I Was Absent on Detangling Day in Class

[MissEarlGrey]

I have a stupid question. Well, not stupid, just naive. I've been growing my hair for about a year (well, actually I've always been growing it, but now I'm growing it long) and my routine in the shower never involved a comb.

I detangle my hair before I get in the shower (on all days, I shampoo twice a week) and I detangle after the shower (which takes a long time because my hair loves to get tangled disregarding any gentle treatment by myself) and I've been reading reviews about having a detangling conditioner in addition to a moisturizing conditioner (separate from a CO-conditioner) that gives something called "slip".

I'm not really sure what "slip" is. It sounds nice, like what my hair kind of does when I put in a really coney serum. But my hair isn't slippery whatsoever. Not in the shower, not when it's wet, not when it's dry. If I brought a comb in the shower with me with my current routine, by the time I got to the end of my hair (an hour later) the beginning would be a mess again.

So, what are these exotic substances that will make my hair have the elusive slip? Any suggestions?

[gracenotes]

I use 'cones in the form of Herbal Essences Hello Hydration for slip. I'm usually indifferent to 'cones, but they have been SAVING MY HAIR now that I live in a hard water environment. What works best for me is to use a bit of coney conditioner as a leave-in on very wet hair, regardless of whether or not I've used coney conditioners in the shower. It makes a world of difference for detangling (and I have crazy tangly hair too). From your post, it sounds like you CO--you might want to try using a coney conditioner after you CO wash--just like you would if you had shampooed. Then you may or may not want to follow it up with a coney conditioner leave-in.
Also, baby oil. There's a thread on it somewhere, and people are getting great results with it. I started using it a couple washes ago, and it seems to be giving some slip and helping my hair not tangle so much.

ETA: Unrelated to slip, if your hair's rebelling, a well-timed clarifying wash might also help things. If my hair starts being absurd, I know it's time for some clarifying.

[MissEarlGrey]

That's the thing. I think so too about the clarifying. But I feel as though I'm not getting THROUGH. I've used Neutrogena Anti-Res, Giovanni Golden Wheat, and a Baking Soda Rinse, and nothing seems to be getting my hair back to normal. Each time I feel like I can never get through all the scalp build-up. It's frustrating. I'm going in for a trim next week at a well-reputed salon so I'll ask if they have any idea what's going on. Thank you, gracenotes.

[spidermom]

What is your washing technique? Perhaps the way you do it creates more tangles than other methods?

I usually wash my hair standing upright under the shower, and I make sure to only move my fingers in one direction over my scalp, from forehead toward nape, lift fingers, forehead to nape - moving my fingers over a little bit each time until I've massaged shampoo solution over my entire scalp. That really minimizes tangling.

Then I massage conditioner through from about shoulder level to ends. Actually, I start with conditioner CWC style.

P.S. - just saw your comment about going to the stylist. He/she can do a clarifying wash for you.

[Deborah]

I don't like combing in the shower at all. It seems to rip at the hair while it's in its' most unstable condition - wet. In fact, I've learned that, at least for my hair, it's WAY easier to untangle if I wrap it it a towel for a few minutes, then let it air dry, at least most of the way, before slight finger detangling. Only then do I go at it with a Tangle Teezer or a comb. (TT is better.)

I finish my wash with no conditioner, just an acidic rinse (I like citric acid best - no smell), and that leaves my hair ready to detangle with no added 'product' at all. This helps it stay clean longer, and I don't get build-up.

p.s. My hair is extremely fine in texture, so maybe my success would only work for fine hair. I don't know.

[MissEarlGrey]

Spidermom, I dilute a a few teaspoons of shampoo into 4 ounces of water in a squeeze bottle and pour it over my head and gently massage into my scalp, but I never feel like I get the crown or the nape very well, so I've been putting it in straight lately, but I feel like I have to use so much to get it in there. Should I ask for a clarifying wash?

Deborah, I too use a TT, I like it a lot better than a comb, mostly because it's a lot faster (I'm busy).

[Teazel]

Do you shampoo with all your hair going down your back? If you feel you're not getting your nape area clean, try parting your hair down the back and bringing it forward over your shoulders while you wash it.

