Matting after taking down synthetic twist or braids...

[Ashawn Arraine]

Hello Ladies,

I am newly subscribed here. I have been lurking for over a year now . I have been installing synthetic hair for braids and twists in my mom, my DD's, and my hair since the beginning of this summer. We have all had problems with matting at the root due to build up when we take down the braids/twist.

Could you all possibly make suggestions about how to avoid this all together or maybe ways to ease out the build up that is causing the matting without ripping out/ breaking our hair.

ETA... Also my mother was considering human hair for her next set of twist. Would this make any difference in whether her hair mats or not?

TIA

Shawn

 

[faithVA]

I would recommend shampooing the hair with some gentle, braid shampoo or diluted shampoo. Doing an oil rinse or apply a nice amount of oil in the hair, baggying and letting that soak in. You can do this the day before you take the twist out. Then on take out, apply oil to your hair and hands to take them out. While taking each one out gently pull your fingers through the strands removing the extension hair and the shed hair.

After all the extension hair is out, separate the hair into 4 to 6 sections and go through again and remove as much shed hair as possible.

The rest will depend on your hair. I am a major shedder and my shed hairs crawl up my hair shaft. My hair prefers to be detangled with light oil and water before applying any major water. Some use conditioner and/or oil.

If you can get the shed hair out prior to any water hitting you will greatly reduce the matting in the hair.

After detangling I usually will only cowash to let my hair acclimate. And then shampoo the following week. So people can shampoo directly after.

I know some other suggestions will pop in here.

 

[ms.blue]

When I wore braids, no matter if human or synthetic I always had matting at the root where the braids started. All I do when time for take down apply oil at that areas and carefully break it up w/ my fingers then proceeding to use a comb.

 

[Nonie]

@Ashawn Arraine I honestly thinking applying products to your scalp the base of the braids is the main cause for knotting. I've worn braids for years and I've never had this problem. But besides the fact that I don't oil my scalp, I also do not apply conditioner to the base of my braids when I wash. I apply shampoo undiluted to my scalp and clean it well. During the rinse I squeeze shampoo through braids to clean them too.

Once I rinse that off, squeezing to get all the suds out, I apply conditioner but skip the base of my braids. Conditioner doesn't belong on my scalp and doesn't belong at the base of the braids. It's hard to wash it off if it gets caught in there and it will leave a residue that will lock your strands up and cause breakage when you try to pry strands apart.

I don't suggest you do this, but I also don't use any braid spray or moisturizer. This again means no matting. I just baggy every night and wash my hair twice a week. If you must use a moisturizer, I honestly would think something watery and that washes off like S Curl spray (yeah, I said it! And what?!) would be better and I'd just focus on the half of your hair near the ends. When you baggy (and I do it w/o products) your scalp's sebum takes care of the roots of your hair and the base of the braids. In this video you see hair that has been in braids for months. Notice how easily the hair separates and it is not hard and dry: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j68_fk46rNk

Anyway, the best advice I can give you is before you do braids again, please read through Robin's advice on braid care (link below)...and follow it. You will not be disappointed. If you add the idea of avoiding products at the base, you probably won't even need her tip on removing knots/mats at the base: http://www.growafrohairlong.com/braidreg.html

 

[Ashawn Arraine]

faithVA thank you for your suggestion.

I forgot to mention my mother is all natural 4a/b natural. My daughters are transitioning from the Just for Me Texture softener (it straigtened their hair instead of just "softening" their texture) one is 4a/b and the other is 4b/c. I am straddling the fence between a long stretch (currently 18 weeks post) and stransitioning to natural.

 

[Ashawn Arraine]

Nonie thanks those sites were very insightful. I will pass the info along.

ms.blue thank you also.

 

[Curlykale]

Nonie very helpful video about finger combing as well! thank you. I don't know why only finger comb like you when I find difficult knots.
I will start doing it on my whole head as it looks gentler and more effective, the instinct of simulating a comb with my fingers comes from years using a comb but now that I think about it, it is pointless. My texture is different but still, your method takes care of all the strands and maybe I could even try it on dry hair (something I never do). hmmm!

 

[FearfullyMade]

I agree with ms.blue. I wore braids for years and always got clumps of build up at the root, whether I was adding product or not. When I took my braids down, I would break up the hair gently with my fingers until it was separated pretty good, and then slide what ever lint etc out, then I'd try to use a comb to get the rest out. Occasionally when I wear sew-ins ( that I may have kept in for longer than intended), I'll still follow these same steps. HTH

 

[Nonie]

@Nonie very helpful video about finger combing as well! thank you. I don't know why only finger comb like you when I find difficult knots.
I will start doing it on my whole head as it looks gentler and more effective, the instinct of simulating a comb with my fingers comes from years using a comb but now that I think about it, it is pointless. My texture is different but still, your method takes care of all the strands and maybe I could even try it on dry hair (something I never do). hmmm!

Curlykale, finger-combing is easier to use if working on a small section at a time--like undoing micro-braids, or twists; you can focus on just one section at a time. If I had my entire hair loose, I'd use a comb. Thing is, my hair would not be given a chance to tangle, so there'd be no need to worry about "detangling". Homey don't play dat!