less tangles = healthy hair?

[atlantaz3]

:confused:This is something I have been wondering about for a while now. Since finding TLHC, I've been conditioning, smt'ing etc and generally taking better care of my hair. Unless I get caught in drastic windstorm or goop it up with something very thick I've noticed less and less tangles and snarls to pull out. Even after sleeping with my hair loose I only need about three strokes with a brush to smooth it in place. Does this mean healthier less splits to tangle on other hairs? (maybe please yes??):shrug:

[Silver & Gold]

I would agree. I notice that when my hair is damaged it tangles easier. I think the disruption of the cuticle has a 'velcro' effect on the hair, causing it to catch and tangle on adjacent hairs. If you can keep that cuticle smooth there is little to tangle.

[lora410]

I have to agree with this theory. My hair used to be a constant tangle mess and now it is tons better.

[jojo]

im not sure about this, my hair has no breakage, is all virgin, not many splits yet tangles so easy, i have fine hair which i think contributes to the tangles its just the way my hair is. I can see where your coming from and that part does make sense(less tangles =healthy hair) forr some but its down to hair type i think, just my two penneth!

[mommy2one05]

what is smt? there are alot of meanings on this board that I am dumb about and don't know what they are. Is there an area where you can look up the meaning of different things used on the boards?

[Silver & Gold]

im not sure about this, my hair has no breakage, is all virgin, not many splits yet tangles so easy, i have fine hair which i think contributes to the tangles its just the way my hair is. I can see where your coming from and that part does make sense(less tangles =healthy hair) forr some but its down to hair type i think, just my two penneth!

I agree, some people have trouble with tangles no matter what they do to keep their hair in good condition. I've just noticed that the better my hair condition, the less tangly it gets. I think a smooth cuticle is the key.

But very fine hair and/or curly hair . . . so much more difficult to keep smooth. My daughter has very fine and fragile hair and it's always a challenge to keep her hair conditioned enough so that it doesn't get too fly away and tangly and yet not so over conditioned that it is limp and lifeless. Oh, and her hair breaks so easily. Do you find that you have the same problem?

[atlantaz3]

what is smt? there are alot of meanings on this board that I am dumb about and don't know what they are. Is there an area where you can look up the meaning of different things used on the boards?

SMT Snowey's Moisturizing Treatment is what I think the letters stand for - some one chime in if I'm wrong.

Anyway it's various conditioning formulas you leave on your hair before a wash - mine is 2 parts conditioner, 1 part honey, 1 part olive oil. I apply to dry hair, very gently comb though with a very large wide spaced comb. I leave in about 30 minutes (wrapped up in towel or cling wrap add heat source if desired) and then wash normally. Deep conditioning moisturizing leaves my hair very soft and shiney.

try this link for some of the abbreviations and terms
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=426&highlight=abbreviations

[akurah]

I think less tangles = healthy hair is ONLY applicable for those with stick straight hair. Otherwise, it's not really an appropriate gauge of how healthy your hair is, since it won't be correct.

[atlantaz3]

I think less tangles = healthy hair is ONLY applicable for those with stick straight hair. Otherwise, it's not really an appropriate gauge of how healthy your hair is, since it won't be correct.

I definitely don't have straight hair - I had the hubby take my siggy pic after a dusting where the stylist had flat ironed my hair (last time for that ever!). The under layers are very wavy and get even more so as it gets longer, my crown hairs are fairly straight though.
Interesting responses though.

[savi]

This is true at least for me. My virgin hair had only occational tangles that I could untangle pretty quick. Then the bleach happened. I had horrid tangles and more often, now it's easier to handle once again when it's in better condition.. But the vest of doom aka my working vest will cause me tangles no matter what (if I wear my hair down to work), but I can see less tangling etc right now.
I think this does vary person to person, since as far as I know even people with 1a type can get awful tangling. I'm just too tired right now to come up with a theory about what causes this.

[Riot Crrl]

Some people will always have tangles no matter how healthy their hair is. But, I would take the position that on the same head, going from more to less tangles is generally a good sign.

There are exceptions based on extenuating circumstances though. Let's say hypothetically I decide to coat my hair in mineral oil, or a very heavy and tenuous silicone. It might detangle great, but if I don't do anything to remove those for weeks/months/years, it could be possibly not a best practice for hair health in the long run. I'm not saying anyone's done that of course, just pointing out that scenarios exist where a reduction in tangles do not necessarily equal health.

