Help with tangles near nape of neck

[WaimeaWahine]

This is driving me batty.

My hair looks thick but that's just because hair dye expands the shafts. It's actually thin and stringy. After a lifetime of being stick straight, my hair has decided to be wavy, especially underneath! Unfortunately, when I get even a little warm the hair at the nape of my neck becomes a tangled matted mess. :justy:

No amount of brushing or oiling seems to work. Even with a ponytail (it's not long enough to do much else) I get tangles because of the halo/baby hairs. Anyone else have this issue or have ideas on how to resolve it? :(

[jeanniet]

I get this, too. All the hair underneath at my nape is fine, and it knots at the drop of a hat. Oiling helps somewhat, but the best way I've found to deal with it if it's really a mess is to use a Tangle Teezer. It still takes a while to detangle, but it's much easier and less painful. Unfortunately, I've yet to find a way to stop it from knotting up in the first place. :mad:

[Vanilla]

I get bad tangling at my nape too. I oil or put Shea butter on the hairs nearest my nape. It seems to weigh them down a bit and make them a little more slippery.

My hairs at my nape are much wavier than the rest of my hair is, just like you.

[DoubleCrowned]

Just curious--what is the fiber content of your clothing? Synthetic fibers, like polyester and acrylic, might tangle hair by promoting static.

[Mountaingrrl]

That's a really good point about the static! I only get the nape tangles in winter.

[shikara]

Arrrghh! My nape hairs are both a little dryer and kinkier! The tangles are usually a noticeable problem when wearing a braid. I really try to keep it up. Every time you move your head the hairs rub on my collar, or scarf, and tangle. Not always so easy to work out either. Plus, they can make my hair drape funny!

[Miss Maisie]

I have this same mess. I think the only thing that's helping me is to let it grow. It seems like the more length it gets, the less it tangles. Ugh. Thank goodness that hair is underneath my canopy. It's so broken from tangles that it makes me want to cry.

[simplysnuggle]

I use the Target brand of No More Tangles Detangler Spray for my tangles it has Water, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Sodium Benzoate, Dimethicone, Hydroxyethyl Behenamidopropyl Dimonium Chloride, Polysorbate 20, Cetearyl Alcohol, Trisiloxane, Ceteth 10, Laureth 4, But my hair loves it and it gets all the tangles out:eyebrows:

[Talula]

I get mats/tangles at the back of my neck when I wear a coat w/ a collar. These days, anytime I go out w/ a coat on, I bun my hair instead of wear it down or ponytail it & that wards off the mats.

[indiana]

The only way I'm able to keep my nape tangle free is to keep my hair up. Using a coney conditioner on that area helps, but the main solution for me is to keep it up. If I wear a single braid down my back, it'll tangle. If I wear my hair down, forget about it - huge mats of tangles. Even at night time, it helps to keep it up in a bun on the top of my head.

[WaimeaWahine]

The only way I'm able to keep my nape tangle free is to keep my hair up. Using a coney conditioner on that area helps, but the main solution for me is to keep it up. If I wear a single braid down my back, it'll tangle. If I wear my hair down, forget about it - huge mats of tangles. Even at night time, it helps to keep it up in a bun on the top of my head.

Thank you everyone who took time to reply! It's nice to know I'm not alone but it's sucks that others suffer through this. :( It seems that letting it grow and trying to keep it up may help but my problem may be that these are halo hairs. :eye:

[HelloKitteh]

Just curious--what is the fiber content of your clothing? Synthetic fibers, like polyester and acrylic, might tangle hair by promoting static.
+1

Any chance of putting a shiny real silk scarf over your clothes? Less bad fabric is cotton otherwise. When you go out it's better to wear a leather jacket rather than a wool coat.

[majesticgoldenr]

Yep- I figured that there would be a threat or two on here about this, even if dormant. :)

I spent hours today getting out a *huge* snarl out of my little sisters hair... Mega thick hair compared to mine and the thing had been growing for months at her nape. After a good six hours, her scalp was pink and sore and we had a mass of hair about as big as a dinner plate (not kidding, unfortunately) but you can brush thru her hair, and cant tell that there was any loss.

Her response though "I'm never going to brush my hair again". Well have to see in the morning if shes changed her mind :/

[CurlyCap]

Yep. Keep your hair up and maybe use a little bit of product in that area to keep the baby hairs up and out of the way as well. On me, I use Kinky Curly Curling Custard....but use whatever's appropriate for your hair.

Nape tangling is the number one reason I've gradually started moving away from wearing my hair down. Tangle teezers are great for undoing the mess, but it still takes a long time and I'm not willing to do that on a regular basis.

[majesticgoldenr]

..... Tangle teezers are great for undoing the mess, but it still takes a long time and I'm not willing to do that on a regular basis.

Oh, yes! My tangle teezer saved the day here :)

[kittenface]

Here's a cheater's solution/workaround which works for me: sometimes when I wear my hair down I'll braid the hair at the nape of my neck into tiny braids! Think the "padawan braids" that the Jedi Padawans wear in Star Wars. If I wear a few accent braids around face or something as well, it looks totally intentional and not at all as if I'm desperately trying to ward off the tangles:o