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DreamingLong
November 25th, 2008, 06:52 PM
After I wash my hair, it is so hard to comb thru it. My hair has not always been like this. I don't know if it's the lenght it is at now, or what. What do you guys think? And what do you do.

BlndeInDisguise
November 25th, 2008, 06:57 PM
Do you rinse with ACV? I find that helps add a little slickness to my hair which makes it less tangly.

DreamingLong
November 25th, 2008, 06:59 PM
What is ACV?

danacc
November 25th, 2008, 07:03 PM
First to cover the basics: As you hair gets longer, it's important to comb from the bottom up. I start by combing only the bottom 1-2". Then, once that is detangled, I move up 1-2" at a time until I can run the comb through the entire length. I comb by sections, but the important part is to always start detangling at the bottom, and then work up to the scalp.

I comb dry, but some find it easier to comb wet with lots of conditioner. Since hair is more easily stretched and broken when wet, and since my hair doesn't "BOOM" like curlies do from combing, I stick with waiting until my hair is dry. I always finger-comb to get most of the tangles out before using a comb. I always use a wide-toothed comb for detangling. I use a fine-toothed comb for smoothing already-detangled hair into an up-do.

danacc
November 25th, 2008, 07:05 PM
What is ACV?

ACV=Apple Cider Vinegar. There is an article on diluted Vinegar Rinses (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=56) in the articles section.

danacc
November 25th, 2008, 07:07 PM
After I wash my hair, it is so hard to comb thru it. My hair has not always been like this. I don't know if it's the lenght it is at now, or what. What do you guys think? And what do you do.

One more thing--unusually tangly, knotty hair could be a sign that it needs to be clarified.

DreamingLong
November 25th, 2008, 07:25 PM
Thanks, Im going to head to the store now.

DreamingLong
November 25th, 2008, 07:26 PM
I hope this works, because it almost makes me want to cut it off.

Dolly
November 25th, 2008, 07:31 PM
Yes, I would try clarifying really well, and then use an ACV rinse. For me, ACV rinses make the difference in my hair.

missmanytoes
November 25th, 2008, 07:55 PM
Could be too much protein. Try clarifying...you may need to clarify several times if you have a lot of buildup. This time of year it could also be that your hair needs more moisture and is tangly as a result of being too dry.

Sarahmoon
November 26th, 2008, 06:54 AM
Are you trying to comb while it's still wet? You might want to wait until it's (almost) dry and then apply some coconut or jojoba oil before detangling. That helps for me. It can also help to let it dry in a braid and not loose, especially when you go outside.

heidihug
November 26th, 2008, 11:06 AM
I never comb my hair when it's wet or even damp. That is a recipe for breakage for me. I wash at night, making sure my hair is absolutely tangle-free before hopping in the shower. In the morning I gently finger-comb before putting it up in my day-after-washing cinnabun.

A few suggestions for you:

Never wash your hair with it flipped forward - it tangles it quite a bit to do this. Also, don't flip it forward to wrap in in a towel.

When rinsing out your hair, run your fingers carefully through the length while the water is running through to reduce the amount of hair crossing over itself - I've found this really helps.

When drying your hair, don't rub it together between two layers of towel. "Scrunch" it gently, instead.

As others here have often said - treat your hair like you would a piece of fine silk.

Philomela
November 26th, 2008, 11:41 AM
Other than CAREFULLY combing hair while it's still wet-to-damp, nothing in the world helps me with knots and tangles.

Deborah
November 26th, 2008, 11:44 AM
You might want to consider buying a tangle teezer. Nothing I have used in all my life detangles more easily and with less damage. These are made and sold in England, so you must order from there. Here is the cheapest place I found:


http://www.afrocare.com/catalog/Tangle_Teezer_418.html


I got one for myself and love it! Just yesterday I received five more that I intend to give as Christmas gifts. I'm giving them to relatives and close friends, so I think I'll tell them something like, "And this did NOT come from the dollar store. It just LOOKS cheap." ;)

CopperHead
November 26th, 2008, 01:19 PM
LOL! If you saw a Tangle Teezer you would think it was the cheapest thing around, but it is fabulous! I love my bright pink TT. :) Afrocare is very quick at shipping and processing too. I got mine in a few days from England.

