If I went natural would I have this problem?

[freshlikemoi]

Hey Ladies *waving*

Foremost I'm about 3 months or so post relaxer. Last night after giving myself a DC, I became so frustrated with my hair trying to detangle the mess. Patience is truly a virtue. At any rate, I'm wondering if I'm having a difficult time detangling because I'm dealing with two total opposite textures? or Is this going to be the case when I decide (back that up) if I decide to chop off the relaxer one day?

Bottom Line: Is detangling all natural hair a hassle as well?

 

[GaiasDaughter24]

For me, it's not. I detangle when wet and drenched in conditioner twice a week. I detangle with a wide tooth comb on small sections. Also, since I keep my hair stretched in braids I never have hard detangling sessions. Easy as pie.

ETA: I section my hair in 4 sections. Then I break each of those sections into 4 sections and detangle one by one.

Also, If I do a WNG detangling does take more time since the coils do wrap around themselves. That's why I don't do them often anymore. I keep my hair stretched.

 

[EllePixie]

Detangling natural hair IMO is harder than relaxed hair because the curls shrink around each other and intertwine and tangle. It don't think it's the most annoying thing in the world, but I certainly can't run a comb through my hair all at once because it would get stuck and just sit there. I definitely have to detangle in 8 sections or more.

 

[chebaby]

i dont have detangling issues at all. ive been natural for 2 years come April and the only time ive ever had an issue with detangling was if i used a conditioner that didnt agree with my hair.
also if you drench your hair in conditioner and detangle under the running water there shouldnt be a problem.

 

[freshlikemoi]

For me, it's not. I detangle when wet and drenched in conditioner twice a week. I detangle with a wide tooth comb on small sections. Also, since I keep my hair stretched in braids I never have hard detangling sessions. Easy as pie.

What kind of pie are you baking because I use those same steps? erplexed I only detangle with conditioner in my hair and with a wide-tooth comb!! Perhaps, I should start detangling more (like 2xs a week) instead of once a week. I'm just not sure, but this is just so time consuming and it hurts.

 

[orangepeel]

With the right amount of time, patience and conditioner it isn't a big hassle, but I have found the longer my hair is the more care I have to take with detangling.

 

[freshlikemoi]

The common theme here seems to be, "DRENCHED in CONDITIONER" I definitely will go back to the drawing board and try that out.

 

[EllePixie]

What kind of pie are you baking because I use those same steps? erplexed I only detangle with conditioner in my hair and with a wide-tooth comb!! Perhaps, I should start detangling more (like 2xs a week) instead of once a week. I'm just not sure, but this is just so time consuming and it hurts.

Just wondering - what are you considering time consuming? I only ask because it takes me about 15 min to detangle my natural hair, which isn't a long time at all, BUT compared to the 5 minutes or less it took me to do my relaxed hair (in four big sections), it seems like so much more work.

 

[Sequoia]

Detangling is easier for me now that I'm fully natural than it was when I was transitioning because of a (more or less) uniform texture and technique. Like GaiasDaughter24 said, detangling with conditioner and in sections works.

 

[chebaby]

oh and i dont detangle in sections because im lazy and i dont think its necessary unless your hair doesnt get weighed down by water. i say that because i sleep with my hair out most nights and in the morning i just let the water soak my hair, it flattens it out some and then i use my hands to smooth the hair down and make sure its drench in water. then i add the conditioner, let it sit and then detangle under the water.

if the water doesnt flatten your hair then you probably need to section the hair because the water doesnt "help" smooth the hair before you start.

 

[havilland]

it's the two textures. once you go natural you won't have that demarcation line that makes detangling such a chore. you will still have to take time and find the right products, etc...but it won't be the same "angry" procedure.

i did a ten month stretch this last year...just got a touch up last week....i was soooo frustrated with detangling and the whole procedure it takes to deal with 10 months of new growth. at any rate, today i washed my hair and it still takes time and patience, etc. but it was not the same chore as when i had two textures to deal with.

i feel that relaxed, texlaxed (i'm texlaxed) or natural, dealing with ONE TEXTURE is way way less drama than two.

keep hope alive!

