by
Black Girl With Long Hair
Popular natural hair vlogger Jenell of KinkyCurlyCoilyMe.com is opening up about the devastating effects of a ‘protective weave’ that she kept in for over a month. After taking the weave down she experienced massive shedding and breakage, and a serious loss of thickness. She believes that a combination of rough combing (to get her hair straight for the weave installation), tight braiding of her hair beneath the weave, and installation of the weave directly to her hair instead of a weave cap are to blame. She shares her story in the video below. It is long (16 minutes) but worth the listen for those considering weave as a protective style.
Ladies, what are your thoughts?
107 Responses
I agree that people should be able to wear whatever they want one their heads. I’m 4 years natural but never considered a weave because almost all of my natural friends with them have massive damage. My hair is too thin to risk it. Some ladies have stronger hair and can handle a weave. We’re all different and shouldn’t come down on our sisters for something so silly.
I’m extremely disappointed by some these narcissistic “My natural hair makes me superior to you!” comments. It’s sad and pathetic. If all you have going for you is what’s coming out of your scalp, you need to get a real life.
You are dividing yourself based on hair. OMG worry whats going on inside of your versus what’s growing out it. Geez, reading the comments on her almost made my IQ plummet.
If a woman wants to wear weave, let her be. If she wants to wear natural hair, let her be. Black women-I am Black, stop putting so much energy into stupid shit like this! GET your degrees, challenge yourselves and put that energy into something worthwhile.
P
I had a weave done for the 1st time about 2 months ago. I did it to ease styling my hair which is always a time consuming ordeal and I never get it to look right because it’s so thin and simply refuses to grow despite eating very healthy and taking biotin for years now. I’m 33 yrs old. My hair was greatly damaged over a year ago when I decided to relax it for the first time in my life. I am the only one in my family with frizzy curly hair so I never learned how to take care of it or all the treatments out there for my type of hair. Well, I had the weave taken off today and I am shocked just how limp and thin my hair is, worse than before. I did wash it at least every other day. I made sure to get under the weave and rub my scalp. I didn’t put oils because I have read it’s not good to clot your hair follicles with products, doing so will impede hair growth.
So, I am going to do it again and cover all my hair. Last time they left my front hair out to cover the treads but that really didn’t work well for me because the weave was so much fuller and thicker that my front hair, it was pretty obvious, it was a weave and not very well done.
Having my hair natural, is a hassle. I need to pull my hair back in a bun for work. My hair is so thin, Bobby pins slip out.
The person who said women who wear weaves are lazy, I could not disagree more. I stay physically active, running, swimming and working out when time off work permits. I will not allow my hair issues to interfere with living a full life. I know some women will avoid doing anything that will oblige them to wash their hair for fear of ruining whatever thing they did to their hair. Not I, freeing up time and frustration from having to style my uncooperative hair is not being lazy but efficient. Now washing my hair took way longer with a weave, but styling it was so easy. I have never been one to spend hours beautifying myself. It’s not a priority but I do like to be clean and neat and curly thin frizzy hair is very difficult to make look neat, especially since it’s still too short in many areas. Later this week, on my next day off I’ll go back to the salon and tell the girl not to make my braids tight. Perhaps my hair seems and feels so limp and thin because the girl washed it and blow dried it and somehow sucked out any body and volume from it. I’ll see in the next few days if my hair did truly get damaged. It’s been bad for so long now, I am not too devastated. Relaxing it, that was the biggest mistake, my hair was too thin for such harsh chemicals. The stuff seeped right onto my scalp, burning me and causing massive hair loss. Ever since I have been struggling to get my hair healthy but even before that I was struggling with limp hair, that just made it really bad.
I truly can’t believe the childish and pettiness of the comments here. WHAT difference does it make to you what someone else is wearing on their head??? This I’m better that you mentality in regard to natural vs. weave is absolutely beyond childish.
Why don’t you spend time discussing the enormous plight of single-parent homes, the lack of men in the household, which Stocks are best for your Portfolio, creating forums to discuss the overwhelming statistical facts regarding HIV in our community etc.??
Oh, yes I forgot, your’e more concerned about which grease to oil your scalp with!!
Ridiculousness!!!
I agree 110% with the comment from “It’s not about what’s on your head, it’s about what’s in it. I’m a educated Black female with 13 inches of natural “growth” of hair on my head. I choose to wear my hair in the style and manner that suits “me”.
It’s very ridiculous to see this pervasive mentality of comments leaning towards “I’m better than you, because my hair is “Natural”. It reminds me of the justification of weak mentalities that rationalizes the concept of “I’m better than you because my skin is white”.
Whether you are a Natural or Weave wearing individual, better brain energy can be utilized by addressing issues of much more substance, other than my hair is better than your hair.
While your children or relatives are being killed by gun violence, or languishing in educational poverty, you females are debating on which hair texture is better???
Let’s elevate our conversation beyond the elementary playground!!
