Hair Breakage...Have I Found a Possible Solution?

So if you've been following my blog this far you will know that I've had a minor setback. Truthfully, my hair is still recovering from tons of breakage, but it has gotten better. Well you will also know that I figured out one of the reasons my hair was breaking at the root, but I was also noticing that I seem to have this pattern of breakage and shedding around 5 or 6 weeks post relaxer. Well I think I've figured it out (or at least have narrowed it down to three main issues).

Initially, I thought the problem was protein overload (Oct 2009-Jan 2010). I mean truthfully I was using a lot of protein based products, but I noticed that when I backed off and began following a light-moderate protein and moisturizing conditioning regimen my hair has been doing pretty well (Jan 2010-Mar 2010)--actually thrives at least for a while (first 5-6 weeks).

Then I thought it was because I had too much product build up on my hair (Nov 2009-Dec 2009). I mean there was a time when regardless of what I did nothing would stop the breakage (Dec 2009). So perhaps due to the buildup my conditioners could not penetrate the hair shaft and do its business. When I finally tried clarifying for the first time I did notice a significant reduction in the amount of breakage I saw, but it did not stop (Mar 2010)--so this may play a role, but there seems to still be an issue.

So what is going on? The one thing I know is that regardless of what I do something is occurring at my 5-6 week post relaxer mark, so that has to be the key. With this in mind, I wanted to see what other women have been going through to see if I could figure this out . I am getting tired of experiencing huge set backs, because at times this has gotten so bad that it undermines/erases the first four weeks growth I achieve, which in turns looks like my hair isn't growing very much ! In my search I came across some information on stretching, breakage and new growth, then I got it! I was still using way too much protein and I had reached the threshold for my relaxer. In other words, it was time to modify my regimen in an effort to effectively manage two extreme textures or the line of demarcation.

So now I am on looking at ways to modify what I am doing for the remaining 3 weeks before my next touch up (and going forward after 5 weeks post relaxer). Here are a couple of things I have picked up both from research and just by listening to my hair:

1. Moisturizing my ends as well as my new growth. This part is critical because it keeps my new growth soft and minimizes the stress between the two textures.I tried this today after shampooing my hair and I noticed a huge difference in how my hair felt and looked.
2. Clarify once every 4 weeks to remove possible build up.
3. DC with a moisturizing conditioner 2x/week as oppose to just after protein conditioners once a week.
4. Reduce my protein conditioners to 2x/month instead of once a week, I thought by using a mild protein conditioner that this would be enough, but it seems I may still be overloading my hair with protein. Most women only use (light) protein conditioners once every otehr week or once a month. I will cut back to twice a month and see what type of results that will produce.  I will still do a DC protein treatment 1 week after and prior to a relaxer though.
5. Gradually increase my stretch vs forcing my hair to stretch. If that mean for the next round I relax 8 weeks, then I do so and next relaxer I will stretch 9 weeks and so on until I build up to 10-12 weeks.

I have also decided to say goodbye to my kinky twist. I have had them in for such a long time that I am afraid to go without them. My initial goal was to wear them until I hit my goal of shoulder length, but I feel it is slowing my progress because I don't have the opportunity to
M & S or wash and DC as often as I'd like. With these changes I will see how my hair progresses over the next two weeks before my next relaxer and the next two months following my relaxer. 

As an aside, I will say as frustrating as all this is at times, I love the fact that I have begun blogging about my hair. In the past, my hair would begin breaking and I didn't have a clue as to why. Truthfully, I still don't, but by keeping a record of what I am doing/not doing to my hair has helped me really figure it out. It forces me to really pay attention to my hair  and develop a greater appreciation for it--for myself, flaws and all. I highly recommend it to anyone hoping to achieve specific hair goals, or any goal for that fact (I currently have a skin and body blog as well). In all honesty I would have given up on my hair by now. Threw my hands up stating that my hair "simply could not grow", thrown in a weave and called it a day. Now, despite these minor set backs I have been able to learn so much more about my hair and my ability and increased my confidence in my ability to take control of the things in my life and accomplish the things I want. I know, I know that's a lot to garner just from hair growth...LOL, but we all find life lessons in the weirdest places don't we?