Help with BADLY knotted hair

[Ladyhenri]

Please any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

I have been wearing phony ponies and baggying continuosly...washing weekly, DCing and detangling (not very thoroughly though) with a wide tooth comb in the shower after my DC.
I guess i'be been a bit 'head in the sand' about my tangles, but now, they are big knots, that feel like dreadlocks...NOTHING will go into these knots so detangling is impossible.
I have tried gently pulling hair out of some knots, but some arent budging.
I am just about to henna, then DC and co wash with Fabric softener (yes i'm that desperate)

Please if you look in here, chime in, No matter how little your suggestion may seem to you
If the fabric softener doesnt work i may have to dig out my scissors

 

[sweetwhispers]

How big are the knots/ How many?
Have you tried letting conditioner soak in your hair overnight then try a detangler like baby love to gently pull out the knots?

Sorry i don't have much experience. HTH

 

[nelli711]

Don't henna first. Slather some conditioner or an oil on the knots so that it can soak in and soften them up and then gently detangle your hair.

 

[Ladyhenri]

How big are the knots/ How many?
Have you tried letting conditioner soak in your hair overnight then try a detangler like baby love to gently pull out the knots?

Sorry i don't have much experience. HTH

Hi and thanks for your response
I have tried letting conditioner sit in my hair, but it just makes the hair too soft and when i try to pull out strands, They break. Promptly.
There are about five horrible knots. Eack knot is the size of a coin...so they are quite big.
Weirdly the knots are close to my scalp and the rest of the hair above the knot are not as tangled (think of tiny pony tails without a holder).
I am scared of having to cut them out cos it will mean coin sized patches in my hair which is shoulder length.

PS, where can i get baby love detangler from? Is it sold in african beauty supply stores or in shops like boots?

 

[Ladyhenri]

Don't henna first. Slather some conditioner or an oil on the knots so that it can soak in and soften them up and then gently detangle your hair.

I oiled an conditioned over night, then used elasta QP H20 to attempt detangling. NO luck
I am definately going to start combing regularly if i can recover from this without having to chop off my hair... Whats the point of no combing to avoid breakage if when you do comb, you loose massive chunks??

Pls forgive me for venting...i am sooo upset!

 

[nelli711]

I oiled an conditioned over night, then used elasta QP H20 to attempt detangling. NO luck
I am definately going to start combing regularly if i can recover from this without having to chop off my hair... Whats the point of no combing to avoid breakage if when you do comb, you loose massive chunks??

Pls forgive me for venting...i am sooo upset!

Sweetie, vent all you want. I understand, I've been there and it is no fun. I don't comb my hair everyday, only on wash days but when I do, I make sure that I thoroughly detangle my hair.

Okay, so since the conditioner and oil thing didn't work, you can try to use a detangling shampoo like CON or Keracare to help you out. That always works for me. It is time consuming but effective. I usually wet my hair and drench it in shampoo and detangle in the shower with a fine tooth comb. I have yet to find a conditioner that gives me slip like those two shampoos so I usually use shampoo to detangle if it gets really really bad.

Whatever you do, just be patient and slowly try to detangle the knots. Good luck

 

[Ladyhenri]

Sweetie, vent all you want. I understand, I've been there and it is no fun. I don't comb my hair everyday, only on wash days but when I do, I make sure that I thoroughly detangle my hair.

Okay, so since the conditioner and oil thing didn't work, you can try to use a detangling shampoo like CON or Keracare to help you out. That always works for me. It is time consuming but effective. I usually wet my hair and drench it in shampoo and detangle in the shower with a fine tooth comb. I have yet to find a conditioner that gives me slip like those two shampoos so I usually use shampoo to detangle if it gets really really bad.

Whatever you do, just be patient and slowly try to detangle the knots. Good luck

I'm grateful for your advice. Thanks
Your hair is gorgeous by the way...if i can fight my dread-tangles...i hope to be at that lenght

 

[sweetwhispers]

Yeah Hen, you can get babylove in black hair shops, also try Organics shea kids detangling lotion her are the pics
( i've used the creme version not the spray, so i don't know how good it is)


I haven't used this but i've heard good things about it.

Fingers crossed your hair comes out ok

 

[WomanlyCharm]

Ouch, I've had those kinds of knots, but always at the ends of my hair, never close to the scalp.