All of you naturals bashing weave wearers are so ridiculous. Omg, let’s give you all trophies for been “true” naturals. Like who the hell really cares? I applaud you all for going natural, particularly afro Americans; as I know natural hair for you is associated accepting your blackness more than anything else. From what I gather alot of you were conditioned to believe straight hair is good, natural hair bad etc. So great for you! But to attack weave wearers? Seriously? You sound like morons when you do. I personally have natural hair which I NEVER EVER carry out in the open. The only reason I have natural hair is because my sister convinced me to grow it(I kept it short under my lacefront prior to that), and I thought, why the hell not. So I stopped cutting my hair. I do not desire to be in your privy natural hair club, and do not call myself a natural or unnatural either. I am simply someone who will always chose ease and functionality period. I simply can’t and won’t be bothered to spend the 3 hours daily that comes with natural hair upkeep, I’d rather spend that time napping or staring into space than waste it on my hair every single day. Again, kudos to you if you want to, it’s all about priorities and hair, simply is not mine.
haha I have natural kinky hair without weave i spent 5 minutes per day on it lol. You just don’t know some tips to save time with your hair. no need a weave for that
Wow…these comments are WAY to harsh on both ends and TBH quite unnecessary. I personally refuse to wear any type of hair extensions BUT that is MY personal preference based upon how it damaged my already thin hair while I was relaxed. I am not opposed to anyone wearing hair weave, however I chose NOT to recommend it as an option, instead I recommend protective styling with one’s own hair. Instead of brutalizing each other, remember that we all went natural for our own reasons, whether we wear a weave while natural is one’s personal decision. We should be supporting each other in our NATURAL journey. I believe that everyone has a goal to have HEALTHY HAIR so if that involves hair extensions or using our own hair, then so be it. I will say that I have had many concerns placed on our forum pertaining to the damage created from wearing extensions long term….it could have been due to lack of care or due to installation issues i.e to tight. I have seen concerns pertaining to continuous flat ironing and irreversible damages….if it is worth the risk, then take it but the name calling and referencing the Color Purple sends a very negative impact to not just hair but to culture and it is sadly statements such as that, that have more women not feeling confident about their hair, the bodies and overall as black women.
Cynthia from house wife of Atlanta her hair is really short. She wears wigs and full wavees since her hair is too short to leave out. Most of the black reality stars or movies stars wear full wavees or wigs example Viola Davis (look at her short do from the recent Oprah’s interview ). Thats why one episode the hair is long then the next they have short hair. Trina admitted wearing wigs and she event stated when she got arrested they wouldn’t let? her wear her wig. I have natural hair so at h
Naturefro you sound as tho you’re experiencing some serious life issue right now. Who are you to even spew names at ppl for their opinion. I’ve learned in life “never to say never” because you just Never know.
I have about 18-20 inches of hair WITH THE HELP OF WEAVE. My hair has always been about 18 inches but would grow thin. So i decided to protective style With weave that I once knocked and, well, HELLO????????.
I think some if you naturals are more mentally trained than realistic. And i’ll take the heat for this, but if you dont have nicely textured hair, and wLking around with a poof of ugly, Celi from “color purple” rough-life harshness, please Sit Felicia.
[img]https://bglh-marketplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/image-13.jpg[/img]
People don’t understand the term that “we’re all different.” Yes we may have some type of relative similarities due to race and hair or anything else, but when you try and bash on people who take care of their hair in a different way, do you think harrassment and cussing them out will work? … Arguments like these aren’t worth it, especially to someone you don’t even know. Naturals that don’t wear weave, good for you keep doing what you’re doing. Naturals that do wear weave good for you keep doing what you’re doing. K. That’s all.
I’m natural to the core, but I’m not going to knock another sista for her choices. At the end of the day, it’s HER hair, not mine. I keep my hair fly as hell and put in work to get it that way. She can do her thing and I’ll most definitely do mine but I’m not ever going to try to make her feel “less than” because her hair isn’t natural.
The operative phrase is: Do You!
Some of these people need to calm all the way down on that ish!
Everyone holds their own opinion , I know that for a fact but I honestly don’t think weaves are that bad. I’m a dancer and I sweat very easily so my hair does not hold any style. To compensate I wear sew-ins for six to eight weeks. I don’t leave any of my hair out because I don’t want to over use heat trying to get it to blend in. After protective styling you will have some shedding . Your hair sheds everyday and by having it under a weave or braided for so long it’s going to shed! Black hair is very versatile and I feel like we should be able to embrace all the hundreds of ways to wear it. Being natural only gives us that much more versatility it shouldn’t limit us. I’m 17 and I’ve been transitioning for almost a year now. I’m not the most educated on natural hair but I’m learning. But to say all these things and insult black women for wearing their hair a way that they like it only hurts us as a community.
The pictures other than the top left are from before the summer. The top left was sometime this month
[img]https://bglh-marketplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/image-32.jpg[/img]
Lol, I’m amused by this, but also a little disappointed. I’m happy with the new look of black women with regards to wearing their kinky hair. However, I’m fed up with the god complex that some naturals and black males have placed on natural hair. Having natural hair doesn’t mean you are enlightened, conscious, ‘love your blackness’, love yourself, or have higher self esteem or love than someone who has a weave or perm. It simply means, your hair is growing out of your head in its natural state without being manipulated by chemicals. If a woman wants to weave up her hair, fine. It’s a no brainier that weave or no weave, hair maintainence is important, and you can’t just throw a weave in and abandon your hair underneath for 1+ months, no more than someone with nature locs, can leave them unkept for 1+ months. I feel the error here was improper hair maintainence, not wether or not she had a weave. The same damage can be done to someone who doesn’t maintain their Afro, and try to comb it out after 1 month. I hope this war between black women who are natural versus those who aren’t or wear weaves or wigs can cease, and I hope we can focus on the more important issue: The health of our hair.
Wow the comments on this topic are something else. Some of you all need anger management. LOL
First of all Jenell is one sample of possibly MANY women who use weave as protective styles. She admitted her mistakes in installing it, but it is never enough for some people. Now folks want to bash weave wearers, and folks are bashing those opposed to weave. LIVE YOUR LIFE and stop worrying about what others do with their hair.