 

[GaiasDaughter24]

What kind of pie are you baking because I use those same steps? erplexed I only detangle with conditioner in my hair and with a wide-tooth comb!! Perhaps, I should start detangling more (like 2xs a week) instead of once a week. I'm just not sure, but this is just so time consuming and it hurts.

Maybe it's your conditioner. I use Joico Moisture Recovery because it offers me a lot of slip. So does Nexxus Humectress. Also, how small are your sections?

 

[freshlikemoi]

Just wondering - what are you considering time consuming? I only ask because it takes me about 15 min to detangle my natural hair, which isn't a long time at all, BUT compared to the 5 minutes or less it took me to do my relaxed hair (in four big sections), it seems like so much more work.

To get from the root of my hair to the end; section by section I'd say at least 30 minutes! Are you saying that's normal??? Oh my word!!

 

[GaiasDaughter24]

it's the two textures. once you go natural you won't have that demarcation line that makes detangling such a chore. you will still have to take time and find the right products, etc...but it won't be the same "angry" procedure.

i did a ten month stretch this last year...just got a touch up last week....i was soooo frustrated with detangling and the whole procedure it takes to deal with 10 months of new growth. at any rate, today i washed my hair and it still takes time and patience, etc. but it was not the same chore as when i had two textures to deal with.

i feel that relaxed, texlaxed (i'm texlaxed) or natural, dealing with ONE TEXTURE is way way less drama than two.

keep hope alive!

Very true.

 

[GaiasDaughter24]

To get from the root of my hair to the end; section by section I'd say at least 30 minutes! Are you saying that's normal??? Oh my word!!

Sounds about right.

 

[Computer Blue]

In my experience it gets better as the demarcation line grows out and amount of relaxed ends decreases( I am trimming gradually), but it will be much different/better when the relaxed ends are gone.

 

[freshlikemoi]

it's the two textures. once you go natural you won't have that demarcation line that makes detangling such a chore. you will still have to take time and find the right products, etc...but it won't be the same "angry" procedure.

i did a ten month stretch this last year...just got a touch up last week....i was soooo frustrated with detangling and the whole procedure it takes to deal with 10 months of new growth. at any rate, today i washed my hair and it still takes time and patience, etc. but it was not the same chore as when i had two textures to deal with.

i feel that relaxed, texlaxed (i'm texlaxed) or natural, dealing with ONE TEXTURE is way way less drama than two.

keep hope alive!

Thanks for the encouragement. I definitely thought "hey if new growth generally grows in at a looser pattern and my relaxed hair is obviously straight then it should be a walk in the park.

 

[freshlikemoi]

Maybe it's your conditioner. I use Joico Moisture Recovery because it offers me a lot of slip. So does Nexxus Humectress. Also, how small are your sections?

I'm going to try the conditioners that you've suggested when I co-wash. I'm so embarrassed to say but I co-wash with V05 and use NTM leave in conditioner and then detangle. I did however, just purchase Giovanni Direct which hasn't come in yet. But overall, It could most certainly be my budget friendly products. (Mo' Money Mo' Prahlemmsss)

 

[Prudent1]

For me, it's not. I detangle when wet and drenched in conditioner twice a week. I detangle with a wide tooth comb on small sections. Also, since I keep my hair stretched in braids I never have hard detangling sessions. Easy as pie.

ETA: I section my hair in 4 sections. Then I break each of those sections into 4 sections and detangle one by one.

Also, If I do a WNG detangling does take more time since the coils do wrap around themselves. That's why I don't do them often anymore. I keep my hair stretched.

A lot of us (self-included) have had huge success with a good dose of condish as GaiasDaughter24 said and the tangle teaser. For me it was my detangling technique. After a certain length is obtained, detangling in the shower under the before mentioned circumstances works well too.

 

[freshlikemoi]

A lot of us (self-included) have had huge success with a good dose of condish as GaiasDaughter24 said and the tangle teaser. For me it was my detangling technique. After a certain length is obtained, detangling in the shower under the before mentioned circumstances works well too.

Thank YOU!!! I just ordered the tangle teaser online (I have been seeing it float around the board), hopefully it will allow me to stretch another 5 months or so to obtain a good amount of growth and remain pain-free on wash days, because it can be very painful!

