What is wrong with my hair? Photo

[styledisaster]

What is wrong with my hair?
Had it highlighted a week ago.
Just washed it for the first time and I’m trying to straighten it, but it looks like there’s loads of snapped off bits all the way up?
Anything I can do?

I saw your pic before I read your post and immediately thought it’s damaged from being straightened it too much.

No advice on how to solve I’m afraid but look at some products for damaged hair or heat protection maybe.

It's broken to buggery. You need to stop the straighteners and the bleach.

I don’t actually straighten it that much.
I only wash it once a week and usually straighten it on wash day and then 2 days down, 2 days pony tail, 2 days mum bun!
The broken bits are particularly noticeable after my full head of highlights.

looks as if it has got damaged from the bleach. Try olaplex, ‘number 3’ is for use at home, alternatively you can get a treatment at a hairdressers usually for about £20.

My salon does keratin treatments and Brazilian blow dries.
Wonder if they’re worth a try?

This is good.

www.amazon.co.uk/MoroccanOil-Treatment-Hair-Types-Misc/dp/B003JKFEL8/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?psc=1&keywords=morrocan+oil&tag=mumsnetforum-21&ie=UTF8&qid=1545556269&sr=8-1-spons

Very damaged, I can see so many spilt ends.
Unfortunately nothing cures split ends, deep conditioner might make it look another and shinier but the only way to actually get rid of split ends to have a trim to get rid of them. Unfortunately for you they extend quite a way up, maybe get a trim a little more often for a while while they grown down and out?

When your hair is wet, brush it from tip to root, not from the root and try and rip down all the knots, you'll snap your hair to buggery.
Use a deep conditioner once a week
Try not to bleach it as often, if anything try a new look, brown? Give your hair a break.

A Brazilian blow dry is the last thing you want, more chemicals on your already damaged hair!

A Brazilian blow dry will damage your hair even more regardless of whether it’s paired with a treatment. I would just stick to treatments for now to try and sort out the damage first.

What types of hair ties do you use? Elastics with metal bits will be of no help to dry fragile hair either.

It could also be, because the hair is more brittle due to the bleach, that tying it up is causing the bands you are using to cut into the hair? I’ve started using flat bands (rather than the rounded elastic ones) for this reason - and not tying them too tightly either?

Hair snaps when you have bleach on it. That should have been explained to you prior to the treatment.

It will look much better once straightened but a good treatment will prevent it getting worse. I always use kerastace ciment when mine is like this.

You can’t possibly see split ends, the focus isn’t good enough. You might be able to see 2 strands together which separate at the end which LOOK like split ends.

Mine woukd look a bit like this at the moment if I straightened it (I have curly hair so it just looks mad anyway)

If you’ve noticed more hair than usual coming out when you wash or brush then I would check with the GP about getting some blood tests. My ferritin levels were low so I’ve been on iron tablets for a year. My hairs are all different lengths because of dropping out before reaching their full length.

If you look very closely at the very ends of some hairs yoube able to tell if it’s just snapped off or if it’s just grown to a different length to the rest. if just a hair that hasn’t snapped it will be tapered at the end of it

Chemical damage from the lightning I’m afraid

You could try a layered haircut to get rid of some of the split ends, a deep conditioning treatment once a week to retain the length you still have, and lay off the highlights for a while. When you do get highlights again always get Olaplex with them.

Have you had a baby in the last couple of years? Could be that too, causing the different lengths.

Been here, OP.

Unfortunately cannot be fixed.

Prevent it getting worse by using a Tangle Teaser rather than a conventional hair brush.

Try some deep treatment conditioner. I like this one by Toni and Guy: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B006NUV1DQ/ref=ascdff_B006NUV1DQ57632443/?tag=googshopuk-21&creative=22110&creativeASIN=B006NUV1DQ&linkCode=df0&hvadid=310642311969&hvpos=1o3&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15301256021416500068&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007183&hvtargid=pla-434602059775&th=1&psc=1

Use Moroccan oil after washing and before blow drying.

Good luck!

So I use a tangle teaser brush. My hair falls out by the handful when washing. I have to unblock the plug hole every time I wash it. But I’ve got so much hair that you can’t really tell it falls out so much.
I use those spiral type hair bands, the plastic ones.
I used a bed head moisturising conditioner and coconut oil every time I wash too.

My hair is naturally curly/frizzy so not sure if the bits that look broken are just frizz or snapped off bits?

And interestingly it didn’t look like this after the salon had blow dried/straightened it. So could it be my technique?!

I’d have a good trim, us a protein mask (redken cat is amazing) once or twice a week, lay off the straighters completely for a month or two, brush from the tip to the root and you’ll see a difference. Also take a good multivitamin to help with the hair loss. Have you noticed it’s getting better or worse since using the coconut oil? I can’t stand the stuff and it makes my hair awful.

You could pop back to the salon and ask their advice? They might have used a certain product that you could purchase? It sounds like you're doing lots right already. I'm sorry I can't help more.

Salon will have used some serum or blow drying gel to smooth the frizzy ends down.
Did they use any kind of Plex treatment when they did the highlights? You should get some "Plex" conditioner to rebuild bonds and prevent further snappage.

Straightening hair is really bad for it. Work with the hair you have instead.

Coconut oil can make hair worse

If you take a strand of hair and try to stretch it, does it stretch or snap instantly? I can recommend some products then but it depends if you hair needs protein or moisture
If if snaps instantly, it needs moisture, if it stretches then it usually needs protein
Tie hair up loosely and give it as much time loose and down as you can