Getting Rid of Lint

[GrowlingCupcake]

My hair gets really linty which adds to my issues with tangles, and SSKs. What can I do to cut down on it?

Some things I have tried:
ROO but there's been no difference.
Cleaning my brush at least once a week, and keeping it in an enclosed space. Also seems to make no difference since it's my hair that's picking up the lint. I don't know if cleaning it more often would help since the lint is at the base of the bristles, and unlikely to be brushed into my hair.
No leave-ins. No real difference, again.

My hair is really static-y which is probably a big part of it. Do I just need more moisture? I don't even know where I'm picking the lint up from. I'm guessing clothing but this was an issue even when my hair was almost always in a bun (it's still usually in a bun but I wear it down more since buns/plaits/ponytails hurt my scalp). I can't wear a bonnet to sleep or use a scarf; bonnets tend to break my nape hair, and scarves slide off while I sleep. I use a silk pillowcase.

I'm open to bonnet suggestions, though! I think it is the elastic/ties that cause the breakage so if there's something that will be gentler, I'm happy to give that a shot.

ETA:
Few other things:
I have read EdG's article, and it's awesome.
I do my best to remove any lint I find; I brush daily (combing breaks my strands, and hurts my head).
I don't have any visibly shedding clothing, and if I'm wearing something like a sweater or something else that pills, I wear my hair up so it doesn't come into contact with it.
Diluted shampoo or WO is not for me. I have issues with dandruff, and my scalp hurts like hell if I don't shampoo thoroughly.

[Jane99]

I got rid of my flannel sheets and use satin ones now. The lint is still there but there’s not as much. I think regular vacuuming helps too.

[C_Bookworm]

How often do you wash? For me, the only times I’ve dealt with lint was during camping, which meant my hair was getting washed less frequently and also wasn’t getting cleaned off as thoroughly during each wash. My ‘regular’ routine keeps the lint at bay.

[EdG]

I don't even know where I'm picking the lint up from.The lint is already in the hair. Lint can remain in the hair for longer than an individual hair's growth cycle.


I have read EdG's article, and it's awesome.Thank you. :)


I do my best to remove any lint I find; I brush daily (combing breaks my strands, and hurts my head).If a comb cannot pass through 2a hair without causing breakage, the reason is that the hair has enough lint to hold the strands together.

I suggest finger-combing before brushing or using a comb. Fingers can detect and remove folds/twists in the hair better than a brush or comb.

Lint can take a long time to remove if it had accumulated. Removing lint is a slow process.

I wish you the best success! :)
Ed

[Bugg]

This whole topic is fascinating to me, I had no idea hair could accumulate lint in this way until I noticed posts about it yesterday! The only time I’ve encountered anything like it was when I had dreadlocks - they were bleached but the accumulated lint was visible within them; it was pretty frustrating.. although tangles obviously weren’t an issue.

Anyway, I don’t really have anything of value to add here, but sending luck and patience to those of you dealing with this! It sounds like a real pain!

[EdG]

This whole topic is fascinating to me, I had no idea hair could accumulate lint in this way until I noticed posts about it yesterday! The only time I’ve encountered anything like it was when I had dreadlocks - they were bleached but the accumulated lint was visible within them; it was pretty frustrating.. although tangles obviously weren’t an issue.Here is a link in case anyone is interested. https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=151460

I should figure out how to make the thread into an actual article.
Ed

[MusicalSpoons]

If a comb cannot pass through 2a hair without causing breakage, the reason is that the hair has enough lint to hold the strands together.


I disagree - hair of almost any texture can easily tangle on itself, especially with different textures in individual hairs. 2a is an overall reading of the texture but can certainly include a variety of individual textured hairs - my individual curlies sproing out when freshly washed as frizz, and my hair overall vehemently dislikes being combed in the first 3-4 days after that.

