My very knotty hair

[Nix]

For as long as I can remember, I've had very naughty knotty hair. I will spend an hour detangling it, and then 5 minutes later there are already knots! Anyone else have this problem? I did a search on the forum, but still don't understand the clear reason for this. Do some people have just naturally knotty hair? :eek: Even at a salon, a stylist once said in shock, "But... but I just did this part, how can there be knots already?!". :laugh:

[Amber_Maiden]

I have hair that likes to tangle and knot it's self. I'm convinced my hair wants dreads. Not letting it though.

I saw great improvement with using the Tangle Teezer. Best thing i ever did for my hair.

[ravenreed]

I have extremely tangly hair. I always have. If I leave my hair down and don't comb it every hour or so, I end up with a fist sized knot in my hair where it rubs against my shirt. My hair really wants to dread. I will comb my hair, braid it, and somehow it will manage to knot while in the braid. I think it has to do with hair texture. My hair is wavy and coarse so I think that has something to do with it.

I trim very often. I do micro trims every month, and make sure I get rid of any split ends or bent hairs that might lead to more tangles.

[Madora]

It may be that your hair is suffering from protein overload and that is causing the knotting. Perhaps clarifying might solve the knotting issues. If that is the case, maybe a change of products might lead to better hair behavior.

Wearing your hair up as much as possible helps eliminates many of the tangles too.

Perhaps if your hair had more "slip" some of the knotting problems would not be as prevalent. EVOO works wonders where slip is concerned. Good luck!

[girlcat36]

I second the clarifying. My hair gets knotty and velcro-y when it's time to clarify.

[shikara]

What has made a HUGE difference for me is recognizing that some hairtypes only require a small amount of conditioner on for a little period of time, always using a rinse (lemon juice rinses work best for me rather than ACV). I also use African Gold Super Rich Formula Coconut Oil Hair Conditioner which, immediately after my hair is dry I smooth and press it in my length woth my fingers and palms. If I then braid it or weae it up, it seems to be absorbed by my strands (ie not greasy) and makes combing a whole lot easier.

[dRummie]

Not sure on the reasons for tangling, but to combat it, have you tried a small amount of leave-in conditioner? A little bit scrunched in after washing makes my hair much more slippery. I think cones are meant to do the same, if you're not opposed to them.

[WaterMusic]

I am the same way. In the last few months I have seen an improvement by: cutting out all protein (from my hair, not my diet! ;)), taking steps to keep the moisture high (pre-wash heavy oiling, letting conditioner sit in my hair in the shower for 15 minutes, light post wash treatments with oil/butter), and keeping my split ends to a minimum with the above steps along with gentle handling and keeping my ends tucked away in an updo 98% of the time.

It isn't perfectly behaved, but it is worlds better than it used to be.

[Chamy]

I too have very knot-prone hair. I find that since my hair tangles so easy, it is better for me to wear it up. And when i detangle i use a tangle teaser, i gave up on the combs since that only damaged my hair. It doesn't work for everyone to use a wide toothed comb.

I have had to accept that my hair tangles, theres nothing i can do to prevent it other than wearing it up. I have as healthy hair as i can have, and it doesn't matter. If i wear my hair down i just don't touch it, I let it tangle all it want and don't try to detangle with my hands or anything. And at the end of the day i detangle softly and spray in some leave-in and coconut oil, and all is good.

[pretty wings]

My hair does that. If the wind blow it tangles. If I lay my head down for a second it tangles. If I look at it the wrong way it tangles. I quickly learned that there is no point in over detangling since my hair will tangle somewhat after I just combed through it. I just let it be.
What helps is keeping it moisturized and lubricated with moisturizers, leave-ins, and butters/oils.

[tinywife]

Your hair may be dry; my hair always knots worse when it's dry.

