Hair tangles

[MotherofPhoenix]

Hello. Good day all!

So I'm still relatively new in my journey. However, my hair has reached about an inch below collarbone. Now that its a little longer I've been majorly dealing with tangles. I've been trying to use my fingers. to comb but the hairs around my face are very fine and "damaged" that it just doesn't cut it anymore. So my first question is: are tangles a sign of damaged hair or is it something i have to get used to with long hair (or maybe both lol). Second: what ways can I change my hair care routine to help my hair tangle less. Third: just please suggest or comment anything that you think would help.

I'm afraid I haven't been taking care of my hair as well as I thought. I also think my conditioner is not as moisturizing as I need. Can anyone recommend a good conditioner (sulfate free for fine hair)?

I thank you so much in advance. :D

[lapushka]

No tangles, AFAIK, aren't a sign of damage. If you have examined your hair for white dots or splits, that's damage, but tangles to my knowledge? Nope. It does mean your hair is crying for moisture. So I would do some nice deep treatments or do a CWC wash or something to get more moisture in there; and use a leave-in after the wash or do the LOC/LCO method for styling afterwards to bring additional moisture into the hair.

What's your routine like now? :)

BTW, lovely picture in your avatar, and congrats on collarbone! :)

[Obsidian]

Garnier oat delicacy is pretty good for fine hair, it might not be enough for super dry hair though. It contains cones. amazing light scent, the best I've found.

herbal essence hello hydration. Is pretty heavy but can't be beat for moisture, contains cones. Strong sweet coconutty scent. Maybe good for deep treatments

Accure mega moisture pumpkin and argan. This is more natural but is pretty nice, doesn't have a ton of slip though so might not help alot with tangles. Cone free, smells like bitter almonds. Available in canada and US, can be hard to find in the US. Check health food stores

If you are in the US, you can find sample sizes of the garnier and HH at walmart.

[Zesty]

I second Hello Hydration as something to start with. Cones can be great for preventing tangles. Light oils in between washes also help me. Not to toot my own horn, but I really am surprised at how little my hair tangles at this length. I use an Herbal Essences conditioner (the rose one), the rinse out oil (ROO) method linked in lapushka's signature, and a mineral oil-based amla oil on dry hair in between washing. So that's the routine I'm coming from. But I would also be interested to read what your current routine is. :)

[spidermom]

Collarbone is such a great length! Enjoy! My hair really appreciates cones. It goes from crazy-tangly to the comb gliding through almost by itself. I've been using a really expensive conditioner lately called Formula 18. Luckily for my budget, a little goes a long way. I bought this back in March and still have about 30-40% of it.

[Alex Lou]

When my hair is damaged it definitely tangles more easily. If you have bleach or heat damage, that's contributing for sure. And best bet as others have said, is cones. If I notice my hair tangling when it's dry, I'll put some coney serum on it and that usually fixes the issue.

If your hair is virgin, then it may just be the nature of your hair. Some people have hair that tangles more easily.

[lapushka]

Definitely the HE Hello Hydration, if it is still available to you where you live (discontinued in The Netherlands, and Belgium, Germany no idea). It is my HG and a great detangler. It does have silicones in it, but if you don't mind that, by all means!

[MotherofPhoenix]

Thank you all for your suggestions. I will look into those conditioners. I was trying to avoid cones, but i might have to change my mind.

My current hair cair routine is very simple. I dont oil a lot because i have fine hair amd it just really doesn't work for me. I wash every other day with an AVC rinse. Depending on the feel of my hair i may or may not add shea moiture leave in (too much product weights down my hair and makes it greasy) I let my haor hair dry and i use the flat iron maybe once a month on my ends only (i know i lm going to quit eventually) . Im growing out bleached hair so my ends are crazy.

About once a week ill put some jojoba oil on my scalp and ends overnight. Besides that i try to drink lots of water and take my vitamins. Lol



So can someone answer me this because im so confused. If i want to do a moiture treatment and oil just locks in moisture.... How do i get the moiture there first? Sorry i hope that makes sense.

