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Careeredcrunchi
May 16th, 2018, 01:35 PM
Hello LHC!

I am a new member, but I have been reading lots and lots of articles for a while now and decided to jump in and become a member. There are so many amazing articles, but one thing I haven't seen specifically was combating lint build up with a detangler. (Definitely provide links if there are!)

There are a lot of articles about lint being damaging and ways to avoid buildup, but after doing some research I wanted to share something I found that seems to be working for removing lint from hair with added benefit of detangling.

I am pretty sure I am a 1b/F/M/ii hair type and lint is a big deal for damage for me, causing matting and tangling. I came across the following article https://beautylogea.com/2018/03/02/5-reasons-you-continually-experience-hair-breakage-despite-care-and-maintenance/ and the first point really hit home stating lint doesn't necessarily get removed with washing and to try a slippery elm and marshmallow root detangler.

I found the following recipe and took the dive to make it and try it out. RECIPE (http://www.iamteamnatural.com/new-blog/2015/10/19/2jpfwmxfyyuyofm3tpcl4wawdl0apn)

On first use I caught a LOT of lint, and I have now been in the habit of using this before washing with a horn comb for added damage control. I don't use cones, so to help my hair with moisture and slip I use light oiling after washing, unfortunately that can also attract lint.

This detangler, along with a horn comb, a silk pillowcase and a t-shirt towel has been a game changer for me, so I couldn't help but share! Hope this helps other too!

lapushka
May 16th, 2018, 02:20 PM
Lint is not damaging, but it is different from build-up. The first is more on the lengths, the latter is root area.

I always dry detangle and that gets the lint out, the washing process does the rest, that is my experience. And it seems to be working (see signature). ;) When I wet brush after my hair comes out the towel there is 0 lint in my hair!

akurah
May 16th, 2018, 03:20 PM
Er. What?

Lint is the same kind of lint that you find on anything else when you have lint in your hair. It’s the same stuff that your dryer filter captures, but in smaller quantities. Washing hair with anything, including water, will dislodge it. Lint itself doesn’t cause damage in the sense that it’s presence will cause damage, it causes damage because if it’s there, it’s possible that your hair might make a knot around it (similar to how wearing your hair down in high wind will cause tangles).

Aredhel
May 16th, 2018, 05:00 PM
I'm intrigued...hair lint?? I've actually never heard of this being an issue, lol! I mean, I get a bit of fluff in my hair occasionally (only right after my hair is done drying after a wash & oiling) but it just comes right out when I comb my hair...would a regular comb not do the trick? :confused:

MoonRabbit
May 16th, 2018, 05:10 PM
I never had a problem getting lint out with a normal brush. I do get that it can cause damage since I only wash my hair once a week and use cones. I get some lint in my hair close to wash day. My hair loves to knot around it and usually I find a kitty hair to be the at the center..darn you cats!.

Yep, my hair lint washes out fine.

ursaV
May 16th, 2018, 05:23 PM
I also have fine hair and I get tiny pieces of lint in my ends. They're very small, but I think I understand what you're talking about with the ends sticking together. For me it's pretty much solved with detangling and keeping my ends moisturized with light oil like jojoba or sweet almond. Are all your brushes and combs clean? Do you wear your hair up much of the time? I've been bunned all day and I just checked my hair for lint and there isn't anything, I'm also oiled. Usually I have some particles when I'm dry and down, but I don't see any at all right now. I haven't used detangler since I was a kid, I always associated it with that chemically Suave stuff. I'm glad you found a natural one that does great things for your hair! It's always cool to hear about new experiments :o

Glitch
May 16th, 2018, 05:34 PM
I'm intrigued...hair lint?? I've actually never heard of this being an issue, lol! I mean, I get a bit of fluff in my hair occasionally (only right after my hair is done drying after a wash & oiling) but it just comes right out when I comb my hair...would a regular comb not do the trick? :confused:

I also haven't heard of this being a problem either so far. OP, does lint not come out of your hair with a fine-toothed comb? I do know someone who has this struggle, but it's with dandruff.

