Help with really tangled hair

[Anarith]

Hello~!

Since a year ago I have a really dry hair that tangles a lot. Like a lot. Really messy every morning and at night. The worst day is the day next after washing it.
I have taken some photos. Here you can see the tangles after washing it once its dry in the morning.
It takes me a lot of time to carefully detangle it. I spend this morning like 40~50 minutes just detangling it.

I have no idea how to link pictures and made them show, so I have created Imgur album:
http://imgur.com/a/FgtPZ

My hair is not that reddish although (even the shirt look different colour D:!!)
Once its detangled it looks like this which i love:
http://imgur.com/kWghY9s

My hair is thin and really dry. I have always had long hair, past waist lenght since i was kid.
Two year ago i had lots of problems with family, my career and partner and i became depressed. I let myself go if that makes sense. Not on purpose.. but yea. My hair never tangled that much before. I would really like to fix it because i love it. I feel so embarassed just posting this T-T.


Routine
I dont have any special knowledge about hair routine, I have read here some posts and tried add oils. I have been using them on my washing routine since summer. My hair looks more shiny and I can see some improvement but the tangles are still there. Most tangles are in the mid part of hair.

I wash it Wednesday and Sunday because my hair doesnt get oily/greasy easier.
Those days I also put oil before washing it.

Oils I have tried
Coconut oil --> makes my hair shinier as ever. But the tangles are still there or become worse.
Almond oil --> gives my hair more volume, its more soft but tangles still there.
Olive oil --> it looks a bit more healthy but still tangle.
All oils are 100% and cold-pressed. I have also tried mixing them. Since the hair looks healthier once i finish the detangle i keep using them.

I try to leave them for 2 hours, sometimes less on wednesday if busy day. Then i wash.


To wash it: I use a normal shampoo. Garnier Fructis Multirepair. I have no idea which ones are good or which ones aren't. I have changed shampoo so I don't think the shampoo is what causes the tangles. I used Pantene before. My skin is also dry so I try to use shampoo for dry hair. I don't mind buying a new one if you have any good recommendation.
I use it twice. Only in the scalp. I try to be as gentle as possible. I do one wash fast then i rinse and repeat. Second wash more long. And rinse again.

Then i put conditioner. Same line as shampoo, no idea if good. Right now And i wait 5~10 minutes to remove.
I try to use cold water even in winter.


After washing i remove excess water with a 100% cotton T-shirt because i read somewhere that towels are not that good.
I never use any drier in my hair.
And don't use hair iron or any other styling tool/spray.

At the next day morning is when i comb my hair. This is the comb i use:
http://imgur.com/ngrpA49

No idea of material. Tried to find it but says nothing.
I comb my hair every morning and at night. No more.
I never comb my hair wet, i feel it breaks more.


I would say my hair spends 50% down and 50% in a ponytail. Sometimes i braid but not that often.


English isn’t my first language. I hope its understable D: I did my best. If you have any improvement im always open to hear them. I just want to get rid of those tangles or that its less tangled :( Hope you can help me.
Thank you so much for reading :o !!

[Rebel Rebel]

Do you sleep in a bun or braid? This would help a lot I think. Also, you might consider a silk pillowcase. It truly helps my hair feel smoother and tangle free. I used to wake up with terrible tangles but not anymore...ever.

[Hay_jules]

Do you feel it's necessary to be washing twice? Maybe you could get away with just shampooing once. And try CWC or WCC (conditioning twice). Have you tried clarifying shampoo? That often helps. When you use the oils do you try before, after or during wash? I can't put most oils on after washing but my hair responds really well to cocnut oil pre-wash and olive oil as ROO (rinse out oil) between shampoo and conditioner or mixed in with my conditioner.

[Deborah]

I agree that shampooing twice may be more drying than your hair needs.

But what jumps out at me is your wearing your hair in ponytails, and then having terrible tangles. Ponytails are notorious for causing damage and tangles. If you can braid your hair, braids are generally way easier on your hair and help prevent it from tangling.

Wearing your hair up in a bun or some other updo is even more protective for your hair, and maybe you might want to consider wearing your hair up at least some of the time.

Since I have been wearing my hair in a low braid every night instead of sleeping with my hair down, I have WAY fewer tangles to deal with in the morning. That's another way to protect your hair from damage and tangles.

I hope you are very soon able to solve this problem. Best of luck!

p.s. Your English is perfectly clear and easy to understand, so don't worry about that. Welcome to LHC!

[lucid]

I suggest clarifying your hair, and then switch to CWC, as already suggested by others (wet your hair, condition the lengths, shampoo scalp hair only, rinse, apply conditioner on lengths again, rinse). I had problems with tangles before I joined LHC, and CWC sorted it out for me. Try to only shampoo twice if you have buildup in your hair, and avoid shampooing your lengths unless they too have buildup.

Braid your hair at night to reduce tangles, this helps a lot. :)


Maybe the products you use aren't the best for your hairtype? It would be easier to suggest products if you state your hairtype.

What about adding a regular deep conditioner once a week? Or maybe you need to add some silicones (or use different ones, my hair reacts very differently to different cones)?

Product recommendation:
Conditioner: Joico K-Pak Intense Hydrator Treatment for Dry Damaged Hair - This one has cones, but they do not weigh down or build up in my hair (and my hair is very prone to buildup).