Facts are facts though, when you improperly install weave you are going to have damaged hair. I have never liked the braided in kind myself, there are other ways to protect the hair using better techniques under the weave. I prefer the occasional “Hair Hat” myself and braids I install MYSELF so they aren’t too tight. That is ME, you do YOU.
I became natural not to be a Nazi, not to be boxed into one type of style, I did it for FREEDOM.
I see some would rather put others in their preconceived box of what they consider natural instead of embracing the fact that people have the freedom to do what they want with their hair… regardless of outcome.
Grow up. Have a nice day 🙂
Ive been natural for a while now and have been using sew in weaves as a protective style. i have yet to experience damage from them…. but i take special precautions of course. I make sure i have absolutely no leave out, i use a weave cap, and before my braiding and installation i follow African exports moisturizing method to make sure my hair is still moist once i take down my waves. no problemo.
I don’t knock women who wear weaves. I can’t imagine wearing fake or someone else’s hair on my head but I’m blessed with a lot of hair. If I wasn’t, I might feel differently. I just get a bit perturbed when women wear “natural looking” weaves. Believe me, I knew nothing about natural hair when I decided to go on this journey five years ago; however, I’ve read the blogs and I put in the work. If I can do it, anyone can. I compliment naturals when I see them because sometimes we still do not get the love and if the woman tells me it is a weave, it saddens me. Hair is not an accessory. It is our crowning glory. It saddens me when women treat their hair as such.
I truly do not understand when someone speaks out against weave and gives valid reasons on why they cannot use it (damaging to their natural hair) that SOME weave-wearers attack her and accuse her of lying and/or claim she is wrong. If weave works for you then great but to knock someone who had a bad experience with weaves is not making your point but rather showing how you are unable to think outside of your experience. The writer is not personally attacking you and please stop wearing your weave and your heart on your sleeve. If makes you look quite insecure.
[img]https://bglh-marketplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/LaborDayweekend2013-1.jpg[/img]
Hey Mrs Perkins
Couldn’t agree more!! I have friends who can wear weaves, and wear them well with no damage, I put it in, within 2 weeks i have to take it out, and I WILL have lost hair, and my edges with be wrecked! I can’t do cornrows, they hurt too damn much. Now, I can do individual braids, and wigs. My friend can’t wear braids, her hair can’t handle it. Does that mean that braids are evil?! No, nor am I saying that Weaves are evil. For different people there are different protective styles available.
I am not my hair *singing. Indiana arie
India Arie, lol
Why never any positive posts in regards to wearing weaves as protective styles. It’s sooooo one sided. and I’d love to see the ladies who continue to bash people who want to put a weave in THEIR OWN HEAD, put pictures of their natural hair- something tells me it wouldn’t be that impressive.
UGH. STFU YOU WEAVE-WEARING-FOOL. I get accused of wearing weave ALL THE TIME. Women who care for and love their natural hair do not want people constantly insinuating that it’s fake because of women like you who want to throw a weave in their head 300 days out of the year and call themselves natural. It is annoying. Being natural to me is about loving your own hair and I cannot fathom why someone would want to wear a weave. I have never had any such desire. It must be some symptom of low-self esteem. If you want to protective style, why not braid your own hair instead of using 4 packs of yakki hair extentions? My hair looks and is cared for 100x better then some curl defined obssessed weave-wearing mentally impaired imbecile. I guess that’s why people might think it’s a weave??? **Ding** **Ding** I’m sick and tired of you people.
Lol ok your comment was harsh, but on point. I don’t understand the whole protective styling that uses weaves. Braids? Yes. But it just seems like protective styling is just an excuse for women to not have to deal/see their natural hair.
I’ve never worn a weave but I don’t understand why braids with added hair is any different than a weave… I have to agree with the original commenter that us (myself included) natural women often turn our noses up at weaves. I think her point is that we aren’t necessarily the guru’s of great hair care simply because we wear our natural texture. There are definitely women with their natural hair texture who use and abuse their hair just as much as women who get too tight weaves with poor quality hair. I kind of hate this relaxed – weave – natural hair clash because it isn’t very productive.
Wearing a weave should NOT be praised. WTF? I don’t know what planet you are on. It says alot that you think that a women wearing a weave pulling at the follicals of her own hair or any women at all has better hair then someone, let alone someone not interested in such nazi superficial nonsense. PHHFTT! Do you hear what you are saying??? What if someone’s hair did not look “impressive” to you, they should get a weave?? GTFOWTBS. All healthy heads of afro hair are beautiful. Weaves look tacky and ridiculous.
I don’t wear weave either but I also don’t knock another woman’s decision. Why the aggression? Weave will ALWAYS be around whether you like it or not. Words of advice: put more effort into worrying about what’s going on in YOUR life instead of other people choices. Geez. All those angry fumes were very unnecessary.
Wow! What’s with the anger? How about you do you and let others do them, instead of breaking out in cold sweats because others haven’t switched to your side of life yet. You are reminiscent of the Dark Side, and the Force is not strong within you, anger is though. Live long and prosper.
Why are black women so defiensive over their weave and wear them in so high proportions compared to other races??? It is PATHETIC. I agree that weaving is HORRIBLE for your hair. Why the hell would you want to braid your hair so tight and hang yakki hair off it it, neglecting it for months without moisture or cleansing? You are just asking for damage and breakage. Stop being lazy. No TRUE natural would want to cover their hair with someone else’s. It’s disgusting!