[Corvana]

I really like the Suave Essentials line for nice but lightweight cone free conditioners. Bonus to them: they're suuuuuuuuuper cheap (if you're in the US, at least! I don't know pricing elsewhere), so you can get a bottle to try out and not feel like you wasted a ton of money if they don't work for your hair. And then you can use it as shaving lotion, so you don't waste product!

I condition twice, and have found the Suave to be more than enough moisture if I let it sit for several minutes while I wash the rest of myself and do whatever else (like stand with the water on my back taking a cat nap :laugh: Or shave!). My hair is wavy, though, so I also sometimes put a teeny tiny bit in my hair as a leave in. I'm serious about a teeny bit!! I do it when my hair is still dripping, and will just get like a tiny speck in my wet hands and rub them together. I can feel it get a little slippery, so I know it's there, and then I lightly scrunch it on my ends.

To get the moisture there first, you can honestly just use water! Or conditioner, like I just described, followed by the oil.

[MotherofPhoenix]

I really like the Suave Essentials line for nice but lightweight cone free conditioners. Bonus to them: they're suuuuuuuuuper cheap (if you're in the US, at least! I don't know pricing elsewhere), so you can get a bottle to try out and not feel like you wasted a ton of money if they don't work for your hair. And then you can use it as shaving lotion, so you don't waste product!

I condition twice, and have found the Suave to be more than enough moisture if I let it sit for several minutes while I wash the rest of myself and do whatever else (like stand with the water on my back taking a cat nap :laugh: Or shave!). My hair is wavy, though, so I also sometimes put a teeny tiny bit in my hair as a leave in. I'm serious about a teeny bit!! I do it when my hair is still dripping, and will just get like a tiny speck in my wet hands and rub them together. I can feel it get a little slippery, so I know it's there, and then I lightly scrunch it on my ends.

To get the moisture there first, you can honestly just use water! Or conditioner, like I just described, followed by the oil.

You know, i've heard a lot of good things about sauve. I'm going to try it since it has no cones. Plus cheap is great! Thank you.

I see. So I can just wet my hair and then oil it. Ive always oiled when it was dry oops. That makes more sense. Lol. I feel prettty dumb now.

Thank you everyone. Im going to take heed of all the advice. After I make some changes and what not ill udate what worked or didnt in case someone else is in the same boat. <3

[Corvana]

You know, i've heard a lot of good things about sauve. I'm going to try it since it has no cones. Plus cheap is great! Thank you.

I see. So I can just wet my hair and then oil it. Ive always oiled when it was dry oops. That makes more sense. Lol. I feel prettty dumb now.

Thank you everyone. Im going to take heed of all the advice. After I make some changes and what not ill udate what worked or didnt in case someone else is in the same boat. <3

Yeah I love that it's cheap tbh! I use Suave's Daily Clarifying shampoo as my clarifying shampoo once a month or so. Couple bucks for a HUGE bottle, and it's going to last me years. The conditioner has lasted about 9 months, but for a couple months someone else was also using it! It still has another month or two worth left, as well! And I do sort of a WWCC (half-wash, wash, condition, condition) because my hair isn't very porous so the water and shampoo never work through properly unless I pre-wash with a little shampoo :rolleyes:. My son's is the same, and in fact his hair will just have huge dry spots if he doesn't use a spray nozzle! Anyway, I use a good couple handfuls of conditioner once a week or so, and the 30oz bottle has lasted me ages! With your hair at about CBL it'll definitely last you forever, too.

Suave Essentials also has a bunch of scents, but the basics of the formulas all seem to be totally identical so if they work you can swap scents or whatever without any real change.

I do oil when my hair is dry, too, but I do it more for softening than for moisture!

[Lady Stardust]

The ROO (rinse out oil) method has already been mentioned but I wanted to highlight it to you again because I think it will be great for your hair type. Straight hair can get build up quickly and I’ve found that ROO makes my hair softer and it hangs onto moisture better, but without weighing the hair down or getting full of lint, which happens to me when I use oil with any other method.

