I don't know what I need to change

[velvetpuddles]

...if anything.
I get a lot of tangles and knots around the ends of my hair and underneath. I finger pick them apart when I find them. I snip off obvious damage. And either my hair breaks or grows weirdly that I have pieces sticking out all over the place. Generally I like the look of my hair, but it bums me out that it never has that silky, polished look.

I wash every 2-3 days with Suave Professionals rosemary and mint (any less frequent and my scalp gets really greasy and itchy). I've been trying out different leave in conditioners, but none seem to make much difference so far. I squeeze the water out and let it air dry, giving it a gentle comb when I put a leave in on when it's just danp.

I usually leave it down and loose, but with the hotter weather, I'll wear it in a loose braid or bun when I'm outside. I've given up elastics except for tying off the end of a braid.

I have a silk pillowcase and use a board bristle brush most mornings (and when it starts to look really ratty). I'm not super active, my hair isn't exposed to too much trauma, I don't think.

Any advice for things I can try to settle the frequency of tangles, breakage, and "rough" feeling of my ends? I've been reading here a lot, but it's so hard to separate out where my issue is.
I'm at TBL right now and planning to hang out there to slowly trim the ends and try to even up all the difference lengths and wild hairs.

Any help is appreciated to make sense of this, thank you all!!

[velvetpuddles]

Here's a picture (washed the evening before):

Hair https://imgur.com/a/Mx28hda

[velvetpuddles]

Oops!

https://imgur.com/a/Mx28hda

[velvetpuddles]

Oh goodness. This worked fine earlier!!

I for sure have pictures up in the TBL to Classic thread. I'll try this again later. 😔

[Obsidian]

Here you go

https://i.imgur.com/vIHRcnzg.jpg
https://imgur.com/a/Mx28hda

[lapushka]

If you use a BB brush, try and use a comb prior to brushing. A BB brush can't be a brush that is meant for detangling, but rather for smoothing the hair out, so detangle with a comb prior to brushing with this type of brush.

Now if it were a wet Brush or a TT (Tangle Teezer), you'd be fine, but a BBB is really a brush that needs a detangling process beforehand.

Otherwise, I think you're doing just fine! :flower:

[akurah]

Wear your hair up.

If that’s non-negotiable, invest in a detangler spray (spray in conditioner will work too) and a brush and comb explicitly for detangling, I recommend Denman for the brush and Hairsense for the comb.

[ravenskey]

I'd say get a wide toothed comb of some kind to detangle - BBBs are just for spreading the hair's natural oil not detangling.

Wearing your hair up will protect it from mechanical damage but seeing as you've already gotten to TBL you might be okay.

[Dark40]

I agree with akurah. I would invest in a detangling spray conditioner. I would recommend Mane N Tail Detangler. It really works me and my mom wonders for our hair, and my mom's hair is a lot thicker than mine! During every wash she always gets knots and tangles near the ends.

[daisy rei]

I haven't personally tried it yet, but I bookmarked the thread for Kimberlily's defrizz spray (https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=277) - you could try that!

[MusicalSpoons]

Pretty! My hair never has a smooth, polished look either, because new and not-so-new growth just pokes out everywhere. The only exception might be if I've just used a BBB to attempt to distribute oils, but then my scalp hair looks like an oil slick, so :shrug:

The issue with your ends could be partly caused, or at least exacerbated, by using hair elastics on the ends. Wearing it up in protective styles with hair-friendly tools is the best way to minimise damage (though I have to say your hair looks in excellent shape and I'd never be able to tell it's normally worn down). I also am very fond of the rinse-out oil method for helping protect and smooth ends; the link to that can be found in lapushka's signature.

[Ligeia Noire]

The best tip I can offer and that I have always shared when being asked that question is wear your hair up.
Wearing my hair down all day, even when it was at waist would be a nightmare of tangles and matts. It did not matter how awesome the products I used were or how carefully I detangled. Wearing hair up is absolutely quintessential when growing your hair. No matter how carefully you are you'll get it tangled. Some hair types get lesss some more but to me just the time and trims wearing my hair up saves, makes it a deal breaker. But i love my hair up if you prefer it down silicones or something that gives you slip to comb helps a lot though.

[Andthetalltrees]

Some might just be hair type. My hair always feels a bit rough, I have a lot of fly aways and a irregular wave pattern so it always looks a bit messy and never feels amazing. but it's just how it is even freshly trimmed and delicately treated

[Arciela]

Mine has the same problem! I've been getting horrible tangles underneath, even when wearing it up. I've tried so many conditioners, expensive ones, cheap ones, cones, no cones...its always the same. The only thing that helps me is adding honey with my conditioner. Of course, mine does this because I am growing out bleach >.>

[velvetpuddles]

Thank you everyone! I should clarify, I do use a detangling comb when needed. I also have a detangling brush and BB brush for the other uses.

