horrible mats near scalp

[squiggyflop]

:(ok so ive been getting mattes (spelling?) near my scalp.. they hurt really bad as im trying to get them out.. it can take as little as 30 minutes for new ones to form after ive gotten all of them out.. it happens bad when i sleep.. ive tried sleeping with buns and braids and even a scarf.. is there somehing i can do/use to keep my hair tangle free? ive tried cones and oils and everything i could think of.. TIA

[GlassEyes]

Did you try combing with a bunch of conditioner in?

My advice would be to not sleep in buns or braids, as those could cause tangles, and a satin pillowcase may be a wise investment if you're set on the idea of sleeping in them; it'll lessen the friction between the hair and the pillowcase and probably cause less tangling.

[JessTheMess]

I second a satin pillowcase if you don't already have one. I made my own turbie twist out of a satin material, and that helps when I'm sleeping also. Sometimes if I am really restless though it tends to slide off:(. Have you clarified? I know my hair mattes up a lot if it has a lot of buildup. Maybe a clarify and a SMT could help :shrug:

[squiggyflop]

Did you try combing with a bunch of conditioner in?

My advice would be to not sleep in buns or braids, as those could cause tangles, and a satin pillowcase may be a wise investment if you're set on the idea of sleeping in them; it'll lessen the friction between the hair and the pillowcase and probably cause less tangling.
if i sleep with my hair down its worse.. much worse.. and satin pillowcases are no good because in the middle of the night ill throw them to the floor and ill wake up using my blanket as a pillow or worse my dog.. i just cant stand the feeling of satin against my face and i sleep on my stomach most of the time so i sleep on my face..

i do clarify.. about once a week..

im a very restless sleeper.. i sometimes wakeup upside down on my bed having gone to sleep with my head at the right end..
eta: smt's are my hairs worst enemy.. pretty much anything with honey will cause horrible breakage and mattes that need to be cut out

[rhubarbarin]

It sounds like the constant movement when you're sleeping is the major factor.

I dunno what to tell you squig, when something goes wonky with your hair it's always baffling!

Maybe if you wrap your whole head and all your hair in a turban made of satin that will keep your hair completely immobilized? Like a hair straightjacket..

[RavennaNight]

hmmm. Do you have a halo which is growing in and causing havoc? Because I do and sometimes depending on the conditioner, I have some trouble detangling by the scalp.

[manderly]

How about sleeping in a hair net or a doo-rag? I tend to wiggle out of my satin sleep cap, so maybe something snug to your head would help.

[Anje]

From one stomach sleeper to another, I recommend a bonnet or something similar. I find polyester satin pillowcases to be rather awful. If you're moving enough to get mats near your scalp, though, you might want to try containing the hair close to where it grows -- maybe 1 or 2 french braids to sleep in would help, under whatever slick thing you cover your hair with.

[squiggyflop]

It sounds like the constant movement when you're sleeping is the major factor.

I dunno what to tell you squig, when something goes wonky with your hair it's always baffling!

Maybe if you wrap your whole head and all your hair in a turban made of satin that will keep your hair completely immobilized? Like a hair straightjacket..
i tried the satin turbie idea.. well when i woke up it was off of my head and i cant find it now.. im hoping my dog didnt carry it off.. and it must not have stayed on long enough because i had rather bad matting this morning by the scalp.. it was hot and uncomfortable too.. hmmm..


hmmm. Do you have a halo which is growing in and causing havoc? Because I do and sometimes depending on the conditioner, I have some trouble detangling by the scalp.
hmm i do have some halo.. it could be that.. ive got a whole mess of brand new baby hairs..(i know they are brand new because they are tapered at the ends) perhaps that could be the problem

wait a minute you put conditioner near the scalp? i thought that was bad? wouldnt that make my hair greasy.. i dont wash every day so greasy can be a problem..


How about sleeping in a hair net or a doo-rag? I tend to wiggle out of my satin sleep cap, so maybe something snug to your head would help.
hmm if i sleep with something snug to my head i would have to wash my hair every day because of the sweat and grease.. im not sure a hairnet would help.. i had to wear one in a school cooking thing once and my hair fused into one big matte in the shape that it was in the net.. thats also the reason i shy away from snoods..


From one stomach sleeper to another, I recommend a bonnet or something similar. I find polyester satin pillowcases to be rather awful. If you're moving enough to get mats near your scalp, though, you might want to try containing the hair close to where it grows -- maybe 1 or 2 french braids to sleep in would help, under whatever slick thing you cover your hair with.
oh i wish wish wish i could do a french braid.. i only just mastered the regular english braid.. i do have a tool thats supposed to help me do a french braid but it causes too many tangles and a very loose braid.. but i will log this advice into my memory for when i learn how to do a french braid.. hmmm

[lora410]

if i sleep with my hair down its worse.. much worse.. and satin pillowcases are no good because in the middle of the night ill throw them to the floor and ill wake up using my blanket as a pillow or worse my dog.. i just cant stand the feeling of satin against my face and i sleep on my stomach most of the time so i sleep on my face..

i do clarify.. about once a week..

im a very restless sleeper.. i sometimes wakeup upside down on my bed having gone to sleep with my head at the right end..
eta: smt's are my hairs worst enemy.. pretty much anything with honey will cause horrible breakage and mattes that need to be cut out


ok what about a satin sleep bonet?

[spidermom]

My best sleep style is a top-of-head ponytail made with a scrunchie. Then I wind the length of the ponytail around the base and tuck the ends under the scrunchie. I also often sleep with a high-thread-count cotton pillowcase. Or silk. Or satin. I like satin on my face because it soaks up the cool from my open window, and I get hot at night.

[embee]

I also like the top-of-the-head scrunchie bun thing.

It works a treat for me, in that my hair is not in my way all the time when I'm sleeping. I find that means I move around less. I used to wiggle around all the time trying to find a comfy place: the braid was too hot, it was pulling if I left it up over the pillow, it would get wrapped around my neck if I turned over, it itched my back, etc. With the scrunchie bun I do not have this trouble. Yes there are some tangles, but not *nearly* as many as before.

I was afraid of scalp headaches, but found to my astonishment that I did not get them!

You could try it a couple of nights and see if it works any better. At least it's cheap (free!).

[Curlsgirl]

I can't do the top of the head scrunchie but I can do an uncoiled braid wrapped loosely around itself on top of my head with several medium claw clips around it. I also wear my hair this way when I am sick. You can make it as loose or tight as you want and it causes less tension on the scalp.

Keep working on the french braid too.

[squiggyflop]

hmm i woke up this morning and i dont have any mattes.. i washed my hair with an olive lavender soap instead of shampoo yesterday because i was online and saw under the reviews of some soap it had alot of people saying they like it as shampoo.. i happened to have a bar sitting in front of my tv waiting to be used..
my hair isnt really happy (possibly just adjusting to soap) but its not all matted.. i just hope im not jinxing myself.. perhaps it was my shampoo..

i tried to do a french braid last night.. but i just couldnt grip my fingers behind my head well enough so i slept in a regular braid (coming from the top of my head not the back..)
i also used some camellia oil but it made my hair greasy.. i need to figure out how much my hair can take without being greasy.. i figured that if i was going to really give the soap a fair try i should stop with the cones.. hmmm.. the weird thing is that last time i tried soap/poobars my hair was super matted and awful.. but so far my hair is relatively matte free..

ill keep using the soap for a week and see if thats what my hair needs and report back..