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WelshLocks
December 30th, 2009, 08:06 AM
My hair is midback length with moderate waves in it. I have been using henna for almost a year now, and I adore the color and thickness it gives me. I have been trimming my own hair for the past year and it looks really good. Except my hair has been tangling ...bad. It's tangling worse than when I was 5 and would roll around in the mud during recess.


Does anyone have any suggestions to get it to stop tangling? I believe it may be due to the henna but I'm not sure. I don't oil my hair because I have an irratonal fear it will make my hair greasy. Note the irraional part of that.

I really don't want to go to the salon to get it cut. I don't feel like that would really help.
Thank you.

Gabriel
December 30th, 2009, 08:14 AM
These may be some obvious tips but just trying to cover a few suggestions for you :).

Do you use conditioner regularly? What about apple cider vinegar rinses? Have you tried claryfying?

This happened to me a few months ago and using an ACV rinse after washing really helped.

WelshLocks
December 30th, 2009, 08:16 AM
Gabriel, yup. I probably should have put that in there. I CWC every other day and do AVC one every two weeks. Should I do it more?

aisling
December 30th, 2009, 08:22 AM
No, not more ACV but a good, old clarifying might do you some good. With C-W-C you condition your ends quite a lot and you can get buildup, a proper clarifying wash could be a good idea. It's worth trying before trimming.

Topaz
December 30th, 2009, 08:25 AM
I agree with what the others have said, but I want to add that you should not be afraid of oiling your hair. A tiny bit goes a long way, and it really does seem to help most people maintain their healthy hair.

WelshLocks
December 30th, 2009, 08:35 AM
Thank Topaz and aisling!


I did say it was irrational. :P I'll pick some oil up sometime soon and try it out. Are there artcles about clarifying? or can you just give me some suggestions as far as what to use?

lexiflowers
December 30th, 2009, 10:02 AM
Which brand of henna do you use? I use the Lush Caca bars, and I find because of all the cocoa butter in them they actually go a long way to preventing my tangles. Great colour too. :)

lapushka
December 30th, 2009, 10:06 AM
If you're currently not using a conditioner that has cones, you might want to switch to one that does for the time being.

pepperedmoth
December 30th, 2009, 10:20 AM
How are you wearing your hair? If it's loose all the time, that may be your culprit right there. I definitely understand wanting to wear it loose in the daytime, but at least braid it at night to contain the tangles.

I second the 'cones suggestion. Nothing like 'em for reducing tangles.

GoddesJourney
December 30th, 2009, 10:47 AM
When my hair starts tangling, it's because I have split ends. I just S&D and the tangling is over.

Anje
December 30th, 2009, 10:52 AM
As others have said, one major culprit for tangles is product buildup. Simply using a sulfate shampoo (without silicones) to wash your hair well root-to-tip is usually enough to clarify out any major sources of buildup. A clarifying shampoo (Suave makes one, VO5's is green, whereas many are clear) will do the trick if you want something special.

For me, another major culprit is protein buildup, from protein-containing conditioners. Lots of people love them, but if your hair has had enough, it'll start to feel rough and won't detangle easily, and just tangles instantly again. Clarifying might help, but the real trick for this is to switch to a protein-free conditioner and do a few deep moisture treatments. (As I said, though, not everyone has these problems with protein. YMMV.)

Finally, make sure to take a good look through your hair, make sure you don't have lots of split ends. If your scissors have gone dull, you might be getting splits, which can cause tangles galore.

Sarahmoon
December 30th, 2009, 12:02 PM
Try braiding your hair before bed and oil your hair. Just try it on a day you don't have to go anywhere. If you overdo it, you can still wash it out. It also helps to put your hair up if you go outside on windy days ;)

spidermom
December 30th, 2009, 12:17 PM
I resumed using my favorite coney serum (sparingly) recently because the tangles were driving me insane. Problem solved!