I will definitely look into the sprays and other products mentioned! I've never been super into hair care, so in spite of how long it actually is, this is all relatively new! I suppose to some extent this is just the way my hair is. It's always prettiest after I comb it out once dry after washing...then it's just a slow degrade until the next shower. 🤷


Pretty! My hair never has a smooth, polished look either, because new and not-so-new growth just pokes out everywhere. The only exception might be if I've just used a BBB to attempt to distribute oils, but then my scalp hair looks like an oil slick, so :shrug:

The issue with your ends could be partly caused, or at least exacerbated, by using hair elastics on the ends. Wearing it up in protective styles with hair-friendly tools is the best way to minimise damage (though I have to say your hair looks in excellent shape and I'd never be able to tell it's normally worn down). I also am very fond of the rinse-out oil method for helping protect and smooth ends; the link to that can be found in lapushka's signature.

Thanks! I'm going to try to wear it up more. I'm working on handcrafting some new hair toys, so that will help. I've just always felt like wearing it down since around fall of last year. I'm wondering...how else can I secure a braid if not with elastics?

[velvetpuddles]

Pretty! My hair never has a smooth, polished look either, because new and not-so-new growth just pokes out everywhere. The only exception might be if I've just used a BBB to attempt to distribute oils, but then my scalp hair looks like an oil slick, so :shrug:

The issue with your ends could be partly caused, or at least exacerbated, by using hair elastics on the ends. Wearing it up in protective styles with hair-friendly tools is the best way to minimise damage (though I have to say your hair looks in excellent shape and I'd never be able to tell it's normally worn down). I also am very fond of the rinse-out oil method for helping protect and smooth ends; the link to that can be found in lapushka's signature.


Mine has the same problem! I've been getting horrible tangles underneath, even when wearing it up. I've tried so many conditioners, expensive ones, cheap ones, cones, no cones...its always the same. The only thing that helps me is adding honey with my conditioner. Of course, mine does this because I am growing out bleach >.>

Honey? Interesting! No matter what I do...tangles. It's worse the longer it's been since washing. Maybe I just need to become a daily washer. Ugh, haha. That's exhausting just thinking about it.

[MusicalSpoons]

Thank you everyone! I should clarify, I do use a detangling comb when needed. I also have a detangling brush and BB brush for the other uses.

I will definitely look into the sprays and other products mentioned! I've never been super into hair care, so in spite of how long it actually is, this is all relatively new! I suppose to some extent this is just the way my hair is. It's always prettiest after I comb it out once dry after washing...then it's just a slow degrade until the next shower. ��

Thanks! I'm going to try to wear it up more. I'm working on handcrafting some new hair toys, so that will help. I've just always felt like wearing it down since around fall of last year. I'm wondering...how else can I secure a braid if not with elastics?

I'm not entirely sure, to be honest :hmm: I don't often do braids because I find the ends of hairs throughout the length poke out an are exposed to damage. I suppose a small invisibobble/telephone cord-style hairtie might work, and I know some people have success with ribbons (though I never have - they just slipped off for me). Beyond that ... I don't know really, sorry! EDIT: Actually, a small satin scrunchie might do the trick if it's small enough, though it would depend on how slippery or not your hair is.

I hope you enjoy your new toys - that's pretty awesome you're making them yourself! Your situation sounds a little similar to mine when I first found LHC; I was at ~TBL but had no clue about haircare beyond 'use conditioner and don't brush it when wet'. Your hair is in SO much better shape than mine ever was pre-LHC and I'm sure you'll feel much happier with it after a while of LHC-style care :D

[Btw, unless you need to wash daily, it's not usually recommended. A lot of us do scalp-only washes to prevent mechanical damage to the lengths caused by washing, though I'm not saying that's something you need to or should do. Just to be aware that washing daily could potentially cause damage that you're trying to prevent. Hopefully by experimenting you will find a good solution to keep you and your hair happy.]

[akurah]

Honey? Interesting! No matter what I do...tangles. It's worse the longer it's been since washing. Maybe I just need to become a daily washer. Ugh, haha. That's exhausting just thinking about it.

You shouldn’t need to become a daily washer if you use something to help you detangle like a spray. They should do the trick in making the tangles manageable with wearing down.

[Dark40]

Some might just be hair type. My hair always feels a bit rough, I have a lot of fly aways and a irregular wave pattern so it always looks a bit messy and never feels amazing. but it's just how it is even freshly trimmed and delicately treated

Have you tried deep treatments or deep conditioners? For what I do to my hair which is chemically straighten or relax and color my hair every 3 or 4 months, and sometimes that even makes my hair feel rough or a little dry. So, I deep condition my hair twice a week to keep it moisturized, and I some oil to it as well. That really helps with roughness and dryness.

[Frazzled]

Your hair looks a lot like mine, except much healthier and longer. Whatever you're doing can't be that bad. I'm starting to think that the tangles are just part of life when wearing it loose. If you figure out a better solution, let me know!

