*Argh* This Matting!...

[*Muffin*]

Where is it coming from!? I co-wash and detangle my hair every other day, for crying out loud, and yet my NG still wants to get matted. I thought it was doing fine, I thought we were better than that! I delved my hands through the jungle for my usual nightly scalp massage, only to find multiple matted areas. I noticed one matted area a week ago, but I thought I handled it when I co-washed my hair. When I detangled the comb glided right through, nothing was stopping it so I assumed all was good in the neighborhood. Wrong!! I think I spent the last 30-45 minutes trying to gently unravel 3 or 4 matted areas that somehow I never noticed before. I do have a good amount of NG, but for all this trouble I better darn well be BSL when I relax next week, you feel me? .

 

[ONAMSHN]

I feel ya pain !!!

 

[locabouthair]

I'm 12 weeks post and I have so many tangles and knots. I feel your pain. I was tyring to do low manipulation but it seems to be causing more knots.

 

[bluevalentine]

muffin, how many weeks post are you?

 

[*Muffin*]

I'm 12 weeks post and I have so many tangles and knots. I feel your pain. I was tyring to do low manipulation but it seems to be causing more knots.

Yes! No matter what I do it's giving me knots. I'll look at certain hair strands and at the ends I'll see little knots and I'm like "What's going on here!" I'm 13 weeks post right now, and when I relax next week I'll be 14 weeks post, but I've NEVER experienced this before. It's not like it's horrible. On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the worst, it's probably a 7, but it's like I can't even air dry anymore, and that's all I ever do. I'm going to have to learn how to cornrow or something so I can put it like that while it's drying so that when I'm 13 and 14 weeks post my hair doesn't matte up like this.

P.S. I've stretched for probably 16-18 weeks before, and never did I experience these problems. But that's before I learned how to properly neutralize my relaxer, so I think I experienced more growth this time around than in those times. Hopefully that's the case .

 

[*Muffin*]

muffin, how many weeks post are you?

13 weeks. It's craziness right now .

 

[bluevalentine]

lol i know the feeling, i have not been able to stretch that long **yet**...sorry i have nothing else to add to this thread

 

[isabella09]

Totally, and its soooo annoying

 

[aquajoyice]

It's funny you started this post becuase I had the same issue last night! OMG I've been de-tangling religiously and now that i'm at 15 weeks post it's getting harder and harder. Like you i've done the co-washing thing and used thought I had a system. Now my hair isn't havin it. So I ended up detangling with my wide tooth comb about half way through my hair and then at the new growth using my fingers to spread it apart. I'm not sure how i'm going to make it another 9 weeks is a mystery.

 

[panamoni]

I can relate. I'm 14 weeks post amd am going to at least 16. This morning after my acv rinse, the comb glided through. Now that I've taken down my bun, there's new tangles. It's so annoying. Hopefully there's lots of growth.

 

[IDareT'sHair]

Aww Muffin! You will be BSL when You Relax Okay??? I am 10 Weeks Post tryna' make it to 14-16. And I feel You.

You're doing Good Girlie. Just keep up the DC Treatments, Be Patient Detangling, keep a Good Low Mani Regimen and Keep that NG Moisturized.......You'll get there.

So Proud of You.

 

[locabouthair]

Yes! No matter what I do it's giving me knots. I'll look at certain hair strands and at the ends I'll see little knots and I'm like "What's going on here!" I'm 13 weeks post right now, and when I relax next week I'll be 14 weeks post, but I've NEVER experienced this before. It's not like it's horrible. On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the worst, it's probably a 7, but it's like I can't even air dry anymore, and that's all I ever do. I'm going to have to learn how to cornrow or something so I can put it like that while it's drying so that when I'm 13 and 14 weeks post my hair doesn't matte up like this.

P.S. I've stretched for probably 16-18 weeks before, and never did I experience these problems. But that's before I learned how to properly neutralize my relaxer, so I think I experienced more growth this time around than in those times. Hopefully that's the case .

I started off weraing my hair in cornrows under my wig and I still got the knots. I dont whats going on

 

[Filmatic]

Have you checked for split ends? My hair use to do this when I stretch. I started doing search and destroys and it helps greatly.

 

[myronnie]

I get a lot of pre-mats because shedded hair gets stuck in my new growth. I keep my scalp and new growth oiled so i just take about 10 minutes to detangle any pre-mats. This keeps it from matting up realllly bad. I remember when I used to cowash frequently and stretch I would have mats like no other..like 45 minutes spent detangling.
You should be okay, just keep an eye on the tangles before they get too bad!

 

[sharifeh]

thanks for the tips myronnie
I'm at 8 weeks and I'm dying...
And muffin, I'm crossing my fingers hoping you get to BSL next week!
Keep us updated!
xx

 

[Southern Belle]

Dang Muffin, you skurrin' me! How am I supposed to transition to natural with threads like this?!

I'm in braids right now, so I haven't had to "deal" yet. Am I in for a rude awakening?

 

[*Muffin*]

Aww Muffin! You will be BSL when You Relax Okay??? I am 10 Weeks Post tryna' make it to 14-16. And I feel You.

You're doing Good Girlie. Just keep up the DC Treatments, Be Patient Detangling, keep a Good Low Mani Regimen and Keep that NG Moisturized.......You'll get there.

So Proud of You.

Thank you I did a deep conditioning treatment and my hair felt a lot better, but I still have a slight matting problem . I plan on not manipulating my hair much at all this week. I've already planned out my protective styles until my relaxer.

Have you checked for split ends? My hair use to do this when I stretch. I started doing search and destroys and it helps greatly.

I got about 3" cut off last relaxer. I've seen a few splits since then and did a slight dusting about a week ago, but I'm going to trim again after my relaxer.

thanks for the tips myronnie
I'm at 8 weeks and I'm dying...
And muffin, I'm crossing my fingers hoping you get to BSL next week!
Keep us updated!
xx

Thanks, girl. Hang in there and DC regularly. DC'ing didn't solve all my problems, but it definitely helped. After I DC'd with my AOHSR conditioner my hair felt really good. I really don't know how those 6+ month stretchers do it. They must be looking at us like 3 months is a joke! I can't hang .

P.S. Making BSL would definitely make all of this worth it. Perhaps all that summer heat accelerated my growth. Or maybe that's just wishful thinking ....

 

[beans4reezy]

I was tyring to do low manipulation but it seems to be causing more knots.

Same here. I cowashed for an entire week, only detangling under running water with loads of conditoner. My NG was matted in 2 spots on my head. I got tired and just stuck my hair in kinky twists to avoid it all

 

[*Muffin*]

Same here. I cowashed for an entire week, only detangling under running water with loads of conditoner. My NG was matted in 2 spots on my head. I got tired and just stuck my hair in kinky twists to avoid it all

Perhaps it's how frequently I co-wash. I used to only co-wash every 2-3 days, but now I co-wash about every other day. IDK, could be a variety of factors, but I only notice matting after my hair dries. When it's wet I can detangle no problem, but as soon as it dries it wants to matte up. Naturals use twists and braids to offset matting. I should probably do the same.