GrowlingCupcake I'm afraid I don't have any advice at the moment, but I wish you the best with trying to deal with it :flower:

[EdG]

I disagree - hair of almost any texture can easily tangle on itself, especially with different textures in individual hairs. 2a is an overall reading of the texture but can certainly include a variety of individual textured hairs - my individual curlies sproing out when freshly washed as frizz, and my hair overall vehemently dislikes being combed in the first 3-4 days after that.2a hair can tangle around itself, but I find that hair-over-hair tangles will come out during combing before the hair reaches its breaking point. Hair does not have enough "grip" for hair-over-hair tangles to stay together (in my experience).

Breakage while combing implies that something stronger is holding the hairs together. Lint can do that especially if it is wrapped around the hairs. A big change due to removing lint is that a comb will now pass through my hair with little resistance (when the hair is lubricated or slightly damp).

Your hair is a lot longer than mine, and so our experiences may differ.
Ed

[MusicalSpoons]

2a hair can tangle around itself, but I find that hair-over-hair tangles will come out during combing before the hair reaches its breaking point. Hair does not have enough "grip" for hair-over-hair tangles to stay together (in my experience).

Breakage while combing implies that something stronger is holding the hairs together. Lint can do that especially if it is wrapped around the hairs. A big change due to removing lint is that a comb will now pass through my hair with little resistance (when the hair is lubricated or slightly damp).

Your hair is a lot longer than mine, and so our experiences may differ.
Ed

Our strands are also different, so yes definitely :) Just yesterday I had a *knot* that I had to patiently tease apart (unusual for me) but there was no lint to be found, just hairs having a fistfight :lol: my ordinary tangles have to be taken apart with fingers normally anyway; if I pushed my comb through there would be breakage. Some are due to lint - it used to be that they would always have a nucleus of lint - but many are not, not any more.

[EdG]

Our strands are also different, so yes definitely :) Just yesterday I had a *knot* that I had to patiently tease apart (unusual for me) but there was no lint to be found, just hairs having a fistfight :lol: my ordinary tangles have to be taken apart with fingers normally anyway; if I pushed my comb through there would be breakage. Some are due to lint - it used to be that they would always have a nucleus of lint - but many are not, not any more.Agreed - your fine hair is closer to the diameter of lint than my coarse hair, and knots are very strong.
Ed

[Kat]

I've found my "lint" tangles are the worst... but I can also usually identify where the lint is coming from if there's a lot of it (for example, I have a fleece jacket a friend gave me, in a lovely shade of blue... well, when I soon started pulling lint out of my hair in that exact shade, I knew the culprit!).

[Chromis]

Lint tangles are the worst for me too. I found my common culprit has been certain sheets and blankets. Try seeing if you can make out what colour the lint is to track down the source!

[GrowlingCupcake]

Washing:
I usually wash once a week but depending on my spoons, it could be once every two weeks. I'm planning on increasing it to twice a week to see if that will help my scalp. Hopefully it'll help the lint!

Would I need to shampoo the entire length or would conditioner on the length be sufficient?

Lint colour/sheets:
Most of my lint is, unfortunately, white or translucent. Most of the lint in my brush is either white or pink/purple. Most of our laundry ends up with pinkish/purplish lint even when we don't have those colours in there. Adding to the issue, I have a lot of purple clothing. That said, the lint colour seems to consistently be white/translucent or pink/purple even if I haven't worn anything pink/purple in weeks.

I'll have to experiment with clothing to see if the colours change. Knowing where it's coming from would really help!

I'm sure part of it is the sheets/bedding, though (they haven't been purple in a bit so I know it isn't currently coming from there but who knows how old the lint is). While my pillow is silk, the sheets are cotton. Would switching to microbre help? If not, I can try satin/silk.

Combs/brushes/finger combing/tangles:
Most of my tangles have no lint in them; they're just hair coiled around each other. I check my tangles thoroughly so I'm quite certain of this. It's also really easy to see the coils. My waves are basically very, very loose curls. I'm just hoping if I reduce the lint based tangles, I'll be able to cut down how long it takes to brush my hair out (about an average of forty five minutes a day currently), and reduce overall breakage.