Sissy
November 26th, 2008, 01:48 PM
This is good information to know as my hair feels smooth and silky in the morning but by the end of the workday when I get home there is a good sized tangle/knot mess underneath the back of my head, which I rip through everyday! I bet my hair needs clarifying as I found out that I do use a lot of 'cones. I am going to try an apple cider vinegar rinse as suggested.
Sissy:o

heidihug
November 26th, 2008, 02:44 PM
when I get home there is a good sized tangle/knot mess underneath the back of my head, which I rip through everyday


That's definitely because you are wearing your hair down, or in a half-up, or a loose updo. If you have a hair type that's prone to tangling, and any of your hair is touching your clothing around the nape for an extended period of time, it will tangle. The longer your hair gets, the worse it will tangle, and in a shorter amount of time. The only solution for this is to wear your hair up at all times, which many of us who have this problem do, or to carry your wide-tooth comb or gentle-to-use brush around with you all day, and take frequent detangling session breaks throughout the day. Never rip through your tangles (I know how tempting that can be, though - the frustration of tangles!), that will only cause breakage and will thin out your length.

vamq
November 26th, 2008, 03:00 PM
Dreaminglong, I noticed that we have the same hairtype, and I've had the same problem, especially after washing.

What I do to get tangles out of the way/prevent them

I put my hair up in a bun almost all the time. On the day before washing, I put a bit of conditioner or olive oil on my entire length, comb it, and then bun it. I found this helps for me. ACV rinse, as other here suggested might work as well. While I wash my hair, I use mostly conditioner and detangle my hair with my hands while leaving the conditioner in. Sometimes, combing makes me get more tangles than detangling with my hands, I don't know why. While getting the conditioner out of my hair, I always leave my hair hanging down instead of grasping it and squeezing all the water out. I never comb my hair when it's wet. I always sleep with a braid, or something like that

Last of all things; if your tangles are mostly at the bottom of your hair, take a good look at your ends. They might need a tiny cut. I have this problem when I wear my hair down more than I'm used too. Just a tiny cut might do the trick.

Periwinkle
November 26th, 2008, 03:11 PM
I wash my hair upside-down (I kneel on the floor in front of the shower and tip my head over), then wear it up in a towel. It does not like to be detangled until it's only about 10-15% damp, but after that it's fine.

Have you tried oiling wet hair? It's great for me for a number of reasons but it does help with detangling.

I wait until my hair is about 25-30% damp, then take it down and arrange it as best I can with my fingers. Then I separate off the top half and clip it up out of the way. I squeeeeeeeze the bottom half with a towel to make sure I've got as much water out of it as possible, then carefully start combing with a wide-tooth comb, starting with the ends and carefully working up. Then I take down the top half in quarters, repeating the process with each. This makes my hair a lot easier to comb and I'm sure it's easier on my hair too.

Pierre
November 26th, 2008, 08:44 PM
My tangles are mostly at the ends. If I find a tangle about 1 cm or less from the ends, I cut it off; usually there are several bent hairs in it. If the tangle is farther from the end, I pick it apart, or see if I can reduce it to a tangle at the ends, which I then snip.

Teacherbear
November 26th, 2008, 08:50 PM
Hi DreamingLong, in my experience, as my hair grow slonger, I have to adjust how I do things related with my hair. Maybe, as your hair gets longer, you need to adjust how you are shampooing and/or conditioning and/or drying your hair. I use to shampoo all of my hair, but after my hair got to waist length, I had to start conditioning the length and washing only the scalp hairs. I also had to stop flipping my hair over my head to put it into a towel/turby towel.

Perhaps you need to comb your hair in the shower and let the water assist the comb-through.

I also find that when my hair starts tangling/knotting up that it is time to start snipping split ends. They make my hair tangle up but snipping them makes my hair much happier! :)

I don't know. I'm just offering some suggestions. I hope you find something that helps.

spidermom
November 26th, 2008, 08:55 PM
My hair was doing the same thing last week. It needed to be clarified. I mixed 1 tbsp of baking soda in 2 quarts of warm water and poured it slowly over my scalp and through my hair. Then I rinsed well and massaged some conditioner through the length. I tried to comb some coney serum through it while it was damp-dry, but I think my cuticle was still up from the baking soda, which I plan to avoid completely in the future (opting instead for a clarifying shampoo). After my hair was fully dry, it was easy to untangle and comb again. At this length (tailbone), a coney serum or conditioner really helps to smooth and detangle my hair, but I must wait until it is dry.