[Aredhel]

I used to be quite prone to tangles as well because my hair is quite dry. CWC is something I can very much vouch for too, the difference it has made to my hair is astounding. I do wear my hair up (with a stick; any hair elastics break my hair), so I know that helps as well. When I switched to a satin pillowcase, I experienced less issues with morning tangles. Alternatively, a lot of people cover their hair with a silk or satin sleep cap to protect their hair fully. I'd also recommend a loose braid or loose top knot (I alternate between the two, personally) for bedtime.

I'd also recommend an SMT (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=128), I use it when my hair is feeling particularly dry.

As lucid said though, it could just be a simple case of you using products that your hair doesn't like. :) Garnier is actually one of the many commercial brands that do not work for my hair. For me though, it leaves my hair stringy and heavy. You may just have to experiment with other brands and see what works for you. Luckily a lot of brands (like Joico) have sample sizes that you can buy to test on your hair. :)

[Simsy]

Just a thought, my hair tangles in a pony tail or down because the strands are able to move as they like. It might be worth try braids a bit more and seeing if that helps to reduce the tangles. Do you wear it up when you go to bed or loose? Keeping it restrained loosely when in bed will also help reduce tangles, especially if you are an active sleeper.

[lizardspots]

I have no particular suggestions for products, but I too highly recommend trying out more protective hairstyles during the day and when you're sleeping. I have my hair in a bun or a braid 99% of the time, and by and large I rarely have tangles.

[-Fern]

You have beautiful hair!! I also usually wash, finger comb the length while still in the shower, with water running through it, and then brush very gently once hair is dry. I think combing is ideal on wet or damp hair, and gentle brushing is better on dry hair. Have you tried combing with a detangling product when your hair is wet? I use Nightblooming's Selkie detangler when I comb wet.

[lithostoic]

My hair tangles like you wouldn't believe when left down or in a ponytail. Try a braid instead.

[Rowanoake]

If you're reaching max capacity of external oiling & conditioning and still coming up dry, you might need more fats & oils in your diet. Fish oil supplements made a big difference for me

[Chromis]

I went from having terrible tangles to almost none by washing gently (which you sound like you have been doing, but I had been piling all my hair on top of my head) and not leaving my hair loose/ponytailed.

By braiding my hair to sleep I now wake up with very few tangles. The ponytail was giving me damage and tangles too. Even switching to a braid helped, but the best was learning lots of ways to put it up in different kinds of buns using forks, sticks, and Ficcare. I cannot find these in local stores and have to order them on-line, but you can also try using bent double pointed knitting needles as forks or the short thick ones as sticks and I was able to find chopsticks for children too when I was first learning to put my hair up. Sometimes bead shops will have plain wooden hairsticks as well.

[lapushka]

I think your hair is wavy? Looks like it...

Personally I detangle and wash weekly, so prior to washing, I dry-detangle with a WT comb, and then a TT brush. Then it gets washed, and after it comes out of the towel it is detangled with a WT comb once before styling. After that I just leave it alone for the week, so as to not "disturb" my texture. After a few days, I "finger detangle" (aka separate strands with fingers to get sheds out). Works perfectly.

[Anarith]

Sorry for delay reply.
Thanks for all the replies, I have been trying to braid it more often and i have less tangles. I still need to try all of your lovely suggestions and see what works best with my hair. Also I need to research more because there's a lot of new information. I had no idea what deep conditioning is.

Thank you so much. I will be lurking here more then :cool:
You all have lovely hair.

[Aredhel]

Glad to hear the braiding has been working for you! :)

[Reyesuela]

If you want to wear ponytails, you will need to brush or comb them during the day before they can tangle. De tangle hair both before and after a shower.

[Dante]

After I used a colour stripping product, my hair got really dry and tangly like your first photo. I found oiling (leaving in for 30-60 mins) then CWC (wet hair, put conditioner on the ends, then without rinsing off, put shampoo on scalp, then rinse all off, then condition again and final rinse) really helped, and with that as my usual routine, I'm almost back to original condition. But when it was really dry, I modified it slightly to add the first conditioner onto dry hair (leaving in for 5 mins), then added a little water just to the scalp to let the shampoo spread (and then rinse, condition, rinse) as per normal. I have wavy hair and only comb (gently) when wet, and found it made a huge difference to it tangling.

[noahnoah]

I have the same issue. I spend 50-60 minutes detangling my hair, sometimes even longer. It's dry, brittle, matte, thin. Even when I have braids it gets tangled (closest to the scalp). I still havent founda solution :( Following this.

[Rebel Rebel]

I have the same issue. I spend 50-60 minutes detangling my hair, sometimes even longer. It's dry, brittle, matte, thin. Even when I have braids it gets tangled (closest to the scalp). I still havent founda solution :( Following this.

That sounds really frustrating. Maybe you should post your routine and get some personalized advice.

[draysmir]

You have beautiful hair!! I also usually wash, finger comb the length while still in the shower, with water running through it, and then brush very gently once hair is dry. I think combing is ideal on wet or damp hair, and gentle brushing is better on dry hair. Have you tried combing with a detangling product when your hair is wet? I use Nightblooming's Selkie detangler when I comb wet.

I think this is a good idea. I tend to have less tangles when I gently comb through my hair after a shower :) It kills my waves though, so I usually just let my hair be.

[SeRe]

My mom has hair like yours. With henna, it seems to tangle less. She like to use a leave in conditioner with argan oil. She also likes to use the tangle teaser.