When I used combs, they broke my hair badly. I've tried wood, I've tried acrylic, I've tried bone. I've tried wide toothed, I've tried narrow toothed. It enjoys eating combs. The only way I can use combs is after brushing it out, and I'll still hear a snap more often than not. When I finger comb alone or start with fingers, it's hit or miss. Brushes like the tangle teezer also break my strands. I find the wet brush to be the most hair friendly for me. I have to start from my root, and slowly work my way down sort of pushing the tangles further down, and using my fingers to detangle including manually uncoiling my hair since it won't 'part' on its own. I always brush from multiple angles since my tangles require it.

My hair is just exceptionally tangly. It's the kind of hair that tangles if you look at it, and it's always been like that whether virgin or not, long or short. It tangles in braids, and buns. It's very badly behaved. I frequently need my partner to help untangle my knots, and it often requires some kind of pick, usually a needle. I've kind of given up on keeping the majority of tangles out. As long as I brush it into submission every day, I don't have to cut out non-SSK knots so there's that at least!

Sorry for the unnecessarily long tangle-related rant. Can you tell I'm currently working on detangling my hair?

Removing lint:
How do I go about doing this? My hair is damp from Selkie when I detangle, and I check my strands, and remove any lint I find. I also check when it's drier so I can see anything I missed. There's always more lint every day so I know I'm not getting it all out. What am I missing? Would a fine toothed comb after brushing help? Maybe a lice comb? Combs suck but, after I get rid of the majority of my current lint, maybe a once a month combing wouldn't be too bad if it's done very carefully.

I think that's a response to everything.

[Bugg]

Agreed - your fine hair is closer to the diameter of lint than my coarse hair, and knots are very strong.
Ed

I also have fine strands and sometimes find knots similar to how MusicalSpoons describes, with no lint to be found. Perhaps coarse hair strands have more texture for the lint to stick to? My hair gets really static but still no lint tangles. Saying that, after reading your article and the comments I realised I do find lint in my hairbrush, and it’s likely come out of my hair as I keep the brush in a drawer when I’m not using it, to help keep it clean.
I have always been meticulous about combing over all parts of my scalp though, so this has likely helped. Interesting stuff Ed.

[EdG]

Removing lint:
How do I go about doing this? My hair is damp from Selkie when I detangle, and I check my strands, and remove any lint I find. I also check when it's drier so I can see anything I missed. There's always more lint every day so I know I'm not getting it all out. What am I missing? Would a fine toothed comb after brushing help? Maybe a lice comb? Combs suck but, after I get rid of the majority of my current lint, maybe a once a month combing wouldn't be too bad if it's done very carefully.I find that normal detangling is the best way to remove lint. Lint and tangles go together - lint causes tangles and tangles allow lint to accumulate. The solution is to untangle the hair.

Washing can loosen tangles, at least for long enough to do a thorough untangling while the hair is still slightly damp.

Your hair is much more curly than mine, and finer. My experiences may not be relevant to you. With the lint gone, I can run a comb through my hair with little resistance. Finger detangling while lying down in bed has helped to get out folds/twists that harbor lint.


I also have fine strands and sometimes find knots similar to how MusicalSpoons describes, with no lint to be found. Perhaps coarse hair strands have more texture for the lint to stick to? My hair gets really static but still no lint tangles. Saying that, after reading your article and the comments I realised I do find lint in my hairbrush, and it’s likely come out of my hair as I keep the brush in a drawer when I’m not using it, to help keep it clean.
I have always been meticulous about combing over all parts of my scalp though, so this has likely helped. Interesting stuff Ed.My hypothesis is that the knot formed around a piece lint, and the lint subsequently came out. Only the knot remains.

You have an effective hair-care routine. Removing a small amount of lint every day is enough to prevent lint from accumulating.
Ed

[Feral_]

Here's a couple of questions for Ed The Lint Guru -

1. Does sebum repel lint?
2. Is static-prone hair more prone to lint being electrically 'charged'?

I ask these because I rarely get lint since going SO and my hair is not static-y.

Thanks :flower:

[EdG]

Here's a couple of questions for Ed The Lint Guru -

1. Does sebum repel lint?
2. Is static-prone hair more prone to lint being electrically 'charged'?

I ask these because I rarely get lint since going SO and my hair is not static-y.