I would just have to echo what the other ladies have advised...plenty of conditioner or oil to help the knots slip out.

Try using your fingers first to go into the knots and get some of the hair loose, that always works for me. After you get as much loose as possible, then try using your comb, you know to be gentle.

It's gonna take some time, so be patient, your hair will thank you for it.

I had to give up on not combing everyday...my hair just doesn't like it at all, the tangles were unbelievable. Sounds like your hair may be the same.

Good luck!

 

[Nature'sWay]

I know how you feel. Last night I roller set my hair and this morning when I woke up and removed the rollers, my hair was brick hard. I got under the dryer hoping that my hair would loosen up and it did very little. I proceeded to comb it out and I got a ton of breakage from the hardened mousse. Next time I will be sure not to use as much and dilute it with water. When I was putting the mouse on last night i put enough on my hair to make my hair easily wrap around the roller bacause it is still short. Even though I had so much trouble with combing out the hardened hair and breakage; I came out with a cute style that people at work complemented.

 

[Ladyhenri]

Ouch, I've had those kinds of knots, but always at the ends of my hair, never close to the scalp.

I would just have to echo what the other ladies have advised...plenty of conditioner or oil to help the knots slip out.

Try using your fingers first to go into the knots and get some of the hair loose, that always works for me. After you get as much loose as possible, then try using your comb, you know to be gentle.

It's gonna take some time, so be patient, your hair will thank you for it.

I had to give up on not combing everyday...my hair just doesn't like it at all, the tangles were unbelievable. Sounds like your hair may be the same.

Good luck!

Thanks for this...and i will be combing more frequently from now on. What i'm going through is ridiculous.
I will run off and buy the suggested detanglers in a second. probably with my hair still saturated in oil and conditioner, and wrapped up .
I'm sure p/ple will stare, but i'm gonna stare right back.
My hair has put me in an evil mood today

 

[~*~ShopAholic~*~]

When I had tangles it took me 3 days to get them out (a result from shampooing 14 wks post relaxer hair in the kitchen sink, never again only in the shower will I poo and rinse). Anyway, I use alot of detanglers and the one that worked the best was Roux Porosity control, which is really a conditioner and I used a normal hairdressing comb and gently combed my way up (starting from under/bottom of knott). Now some area's detangled better dry and some wet, I just tried some of everything until they were out, even prayer, because there was NOWAY I was cutting away my hard work. I hope you get them out, just be patient and take your time. If there breaking because there to soft let them dry a little and see if they'll come undone even if you have to do it strand by strand, pulling it out slowly one at a time.

 

[SohoHair]

Try using some porosity control mixed with conditioner, if the cuticle is raised your hair will be difficult to untangle. Definitely don't henna first.

Also I had to learn the hard way that I can't rely on just a wide tooth comb to detangle my hair. I can use it initially or to distibute my conditioner but I always need a finer toothed comb to really detangle properly at least once a week. Also since I don't comb my hair in between washes it is a MUST that I remove most of the shed hair before I wash. I do this by running a very soft boar bristle brush vvery gently over my hair then proceeding to wash it. HTH and good luck with your tangles!

 

[tkj25]

i'm seconding what beautifulwideeyes said. since your hair is breaking while detangling, let your moistened hair dry and deconstruct the knot gently -- strand by strand. it's gonna take patience, but you'll thank yourself in the end for taking your time and sticking to it. i've gotten knots like this before, and they're no joke. the only thing i found to work was switching between a fine tooth comb and my fingers.

-------@@@@------------------
root, knot/mass, hair to ends

working from hair ends to root with dry hair:

1.gently detangle/comb hair ends so they're straight.
2.now using your fingers gently tug at the knot mass. gently creating volume air space in the mass -- loosening it.
3.now using your fingers, gently glide out hairs from the knot mass. you're gently pulling hairs a little bit at a time, from the root, through the knot/mass -- pulling down towards the scalp. sometimes you have to go one, two strands at a time. it's tedious, but it works.

hth

 

[Miss*Tress]

You've gotten some good advice so far so all I can do is commiserate. Last week, LocksOfLuv started a thread about avoiding this problem.

Good luck and do not despair.