Naturefro I couldn’t agree with you more. I’ve worn my hair locd for the last 2 years, I wore it natural for about a year before I locd it. I always thought a protective style was protecting your hair under a silk or satin scarf while you sleep, exercise, or when you’re in pool water. Some of the sisters who beat up on Sheryl Underwood, not that I agree with what she said, for wearing a wig are doing the same thing by wearing weaves. I get my hair retwisted monthly, and I’ve never seen a weave done with natural looking hair, it’s always with the straight hair. People need to realize that whether you wear your hair relaxed, weaved, braided, locd, etc. obtaining healthy hair with length is a process. It’s not going to happen overnight and I’m disappointed that so many sisters are trying to take the short cut to achieve that goal. Stop saying you’re so busy, we all are. To have healthy hair you’re going to have to make the time to keep your own hair healthy. Also, anytime you have to spend an inordinate amount of time styling your hair you need to rethink what you’re doing, especially if you have fragile damaged hair. I think some sisters would be better off just going back to wearing relaxers if they want straight hair. We need to admit that some of us just aren’t ready for natural hair if we still want it to look long and straight. Wearing your natural hair until it achieves the look you want without weaves is more than a notion. It’s a soul thing and you have to deal with the fact that on some days your hair will be frizzy and won’t behave the way you want it to behave. Go to some of the natural hair care websites and learn yourself how to keep your hair clean, conditioned, and in a style that’s simple to manage. I cut my hair 2 1/2 years ago to 3 inches from my scalp and now my locs are past my shoulders. During the whole process from growing out my relaxer to now I’ve lost “no” hair. I keep my hair clean (every 2 weeks and retwisted once a month), conditioned, and I don’t constantly handle my hair, it’s not necessary. Sisters consider whether you’re really ready to wear your hair natural, if not go back to a relaxer or even a wig.
It so much that we choose to wear as it is how we take care of the weave. I have worn a few a year and my hair doesn’t shed extremely because I know how to take care of my hair underneath. I suggest you do a little more research before you start ranting
i personally dont think a BC is the way to go to solve a damage. the lost hair didn’t really seem like a whole lot to me. her pregnancy could have also had an effect on her hair.
protective styling aren’t always protective. I wrote about this a few weeks back.
http://themanecaptain.blogspot.ca/2013/07/when-protective-styling-is-not.html
This is not true of every weave. I wear sew ins at least once a year and have been natural for several years now. For one, It depends on how tight the braids are underneath. For two, it depends on how you care for your scalp underneath. I take a squeeze bottle with a nozzle on it and fill it with water. I pump the water onto my scalp in different spots to moisturize. Then once the water is squeezed onto my hair I fill he bottle with jojoba oil or coconut oil and squeeze in between the tracks. It keeps the hair hydrated underneath and helps eliminate breakage. It is untrue that weave will break off your hair. It’s all about proper maintenance.
The author did not watch the video. She lost her hair because she got pregnant and suffered hair loss from that – not the weave. She had hair shed the last time she was pregnant. The weave just exacerbated the damage that would have occurred.
Her hair shed AFTER her baby boy was born, not when she was pregnant with him. This was a because of a combination of things, she mentions it in this video, and some other videos as part of a series. So no, it wasn’t because she got pregnant.
Well duh! of course she shed massively after child birth. it’s normal. while pregnant women shed far fewer hairs daily. once the baby is born lots of shedding begins, it can be an alarming event. Some women shed so much they have balding or thinning spots ( both of my temples completely shed and I had a fine fuzz of silken new growth)The shedding stops anywhere from 2-12 months after birth depending on breastfeeding ang your own genetic makeup. ANd to note after the birth of my first two shedding was gradual but steady and never so much it alarmed me but after my third I was shedding like a long haired cat. there was hair everywhere all the time. I took to wearing it pinned up just to hide the embarrassing shedding.
I don’t understand why she decided to cut her hair when her stylist stated that she really didn’t need to? I watched the video and her hair looked pretty healthy overall. I think this was more of her personal decision and perception of her hair. You can be heat free, protective style, moisturize, ect, and your hair won’t be perfect. That shouldn’t be the goal—the goal should be healthy overall. Regardless, her new tapered cut is cute.
after being natural for 1 year and a hald I experienced the same thing almost two months ago. due to excessive heat/combing and tightness of the weave I experienced excessive hair breakage. It scared me. it was soo bad I just cut it off. im starting all over again. i can honestly say i feel her pain! she shuld just cut it
this is a great source that gave some good tips on getting a weave while natural – http://www.thankgodimnatural.com/tgins-dos-and-donts-for-caring-for-your-sew-in-weave-2/
Hi all the way from the UK I love your channel, you are fun to hang out with! Just a sgigestuon, why don’t you look into human hair micro braids? You will get your swishy ponytail, and? it comes in straight, curly or wavy textures. My hair is 100 % natural, very tight curls that shrink to nothing when I wash it. I don’t like weaves, they don’t look convincing, braids on the other hand are versatile and easy to maintain unfortunately I can’t cope with having my natural hair exposed! Good lu
PLEASE SHE WANTED TO CUT IT, HER HAIRDRESSER TOLD HER SHE DIDN’T HAVE TO
I felt her pain. She is one of my favorite hair vloggers and we have similar hair. I think as her hair grows back out she will know what and what not to put in it.
