what no one on here told me....

[isnatural4me]

So, I just took out a weave after 12 weeks and of course certain parts were matted. But, after i washed it with a little baking soda (this may be where i messed up) part of the mid section turned into a giant dreadlock. I tried with my fiance to comb it with conditioner, soaking wet, dry...everything. Eventually i had to pull out the scissors. I kind of don't care b/c i'm 1yr+ post relaxer and it was mostly straight ends i got rid of....

BUT, how come no one talks about the tangled mess that is your hair after taking out a sew in. Furthermore, and more importantly...what is the right way to detangle and deal with hair after a weave? My hair grew so much and i feel like i may have lost so much of my progress. Also, I haven't done a big chop, which causes the nasty stringy ends to mix with the natural and create a mess.!

 

[chiliz345]

Hmmm, my guess would be that you left it in for too long. I do sew-ins on my sister and she keeps them in for about a month. We haven't had any problems with matting. I'm thinking after 3 months your hair has grown quite a bit and all of that new growth has just been hanging around untouched. Next time you may want to remove it sooner.

 

[Likeyouneverseenme]

Did you not remove all the shed hairs before you did the baking soda wash?

If not, that might have been the culprit.
I'm sorry to hear you had to cut it.

 

[Simply_Kelz]

I'm sorry to hear this, but, there are MANY horror story threads warning people to thoroughly detangle before washing or wetting the hair when taking down extensions.

Glad you got rid of those ends, hope all is well.

 

[200AndOne]

http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?p=6019365

 

[supermodelsonya]

Yeah...I am a frequent wearer of weaves and before I wash, I detangle and get rid of the hairs that have shed.

 

[Chameleonchick]

http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?p=6019365

I was just going to find that thread.

 

[*closer*2*my*dreams*]

It could have been several reasons; such as the length of time it was left in AND whether or not you took care of the hair underneath the sew-in.

After taking down my sew-ins, I will cover my hair with Amla oil and let it sit overnight. In the morning, i will lightly finger detangle (to ensure the oil was worked through) and then co-wash with a moisturizing conditioner, not one of cheapies either. i will leave the conditioner on for a few m inutes, then lightly detangle with my fingers with the conditioner in it. Rinse and repeat until i feel confident that i got most of my tangles. then i'll foloow-up with a good protein dc and moisturizing leave-in with oil. i'll make sure not to manipulate my hair too much either until i'm confident i've rid myself of nasty tangles. so if that means wearing a ponytail, then so be it, anything to keep the progress...

 

[isnatural4me]

i definitely detangled with conditioner prior to applying shampoo BUT it was the way i was working the shampoo through...i couldn't help it. my scalp was so tender and the water and manipulation felt so good that i couldn't help myself.

In hindsight i probably should have been extra careful to keep rinsing in the same direction and not kneed my hair so much.

thnx for the thread..i will read!

 

[socurlyqt]

Yea two big mistakes
1) leaving a sew in in for 12 weeks is a LONG time. I only go 8 weeks

2) You HAVE to get rid of the shed hair. When i take my sew in out i finger comb first the braids out, separating the hair into four section. Then I add tons of conditioner and finger comb more. Finally, i get a big tooth comb to work on each section and i finish up with my denman. Next i add more conditioner and oil for a pre poo, let it sit for about 30 minutes, then i do a wash and recondition. I know its a long process but i dont have matting or breakage, which is good cus im natural.

 

[Urban]

wow, I'm sorry this happened to you.

IMHO, you should have detangled the matted parts some before washing. Eeek, putting baking soda in already tangled hair is a recipe for disaster, as you mentioned. Because as you apply baking soda, the cuticles open - causing even more tangles

 

[glamazon386]

So, I just took out a weave after 12 weeks and of course certain parts were matted. But, after i washed it with a little baking soda (this may be where i messed up) part of the mid section turned into a giant dreadlock. I tried with my fiance to comb it with conditioner, soaking wet, dry...everything. Eventually i had to pull out the scissors. I kind of don't care b/c i'm 1yr+ post relaxer and it was mostly straight ends i got rid of....

BUT, how come no one talks about the tangled mess that is your hair after taking out a sew in. Furthermore, and more importantly...what is the right way to detangle and deal with hair after a weave? My hair grew so much and i feel like i may have lost so much of my progress. Also, I haven't done a big chop, which causes the nasty stringy ends to mix with the natural and create a mess.!

First off, IMO, 12 weeks is too long for this very reason. And you should never ever ever wet your hair before you thoroughly detangle it because it will matt up. I usually take one braid out and then comb through. If I have a tangle, I may add a little conditioner to the dry hair but do not soak the hair. Then I move onto the next braid and do the same thing until I'm done. If you take all the braids out and then try to detangle with all your hair loose it can turn into a bear too.

 

[abordeaux]

There are COUNTLESS threads and posts about this. All you had to do was search. I'm sorry that you had such a hard time, but now you know better for next time.