 

[SparklingFlame]

Whatever you do DO NOT HENNA YOUR HAIR!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wait until you get those tangles out before you henna b/c henna tends to cause more tangles (at least that happens to me).

 

[favorc]

just hang in there. i have these knots every week. i only comb my hair on wash days so i know the feeling. this is what i do.

wash your hair with a good shampoo that works for your hair.

make sure when u are washing your hair, that your not hanging it over the sink or tub. this only casues more tangles.

comb from the ends up. when u hit a knot get a fine tooth comb to help u detangle. i found out that wide tooth combs do not help with knots like a fine tooth comb.

i also spray a setting lotion on the knots to help soften them. i like panten setting lotion.

i hope that helps. we are here for u.

 

[SparklingFlame]

When I had tangles it took me 3 days to get them out (a result from shampooing 14 wks post relaxer hair in the kitchen sink, never again only in the shower will I poo and rinse). Anyway, I use alot of detanglers and the one that worked the best was Roux Porosity control, which is really a conditioner and I used a normal hairdressing comb and gently combed my way up (starting from under/bottom of knott). Now some area's detangled better dry and some wet, I just tried some of everything until they were out, even prayer, because there was NOWAY I was cutting away my hard work. I hope you get them out, just be patient and take your time. If there breaking because there to soft let them dry a little and see if they'll come undone even if you have to do it strand by strand, pulling it out slowly one at a time.

3 days! WOW!

 

[LocksOfLuV]

You've gotten some good advice so far so all I can do is commiserate. Last week, LocksOfLuv started a thread about avoiding this problem.

Good luck and do not despair.

I was JUST going to direct her to this. Thank you!

No product recommendation, but my regimen is like yours and let me tell you you HAVE to get all that shedded hair and comb it thoroughly on wash day. HAVE to unless you want to deal with dreads.erplexed

I start my detangling process by combing my hair while rinsing out the conditioner under the shower head (if you are washing in the sink please stop). Rinse/comb the hair in the direction of the water.

Then I apply my leave ins and such, then I comb my hair again with a big comb. Then (****this is key) I finger part my hair in a small section, and comb out each section, spraying it with a s-curl mixture first, with a small toothed comb.

If you do this atleast once a week the dreads should not come. But since you already have dreads your going to need to comb through those dreads very very veeery slowly.

You have to get all that shedded hair.

 

[cabellera]

Hey Henrietta,

Know exactly what you're going through. My solution was to buy some inexpensive conditioner, the kind sold in jars and pour some glycerin in it and mix. I then applied the whole thick solution to my dry knotted hair, the whole jar. Put on a plastic cap and let it sit for an 30 - 40 minutes, longer if you like. I then used a wide-tooth comb and began the "Crown & Glory" technique of detangling my hair. Combing my ends first and detangling a little at a time (small sections going towards the crown).

At the really big knots, I used the end of my comb and my fingers to gently pull the hair out of the matted pieces. My big knots turned into a small knots that I would work to the end and sacrifice to the Trim Goddess.

I now prevent those knots by washing my hair in the shower, head down and using shampoos and conditioners with lots of slip for detangling. Since I'm natural, I MAKE TIME to detangle while my hair is wet and slippery with conditioner. Believe me, the little extra time is well worth it and no more knots!

 

[thiccknlong]

I really hate to hear this. I breaks my heart cause I know how you feel.

I would try to detangle under running water with a very slippery conditioner from the BOTTOM of the tangle. Use ORS Replenishing pak and oil

or

Deep condition with conditioners for strength ( ORS pak ) , dry hair, pour oil on it, then detangle while dry with the oil.



If that is not possible...

 

[asha]

Try using a pin or a needle to help detangle. I have had to do this before and the pin was the only thing that could poke through the knot and loosen it up. I survived with no breakage. The pin helps you to get single strands of hair.

 

[Ladyhenri]

Thank you so much for your responses ladies...
i am ever so grateful

I have detangled a few of those bad babies with your tips but i still have a few more to go.
And yes...three days later i'm still trying to sort out the nasty dread tangles and i've lost quite a few knotted bunches as well
I have been throwing on my phony for work, and luckily, my hair just about smooths down well...just about...
I sincerely hope all my progress isnt destroyed by this set back.