Also, I agree with Deborah; if I detangle in the shower I lose much more hair than usual. As always, your mileage may vary. :)

[Madora]

MissEarlGrey, here is Ktani's article on Mineral Oil, which helps provide slip:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=225

It seems to me your problem about getting all your hair shampooed is the method you use. If you shampoo your hair in the bent at the waist position, you'll find that not only can you reach your nape and forehead areas easier, but that the scalp feels a lot freer also.

I've also found an EVOO treatment - overnight - the day after I shampoo, provided tremendous slip for braiding. Also made my hair feel terrific. I don't use much..less than 1/4th of a cup.


ETA: How you use your fingers during the shampooing, rinsing, conditioning segments can make a huge different in how many tangles you have.

For less tangles, try and shampoo in one direction at a time: crown to nape, center of head down one side then down the other.
Don't massage in the shampoo here and there, willy nilly. Just start at the top and work down. Using a flexible showerhead attachment is a great way of reaching all your hair.

After your final cold rinse, wrap your hair in a towel, then use your palms to gently press out the water in the towel wrapped hair.
Remove the towel, and gently fingercomb your hair first, then begin the detangling process, taking small, THIN sections and working from the ends up to the roots.

Here's my article on detangling dry hair

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=230

[spidermom]

You would probably get better penetration if you used a squirt bottle to make your shampoo solution in. I saved an empty conditioner bottle, but you can also buy one of those containers they sell to keep ketchup or mustard in. Using my squirt bottle, I can run my solution in lines through the hair all over my scalp because the tip penetrates.

Every once in awhile, I bend forward and wash in the other direction, but most often I do as described above.

[heidi w.]

That's the thing. I think so too about the clarifying. But I feel as though I'm not getting THROUGH. I've used Neutrogena Anti-Res, Giovanni Golden Wheat, and a Baking Soda Rinse, and nothing seems to be getting my hair back to normal. Each time I feel like I can never get through all the scalp build-up. It's frustrating. I'm going in for a trim next week at a well-reputed salon so I'll ask if they have any idea what's going on. Thank you, gracenotes.

"Slip" refers to the slipperiness of one's hair. Some hair types more naturally have a fair amount of slide to them, such as my hair. I also oil my hair which give a fair amount of slip as well, and appears to help me somewhat with tangles, although the largest help is that I wear my hair up ALL the time.

Baking Soda shampooing is NOT a "rinse". It is a hair washing mechanism for what we call "clarifying" the hair -- that is, to remove buildup on hair. There is NO other reason to use this as a regular shampoo. You do not want to constantly be removing everything off of the hair.

Sounds to me that you need to get close to the scalp skin and scrub a bit. I shampoo my hair at least around 4 applications in a given hair wash. The first application removes the surface tension created by sebum, dirt, and whatnot in the hair. The second application is more soapy if you will, more sudsy, and is the application that CLEANS the hair and the scalp skin itself. Since I wash somewhat infrequently for economic reasons these days, I need about 4 applications of shampoo to get it all off and removed, and I actually kind of scratch my scalp skin, working between hair strands. I really focus on the top of head hair because I have a seborrheic dermatitus scalp skin condition.

I ALSO clean my detangling comb each time I wash my hair so as not to put back in my hair what I just washed out. In my routine, this happens to be an important aspect of my hair care, as does washing or changing the pillowcase is.

From the back I lift the hair slightly so it's loose down my back and not suctioned down, effectively. This way I can scrub from underneath and upward on the back of the head. I find the crown hair, hair on top of the head at the backside of the head (top yet back) is an important area to scrub.

That white gunk (am I remembering another thread I read this morning? hmm) you scrape off: that is sebum, and that is a normal experience a few days after nonhairwashing. Around 4 days after nonhairwashing.

I hope something that I wrote is helpful to you,
heidi w.

[heidi w.]

That's the thing. I think so too about the clarifying. But I feel as though I'm not getting THROUGH. I've used Neutrogena Anti-Res, Giovanni Golden Wheat, and a Baking Soda Rinse, and nothing seems to be getting my hair back to normal. Each time I feel like I can never get through all the scalp build-up. It's frustrating. I'm going in for a trim next week at a well-reputed salon so I'll ask if they have any idea what's going on. Thank you, gracenotes.

Beware of what they say because most salon professionals know pretty much zip about longer hair care. Just a word of caution, that's all.

I think you're just not scrubbing enough, and because of this have some buildup going on. How's your conditioner working? If not overly well, then it might be time to clarify.


heidi w.