Please Help! - Detangling Nightmare!

[kim1006]

The last few times I washed my hair it has been extemely tangled. The first time this happened I raked through it and lost a LOT of hair.

The subsequent times I have also lost quite a bit of hair. Last summer, I washed my hair and did not have this problem. This last time I pre-pooed with "Polar Bear Oil" (The composition is: Vaseline Liquids, Aceite Esencial Base Lila. It says to use before shampooing and atfer conditioning.), deep conditioned with steamer and applied leave in. What else can I do!!! Please help!!!! erplexed

 

[faithVA]

Are you natural or relaxed?

And share with us what products you used. (shampoo, dc, leave-in).

how did your hair feel before you shampooed it?

 

[Nonie]

Also how do you wear you hair?

How often do you comb?

Do you wash in sections?

How do you put your hair to bed?

 

[CurlsBazillion]

^^^what Nonie said and do you detangle before you shampoo in sections?

 

[PJaye]

When was the last time you clarified/chelated?

 

[kim1006]

• I am sorta relaxed with a good bit a natural
• I relax about twice a year
• I don't believe I have ever clarified
• I use Dominican preferred products (olive oil conditioners, Una, Alter Ego Garlic...)
• No I do not wash in sections
• During the last few washes, it has been straight, curly or wash and go
• With the expection of wash and go, I comb daily
• My hair felt fine before and after the shampoo
• If my hair is straight, I wrap it before bed,
• If my hair is curly, I pin curl it before bed
• If it is wash and go, I put a satin cap on it before bed
• The last time before I washed it. I put a plastic cap and Rosemary oil on and slept with it in my hair overnight

ETA: The last two times I washed with Creme of Nature. Is this considered a clarifying shampoo?

 

[Nonie]

IIRC, I think there's a clarifying CON shampoo, but I don't think all of them are.

One thing I find a bit frightening is just putting on a cap for the night after a WNG w/o doing anything to ensure hair is fully detangled first, although I'm of course picturing a WNG on curly hair; not sure how that looks on relaxed hair.

Also washing in sections that have been combed through to remove shed hair might help. But you'd also have to undo a braid at a time during each step to comb through with product in it or running water...to ensure the sections are fully cleaned, conditioned, rinsed. An ACV final rinse should make strands pretty smooth and less likely to tangle.

Lastly, I don't know how often you trim your hair but splits will cause you hair to tangle.

T

 

[kim1006]

Thanks again for all of the replies. I am going to see if clarifying works. Every now and again at the salon they use a shampoo that smells sorta like tar. I am now wondering if it maybe a clarifying shampoo.

 

[kim1006]

IIRC, I think there's a clarifying CON shampoo, but I don't think all of them are.

One thing I find a bit frightening is just putting on a cap for the night after a WNG w/o doing anything to ensure hair is fully detangled first, although I'm of course picturing a WNG on curly hair; not sure how that looks on relaxed hair.

Also washing in sections that have been combed through to remove shed hair might help. But you'd also have to undo a braid at a time during each step to comb through with product in it or running water...to ensure the sections are fully cleaned, conditioned, rinsed. An ACV final rinse should make strands pretty smooth and less likely to tangle.

Lastly, I don't know how often you trim your hair but splits will cause you hair to tangle.

T

I had a trim about two weeks ago, but I am not sure if my stylist took enough off. She did mostly a light dusting. My ends usually don't split, but I think I still may need another trim.

 

[Nonie]

I had a trim about two weeks ago, but I am not sure if my stylist took enough off. She did mostly a light dusting. My ends usually don't split, but I think I still may need another trim.

I'm that annoying poster who tells everybody that all ends split, whether you see it or not. Why? Because they are organic...and all things organic wear away with time. If you protective style and seal your ends, you do indeed slow down the process, but the fact that you don't see splits doesn't mean they are not there. Most times when people don't see split ends it's either coz they've already come and gone (like if it's been so long since you trimmed) or they are still at a microscopic scale. Because a split that looks like this:

...will not be visible to you. Why? That ugly thing is less than 1/10 of a centimeter! So by the time you're seeing them, they're pretty awful. Many people will tell you that it is when their hair starts to tangle that they know their ends need a trim...and that a trim usually solves the problem.

Sorry, I know I am bearer of bad news, but it's the truth. Also you make a good point when you say you're not sure if your stylist took all the split ends off. If one waits too long to dust, then the splits are so far gone that a snip at the ends doesn't take away all the damage. Which is why it's best to catch it when it's not much bigger than that^^ size so you can afford to get away with trimming a 1/4 inch or so.

 

[jamaica68]

Try spraying your hair with Aloe Vera Juice, finger detangle then use a wide tooth comb or other detangling tool.

 

[Bublin]

I see you pre-poo'd with just Rosemary Oil. Did you mix it with a carrier oil?

Also only try to detangle with lots of condish in your hair and either whilst under the shower or after you have finished deep conditioning, run some water on your hair but do not wash out the condish, then detangle. Trying to detangle with no extra water in the mix is very hard to do on my hair.

I do the majority of my detangling with my fingers. This way you will not rip through your hair with a comb. I only use the comb once my fingers can slide through my hair.

