Battling Breakage and Split Ends Long Texlaxed 4a Hair

I've tried a few things to combat tangles even when I was natural, but there not easy when you have my hair type someday's I want to cut it all off.  Tangles didn't seem to be a issue when I wasn't on a hair journey, I can't remember how much my hair tangled, split ends or breakage.  But now I know so much, it's hard to ignore.

Here are a few things I tried lately that have helped me combat this awful thing called BREAKAGE and SPLIT ENDS.

1) Choosing the right Hair Treatment

If your still using the seem hair treatment you may need to switch, the Science of Black Hair has really given me a great understanding about treatments.  But that strong saying still holds true, what works for me may not work for you.  I decided to use the Organic Olive Replenishing Conditioner that everyone seems to be using and I really fell in love with the professional bottle.  But since I hadn't used anything stronger since relaxing almost going on 7 months now I decided to try one of the treatments recommended by the Science of Black Hair.  The treatment I tried was Queen Helene Cholesterol Conditioning Cream.  And I must say it made my hair really strong.  Now to really understand hair breakage a little bit more you may need to get the book I mentioned, it's a process.  I still have crazy shedding and some breakage on wash day's so that's a goal that I'm hoping to achieve.  I'm considering trying the black tea hair rinse, maybe that will help me.

2) After your Treatment You should follow up with a Moisturizing Conditioner

After reading the book I found out that after doing a hair treatment I was suppose to follow up with a moisturizing conditioner.  So on hair treatment days now, I use the ORS Replenishing Conditioner or of recent the Queen Helene Cholesterol Conditioning Cream, with heat, rinse out, apply Giovanni Moisturizing Conditioner, with heat, then rinse out with cool water of course.  If just using a treatment is working for you than keep it, because this is alot of work.  Last week I just tried Patene Relaxed and Natural Moisturizing Conditioner to wash my hair, rinsed it out, applied my leave in, detangle, air dry and flat iron that was it.  My hair doesn't have crazy breakage and little shedding every day which is usually 3 to 10 strands when I finger comb.  And guess what the split ends have reduced so much I haven't had to clip away any.

3) I Eliminate Heat For Awhile

I love my routine that I started out with, wash hair, detangle, apply leave in, air dry, then flat iron on 250 degrees with a heat protectant, then repeat in 2 weeks.  I learned that washing every 2 weeks wasn't helping my scalp because it was so dirty.  And that it would eliminate the moisture my hair would get from the water, and conditioner.  I decided to stop flat ironing and do rollersets and that helped my hair to look more moisturized

4) Green House Method

I decided to try the Green House Method for one week, I only made it to a week because protective styles cause my hair to shed and break more.  I noticed that the last time I conditioner washed that my hair has less split ends which is always a plus.

5) Finger Combing

I don't use combs during the week anymore, I use my fingers starting from the scalp working my way down as gentle as possible using oil or moisturizer.  When I first started I used my tangle Teezer every day, then I started just using my pick, then just the wide teeth comb.  Then I realized that once a week on wash day was enough hair lost

6)  Moisturize and Seal

This is beneficial but let me say that I don't like it, give me a minute let me explain.  If you want beautiful long luscious hair it's a process.  My hair is thick and 16 inches, so moisturizing and sealing it is a task, plus when you try to wear it out it get's so frizzy.  So now you know why I hate it, but it gave my hair the moisture it was lacking and it helped to keep my dry 4a hair a little less tangled.  I moisturized with Wave Noveau Moisturizing Finishing Lotion and sealed with Coconut Oil, my Shea Butter mixture, and African Pride hair and scalp oil.

7) Limit Your Use of Shampoo Try Conditioner

Shampoo may not be the best thing for your dry 4a hair, I've been using Hair One Cleansing Conditioner, but I recently used Patene Moisturizing Conditioner and I must say I really liked it, I think it made my hair stronger than the Hair One Cleansing Conditioner.  I shampoo now once a month with ORS Olive Oil Creamy Aloe Shampoo, when I use it my hair doesn't feel stripped because I'm only using it once a month.

8)  Do A Protective Style

I say what's the point of treating your hair so well, babying it and it looks so great and you can't show it of and enjoy it.  I wear my hair in a bun when I'm home and let down when I'm going out.

9)  Search And Destroy Split Ends and Knots and Trims

Like I said before didn't know or cared about split ends before my whole hair journey and sure didn't know what knots where until they started showing up on my ends after my natural hair got much longer.  I would look for split ends and cut them.  The knots I find I try to loose them with a fine needle, if there to stubborn to budge with the needle then I cut them.  My hair is texlaxed but it didn't forget how thick it is and that it likes to tangle up, I hate when the knots are further up the strands though.  I've trimmed my hair 2 times I know within 7 months that's really bad.  When I relax my hair again in a few weeks, I will wait 7 days like it say's on my relaxer instructions and give myself a much needed trim.

CONCLUSION

These methods have helped me retain length in my hair because it is know longer.   These products and methods keep the split ends away, but I still have a long way to go with the shedding and breakage on wash day's, but it's getting better.

Natural Joyanne