Why does hair "separate" into sections..

**Nenwing** · October 1st, 2009, 10:10 AM

..and how do you prevent this?

I noticed my hair would try to do this when longer, and I hated how it looked. What I mean is when it would separate into "chunks" that would try to do their own thing and just look like a scraggly mess in general. It would tend to happen below the neck. How does one get the hair not to do this, and why does some people's hair do it while others seem to have nice hair that stays put all day long in one flowing section?

**Katze** · October 1st, 2009, 10:14 AM

I don't know either, because mine does this and it really bothers me. I do find, however, that dirtier hair does it sooner, oiling also makes it happen more, and if I comb my hair I can hide this stringiness for a few minutes anyway.

I often mix my leave ins with hair gel in order to prevent this.

**Isa-belle** · October 1st, 2009, 10:18 AM

I would love to know, as well, and to know how to prevent this.
My hair started doing this at around hip length and it's been very frustrating.

**MsBubbles** · October 1st, 2009, 10:40 AM

Originally Posted by Isa-belle

I would love to know, as well, and to know how to prevent this.
My hair started doing this at around hip length and it's been very frustrating.

Hip?!? LOL! Wow, mine does it at chin length

. You have beautiful hair Isa-belle!

My unofficial verdict to the question 'how does that girl's hair all hang together?', is: fine yet voluminous hair stays together better. I think the more hair you have, the more it'll appear to hang 'together', and it's on a sliding scale related to amount of hair. Mine will always be on the thin side so I have given up the quest.

**florenonite** · October 1st, 2009, 10:43 AM

Originally Posted by MsBubbles

Hip?!? LOL! Wow, mine does it at chin length

. You have beautiful hair Isa-belle!

My unofficial verdict to the question 'how does that girl's hair all hang together?', is: fine yet voluminous hair stays together better. I think the more hair you have, the more it'll appear to hang 'together', and it's on a sliding scale related to amount of hair. Mine will always be on the thin side so I have given up the quest.

I've got fine hair and lots of it, and it gets stringy very easily. I think it's because I insist on using shampoo bars, even though sulphate 'poo washes my hair better, so my hair is always slightly greasy, even when "clean".

**Tangerine** · October 1st, 2009, 10:43 AM

I have no advice I'm afraid but I just wanted to say that I actually love it when my hair does that and like it on other people too ... I think it looks natural and wild

**Heidi_234** · October 1st, 2009, 11:12 AM

I, on the other hand, desperately look for a way to make the chucks... chunkier

**SpinDance** · October 1st, 2009, 11:35 AM

I end up combing mine fairly often with either my fingers or a horn or wooden hair fork to get it to lay nicely instead of clumping up. It will clump into stringiness if it's dirty or I've put in too much oil (which I sometimes do intentionally for night braiding prior to washing). I usually end up putting it into an updo so I'll keep my hands out of it.

On the other hand, if it would clump and the clumps would curl, I'd be thrilled. I'm hoping that as I learn more here I'll be able to get actual curls. I found a lock with a real, if loose, long spiral curl this morning! Yay!

**Honestwitness** · October 1st, 2009, 11:55 AM

My hair is APL and I have this problem, too. I have discovered that certain fabrics make it worse and certain fabrics make it look better, if I am wearing my hair down. I have one knit top that makes it look awful. You can see it in my "Hair Weaknesses" album. I believe there must be lots of microscopic fibers sticking out of the knit fabric that grab onto my hair strands like velcro. As I move my head from side to side throughout the day, these little fibers work to "spin" my hair strands into little corkscrews that repel each other.

On the other hand, I have a jacket (it's the flowery one in purples, turquoises, and pinks) that has a very smooth, slick surface. My hair hangs very nicely when I wear it. You can see photos in my "Hair Progress" album.

**Presto** · October 1st, 2009, 12:17 PM

Curlies have good advice on how to get MORE clumps.

I think combing/brushing is the only fix for clumps, any handling of curly hair causes frizz, which is basically hair getting out of those clumps.

I think vinegar rinses, or anything that helps prevent static will help along this line, whether the clumps are caused by tangling or static, the smoother you can get the hair the fewer clumps you will have. I think 'cones help with this?