My hair is full of KNOTS!!!

[BeatriceFly]

Okay so here is the story

Over the past couple of months I have been twisting, leaving it in for about 2 weeks, and bunning for about another week
I only come when I have conditioner in though which is whenever i wash my hair which is about ever 2-3 weeks
So i never come after I take the twists out or bun or whatever
And there wasnt a problem
BUT.... yesterday when I washed my hair, my hair was FULL of knots i could not get out
I had to pop them off because i tried to work it out but these were full blown knots
Now Im like great, I just trimmed, i'll probably have to do another major trim after this because of these stupid knots that have no broke my hair
AND.. i dont know what to do because I am trying to do low manipulation but apparently my hair gets matty and tangly and thats no good

Any suggestions/comments?

 

[angelita842002]

Maybe your leaving the twists in too long? Also maybe wash every week. I know you probably dont want to do your hair but that way the tangles wont be in so long?I cowash every other day or every day and my hair hasnt been tangled since i began doing it. I dont think cowashing is alot of manipulation since my hair is already detangle. i just finger comb it with the conditioner and almost no hairs comb out. then do my leave in seal and put it in a wet pony/bun with the ends tucked under and thats my every day style.

 

[BeatriceFly]

oh okay
i mean i am afraid to wash my hair every week because it is dry
are you relaxed or natural? (i dont know if ur avatar is old or pressed or what have you)
i ask because i feel like detangling natural hair causes a lot of hair to come out.. at least mine because it is extremely tangly.. and although i do fingercomb, apparently i was missing these knots because i just noticed them only because i cornrowed this week

but i do feel i am leaving it in too long, i think my hair is very matty

Maybe your leaving the twists in too long? Also maybe wash every week. I know you probably dont want to do your hair but that way the tangles wont be in so long?I cowash every other day or every day and my hair hasnt been tangled since i began doing it. I dont think cowashing is alot of manipulation since my hair is already detangle. i just finger comb it with the conditioner and almost no hairs comb out. then do my leave in seal and put it in a wet pony/bun with the ends tucked under and thats my every day style.

 

[~*~ShopAholic~*~]

You say you don't comb your hair when you take out your twist or bun, that sounds like a your culprit, when removing something that has been in for like two wks, or braids it's always best to comb the hair out b4 shampooing. Not only does it help detangle but it also removes any hairs that couldn't shed while in the protective style. HTH's

 

[Cayenne0622]

Sorry about your dilemna! I know that was not fun! I had mini knots a couple of times which is something I never experienced before. This tells me that my hair is definitely underprocessed. I wish I had some suggestions. Just wanted to wish you well!

 

[BeatriceFly]

well i know i probably shouldnt detangle it dry??
i mean should i just throw conditioner in it and detangle??

how does that helps the knots though??
i dont know girl...

You say you don't comb your hair when you take out your twist or bun, that sounds like a your culprit, when removing something that has been in for like two wks, or braids it's always best to comb the hair out b4 shampooing. Not only does it help detangle but it also removes any hairs that couldn't shed while in the protective style. HTH's

 

[BeatriceFly]

thank u boo!!!

Sorry about your dilemna! I know that was not fun! I had mini knots a couple of times which is something I never experienced before. This tells me that my hair is definitely underprocessed. I wish I had some suggestions. Just wanted to wish you well!

 

[angelita842002]

oh okay
i mean i am afraid to wash my hair every week because it is dry
are you relaxed or natural? (i dont know if ur avatar is old or pressed or what have you)
i ask because i feel like detangling natural hair causes a lot of hair to come out.. at least mine because it is extremely tangly.. and although i do fingercomb, apparently i was missing these knots because i just noticed them only because i cornrowed this week

but i do feel i am leaving it in too long, i think my hair is very matty

i am natural i had my hair flat ironed for the firt time in months in the avatar. I always detangle in the shower with loads of conditioner. I was afraid to wash it so often too but its always moisturized so i dont need a ton of products and detangled. finger combing is like having a wide comb u aint gonna get the tangles inbetween if u know what i mean. So when i apply my leave in i comb it through with a smaller comb then apply my sealant and comb it through again and i dont thing im losing a ton of hair. i barely loose hair in the shower. Remember 50 to 100 hairs is okay!!!HTH

 

[lana]

You might also want to try straightening shampoos and conditioners. Like Loreal or Paul Mitchell. They really do help relax the curl pattern (without applying a chemical process) so the hair straightens out a little better and def detangles better.