I'm sure you'll find your answers with some more clarity :) Oh and welcome to TLHC! :flower:

Chromis
May 16th, 2018, 06:47 PM
I do actually find lint to be damaging for me, but not in the way you might think. Between nightly braids and wearing it up during the day, I get very few tangles. Most of the ones I do get though originate one of two ways:

A shed hair has gotten tangled somehowaround the others instead of combing out
Or.....dun dun dun....lint. Most of my worst tangles I have found a tiny lint nucleus as I carefully unpick them.

I had to give up flannel sheets and one of my blankets because those were the main sources of lint in my life. I'm not entirely convinced about the article's claim that lint doesn't get washed out, but I am a weekly washer anyhow.

EdG
May 16th, 2018, 08:15 PM
In my experience, lint is the single biggest hazard for long hair.

Lint from fabrics becomes airborne, settles in the hair, wraps around the strands during washing, and forms tangles. The damage occurs when untangling. Lint is smaller diameter than hair, and so a lint strand will readily slice through a hair strand.

Because lint is so fine, you normally do not see it. I see lint only when looking at shed hairs closely under bright light.

I find that the most effective way to remove lint is by combing. The hair should be slightly damp and washed with water-only so that sebum is still present.

It turns out that sebum is a great lint remover due to its combination of slipperiness and waxiness. It makes lint stick to the comb. The lint can then be removed from the comb with a damp towel.

From the article, the marshmallow root detangler works in the same way, by being slippery and waxy at the same time.
Ed

lapushka
May 17th, 2018, 06:45 AM
In my experience, lint is the single biggest hazard for long hair.

Lint from fabrics becomes airborne, settles in the hair, wraps around the strands during washing, and forms tangles. The damage occurs when untangling. Lint is smaller diameter than hair, and so a lint strand will readily slice through a hair strand.

Because lint is so fine, you normally do not see it. I see lint only when looking at shed hairs closely under bright light.

I find that the most effective way to remove lint is by combing. The hair should be slightly damp and washed with water-only so that sebum is still present.

It turns out that sebum is a great lint remover due to its combination of slipperiness and waxiness. It makes lint stick to the comb. The lint can then be removed from the comb with a damp towel.

From the article, the marshmallow root detangler works in the same way, by being slippery and waxy at the same time.
Ed

When I dry detangle before my wash, it all comes out just fine, Ed. No need for damp hair or WO. I am a big sulfate washer, and that can get out pretty much anything. :)

I think this is a YMMV thing.

We all deal with lint differently. For me it is just annoying brushing it out because my brush is terribly unsightly with all the fluff that gets in there especially after a week of no brushing (just finger separating), but other than that... I have no issue with it!

pili
May 17th, 2018, 08:41 AM
I may try this on my daughter's hair. Lint is the biggest matting agent in her hair. So much so she opted to keep it shoulder length until she has enough patience/interest in dealing with growing her hair out (she's 13). We have tried combs, brushes, tangle teasers, detanglers, conditioners, you name it. Nothing has helped.

MidnightMoon
May 17th, 2018, 08:55 AM
This is definitely a problem for me!! Some time ago I couldn't figure out why my hair knotted so badly, I thought it was dry ends or it being so fine. After brushing in a different light and with a fine comb I found out it's all the dust. It travels down my hair, and concentrates on the ends, where it stays because my hair is wavier there, dryer and begins to stick (strands to one another). If I don't brush every day and wear hair up, it gets worse and worse. Washing is a partial solution as I still have to comb it somewhat roughly in the shower, and I can't bother to wash it every few days and walk around with awful hair the rest of the time. Basically, what really works for me is proper daily combing and keeping it contained so it doesn't accumulate. If I get lazy, which I often do, it's either ripping through it to get it out or washing.

EdG
May 17th, 2018, 10:35 AM
When I dry detangle before my wash, it all comes out just fine, Ed. No need for damp hair or WO. I am a big sulfate washer, and that can get out pretty much anything.

I think this is a YMMV thing.

We all deal with lint differently. For me it is just annoying brushing it out because my brush is terribly unsightly with all the fluff that gets in there especially after a week of no brushing (just finger separating), but other than that... I have no issue with it!Agreed. :)

I think that people who keep their hair well-detangled will not have problems with lint.

