Stringiness attack again!

[catoala]

So.. my hair is wavy ish (didn't update signature).. about 2a :hmm:
And, I stopped brushing (except in shower) and it was all stringy and sticky! Its so terrible. I used zero products. Not tangly, but... yeah.. that. Stringy. Terrible. What to do?

[The-Young-Maid]

Do you mean your tried water only?

What products have you been using? Tell us so we can look up ingredients.

Have you been using a comb? Wide tooth comb? Tangle Teezer, wet brush, plastic brush...?

My hair can look a bit stringy after braiding(i prefer slightly fluffy look) Its okay to brush. Just depends on what tools you use when.

[catoala]

Do you mean your tried water only?

What products have you been using? Tell us so we can look up ingredients.

Have you been using a comb? Wide tooth comb? Tangle Teezer, wet brush, plastic brush...?

My hair can look a bit stringy after braiding(i prefer slightly fluffy look) Its okay to brush. Just depends on what tools you use when.

Not water only, meant outside of shower. No leave ins, creams...

I used a plastic brush because the comb doesn't do anything for me.

[lapushka]

Please tell us more about your routine. And what exactly do you mean by "stringy" - sometimes when curls clump or waves form, each wave takes on its own "string".

I think maybe you're not used to having your hair wavy? Have you posted a hairtyping picture yet?

Maybe try and do that first. So we can help you better!

[AutobotsAttack]

What’s your density looking like? Sometimes if you have low to medium density, and your curls clump together it can make them look stringy. Are you also aware that clumped parts of your waves/curls may appear stringy? Depending on how you choose to separate the clumped parts can help mitigate frizz and help your waves be more uniform

[catoala]

Please tell us more about your routine. And what exactly do you mean by "stringy" - sometimes when curls clump or waves form, each wave takes on its own "string".

I think maybe you're not used to having your hair wavy? Have you posted a hairtyping picture yet?

Maybe try and do that first. So we can help you better!

Routine: sometimes pre-shampoo oil with castor oil (or walnut).. Brush morning and night (unless, I want the waviness. then I brush in shower only), using a sulfate shampoo, cone free and protein free conditoner, shampoo twice and conditon only once. No blow drying unless I am sick or its cold.. Usually towel dry. And that's it.

It seems as if my hair is super thin, looks "matted" and too clumpy, and it can look straight even... really weird.

sorry I always post about same thing, but it just bothers me and there's no other place to ask about such things because everyone look at me like "what?" haha

[Knightly]

Could be 'cause of hard water ? Mine gets kinda sticky and tangly too because of it

[Obsidian]

You might need to clarify wash or even chelate if you have hard water.
If you can find it, joico clarifying shampoo will do both. There are some build up regular shampoo just can't wash away.

[spidermom]

Is there some reason you can’t do a wash with clarifying shampoo and post a hair typing photo as requested? If you’ve never clarified, it can take 2 or more clarifying washes to get the build up off.

[pailin]

Yes, a hairtyping photo would be helpful. Its quite common for people to have more wave than they thought. Also, is your hair fine, medium, coarse?

But your description does sound a lot like my hair. I tried the only-comb-while-wet-in-the-shower thing, and also the only-comb-while-wet thing, and much as they are recommended, both are disasters for me.

In the first place, my hair tangles much worse while wet (yes, even with conditioner), so it's much easier to comb dry. But worse, when I do try it, my hair will look stringy and frizzy at the same time when dry. It dimply won't firm neat clumps of waves. It looks worse than it does when frizzy from being brushed. So I gave up on most recommendations for wavies a long time ago.
Now, I occasionally do wear it down without any detangling at all. I think it looks worse to me than to others. But what usually works best for me is to detangle (fingers and comb; I don't brush anymore because it rips out too much hair), then put it up for a while. I may damp it a little first. Then if I take it down a while later, it will look much better. But it will be straighter than my actual texture. Basically I re-set it. Sometimes it comes out great, other times not as great.

[MusicalSpoons]

Yup, hairtyping will be useful. I'm also going to repeat myself about using more conditioner - especially if you're using a sulphate shampoo twice. Do you shampoo just your roots (and let it run down the lengths when you rinse) or do you shampoo it all?

Honestly if it's naturally around 2a then yeah the waves can look 'stringy' anyway. A photo of exactly what you mean would also help :)

[lapushka]

Routine: sometimes pre-shampoo oil with castor oil (or walnut).. Brush morning and night (unless, I want the waviness. then I brush in shower only), using a sulfate shampoo, cone free and protein free conditoner, shampoo twice and conditon only once. No blow drying unless I am sick or its cold.. Usually towel dry. And that's it.

It seems as if my hair is super thin, looks "matted" and too clumpy, and it can look straight even... really weird.

sorry I always post about same thing, but it just bothers me and there's no other place to ask about such things because everyone look at me like "what?" haha

Are you sure you are shampooing the castor oil all out, because it is a notoriously hard oil to remove with just one wash (if you're just doing that).

Next wash please make a hairtyping picture for us. We have asked a couple times already, but it is honestly the best way for us to help you. We can't solve all of this any other way, I don't think.

Just wash, condition or not, gently towel dry, leave to dry (no combing no brushing, no detangling whatsoever). Then snap a picture of the back of your head.

[catoala]

Are you sure you are shampooing the castor oil all out, because it is a notoriously hard oil to remove with just one wash (if you're just doing that).

Next wash please make a hairtyping picture for us. We have asked a couple times already, but it is honestly the best way for us to help you. We can't solve all of this any other way, I don't think.

Just wash, condition or not, gently towel dry, leave to dry (no combing no brushing, no detangling whatsoever). Then snap a picture of the back of your head.

To be honest, I avoid posting any photos of me on the Internet since I use it. It just feels off for some reason ...

But I don't use oil always, but maybe..

[catoala]

Yup, hairtyping will be useful. I'm also going to repeat myself about using more conditioner - especially if you're using a sulphate shampoo twice. Do you shampoo just your roots (and let it run down the lengths when you rinse) or do you shampoo it all?

Honestly if it's naturally around 2a then yeah the waves can look 'stringy' anyway. A photo of exactly what you mean would also help :)

I shampoo my roots only, and conditon the ends and what's left on hands, I use it on the rest of the lenght.

[The-Young-Maid]

Can you also list *specifically* what products you are using? What brand/variety so we can look up the ingredients. Don't just say it's sulfate/cone free that's not the whole story.

[MusicalSpoons]

To be honest, I avoid posting any photos of me on the Internet since I use it. It just feels off for some reason ...

But I don't use oil always, but maybe..

That's fair enough. A hairtyping pic is the back of the head only though, usually, just in case you thought we were needing to see any more than that :) but if you don't want to post even that, that is of course totally up to you and we'll just have to do our best to help without it.

It might be really useful for you yourself though to take a pic, look at the hairtyping guide, then have a look at some other typing pics of similar textures. There are texture-specific threads with typing pics in them; it would take a bit of reading around but it would help you to decide yourself what your hair is naturally doing and what you're working with :)

I've just seen your reply to my post and that's good you're only shampooing roots, but it definitely sounds like your hair wants more conditioner = more moisture :) that's the nature of waves, even baby ones!

[lapushka]

Can you also list *specifically* what products you are using? What brand/variety so we can look up the ingredients. Don't just say it's sulfate/cone free that's not the whole story.

Seconding that!

[milosmomma]

I find that if you're not sure you're removing all the oil, that conditioner works better at removing it. Maybe try pre wash oil, conditioner, shampoo, second conditioner? Have you ever tried a vinegar rinse? It helps my hair because I have hard water and make it less tangly. Might be worth a shot for you to try.