I'm a 4a natural and the key to avoiding tangles for me is MOISTURE. I need to use moisturizing shampoos and conditioners when I wash and deep condition.

I hope this helps. Best wishes.

 

[ak46]

You say you don't comb your hair when you take out your twist or bun, that sounds like a your culprit, when removing something that has been in for like two wks, or braids it's always best to comb the hair out b4 shampooing. Not only does it help detangle but it also removes any hairs that couldn't shed while in the protective style. HTH's

I just learned my lesson from not combing after taking braids out. I had singles for about 2 months, took them out on Tuesday, washed my hair, and , I had never seen so many tangles and knots. Plus I haven't relaxed in like 5 months. But I think if you comb and detangle your hair before you wash (after taking the twisties out), it will definitely help.

 

[~*~ShopAholic~*~]

I'm confused, if I take my braids that I have in my hair now out, I will comb my hair out from the ends up and then shampoo/cond. Sometimes knotts are formed from the hair that was trying to shedd but couldn't while in the protective style. So when you go to shampoo your hair the shedding hairs wrap around the length sometimes causing knotts, tangles and matted hair, which I had at one time because I was being super cautious about combing my hair out b4 pooing it thinking I would cause more damage, but actually ended up hurting myself in the end w/three days worth of tangles, knotts and matted mess I had to remove.

Now are you saying that the knotts were already there, burried in the bun or mixed in w/your twist?

well i know i probably shouldnt detangle it dry??
i mean should i just throw conditioner in it and detangle??

how does that helps the knots though??
i dont know girl...

 

[nurseN98]

I can't keep twists in for longer than a week because the same thing happens to me (besides they get super frizzy and start unraveling). One thing that helps to reduce knotting though is every other day, I put a little conditioner mixed with water on the ends and baggie them. This helps so much, I can't even tell you.

The other thing that helps me is detangling under the stream of shower and using a k-cutter. Those big ole shower combs don't get all of my tangles out. Your hair is getting longer so you may have to detangle more, especially after you take yours twist out. I know I do. Good luck to you!

 

[jtsupanova]

To aviod knots I do you twist on dry hair and then do not wet/wash them untill I intented to take them out. This way my twist last up to three weeks
NO KNOTS

 

[JustKiya]

If I understand you correctly, you only comb your hair every 2-3 weeks, AND you have it in twists the rest of the time?
Girl, them ain't knots, they are baby dreads!! *LOL*

If your hair is in twists, those 50-100 hairs that shed a DAY can't come out - so they just kick it, and get tangled into your hair. When you comb it out that once - esp. if you don't comb it out WELL, those shed hairs are going to stay - tieing themselves to other hairs that are still in your head, and slowly forming knots. Then - all of a sudden - BAM! you are going to see a LOT of knots because there is enough shed hair that isn't being combed out to really cause a problem.
If you only comb your hair every three weeks, you have to comb it out WELL - and BEFORE you wash it - and you SHOULD have a pretty big ball of shed hair when you are done. I know that you want to do low manipulation, so I would suggest taking your twists down, getting your hair wet, COATING it in your slipperiest conditioner well and letting it sit for about 10 mintues - then start combing your hair. Start with the widest tooth comb you have, and gently comb/detangle your hair. Then move down to the next smallest, and you should be able to finish up with a 'regular' toothed comb. Rinse out the conditioner, part & twist your hair into 4/5 sections, and wash each section separately to prevent it from tangling - then you should be good to go.
Doing that every three weeks should prevent a recurrance.

You also say that you have dry hair - are you condtioning/moisturizing your hair while it is in the twists? If not, you might want to start doing that to help your hair stay moist.

I hope that helps some...

 

[Dearlove]

If I understand you correctly, you only comb your hair every 2-3 weeks, AND you have it in twists the rest of the time?
Girl, them ain't knots, they are baby dreads!! *LOL*

If your hair is in twists, those 50-100 hairs that shed a DAY can't come out - so they just kick it, and get tangled into your hair. When you comb it out that once - esp. if you don't comb it out WELL, those shed hairs are going to stay - tieing themselves to other hairs that are still in your head, and slowly forming knots. Then - all of a sudden - BAM! you are going to see a LOT of knots because there is enough shed hair that isn't being combed out to really cause a problem.
If you only comb your hair every three weeks, you have to comb it out WELL - and BEFORE you wash it - and you SHOULD have a pretty big ball of shed hair when you are done. I know that you want to do low manipulation, so I would suggest taking your twists down, getting your hair wet, COATING it in your slipperiest conditioner well and letting it sit for about 10 mintues - then start combing your hair. Start with the widest tooth comb you have, and gently comb/detangle your hair. Then move down to the next smallest, and you should be able to finish up with a 'regular' toothed comb. Rinse out the conditioner, part & twist your hair into 4/5 sections, and wash each section separately to prevent it from tangling - then you should be good to go.
Doing that every three weeks should prevent a recurrance.

