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Wore Braids and Now My Hair is Thin....

BeautyNBrains99

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Do you wash your braiding hair before you install? When I used to get braids I would soak it in vinegar and wash with watered down clarifying shampoo and this gross coating would come off. I heard whatever chemical they use on the hair can cause hair loss and irritation.
Right, it's tedious but when I saw how much stuff comes off the hair I was shocked! I'll definitely be doing this more often.
 
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naturallemons

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I had a similar issue. I do my own braids, and kept them in for a few months. I started noticing bad thinning in my temple areas, and a bald spot near my crown. Since January, I decided to stop wearing braids and hair extensions all together. For the next or so, I am only going to be wearing my natural hair out. I seem to retain growth better this way.
 

BlaqueBirds

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I wonder if your hair is really thinner or you are just being dramatic about the amount of dead hair from the take down
 

CakeSlice

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I wore braids throughout the winter.....twists and then knotless braids. I took them out last month and now one side of my head is really thin. I think I left the knotless braids in for too long. When I took out the knotless braids, lots of hair fell out. Now I'm freaking out. Has anyone gone through this? What did you do to grow your edges/hair again?
Google “CCCA alopecia” in google images to see your fate if you keep wearing “black” hairstyles. All old BW. The link? Weight on their hair strands in their younger days.

Spread the word and don’t let it get marked as fake news.
 

Mrs.Smooth

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I don't know what it is, but the first time I got knotless will be the last time because when I took the braids down I had incredible matting and fallout that have never experienced before in my life, and I get my hair braided 3/4 of the year.

plain and simple I had to take them out and wear my natural hair until my edges on the right side of my head grew back, because I don't know how but it went completely bald in that area. And I now have to trim every 5 weeks, when I only used to have to trim every 8 weeks.

Also consider being allergic to the hair, I found out that I was allergic to that pre stretched hair everybody keeps asking for so now if they won't use human hair, or human blend, I can't get it done
Same exact issue I had. It was after wearing the knot less braids that I noticed this.
 

Philosothot

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10 weeks is absolutely too long for braids if you have fine hair strands. The buildup at the base of the braid and the constant weight of the added hair will stress the heck out of your hair. It’s why I do not wear them longer than 3 weeks at a time and never back to back because my hair gets ruined every time.
 

Mrs.Smooth

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You probably have tension follicle damage.

Go to a dermatologist ASAP. They can give you injections in your scalp to help you, but you need to act fast on this. The longer you wait the less likely for a good outcome.
Omg I’m freaking out! It’s already been a month. Is it too long to save?
 

GayBae

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A fade is healthier for hair than braids, tight ponytails, weaves and locs.

Hell, even a carefully applied relaxer is healthier because it doesn’t damage the follicle and scalp like the heavy, stifling styles above.

No one's hair is supposed to be pulled and/or weighed down.

It's a crying shame that baldness-causing hairstyles are a staple in BW across the entire globe.

Yesterday every woman in braids I saw had no edges but they didn’t seem to realise that they looked ridiculous and what was causing it. They’ll continue the damage until there’s no hair left then they’ll do a big chop and expect miracles with their patchy, CCCA and traction alopecia.

When will we WAKE UP?

The groans, scepticals and wtfs are from people who will come around to realising the truth that braids are the number 1 cause of baldness in BW. I LOVE being able to educate.
Or the groans have to do with you coming off condescending and generally unhelpful. Telling women that their only safe option is a fade - which I rocked for years - is not only impractical, it's untrue: A bad barber can destroy your hairline and if you are prone to natural alopecia, a fade will only make it more prominent.

No one hairstyle is the culprit. Repeated tension and friction on the hair is - and that can come from a weave just like it can come from overwearing a headwrap. If you really want to help or educate, not denigrate, start with that basic fact.

And no, I don't wear braids, perms, weaves etc. nor do I support the Weave Wave... but being reductive and generally loud and wrong is more offensive to me.
 

Beverly417

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Or the groans have to do with you coming off condescending and generally unhelpful. Telling women that their only safe option is a fade - which I rocked for years - is not only impractical, it's untrue: A bad barber can destroy your hairline and if you are prone to natural alopecia, a fade will only make it more prominent.

No one hairstyle is the culprit. Repeated tension and friction on the hair is - and that can come from a weave just like it can come from overwearing a headwrap. If you really want to help or educate, start there.

That’s what happened to me. I wore headwraps all in 2020 thinking I was protecting my hair and ended up rubbing a huge thin spot. Never knew headwraps could cause damage.
 

Relaunch91

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I think when braids are too heavy, especially around the crown, it pulls the hair out as you have them in. Then when you take them out you appear to have a lot of shed hair, but it's probably hair loss and the hair overall appears thinner. Plus, people like to do a lot of tension styles (ponytails, high buns, etc) while they have braids in, which just compounds the probability of hair loss. I watched this vid by a braider (I think it was Isis Brantley) and she mentioned that when you get to the crown where the hair is naturally sparse to use less braiding hair so the crown hair isn't weighed down.

Give your hair a break, keep it moisturized, do low manipulation styles and detangling to try and get you hair density back. If you decide to get braids again, opt for light braids and have the stylists use less braid hair, especially around the crown area.
This makes the most sense.
 

Relaunch91

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Google “CCCA alopecia” in google images to see your fate if you keep wearing “black” hairstyles. All old BW. The link? Weight on their hair strands in their younger days.

Spread the word and don’t let it get marked as fake news.
Exactly.
 

Relaunch91

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Omg I’m freaking out! It’s already been a month. Is it too long to save?
You don’t have that op lmaooooo.

Jesus don’t listen to that lol, im pretty sure your hair broke off do to the braids being too heavy. If you have fine hair stay away from braids. It just means your soft hair is not strong enough for the weight.
 
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I did the same but with wigs in college. I loved a cut bang wig with layers (don't judge me, lol) but my wig would always have the comb in the front and back. The front middle part of my hairline began to thin right along with the back (nape area) where the comb would sit. I religiously used ORS hair mayo and caster oil. Both products together grew my thinning areas back. I honestly haven't used ORS products since so I don't know if they still make the hair mayo with the same ingredients. I'm very funny with my hair products now. I love Design Essentials and Camille Rose.
 

desertnomad

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I'm getting braids next month, how do I prevent this from happening to my own hair? I'm freaking out now and am considering canceling my booking.
 

Zuri Arie

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Honestly, I never leave in protective styles in for longer than 4 weeks; I also let my hair breathe by waiting a while before I put more braids/twists in
 

Solace7

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I swear I wish I'd seen this thread before crocheting for the first (and last) time tf EVER!
 

greyblue

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Yea...I probably won't be wearing extensions again as recommended by my dermatologist.
 

minidasha

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I made the mistake as a teenager of wearing extension braids for 3 years non stop. I would get them taken out and get new ones installed on the same day. I didn't even realize how thin my edges had gotten and the braids made my hair brittle. One hair dresser pointed out how damaged my hair was. Nobody else ever did. I went natural and never looked back. I am glad I stopped while I still had hair I could salvage. I feel for all of the young girls with no edges from these "protective" styles. Things can go terribly bad if they are not educated on how to take care of their hair.
I agree. You can't wear back to back braids. It will thin your hair out. And wearing individual braids for longer than 2 months is just not good. Your hair and scalp need to breathe. I tell my nieces that all of the time but they don't listen...
 

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