I came from the other direction: my hair was very tangled the day I walked into LHC. There is a positive feedback loop: tangles cause lint to accumulate, which leads to more tangles. I have been breaking out of this loop.
Ed

Groovy Granny
May 17th, 2018, 10:57 AM
I never thought lint to be an issue but it collects on my Vented BBB Wet Brush :hmm:

I rarely tangle...unless I try to do accents or french braids...then my ends are like velcro :p

MusicalSpoons
May 17th, 2018, 02:39 PM
I do actually find lint to be damaging for me, but not in the way you might think. Between nightly braids and wearing it up during the day, I get very few tangles. Most of the ones I do get though originate one of two ways:

A shed hair has gotten tangled somehowaround the others instead of combing out
Or.....dun dun dun....lint. Most of my worst tangles I have found a tiny lint nucleus as I carefully unpick them.

I had to give up flannel sheets and one of my blankets because those were the main sources of lint in my life. I'm not entirely convinced about the article's claim that lint doesn't get washed out, but I am a weekly washer anyhow.

Ditto this. I find the shed-hair-tangles are looser and I can easily unpick them without major damage. But whenever I get a proper knot, I can guarantee that at the centre will be a piece of lint - and these are the ones that cause damage for me.

I also wear my hair up most of the time which almost eliminates lint tangles, but if it's down for any reason (scalp massage, BBBing, whatever) I have to comb it out very soon after, in the hope of preventing lint damage. That said, removing the lint is not an issue that requires more than patience and a comb, for me.

EdG
May 18th, 2018, 09:39 AM
Ditto this. I find the shed-hair-tangles are looser and I can easily unpick them without major damage. But whenever I get a proper knot, I can guarantee that at the centre will be a piece of lint - and these are the ones that cause damage for me.This is my experience as well. Every single knot has a piece of lint at its core.
Ed

Careeredcrunchi
May 18th, 2018, 11:11 AM
It does with this detangler! My story is that I'm just starting my enlightened hair journey (definitely with this community's help <3). Lint seems to be the single biggest source of damage for my fine straight hair. If I wear my hair down in any capacity I end up with it either matted together or small tight knots that all have lint at the center. The damage all comes from trying to daily detangle and comb my hair. In my experience I've found I'm getting more lint out with a heck of a lot less damage with this detangler because of the slip it introduces. I'm guessing some or most of the lint would come off with a comb, but for me trying to detangle dry hair is heartbreaking.

Careeredcrunchi
May 18th, 2018, 11:22 AM
I also haven't heard of this being a problem either so far. OP, does lint not come out of your hair with a fine-toothed comb? I do know someone who has this struggle, but it's with dandruff.

I'm sure you'll find your answers with some more clarity :) Oh and welcome to TLHC! :flower:

It does with this detangler! My story is that I'm just starting my enlightened hair journey (definitely with this community's help <3). Lint seems to be the single biggest source of damage for my fine straight hair. If I wear my hair down in any capacity I end up with it either matted together or small tight knots that all have lint at the center. The damage all comes from trying to daily detangle and comb my hair. In my experience I've found I'm getting more lint out with a heck of a lot less damage with this detangler because of the slip it introduces. I'm guessing some or most of the lint would come off with a comb, but for me trying to detangle dry hair is heartbreaking.


In my experience, lint is the single biggest hazard for long hair.

Lint from fabrics becomes airborne, settles in the hair, wraps around the strands during washing, and forms tangles. The damage occurs when untangling. Lint is smaller diameter than hair, and so a lint strand will readily slice through a hair strand.

Because lint is so fine, you normally do not see it. I see lint only when looking at shed hairs closely under bright light.

I find that the most effective way to remove lint is by combing. The hair should be slightly damp and washed with water-only so that sebum is still present.

It turns out that sebum is a great lint remover due to its combination of slipperiness and waxiness. It makes lint stick to the comb. The lint can then be removed from the comb with a damp towel.

From the article, the marshmallow root detangler works in the same way, by being slippery and waxy at the same time.
Ed

That is what I am discovering as well! This detangler just seems to easily slip knots apart and somehow so much of it ends up on my comb. I have not really experienced the same effect using dry combing. I haven't tried just wet hair combing as you described, but I need to be combing every day to not allow buildup of the lint and therefore this detangler also makes sense to me.