OH WELL SUCKS FOR HER
For the past six months I have been following Jenell on her blog and on facebook! I like her videos as well. When she decided to get a weave, I shook my head and said this is a mistake. What I have learned on my natural journey is that weaves, braids and wigs are hairstyles. There is nothing protective about adding heavy sew in hair weaves and braids or covering your hair with Wigs. Now if you want to wear a weave then wear a weave! Remember, our hair is super fragile and needs to be carefully handled. Protecting our hair means keeping it in good condition, clean, and free from stress. That means stay away from tight braids, over manipulation and harsh products. When I saw the affects of constant weaving on the other vlogger Glamfun, I knew that even with my braids, I need to go easy on the over styling I would do on my natural hair.
I have learned great lessons from all the vloggers and bloggers. I hate that Jenell had to learn this lesson. Her hair was growing out so nicely. It’s a shame that she had o go through this. I am glad that she has found contentment in her new style! It does look nice!
I have found similar experiences when using weave as a method of protective styling not wigs though.
I used to get hair installed and after the install I would find damaged and brittle hair with lots of breakage and thinning. My stylist at the time would add the kankelon braid hair to my braids and I discovered that the combination of braid hair in addition to the stress of the braids and thread fron the sew-in itself caused a lot of thinning and breakage. It didn’t help that I would keep the hairstlye anywhere from 6-8 weeks which in my opinion is toooo long (3 weeks max)! My stylist at the time never used a sew-in cap either.
Now I wear mostly wigs and my current stylist gives me a few breathable braids that are flat enough for wearing the wigs. I have minimal stress on my hair and I don’t go any longer than 3 wks between rebraiding. I am considering another installation however, I will not be using braid extension hair, I will use a sew-in cap and I have no intention of keeping it in past the 3wk mark.
I’m so sorry that happened to her hair. I did the BC in Mid march this year after 7yrs of relaxer and heat damage and perpetual erosion of my edges. So far, I have about 3inches of growth and I owe some of that to preotectively styling with sew in weaves. When I took my weave out a few weeks ago, I had so much shedding I was afraid my hair was actually falling apart but I also had considerable growth. I think this weave thing goes both ways. It works for some and not for others and caring for the hair underneath is very important. I don’t know if its possible but could it be her hair fell out because she’s pregnant…maybe hormones or stress or something?
[img]https://bglh-marketplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/100-Natural-Afro-Sillhouette-Women-s-T-Shirts.jpg[/img]
This is why I love my hairdresser! I’m 16 and she’s done my dads hair way back when he had hair (he’s 54 now) and she’s done my moms hair since my mom was younger. My hairdresser puts on a weave cap and makes sure to apply loose and breathable braids. Her sew ins are literally amazing your scalp can really breathe you don’t feel any tightness at all and when I took it out my hair was thicker and my curl pattern had tightened. You have to go to someone who knows that their doing my sister had a bad experience with hair weaves and ending up having to cut all of her hair off. 😛
Only stupid brainwashed and lazy women think you need to wear an asian hair hat to grow out your own hair. And then they cry on the internet and complain about breakage and alopecia. Smdh.
SAD BUT TRUE
Eliosa…true..Dont get the thumbs down….
I have two sons and each pregnacy was different. My hair fell out with my 1st and grew with my 2cnd.
By Christina of The Mane Objective
I know what you’re thinking. Every day, there seems to be a new set of “rules” for naturals to abide by — and it seems like the more we understand about our hair, the more obscure those rules become. Don’t worry — I’m not here to trick you into believing that you need to hang upside down off the side of your bed for 20 minutes every night to stimulate scalp circulation, or to coat your hair in bacon grease for extra moisture and shine. I’m simply here to suggest that there are certain practices we naturals sometimes skip (I’m guilty of many of these too), to the detriment of our hair.
With folks running around working overtime, in school, raising families, running businesses and others professing themselves to be “lazy” naturals, cutting corners in hair care is bound to happen. Here are five habits to get out of before it’s too late:
1. Set It & Forget It Syndrome
(Yes, I’ve seen a lot of infomercials in my day). For many naturals, especially those transitioning, wigs and weaves are a go-to style. Unfortunately, some of us become so concerned with the hair on the outside that we forget allllllll about the hair underneath. By far, wigs are the best protective style to wear. But all that protection is for naught if your actual hair becomes dry, brittle, and breaks from neglect. Even worse (and more gross), dirt, sweat and other moisture can become trapped under wigs and weaves and have your scalp smelling like death. So even if you do decide to go the full coverage route, please make time to take care of your natural hair underneath. How frequently you wash, condition, and re-moisturize your hair depends on how much you sweat, among other factors.
SHE HAS SOME GOOD POINTS! When I was into wearing weaves, the stylist always stressed “the hair underneath” the weave, but I was too naïve and didn’t understand how to care for my hair wholeheartedly.
Seven months later, the lower right back side of my hair line suffered and thinned out. I stopped the weaves and DECIDED to go full natural.
Wow I’m so sorry this happened to her. I don’t think she necessarily has to cut her hair though. If she cuts her hair at this point, she’ll just be chopping off healthy hair. The damage is done. Yet her hair is very beautiful, and it can still be styled in very cute ways.
With ANY hairstyle, I think you just have to be aware of the amount of tension on your scalp. There should never be any tension ever on the hair strands. Traction alopecia and breakage is real. I don’t wear “protective” styles at all anymore on my 4c hair. I used to wear twists without extensions when my hair was short. Those styles require so much manipulation, way more than any afro puff ever did. And the take down plus detangling… just punch me in the arms and waste my next 15 hrs!
