Breakage in natural Black hair is common due to the fragility of our hair.  What exacerbates hair loss amongst those of us with natural Black hair are chemical procedures and styling.  Unfortunately, it often takes many of us weeks, if not months to recognize what appears to be slow-growing hair is actually hair that has been breaking at the ends over time.  This is why it's so important to be careful when chemically processing your hair or doing touch-ups and to avoid putting too much tension on the hair when doing braids and cornows.

Traction Hair Loss
We've all been there.  You get your hair braided and all of a sudden, the corners of your eyes touch your ears.  How many of you operate under the guise that "tighter is better" when it comes to braids and cornrows?  Where it may seem better to braid/cornrow tightly as this generally produces a neater, more consistent style, the tension actually pulls on our individual hair strands to the point where there can be hair loss...usually along the hair line and at the temples.  Much of this hair loss isn't recognized until after the braids or cornrows are removed.  Unlike hair that is shed, hair that has been effectively pulled/yanked from your scalp during braiding will generally have white bulbs or a root at the end.  Repeated hair loss in the same area can cause thinning and/or permanent hair loss.

In addition to braiding to tightly, many women will get touch-ups days or weeks prior to a chemical procedure or touch-up.  I made this mistake myself and it's actually the catalyst to my having gone natural.  See, I wanted my braids to last longer and I figured that if my hair was as straight as possible at the root, then my braids would look neater longer.  So I got my hair relaxed and about two weeks later, I got it braided.  

I wore the braids for only a few weeks, went to take them out and afterward made my way to shampoo my hair.  Well, like an idiot, i scrubbed and rubbed and cleaned my hair like I normally would until it dawned on me, my hair isn't falling when I rinse.  It's all tangled.  I immediately went for the conditioner thinking oh, it just needs help.  I ended up using the whole bottle and nothing worked.  Long story short, my hair was so tangled that I ended up having to find a stylist who was available immediately and my hair was cut into a short bob.  That was 1995 and it was the last time I got a relaxer and one of the last few times I got braids.

Lesson 1:  Remove cornrows/braids and thoroughly comb through each removed section of hair with a wide tooth-comb.  If your hair is really prone to tangling, wet the braids/cornrows prior to removal.  After removing a braid, lightly mist it with naani's naturals FreEase Braids, Cornrows and Dreadlocks Removal Creme.  Finally comb-through the hair with a wide tooth comb.

Lesson 2:  When you remove a significant number of braids, thoroughly comb through the loose hair to remove any tangles.  When you comb, start at the root and gently work your way down.  When you hit a snag, mist your hair with the FreEase Creme then use your fingers to comb through the section and to separate the hairs.  Your fingers will help you feel any tangles or pulls that might result in breakage and enable you to ease up  whereas if you were just to use a comb, you might put too much pressure on the tangles and encourage breakage.  When you're done finger combing, use your comb again to work from root to tip.  If you hit a snap, repeat the finger combing.  Do this until you reach the end of your hair and can work the comb from root to tip without much resistance.  Plait or braid the section.  Repeat after you've removed a significant number of additional braids.  By the end, your should have at least 4 large braids/plaits.

Lesson 3:  Use naani's naturals Moisturizing Sulfate-Free Shampoo to cleanse the sections individually.  A sulfate-free shampoo is milder and will not dry out or strip your hair.  Undo one of the braided sections you created in the above lesson.  Thoroughly wet your entire head and add the shampoo.  DO NOT manipulate the hair in a circular motion.  Instead, finger comb the hair from root to tip.  If you feel the need to scratch your scalp while cleansing your hair, do so in a downward motion being sure to continue that motion down the entire section of hair.  When you have finished cleansing a section, replait/rebraid it . Don't worry about rinsing at this time.  Repeat shampooing then rebraiding on each section.  Once all sections are braided, rinse your hair thoroughly (keep the braids in!)  