Agreed. :)

I think that people who keep their hair well-detangled will not have problems with lint.

I came from the other direction: my hair was very tangled the day I walked into LHC. There is a positive feedback loop: tangles cause lint to accumulate, which leads to more tangles. I have been breaking out of this loop.
Ed

Best description I have heard for keeping up on this, thank you! I am also right here with you, starting my hair journey wondering why my hair is so tangled all the time and not properly realizing what I should be doing to keep up on it or prevent it. Next on my list is figuring out updo's that will help keep tangles down that might also dry by the end of the day. I have a lot of humidity and my hair never seems to dry.



It does with this detangler! My story is that I'm just starting my enlightened hair journey (definitely with this community's help <3). Lint seems to be the single biggest source of damage for my fine straight hair. If I wear my hair down in any capacity I end up with it either matted together or small tight knots that all have lint at the center. The damage all comes from trying to daily detangle and comb my hair. In my experience I've found I'm getting more lint out with a heck of a lot less damage with this detangler because of the slip it introduces. I'm guessing some or most of the lint would come off with a comb, but for me trying to detangle dry hair is heartbreaking.

This somehow did not post where I wanted it to.... I got logged out in the middle of typing it. Sorry all!

EdG
May 18th, 2018, 11:38 AM
Welcome to the board, Careeredcrunchi! :)

Here is this morning's comb-out. It would make a good scene from a hair horror movie. :shudder:

http://www.edgrochowski.com/photos-lhc/hair-5-18-18.jpg

The hair is caked in lint. The lint is apparent even on a low-resolution web version of the photo. Lint is the culprit behind the tangling and breakage.
Ed

Careeredcrunchi
May 18th, 2018, 12:04 PM
Welcome to the board, Careeredcrunchi! :)

Here is this morning's comb-out. It would make a good scene from a hair horror movie. :shudder:

http://www.edgrochowski.com/photos-lhc/hair-5-18-18.jpg

The hair is caked in lint. The lint is apparent even on a low-resolution web version of the photo. Lint is the culprit behind the tangling and breakage.
Ed

Wow!! The lint is definitely apparent in that image!! I have recently changed my hair towel to a t-shirt hair towel and changed my pillow case to a silk one. This seems to have helped as well, what other things have you tried?

EdG
May 18th, 2018, 12:21 PM
Wow!! The lint is definitely apparent in that image!! I have recently changed my hair towel to a t-shirt hair towel and changed my pillow case to a silk one. This seems to have helped as well, what other things have you tried?I got rid of the flannel sheets and switched to high-quality cotton. I try to avoid contact between hair and linty fabrics. I am not sure how much this helps because the lint is airborne. All horizontal surfaces in my house collect lint despite having no direct contact with the sources.

BTW, I am quite pleased at how well the photo came out. It was taken with a point-and-shoot camera in macro mode, bright lighting with dark background, and suitable gamma correction. The original high-resolution version is spectacular (much better than one can see with the naked eye). :cheese:
Ed

Rebeccalaurenxx
May 18th, 2018, 12:36 PM
my hair has this same issue, i think i made a forum post about it last year.

Careeredcrunchi
May 18th, 2018, 03:34 PM
I got rid of the flannel sheets and switched to high-quality cotton. I try to avoid contact between hair and linty fabrics. I am not sure how much this helps because the lint is airborne. All horizontal surfaces in my house collect lint despite having no direct contact with the sources.

BTW, I am quite pleased at how well the photo came out. It was taken with a point-and-shoot camera in macro mode, bright lighting with dark background, and suitable gamma correction. The original high-resolution version is spectacular (much better than one can see with the naked eye). :cheese:
Ed

Just got some beautiful organic cotton sheets too, hoping that will help. I'm going to have to become more mindful of fabrics I wear with my hair down, I wear a lot of sweaters too :/. Macro photography is my favorite to look at, but unfortunately I don't know much about taking it. That is pretty amazing for a point and shoot though, their technology keeps getting better and better. I love your signature too by the way!

