Breaking and knotting up...

[Medievalmaniac]

Hey, all -

I have recently hit just past BCL, and I have noticed a significant increase in the amount of knotting and tangling that happens, even though I wear my hair up more often than not. Also, I see substantially more breakage going on.

My routine is pretty much the same - hair, skin and nails supplements (2 capsules a day), multivitamin, twice-weekly washings, a SMT once bi-weekly, and henna glosses every few months. I have been varying the buns I use also.

I AM running more, and was wondering if the breakage might be from the hat rubbing against my head? It's too short to be from the ponytail holder.

I have also been under a LOT more stress - although to be honest, I have not noticed a substantial increase in overall shedding, so I'm not sure that can account for much.

And the knotting/tangling is making me crazy!!! This morning I had a pea-sized knot so bad I couldn't do anything but rip it out with the comb. It produced a great deal of angst, and I want to avoid that at all costs from now on!!

Anyone else's hair get more prone to tangling as it gets past a certain point? What are you doing to combat this?

[GRU]

Are your tangles at the ends, or anywhere along your length?

My ends are still my old damaged pre-LHC hair, and they are VERY prone to knots/tangles. I don't, however, have the same problem in the area of my head that has never seen shampoo (been CO-washing for a year and a half now).

I'm hopeful that when ALL of my length is CO-washed only, the tangles will be greatly reduced.

[Firefox7275]

Do you sweat much when you run? Maybe some of the breaks are from the hat rubbing against wet hair?

[Medievalmaniac]

Firefox - that's what I am wondering about. It may well be I need to forego the hat, although then I am also exposing my skin to damage - can't seem to win! Ack.

GRU - It is mostly the ends, the last five or six inches or so, that is tangling and knotting - I never had this problem with them before, though. I am wondering if I just need to oil more again now that it is warming up outside?

[GRU]

Do you use a leave-in conditioner on your ends?

[Medievalmaniac]

No, just oiling and Nightblooming's panacea.

[Firefox7275]

Firefox - that's what I am wondering about. It may well be I need to forego the hat, although then I am also exposing my skin to damage - can't seem to win! Ack.


There are hardcore sunblocks designed for serious sports/ swimming/ sweating. You could cover the forehead, scalp, neck and ears with a silk scarf? Or change your route/ time of running to be in the shade? Or a little of each? :)

You probably are not making the same mistakes as me but I will say this just in case. I have a ton of breaks around my hairline, some are definitely too short to be directly attributable to my perennial ponytail. Those I think are brushing, of which I do far more when working (physical) or in the summer months. I perspire A LOT so my hairline spends a lot of time wet ... Are you being super gentle with your hair after your run, while you stretch or shower?

[Medievalmaniac]

I don't think I have been as gentle as I could be, honestly evaluating things. I don't brush while it is wet, but I brush vigorously when it's dry, and it may be the salt is drying out the hairshaft, and that is leading to breakage. I am going to try oiling more, and avoiding the brush, and see what happens.

[celebriangel]

Good luck! My hair is quite sturdy and thick (it just *doesn't* take heat/chemical damage, though maybe it's because I was always careful when I used to do this) but it is prone to mechanical damage. I can't tell you how much gentle, slow combing and brushing/careful handling helped with that.

Maybe you could try a silk pillowcase, too, if you haven't already got one.

[Anje]

Maybe a different hat/headcover would help? I'm thinking of the high-UV Buffs at the moment, which will also protect against the wind tangling things and can wick a bit of sweat. They won't shield your face, but they'll at least stop you from burning your scalp, and will keep hair out of any sunblock you smear on (zinc oxide + hair = tangles!).

Any chance you have buildup? My ends are the first place I notice it, and that makes for a lot more knotting there.

Slow down the brushing, in any case. You're not only damaging the hairs you break, but you're probably creating kinks in many of the ones you leave. Those kinks love to breed more knots. I'm forever dealing with these myself.

[ravenreed]

Every milestone I grow past means my hair is just a bit more tangly and difficult. It didn't think it was possible, but that is how it is working out.

[MonaLisa]

I will just use this topic also.
I have soooo much breakage :(
Last night i was gently detangling/comping my hair dry and in the end my lap was full of little broken hairs, it was scary:(
Pre LHC I didnt pay much attention to this.
So any siggestions? How to deal with this?
Is it cones-related?