Detangling process for naturals. Using your Denman/Paddle brushes...

[Fine 4s]

Hey ladies,

I hear so much about ladies untangling their hair in the shower, out the shower that I think I could be down.

Well...uhmmmm, no.

I CW this morning with Organix and did 3 big sections ( I usually do 6-8 sections). I untangled with my Denman and braided each section up, all was well. But why when I put all the sections together did it all tangled up again as if I hadn't just detangled!

I want my buns to be completely untangled. Unrealisic or what?

I'm natural 4, with fine strands (i.e. can break easily), lots of hair, with average of BSL. I don't plan on getting a trim until next year.

How do you naturals do it? Wonderstarr, Zirvinji help! (sorry if I mispelled your username)

About my Denman:

It seems like the amount of hair in the brush is a lot and I could understand why some women hair are nervous using this brush.

But here's my questions about shedding. If it's supposed to shed, then shouldn't I just let the hair go. I mean, can excessive shedding reduce length and thickness drastically. OK stupid question kinda but here's what I'm trying to get at. Is excessive shedding as bad as breakage? Meaning that it will prevent you from retaining length? Or will it prevent you from retaining thickness?

And I borrowed someone's paddle brush and boy oh boy, how the heck is this supposed to untangle my wet hair again?

 

[michaela]

Hey ladies,

I hear so much about ladies untangling their hair in the shower, out the shower that I think I could be down.

Well...uhmmmm, no.

I CW this morning with Organix and did 3 big sections ( I usually do 6-8 sections). I untangled with my Denman and braided each section up, all was well. But why when I put all the sections together did it all tangled up again as if I hadn't just detangled!

I want my buns to be completely untangled. Unrealisic or what?

I'm natural 4, with fine strands (i.e. can break easily), lots of hair, with average of BSL. I don't plan on getting a trim until next year.

How do you naturals do it? Wonderstarr, Zirvinji help! (sorry if I mispelled your username)

About my Denman:

It seems like the amount of hair in the brush is a lot and I could understand why some women hair are nervous using this brush.

But here's my questions about shedding. If it's supposed to shed, then shouldn't I just let the hair go. I mean, can excessive shedding reduce length and thickness drastically. OK stupid question kinda but here's what I'm trying to get at. Is excessive shedding as bad as breakage? Meaning that it will prevent you from retaining length? Or will it prevent you from retaining thickness?

And I borrowed someone's paddle brush and boy oh boy, how the heck is this supposed to untangle my wet hair again?

How often do you detangle?

 

[JustKiya]

Okay.

As far as the detangling goes, what I do is detangle outside of the shower, braid up. Untangle each braid, rebrush with the Denman under running water, and rebraid. Then, I don't TOUCH it again until it's dry. THEN when I take it down, it stays untangled, until I get it wet, again. I can do almost anything with it, then.

Excessive shedding CAN reduce length (if it's the longest hairs shedding), and thickness (if the number of shed hairs reduces the total number of hairs on your head significantly). But, that's EXCESSIVE shedding. I'm talking crazy shedding - shedding like a molting bird. Being able to retrace your path through the house via hair. Ya feel me? And, I've noticed my shedding changes - when I travel, I shed more. When the temp changes suddenly, I shed more. Maybe only for a couple of days, but it's more.

 

[SEMO]

Okay.

As far as the detangling goes, what I do is detangle outside of the shower, braid up. Untangle each braid, rebrush with the Denman under running water, and rebraid. Then, I don't TOUCH it again until it's dry. THEN when I take it down, it stays untangled, until I get it wet, again. I can do almost anything with it, then.

Excessive shedding CAN reduce length (if it's the longest hairs shedding), and thickness (if the number of shed hairs reduces the total number of hairs on your head significantly). But, that's EXCESSIVE shedding. I'm talking crazy shedding - shedding like a molting bird. Being able to retrace your path through the house via hair. Ya feel me? And, I've noticed my shedding changes - when I travel, I shed more. When the temp changes suddenly, I shed more. Maybe only for a couple of days, but it's more.

As far as dentangling goes, I only detangle my hair when it's loaded with conditioners and I find that that keeps the tangles from reforming. And after I rinse out the conditioner I immediately put a leave-in conditioner in my hair and try not to disturb my hair too much while it's drying.

 

[DarkAngell]

well i detangle with a wide tooth comb first. When i do this and then use the denman the brush glides right through.
After detangling with the brush, If i'm styling my hair in any sort of pony tail i brush it UP with the denman while im still in the shower & my hair is still soaked and still has some conditioner in it. Thats the only way i can get all of my hair gathered up nicely.

I don't think the denman brush makes us shed more, i think it's that the denman is CATCHING the hair that have already been shed but are still just hanging around in our hair.

