Heavy when wet? + weird brush question

[saturnine]

Two silly little problems!

Washing my hair has never been fun, but for the past few weeks it has been extremely unpleasant. It was always heavy, but now when it's wet it pulls uncomfortably on my scalp around the crown, as if I've pulled it into a faceliftingly tight bun or someone is yanking on my hair. I worry that hairs will start getting pulled out, that's how hard it pulls. I've been shedding a lot lately anyways, so I'm extra paranoid.

Does anyone else have this problem? And even if you don't have this problem, could you share a little about the way your hair is arranged when you wash it? Like, do you part it? Brush it back? Right now I just leave it however it happens to be parted when I get to a wash day, comb it out right before hopping in the shower, wash/condition, then let air dry. I wash with my back to the showerhead. I haven't had my hair this long since I was a little kid, so maybe I'm missing something totally basic? Haha.

Also, for people who use the Michel Mercier brush or the Tangle Teezer: have you noticed that your hair is a lot more compact since you started using this kind of brush? Not necessarily thinner, just... compact. When I first started using the MM brush, I couldn't get my hair into a large flexi clip with most buns, but after a couple of months of using it I've noticed that I can fit a large flexi around a lazy wrap bun, which concerns me a little. It's also a lot sleeker and flatter, and I've never before been able to describe my hair as "sleek," not unless I loaded it up with product and/or straightened it. I... have mixed feelings. On the one hand it's extremely soft, which is nice, but on the other hand I'm a little concerned that there's something fishy going on. Like I said above, I've been shedding a lot lately, and even though my mother is shedding just as much as I am and I know it's just seasonal shedding, I'm still a little suspicious.

I've been measuring my ponytail circumference every few weeks since before I started using the brush (started measuring in September) and it's the same every time, so I don't think it's that I'm losing my hair, but I dunno at this point. Maybe my hair was just staticky before? Maybe I'm just getting better at bunning? :? Any insights?

Sorry for the tl;dr, haha. I have no clue how to explain what's going on succinctly. :oops:

[Gabriel]

I have a different type and length from you but I'll tell you a bit about my full hair washing and what works for me. I get crown pain sometimes. Maybe someone with a type closer to your's will show up and offer better help though.

I'm not super crazy about full wash days either, so I feel your pain. Have you changed how you wear your part recently? Or style your hair over your crown area differently? If you had short hair before, have you ever noticed or been told that you have a "cow-lick" there? (A swirl growth pattern?) I have one there on the right and it was trouble styling short hair, but with long hair, if I change the direction of my hair style in a really unusual direction, it will ache. Then it will hurt (that hair is being pulled or yanked hurt) until I have to "reset it" in a normal direction by washing my hair/scalp. I don't wet my hair with it the "wrong way" and trying to think of why, I'm fairly sure the rare few times I must have, it's that type of pain you describe. I can't let it dry the "wrong way" either or I just have to wash it all over again.

I detangle my hair from the ends up before I get in the shower. Everything gets combed straight back with a wide tooth comb. I wash it facing the shower head and with my back to it. (Which I never thought about before. ha!) Mostly because I have to be sure to rinse my scalp really well.

I have a few Tangle Teezers and I like them. I go through phases though and right now I'm in a comb phase. I use whatever in my hair the same way though, from the ends up slowly and gently. A brush will move more natural sebum/oils along your hair than a comb. It will also smooth more strands uniformly along. That could be creating the illusion of compacting your hair down. That might explain why your hair feels really soft since you've been using it.

If you really want to be sure it isn't breaking hair, you could brush out over a light or dark surface (depending on your hair color) for a few days and check your sheds for broken ends.

As you get better at bunning hair though, certain styles will compact hair a lot. People are always surprised how long my hair is and I'm almost at fingertip.

Hope this helps a little!

[Madora]

Saturnine, I haven't a clue why your hair is giving you such problems in the shower. That is most unusual! Here's my shampooing technique (which I've been using for over 20 years. I used to shampoo like you do, but found it much easier to shampoo in the head down position because it allowed you greater access to your nape area and the back of the head):

