Ladies who STRETCH more than 10 weeks...

[Divine Inspiration]

HOW do you deal with the tangles???
The longest I've ever stretched is 16 weeks and this time I'm "supposed" to be stretching to 21 weeks. Right now, I'm about 12 weeks post & my tangles are getting impossible.
I started my hair journey using a Motions detangling product and I hated it. Then I got a rec from another board to try Elasta QP H-Two & it worked like a charm. Plus it was a mere $3.99.
But now, the H-Two falls flat on its face when it's time to perform on my hair. I'm having to fight these tangles alone, and I need help!!!

I need the BEST detangler for hair that's ridden with 2" of new growth & 20-22" of relaxed hair.
I've heard Paul Mitchell's The Detangler was good. I really wanted to make a transition to a natural/organic product, but I'm not done using all the other stuff I had. (I never realized how much of a PJ I really was. ) So, I need something, anything, to help me EASILY comb through freshly pooed and deep conditioned hair...

 

[CarLiTa]

Hi DivineI! I hope you find something because I need a good detangler too! Rusk Smoother isn't impressing me, neither is Nexxus, i think it coats my hair a bit actually.

The longest I've gone was 12 weeks and now i'm going to 16 weeks and I'm going to need help too. I"m ony 6 weeks post right now though.

and aww man, i was just on Isis's page and she has waistlength natural hair and she was saying she uses the H-Two detangler and I was like 'woah if it works for her natural hair, it should work for mine' but u're saying it doesn't work for you? I might still wanna try it since i'm not stretching as long as you are.

I hope you find something though!

 

[Divine Inspiration]

Thank you girl!!! You know I need MAJOR encouragement right now...a sista is downright frustrated...
I HIGHLY recommend H-Two to you...it worked wonders when I was relaxing like a normal person (i.e. 8-12 weeks)...it's just this mega stretching & I'm not patient. I dunno why it stopped workin for me...nothing has really changed. It's a shame that it decides to stop workin NOW though... I like for my hair to just fall into place after I rinse my con. I hate fighting with it section by section. It's sooooooo time consuming and I get impatient. I need to start back puttin music on before I detangle so I can do it without rushing through it & gettin mad.
Thanks for respondin Carlita!

 

[Blossssom]

Yes, I use Paul Mitchell's detangler...

I mix it with my conditioner, place a plastic cap over it and wash my body... This is all in the shower, of course...

It makes your hair tangle free... my hair is nowhere near as long as yours, so maybe other ladies with super long hair can advise you on combing out your tresses.

 

[Divine Inspiration]

Thanks Bloss!! As of right now, I'm leanin towards PM The Detangler. Is this a spray???
Giovanni is my creamy one. I like to have a spray and then follow with somethin creamy. I believe I've seen The Detangler in a spray bottle though...

Speaking of which, perhaps I should investigate Giovanni and find out if they have a detangler...at least I could return it to Whole Foods if it didn't work.

 

[Blossssom]

Thanks Bloss!! As of right now, I'm leanin towards PM The Detangler. Is this a spray???
Giovanni is my creamy one. I like to have a spray and then follow with somethin creamy. I believe I've seen The Detangler in a spray bottle though...

Speaking of which, perhaps I should investigate Giovanni and find out if they have a detangler...at least I could return it to Whole Foods if it didn't work.

I have heard a LOT about Giovanni and that the products are really good. Definitely worth checking into...

The Detangler is in a regular bottle... no spray. I think you'll like it.

You have to section your hair off, huh? I washed mine yesterday and yes, it was a struggle, since I'm almost 8 weeks. I've gone longer than 8 weeks, but it's not a habit of mine. The hair is too out of control.

I think next time around, I'll try sectioning it off. It seems the longer hair gets (of course, THICKER), the technique seems to change

 

[beawo]

I am currently 24 weeks post relaxer. In the past I had problems stretching because of tangles as well. To avoid tangles whilst washing, make sure all the tangles have been combed out prior to washing. Before washing give your hair a hot oil treatment. Wash your hair in sections. I wash my hair in 6 sections. I also dilute my shampoo so that I don't get shampoo residual left in my hair. Once you have finished washing your hair, wash with cold water, and put a leave in conditioner in followed by an oil (such as olive oil). To prevent my hair from tangling once dry I put my hair in bantu knots and let it air dry.
Another thing if the tangling is really bad, you may need to get a trim because it might be from the fact that you have damaged ends.

