Hair breaking round hairline - feel like crying!

[QueenOfOversharing]

I know - sounds dramatic, but my hair has broken in chunks at my middle parting and round my face at hairline. It looks awful! I'm paranoid more is going to break & I don't know what to do!

It's bleached with toner over it, which I know makes it weaker, but I've had it like this for months & months and never had this happen.

I use Kerastase & Shu Uemura hair products, masks & I don't use straighteners. I don't blow dry it that often either.

Any suggestions? Anyone had this happen out of the blue?

I'm hoping for answers to this too. I also discovered my hair had broken off at the front at the parting about 5 years ago and I still trying to get it to grow! I treat it very gently and spray it with something called Roots that I got from Superdrug and is meant to strengthen it. It's grown slightly but still looks short, flat and weird when I don't arrange the rest of my (sparse) fringe to cover it.

How old are you? Could it be perimenopause?

It might be how you wash your hair. Most of us stand in the shower and tilt our heads so the highest force of the water hits the top front of our hairline. If you like hot showers and live in a hard water area, this alone will damage the hair and cause breakage along hairline and any parts. If you have a hand held shower head, try kneeling and flipping your hair forward and washing with the water hitting the hair at the back of your head.
Like this:

Swap your parting side or get a fringe. Both of which I have done at one time or another.. Both worked! And stop tying hair back.

If it’s a power shower, turn the power off or down to lowest setting.

@MiniGuinness 51 & in perimenopause- is that a thing??? I hate my hair so much at the moment! It's really getting me down!

@PlanDeRaccordement I only wash it a couple of times a week & im really gentle with it. Nothing's changed so no idea why it would suddenly start now.

@Whynosnowyet I've changed my part, but because it's round the hairline, it makes no difference. Fringe is a huge no - took me so long to grow it out last time & I don't suit it. I don't tie it back either.

I've messaged my hairdresser - it's making me miserable!

@ZaZathecat I'm sorry you're going through this too! I just wish I knew what was causing it, so I could stop it continuing. I've been trying Olaplex & a Kerastase anti-breakage mask.

I'll try the shower thing, spraying on the back of my head!

My friend had severe hair loss postpartum and used a clip on fringe!! Wasn't too expensive but was a morale booster! Real hair!

I had a major dye job last year involving bleach and toner. It took 2 sessions of about 5 hours each.

I didn't notice at first, but then I saw a lot of my hair had just snapped off at the top and front. Loads was coming out when I washed it too. I was horrified. Thankfully, I have a lot of hair, so it didn't look thin but I was getting worried.

I am pleased to say that a year on, it has finally recovered. I only use Pureology shampoo and conditioner, take Biotin supplements and discovered Elasticizer which has made my hair amazing.

Get your thyroid checked out.

Get a blood test. My was falling out loads and snapping badly. I was anaemic with folic levels on the floor. It's been treated and my hair has stopped snapping and us growing back.... slowly

@powershowerforanhour last year they checked thyroid & TSH and T4 were "low normal" - Thyroid UK said that could be pituitary gland or a different type of hypothyroidism. GPs said no, it's fine! Ferritin was low & they supplemented that. And D3.

Hoping GP I see Monday will help get to bottom of it - he's one of partners at surgery. 🤞🏼🤞🏼

@Mrswalliams1 my iron was low & fate was low-normal. GP supplemented iron but finished that now, but wasn't interested in folate.

Low folate levels can cause anaemia. You can buy folate on chemists. Might be worth trying

Another suggesting blood tests.
Mine starting falling out in clumps and breaking off 4 months after having my son. I had bald patches at the sides of my forehead that receded 2 inches back on my head.
My iron levels were shot, my vitamin d levels were poor and my folic acid was borderline. 2 months later its started to grow back and I have tufty bits all along my hair line, still tempted to just shave it all off!

@Mrswalliams1 I'll ask GP if I can do tests this week & see before I start anything on my own. I'm sick of feeling I'm falling apart.

@OhWellThatsJustGreat no! It's horrible to hear that - it must have been so awful for you! My iron, folate & d3 were all low, but we supplemented d3 & iron, but it's worse now I've stopped those. Hope GP sorts it.

Have you been swimming recently? My hair broke off after swimming one time having entered the pool with dry hair and not wetting it first.

@TantricTwist no, can't remember last time I went swimming.

@QueenOfOversharingit it has really had an impact on my confidence, my hair is my favourite feature.
It has always been in a great condition considering how much I've put it through over the years, until I got pregnant I changed the colour every 6 weeks for 5 years, and the condition was still brilliant, have a baby... Not so much 🙈

@OhWellThatsJustGreat I can completely understand. I've been so upset the last few days then today I just felt so shit about it. I spend a fortune on keeping my hair in good condition & on my colourist - I've always been on top of that & like you, my hair's put up with so much. I used to bleach it myself & never had this!

@QueenOfOversharing it's the worst when you take the time to take care of it, I've got everything crossed its an easy fix for you.

It may not be a health issue if it’s breaking/snapping off, rather than falling out from the root.

The same thing has happened to me but I know it’s because of bleach and highlights. I’m a blonde (natural brunette), and have the middle parting “money pieces”/ streaks of blonde near my face. Looked lovely at first but those areas are so short now that it almost looks like I have a fringe!

I’m just letting it grow and using lots of moisture treatments

@OhWellThatsJustGreat thank you! And for you that yours grows back quickly!!

@Rachelfromfriends1 it could well be that - it's just weird that it's never happened before. But I'm doing treatments so hopefully the rest will stay where it is!!