Sissy
November 26th, 2008, 09:02 PM
That's definitely because you are wearing your hair down, or in a half-up, or a loose updo. If you have a hair type that's prone to tangling, and any of your hair is touching your clothing around the nape for an extended period of time, it will tangle. The longer your hair gets, the worse it will tangle, and in a shorter amount of time. The only solution for this is to wear your hair up at all times, which many of us who have this problem do, or to carry your wide-tooth comb or gentle-to-use brush around with you all day, and take frequent detangling session breaks throughout the day. Never rip through your tangles (I know how tempting that can be, though - the frustration of tangles!), that will only cause breakage and will thin out your length.

Heidi,

That is interesting, yet horrifying to know... I love to wear my hair down... it is a self-image thing I think... I will have to start detangleing more throughout the day :o What type of hair type gets this mass of snarl under their back of their head, by the nape of their neck? Does this mean I have thick hair? I was just assuming it was from using too many 'cones and leave-in conditioner and anti-breakage products.

Sissy :o

spidermom
November 26th, 2008, 09:04 PM
Oh the horrors of nape tangling! I get it too. One thing that helps is to wear a wide head-band that lifts the hair at the nape so that it's not swinging across your collar all day long. Or wear it up, which I do at least 85% of the time. It's much more convenient and safer that way. Hair can be a safety hazard!

heidihug
November 28th, 2008, 01:21 PM
What type of hair type gets this mass of snarl under their back of their head, by the nape of their neck? Does this mean I have thick hair? I was just assuming it was from using too many 'cones and leave-in conditioner and anti-breakage products.


Sissy, any type of hair can be prone to tangling, from what I read here. I have relatively thin and fine hair, and it has always tangled easily, even when it was just shoulder-length. Other people here who have thick hair find it tangles easily. It may depend upon heredity and the way your hair is actually "constructed" - for instance, do the cuticles of your hair tend to lay flat, or do they "stick up". I've seen discussion about this on other threads about hair types, though I cannot recall exactly where. I clarify about every other month or so, so I know my problems are not related to build-up.

I also have a short neck, so the nape of my hair is closer to my clothes than it would be if I had a longer neck. So my under-hairs rub on my clothing all day if I wear my hair down. When I decided to grow my hair long, from past experience I knew I would be sacrificing the ability to wear it down. Last time I wore it down during the day was to a class reunion last year, and I had a mass of dread-like tangles underneath that took over an hour to sort out. And I did end up losing a lot of hair due to knots and breakage. So why do I have long hair if I can't wear it down much if at all? Depends upon which day you ask me, I guess.:o

I'm not trying to scare anyone, just letting you know what my personal experience has been with my hair. Your mileage may, and probably will, vary!

Aisha25
November 28th, 2008, 10:26 PM
Sissy, any type of hair can be prone to tangling, from what I read here. I have relatively thin and fine hair, and it has always tangled easily, even when it was just shoulder-length. Other people here who have thick hair find it tangles easily. It may depend upon heredity and the way your hair is actually "constructed" - for instance, do the cuticles of your hair tend to lay flat, or do they "stick up". I've seen discussion about this on other threads about hair types, though I cannot recall exactly where. I clarify about every other month or so, so I know my problems are not related to build-up.

I also have a short neck, so the nape of my hair is closer to my clothes than it would be if I had a longer neck. So my under-hairs rub on my clothing all day if I wear my hair down. When I decided to grow my hair long, from past experience I knew I would be sacrificing the ability to wear it down. Last time I wore it down during the day was to a class reunion last year, and I had a mass of dread-like tangles underneath that took over an hour to sort out. And I did end up losing a lot of hair due to knots and breakage. So why do I have long hair if I can't wear it down much if at all? Depends upon which day you ask me, I guess.:o

I'm not trying to scare anyone, just letting you know what my personal experience has been with my hair. Your mileage may, and probably will, vary!
Heidihug how do you know when the cuticle is laying flat or sticking up??

manderly
November 28th, 2008, 10:36 PM
I'm sorry, did I miss where you posted your routine?

Tangly hair......do you use a conditioner at all? If not, that would be my very first suggestion. I'm often surprised at how many here don't use any kind of conditioner, as I couldn't imagine a wash without it. My hair would be a mat of tangles if I skipped it.