Thanks :flower:Hee, hee. I feel like there is an epic battle between good and evil on my scalp. :luke:

Static electricity likely attracts airborne lint. WO/SO hair tends not to have static because sebum (being salty) conducts electricity.

Sebum provides lubrication and causes lint to stick to the comb, which pulls the lint out. More lint gets removed when there is some sebum in the hair.

That being said, I went back to shampooing (after doing WO for a few years) because I had too much sebum.
Ed

[GrowlingCupcake]

I find that normal detangling is the best way to remove lint. Lint and tangles go together - lint causes tangles and tangles allow lint to accumulate. The solution is to untangle the hair.

Washing can loosen tangles, at least for long enough to do a thorough untangling while the hair is still slightly damp.

Your hair is much more curly than mine, and finer. My experiences may not be relevant to you. With the lint gone, I can run a comb through my hair with little resistance. Finger detangling while lying down in bed has helped to get out folds/twists that harbor lint.


I'll have to try lying down.

My hair is pretty straight, just 2a. It's just very badly behaved :lol: It's probably 2a/2b when shorter.

Would conditioner have a similar effect to sebum? Is there some product that could work? I don't think I can manage WO though I might try more just scalp washes, and less washing my length. I'm a very static-y person (I have to discharge myself before touching things when the air is even slightly dry), and my hair crackles a lot. I'm assuming that's where a lot of the lint is coming from.

[EdG]

I'll have to try lying down.

My hair is pretty straight (https://i.imgur.com/5I6aPex.jpg), just (https://i.imgur.com/g8HbVV9.jpg) 2a (https://i.imgur.com/Ct4Vtk8.jpg). It's just very badly behaved :lol: It's probably 2a/2b when shorter.

Would conditioner have a similar effect to sebum? Is there some product that could work? I don't think I can manage WO though I might try more just scalp washes, and less washing my length. I'm a very static-y person (I have to discharge myself before touching things when the air is even slightly dry), and my hair crackles a lot. I'm assuming that's where a lot of the lint is coming from.Your hair is wavier than mine.

I don't have experience with conditioner, but hair products generally don't have the waxiness/stickyness that makes sebum good at removing lint. You don't need to go fully WO - you just need to let some sebum remain in the hair.

Static is a function of humidity - you are likely running a furnace which is lowering the humidity. People run humidifiers in the winter to prevent indoor air from getting too dry.

ETA: GrowlingCupcake - since you are washing once per week, you already have enough sebum in your hair for a comb to pull lint out. Washing more frequently may help loosen the tangles (temporarily).
Ed

[SwanFeathers]

What is your indoor air quality like? with the number of paper products in most houses, the fine recycled fibers shedding off those is insane. in addition, pollen is somewhat sticky and grabs other particles in the air.

[Chromis]

Microfibre sheets and blankets are the absolute worst for lint on my hair. Even worse than flannel! We switched to cotton percale.

[Jane99]

I have found that when I clean my tangle teezer with water, and the tines are still wet, when I comb through my hair with the wet tines, they will be completely covered in lint after a few passes. My BBB also collects a scary amount of lint.

[Feral_]

Microfibre sheets and blankets are the absolute worst for lint on my hair. Even worse than flannel! We switched to cotton percale.

The exact opposite for me, Chromis. Used to have cotton percale bedding and I switched to microfibre bed linen with a fleece blanket on top, and have no lint. Flannel felt nice, but you can’t wear anything cotton to bed as you’re literally velcro’d trying to turn over!

[EdG]

Both cotton and polyester give off lint. Polyester has a wide range of formulations. The most important thing is to discard any items that are visibly shedding lint.
Ed

[baanoo]

Honestly I think my biggest sources of lint are my cats, who are quite fond of sleeping on my pillow next to my head...

[lapushka]

The exact opposite for me, Chromis. Used to have cotton percale bedding and I switched to microfibre bed linen with a fleece blanket on top, and have no lint. Flannel felt nice, but you can’t wear anything cotton to bed as you’re literally velcro’d trying to turn over!

Opposite for me too. I love my microfiber bedding (pillowcase + duvet cover). I have regular cotton sheets.