It’s really simple, you wash your hair, then apply a teeny bit of oil from the ears down - one drop would probably be fine at your length, I’m at the same length and similar texture and that’s what I use. You can either rinse out the oil at that point, and then apply your conditioner, or you can apply the conditioner straight away without rinsing in between. Finally, rinse out the conditioner. I use jojoba oil and I’m getting on great with it, it’s nice and light and I’m not getting build up from it. I see that you use jojoba oil too so it’s worth a try :) Here’s the link to the ROO thread, I’m eternally grateful to Lapushka for starting it!
https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=129191

I use the Noughty range of shampoo and conditioners, they’re cone free and I find them to be nice and moisturising. The Shine line might be a bit heavy but it’s lovely! They also do a volumising line which will be lighter, and contains lots of humectants (water attracting stuff) but I haven’t tried that. Their deep conditioner is lovely too, so is the leave in...you can tell I really like the brand ;)

[OhSuzi]

Great Question!
I have reached about the same length as you and this is the longest my hair has prob been in my life - also started experiencing tangles!
Grew my hair so I could style it - but even trying to run fingers through to do a simple plait can be a chinese finger trap.

I was using Loreal Elvive Extraordinary Clay (pre clay, shampoo and conditioner) None of these have Cones!
Clay I only use on roots once every say fortnight / 3 weeks and normal shampoo & condition every 3 / 4 days.
This was great at de oiling roots but leaving the rest of my hair sheeny shiny.
They are not too expensive and in the UK theres normally by one get one free type offers on it, its in turquoise bottles.

However I ran out & have been lazy about getting more for about 3 months - this post my be the inspiration I need to finally get my arse into gear!

Anyways since then I've been just washing with whatever is around old shampoos / nicking my mums wash stuff etc.
This and length are the contributing factors - the tangle struggle is real! - it got so bad that the other day after washing I did try leaving in some Loreal ELvive hair serum oil (in a tiny orange bottle) - In despiration I ended up putting in about 7 squirts in my towel dried hair!
This is probably far too much and it made my hair feel greasy and dull like i hadnt washed it and it took forever to dry! that was a mistake I thought.
However, I woke up the next day with crazy smooth shiny nice hair - I could run my fingers through it straight from getting up out of bed - which is unheard of!

- I swear Im not sponsered by Loreal!!! out of all the stuff I have tinkered with these seem to be the only things that consisently work for me!
but there are so many suggestions on here I might try some of the other things too!

[lapushka]

The ROO (rinse out oil) method has already been mentioned but I wanted to highlight it to you again because I think it will be great for your hair type. Straight hair can get build up quickly and I’ve found that ROO makes my hair softer and it hangs onto moisture better, but without weighing the hair down or getting full of lint, which happens to me when I use oil with any other method.

It’s really simple, you wash your hair, then apply a teeny bit of oil from the ears down - one drop would probably be fine at your length, I’m at the same length and similar texture and that’s what I use. You can either rinse out the oil at that point, and then apply your conditioner, or you can apply the conditioner straight away without rinsing in between. Finally, rinse out the conditioner. I use jojoba oil and I’m getting on great with it, it’s nice and light and I’m not getting build up from it. I see that you use jojoba oil too so it’s worth a try :) Here’s the link to the ROO thread, I’m eternally grateful to Lapushka for starting it!
https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=129191

I use the Noughty range of shampoo and conditioners, they’re cone free and I find them to be nice and moisturising. The Shine line might be a bit heavy but it’s lovely! They also do a volumising line which will be lighter, and contains lots of humectants (water attracting stuff) but I haven’t tried that. Their deep conditioner is lovely too, so is the leave in...you can tell I really like the brand ;)

Lady Stardust, thank you *so* so much for explaining the method so clearly. Due to my disability I have an odd typing technique and you saved my hands there a bit! :D

If you want to read more, OP, the link to the method is in my signature with lots of trial and error. But the most important thing is: don't overuse the oil. A couple drops is more than enough, especially after you have just washed the hair. You don't need to believe it, and might think, might as well use more, but: just don't! It's tempting, but, don't!

[Alex Lou]

Great Question!
I have reached about the same length as you and this is the longest my hair has prob been in my life - also started experiencing tangles!
Grew my hair so I could style it - but even trying to run fingers through to do a simple plait can be a chinese finger trap.

I was using Loreal Elvive Extraordinary Clay (pre clay, shampoo and conditioner) None of these have Cones!
Clay I only use on roots once every say fortnight / 3 weeks and normal shampoo & condition every 3 / 4 days.
This was great at de oiling roots but leaving the rest of my hair sheeny shiny.
They are not too expensive and in the UK theres normally by one get one free type offers on it, its in turquoise bottles.