PLEASE show your support
PLEASE Support God Kept Me Fundraiser The Jamal Strayhorn Accident Fund @ http://gfwd.at/151Z8ud On Facebook type God Kept me Fundraiser. <3
THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
i can’t relate. i’ve never worn weave, but it seems like there’s a serious science to it for those that wish to weave up correctly.
My thoughts exactly…The only way I’d wear a weave or wig is if you paid me and YES I do have a minimum required amount after taxes, lol. But this has been an interesting and educational discussion.
I know she was upset!But her new tapered cut is fierce!I tried a sew in for the first time last month and my hair benefited greatly!I was amazed after I took it down!My hair is very fine and fragile.I installed the sew in myself;so it wasn’t super tight!When I removed it;I didn’t cutthe thread out.I only used the needle to remove the thread;just to insure that I didn’t actually cut my own hair.I caught hell removing it;but I kept my hair.The braids usually break my hair off;so I can’t PS with those.So far the sew in will more than likely be my go to PS!
this is why im natural now. back in 2009 i got a perm, then a week later sewed in a weave. when i took out the weave it took out my hair. I went ahead and buzzed it off and kept it moving.
Love the tapered cut!
Ive seen quite a few ladies on youtube lately that are experiencing this kind of breakage. All wear wigs n weaves a lot. All were also baffled by sudden breakage and blamed everything from stress, hormones and being 4c lol. I don’t know but I’m gonna say its the weave. Its such as crazy cycle. You put on a wig or weave to give your hair a ” break “and then it breaks off. You then are advised to take a “break” between the weaves n wigs in order to prevent breakage n give your hair a rest. The exact same reason why you put the weave or wig in. So crazy. But many naturals have great success with growing their hair out with wigs n weaves so its not like its not working for some.
I personally think the problem is the loose definition what a protective style is. My first instance of hearing of “protective styling” was Wanakee’s Practical Guide to Hair in the 90’s. This is what she said about protective styles:
“This means wearing your hair ‘up’ in a style that tucks the ends safely underneath the hair so the ends are not seen. Remember the ear of corn with the husk again: protective styling is like taking the dry tip of the silk, and tucking it safely underneath the husk, out of the air. But if your ends go up dry, they’ll come down dry.
My favorite protective styles are the French twist and the chignon (or bun). You should not be able to see the ends at all. A ponytail, for example, wouldn’t be considered a protective style because the ends are moving and still exposed to the air.
If your hair is short, you’re going to protect your hair from the air and from too much movement while you sleep.”
She didn’t mention weaves or extensions, two choices that were both wildly popular in the 90’s. These are options that many use to give their hair a “break” from constant styling, but I don’t know if I would consider them protective styles, because at the end of the day you don’t have access to the ends of your hair to be sure they are properly moisturized. I edited out the portion where she sells her product but what she says is basically to keep your ends and hairline moisturized. Spritzing your tracks from time to time doesn’t really accomplish this. Some woman do have success with these styles, but I am one who has no luck with hiding my hair away long-term. Wigs are a healthier option for those who need daily access to their own hair.
Awwww I was sad when I checked into kinkycurly and found that her hair had broken off, but on the bright side it will grow back because she takes care of her hair. I’m sure the lesson learned here is that there are no quick fix, grow long hair fast tricks to this journey.
It honestly really depends on how the weave is installed. I find I get TONS of growth and minimal breakage while my hair is under a weave. But I also tell my stylist not to be extra careful because I’m natural.
I’m so so sorry this happened to you. It just ain’t fair! After watching your video…I truly believe it was largely your hormones. Hormones are no joke. You did everything the same way- which is why I think that way. I could see if you’d gone to a different person etc but everything was the same except your pregnancy. Now I will say I squinted a bit when you said she blew dry then picking your hair. Although I don’t agree with that and over time I could see where that could cause some damage- its your routine. Maybe the blowing and picking coupled with the hormones is what did it. But alas we could analyse all day but never really know. Give yourself 2 weeks to mourn the loss then come back stronger. The good news is you have an opportunity to grow it back alot easier and maybe quicker than someone who is not expecting as you are taking those prenatal vitamins (the goood potent ones I’m sure!). Protective styling and your ususal TLC will work well. Thanks for sharing as that took courage. Be and stay encouraged! 🙂
I didn’t bother to listen because I know she is telling the truth. Weaves are so nasty and disqusting, i only wore one once because I had wanted to swim and spend more time with my three year old. When I took the thing off I had massive hair loss and damage that i have been dealing with now for almost 16 years. Thank God I found a Derm who was up on her business, she has hlped grow it all back. After extensive research I found that the hair to Black women is rarely cleaned, bugs grow in them and attach to our scalp eating away at the hair and damaging our scalp. Many of us have no idea how nasty the hair is that we buy for the sake of instant lenght. Here you have this Underwood joker saying that our hair is nasty!! We have the most beautiful hair on earth, the stuff we put it to for the sake of whatever is truly nasty, ridden with bugs and dirt. Why would they bother cleaning the stuff, they only sell it to us….. Yes, braids will damage your hair too, but the weave is what did this, hopefully she stop it in time before drastic damage occurs.
RE: After extensive research I found that the hair to Black women is rarely cleaned, bugs grow in them and attach to our scalp eating away at the hair and damaging our scalp.