 

[Prudent1]

I'm going to try the conditioners that you've suggested when I co-wash. I'm so embarrassed to say but I co-wash with V05 and use NTM leave in conditioner and then detangle. I did however, just purchase Giovanni Direct which hasn't come in yet. But overall, It could most certainly be my budget friendly products. (Mo' Money Mo' Prahlemmsss)

A good condish will give you slip but I use Herbal Essence HH ($5.00 for 1 liter) and V05 moisture milk strawberries n cream ($1.99 for 23 oz.) to detangle w/o problem. I also have pricier items (Giovanni, Joico, etc) but don't let price deter you. Experiment and use what works best for your hair.

 

[Cheleigh]

When I was transitioning I detangled twice weekly in six sections to keep the tangles at bay. When I first BC, detangling was a breeze compared to doing it while transitioning.

Now, I detangle (unfortunately) infrequently, which is terrible and it takes a while. If I detangled weekly (and banded my hair at night), it would take me maybe 10-15 minutes tops. My hair is roughly brastrap-midback length stretched.

 

[GaiasDaughter24]

I'm going to try the conditioners that you've suggested when I co-wash. I'm so embarrassed to say but I co-wash with V05 and use NTM leave in conditioner and then detangle. I did however, just purchase Giovanni Direct which hasn't come in yet. But overall, It could most certainly be my budget friendly products. (Mo' Money Mo' Prahlemmsss)

Yeah, I've had to use the expensive products on my hair to get the results I wanted. I swear by Joico but, man, it can eat at your pockets. Trade Secret has a sale once a year on their liter size. 50% off. Unfortunetly, it just passed. I stocked up.

Giovanni is sold at Target now (unless I'm extremely late lol). That's the leave-in I use as well. I just noticed that you said it hasn't come yet so I'm assuming you ordered it. If you can get it from Target you don't have to pay shipping.

 

[freshlikemoi]

Thank You everyone for your prompt and thorough responses!!!!

 

[Curlykale]

have you ever tried oil rinsing? there's an amazing thread about it somewhere here (it has literally eliminated my detangling sessions!)

 

[MissLeo]

Detangling is much easier now that I am all natural. When I was transitioning it was a nightmare.

 

[Nonie]

And if you're not too fussy and too bothered with changing your style every day, and don't mind leaving your hair alone, then detangling will not even be an issue in your life. I never detangle because I never let my hair get tangled in the first place.

When I'm not using combs, my hair is kept detangled in braids and twists and I wash in them, dry in them, live in them. I finger comb one at a time carefully to remove shed hair and separate the strands fully when I decide to redo them, and I don't try to do all in one sitting but do them as I feel like it, quitting when I'm bored.

When my hair isn't in braids or twists, I comb it out. I never do WNGs...and if I do a twist-out or braid-out, you can bet your bottom dollar, I will retwist/rebraid each single section before I go to bed after carefully finger combing. I never wear an "out" for more than one day because I cannot (will NOT) go to bed with loose hair. Otherwise, I always comb out my afro and rebraid it every night if wearing my hair out. If wearing my hair out, I wash in braids and undo and comb each section while it is drenched with product then rebraid it before working on another. And I do that during the shampoo step, the conditioning step and the rinses.

So life with my natural hair has been a breeze because I know how to avoid giving myself work.

 

[LongLeggedLife]

Its definitely a hassle for me, but I never transitioned, so I can't say personally if it is more or less work.
I only need to detangle on wash day tho and do it while im still in the shower while rinsing conditioner with water running over my hair. Its a chore, but one I can handle once every two weeks when I wash, its not a big deal for day to day styling.

 

[~~HoneyComb~~]

If you have a lot of newgrowth, then you're going to have to detangle your hair like a natural would.

That means sectioning your hair in 4 or more sections, and detangling one section at a time. A good way to do this is to drench it section with conditioner and brush through before you get in the shower, that way it cuts down the time you have to spend in the shower. You could use your shampoo for your scalp only once you get in the shower.

No more trying to wash all your hair at one time

 

[Your Cheeziness]

It took me longer to detangle while transitioning (5 months) than it does now (1 year post relaxer). I keep my hair stretched and use a slippery condish. I finger detangle with every wash, so I don't have a major detangling session. But, I think the length and wash frequency will ultimately determine how long you spend on detangling. Happy transition!