[Fairlight63]

Your hair sounds just like mine. It is hard to get all the tangles out so that I can braid it for the night. It is even hard for a tangle teezer to get through my hair. My hair is really fine, 2a frizzy mess unless I put olive oil on it.
I often wonder how women used to take care of their long hair a long time ago before all the luxuries that we have now? back then they didn't have warm showers, every kind of shampoo & cond. you can think of, etc.

[Zhennni(:]

my hair gets alot of tangles too :/

[MrsGuther]

I second the clarifying. My hair gets knotty and velcro-y when it's time to clarify.

This^^^^ is true for me as well.

[indiana]

Oh, the tangles I get! Terrible. I don't do ponytails, the ponytail slides down my head to the nape of my neck then all the hairs TANGLE around it. I wore a simple braid today and underneath all the short hairs by my neck were knotted and tangled by the end of my work day. Wearing my hair down is a nightmare - it tangles all the way from my neck to the very ends. Buns and updos are the only way I'm able to have long hair!

Cones really help a lot with this. I just usually style my hair as it suits me after washing so I don't always use the coney conditioner when I need to for the down styles.

[Nix]

Whew, at least I am not alone. I will try the clarifying shampoo. The worse part is that I feel that all the detangling of my hair makes more of it fall out. I try to be gentle but those knots are something else!

[kittymallow]

are you using cones or are you cone free???

[kittymallow]

if your har can take cones i would have bought a shampo/conditioner and a deep treatment to give moisture, and a serum with cones.. i have struggeled with tangy hair all summer/autumn, and last week i bougth tigi catwalc glossing shampoo and calming contitioner, matrix biolage super hydrating balm, and paul michell super skinny serum.. my tangles dissapear, even waking up without braiding and i have almost none tangles.. feels like my hair is completely new.. :)

[spidermom]

Over-using conditioner can knot the hair up. Try clarifying and reducing the amount of conditioner that you use. For example, I used to use 8-10 pumps of conditioner, now I use 1-2. Working a small amount through my hair actually works better than saturating it.

A coney serum used sparing about once per week helps, too.

[longcurlygirl<3]

When my hair is like that.. it needs MOISTURE! I recommend you do a deep treatment maybe a SMT. [It is the best ever that I have tried]

[jacqueline101]

My hair used to do it all the time when it was longer. I used to wear it up and that helped. I wear it up and that still helps.

[lolot]

i have this problem too, if i dont wear it up i always end up at the end of the day with a big dread in the back part of my head it is really a big dread and everybody just laughs when i show them, the problem used to be even worst when i use a scarf in winter, i would love to know how to avoid it

[Carissamarie08]

Do you have long fine hair. Because when I used to be a stylist we had many people come in and it was always the ones who had long FINE hair who had the worst tangles.

[RachieBaby]

My hair is like this too, I find it best to just keep it up in buns or plaits.
If I'm going to wear my hair down for a night out or something special I either do a DT or do a EVOO and Sweet Almond Oil deep treatment. I normally leave it in for a hour or 2 then wash it out and that helps loads with minimising tangles and knots :)

[Jezerellica]

I have the same problem, so you have my sympathy. I use cones and jojoba oil and that helps. Then side braid to keep it in place. Wish I had a miracle for us!! :confused: The drier weather seems to make things worse. I actually had to cut a knot out yesterday. *sniff*:(

[Mannaz]

My hair is very tangle prone, too. That is a big reason for why I had all-naturally formed dreads a few years back :D

I've learned to live with the tangling, though it really can be a PITA. EVOO seems to really help like Madora said , I've done a couple of deep oilings and they've given me good slip. I detangle with oil in my fingers when the tangles are bad.

[Melisande]

I don't have this problem but one of my daughters has. What about Fox' sheabutter balm? It makes hair very soft.

[UP Lisa]

I thought it was only fine hair that did this! My hair can manage to tangle even though it is always up or braided. It has always been this way. I can take a section of hair and comb through it. When I go to comb through it again, it will be knotted back up. Amazing.