than it grows. 

  Damage is a barrier that will prevent you from seeing hair growth. Your hair is actually growing all the time, but with damage in the way, your hair is breaking off at the same rate it is growing, which is why there will appear to be no growth  or progress.

How to fight it?

       Fact Check:   Once the bonds of the hair is broken or split they cannot be repaired  Many products claiming to fix split ends, can provide temporary relief from frizz and flyaways  but cannot undo any damage. At the most these product strengthen hair, & smooth the cuticles, to prevent further damage. Split ends should always be trimmed. 

 You have to slow down the rate at which you damage your hair. Reduce is the word of choice used because it is impossible to eliminate all damage. Your hair is damaged to some degree every time you wash it, detangle it, and even touch it.

Lets Discuss the  4 types of damage that can occur & how to prevent them

Manipulation of the hair

Even if you are chemical free and you do have a good moisture routine, damage from manipulation can get in your way. To resolve this issue you have to be gentle with your hair. Take your time, and use your fingers.

The more you comb, style, or touch your hair you are causing damage to it. If you have particularly fragile hair, like 4b or 4c hair, this type of damage is easy to come by.

You might be thinking to yourself, "I am gentle!" Well, if you are experiencing breakage you are not being gentle enough. If you hear popping sounds while detangling, or feel any discomfort, your being too rough. 

Taking an additional 10 minutes to detangle with your fingers will reduce the amount of damage that you experience. Remember  you cannot eliminate damage completely. Taking just a few minutes will pay off in the long run, you will notice more length retention, and less breakage.  How much manipulation damage will all vary from person to person. 

For particularly fragile hair types you will want to keep your hair in protective and low manipulation hairstyles 70% -80% of the time and instead of detangling with combs or brushes you may want to try finger combing instead. Braid Outs, twist outs, palm coils, mini twists, pin tuck and rolls, puffs, updo's,  braids, and buns are just some of the many low Manipulation  options. 

Is length retention is your current goal?  If you are trying to gain length, maintain styles for 2 weeks at a time. This will help you to hold on to the hair that would have normally broken off had you worn a style that requires daily styling.

However for some naturals this is not practical, wearing styles for 2 to 3 weeks at a time may simply be unnecessary. Only you can determine this.

Nevertheless, even for naturals with looser curls and more resilient strands protective styles help to protect hair from damage.

Hair Dryness

Dryness of the hair will lead to hair breakage and split ends which ultimately prevent length retention. You have to have a good moisture routine if your goal is to have longer hair.

One problem is many people do not know how to effectively moisturize their hair. If this is you Keep reading! 

Let’s first start with defining what a moisturizer actually is!

A moisturizer is a Water based solution. Which means oils, greases, and butters are not moisturizers, they are sealants,  they help to keep moisture in your hair but they are not moisturizers.

So every time you set out to moisturize or LOCO your hair, you should lightly be misting with water or a water based product first, then sealing in that moisture with an oil and or butter.

When you moisturize you should moisturize all of your hair, but you want to pay close attention to the ends of your hair because they get particularly dry and they are the oldest and most delicate part of your hair. 

You may need to moisturize each day, every other day, or even once a week. This is all specific to your hair. You will know what works for you by the look and feel of your hair. Healthy Hair is easier to manage. 

Heat Damage

Flat Iron, Blow Dryer

While heat is a useful tool for giving us gorgeous stretched out styles, and luxurious deep conditioners,  it is also good for sucking the moisture out of our hair. Does this mean you can never use heat? No it does not, but if you want healthy long  hair you should cut down your usage of heat down to the bare minimum.

When you frequently use heat, you will also find that you will have to trim your hair more often, which again results in lack of length retention.

You also have to keep in mind that you may not have a consistency in style if you continuously heat style your hair. High heat will cause permanent straightening of hair strands for some naturals.

If you are transitioning this is why you should avoid flat irons and hot combs for a few months. You wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between relaxed hair and the hair that has been permanently altered from heat damage.

If you must have heat in your regimen do not use it more than once every 2 to 3 weeks. Try to stretch out the time you use heat as long as you can! Air dry overnight. Rock twists, and braids instead of blow drying. 

I challenge you to try going 6 months without using heat styling tools in your hair. You will see a big improvement in your hair’s health.

There a other methods for stretching hair like banding, if you want stretched out hair.

Chemical Damage

Dye and Relaxers

Relaxers, Texturizers, and Hair Dyes will all cause some form of damage to the hair, because of the drastic changes that it does to the hair’s structure.

If you are a transitioner, you will notice that your relaxer may even be breaking off on it’s own. This is most likely due to the differences in the two hair textures that you have on your head, (the curls and bends represent weak points) and your ends are weathered from time while also being weakened from the relaxer.

During your transitioning stage, you will want to practice all of the above:  protective styles, no heat, and moisture. As time goes on you will slowly trim away your relaxed or texturized ends.

Hair dye, especially if you are going to a lighter shade is drying to the hair. If you decide to permanently color your hair you will have to be strict with your moisturizing and deep conditioning routine. Otherwise, your hair will become dry and ultimately break. Be sure to listen to your hair. Some Curly girls Keep a hair diary. 

Damn That Damage Over Time

It Takes Time 

Remember you have to be consistent with good hair care practices. You cannot use heat daily, constantly manipulate your hair, and then expect for it to grow just because you slapped some moisturizer on your strands a few nights.

Give your hair a few months or so of using good hair care in order to see significantly healthier hair and growth. Progress will not happen over night. Track your progress with selfies, you'll have a great time looking back on your styles and phases on your natural hair journey. 

Cover It Up

When Pillows Attack

Cotton pillow cases rob your hair of its moisture. Its coarse fibers are abrasive to your strands. Over time, this can cause breakage. As you toss and turn, your hair is being attacked. Cover your hair at night, or use a silk or satin pillow case to protect your strands.