I would also point out that causality can run in the opposite direction. While it is possible to detangle just about any hair without breaking or damaging it, the opportunity to do so, I think, increases the more laborious the detangling process is.

[chrissy-b]

My hair still tangles pretty badly when I wear it down, especially when I'm sleeping, but I've noticed that since I've been taking better care of it, the tangles are much easier to get out and they're nowhere near as knotty as they once were.

[Anje]

I think less tangles = healthy hair is ONLY applicable for those with stick straight hair. Otherwise, it's not really an appropriate gauge of how healthy your hair is, since it won't be correct.

I agree.... Less splits = fewer tangles, definitely, but since our curly friends often find their hair gets curlier as it becomes more moisturized and healthier, it probably also makes it even more tangle-prone than it would be dried out and damaged.

Oh, and yes, an SMT is Snowy's Moisture Treatment, but the recipe given isn't for the classic SMT. Here's a link to the original recipe. (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=128) (It's not my recipe, but it gets recommended so often around here that I thought it would be best to re-post it early on after our Big Crash.)

[Celebrian]

My nape hair is a tangle menace zone! Terrible. I am always having to go through and gently finger them out prior to combing. BTW, I've only just started brushing again, and find that gentler at getting my tangles out than combing.

[rhubarbarin]

I have curly hair and zero tangles. Then again, I never comb or detangle my hair unless it is wet and covered in conditioner.. if I try to run my fingers through my dry hair they will get stuck. This even happened after I detangled and combed it out for an hour..

[jojo]

I agree, some people have trouble with tangles no matter what they do to keep their hair in good condition. I've just noticed that the better my hair condition, the less tangly it gets. I think a smooth cuticle is the key.

But very fine hair and/or curly hair . . . so much more difficult to keep smooth. My daughter has very fine and fragile hair and it's always a challenge to keep her hair conditioned enough so that it doesn't get too fly away and tangly and yet not so over conditioned that it is limp and lifeless. Oh, and her hair breaks so easily. Do you find that you have the same problem?

I 100% agree, my hair is strange sort of straight in places and really curly like a 3a/b round my fringe, this does break and knots up. I find diluting the condish stops the tangle somewhat, but not for long.

Im seriously thinking of trying cones to see if theres any difference. I know Katze was having problems last year with her hair and as soon as she switched back to cones, her hair problems went. Maybe cones are the answer in stopping tangles?

[Silver & Gold]

[/B]I 100% agree, my hair is strange sort of straight in places and really curly like a 3a/b round my fringe, this does break and knots up. I find diluting the condish stops the tangle somewhat, but not for long.

Im seriously thinking of trying cones to see if theres any difference. I know Katze was having problems last year with her hair and as soon as she switched back to cones, her hair problems went. Maybe cones are the answer in stopping tangles?

I suspect that my daughter's hair is even finer and dryer than yours.

She also has very dry skin. One thing I've begun doing with her is showing signs of being promising. We let her mermaid soak in a tub almost every night. This is partly because she is pretty severely disabled and has CP. The warm soak relaxes her. However, with dry skin & hair I worried that the constant bathing was removing what little bits of conditioning oil her skin was able to produce. I decided I would be less concerned about cleaning her skin and more about conditioning it . . . same with her hair.

For the past couple of weeks I've added a couple tablespoons of baking soda and about 4 tablespoons of oat flour to her bath. This has really softened and conditioned her skin. I don't use any soap or shampoo on her at all. I just scrub her skin well at the end of her soak and then lightly apply oil all over her skin and rinse the excess off before removing her from the tub. Oh, I also add some EO to her bathwater for the aromatherapy effect.

Her hair is becoming glossier without being fly away or over conditioned. It's been a couple of weeks since any kind of soap or detergent has touched her skin or hair. If I decide she needs anything more cleansing I've got some CV bars.

As I've said, it's been about 2 weeks. So far . . . so good. Perhaps she's a girl who doesn't ever need soaps, conditioners, etc.

[littlemiss]

im not sure about this, my hair has no breakage, is all virgin, not many splits yet tangles so easy, i have fine hair which i think contributes to the tangles its just the way my hair is. I can see where your coming from and that part does make sense(less tangles =healthy hair) forr some but its down to hair type i think, just my two penneth!
I have to agree with jojo
I have a few splits ends but generally my hair is in good condition.
I put my tangles down to having 2c hair