Personally washing in sections causes alot of tangles so that doesn't always work for everyone.

 

[kim1006]

I'm that annoying poster who tells everybody that all ends split, whether you see it or not. Why? Because they are organic...and all things organic wear away with time. If you protective style and seal your ends, you do indeed slow down the process, but the fact that you don't see splits doesn't mean they are not there. Most times when people don't see split ends it's either coz they've already come and gone (like if it's been so long since you trimmed) or they are still at a microscopic scale. Because a split that looks like this:

...will not be visible to you. Why? That ugly thing is less than 1/10 of a centimeter! So by the time you're seeing them, they're pretty awful. Many people will tell you that it is when their hair starts to tangle that they know their ends need a trim...and that a trim usually solves the problem.

Sorry, I know I am bearer of bad news, but it's the truth. Also you make a good point when you say you're not sure if your stylist took all the split ends off. If one waits too long to dust, then the splits are so far gone that a snip at the ends doesn't take away all the damage. Which is why it's best to catch it when it's not much bigger than that^^ size so you can afford to get away with trimming a 1/4 inch or so.

My stylist also says my hair does not spilt, which I attribute to the sealing products I use. However, the products don't help with detangling.

 

[kim1006]

I see you pre-poo'd with just Rosemary Oil. Did you mix it with a carrier oil?

Also only try to detangle with lots of condish in your hair and either whilst under the shower or after you have finished deep conditioning, run some water on your hair but do not wash out the condish, then detangle. Trying to detangle with no extra water in the mix is very hard to do on my hair.

I do the majority of my detangling with my fingers. This way you will not rip through your hair with a comb. I only use the comb once my fingers can slide through my hair.

Personally washing in sections causes alot of tangles so that doesn't always work for everyone.

No, I did not mix anything with the Rosemary. I only detangle with conditioner. I also used my fingers after the first time in which I raked through my hair. Thanks for the tip about washing or not washing in sections.

 

[sweetlaughter]

• I am sorta relaxed with a good bit a natural
• I relax about twice a year
• I don't believe I have ever clarified
• I use Dominican preferred products (olive oil conditioners, Una, Alter Ego Garlic...)
• No I do not wash in sections
• During the last few washes, it has been straight, curly or wash and go
• With the expection of wash and go, I comb daily
• My hair felt fine before and after the shampoo
• If my hair is straight, I wrap it before bed,
• If my hair is curly, I pin curl it before bed
• If it is wash and go, I put a satin cap on it before bed
• The last time before I washed it. I put a plastic cap and Rosemary oil on and slept with it in my hair overnight

ETA: The last two times I washed with Creme of Nature. Is this considered a clarifying shampoo?

I think the bolded is your problem. I know baggying for me always leads to tangles no matter what style I put my hair in for it.

 

[Bublin]

Mmm - you are supposed to mix essentials oils with a carrier oil as they are very concentrated. Rosemary is used for stimulating the scalp, i don't think its conditioning and if used in large quantities by itself could have adverse effects - like drying your hair out, making it tangly.

Maybe someone can confirm or correct me.

 

[kim1006]

This is what I used for my pre poo: "Polar Bear Oil". The composition is: Vaseline Liquids, Aceite Esencial Base Lila. It says to use before shampooing and atfer conditioning. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[Myjourney2009]

I've read that you have alot of NG. This means you need to handle your hair differently. YOu might need to start washing and rinsing in sections.


If you are using the same leave in as last year its possible you did not have as much NG then and that is why your hair was fine then. As our hair grows with more NG we may need to change the leave-ins that we use.

You can use any shampoo as a clarifier. Also from what I've read VO5 makes one that I think is 99 cents or so.

 

[Nonie]

My stylist also says my hair does not spilt, which I attribute to the sealing products I use. However, the products don't help with detangling.

Really? So what's her reason for trimming? And why do you think your ends need another trim if there's no splitting going on?

 

[kim1006]

Really? So what's her reason for trimming? And why do you think your ends need another trim if there's no splitting going on?

She never tells me I need a trim. I ask for a trim to even my hair out a little - leading hairs. The last time she trimmed my hair I had to ask multiple times. She was like okay I am finished and I said you forgot to trim that's when she gave me a light dusting.

 

[Nonie]

She never tells me I need a trim. I ask for a trim to even my hair out a little - leading hairs. The last time she trimmed my hair I had to ask multiple times. She was like okay I am finished and I said you forgot to trim that's when she gave me a light dusting.

Oh OK.

 

[Candy828]

Your hair is probably longer than it was last summer... Do you have SSK's? That will cause a lot of tangling and cause you to break off hair when you are combing it. So it's best to finger comb and finger detangle with plenty of leave-in conditioner ...

 

[kim1006]

Thanks so much for all of the advice and comments. I washed again today and thanks to you ladies, problem solved!!!! Here's what I did: I fingered combed my hair, then used my wide tooth detangling comb; I used Alberto V05 Clarifying shampoo, next I used Alberto V05 Clarifying Conditioner; I finger combed and combed with wide tooth comb while conditioner was in my hair and experienced almost no hair loss; washed and steamed with Una Moisturizing Masque. Thanks again I could not do this without you ladies.