“When I was in the seventh grade I had beautiful shoulder length hair nice and strong. I had just bought a new brush that I was always using. I didn’t have time to brush my hair at home so when I got to school I started to brush my hair. The brush got stuck at the back of my head and all my hair came out! I am now 18 years old and my hair hasn’t grown ever since!!! I’ve tried everything!!!! I just started going natural a few months ago and I’ve seen about 2 inches of hair growth in the back. I have to keep trimming the sides to match the back of my head. I am always getting made fun of, so I wear clip in’s. But I can’t afford any wigs. Please help me!!!! I want my hair back”.
I am sorry to hear that you are being made fun of Paris. I want you to remember that you are more than just your hair and even if you were bald you are still beautiful!
Now to help you with your hair problem. I have had a somewhat similar experience only instead of it being with a brush it was with a clip in ponytail. I use to wear my clip in faithfully and I would secure it in my hair with tons of bobby pins. One day, I was rushing to take my ponytail out because the bobby pins were uncomfortably digging into my scalp. Impatiently I tugged the ponytail out and along with it was the middle portion of my hair. For a while this section remained shorter than the rest of my hair, so I definitely know how you feel.
What I would suggest to you is avoid that brush. As a new natural it may sound strange to you, but believe or not brushes are damaging to hair. They rip and tug at strands and are good at causing splits. Brushes should be used infrequently to prevent damage to the hair. Especially since the back portion of your hair has experienced damage it is already sensitive and manipulating this portion of your hair with a brush is definitely too much for it to bare.
If you need to smooth out your nape or kitchen as some of us call it smooth on a product like Wonder Curl Get Set Jelly or Shea Moisture Curling Souffle to lay those edges down. Definitely avoid using heat in this area for a while or styles that apply too much tightness/tension until it has recovered as well. Remember to always deep condition your hair paying close attention to this area as often as possible.
Another thing to keep in mind is it is possible for different parts of our hair to grow at different rates. You mentioned that you saw 2 inches of new growth in the back of your hair and you keep trimming your sides so they match in length. It’s entirely up to you, but you do not have to keep doing this. For me, my back portion of my hair just grows faster than any part of my hair, while the middle of my hair is the slowest. It’s totally normal for this to occur. Any number of things could be affecting this from your position that you are sleeping in at night to your styling habits. You can have your hair cut into layers so you do not have to stay at the same length for a very long time, if that is an option that you would like to try.
I hope this has helped you Paris, best wishes on your hair journey!
Thank you so much