I’d like to see a post on this! Never knew it! I did notice that in the BSS, when I frequented them, the hair is dusty and old! More and more, I’m glad more women are leaving that disgusting stuff alone!
interesting point, never thought of that…hmmm…do you think because WE are the consumer they sell us dirty weave? because we will buy anything? they do not respect our buying power…if so…shame on US for buying the dirty weave
RE: they do not respect our buying power
And there you have it…our buying power sends their children to medical school.
wow that’s kinda scary. bugs? on a side note, a lotta ppl are mentioning hormones from pregnancy affecting her hair cycle. this is interesting to me because when i was pregnant there was no change in my hair growth or shedding, neither during nor post. i guess we’re all affected in different ways.
Diane Bailey, the stylist who cut Jenell’s hair after the breakage, also stated that a combination of factors (all of which are not listed in the above post) were likely to contribute to her breakage. Jenell was in the midst of a long-term protective style challenge and perhaps her hair needed more breathing time in between styles. Also, she is pregnant and her hormones might have affected her breakage. That being said, I commend Jenell for sharing her story with us because I do believe that the rhetoric purporting that long-term protective styling is THE best way to retain length is not suited for all.
I’ve notices she’s cut her hair again into a twa on youtube (but really not that teeny) ;-). If she’s pregnant her hair will grow like crazy due to the pre-natal vitamins etc. However, POST pregnancy she will experience a ton of shedding esp. if shes going to nurse her baby (the baby will literally suck all the nutrients out of you..lol) . It’s weird that her hair grew so long in the beginning with protective styles..then broke. I wonder if she did protein treatments in between each install. I am currently wearing crochet braids that I installed myself (only because the first braider corn-rowed my hair too tight.) I learned to do them myself so that I can control the amount of tension to my head/hair..and if it get jacked up I’ll only have myself to blame. Anyhow..its just hair and it will grow back. Keep your chin up.
i believe her main protective style was roll/tuck/pin, not weave or long braids.
My healthy hair shed after pregnancy, I nursed by son for one year. The shedding began shorlty after that. I had not choice but to cut my bra strap hair. It actually worked out great and have kept my hair short since. If pregnancy is the reason there’s nothing you can do but to start over unless you don’t mind thin hair. I currently have four inches of natural 4B hair in cornrows. I always braided and weaved my hair sometimes I’d go a yr(braiding 3 to 4 time a year). I got nothing but growth. If you have healthy hair and take care of it in extentions you shouldn’t have a problem. Knowledge is key. When in braids/weave I mist my hair every morning in the shower and use infusium 23 and rinsed my head every week. I chose to wear curly styles so this worked out for me.
Wow. Scary. I’ve had breakage with a weave cap before. It was placed too far back and my edges suffered, so weave nets may not always be the answer either. Also, I wonder if Jenell’s hair breakage was partially caused by pregnancy hormones as well. I’m sorry this happened to her but her new tapered cut is CUTE! It’s actually giving me the itch to cut my hair.
It’s great that she is sharing her story, however, I have watched Jenelle for over two years now. She’s had those long heavy twists and plenty of styles before the weave. I’m not saying that the weave didn’t cause breakage, but I think she over did it with her hair in general. I don’t think on weave would cause that much damage, however I do not know. But on the cruise she had those long braids. I got those braids install shortly after and had breakage because it was just to heavy on my hair. When you wear protective styles, be sure keep your hair moisturise. Don’t breaid tight or wear heavy hair. I think Jenelle is informative and I love her, but it wasn’t just the weave.
I agree. She was also doing styles with her hair pulled up and in different ways with the braids. That’s some serious tension. I haven’t worn braids since I went natural but when I was relaxed, I would do a protein treatment before installing them and would spray my hair with infusion 23 spray (protein) while wearing them. I never had problems with breakage and my hair grew like weeds. Growth or breakage will incur over time depending on whether you know how to utilize PS in the best way for YOUR head of hair.
learning what works is part of taking care of your hair though…I had to learn the hard way too 🙁
I used to wear a lot of braids and one time a wave and everytime my hait was shedding like crazy. Now i just take care of it and the fullness came back but it was a long process Never will I wear braids or weaves. I see women only wearing weaves and you can see from the front that they are losing their hair and it`s sad that they think that wearing wevaes is helping them just beceause they wnt long hair
Yea I think the pregnancy had a a great influence. The weave was only in for 5 weeks. I remember when my sister was pregnant she lost a lot of hair and she had dreads! Some dreads just fell right out of her head.
I agree. A lot of people worry about the post partum shedding, but hormonal fluctuations can cause shedding at any point in the pregnancy.
Everyone cannot wear wigs and weaves. I wore them for years, and unlike Jenell, I wasn’t smart enough to stop wearing them. I finally figured out that my find strands could not carry the weight of a weave and that my sensitive scalp was irritated by the materials and hair on the wigs.
Breakage is hell for anyone who experiences it! I wish her luck on her next big chop; I feel it’s the only way to turn things around!
I guess it’s a case of different people, different experiences. I feel my hair grows better weaved up
I think install is the key. If your weave or braids are too tight, that’s a warning sign of potential trouble in the future. Also some people need breaks in between their styles to let their scalps recover from the tension of sew-ins and braids.
I’ve worn weave and braids and it all depends on how tight you put it on, how long you leave it on, and moisturizing.
I did my own hair since I realized nobody knew how my hair acted. i would leave my weaves on for 3 months and during that time i was co washing them and redoing my weave/braids. after a year of doing this i gained great length and thats what worked for me. Braids and weave can be a great protective styling if you truly know your hair and do it right. For some ladies they instantly think they can wear weaves because the majority of other women can when sometimes that’s not the case.
