Tangles!

[Lesley8]

Hi, I had a really bad wash day today I had a huge tangle on the back of my head, I sat for half an hour trying to gently detangle it with oil but in the end I had to cut it out! My hair has been getting more and more tangled to the point I'm dreading wash days. I always put oil on for and hour beforehand. I'm also wondering if silicone conditioner would be better for me as my natural products just don't seem to be helping.
Sorry for the long post. If anyone has any advice that would be great.
I've just realised I posted regarding my tangles before sorry

[Eastbound&Down]

Hi, I had a really bad wash day today I had a huge tangle on the back of my head, I sat for half an hour trying to gently detangle it with oil but in the end I had to cut it out! My hair has been getting more and more tangled to the point I'm dreading wash days. I always put oil on for and hour beforehand. I'm also wondering if silicone conditioner would be better for me as my natural products just don't seem to be helping.
Sorry for the long post. If anyone has any advice that would be great.
I've just realised I posted regarding my tangles before sorry

Do you use silcone products and if not is there a reason why you don't? Your hair may need the help with slip that you can get from different products. I'm sorry you had to cut, I know that is a worst case scenario.

[Lesley8]

I don't use silicone it's only because I thought natural products were better for the hair, but im also finding my ends don't feel as clean. I think I'm going to have to go back to silicone as my knots are really bad and I was not happy having to cut!

[Eastbound&Down]

I don't use silicone it's only because I thought natural products were better for the hair, but im also finding my ends don't feel as clean. I think I'm going to have to go back to silicone as my knots are really bad and I was not happy having to cut!

I would find a good coney shampoo and conditioner and see if that helps. I use Herbal Essence, really any of their products are good but I buy Long Term Relationship when I can find it or Hello Hydration otherwise. I also CWC with Aussie 3 minute miracle. I seal with either sweet almond oil or shea oil. I recently switched to a satin pillowcase and I have notice a huge difference in how my hair looks and feels, and it is MUCH less tangled in the mornings.

[Bri-Chan]

Have you tried to clarify? Anyway tangles is the n.1 problem of my hair. I find cones works way better than not-coney conditioners. I usually detangle my hair dry, before washing. It can seem absourd, but it's easier than with wet hair! Then I re-detangle when I have the conditioner on, but generally speaking the two detangling moments takes me 30 minutes in the worst cases, probably even less for you.

[Lesley8]

I use a satin bonnet at night, but my main problem is washing seriously dread it, I'll take a look at herbal essence I did try the hello hydration and it irritated my scalp but I'll look into the other ones.
I just clarified last week ,it's the top of my head that gets tangles for some reason, I'll give everyone's ideas a go and change my shampoo and conditioner. Thank you both for the help really appreciate it.

[EdG]

The tangles may be caused by lint. https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=151460

Lint can accumulate next to the scalp if the hair becomes folded or twisted and the comb tines cannot get in between. Do you find lint on your comb or shed hairs? If so, you may need to improve your detangling routine.
Ed

[Lesley8]

The tangles may be caused by lint. https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=151460

Lint can accumulate next to the scalp if the hair becomes folded or twisted and the comb tines cannot get in between. Do you find lint on your comb or shed hairs? If so, you may need to improve your detangling routine.
Ed

Hi its not something I've noticed but I'll definitely keep an eye on it, thank you

[Bri-Chan]

I use a satin bonnet at night, but my main problem is washing seriously dread it, I'll take a look at herbal essence I did try the hello hydration and it irritated my scalp but I'll look into the other ones.
I just clarified last week ,it's the top of my head that gets tangles for some reason, I'll give everyone's ideas a go and change my shampoo and conditioner. Thank you both for the help really appreciate it.

I totally understand you, my hair is the same.

[lapushka]

I don't use silicone it's only because I thought natural products were better for the hair, but im also finding my ends don't feel as clean. I think I'm going to have to go back to silicone as my knots are really bad and I was not happy having to cut!

Well that is a total myth; as long as you clarify-wash (sulfate) about 1 to 2 times a month, you should be all right using silicone products.

I would get conditioners or masks that are geared towards dry & damaged hair, as those are the most moisturizing on the market. I say this all of the time. I had the same issue past BSL and I also once tried to go all natural. It just did not work.

You do what you have to do; hair is dead it is not going to know (you are) what you put on it.

It's what your hair wants that matters not what you want for your hair, meaning, you have to go by what your hair feels like not by what you are determined should work, but ultimately doesn't. That is a whole mess.

[Lesley8]

@lapushka Thank you :)
I've been looking at herbal essence and L'Oréal now to decide which one lol I feel I've wasted far to much money on products and my hair ends up unbrushable. I'm going to take a good look its definitely going to be sulfate and silicone.

[Lesley8]

I think I'm going to try herbal essence argan oil if I'm right it's a sulfate shampoo and conditioner has silicone. Going to give this a try.