For example; if i dont use the denman, then later on when i try and run my hand through my hair i will come out with some strands of hair. When i DO use the denman, this doesn't happen.

 

[zzirvingj]

As far as dentangling goes, I only detangle my hair when it's loaded with conditioners and I find that that keeps the tangles from reforming. And after I rinse out the conditioner I immediately put a leave-in conditioner in my hair and try not to disturb my hair too much while it's drying.

This is an ESSENTIAL step. Is your hair loaded with a GOOD conditioner that has lots of "slip" to it?

When I detangle my hair, I do it one twist at a time. I add a BUNCH...I mean a LOT...I mean...A WHOLE LOT of conditioner to each wet twist in the shower. THEN (while still in the shower) I detangle each twist one at a time by unraveling the twist, then taking the paddle brush and combing through it, underneath the running water of the showerhead. But make sure you start from the bottom and work your way up. Starting from the root first will probably just cause more tangles...

Any section I detangle is always soaking wet, loaded with conditioner, AND underneath the flow of running water from the shower head.

 

[zzirvingj]

Hey ladies,

I hear so much about ladies untangling their hair in the shower, out the shower that I think I could be down.

Well...uhmmmm, no.

I CW this morning with Organix and did 3 big sections ( I usually do 6-8 sections). I untangled with my Denman and braided each section up, all was well. But why when I put all the sections together did it all tangled up again as if I hadn't just detangled!

I want my buns to be completely untangled. Unrealisic or what?

I'm natural 4, with fine strands (i.e. can break easily), lots of hair, with average of BSL. I don't plan on getting a trim until next year.

How do you naturals do it? Wonderstarr, Zirvinji help! (sorry if I mispelled your username)

About my Denman:

It seems like the amount of hair in the brush is a lot and I could understand why some women hair are nervous using this brush.

But here's my questions about shedding. If it's supposed to shed, then shouldn't I just let the hair go. I mean, can excessive shedding reduce length and thickness drastically. OK stupid question kinda but here's what I'm trying to get at. Is excessive shedding as bad as breakage? Meaning that it will prevent you from retaining length? Or will it prevent you from retaining thickness?

And I borrowed someone's paddle brush and boy oh boy, how the heck is this supposed to untangle my wet hair again?

lol @ the misspelling--girl don't worry about it!...I don't know WHY I didn't go with my original name from np and from my fotki (shortiedowop) when I signed up on LHCF lol....

In regards to your question about shedding...if the hair is supposed to have shed, then there's nothing you can do about it and you shouldn't be worried about it. You can tell if it's a hair that was supposed to have been if it has the little "white bulb" on one end of the hair...have you seen this before? Maybe someone here has a pic of it or maybe we can find a pic for you so you know what to look for.

In regards to EXCESSIVE shedding...can you describe what you are experiencing? Are you shedding alot of long hairs, or small hairs? And do they have the little white bulbs on one end of them?

If you are experiencing alot of LONG shedded hairs...more so than normal...I would think that could contribute to having thinner looking hair/less volume to the hair.

 

[Fine 4s]

How often do you detangle?

Once a week.

 

[Fine 4s]

Okay.

As far as the detangling goes, what I do is detangle outside of the shower, braid up. Untangle each braid, rebrush with the Denman under running water, and rebraid. Then, I don't TOUCH it again until it's dry. THEN when I take it down, it stays untangled, until I get it wet, again. I can do almost anything with it, then.

Excessive shedding CAN reduce length (if it's the longest hairs shedding), and thickness (if the number of shed hairs reduces the total number of hairs on your head significantly). But, that's EXCESSIVE shedding. I'm talking crazy shedding - shedding like a molting bird. Being able to retrace your path through the house via hair. Ya feel me? And, I've noticed my shedding changes - when I travel, I shed more. When the temp changes suddenly, I shed more. Maybe only for a couple of days, but it's more.

I hear you. It's just seeing that hair in the brush UGH!! It's nothing I've never seen before in my brush...

 

[JustKiya]

I hear you. It's just seeing that hair in the brush UGH!! It's nothing I've never seen before in my brush...

*nod* I hear you on that. I tend to pull the hairs out - as long as they are LONG (and ooohwee, they are steadily getting longer *dance*) I'm okay with it.

 

[Neith]

I personally hate the denman! It just makes me lose too much hair... I don't believe that I naturally shed like that

Where is all this shed hair when I comb through with a comb? Even a SMALL toothed comb doesn't gie me that much shedding.

There isn't anything magical about the denman that makes it ONLY get shed hairs... there isn't anything that makes it more special than any other comb or brush. Those rows upon rows of teeth tear through my hair like crazy.

This is as a NATURAL and texlaxed... I just don't like the brush. It doesn't work for everyone!

