How to protect my baby fine hair from a rough and tumble lifestyle (and hard hats)?

[Sweet_Decadence]

Hello! I'm hoping for some your wisdom once more!

I didn't see any posts on a quick look so hopefully I'm not asking something to repetitive here!

My hair knots and matts like absolute crazy. I just spent about an hour in the shower working through a huge matt and had to make my piece with a good bit of breakage in the process. I was honestly thinking of blasting my hair with WD40 to try and and get this thing out, it was big bad.

I work in labouring jobs across a few different field and often wear a hard hat, usually a climbing hat. No hairdo I try seems to help. Buns at the nape of my neck will get matted, braids will get matted even worse tucked braids will get matted. I wear a buff over my hair when working, and it does seem to help a little, but even that doesn't cut it. My hobbies are also causing similar issues, I'm just a very physical, active person and I just don't know how to protect my hair from my lifestyle.

Is there anything I can do wither that's product, style, protective layers or whatever to give my hair a fighting chance?

My hair is 2c/3a, fine, high porosity and sitting at about BSL unstretched, almost MBL stretched.

[pisinoe]

This is what helped me:

- Switching from wooden comb to a Tangle Teezer Wet Detangler (also works for dry hair)

- After the shower, I use a smoothening leave-in (L'oréal Pro Longer, but the Redken Frizz Dismiss one is also good) that really moisturises my hair and then I seal it with a silicone oil. During the day, I brush twice and every time I use more silicone oil on the ends to protect it before I do so.

- For high porosity, I really recommend you try an acid treatment that will bring down the pH and smoothen your cuticle and also help tons with moisture retention and softening. I use the Joico Cuticle Sealer (I bought 1L from allbeauty in the UK)

I also do the capillary schedule for my hair which overall helps keep my hair knot and tangle free. Hope this helps. I don't know much about protective styles.

[Chromis]

Hmm, I was going to recommend a Buff with a fairly flat updo. When I am not wearing a Buff, I wear a bandanna or kerchief. There are specific hardhat liners though, so perhaps that shape might work better for you.

[lapushka]

Do you use anything at all with silicone in your regular routine? If not, it might be time to go there. Not jumping to conclusions, just asking. ;)

[timiddrake]

I agree with Chromis. Something between your hair and the hard hat will probably help. I used to play roller derby and would always use a bandana as a buffer between the helmet and my hair.

[Arciela]

I find what works for me is putting something between my hat and my hair. I used to use a bandana or a silk scarf. :)

[KokoroDragon]

I'm not as active as you, but I find braids give me worse matting at my nape than just leaving it down. My best suggestions would be to use an acid rinse like ACV after conditioning, and leave-in might be worth a shot if you don't already use it.
I always heavily oil my (dry) hair before I go swimming, and I find that makes it really easy to detangle. Maybe try that? A coney serum might do the same thing, but cones don't agree with my hair so I have no experience with that.

Where along your length do the knots concentrate? If they're at your nape/on the edge of your buff/hardhat, that could be the problem.

[Feral_]

I’d go with the buff or head covering. Have a look at female climbing helmets too as some have an inverted U section at the nape for a ponytail / plait. Mine has this feature. Consider a caterpillar ponytail.

[Zesty]

I'd also suggest trying silicones if you don't use them, maybe a silicone oil/serum would help with tangles.

[Chromis]

I find if the hair is too slippery, then my Buff or whatnot wants to slide off. I get tangles when my hair touches the suspension inside of helmets hence my suggestion of a barrier between them.

[Cg]

You can pin through a buff to keep it from moving around.

[Simsy]

Hello! I'm hoping for some your wisdom once more!

I didn't see any posts on a quick look so hopefully I'm not asking something to repetitive here!

My hair knots and matts like absolute crazy. I just spent about an hour in the shower working through a huge matt and had to make my piece with a good bit of breakage in the process. I was honestly thinking of blasting my hair with WD40 to try and and get this thing out, it was big bad.

I work in labouring jobs across a few different field and often wear a hard hat, usually a climbing hat. No hairdo I try seems to help. Buns at the nape of my neck will get matted, braids will get matted even worse tucked braids will get matted. I wear a buff over my hair when working, and it does seem to help a little, but even that doesn't cut it. My hobbies are also causing similar issues, I'm just a very physical, active person and I just don't know how to protect my hair from my lifestyle.

Is there anything I can do wither that's product, style, protective layers or whatever to give my hair a fighting chance?

My hair is 2c/3a, fine, high porosity and sitting at about BSL unstretched, almost MBL stretched.

You’ll be delighted to know, I have actually had this problem exactly, right down the length. Truck driver working on and off mine sites...in case you were curious.

So, style first. I used 4 braids at the nape of my neck or across the bottom of my head, make them even-ish, and wrap each one around your head in a headband fashion. Pin until they take the hint. (Also an excellent base for hair taping with lengths of ribbon if you want it up for a couple of days at a time.). If the braids are small enough, they will sit fairly flat on the head and should keep tangles to a minimum. Tuck the ends under wherever they land and secure how you like. If you need more braids to make them thin enough, make six. I have, and sewed the whole mess down with ribbon. Braids don’t tangle too badly for me, and the smaller braids don’t shred as bad since everything is tucked that little bit more.

You can French or dutch braid a couple of these, especially if you want somewhere to tuck the ends if they won’t quite reach all the way. If you do, sit the braid back from your ear a little so the the ends have room. You can also start the braids higher on your head or even right on top so the ends tuck at the nape instead...options are always good.

Next, find a scarf of some kind. A Buff will work very well; I used a cotton scarf and wrapped it around my head, starting behind my neck and tying at the same point. Since nothing will move too much once the scarf is tied, I found it didn’t create more tangles, and it’s more to keep flyaways and baby hairs out of trouble. It also helps keep dust out so you don’t have to wash as often.

This worked for me from somewhere around waist to well past classic. The braids stay contained and fit under a normal hard hat, the scarf stops the harness from getting involved with the shorter stuff

ETA. Forgot to mention, use a leave in conditioner on each section before you braid if you plan on leaving them up for a couple of days. Add oil, if you use it, to each section as well; and coat each tassel before tucking away. It will help keep the ends straight and out of trouble.