Careeredcrunchi
May 18th, 2018, 03:49 PM
I got rid of the flannel sheets and switched to high-quality cotton. I try to avoid contact between hair and linty fabrics. I am not sure how much this helps because the lint is airborne. All horizontal surfaces in my house collect lint despite having no direct contact with the sources.

BTW, I am quite pleased at how well the photo came out. It was taken with a point-and-shoot camera in macro mode, bright lighting with dark background, and suitable gamma correction. The original high-resolution version is spectacular (much better than one can see with the naked eye). :cheese:
Ed

Just got some beautiful organic cotton sheets too, hoping that will help. I'm going to have to become more mindful of fabrics I wear with my hair down, I wear a lot of sweaters too :/. Macro photography is my favorite to look at, but unfortunately I don't know much about taking it. That is pretty amazing for a point and shoot though, their technology keeps getting better and better. I love your signature too by the way!

Careeredcrunchi
May 18th, 2018, 03:55 PM
my hair has this same issue, i think i made a forum post about it last year.


I searched around, and I think you might be referring to this post:

https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=143192

Your description of washing and lint sounds exactly like me. I can only go 2-3 days without washing and on day 2 there is oily sebum scalp and tangled matted ends due to lint. I am going to start doing a deep pre wash oiling and see if that helps the tangling, or maybe a clarifying shampoo, but I want to stick to trying out CWC for a while longer and then start making changes. Just like Ursula's advice :D For now I am detangling with the recipe I found and made only before washing and doing a little bit of oil when wet for more detangle and some sleekness since I don't use cones.

lapushka
May 18th, 2018, 04:22 PM
I searched around, and I think you might be referring to this post:

https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=143192

Your description of washing and lint sounds exactly like me. I can only go 2-3 days without washing and on day 2 there is oily sebum scalp and tangled matted ends due to lint. I am going to start doing a deep pre wash oiling and see if that helps the tangling, or maybe a clarifying shampoo, but I want to stick to trying out CWC for a while longer and then start making changes. Just like Ursula's advice :D For now I am detangling with the recipe I found and made only before washing and doing a little bit of oil when wet for more detangle and some sleekness since I don't use cones.

Oil attracts lint, just FYI. It might be OK pre-wash, though. But just thought I'd mention it.

MusicalSpoons
May 18th, 2018, 04:26 PM
Oil attracts lint, just FYI. It might be OK pre-wash, though. But just thought I'd mention it.

I find this too, unless it's a massively heavy pre-wash oiling. I think it's why I love the ROO method so much - all the benefits of oiling (actually ROO works even better for me) but without the lint magnetism :lol:

Careeredcrunchi
May 18th, 2018, 04:44 PM
Oil attracts lint, just FYI. It might be OK pre-wash, though. But just thought I'd mention it.

Yes, thank you! I have been reading a lot about oils on LHC too because my hair needs some love really badly. I feel like I have been in the dark about how to take care of long hair without damage for a long time. My breakage and subsequent fly-aways are so bad its embarrassing to me, especially on my wash day. That's why I have started doing a light oil after washing, as well as even if I detangle before washing, my hair is so tangled just by the washing process that combing wet is also a damaging event, therefore trying light oil to help with that too. I don't have a rough washing process either, no piling on my head or excessive scrubbing or flipping upside down. The first time I tried light oiling, I was able to run my fingers through my hair after it had dried, and I can't exactly say when the last was that I was able to do that.


I find this too, unless it's a massively heavy pre-wash oiling. I think it's why I love the ROO method so much - all the benefits of oiling (actually ROO works even better for me) but without the lint magnetism :lol:

Had to look up ROO, will read more into it, especially different oils to try. Think I might want to do a penetrating oil. Starting by reading this thread :D https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=129191

Lo and behold, started by lapushka :cool:

lapushka
May 18th, 2018, 04:44 PM
I find this too, unless it's a massively heavy pre-wash oiling. I think it's why I love the ROO method so much - all the benefits of oiling (actually ROO works even better for me) but without the lint magnetism :lol:

I have used the ROO method for about 25 times consecutively (just about) now and I love it to bits!