How To Stop Breakage???

[ebba]

So fellow LHC'ers!
I feel that i do all the right things for my hair. I don't really use heat, i do updo's and i oil my hair but it keeps tangling and breaking, losing all my length :(

I think a big culprit is that my hair is so slippery it falls out of updo's and i try and pin it back up and it becomes horribly tangled and i am forced to rip it apart with my Tangle Teezer.
I don't know how to strengthen my crazy hair.
I also use sulfate free shampoos & conditioner if that makes a difference

Help!!!

[Mommyof4]

If I were you, I'd be more careful about the tangles.. maybe just keep it braided most days? that way, you're not worried about tangles or combing/brushing it..

[shikara]

Many fine hairs find that protein does wonders in these regards, but you just need to be careful what and how much you use . What I do is apply a deep moisfurizer for ten minutes before i even enter the shower, wash then condition with Mill Creek Keratin products, and a final rinse with diluted lemon juice. The result for me is tangle free soft full stronger hair.. I wanted to try something other than a deep protein treatment to avoid possible drying out, and shampoo and condish work great. Regarding updos falling out, believe me, you are not alone! Does a braid work for you? You can always give your ends a treat while you sleep. Braid your hair leaving a longer tassle. Dampen the assle and roll it up into a curler. Ends may turn out softer than you can imagine. Oils make my hair too stringy. Good luck!

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb328/lmarie29/th_a5642814.jpg (http://s1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb328/lmarie29/?action=view&current=a5642814.jpg)

[woolyleprechaun]

Braiding works wonders. I often braid whilst damp and keep it like that for DAYS sometimes (I highly reccoment a silk sleep cap or pillowcase to keep them looking presentable) :)

[sarelis]

I was recently suffering breakage problems after a "hairdresser" over bleached my highlights, I used ApHogee 2 step protein treatment & it really helped :)

[luxepiggy]

Just based on your description, it sounds like you need to be much more gentle when detangling! There is never a reason to rip through tangles. Always begin the detangling process at the ends of the hair, carefully working your way towards the scalp. Fingercombing is a great way to cut down on wear & tear to the cuticle too.

[Revontuletar]

I find that the tangle teezer didn't work all that well for me either, and tended to break my hair. I use a wide-tooth bakelite comb and nothing else to comb and detangle my hair, and while I do get a lot of shedding, my breakage is very minimal.

[jacqueline101]

I'd be careful on how you comb. I'd wear it up in a protective do and try a spray in detangler too they help my tangles.

[Madora]

So fellow LHC'ers!
I feel that i do all the right things for my hair. I don't really use heat, i do updo's and i oil my hair but it keeps tangling and breaking, losing all my length :(

I think a big culprit is that my hair is so slippery it falls out of updo's and i try and pin it back up and it becomes horribly tangled and i am forced to rip it apart with my Tangle Teezer.
I don't know how to strengthen my crazy hair.
I also use sulfate free shampoos & conditioner if that makes a difference

Help!!!

For the sake of your hair, please, never "rip it apart" with your TT!

Whenever you put it up, always be sure it is completely detangled first..and detangle with a wide tooth comb.

HOW you detangle makes all the difference.

Bend at the waist and bring all your hair in front of you so that it hangs like a curtain.

Finger comb it gently (go slowly!)

Then, taking a thin, small section of hair, start to comb the ends of the hair. Move the comb up the section and comb out some more, and so forth until you reach the roots.

Take another section of hair and repeat as before, until all your hair has been detangled.

While still bent at the waist, part your hair from nape to forehead so that it is in two sections. Hold on to each section with each hand. Stand erect.

Take the right hand section and gently place it over your right shoulder and release your hair so that it falls down your back. Repeat with the other side. Style as desired.

To avoid tangling, do NOT throw/toss/fling your hair about. The more control you have over your hair, the less problems with tangling.

The reason I detangle in the bent position is that all the hair is easy to reach and detangle.

Working from the ends to the roots is much more protective of the strands than just starting at the top and trying to detangle.

If you find a snarl, detangle it with your fingers! Don't try and "rip" through it with the comb.

Hold the tangle horizontally (not vertically) and gently coax out some of the hairs at the top of the tangle, then do the same at the bottom of the tangle. If you hold the tangle vertically, it will tighten up and become very difficult to undo.

Try spritzing water or a tiny bit of oil on tighter snarls to give them a bit of slip.

When detangling your hair, to keep the detangled hair separate from the untangled, band the detangled hair with a hair friendly band.

If you're having trouble with updos, perhaps braiding might be a better option. Here's a tutorial for the lace twist braid that you might enjoy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPHEzUr5bWQ

Good luck!

[QMacrocarpa]

Do you have splits much? My hair is quite split-prone, and eventually starts instantly tangling and breaking off in short pieces. If I do a small self-trim at that point it helps a lot, and I can grow for at least several months before I need to trim again.

[kdaniels8811]

Catnip tea soaks do wonders for preventing splits and breakage - that is how I grew my hair from APL to waist. Ktani has a huge thread on how to make and use, it is easy, cheap, and it really works. Herbs are amazing, I have not used conventional shampoo in years and my hair is healthy and split free (before I lost it, that is, smile!) Good luck.

[luthein]

A leave-in conditioner or detangler will also help the tangles come out. Brush (or comb) your hair before you go in the shower to cleanse it. That will reduce the amount of wet detangling you'll have to do. Finally, have patience when detangling. Go super-slow and start at the hemline. When the bottom is snarl-free, work your way up.

[Gingerbear]

I have baby fine hair and have the same problem. I swear I am constantly deep conditioning or oiling as well as using gentle shampoos, and breakage is my major obstacle to growth. My hair is very soft. I think it is extra "delicate" due to the fineness of each strand. Protein helps, but I don't like to use it more than 2-3 times a month or else it gets brittle.

[spidermom]

Your method of detangling (ripping through them) sounds like a major problem. I usually divide my hair in half and bring half over each shoulder, then detangle carefully from ends with a wide-toothed comb. If I find a tangle, I stop with the comb and use my fingers to carefully pull hairs out of the tangle from above the tangle, not below. Pulling hairs from below will pull the tangle tighter. What I usually find is that some shed hairs have tangled up with still-attached hairs and formed a web.

I also like using a coney serum on clean hair to reduce the frizz and make detangling easier.

[Amber_Maiden]

Try oiling, it really helped my hair, might help yours.