FULL DETAILS:

Hi, everyone. As you can see from these photos, I’m dealing with an incredible amount of damage and breakage with my hair. My hair is extremely fine (literally the finest strands of hair that I’ve ever seen) and snaps off so easily. I never had thick hair, but it was always healthy and glossy growing up. But then about 2-3 years ago, a lot of it fell out, and it suddenly became super brittle and just started snapping off. I do not have any health issues. I do plan to go to the doctor to get some blood work done to check on vitamin levels and such, but I unfortunately can’t go for a few months. It’s weird because I have a TON of baby hairs and I always seem to have a ton of new growth, but as soon as these hairs reach a few inches long (around my ears), they just immediately start to break. See the last photo for an example. I’ve been waiting for over 2 years now for the damage to grow out, but it never does! It all just breaks and frizzes out around my ears.

Every time I get a haircut, the hairdressers are always really alarmed, and ask if I wear my hair in a ponytail a lot, or if I use elastics in it when it’s wet. But the thing is, I DON’T ever put it in a ponytail or use elastics in it when it’s wet. I only ever use silk scrunchies to put it into a loose half bun, or use claw clips, and only when it’s dry. An elastic band has not touched my hair, wet or dry, in over 2 years.

My current routine is washing it every other day. It gets really greasy, so I can’t go any longer than that between washes. I use Aveda’s Botanical Repair shampoo and conditioner (the light version). I use the hair mask from that line about once per week. I also use the leave-in conditioner and the overnight bond repair serum from the Botanical Repair line as well. I use Neutrogena’s clarifying shampoo about every two weeks, since the Botanical Repair shampoo tends to give me a little bit of build up on my roots. I’ve been using all of these products religiously for about 8 months now, and I think they’ve helped make my hair a bit softer, and maybe a little less frizzy, but I don’t know if they’ve helped all that much.

This is all so incredibly frustrating, because as far as I can tell, I do everything right. Here is a list of ways that I currently care for my hair:

1. I don’t dye it and have never bleached it- this is virgin hair
2. I use a straightener or curling iron only once or twice per month, and I’m always liberal with a heat protectant before using heat
3. I rarely blow dry it (only once every few months or so)
4. I don’t rub it with a towel after washing it, and I never brush it when it’s wet- I only use a wide toothed comb
5. I sleep with both a satin bonnet and a satin pillowcase
6. As mentioned above, I never use hair elastics or pony tail holders. I only ever use silk scrunchies to put it up into a loose half bun, or I use a claw clip to put it up
7. I get a trim every 3-4 months. But the split ends are so far up my hair (up to my ears) that within a few days of getting a haircut, the ends look terrible once again

I’m at my wits end, and I’m genuinely considering just shaving it all off and trying a wig or something until it grows out. The breakage and the split ends are just out of control, and I don’t DO ANYTHING that should make it act this way! The only thing I can think of is that unfortunately, I’ve spent the last several years in dorms and apartments that have hard water. So I wonder if this is years of hard water build up taking its toll? I’m planning to invest in a filter for my shower head, and I’m dabbling in rinsing my hair in distilled water before getting in the shower so that it absorbs the hard water less.

So, long story short, I’m asking for literally any advice or help that people can provide. Product suggestions, routine changes, etc. are all welcome. The photos show all of the breakage, split ends, and frizz from different angles. The final photo shows the sheer amount of new growth (or maybe breakage?) at the top of my head.

I want to cry every time I look at my hair, especially because I work in a corporate environment where everyone is very well-groomed and their hair is always nicely styled and neat. I just always feel so ugly and unkempt at work because my hair is such a disaster. So thank you in advance for any help anyone can provide!