However I ran out & have been lazy about getting more for about 3 months - this post my be the inspiration I need to finally get my arse into gear!

Anyways since then I've been just washing with whatever is around old shampoos / nicking my mums wash stuff etc.
This and length are the contributing factors - the tangle struggle is real! - it got so bad that the other day after washing I did try leaving in some Loreal ELvive hair serum oil (in a tiny orange bottle) - In despiration I ended up putting in about 7 squirts in my towel dried hair!
This is probably far too much and it made my hair feel greasy and dull like i hadnt washed it and it took forever to dry! that was a mistake I thought.
However, I woke up the next day with crazy smooth shiny nice hair - I could run my fingers through it straight from getting up out of bed - which is unheard of!

- I swear Im not sponsered by Loreal!!! out of all the stuff I have tinkered with these seem to be the only things that consisently work for me!
but there are so many suggestions on here I might try some of the other things too!

Do you find the Loreal to be significantly different compared to other silicone based "oil" leave-ins?

[Lady Stardust]

Lady Stardust, thank you *so* so much for explaining the method so clearly. Due to my disability I have an odd typing technique and you saved my hands there a bit! :D

If you want to read more, OP, the link to the method is in my signature with lots of trial and error. But the most important thing is: don't overuse the oil. A couple drops is more than enough, especially after you have just washed the hair. You don't need to believe it, and might think, might as well use more, but: just don't! It's tempting, but, don't!

Oh no problem, I hope it’s useful to OP :) ROO has been so useful for me, because conditioners are usually either too heavy or not moisturising enough, and that tiny drop of oil allows me to use a lighter conditioner but retain more moisture so I can get the balance right :)

[MotherofPhoenix]

The ROO (rinse out oil) method has already been mentioned but I wanted to highlight it to you again because I think it will be great for your hair type. Straight hair can get build up quickly and I’ve found that ROO makes my hair softer and it hangs onto moisture better, but without weighing the hair down or getting full of lint, which happens to me when I use oil with any other method.

It’s really simple, you wash your hair, then apply a teeny bit of oil from the ears down - one drop would probably be fine at your length, I’m at the same length and similar texture and that’s what I use. You can either rinse out the oil at that point, and then apply your conditioner, or you can apply the conditioner straight away without rinsing in between. Finally, rinse out the conditioner. I use jojoba oil and I’m getting on great with it, it’s nice and light and I’m not getting build up from it. I see that you use jojoba oil too so it’s worth a try :) Here’s the link to the ROO thread, I’m eternally grateful to Lapushka for starting it!
https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=129191

I use the Noughty range of shampoo and conditioners, they’re cone free and I find them to be nice and moisturising. The Shine line might be a bit heavy but it’s lovely! They also do a volumising line which will be lighter, and contains lots of humectants (water attracting stuff) but I haven’t tried that. Their deep conditioner is lovely too, so is the leave in...you can tell I really like the brand ;)

I think I grazed too quickly over this suggestion originally so thank you for going into depth. I really struggle with oils, they make my hair so greasy. This sounds like it may be pretty awesome for my hair.

[MotherofPhoenix]

No tangles, AFAIK, aren't a sign of damage. If you have examined your hair for white dots or splits, that's damage, but tangles to my knowledge? Nope. It does mean your hair is crying for moisture. So I would do some nice deep treatments or do a CWC wash or something to get more moisture in there; and use a leave-in after the wash or do the LOC/LCO method for styling afterwards to bring additional moisture into the hair.

What's your routine like now? :)

BTW, lovely picture in your avatar, and congrats on collarbone! :)

Thank you. You're hair looks gorgeous <3
You're always so helpful and sweet.