[Belle03]

...if anything.
I get a lot of tangles and knots around the ends of my hair and underneath. I finger pick them apart when I find them. I snip off obvious damage. And either my hair breaks or grows weirdly that I have pieces sticking out all over the place. Generally I like the look of my hair, but it bums me out that it never has that silky, polished look.

I wash every 2-3 days with Suave Professionals rosemary and mint (any less frequent and my scalp gets really greasy and itchy). I've been trying out different leave in conditioners, but none seem to make much difference so far. I squeeze the water out and let it air dry, giving it a gentle comb when I put a leave in on when it's just danp.

I usually leave it down and loose, but with the hotter weather, I'll wear it in a loose braid or bun when I'm outside. I've given up elastics except for tying off the end of a braid.

I have a silk pillowcase and use a board bristle brush most mornings (and when it starts to look really ratty). I'm not super active, my hair isn't exposed to too much trauma, I don't think.

Any advice for things I can try to settle the frequency of tangles, breakage, and "rough" feeling of my ends? I've been reading here a lot, but it's so hard to separate out where my issue is.
I'm at TBL right now and planning to hang out there to slowly trim the ends and try to even up all the difference lengths and wild hairs.

Any help is appreciated to make sense of this, thank you all!!

I would use a detangler, moisturize & seal. At night you need to tie your hair up with a satin or silk scarf. You can also use a satin or silk bonnet. The air will dry out your especially a heater or air conditioning. Good luck!

[spidermom]

I'm afraid that different lengths and wild hairs are a part of having long hair. Only certain hair types look smooth and "all one length", but truth be told - every single one of us has hairs of every conceivable length. This is because every day you shed out hairs that have reached the end of their growth cycles, and every single day you grow in a few new hairs, so of course they're going to be shorter than the hairs that have been growing longer. If your hair is like my hair, those short bits are so light weight that they're going to stand on end and wave around with the slightest breeze. Sigh ....

After my father's death in 2015, I shed out a LOT of hair, so much I was clogging the vacuum cleaner hose. Then in 2016 I grew in so many new hairs that my head resembled the head of a dandelion going to seed. That combined with tailbone length hair looked ridiculous to me, so I cut a lot of length off. Now I'm letting it grow again, at least for awhile.

P.S: I did not read all the posts, so forgive repeated information, if present.

[Jo Ann]

Thank you everyone! I should clarify, I do use a detangling comb when needed. I also have a detangling brush and BB brush for the other uses...

If you haven't found a good clarifying shampoo yet, might I suggest Suave Daily Clarifying Shampoo? I'm currently using it to remove a MP dye and it's working wonders!


...I'm wondering...how else can I secure a braid if not with elastics?

Wal-mart and other stores sell Goody Ouchless Tiny Terry Ponytailers, Girls, Assorted Basic Colors (https://www.amazon.com/Goody-Ouchless-Ponytailers-Assorted-42-count/dp/B00CBFFHQ4/ref=sr_1_26_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1533444409&sr=8-26&keywords=goody%2Bhair%2Bbands&th=1). They're only a couple of dollars for a package, there's no metal and no elastic. I use these at night when I braid my hair for sleep.

If you're going to change products, I would change one product at a time and see how your hair adapts to the new product.

[squirrrel]

I find that unless my hair is air drying when I go to bed, I’m best to plait my hair overnight — for me, it was the only way to prevent tangles over night. I use stretchy ribbon type hair ties to fasten them, and I recently got small velvet scrunchies. Those tiny ‘Goody’ bobbles look like they would be great too — each one gives a completely different look...

[TwilightMermaid]

...if anything.
I get a lot of tangles and knots around the ends of my hair and underneath. I finger pick them apart when I find them. I snip off obvious damage. And either my hair breaks or grows weirdly that I have pieces sticking out all over the place. Generally I like the look of my hair, but it bums me out that it never has that silky, polished look.

I wash every 2-3 days with Suave Professionals rosemary and mint (any less frequent and my scalp gets really greasy and itchy). I've been trying out different leave in conditioners, but none seem to make much difference so far. I squeeze the water out and let it air dry, giving it a gentle comb when I put a leave in on when it's just danp.

I usually leave it down and loose, but with the hotter weather, I'll wear it in a loose braid or bun when I'm outside. I've given up elastics except for tying off the end of a braid.

I have a silk pillowcase and use a board bristle brush most mornings (and when it starts to look really ratty). I'm not super active, my hair isn't exposed to too much trauma, I don't think.

Any advice for things I can try to settle the frequency of tangles, breakage, and "rough" feeling of my ends? I've been reading here a lot, but it's so hard to separate out where my issue is.
I'm at TBL right now and planning to hang out there to slowly trim the ends and try to even up all the difference lengths and wild hairs.

Any help is appreciated to make sense of this, thank you all!!

It may be due to the silicones in your conditioner. If you use conditioner with silicones it's possible it's shielding your hair frm moisture, even if you use a leave-in. If you are not ever shampooing out the silicone from your ends that could be why they are rough and dry.