Tangles, Knots & Damage.

[millyaulait]

For the past month or so I've been getting little tangles in my length.

I've never had tangles before, up until now my hair has always been very well behaved and had a lot of slip.

Every time I use an elastic (I know...) for a ponytail I get knots.
Braiding it and securing it with an elastic for sleep? Knots.
If I wear my hair down, it tangles, and eventually knots.

I CO-wash, oil my hair, use a BBB....

It's in the best condition it's ever been in! But, it is still tangling & knotting.

Is this simply something that comes with length? I'm BSL when stretched, and only 1.5" away from BSL when dry.

The real problem is that I'm not sure how to safely de-tangle and unravel these knots.

I'm terrified of damaging my hair. Whenever I get a knot I slather it in oil and pry it out, but I'm still worried. :(

[jacqueline101]

I'd say maybe try a spray in detangler and wear it up more so it won't tangle. You may also need to clarify maybe you have build up causing the issues.

[EtherealDoll]

Maybe try clarifying. Also, do you detangle your hair before you brush it? It would help minimize the damage. Finger combing or using a wide-toothed comb works the best for me when I get tangles or knots.

[millyaulait]

I'd say maybe try a spray in detangler and wear it up more so it won't tangle. You may also need to clarify maybe you have build up causing the issues.


Maybe try clarifying. Also, do you detangle your hair before you brush it? It would help minimize the damage. Finger combing or using a wide-toothed comb works the best for me when I get tangles or knots.

I clarified and it seems that the tangles are worse now... :(

[gthlvrmx]

I clarified and it seems that the tangles are worse now... :(
clarify it and of course put that moisture back in it! after using whatever you use to get moisture in your hair, oil your hair when damp and that should help a lot. just keep doing whatever works for you, but after clarifying you should really moisturize it and i would suggest oiling it when damp so that your hair retains more of that moisture. the baby oils helps with tangling :)

i understand you about the whole tangly hair, my hair just tangles no matter how soft it feels...maybe ill just never have that soft silky slippery hair *shrugs*
but my hair used to never tangle when it was shorter at about APL, it wasn't until i hit BSL that it began tangling.

[ravenreed]

My hair has always been tangly, no matter what, but yes, the longer it gets, the more it tangles. AND, the places where it tangles are more likely to split now than when it was shorter, probably because the ends are so much drier. Every bit of length adds new challenges.

[bunnylake]

You might want to try the Tangle Teezer, or some good seamless combs. Just be gentle when you use them and your hair will be fine!

[Starblanket]

Unfortunately some hair will tangle if you simply glance at it (like mine), but there are a few ways to remedy this. I recommend clarifying and then doing a deep moisturizing treatment. Checking the protein levels of your hair would not hurt either because I noticed that when my hair becomes too moisturized it becomes floaty and even more tangled.

You might also want to consider cones. There are some that don't build up (like amodimethicone), I use amodimethicone-containing conditioners sometimes and it seems to help although I am mostly no-cone. Another thing that I've found to help is to keep my hair up in buns almost constantly. I noticed that my hair becomes tangled even if I put it in braids so buns are the better option for me.

As for the last thing (phew!), I recommend baby/mineral oil. It's helped retain the moisture levels of my hair and keeps it from becoming angrily tangled. Ktani has a great article she wrote on mineral oil here:

http://ktanihairsense.blogspot.ca/2012/04/how-mineral-oil-can-help-even-damaged.html

http://ktanihairsense.blogspot.ca/2012/04/tips-for-applying-cosmetic-mineral-oil.html

[Starblanket]

You might want to try the Tangle Teezer, or some good seamless combs. Just be gentle when you use them and your hair will be fine!

I also second the tangle teezer! Also, when you come across a knot in your hair don't rip through it with your comb or brush etc. Instead, gently remove the knot horizontally with your fingers. If you end up having any bent ends after you've taken out the knot you can simply just snip it off with some hair cutting scissors.

[feb26]

I hear you: knots & tangles are scary!! go slow & starting from the bottom up, work the tangles out. how big are the tangles & are you having baby knots come out during the process?? i've had this happen b4 & figure as i finger comb only, they have to come out at some point..& there they are!

[Madora]

For the past month or so I've been getting little tangles in my length.

I've never had tangles before, up until now my hair has always been very well behaved and had a lot of slip.

Every time I use an elastic (I know...) for a ponytail I get knots.
Braiding it and securing it with an elastic for sleep? Knots.
If I wear my hair down, it tangles, and eventually knots.

I CO-wash, oil my hair, use a BBB....

It's in the best condition it's ever been in! But, it is still tangling & knotting.

Is this simply something that comes with length? I'm BSL when stretched, and only 1.5" away from BSL when dry.

The real problem is that I'm not sure how to safely de-tangle and unravel these knots.

I'm terrified of damaging my hair. Whenever I get a knot I slather it in oil and pry it out, but I'm still worried. :(

Here's how to detangle gently:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=230

Are you wearing your hair up? Doing so helps eliminate a lot of the tangle miseries.

It could be that what you are using on your hair is causing the problem.

Try clarifying and then condition afterwards -- keep it simple.

Limit what you put on your hair. You might want to investigate using mineral oil to help with tangles and to keep your hair moisturized.

Hair should not knot/tangle if you detangle it before you braid it for sleep. It will knot/tangle if you put it in a ponytail.

Learn new updo styles to keep those tangles at bay (i.e. Gibson Tuck, Peacock Twist, Sock bun). Good luck!