Sometimes we all need a change. That was part of the reason I cut my hair back in October. I saw all the cute girls on Instagram with their short hair cuts that framed their faces and thought, “Maybe I will do that someday!” However, I wasn’t planning on doing it as soon as I did, and I did it for other reasons…
If you didn’t know, I have Natural Beaded Row extensions! I got them in October of 2018 and LOVE them. They are the best extensions out there! You can read my post all about them here! However, not even a year later I needed to cut it short.
Throughout 2019 I noticed the top layer of my hair breaking. It was getting shorter and shorter and more damaged as the months went on. Every time I went to see my hairstylist she took out my extensions to move them up and I would internally FREAK out about my natural hair! It was getting so thin and damaged. Finally, three months ago, I had enough. I was looking at photos I was taking for my blog and noticing how unhealthy the top layer of my hair looked.
I expressed my concerns to my hair dresser and that’s when we realized we hadn’t trimmed my hair at all that year! She said she could layer my extensions to make them blend better with my shorter top pieces, but I decide to just go short for awhile and let the top pieces (plus the rest of my hair) grow before putting the long extensions back in.
why was it damaged & how am I growing it out?
First of all, the damage had NOTHING to do with my extensions. The hair that is the most damaged is not where the extensions are tied into. The damage came from me making poor choices.
For starters, not cutting your hair causes split ins and breakage. The more your hair splits, the more it damages. I am now making sure to get trims every eight weeks! I have already noticed a huge difference!
When I started getting NBR I also started getting more highlights as well. Before NBR extensions I only ever got balayage, so my top pieces were not getting bleached as much as they are now. I am now switching to highlighting my hair every other appointment to get it healthy again.
Blow drying my hair. YIKES. I never used to blow dry my hair before getting extensions. However, with that much hair you just have to! I think this was one of the worst things I did to my hair in the last year. I would semi-follow my hairstylist’s instructions to let my hair air dry THEN blow dry it at the end, but with that much hair air drying takes forever! I would end up blasting it with high heat 2-3 times a week and my hair hated me for it. Now, I let my hair air dry 99% then blow dry it for about a minute on lower heat settings!
To go along with the last note, I never used to use hair protectant. You’re probably yelling through your screen at this point… Now I diligently use heat protectant before any kind of heat is put on my hair!
I also have been making sure to wash my hair less (1-2 times a week) and also make sure I use high quality products ONLY! I am loving the Olaplex line!
I don’t have a lot of progress photos, but here is my hair before NBR. The top layers were so long! This is my goal to get back to!
where I am at now…
Overall, I was not setting my hair up for success. I wish I would have been better at following the NBR haircare tips my hairstylist gave me in the beginning (hell – I wrote a whole blogpost on it! I knew what I was supposed to be doing, just wasn’t following through)!
For the record, I still have NBR in. Just one row to make my short hair more volumized! My last appointment was in December and my real hair is ALREADY looking better! I can’t wait to have my long extensions again, but I definitely needed to re-prioritize my hair care before then.
One thing I will say though, short hair is a lot less work haha! I do miss the long curls and braids though. Cheers to self care in 2020!
xoxo,
Lauren Emily Lindmark
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