 

[Fine 4s]

well i detangle with a wide tooth comb first. When i do this and then use the denman the brush glides right through.
After detangling with the brush, If i'm styling my hair in any sort of pony tail i brush it UP with the denman while im still in the shower & my hair is still soaked and still has some conditioner in it. Thats the only way i can get all of my hair gathered up nicely.

I don't think the denman brush makes us shed more, i think it's that the denman is CATCHING the hair that have already been shed but are still just hanging around in our hair.

For example; if i dont use the denman, then later on when i try and run my hand through my hair i will come out with some strands of hair. When i DO use the denman, this doesn't happen.

OK about the Denman, that is so true...After using that baby there is NO hair hanging anywhere NEAR my head.

Detangling with the Denman is never a problem for me it's the styling, putting in a bun after i spent all that darn time detangling!!!

But I'm going to try your suggestion and put my hair in the bun when the condish is still in my hair so I can untangle and style. Are u worried that you'll have condish leftovers in your hair like in the middle? I don't like to leave condish in my hair though I know some folks do that.

 

[poookie]

i'm relaxed, but use a denman-like brush to get rid of shed hair sometimes. it helps when i've got a ton of new growth. what helps for me is to do SMALL sections. i'm not talking microscopic, but not very large. that way, i can slowly detangle, and those sections stay detangled.

if i part my hair in just three sections, used a wide-tooth comb for each, THEN went after a sec. with the brush, my hair probably wouldn't be able to go through my hair. at all.

try using small sections next time, and see if that helps.

 

[Fine 4s]

lol @ the misspelling--girl don't worry about it!...I don't know WHY I didn't go with my original name from np and from my fotki (shortiedowop) when I signed up on LHCF lol....

In regards to your question about shedding...if the hair is supposed to have shed, then there's nothing you can do about it and you shouldn't be worried about it. You can tell if it's a hair that was supposed to have been if it has the little "white bulb" on one end of the hair...have you seen this before? Maybe someone here has a pic of it or maybe we can find a pic for you so you know what to look for.

In regards to EXCESSIVE shedding...can you describe what you are experiencing? Are you shedding alot of long hairs, or small hairs? And do they have the little white bulbs on one end of them?

If you are experiencing alot of LONG shedded hairs...more so than normal...I would think that could contribute to having thinner looking hair/less volume to the hair.

I don't think I'm shedding excessively but I was wondering if in general the Denman pulls out hair prematurely ( I think I heard some girls complaining about this in some other posts). I just bought the heavy duty Denman with 9 rows.

The bulk of my concern with hair coming out is usually breakage. I have too much of that but I suspect why...back to the shedding, sometimes I see nice long clumps in the Denman brush when I FEEL it should be on my head damnit!!!!!!!!!! It's just frustrating.

As part of my routine, I'm going to include a garlic treatment. My goal is to have very little hairs in my Denman.

 

[Fine 4s]

I personally hate the denman! It just makes me lose too much hair... I don't believe that I naturally shed like that

Where is all this shed hair when I comb through with a comb? Even a SMALL toothed comb doesn't gie me that much shedding.

There isn't anything magical about the denman that makes it ONLY get shed hairs... there isn't anything that makes it more special than any other comb or brush. Those rows upon rows of teeth tear through my hair like crazy.

This is as a NATURAL and texlaxed... I just don't like the brush. It doesn't work for everyone!

See ladies???
I just wanna cry now...

 

[TCatt86]

I like my denman. I haven't detangled with it in about 2 weeks and I can tell. Right now I've just been detangled with a wide tooth comb and when I'm finised there is still hair coming out in my hands. Whenever I use the denman I don't have that problem.

 

[zzirvingj]

FYI I don't own a Denman (yet )...I always use a paddle brush to detangle. I used to use a wide-toothed comb first, then the paddle afterwards and that worked well too but I'm kinda lazy

By the way, I do EVERYTHING in the shower...after detangling my whole head, I add a little leave-in, and while STILL in the shower, I brush it back with a soft boar-bristle brush AND put it in a bun AND immediately tie it down with a satin scarf....ALL while in the shower!

Works well for me cuz when I step out of the shower I don't have to do anything else to my hair...plus, my hair will shrink and tangle within MINUTES of detangling...so I like to do everything all at once and not even give my hair the chance of tangling back up on me. Also, since my hair is pretty wet once I've tied the scarf on it, it helps to "set" the waves around the perimeter of my bun---in other words, about 15 minutes later when I take the scarf off, my hair lays down pretty nice for the whole day since I had put the scarf on immediately after brushing it/bunning it in the shower.

 

[zzirvingj]

I like my denman. I haven't detangled with it in about 2 weeks and I can tell. Right now I've just been detangled with a wide tooth comb and when I'm finised there is still hair coming out in my hands. Whenever I use the denman I don't have that problem.

When I first detangled and ONLY used the wide toothed comb, I also noticed that there were still hairs coming out!