[Ravenne]

Just wanted to put in my vote for Suave Naturals! I've been using it quite happily for years. Shampoo lasts forever for me, but I go through the conditioner like crazy since I co-wash. But it's so cheap I never feel bad about how fast I go through a bottle. Most of the scents seem to work the same for me, so it's nice to be able to switch it up and still have "my" conditioner. :) Good stuff! If they ever significantly change their recipe, I may cry. LOL

[Dark40]

Tangles are a natural thing with long hair. No, it doesn't mean it's damaged at all. I always love the Herbal Essence line. Especially, the Hello Hydration one. I also use Mane N Tail Detangler as well. That really helps to tame away my tangles. But I use really good conditioners with cones and silicones in them that helps me with tangles. I would also suggest to try a good moisturizing conditioner like, "Queen Helene Cholesterol Hair Conditioning Cream." That's my HG product.

[EdG]

Tangles are a natural thing with long hair. Tangles are also a natural occurrence for electrical cords, garden hoses, and plates of spaghetti. ;)

The common reason is entropy. :)
Ed

[MusicalSpoons]

Tangles are also a natural occurrence for electrical cords, garden hoses, and plates of spaghetti. ;)

The common reason is entropy. :)
Ed

I LOVE this response - it needs to be the standard answer to 'my hair is tangling' :hifive:

OP, I heartily agree with all the ROO recommendations. My hair does tangle - inevitable at this length, I think - but the issue is whether or not they can be easily untangled without causing damage. The ROO method keeps my ends happy enough between washes, and they are the most fragile parts of my hair so the fewer tangles they get, the better. Any tangles I do get are easily enough untangled with my fingers (I comb, but stop to pick tangles apart with minimal damage).

[lapushka]

Oh no problem, I hope it’s useful to OP :) ROO has been so useful for me, because conditioners are usually either too heavy or not moisturising enough, and that tiny drop of oil allows me to use a lighter conditioner but retain more moisture so I can get the balance right :)

Thanks again! :) That is great to hear.


Thank you. You're hair looks gorgeous <3
You're always so helpful and sweet.

You are very kind! :) Thank you!!!


OP, I heartily agree with all the ROO recommendations. My hair does tangle - inevitable at this length, I think - but the issue is whether or not they can be easily untangled without causing damage. The ROO method keeps my ends happy enough between washes, and they are the most fragile parts of my hair so the fewer tangles they get, the better. Any tangles I do get are easily enough untangled with my fingers (I comb, but stop to pick tangles apart with minimal damage).

Great to hear!


I myself have done ROO consecutively for 46 weeks now. I think I will just keep doing it without breaks, for sure until I reach 52 weeks or a year. I'm unsure if I will take a break then. So many oils to use up and... I just like it!

[MusicalSpoons]

I myself have done ROO consecutively for 46 weeks now. I think I will just keep doing it without breaks, for sure until I reach 52 weeks or a year. I'm unsure if I will take a break then. So many oils to use up and... I just like it!

I haven't kept track of how long I've been doing it, but I use it every wash too - it works, so I see no reason to stop! :D

[EssleyBlue]

Congratulations at collarbone length, that's my next goal. My daughter has that length and she gets tangles. I bought her a silk pillow. And also I rub a little oil on my fingers and rub it into that particular tangle spot before trying to detangle. It helps the hairs to slip past each other. And I try to detangle from above, meaning I take a few hairs above the knot and try to gently pull it out of the knot. That seems to make the process go smoother.

[MotherofPhoenix]

Tangles are also a natural occurrence for electrical cords, garden hoses, and plates of spaghetti. ;)

The common reason is entropy. :)
Ed

Lol i just laughed so hard. Yes! Increased caos is the nature of the universe.



Ill be trying the roo method this morning as its wash day. Seems its the most advised method. Ill report on how it worked out this evening.

[MotherofPhoenix]

Congratulations at collarbone length, that's my next goal. My daughter has that length and she gets tangles. I bought her a silk pillow. And also I rub a little oil on my fingers and rub it into that particular tangle spot before trying to detangle. It helps the hairs to slip past each other. And I try to detangle from above, meaning I take a few hairs above the knot and try to gently pull it out of the knot. That seems to make the process go smoother.

Thank you! Collarbone is a quick milestone so youll be there before you know it! Im going to try the roo method of oiling and hipefully that works.

And yes silk pillow cases are amazing. I have one and i love it.

