Long Hair Wannabe': need help with tangles

[Silver Sister]

Help. Need advice on tangled hair.

My hair is now 18", fine to medium texture, and about 3 to 3.5 " pony if you count the bangs that are growing out.
I use coconut oil weekly as an overnight leave in before shampoo and don't use any heat to style or dry. Shampoo with a variety of leftover shampoos (including silver shampoo), use a silicone conditioner about once per week (builds up otherwise), and still get a few notties and tangles.

I can comb my hair but within 30-60 minutes, I have small tangles forming in the length. Is this normal?

Advice needed.

[Firefox7275]

Some people do seem to have more tangly hair than others, but it can also signify damage. Consider wearing more up dos so you don't have to brush or comb as often (damages hair), also switching to a super gentle sulphate free shampoo at pH 4.5 to 5.5 to encourage the cuticle to lay flat - shampooing and brushing/ combing damage hair. Also consider if you have hidden wave or curl, this can make hair more tangly.

Fine hair tends to do well with protein, this acts as a film former smoothing the cuticle, patch repairs damage and can reduce tangling if the right amount is used. Silicones that resist building up include water soluble (prefix PEG-) and amine ones (eg. amodimethicone). I'm not clear if you are using conditioner every wash or not?

[Alexblue]

If you have hard water, you may want to periodically wash with swimmer's shampoo. Minerals can build up on the hair and make the ends appears dry and tangled. I personally use Joico once a month and it's made a big difference for tangles.

[Panth]

I agree with Firefox and Alexblue.

You may want to clarify and chelate, to ensure it is not build-up of either product or minerals respectively causing the problem.

Another possibility is that your hair dislikes the coconut oil.

Another thing to consider is swapping your current 'coney conditioner for a water-soluble 'coney product (e.g. amodimethicone) which you could then use more regularly as it wouldn't build up.

[Silver Sister]

THANK YOU ALL! I need help.

Yes, the under layer of hair is wavy while the top layer is nearly straight.

Water is somewhat hard water. Live in limestone country.

After using coconut oil as a prewash conditioner, it is smooth and somewhat silky. Wonder if I should use it more often as some of the hair was heat treated and demi colored (dryer and hot curlers) in the past...but not for the last 5 months.

Any shampoo or conditioner brand recommendations are welcome! My hair is quickly becoming silver.

[Silver Sister]

THANK YOU ALL! I need help.

Yes, the under layer of hair is wavy while the top layer is nearly straight.

After using coconut oil as a prewash conditioner, it is smooth and somewhat silky. Wonder if I should use it more often as some of the hair was heat treated and demi colored (dryer and hot curlers) in the past...but not for the last 5 months.

Will shop for Joico. The reviews are great. Any other shampoo or conditioner brand recommendations are welcome! My hair is quickly becoming silver.

[Silver Sister]

sorry about the double post.............

[jacqueline101]

I'd try a cone scrum to help the tangles slide.

[katiebeans]

If you are looking for some help when combing and detangling your hair, I would suggest a tangle teezer, sold at sally's. My fine hair tangles super easily and is pretty difficult to detangle after it is washed. The tangle teezer saves me SO much more hair than my comb. I also know a few ladies who swear by loreal kids detangler. The bottle looks like a fish :) and it smells yummy.

[Firefox7275]

THANK YOU ALL! I need help.

Yes, the under layer of hair is wavy while the top layer is nearly straight.

After using coconut oil as a prewash conditioner, it is smooth and somewhat silky. Wonder if I should use it more often as some of the hair was heat treated and demi colored (dryer and hot curlers) in the past...but not for the last 5 months.

Will shop for Joico. The reviews are great. Any other shampoo or conditioner brand recommendations are welcome! My hair is quickly becoming silver.

Beneficial ingredients for damaged or colour treated hair include coconut oil, hydrolysed protein, ceramides, 18-MEA and panthenol. You might consider the Curly GIrl method, my guess is your canopy is wavier than you think. If so wavy hair is not supposed to be tangle free and ideally would never be combed other than in the shower when slathered in conditioner.

[AmyBeth]

It sounds like we have similar hair, except that yours is much thicker. My hair loves to tangle, loves silicones because they make my hair silkier and more slippery. However, I am trying to CO and CO and silicones don't work so well together. I've learned to love avocado oil as almost as nice as silicones.
Other than that, I almost always have my hair up:rolleyes:.

[breezefaerie]

I would say that silicones or mineral oil would help with the tangles.

[roboeyes]

I would recommend adding a vinegar rinse to your routine every now and then. It smooths the follicle and helps prevent tangles.

I myself use Original Sprout detangler along with a Tangle Teezer brush, and this allows me to brush my hair while wet/damp without breaking it, and leaves my hair soft and compliant.

[Panth]

Yes, the under layer of hair is wavy while the top layer is nearly straight.

This is very likely to be an indication that your hair is wavy or possibly even curly. The reason that the top layer is nearly straight could be that it gets brushed/combed more effectively and touched more, pulling out the waves. One of the best things you could do is try the Curly Girl method. You may find you are rather wavier than you realised!

If this is the case, you are liable to have both better looking, better growing hair and less stress by adapting your haircare to reflect your texture.

[Silver Sister]

Thank you all for the great advice. Yes, I suspect I'm a wavy-girl and should try that method of washing. Thanks you for your replies.