You also say that you have dry hair - are you condtioning/moisturizing your hair while it is in the twists? If not, you might want to start doing that to help your hair stay moist.

I hope that helps some...

co-signing....

I would also recommend an overnight oil pre-poo. I have 4-something natural hair that is just past shoulder length. I wear twists regularly. I find that if I leave the twists in for longer that 7-10 days, when I take them out to wash, I end up with a huge ball of shed/broken hair. Try to moisturize daily, use the oil pre-poo, get a rich condish and only, only, only comb when wet/saturated with conditioner. Combing dry hair is a recipe for guaranteed disaster.

Good Luck, HTH

 

[LoveLiLi]

Umm, I don't have anything to add about tangles. I was all up in NurseN98's fotki, and her hair is beautiful. Carry on.

 

[oglorious1]

For knots in the hair, you can use Kinky Curly's Knot Today detangler, that stuff really does work like it says it does.

 

[KiSseS03]

I agree with nappywomyn! You really have to detangle and get rid of the shed hair after wearing twists for that long. My hair is shorter than yours and I still find it beneficial to detangle once a week.

 

[TropicalRose]

I'm confused, if I take my braids that I have in my hair now out, I will comb my hair out from the ends up and then shampoo/cond. Sometimes knotts are formed from the hair that was trying to shedd but couldn't while in the protective style. So when you go to shampoo your hair the shedding hairs wrap around the length sometimes causing knotts, tangles and matted hair, which I had at one time because I was being super cautious about combing my hair out b4 pooing it thinking I would cause more damage, but actually ended up hurting myself in the end w/three days worth of tangles, knotts and matted mess I had to remove.

Now are you saying that the knotts were already there, burried in the bun or mixed in w/your twist?

THAT IS THE TRUTH!!!!!!! even when my hair is loose, i would get knots because of the shedding hair.

but you dont have to use a comb. we just mean that you should separate a lot of the hair. i fingure comb or just pick clumps of hair together before any water or conditioner hits it

 

[Soul♥Flower]

When you take your hair down from braids or twists that have been in for a while, you should always comb first before wetting it with anything. The last time I took out my braids I put conditioner in it thinking it would make it easier to comb out.......it just made it unbelievably worse. I lost a lot of hair that night*smh*

 

[lonei]

Okay so here is the story

Over the past couple of months I have been twisting, leaving it in for about 2 weeks, and bunning for about another week
I only come when I have conditioner in though which is whenever i wash my hair which is about ever 2-3 weeks
So i never come after I take the twists out or bun or whatever
And there wasnt a problem
BUT.... yesterday when I washed my hair, my hair was FULL of knots i could not get out
I had to pop them off because i tried to work it out but these were full blown knots
Now Im like great, I just trimmed, i'll probably have to do another major trim after this because of these stupid knots that have no broke my hair
AND.. i dont know what to do because I am trying to do low manipulation but apparently my hair gets matty and tangly and thats no good

Any suggestions/comments?

Im relaxed and I wash evry3 weeks also. I do not comb in between this time either. However, just before I wash, I apply NTM silk touch leave in and detangle in sections, then proceed to wash in braids. My hair has to be properly detangled before I wet it, otherwise what you describe happens to me, hope this helps.

 

[Ms Lala]

THAT IS THE TRUTH!!!!!!! even when my hair is loose, i would get knots because of the shedding hair.

but you dont have to use a comb. we just mean that you should separate a lot of the hair. i fingure comb or just pick clumps of hair together before any water or conditioner hits it[/quote]

that's what I do, I use my fingers to pick the twists and clumped hair apart before washing.