Lesson 4:  Deep condition.  Once you have finished rinsing your hair, undo one of the braided sections and apply an ample amount of naani's naturals S~Factor Deep Conditioner.  Finger comb from root to tip and rebraid the section.  Repeat on each section.  Place a plastic cap over the hair.  Using a hooded or bonnet dryer, heat process the deep conditioner for 10-20 minutes.  Rinse thoroughly.  If you are drying the hair with a hand-held, dry the sections individually.

Tools Needed: Wide-Tooth Comb, Hooded/Bonnet Dryer, Plastic Cap
naani's naturals Products:  FreEase Creme, Sulfate-Free Shampoo, S~Factor Conditioner.  Products available at http://shopgrandmaskitchen.com and http://naanisnaturals.com

Chemical Treatments
Chemical relaxers and permanent hair colors (those that contain ammonia) damage hair...period.  Where this damage can be minimized by properly using the product in the first place and avoiding over processing the hair, some minor damage is inevitable.  Thus after most chemical procedures one can expect the hair to be dry in appearance and texture. 

When it's over processed, hair becomes weak and fragile which leaves it more susceptible to breakage...especially during styling.  In some cases, as with relaxers, the ramifications of over processing are not always immediate.  As your hair grows out, the ends may slowly break which will make it appear as if your hair is not growing.  So the new-growth ends up being negated by the hair breakage.  No wonder you can't get your relaxed hair to grow!

Lesson 1:  Follow the manufacturer's instructions.  Do a patch test.  Process the product according to the directions.

Lesson 2:  When doing a relaxer touch-up, DO NOT overlap.  The relaxer chemicals should ONLY go on the new-growth or virgin hair.  When you apply the product to hair that has been straightened already, you're just further weakening that section of hair.  Given that processing times vary from touch-up to touch up, some of the previously relaxed hair that comes into contact with the relaxer product will be weaker than others.  In the end, you're caught in a perpetual cycle of growth-loss that can easily be avoided. 

Hair grows an average of .5 inches per month.  If you relax your hair every 4-6 weeks, that means the relaxer product should only touch approximately .75 (3/4ths) inches of hair.  Get your ruler out.  If you overlap more than .75 inches, you're bound to suffer breakage.  So don't!  You don't need to restraighten hair that's already been straightened!  It won't get straighter.  Eventually however, It will however break.

Lesson 3:  Don't recolor previously colored hair.  Like relaxers, color touch-ups should only be done on virgin hair.  If your color has lost its vibrancy, try a temporary color or a glaze.  Process with heat and voila!  Just like new.

Lesson 4:  Condition, Condition, Condition!  Conditioners will help to repair hair after a chemical procedure.  Where your hair will never be as strong or as healthy as it was before the chemicals, conditioners can help smooth the cuticle and reduce further damage.


Styling Damage
Normal and regular styling can also contribute to hair loss.  Believe it or not, you really don't need/want to brush your hair 100 times per night...wow, I just had a flash of Marcia from The Brady Bunch but I digress.

Lesson 1:  Use a wide-tooth comb for regular detangling and daily styling.

Lesson 2.  Use a natural bristle brush.  

Lesson 3.  Comb or brush from root to tip. When you hit a snap, remove it with your fingers and start from the top.

Lesson 4:  Use elastics that are wrapped in fabric to avoid snagging hair while wearing ponytails.  Or better yet, if fashion is not a concern, invest in some scrunchies.

Lesson 5:  Avoid brown/protein based gels that do not contain moisturizing agents such as aloe.  These products will rob hair of moisture and leave it more susceptible to styling damage.


Faire Attention!
Don't miss the signs.  If your hair doesn't appear to be growing and yet there's clear signs of new-growth, that means it's breaking.  Review the above lessons and make the necessary corrections.  

If you notice that your hair is thinning at the temples or along the hair line after wearing braids/cornrows, give your hair a rest.  Repeated hair loss in these areas can result in permanent, irreversible hair loss.