I just have to completely cosign this and this is the reason why I refuse to go to a stylist. I made the mistake of going to one at the (forced) recommendation of one of mom’s friends who continually told me this stylist does natural hair for celebrities and politicians and hence, knows what she is doing. Long story short, I walked out half way during her styling because I continually told her she is being too hard on my hair and a manager was called in because I wasn’t even remotely paying for it. I know what my likes and doesn’t like, that’s why it’s grazing WL, and I’ll be damned if someone else ruins my hard earned work.
I believe Jenell truly knows her hair and this is not the first time she has had a protective style(Senegalese twists) and no problems…THIS protective style did not work for her
The trick with braids/weaves is that don’t braid up your edges (unless you are wearing weave then include your edges in your braiding pattern). When it comes to braids they are to harsh on your nape and edges so just braid them up as usual and it’ll blend in with the rest of the braids. If you like to put your hair in buns or over to the side with your edges in the braids then of course it will get damaged.
My protective styling is always with braids,weaves, or twists (without weave). Even though my hair is not at my desired length I know I can’t wear it out in a wash and go due to the damage yet since my hair gets damaged easily when left out.
As I’ve aside before weaves and braids can be a great protective style as long as you know what you are doing. That’s the most important thing in a natural girl’s journey. Don’t instantly assume your hair can do what other naturals can do since you may be that small precentage that is very fragile.
At least twice a week, I lift my weave to spritz water on my tracks. Really tedious, but when I don’t do this, I suffer from serious breakage. I don’t know why.
I’m making a wig soon. If this goes well, I can do without the weaves.
I love Jenell – She has such a lovely spirit. The notion of ‘what works for one person might not work for you’ is confirmed. Every time I leave my hair in braids, twists or any other “protective” style for more than a week, my hair breaks and thins out really badly. So leaving it out is the best way to gain length. And I’m a 4B! The only ‘protective’ style I do is a bun or 2 chunky flat twists for a day or two. I firmly believe in doing what is good for YOU!
I have found my hair is the same way! Although I install braids off and on for 4-6 weeks at a time, very careful take down is the only way I retain the length; and even then there’s a lot of tangling. For the past year (during which I’ve become a lot more proactive with my hair), I have gone back and forth with the long term protective style method – I have so many knots afterwards, is it really worth it. My plan now is to try short term protective styling like you mentioned for about 4 months to see if in fact it is possible for me to retain length that way. I’m just really happy to hear another 4b say what I have suspected about my hair 🙂
ITA!! I dont protective style at all, maybe twist or braids for a few days while sitting at home. I wear my hair out 99% of the time and have no problems retaining length, Im 4a/ab I dont believe everyone has to wear protective styles for their hair to grow, Im proof of that!
This is why I never understand the rationale behind ladies saying ‘they wear a weave to protect their natural hair’. It makes no sense to wear a full on weave, with a wig cap etc.
BUT I WORKS!!! Lol!! I’ve been natural for 2 years I go to school for practically 11 months out of the year excluding the obvious August summer break. 9 out of those 11 months I’m in a weave. It ensures I spend less time getting ready in the mornings. I’ve kept a weave in for 4 months with no breakage or thinning. I think the problem lies with the fact that people do to much manipulating while in them. Washing, moisturising the braids…it’s too much movement for such a compact hairstyle. This may sound disgusting but I seriously just leave my hair alone while in a weave, no washing no moisturising. I just let it rest and when I take it I have some added length…and some dirty hair lol!!!
LOL @ Kade. You still have to wash and moisturize the hair and scalp whilst in its weaved state. At least a good rinse!! My sister is a stylist and has had some hair horror stories about professional ladies, who have your same hair practices, coming to her or her colleagues to take out or take out and re-install their weave. Apparently the stylists barely controlled their gag reflexes because of the clumps of yellow and brown gunk that they found in those weaves! I’m hoping that yours isn’t quite THAT bad.
Nah my hair does not have any yellow or brown gunk…how the hell did that form on the persons scalp anyways??? LOL poor stylist. My comment may not be to everyone’s liking but it works perfectly for me. I’m now Fully Apl and on my way to BSL to each it’s own. But I take on your advice, its constructive.
And P.S i don’t keep the weave in for 11 months straight. On average it’s in for 6-8 weeks then I take it out and rest, then it’s back in again. The longest I’ve kept I’m a weave was 4 months. Probably gonna get more thumbs down…*sigh* *puppy dog face*…lol!!
hey if it works for you. wish i could do that. i’ve just come to accept that my scalp gets plumb miserable when i go for longer than 4 days without scrubbing it clean, but everyone’s chemical/genetic makeup is different, as well as their conditioning.
Well, I did use braids successfully when I first started transitioning. I just figured if it worked that time then it wold work every time after that. I didn’t take into condition the type of hair that I was buying or the strength of my hair in some areas versus others. So after 5 years of braiding my hair on and off in school, I did something wrong and here I am.
Same thing happened to me after I’d had braids for about 5 months. I have parts of my hair that are 12″ or longer and right next to them are 3″ sections. Gonna have to start some trimming and continue it over the next year. I’m just rocking buns and mini twists from now on.
I was sadden when i saw it. I saw that on her website a few weeks ago and I think she said it was a combination of things. I had a weave for 7 months and the back of my head and hair line was thinking so I stopped. To be honest, there are other ways (less expensive)to protective style beside hair weaves. #nowIknow
I mean the back of my hair was thinking….
Thinning !
Don’t you hate auto correct! lmao
lol @ the fact that your double correction got more thumbs up than your original comment.
IKR…gotta love technology!