But with my paddle brush, that does not happen. It seems to get all of the hairs.

 

[Neith]

See ladies???
I just wanna cry now...

I can't tell you what's going on in your head... please don't jump to conclusions because of little old me It really works for some people! You have to decide for yourself if it works or doesn't work for you...

I just know that I hate the denman and brushes like it with all of those teeth for my hair.

I think it's a little ironic that if someone was using a small toothed comb to detangle, most people would recommend a wide toothed comb... but the denman has 7 and 9 ROWS of tiny little teeth!

I also used the brush properly and carefully, detangling with my wide toothed comb first and detangling in very small sections - around 30 sections!

After using it 3 or 4 times I threw it in the bottom of my hair comb and brush bin!

 

[poookie]

I personally hate the denman! It just makes me lose too much hair... I don't believe that I naturally shed like that

Where is all this shed hair when I comb through with a comb? Even a SMALL toothed comb doesn't gie me that much shedding.

There isn't anything magical about the denman that makes it ONLY get shed hairs... there isn't anything that makes it more special than any other comb or brush. Those rows upon rows of teeth tear through my hair like crazy.

This is as a NATURAL and texlaxed... I just don't like the brush. It doesn't work for everyone!

that seems really strange that you'd be losing so much hair.

1. how large are the sections you're detangling with the brush?
2. was your hair slippery at the time? either wet, or slicked with serum, or damp with conditioner.
3. how fast were you running the brush through your hair?

last night after my wash, i got about half a dime sized ball of shed hair. every last hair had a bulb on the end. which is AMAZING, considering i hadn't detangled since 2 weeks ago. i did small sections, and VERY SLOWLY passed the brush through the section.

i think that one thing we overlook when we detangle is the speed in which we pass the brush through our hair. going too fast will result in too much tension being applied to certain strands, and then eventual breakage.

 

[Trace]

What I usually do is wash then condition my hair. I take my shower, allowing the conditioner to penetrate a little while and then I comb it out with a wide tooth comb. When I'm wearing it natural, I rinse out the conditioner, then add lots and lots of cheapie condition mixed in with a more expensive one and brush through with my Denman. There are just a few tangles and the Denman helps to define my curls. Hope that helps.

 

[Neith]

that seems really strange that you'd be losing so much hair.

1. how large are the sections you're detangling with the brush?
2. was your hair slippery at the time? either wet, or slicked with serum, or damp with conditioner.
3. how fast were you running the brush through your hair?

last night after my wash, i got about half a dime sized ball of shed hair. every last hair had a bulb on the end. which is AMAZING, considering i hadn't detangled since 2 weeks ago. i did small sections, and VERY SLOWLY passed the brush through the section.

i think that one thing we overlook when we detangle is the speed in which we pass the brush through our hair. going too fast will result in too much tension being applied to certain strands, and then eventual breakage.

1. how large are the sections you're detangling with the brush? Very small, about 30 sections.

2. was your hair slippery at the time? either wet, or slicked with serum, or damp with conditioner. - Damp and coated with leave in conditioner and oil

3. how fast were you running the brush through your hair? - I never rip through my hair! Slowly and carefully... after detangling with my wide toothed comb


After using the denman I would lose about the size of 3 or 4 cotton balls. Also note that my hair is short... that is not normal shedding for me.

It DID give better curl definition (and more shrinkage) though.

 

[zzirvingj]

Fine 4s,

In your original post you said that after detangling, you braided your hair up. Then when you unbraided all of it, you couldn't bun it because it tangled back up.

Did you let your hair dry (or partially dry) before unbraiding it? How long was your hair in braids before you took them all out and tried to bun it?

There is another thing I started doing which helps me to work through my hair faster. When I'm about to detangle, I usually have my hair sectioned into about 8-10 medium-sized twists. I used to detangle by:

-Untwisting twist 1, detangling it, twisting it back up, and moving on to twist #2
-Repeat for all twists in hair
-Undo all twists and do once last "pass" through my whole head with the paddle brush

Now, I:

-Untwist twist 1, detangle it, and instead of twisting it back up, move on to twist 2.
-Untwist/detangle twist #2, and comb detangled twist #1 TOGETHER WITH twist #2
-Keep moving on to each twist, and after detangling each one, comb it in together with the detangled section.

It saves me a "little" bit of time by not having to retwist each twist. Plus, by the time I'm done, my whole head should be "thoroughly" detangled, and easy to bun.

I hope this helps you! Sometimes little changes make big differences. (Hhhmm...I need to revise my regimen to say that I am doing this now...)
-

 

[BillsBackerz67]

this brush is amzing for my hair. My hair doesnt tangle too badly but I would not make any type of progress without this brush I have the type of hair that sheds and ties around non shedded strands if not removed in a timely manner