I detangle in the shower. My poo bar is rich enough to start the detangling process (olive and babassu from CV). I rinse with vinegar + a squirt of condish + water, then I add more conditioner. I then detangle my hair completely while I spread the condish through my hair with the comb. This also gets rid of all that annoying loose shed hair so it's not all stuck to me when I get out of the shower.

Rinse all that goodness out, towel dry, add my leave in and plenty of oil.

heidihug
December 1st, 2008, 08:37 AM
Heidihug how do you know when the cuticle is laying flat or sticking up??

I don't recall which thread I saw it in, but there was a discussion in March or April about it somewhere here. I think you actually have to look at it with a really good (lab) microscope. We have some scientists here (Gladtobemom is one of them) we have looked at their hair under the microscope. I have never had the opportunity. I do know that using conditioner and some types of leave-ins helps to smooth (or perhaps fill?) the cuticle down for some people. I know that my hair tangles less and behaves much better if I use a good silicone-containing conditioner (I use Dove).

Wish I could be of more help!

Aisha25
December 1st, 2008, 09:27 AM
I don't recall which thread I saw it in, but there was a discussion in March or April about it somewhere here. I think you actually have to look at it with a really good (lab) microscope. We have some scientists here (Gladtobemom is one of them) we have looked at their hair under the microscope. I have never had the opportunity. I do know that using conditioner and some types of leave-ins helps to smooth (or perhaps fill?) the cuticle down for some people. I know that my hair tangles less and behaves much better if I use a good silicone-containing conditioner (I use Dove).

Wish I could be of more help!
Oh ok I was just curious as to what that meant but thanks for explaining to me:)

joyfulmom4
December 1st, 2008, 09:48 AM
I know some people are against the use of cones, but I find the very best thing for detangling hair is a coney hair serum. My dd's went swimming in a chlorinated pool several times over the weekend recently and their hair was horrible. You just could not comb it at all. I smoothed in some Paul Mitchell hair serum and it combed right out, not even a snag. The comb just slipped through like a hot knife through butter. I tried giving up cones recently, but I think I'm going back to them. I love how they make my hair smooth, shiny and slippery.

I also suggest that if your ends are really tangly, a small trim could really help. I find if I trim then it becomes easy to comb again. If you don't want to trim, you might first try doing a really thorough S&D for split ends. That might be enough to help.

BlackfootHair
December 1st, 2008, 10:15 AM
My hair tangles at the top because of the damage. I use products that are pretty low on cones...so when it starts getting really tangled I go ahead and use a deep treatment like the Fruit cocktail from Biosilk, or another coney conditioner. It seems to help till the cones wear off again and then I just cone it up again. :)

heidi w.
December 1st, 2008, 02:39 PM
This is good information to know as my hair feels smooth and silky in the morning but by the end of the workday when I get home there is a good sized tangle/knot mess underneath the back of my head, which I rip through everyday! I bet my hair needs clarifying as I found out that I do use a lot of 'cones. I am going to try an apple cider vinegar rinse as suggested.
Sissy:o

No, this tangly knot behind the back of the head at the neck zonage is fairly normal for long haired folks to experience. Some hair types don't experience this, but almost all fine haired types I know do.

This is derived from moving the head to&fro, allowing the hair to slide across any type of fabric, even a slippery fabric. Because all that movement shifts hair upward and eventually over time into a ball.

This knot is not an indicator of buildup and a need to clarify hair wash.

Instead, this knot is an indicator that updos, or containing the hair in a braided ponytail might mean no opportunity for loose, long hair to form a nested ball. When I wear my hair down, I anticipate this problem and do detangle through the day, carrying my comb with me.

In winter, this issue can become more fierce as we don fabrics that are even more textured than usual summer cottons. We have hats and coats and knit sweaters and wools. These grab hairs and can increase the ferocity of that balling effect in this zonage.

heidi w.

heidi w.
December 1st, 2008, 02:40 PM
That's definitely because you are wearing your hair down, or in a half-up, or a loose updo. If you have a hair type that's prone to tangling, and any of your hair is touching your clothing around the nape for an extended period of time, it will tangle. The longer your hair gets, the worse it will tangle, and in a shorter amount of time. The only solution for this is to wear your hair up at all times, which many of us who have this problem do, or to carry your wide-tooth comb or gentle-to-use brush around with you all day, and take frequent detangling session breaks throughout the day. Never rip through your tangles (I know how tempting that can be, though - the frustration of tangles!), that will only cause breakage and will thin out your length.

