QuoteReplyTopic: Hair get damaged/fall off if you keep in braids too long? Posted: January 27 2005 at 7:09am
I heard that if you leave in your braids for too long your hair can be damaged beyond disrepair and possibly fall off. I've left my braids in for more than a month now because the woman who braided my hair left on vacation and i literally couldn''y find ANYONE else to braid my hair around my way. And i just can't go out every day with my massive fro because the cold weather would probably dry it up and blow it around everywhere. Plus i'd have to deal with ignorant people clowning me with my fro. So i just kept in my braids ans wore a du-rag at all times. Lucikily since i'm done with HS i had nowhere to go this past month pretty much. I'm finally taking off my braids regardless this weekend but i'm afraid that it might be too damaged or fall off. More than 1 1/2 years worth of hair could be gone. Well, is this true? I do have some hair-repairing conditioner for my supposedly kind of hair that my moms suggested to me,but i don't know if that will be enough..........
You sure? I think i may have miscalculated and i might just have had these braids on for 2 months because it's really been a long while since i got them. I might have done a big mistake waiting for my braider,but i had no choice since during the first month i was going out almost every day and was kept occupied. Is there any way i can rehabilitate my hair after being in braids for so long? I have Afro-Carribean hair of course and we all know how much of a ***** it is to maintain. I see what i can do throughout February to rehab it so to speak, if it's too damaged than i may just cut it all off at the beginning of March. Cut off almost 2 years worth of hair. So i hope you guys can help me out because the only products i got for my hair are Head & Shoulders shampoo and some weird but effective off-brand conditioners that are supposed to "repair your hair"..............
eKatherine
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You don't know yet if your hair is damaged, so it's too early to plan to cut it off. Maybe it's not too late. What you need to do is start treating your hair with oil, like jojoba, coconut oil, and cocoa butter. The only reason keeping your hair in braids (as you have been doing) might be damaging would be that you let it dry out while it was in the braids. If that's the case, you'll find the damage when you take it down.
Good luck.
Just looking for a few good hair slaves - is that too much to ask?
JustHaze
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Well, i just finished taking off my braids. Had to do a hell of a lot of picking with my pick obviously to remove the dead hair. I really can't tell if it's damaged as my hair has always looked dry & nappy. My regimen to wash my hair was bascially Head& Shoulders+"hair repairing" conditioner. After i step out of the shower i just blow dry & pick it until it's moderately dry. My mother (who removed my braids because it wouldn't take as long) told me that my hair is seriously broken & deteriorated and that i should cut it all off. Of course i'm still not certain. I just don't want to do anything hasty. but if necessary than yes i would cut off all my hair.
When i had my braids on i put on nothing, as from the beginning i felt no itching at all. Guess that was a big mistake. So what now?
Another question,could it be possible that at my age (18) my hairline could be receding,possibly from doing braids so often or maybe this recent time by keeping them in too long? I dunno, maybe i'm just paranoid........
BTW, i'm male. >_>
eKatherine
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Well, i just finished taking off my braids. Had to do a hell of a lot of picking with my pick obviously to remove the dead hair. I really can't tell if it's damaged as my hair has always looked dry & nappy. My regimen to wash my hair was bascially Head& Shoulders+"hair repairing" conditioner. After i step out of the shower i just blow dry & pick it until it's moderately dry. My mother (who removed my braids because it wouldn't take as long) told me that my hair is seriously broken & deteriorated and that i should cut it all off. Of course i'm still not certain. I just don't want to do anything hasty. but if necessary than yes i would cut off all my hair.
Head and Shoulders is very harsh on the hair. Products that call themselves "repairing" conditioners are often anything but. They usually just put a coating on the hair that makes it look better at first. Soon they build up and cause breakage (buildup can be removed with regular rinses of 1 cup vinegar in 1 quart of warm water). Meanwhile, they have not remedied your original problems, so you get even more breakage.
Blow-drying is damaging, as is any heat styling. Better to wrap your head in a towel to blot it dry enough so that it's no longer dripping, then let it air dry on its own. The less you handle your hair the better.
How long is your hair now? I suggest a 1/2" trim a month until it is healthier. The first trim you may want to take off a bit more.
hen i had my braids on i put on nothing, as from the beginning i felt no itching at all. Guess that was a big mistake. So what now?
nother question,could it be possible that at my age (18) my hairline could be receding,possibly from doing braids so often or maybe this recent time by keeping them in too long? I dunno, maybe i'm just paranoid........
BTW, i'm male. >_>
If your hairline is receding, it's probably male pattern baldness, unrelated to normal braiding. But it's also possible you're just paranoid.
Just looking for a few good hair slaves - is that too much to ask?
cmesweet
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the only way to know if your hair is receding is to use comparison pics, to compare where your hair was before. If you are getting your braids put in too tight, there is a high risk of your hair receding from that.
You should not blow dry your hair, only comb your hair when damp or wet, never dry. It can be painful dry and u can loose and break off hair by doing so.
Natural
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JustHaze
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I don't think there is any hereditary hair loss in my family as far as i know of and can see. I dunno,maybe i am paranoid. I think i have almost reached a final decision: i'm going to let my hair rest for 2 weeks while washing it with what i've got (Head & Shoulders+random conditioner) and get my final set of braids. Then,at the beginning of March, i'm going to cut all my hair up and just get a simple haircut like i used to back in the days. Yes, it might be almost 2 years worth of hair gone, but i've mistreated it for way too long. And all of this is way too high-maintenance for me at this time. It will be odd to see my first haircut after a couple of years.
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Well, is this true? I do have some hair-repairing conditioner for my supposedly kind of hair that my moms suggested to me,but i don't know if that will be enough..........
JustHaze wrote:
