Mid-strand splits on relaxed hair

@Kiki Thanks loads. That's some really useful stuff. I never thought about getting a wooden comb. I always read about bone and horn combs and thought I'd order one online but they're quite expensive. And with shipping? Lol. Didn't feel like it'd be worth it. But the nice thing about living in Africa is I can find someone to craft me a wooden comb right around the corner for peanuts! Lol, well it's peanuts compared to what I'd pay ordering a bone comb online. Now there's a plan.

@yahya I'm not buying what Veemack's saying either. I wonder if she read the part where I said the places where my hair is relaxed fully don't have split ends at all as opposed to the texlaxed parts. I don't know if it's relaxed hair hate but I'm getting tired of it too. If relaxed hair really was just damaged hair then I doubt we'd be seeing people get to waist length and beyond.

Hey Kunoichi :)

I was natural with mid strand splits. Too many and I eventually relaxed. I don't think I ever had midstrand splits while relaxed.

I thought it was because of my tangle teaser or maxi glide. I don't know. What do you use to style your hair?


Edited by nitabug - Jan 19 2013 at 5:16am

@Veemack I'm already aware of everything you're saying. I know you're just itching to tell me to go natural. Why I say it may have been caused by the texture of my hair.

http://www.thenaturalhavenbloom.com/2012/07/mid-shaft-splits-cause-and-prevention.html

I was just hoping someone else could come here and tell me their experience with relaxed hair and mid strand splits.

KunoichiNindroid wrote: @Veemack, I just recovered from a protein overload. How can you say my hair needs more protein? Infact the splits were more prominent when I was airdrying with protein overload. Btw, mid-strand splits are more common in natural hair because of the bends. There's an article about on Natural Haven. I doubt it's the relaxer because the more processed parts of my hair have no problems at all. Infacts I barely have to trim the sides where the relaxer took more but everywhere else it's split city. @littlebabybug, I've finally concluded that it's due to the texture. I've explained most of my hypothesis above. Man, I thought I was doing my hair a favor by texlaxing. These mid strand splits feel like a death sentence.

I can say it because once that hair strand splits, that is it. Only two things to do: mend it with hydrolyzed keratin protein or cut it off.  You doubt it is the relaxer? Relaxers break down the hair strands and leave it vulnerable to all sorts of EXTRA damage. Relaxed hair or texlaxed hair is just damaged hair. This is why protein treatments are so important to maintain relaxed chemically treated hair. People need to understand this when they choose to relax that you are damaging your hair.  When you take protein away from the hair structure you need to add protein back on the average persons hair. Even if your hair does not respond bad to the chemicals for years, one day it can start, because your hair is old and tired. This is one of the problems with chemicals is that they are unpredictable. So you need to do things such as protein treatments (used properly) to strengthen your hair to counteract the unpredictability of the chemically treated hair.

I have been doing natural hair for 20 years, this is not common under normal haircare circumstances. But when you add chemicals anything can happen. Mid strand splits are not more common in natural hair because of the coils. Mid strands splits signal that there is some harsh damage within your hair structure. The protein strand is tired and just gives up. Mid shaft splits are worst than split ends, because eventually you will lose more length. Because make no mistake you will eventually have to cut those mid strand splits. Any protein treatment is only temporary, it is not permanent. This is why all the talk about protein overload is more so people repeating what is a popular explanation on hair forums. A professional stylist examining you hair strands, will be the only one to truly tell you if your have protein overload.

Basically weak compromised hair splits.
Once your hair splits
You can mend it. But just like a flat tired you will eventually have to remove it and allow new healthier strands to replace it.
If you decide to continue to relax then you will need to replace the missing protein that the relaxer causes, or you will continue to have this problem. I also recommend taking a vitamin supplement to strengthen your hair strands. But remember you can have strong hair growing from your roots, apply chemicals to the strands and totally destroy the hair strand. And just because it looks good does not mean it is healthy. After a time it will start to split and break. So this is my solution to your OP, hope it works out for you. Anymore questions just email me, that is quicker to check. Blessings!!!!!!!!!!