[Finda]

Can I ask about your routine? What do you do before, during and right after washing your hair? I used to have horribly matted hair after a shower, so I feel for you.

[Lesley8]

Hi of course,
I oil my hair all over and leave for an hour, then I shampoo it out (sometimes twice) squeeze the water out gently then apply a mask length only leave it on for 10mins then rinse, condition leave that on for 2mins only length again, after rinse I gently pat it dry with my microfiber towel, then add oil and leave in conditioner, left to airdry. It tangles as soon as I shampoo being honest trying to brush it when it's dry usually ends up with me finger detangling. I don't brush it wet.
Hope that's not to much info!

[aloewurly]

I think one of your issues may simply be using too many products. You mentioned having fine hair- maybe all the oil, hair masks and conditioner are just a little bit too much for your hair. I would cut down to just a conditioner for a while, and see how your hair reacts.
I second what other people said: don't avoid cones! They're not bad for your hair. They may give you the slip you're looking for without overloading your fine texture.

[lapushka]

Hi of course,
I oil my hair all over and leave for an hour, then I shampoo it out (sometimes twice) squeeze the water out gently then apply a mask length only leave it on for 10mins then rinse, condition leave that on for 2mins only length again, after rinse I gently pat it dry with my microfiber towel, then add oil and leave in conditioner, left to airdry. It tangles as soon as I shampoo being honest trying to brush it when it's dry usually ends up with me finger detangling. I don't brush it wet.
Hope that's not to much info!

I would ditch that oil. If you have to wash it out, say you put on enough for a wash and a half, and you wash 2x you make it super drying. Make sense? So it negates all of that extra effort.

Just wash, condition, and leave it at that. Also, if your scalp is oily, get a shampoo geared towards an oily scalp or normal scalp (no sets of shampoos and conditioners). You need to buy the right shampoo and the right conditioner (for dry damaged hair).

No sets... unless you have a dry scalp (meaning you need to wash it less than once a week).

I hope this helps!

[Finda]

Do you move your hair a lot while washing? And do you apply shampoo on your lengths or just on your scalp? Do you have the tangles all over or just in your ends?

What helped me move my hair as little as possible while washing is mixing shampoo with a little bit of water in a seperate applicator bottle or empty shampoo bottle and then apply the foam all over my scalp. But I always had trouble distributing shampoo correctly due to super hard water and tangle prone hair.

I also agree, silicones in shampoo and conditioner help tremendously.

[Finda]

I would ditch that oil. If you have to wash it out, say you put on enough for a wash and a half, and you wash 2x you make it super drying. Make sense? So it negates all of that extra effort.

Just wash, condition, and leave it at that. Also, if your scalp is oily, get a shampoo geared towards an oily scalp or normal scalp (no sets of shampoos and conditioners). You need to buy the right shampoo and the right conditioner (for dry damaged hair).

No sets... unless you have a dry scalp (meaning you need to wash it less than once a week).

I hope this helps!

I was also thinking this, but on the other hand, using oil before a shower makes a lot of sense. However, I'd just oil ears down and put conditioner on the lengths before shampooing. Conditioner is very reliable in getting rid of oil. Instead I'd maybe leave out the oil after the wash.

[Lesley8]

@lapushka I get it, thank you. I do fancy the argan oil shampoo and a different conditioner still looking.
@Finda I only wash my scalp and try not to move my hair a lot as I've been wondering if that's what had been causing tangles. I'm definitely going to just shampoo and conditioner my hair like everyone is saying I'm probably over doing it.
Thank you all so helpful

[neko_kawaii]

I was also thinking this, but on the other hand, using oil before a shower makes a lot of sense. However, I'd just oil ears down and put conditioner on the lengths before shampooing. Conditioner is very reliable in getting rid of oil. Instead I'd maybe leave out the oil after the wash.

This.

Conditioner is so much better at removing oil than shampoo.

[memeow]

I think I have a similar hair type to yours, and I also feel there is a real balance to be struck between applying enough slippery stuff to avoid tangles and weighing my hair down with too much stuff. What's been working for me is to use silicon-free conditioner but follow up with a silicon-y serum (I use "it's a 10 miracle leave in"). I use just a tiny spritz of the serum on damp hair and comb it through with a wide-toothed comb, and it makes a huge difference, while being light enough I don't notice any build up. My hair does fine with coney-conditioner too, but I find that even with that I still need to use some kind of detangling product, so at that point I'd rather use cone-free conditioner and then just use however much serum I need on a given day.

[Finda]

This.

Conditioner is so much better at removing oil than shampoo.

I think it was one of your posts here that made me realise this. And I still celebrate this epiphany:cheer:
Before, I also tried to wash out too much oil with too much shampoo and still had stringy hair after washing. It made me stop using oils for a while, now I can't imagine not using oil.