 

[Chanteuse]

Hey, I'm 4a/b and about 8 months post - Conditioners that I swear by for detangling and combing out in the shower under the the stream of shower water (this is important) are Suave Milk and Honey, Neutragena Mask and Silicon mix. Garnier Fructis for dry/damaged hair is good also for detangling and ridiculous slip. HTH~

 

[Blossssom]

Hey, I'm 4a/b and about 8 months post - Conditioners that I swear by for detangling and combing out in the shower under the the stream of shower water (this is important) are Suave Milk and Honey, Neutragena Mask and Silicon mix. Garnier Fructis for dry/damaged hair is good also for detangling and ridiculous slip. HTH~

8 months?!? You sound natural, girl!

I have heard Garnier Fructis is good for hair... and it's CHEAP!

 

[Chanteuse]

8 months?!? You sound natural, girl!

I have heard Garnier Fructis is good for hair... and it's CHEAP!

lol, I know right! I got braids back to back this summer and I was just going to give my hair a break for as long as I could stand it, but w/ daily CO and bunning it's been so easy to manage. I'm surprised and really tempted to stop relaxing all together but I probably will relax in the next few weeks. I definitely want to go natural at some point but I want to reach my length goals first.

 

[Blossssom]

lol, I know right! I got braids back to back this summer and I was just going to give my hair a break for as long as I could stand it, but w/ daily CO and bunning it's been so easy to manage. I'm surprised and really tempted to stop relaxing all together but I probably will relax in the next few weeks. I definitely want to go natural at some point but I want to reach my length goals first.

You sound a lot like me... I wore braids for 2-1/2 years several years ago and when I took them down, my hair was so soft and pretty and TOTALLY natural... after that, I did texturizing and CO'd every day. That lasted 5 years! My hair was beautiful... little did I know, even though I was texturized (no heat BTW), my beautician overprocessed my hair *sniff*

My hair today is still in recovery (very little), and I have a full relaxer and also flat-iron. My hair is still healthy and with major chops and just taking care of it, it's just as healthy as the undamaged part was when I texturized. I love it!

I too plan to go natural one day... but not yet! I love natural hair and I admire the ladies courageous and bold enough to do it. Me and you, too!

I AM NOT ASHAMED!

 

[metalkitty]

I've got a tool to recommend that should really help those stretching for longer period of time. Its the Remmington Tangle Tamer, a comb made especially for children with tender heads. Basically its a battery/ electric powered comb with spinning teeth. I'm usually a big shedder but this really lestens any shedding breakage I might have even better than my jilbere comb. It costs between ten and fifteen dollars at larger drugstores like Walgreens. Really, its a great investment and works wonders for getting through newgrowth.

 

[divinefavor]

DivineInspiration,

Thank you for posting this. I was unable to get my touch up over the weekend due to my friend having to work overtime. I washed my hair and deep conditioned with Silicon Mix followed by Humecto. My hair was so tangled, this has never happened before. I will be 17 weeks post this Friday and I hope that my friend can give me a touch up this week. I don't know if I can deal with the tangles again. In case I can't get my touch up this weekend, I will try to use some of the tips from this post.

Also, thanks so much to the other ladies who offered advice on this post.

 

[RabiaElaine]

Hi there,

I don't have as much hair as you do but I have very coarse hair fragile hair so it can be just as hard to deal with when stetching. But I have found that Loreal's children's detangler works very well for me. It comes in a spray bottle and provides that slip that you need for the tangles. You still have to be very patient and take your time but I've found that it works wonders.

HTH

 

[caligirl]

I just had a REALLY good hair day and I will share exactly what I did. I have 4a thick, coarse hair, 1 year and 6 months post relaxer.

1. make 3 loose braids on each side of my head (make it really loose at the scalp so you can get your fingers in)

2. rinse and shampoo the hair with the braids in. For the shampoo, pour a tall container of water with a capful of shampoo over the entire head and gently massage scalp.

3. rinse shampoo then take one braid down at a time. Saturate with conditioner and comb thru section with K Cutter. Braid section when finished.

4. cover braided hair with cap and sit under heating cap 15 minutes

5. rinse with cool water then set hair. I do braids, 7 on each side. Airdry overnight and in the morning have soft, wavy shiny hair!