[MotherofPhoenix]

Alright so i wanted to share my experience since I have the time now. While my hair was still wet my hair had the most amazing "slip" between my fingers that my conditioner alone never gave. Combing my hair was so easy. It was just like silk. Once my hair dried it looked as if i had flat ironed it. It wasnt frizzy and it had a silk look with out looking greasy. (Which i was nervous about)

So ...i used grapeseed oil, but since my hair is fine amd relatively short (collarboneish) i only used like half a drop. I may use even less next time. I think less is more in this case. So far i think this will be my new routine. My hair feels amazing right now!!!!

[Zesty]

Alright so i wanted to share my experience since I have the time now. While my hair was still wet my hair had the most amazing "slip" between my fingers that my conditioner alone never gave. Combing my hair was so easy. It was just like silk. Once my hair dried it looked as if i had flat ironed it. It wasnt frizzy and it had a silk look with out looking greasy. (Which i was nervous about)

So ...i used grapeseed oil, but since my hair is fine amd relatively short (collarboneish) i only used like half a drop. I may use even less next time. I think less is more in this case. So far i think this will be my new routine. My hair feels amazing right now!!!!

So glad to hear that! Yeah, ROO requires very little oil, so that's probably about right for your length. :) Hooray!

[Lady Stardust]

Alright so i wanted to share my experience since I have the time now. While my hair was still wet my hair had the most amazing "slip" between my fingers that my conditioner alone never gave. Combing my hair was so easy. It was just like silk. Once my hair dried it looked as if i had flat ironed it. It wasnt frizzy and it had a silk look with out looking greasy. (Which i was nervous about)

So ...i used grapeseed oil, but since my hair is fine amd relatively short (collarboneish) i only used like half a drop. I may use even less next time. I think less is more in this case. So far i think this will be my new routine. My hair feels amazing right now!!!!

That sounds great! Good hair days ahead :)

[leayellena]

sholder length and collar bone are prone to split ends because you can't reach to the ends yourself to s&d/trimm them. you have to wait for your hair to grow or risk a chop from your hairdresser (?). period.
you can try to flip the braid tassel under the braid like a gibson tuck or a cignon. name it braided cignon?

[gingham_bay]

I tend to get tangles when I haven't washed my hair in a few days. When I CO my hair is more moisturized and less tangled--if you use a different method it might be helpful to add moisture or conditioner to your length, which hopefully should either prevent more tangles or detangle the current ones

[OhSuzi]

Do you find the Loreal to be significantly different compared to other silicone based "oil" leave-ins?

Well I'm a stick to what you know kinda gal, I found this little orange bottle of serum about 17 years ago (for all I know they have prob changed the ingredients 10 times over during that time & im not really using the same product!?) & a bottle prob lasts me about 2 years Ii don't use it that often.
& I used to use it to protect my hair before straightening it (i don't do that any more) or just run one or two squirts through wet hair if I wanted my hair less wavy whurly and more sheeny shiny.

Ive occasionaly dabbled with a John Freda Frizz serum - smelled nice but too sticky and heavy
& an actual oil purchased in Morroco which ironically was probably more likely just olive oil from a really pushy dodgy salesman than proper Morrocan oil - really expensive, & heavy on my hair - does nothing for it. ANd not going back to Morocco any tiume soon.

So I stick with the orange bottle, it works so I've pretty much always used it - coulldn't say that it was the best for everyone - its what I like

[Alex Lou]

Well I'm a stick to what you know kinda gal, I found this little orange bottle of serum about 17 years ago (for all I know they have prob changed the ingredients 10 times over during that time & im not really using the same product!?) & a bottle prob lasts me about 2 years Ii don't use it that often.
& I used to use it to protect my hair before straightening it (i don't do that any more) or just run one or two squirts through wet hair if I wanted my hair less wavy whurly and more sheeny shiny.

Ive occasionaly dabbled with a John Freda Frizz serum - smelled nice but too sticky and heavy
& an actual oil purchased in Morroco which ironically was probably more likely just olive oil from a really pushy dodgy salesman than proper Morrocan oil - really expensive, & heavy on my hair - does nothing for it. ANd not going back to Morocco any tiume soon.

So I stick with the orange bottle, it works so I've pretty much always used it - coulldn't say that it was the best for everyone - its what I like

Okay. I may try it next time I need some. I suspect it's pretty much the same as what I'm already using, but if it's the same, no harm in trying.