I know everyone has a natural hair part but..

this is ridiculous and kind of worring me.

Recently I have been noticing my hair looking like it's thinning up top and I'm not sure how long it's been like this because I'm not usually paying attention to what my hair looks like but ever since I noticed it I have been obsessing and distressing over it. My dreadlocks are almost 4 years old. I used to crochette to maintain but haven't for the past two years and when I did it wasn't very many times. I have only used wax I think may be 3 times in the beginning month and have been working to get that out..I was looking at older pics of me and don't seem to have this problem. Could it be the weight? Am I thinning? Any help to fix this? Thanks in advance. This is really taking a toll on my self esteem. My ex (and still best friend) tells me that I'm fine and there is nothing to worry about, that I'm worried over nothing but I don't think it ever looked like this! If anyone needs more infor to further understand and help, ask away and thanks again.

Much love,

Nicole

updated by @dreaded-delusion: 02/14/15 08:19:08AM

it doesn't look like thinning to me. it probably looks more pronounced though because your sections are more established now than in the beginning and the weight of your locks. you have less frizz than most people too which tends to hide the parts more.

looks to me like its from the crochet still give it 3 months and see what happens let the gaps fill in with loose hair from seperating

--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

Thanks Heather. I hope so!!! Now the question would be how to make them lighter. lol. I was thinking oof trying acv or a conditioning. They do feel quite dense.

Heather said:

it doesn't look like thinning to me. it probably looks more pronounced though because your sections are more established now than in the beginning and the weight of your locks. you have less frizz than most people too which tends to hide the parts more.

I looked at your pics and you have some lovely locks. That makes me feel better it's not just me having tis problem. I think I've been going neglect for the last 2 years the first two maitenance. Thanks for the feedback. Maybe it's just a phase I hope.

jameela bailey said:

yea mine are like that too, (8 years) and i dont really think its anything serious, i think that my sections got like this because i was doing maintenece every second, but i stopped doing it for like 5 months and im going negelct, but i think its just the hair seperating idk, dont worry it will grow in :] and Heather is right it could be weight too!

i think they're dense because of the crocheting. you could definitely do a conditioning with probably whatever you want to use. at 4 years you don't really need to worry about anything coming apart. i tried to loosen one of my sections with conditioner the other day and it wasn't going anywhere. mine are only 6 months. its really soft now though. lol:)

Thin overall being a bad thing? My hair type is very fine and like baby thin hair. As for root damage, I don't recall crochetting the roots at all but only loose hairs surrounding put back in the nearest dread. I didn't do it that many times but I never touched my roots cos I wa never a fan of people that tried to tighten them because it looks bad. I was hpong all the new hair that grows in will repair everything because it is untouched. Should that work? I have been doing no maitenece for two years. I'm hoping it's just a slow repair process. Thanks for your advice. Sometimes I do the part in diff places as well.

fancyAmanda said:

Might be the picture.... but your locks look really thin overall. I agree with Heather that the lack of fuzzy roots makes the sections look more defined. Maybe when you were crocheting you did some permanent damage to the roots... if you even crocheted the roots. That's not helpful, though :/ I have a natural part but I still manage to sometimes part on the opposite side when my hair is wet... not sure if that helps either. Hope you can work with this since your locks have come a long way.

Well SE, I put down the crochette 2 years ago. Any advice with that? Wouldn't the new growth be all I need to heal it? Is this a time process? For the past 2 years, all I have been doing is washing and seperating, the first 2 was unnessisary maitenance. Thanks for the input.

soaringeagle said:

looks to me like its from the crochet still give it 3 months and see what happens let the gaps fill in with loose hair from seperating

wow thats after 2 years no maintenance? thats surprising i woulda thought theyd fill in long ago

--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

haha. Yeah, I'm sure they're here to stay. And I think you're right about the crocehette density. I'm hoping when the years go on with more growth, it'll sort itself out cos the new growth will be untouched. I think I'm definatly due for a conditioning. I miss the softness. :/

Heather said:

i think they're dense because of the crocheting. you could definitely do a conditioning with probably whatever you want to use. at 4 years you don't really need to worry about anything coming apart. i tried to loosen one of my sections with conditioner the other day and it wasn't going anywhere. mine are only 6 months. its really soft now though. lol:)