The only reason I opt for updos is that my hair then requires attention at least every 30 minutes when worn loose. This means a lot of handling, and I prefer not to handle my hair this much. That is its own incite to some damage or tension on strands.

heidi w.

heidi w.
December 1st, 2008, 02:50 PM
Heidihug how do you know when the cuticle is laying flat or sticking up??

Different hair types have different formation of cuticle and mostly, hair follicle. For example, those who are wavy to curly tend to have a hair follicle that's more oval in shape, v. straight hair which is more round hair follicle.

Those with coarser hair or curlier hair, the cuticle is known to be more "lifted" as a generalization. Straight hair types, the cuticle tends to be more flat and tighter together that way, in overlapping layers, which accounts in some measure for the shine factor. Those with straighter hair tend to show off shine easier than curlier folks because of this natural state of the cuticle.

http://www.pg.com/science/haircare/hair_twh_47.htm
here's a nice explanation of variation in hair texture

Notice this also discusses the paradox of hair curling or straight while wet v. in its dry state, AND the idea on page two (hit the blue button next page almost center at bottom of screen) of mixed hair types on one head. There's several pages of photographs showing different hair types ending in the section on greasy or dry hair.

heidi w.

heidihug
December 1st, 2008, 03:13 PM
Thanks for the info, heidi w., I knew someone would be able to help with that question.

And, I too have to finger comb my under-hairs very often if I leave it down. I went to town with damp hair worn down this past Saturday (in the effort to get it to dry more quickly). I was only gone an hour, and by the time I got home, by nape hairs had become a horrific flat mat. It took me more than 30 minutes to sort it out, and I still lost some hair. Grr. And I just posted about this, you would think I would learn!:o

heidi w.
December 1st, 2008, 03:33 PM
The starting place to work with the O.P. is to ask what is the regular hair care routine?

Do you use conditioner after shampooing? If no, start to.
ACV is a rinse which has the primary benefit of balancing the acid mantle (scalp skin). Another benefit to a significantly lesser degree is "binding" the cuticle, that is, to help the cuticle lie closer and flatter according to your hair type's natural state. It won't allow it to be yet more flat than your actual hair type. Some therefore imply that ACV Rinse can help with conditioning or detangling, but it won't help a lot. Conditioner does a much better job. If you are not conditioning at all, then you more than likely do not have tangling as a result from buildup, unless you use a lot of styling products weekly or even daily.

Do you detangle from the bottom up, gently and slowly? If no, start to.

If you have longer hair, do you wear it up or contained? If no, start to.
Especially in winter when we wear more textured fabrics such as fleece, coats, knits and the like, this can increase the tangling problems. Hair in weather, such as wind, can become very knotted.

Do you use a comb or a brush? Learn to use a comb if you use a brush. It's easier to detangle from the bottom, then. Use a wide-tooth plastic, no-seam comb.

Do you have hard water? If overly hard, this can contribute to problems with buildup. Whether you rent or own, the easiest fix for this is a shower head filter. This is also the cheapest fix. Look for filters that also remove chlorine or chloramine that many city waters use as sanitizer for the water supply. Well water and the like does not usually have this additive in it. This additive is necessary in city waters, so don't boo-hoo it overly. ACV Rinse can help with removing any hard water IN THAT HAIR WASH ONLY. ACV Rinse is not a clarify hair wash, once anything has dried on to the surface of hair, and won't remove that. But if it didn't get a good rinse out (residual product) in that hair wash, this will help.

Do you wash hair by piling hair on head? IF yes, stop. Detangle hair prior to showering, and wash under flowing shower water, if you have this option.

Do you rub the hair dry in a towel and bundle up in a towel afterwards? If yes, stop. Allow the hair to hang in its natural state, and simply press the towel on either side of the hair hanging to one side or the other, and remove excess water that way.

Piling hair or rubbing hair will definitely incite tangles.

When was your last trim? If it's been a while, consider a very small trim to help remove the most damaged bits off the hemline. This will help improve tangling problems.

It would help to know a lot more about your routine.

heidi w.