First of all, a hair tip from famed "Czar of Long Hair", Dr.George Michael, regarding shampooing your hair:
The best position is to bend over, with your head down, a posture which keeps your scalp loose and increases circulation. (When your head is raised above the elbows the scalp "locks." Try it for yourself and you'll see the difference.)
I do this, but take special precautions beforehand, that is:
1) Gently detangle my hair with a wide tooth comb before getting into the shower
2) Brush it thoroughly with my bbb
3) Center part my hair so that there are two sections
4) Clip off one section (at the bottom) so it doesn't get mixed in with the other section
5) Put one tablespoon of my GM Pink Creme Shampoo in a tall, plastic container, add warm water, stir thoroughly, and pour the contents all over my scalp and hair.
6) Use my fingerpads to gently massage the shampoo thru my scalp and hair. I do not massage willy nilly, however. I work in rows. From the center part down to the side of my neck, in two inch increments, starting from the center/front of my head, and working slowly around the head to the back.
7) Working in rows helps keep the hair flowing in the same direction. The possibility for tangles is diminished because you are shampooing in the same direction, instead of here, there and everywhere.
8) I rinse with warm water, then reapply another round of shampoo (diluted)
9) Rinse again, and this time, end with a cold rinse (using a hand held device)
10) Repeat with the other side of the hair
11) Conditioning is limited to 5 drops of Mineral Oil (applied to my hands) and the hands then run through my damp (not wet) hair.
12) Detangling follows. I have a certain way of detangling also.
13) Final step: airdrying outdoors (if temp. permits). Takes 25 minutes. Indoors: a portable electric heater (takes about 45 minutes)..and yes, I've got my own method for airdrying too.
14) In conclusion, for me, who loathes shampooing, the best method was having all my hair in front, and then trying to make sure the two sides remained separate during the entire process of shampooing and conditioning (not always easy), AND working in the shampoo in ROWS, and not in a haphazard fashion.

[meteor]

First of all, since your ponytail measurement is always exactly the same - don't worry! Yes, brushing can smooth down hair dramatically and distribute the oils so it can feel overly sleek. Another thing to consider is that when you start taking good care of hair (e.g. conditioning it and oiling it), it smooths down the frizz and volume, and if you are worried about thickness it can look a bit unusual compared to the look that some damaging practices create (hairspray, bleach/dye, overwashing hair...). And yes, you are right, getting better at bunning can mean compacting hair better with practice.

And yes, wet hair IS very heavy compared to dry hair, especially if it's already thick and long. Hair absorbs up to 30% of its weight in water, and if your hair is damaged, then it absorbs up to 45% of its weight (http://www.hair-science.com/_int/_en/topic/topic_sousrub.aspx?tc=root-hair-science^so-sturdy-so-fragile^properties-of-hair&cur=properties-of-hair)! That's one of the main reasons why I try not to put my hair up when it's soaking wet - it just pulls way too much to be comfortable, especially if one has a tender scalp. It's normal, don't worry. Just try to speed up your hair air-drying: use a fan or a blow-dryer on cool setting, for example. Spread and detangle your hair with your fingers to aerate it a bit...

[saturnine]

Thanks for the responses, guys.

As a matter of fact, I <i>do</i> have a pretty aggressive cowlick. I've been growing my hair out for awhile now so I haven't thought about it in ages, but when my hair was ear length it was a nuisance. With my hair as long as it is, it's mostly weighed down into submission, but I checked out the back of my head in a mirror and it's still there, just… subdued.

Today was a wash day, so I center parted, then grabbed the rogue strand and wet it down to the side it's supposed to be on right before hopping into the shower. :P It seemed to help a lot; I didn't feel any pulling at all as I was wetting down and starting to scrub my scalp. Strange that that one little chunk of hair could cause so much discomfort.

I did feel the pulling slowly start up as I scrubbed and my hair got wetter, but it was greatly reduced, and flipping completely solved the problem. I normally dislike washing head down because it gives me a crick in my neck, but I'd rather have a slightly stiff neck than a sore scalp.

Problem seems to be solved!

As for the brush deal, I think you guys are right about that too. Before I got the MM brush I was very naughty and used a paddle brush with balls on the end of the bristles, just out of habit, so I'm probably just not used to the effects of a brush that isn't torturing my hair.

Thanks again everyone. :) Washing is still tedious, but it seems like if I use proper technique it will no longer be a literal pain.

[lapushka]

Try washing your hair bent at the waist, over the bathtub or in a sink - whatever is easiest. Like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwnlC12W8vk

Your hair is 33 inches? It's only going to get worse with length.


Also, for people who use the Michel Mercier brush or the Tangle Teezer: have you noticed that your hair is a lot more compact since you started using this kind of brush? Not necessarily thinner, just... compact. When I first started using the MM brush, I couldn't get my hair into a large flexi clip with most buns, but after a couple of months of using it I've noticed that I can fit a large flexi around a lazy wrap bun, which concerns me a little. It's also a lot sleeker and flatter, and I've never before been able to describe my hair as "sleek," not unless I loaded it up with product and/or straightened it. I... have mixed feelings. On the one hand it's extremely soft, which is nice, but on the other hand I'm a little concerned that there's something fishy going on. Like I said above, I've been shedding a lot lately, and even though my mother is shedding just as much as I am and I know it's just seasonal shedding, I'm still a little suspicious.

I've been measuring my ponytail circumference every few weeks since before I started using the brush (started measuring in September) and it's the same every time, so I don't think it's that I'm losing my hair, but I dunno at this point. Maybe my hair was just staticky before? Maybe I'm just getting better at bunning? :? Any insights?

Sorry for the tl;dr, haha. I have no clue how to explain what's going on succinctly. :oops:

I'd put it down to getting better at bunning. If your circumference is the same, no reason to stress over it.