When you try oiling, try 1 drop only the first time; distribute it over several fingers and apply by pinching/stroking the ends.

klcqtee
December 30th, 2009, 01:21 PM
How do you normally wear your hair? When I wear it down, or in a low bun/pony tail, my hair tangles something horrible right at the nape. A higher bun helps quite a bit. Also, you could oil only the under side of your hair, right where it tangles. Then if your hair irrationally get oily, or if you over due the oil, no one will see it but you.

pinchbeck
December 31st, 2009, 10:31 AM
I think we share the same hair type and tangle issues. Using jojoba or coconut oil helps to combat this, as well as finger combing very gently because if I comb too hard my fingers will catch a knot and snap my hair. Each knot I come across is gently unravelled. Afterward, I use a seamless wide tooth comb to detangle simpler snarls working from the bottom upwards in sections (I am sure all LHC members do this, but I included it just in case).

Cutting your hair seems like a simple solution, eh? However, it isn't. You'll just end up with the same snarly hair with the exception of it being shorter! But, if you have visible damage than getting your hair trimmed will help.

Lianne
December 31st, 2009, 10:43 AM
I been using henna for a couple of months, and while I'm enjoying the color, my hair got much dryer/rougher than I've ever experienced, and I've had problems with tangles too. I tried oiling (argan oil), moisturizing packs, richer conditioners, everything I could think of. What made a huge difference was doing a honey rinse. Saw fantastic results the very first time. If you don't want to risk lightening your hair, you can briefly heat the honey, and you'll still get great results.

WelshLocks
December 31st, 2009, 03:55 PM
I normally wear my hair down. I have ridiculous layers that complicate me putting myhair up in cool styles. I can't even do a cinnamon bun because my layers are too short. I did a clarifying wash with a "balancing" shampoo. I feel like it worked really well because my hair was really soft and virtually tangle-free. I am using Suave right now so I'm not sure if there are ones in this set.(does diminchonol count?) I will find some jojoba oil and start using that and probably do a deep conditioning treatment next time I shower. Braiding my hair tangles it even worse(if it's all of my hair in a braid). :(

pinchbeck
January 6th, 2010, 10:45 AM
To combat my snarls I am now washing my hair with a mixture of sulfate free shampoo, fragrance free conditioner, water and a drop of jojoba oil:

-I condition my length first
-Apply my shaken concoction onto my scalp and scrub with fingertips gently (it doesn't lather which I believe contributes to my hair woes) and rinse
-Than apply a detangling conditioner to my length again and rinse
-Apply a light coating of carrier oil onto hair when it is damp

I have found my hair is less dry and is easier to manage. My hair will always snarl, but I am trying to find ways that lessen the severity of tangles and this method seems to be helping.

Anje
January 6th, 2010, 08:05 PM
Dimethiconol is a silicone that should work.

That said, I'm beginning to come to the conclusion that my hair tangles more with silicones than without them. Maybe the extra slip makes it easier to tie in knots, I don't know. It definitely slithers out of styles more with them, which gives fuzzier updos.

melikai
January 6th, 2010, 10:48 PM
For myself, tangling is caused by three things:

-split or bent ends. Check your hair and if you see some, maybe you need to do a more drastic trim, or else do an S&D and reevaluate.

-too much protein. I can't use products with added protein. I'm not sure, but I think henna has a similar effect? Try a deep treatment or two and see if the tangling improves. I like honey!

-build-up. Do you use products with silicones? Clarify with a simple sulfate shampoo, condition from the ears down, and reevaluate.

-wearing hair down, in winter. I get knots and tangles on the bottom layer of my hair, where it rubs against my coat and scarf.

Okay, so that's four, not three things! :D

rogue_psyche
January 7th, 2010, 03:50 AM
Try using a leave-in. My ends get dry and tangly if I don't use a leave-in. I use my normal condish full strength on my ends up to my chin right after squeezing the excess water out of my hair after a wash. On in between wash days I use it diluted in a sprayer.

julliams
January 7th, 2010, 05:56 AM
My daughter told me about a brush called the Tangle Teezer that her friends mum bought when they were in the UK. My daughter hates having her hair brushed and finds that getting through tangles is extremely painful but she experienced next to no pain with this brush. I have ordered one and we'll try it out.

florenonite
January 7th, 2010, 06:35 AM
If you're afraid of oiling, you could try just a heavy oiling the night before a wash. That way you're washing out the oil so you don't need to worry about using too much.

Other than that, apply it to the ends and work your way up, using a very small amount.