I Got In A Fight With My Hair...

[gabulldawg]

... and I lost!!! I am trying to blowdry my hair in preparation for a relaxer on Friday and it is HELL!!! I don't think I've ever lost so much hair while blowdrying!!! I also have these tangles and knots in my hair! No I'm not natural, so this shouldn't be happening!! I used heat protectant before blowdrying! Am I doing something wrong?? This is awful!

 

[curlcomplexity]

Hey girl (((hugs)))). It hapened to me too. Are you using alot of protective styles lately? You may be shedding a little more due to the weather change. If you keep your hair protected for days @ a time, you may not notice the shedding and it may cause tangles. I went for 3 weeks w/o combing and when I went to rollerset, I had dreadlocks. Don't stress it, it'll be alright!

 

[DivaRox]

Sorry GBD-What did you condition with before you blowdry session? Are you blowdrying in small sections?

 

[gabulldawg]

Well I have been wearing a lot of twist-outs and curly sets lately that didn't require me to comb my hair or anything... I also didn't condition with anything today since I washed my hair two days ago... Is that bad??

 

[DivaRox]

So you wet it and then blowdried or just rewashed and skipped the condish? Yes, I think skipping the condish is asking for trouble, unless you used coconut oil. I would skip the shampoo before I skipped the conditioner.

 

[texasqt]

Well I have been wearing a lot of twist-outs and curly sets lately that didn't require me to comb my hair or anything... I also didn't condition with anything today since I washed my hair two days ago... Is that bad??

I would say yes. I've done that before and had the same experience, tangles, knots, and dreds. I don't know your washing regimen completly but this past week I wore a bantu knot set (re-knotted every night but didn't comb thru much) and decided that prior to washing I would finger combed and used a cheapie conditioner (suave tropical coconut). I could feel my hair was slightly brittle instead of moisturized and I wanted to soften any tangles up a bit before washing. That's one suggestion to consider before washing because without I think I would have created more tangles. Conditioning helps soften the hair for me eliminating some of the tangles, etc.

As far as the blowdryer, it is highly recommended that you always deep condition when using any type of direct heat (blowdryers/flat irons, etc.). My last relaxer was 9/9 which is around the same time of your last relaxer so I'm assumming we have similar amounts of new growth (an assumption, I could be way off - my disclaimer). To prepare my hair for blowdrying, I parted my hair into 4 sections using my fingers because my hair was tangled a bit. To each section I applied my keracare leave-in and heat protector (fantasia IC serum and Redken heat glide or sometimes a blowdry lotion) and then I started detangling. This may sound crazy and it takes a while but it works and reduced hair loss for me. My hair is still in sections using clips to keep separated. With each section I first finger comb, gently releasing any tangles by hand, then I use a wide tooth comb, then a smaller tooth comb (not rat-tailed). The smaller comb matches the comb attachment on my blowdryer. Any tangles I try to release by hand first before using the comb. I did this to each section before I started blowdrying. While blowdrying, I do not use the comb attachment right off. I tussle the hair with my fingers until it gets mostly dry then I use the comb attachment mainly at the roots. Any tangles that come about I separate them with my fingers, never with the blowdryer attachement. I may run thru the entire length of my hair with the dryer but only if it can be done without force.

Not combing=tangles and knots for me but there is a way to remedy it. I still had a few knots, but I lost less being able to "feel" the way the hair was tangled. Kind of like getting the knot out of a tangled necklace, you don't want to break it, you just want to get it loose.

It may not necessarily be what you're putting on your hair but what your doing to your hair. That was alot, huh. Hope it helps though.

Edited to add: I separate each section in half horizontally and that's the most I try to run thru the blowdryer. Sometime even less. Small sections is the key.

 

[Te'TahHead]

I am sorry to be dense, but why are you blow drying your hair with a bed of newgrowth under it? Please explain to me how blowdrying dry hair is "preparing" you for your relaxer?

 

[curlcomplexity]

I am sorry to be dense, but why are you blow drying your hair with a bed of newgrowth under it? Please explain to me how blowdrying dry hair is "preparing" you for your relaxer?

I don't think she was blowdrying already dry hair. I sometimes do it about a week before relaxing, it helps to section the hair easier. The day before relaxing, I sometimes spray a little water on the roots and let it dry so that the demarcation line is easier to see.

 

[Te'TahHead]

I some times do it about a week before relaxing, it helps to section the hair easier. The day before relaxing, I sometimes spray a little water on the roots so that i can get all of the NG.

Oh, okay. Thanks. THAT is a lot of manipulation before relaxing IMO.

 

[curlcomplexity]

Oh, okay. Thanks. THAT is a lot of manipulation before relaxing IMO.

Glad I could help! I don't comb the hair or touch my scalp after that until relaxer time. I don't think that too bad at all. Most relaxer kits tell you not to brush/comb your hair for 2 days before relaxing.

 

[blackbarbie]

I'm sorry this happened to you, but I just thought the title was tooo funny.!!! I guess I was thinking of the fight I had with my hair last week and lost.

I don't have anything smart to add b/c I don't blow dry my hair. But to make sure I win the fight tonight and not end up losing so much hair, I am sitting with ORS on my hair right now underneath a plastic cap. I massaged my scalp with amla oil yesterday and wore my bun.

I am really hoping to win the fight tonight when i go to condition.

 

[gabulldawg]

Thanks, everyone for the suggestions! The idea about parting the hair and starting with fingercombing, then widetooth, then smaller to detangle before blowdrying sounds like a great idea. I am definitely still learning on this hair journey and yesterday has shown me that.

Yes, I was blowdrying WET hair to prepare for my relaxer. Usually I do not use ANY heat on my hair, so I wear curls or braidouts or bantu knot-outs or pincurls or twistouts, etc. I do know that it's NOT a good idea to attempt to relax hair with it in a form that is unable to comb through (without major breakage). So, I make sure that my hair is straight before I get a relaxer. I figure it would be okay to use a blowdryer 4 times a year for a good purpose. Blowdrying my hair also makes it easier to see the line of demarcation for my stylist. I didn't think about wetting my new growth before the relaxer as well. That's a good idea! Thanks again, everyone!