 

[Jewell]

My tangles get pretty bad about wk 12. Products that help me a lot are NTM Healing Shine Serum (helps comb to glide through the new growth), S-Curl helps with manageability and moisture, and NTM Silk-Touch Leave-In Cream. The shampooing in braids method that Caligirl uses is a lifesaver. This time I am trying to stretch to 16 weeks. Last stretch was 14 weeks. I am eventually going to work my way up to 26 weeks...only 2 relaxers a year. We'll see!

 

[Allandra]

For my hair, products with cones work great on detangling.

 

[Divine Inspiration]

Thanks ladies!
I was trying to avoid doing the braid thing, but it looks like I'm gonna have to break down and try it. I'm gonna deep con w/ NTM mask & try detangling with PM The Detangler & do the braid method & pick up the Tangle Tamer if I can find it.
If I have tangles after all of that, then I give up.

DF, you're welcome girl! I figured SOMEBODY else had to be dealin with this too with all the ladies who stretch. Plus the girls who transition and don't wanna BC have to deal with this stuff on the regular. Good luck!

 

[CookieLAD]

Like beawo said I think you've got to make sure you avoid tangles during washing. I also use silicon mix which makes my hair soft as butter! I usually stretch 12-14 weeks

 

[lala]

As Beawo suggested, try to detangle your hair prior to shampooing your hair. If you can't detangle it, try applying conditioner to dry hair for about 15 minutes, then rinse, try to detangle with your fingers (while wet) or use a wide-toothed comb. Then shampoo or apply a moisturizing conditioner. I always apply Sabino's Moisture Block to my wet hair after my final rinse b/c it helps to detangle my thick/coarse hair. I also use it daily to combat dryness/tangles by applying it to the new growth through the entire length of my hair. If you still have problems, it may be product buildup and you’ll need to use a clarifying shampoo, or your water may be causing the hardness. HTH.

 

[carmella25]

Hi,

I went without relaxing for 15 months. I just relaxed my hair about 3 1/2 week ago. And now Im about 1 inch past bra strap. What I had to do was section my hair in 4 sections and braid it. Then I was my hair. After I was done wasing I applied infusium 23 some oil and tones of conditoner. I let my hair dry half way then I applied some more conditioner and combed out each section of my hair. That was the only way that I could seriously maintain my hair. I was every three to 4 days.

 

[metalkitty]

Thanks ladies!
I was trying to avoid doing the braid thing, but it looks like I'm gonna have to break down and try it. I'm gonna deep con w/ NTM mask & try detangling with PM The Detangler & do the braid method & pick up the Tangle Tamer if I can find it.
If I have tangles after all of that, then I give up.

DF, you're welcome girl! I figured SOMEBODY else had to be dealin with this too with all the ladies who stretch. Plus the girls who transition and don't wanna BC have to deal with this stuff on the regular. Good luck!

Good luck, I really want people, especially those stretching, to give the tangle tamer a shot. Its essential for lessening breakage while getting the knots out. Its really about keeping the line of demarcation happy and moist though too, using a glycerine based product on newgrowth helps alot too.

 

[london honey]

I've never been good at stretching until now I'm 12weeks post and its a breeze. I Co- wash twice a week to soften the new growth and use garnier Fructis for dry/damaged hair(my new found love).

For tangles, i learnt the hard way. I wash in sections always make sure i comb my hair before washing. When i look out my braids 2weeks ago i made the mistake of not combing properly before washing and the tangles were on a different scale, i lost so much hair but its recovering!

 

[simplycee]

I highly recommend Creme of Nature Ultra Moisturizing shampoo (yellow top, green label). I always use this shampoo when I take down braids or when I'm 8+ weeks post touch up. It detangles like nobody's business and then I add a leave in conditioner (Paul Mitchell's Detangler or The Conditioner work best for me) and detangle in sections, moving very, very slowly from root to tip with a wide tooth comb.

 

[saratess]

I am almost 14 weeks post relaxer and it has been easier to deal with since I learned that my hair needs moisture. So I moisturize my hair everyday with either or both of mango butter and ors olive oil. I do hot oil treatments regularly with honey and olive oil. I also use a good moisturizing conditioner (generic Nexxus). Before joining the board I could not have gone this long.

 

[belleza]

I stretch to 12 weeks. Between weeks 10 and 12 I do daily CO washes and bunning. I really works well.