 

[BeatriceFly]

so once a week huh?
so then what do you do with it for the whole week
because twisting takes so long im like no way am i taking it out!!

i am natural i had my hair flat ironed for the firt time in months in the avatar. I always detangle in the shower with loads of conditioner. I was afraid to wash it so often too but its always moisturized so i dont need a ton of products and detangled. finger combing is like having a wide comb u aint gonna get the tangles inbetween if u know what i mean. So when i apply my leave in i comb it through with a smaller comb then apply my sealant and comb it through again and i dont thing im losing a ton of hair. i barely loose hair in the shower. Remember 50 to 100 hairs is okay!!!HTH

 

[BeatriceFly]

okay but i shouldnt comb my hair dry right???

I just learned my lesson from not combing after taking braids out. I had singles for about 2 months, took them out on Tuesday, washed my hair, and , I had never seen so many tangles and knots. Plus I haven't relaxed in like 5 months. But I think if you comb and detangle your hair before you wash (after taking the twisties out), it will definitely help.

 

[BeatriceFly]

you know what girl?
i dont know i havent noticed knots at ALL until this last wash
but i detangle during every wash
so unless i missed them, i think they formed thru a combo of the twists and bunning it after i took the twists out

I'm confused, if I take my braids that I have in my hair now out, I will comb my hair out from the ends up and then shampoo/cond. Sometimes knotts are formed from the hair that was trying to shedd but couldn't while in the protective style. So when you go to shampoo your hair the shedding hairs wrap around the length sometimes causing knotts, tangles and matted hair, which I had at one time because I was being super cautious about combing my hair out b4 pooing it thinking I would cause more damage, but actually ended up hurting myself in the end w/three days worth of tangles, knotts and matted mess I had to remove.

Now are you saying that the knotts were already there, burried in the bun or mixed in w/your twist?

 

[BeatriceFly]

wasnt that great advice?
ok but i have a question for you

oil pre-poo= saturating hair in oil the night before i wash?? now do i leave twists in or take them out?

co-signing....

I would also recommend an overnight oil pre-poo. I have 4-something natural hair that is just past shoulder length. I wear twists regularly. I find that if I leave the twists in for longer that 7-10 days, when I take them out to wash, I end up with a huge ball of shed/broken hair. Try to moisturize daily, use the oil pre-poo, get a rich condish and only, only, only comb when wet/saturated with conditioner. Combing dry hair is a recipe for guaranteed disaster.

Good Luck, HTH

 

[BeatriceFly]

okay lets see what i have absorbed from you wonderful ladies


i am NOT going to keep twists in for 2 weeks and buns in for an additional week
i WILL wash and detangle more often, maybe twists for a week, and bun for an addtional week or twist out for an additional week
i WILL separate hair thoroughly before washing or have a detangling session maybe with conditioner (NO DRY HAIR!)

sounds good?
correct me if i have anything mistaken
and thank you so much guys
my last wash was truly a disaster

 

[hrtbndr21]

You say you don't comb your hair when you take out your twist or bun, that sounds like a your culprit, when removing something that has been in for like two wks, or braids it's always best to comb the hair out b4 shampooing. Not only does it help detangle but it also removes any hairs that couldn't shed while in the protective style. HTH's

Detangling before shampooing is key...I am the queen of knotty hair I finally mastered this lastnight. I used a detangling spray and detangled my head. Sectioned the hair into four braids. Then shampood the hair while braided. When I took it down to blow it out a little. Very few tangles and no knots to be found. The spray I use is L'oreal Kids detangling spray. I saw it on somebody's Fotki and tried it out. It's better than combing dry... very little breakage.

I guess keeping it braided keeps the hair from drawing up and tangling while wet.

 

[BeatriceFly]

hmmm maybe i should get some of that stuff to detangle first

Detangling before shampooing is key...I am the queen of knotty hair I finally mastered this lastnight. I used a detangling spray and detangled my head. Sectioned the hair into four braids. Then shampood the hair while braided. When I took it down to blow it out a little. Very few tangles and no knots to be found. The spray I use is L'oreal Kids detangling spray. I saw it on somebody's Fotki and tried it out. It's better than combing dry... very little breakage.

I guess keeping it braided keeps the hair from drawing up and tangling while wet.

 

[Dearlove]

wasnt that great advice?
ok but i have a question for you

oil pre-poo= saturating hair in oil the night before i wash?? now do i leave twists in or take them out?

I take my twists out before I pre-poo. I just put the shower cap and scarf on after. With my daughter, I take her twists out, oil, then put it in four large braids before putting the shower cap on. HTH