Growth thread...and tips?

[Symmetry]

I have only recently gotten into long hair (not having, but rather caring about and caring for), so I don't know a lot of what I should be doing to make sure it stays healthy and tangle-free.

So I come to you, LHC, in search of aid! I can describe my hair in whatever detail you want or take more/more detailed pictures, but for now, I have only this to give you:
http://ompldr.org/tYTh4cg (http://ompldr.org/vYTh4cg) click it!
(this is a really unflattering picture; I swear I'm not that dumpy, but it's hot here and I've been sweating away at the table saw all day)

...along with what's in my profile, of course.

I'd like to get rid of the constant frizz or nimbus of hair that seems to be generated almost immediately upon brushing, and reduce tangles. I seem to get the worst tangles when I sleep, which I do with my hair down - I can't seem to braid my own hair.

I only have a wide-toothed comb (for detangling) and nylon paddle brush, but if there's anything else I should get I'm all ears.

Thanks!

[archel]

If you're really wavy, you may want to try not brushing at all! I have started only combing wet hair with a wide toothed comb and then not touching it until dry. Then I'll comb it out a little more, put it up, and continue not touching it. At night I will add a little oil and re-braid it and not touch it. See a patter here? OH LAWDY was it hard to stop TOUCHING it all the time. I still have issues, but I'm doing better. Oh and I am only brushing at most once a day and only with a 100% boar brush after the comb detangling - nylon is really popular in the shops, but it's a known hair killer if your hair is delicate like mine. (I recently had a mixed brush but I'm gonna swap it, I think.) Anyway, the consensus on the board is that sometimes frizzy brushed hair is really curly hair trying to be "free." Give it a try and see what you get?

Have you done the hair typing exercise yet? That will be a good clue...as for the braiding, watching youtube videos and having a gal pal show me in person were the 2 things that helped me the most.

:-D Welcome to the addiction :cheese:

[archel]

By the way, with all that I STILL get frizz, so it's just the way of life for some, don't sweat it and enjoy what you've got even if it won't do what you want :)

[McFearless]

Until you learn how to braid it might really help you to find another way to contain your hair at night. Two low pigtails with hairties every few inches down the length would work and be comfortable, or a bun at the top of your head. There are probably a bunch of youtube tutorials that will teach you how to braid. Its simple but takes practice.

Don't brush if your hair doesn't like it. When you comb make sure to do it small section by section. Seperate a piece from the nape and clip the rest up. Comb from the bottom up, gently working through tangles. Try to do this everyday. Don't brush wet hair!

In general just take care of your health and your hair will keep growing. Eat a balanced diet, exercise to increase blood circulation to the scalp(among other things) and just be patient and gentle with it. In 6 months you will see a big difference. :)

[Fairlight63]

My hair can be a tangle mess, my life saver is olive oil. I spray my hair with water & put a couple of drops of olive oil on my hair & put it in a cinn. bun. When I take my hair down later it is so much softer.

I braid my hair at night. You can learn how to braid on YouTube, there are a LOT of good hair tutorials on there. Your braid doesn't have to be perfect to sleep at night & the practice of braiding will help you.

[Symmetry]

I've tried not brushing, and it generally results in really nasty knots that have to be taken out by hand (or, in one occasion, completely ripped out! That was miserable). My hair is wavy, but doesn't seem to want to curl at all.

I'll try combing occasionally and not brushing otherwise.

What sort of oil is recommended for hair? Coconut? Olive?

I've tried watching YouTube videos on braiding, but my fat fingers get lost and I end up just losing track of the individual bunches of hair. I've never had it shown to me in person, though - my sister (who has hair about 1.5'' shorter than mine) can't braid hers either, though she does mine wonderfully, and none of my other female friends have hair longer than shoulderblade.

I've been living with the frizz, it's just frustrating. I love the long, straight, sleek look of some hair, and I just can't get that with mine. Oh well, life goes on I suppose. It's still gratifying when someone compliments my hair - it's just not what I'd call perfect.

[danacc]

I agree with the recommendations to stop using a brush since brushing will trigger more frizz. Don't stop detangling--just use a wide-toothed comb instead of the brush. Since your hair is wavy with no tendency to curl, try combing when dry. This is generally less wear-and-tear than combing when damp or wet.

My hair loves to get tangled, too. And then the tangles damage the strands at the point of the tangle, and then the strands eventually break. I've found that braiding it at night and keeping it contained in some way during the day greatly reduces the tangling.

If possible, ask your sister to show you how to braid. Use rope, twine, a doll's head, anything where you can watch what she does. Practicing on something you can see is usually easier than trying to learn on your own head.

[danacc]

Oh, and welcome to the forums! :)


To answer some of your other questions: Coconut oil is popular. Olive oil is another one that is commonly mentioned here. Your detangling spray probably has ingredients referred to as "cones" (the names typically end in -cone) which are great for making the hair more slippery and easier to detangle. Many conditioners have these, too. Some hair loves cones, other hair not so much. Since yours likes to tangle and is prone to frizz, cones are probably a good thing for you.

[Madora]

Protecting your hair is very important if you want to grow it long.

Since you don't know how to braid, then it would be best to confine your hair at night (detangle it thoroughly first!) by using a scrunchie to hold it at the nape, and then another scrunchie around the rest of the hair.

Do try and learn how to braid your hair so that you won't become bored with it and want to cut it off.

One note on frizz when brushing...if you follow each motion of your brush with the palm of your other hand, you'll cut down a lot on static.

[Symmetry]

I have noticed that my hair is a lot easier to deal with after I spray it with detangler, but if I use too much it gets slimy and gummy...just weird.

I can braid just fine on something in front of me, oddly enough - I've even done 6-strand challah without issue. I just seem to get lost and lose strands on my own head, and if I keep at it eventually I end up with a giant central stalk and two quickly-decreasing wisps. I'll keep practicing, though.

[Symmetry]

Well, I've been brushless for 24 hours now (with an occasional finger brush because I love scalp massaging), merely using a wooden comb to detangle. It feels great! I've had much less frizz, and my hair wants to escape less, while still flowing freely.

I've been practicing, and I can just about get a crude braid done and secured (with three small, stretchy bands about 1/2'' from each other at the base, and one wire tie for the ponytail). I'll be putting it in tonight before sleep - let's see how it fares come morning.

Once again, thanks for the great tips everyone!