What I Found Out About Tangling/Matting/Knots

[Blossssom]

I'm glad you figured out your problem, Love... your hair is gorgeous.

Not too long ago, I was having a serious "knot" problem but I found a good detangler recently and with the last three washes, I haven't had a problem since.

Also, I've discovered that if I comb through my hair before washing and remove shedded hair that my comb-outs are much easier. I have to remind myself of this every Saturday morning.

Kinkakes, your hair has it going on! Beautiful!

 

[Blossssom]

i'm stretching too, on my 9 week, and i found a dread as well! it was in my nape and i had to cut it out.

I know that hurt, Dysllya. It seems most of my problems with tangling are in the back. I don't know why. I don't dwell too much on the back, though, because the back has always taken care of itself...

It's been about 2-1/2 months since I relaxed. Another 2 months to go

 

[KiniKakes]

Kinkakes, your hair has it going on! Beautiful!

Thank you so much Blosssom!!!

 

[nelli711]

Very helpful advice. Thanks!

 

[preciousjewel76]

I'm glad you figured out your problem, Love... your hair is gorgeous.

Not too long ago, I was having a serious "knot" problem but I found a good detangler recently and with the last three washes, I haven't had a problem since.

Also, I've discovered that if I comb through my hair before washing and remove shedded hair that my comb-outs are much easier. I have to remind myself of this every Saturday morning.

Kinkakes, your hair has it going on! Beautiful!

ITA with the bolded. As I'm parting my hair to put it in braids for washing, I comb it out thoroughly with my medium-tooth (not too wide, not too fine) seamless comb. I spray the NG liberally with my S-Curl mixture first to loosen things up even more. This really works for me to prevent knots and tangles - and I don't have to manipulate my freshly washed hair too much to detangle.

 

[Blossssom]

ITA with the bolded. As I'm parting my hair to put it in braids for washing, I comb it out thoroughly with my medium-tooth (not too wide, not too fine) seamless comb. I spray the NG liberally with my S-Curl mixture first to loosen things up even more. This really works for me to prevent knots and tangles - and I don't have to manipulate my freshly washed hair too much to detangle.

Yes, it helps a whole lot. It's much easier to get the majority of detangling done DRY!

 

[~*~ShopAholic~*~]

This whole post is so true and i discovered this b4, I cannot solely use a widetooth comb because the wide spaces end up skipping over large spaces. I'm glad you posted this for others. I didn't want the whole small tooth combs are a no no, type response. But I learned to only use my Jilbere @ certain times which is not as much as I did when I first bought it.

I relaxed last night and I keep thinking how this info may help someone's hair out, so I wanted to share.

Okay, so anyone who knows me know that I spent the last 6 mos of my life trying to find the answer to matting/tangling. I wanted to sucessfully stretch, and I even gave it up since the last time I did stretch my hair was so matted that I lost a golf-ball size of hair. I literally found dreads in my hair on relaxer day. I had sworn off stretching and I honestly thought my hair was too 'nappy' to stretch and that since I was a 4a/b I couldn't do it. For some reason I never thought to think that there are hundreds of naturals on this website that retain length and don't have a big problem with matting/tangling. But still I searched for that magic product, not knowing it was really a very simple technique that could have saved me a lot of hair.

Anyways, one day a thought came to me. That maybe my Jilbere shower comb wasn't cutting it like I thought it was. For a while I was using the Jilbere exclusively. So I went to Krogers and got a smaller toothed detangling comb ( Goody So gelous detangling comb). I then developed a new routine. Instead of using the jilbere exclusively, I would comb my hair in the shower with my Jilbere, get out, add my leave in and such comb again with my jilbere (to free any tangles that may have happened while I was applying my leave-ins), then break my hair down in sections and get the smaller tangles out with my smaller detangling comb.

13 weeks later (I relaxed) and not ONE dread/matt! Throughout the course of this stretch I realized;
1. my natural hair is not this tangly beast as I thought it was- it was that I was not properly getting all the shedding hairs and tangles out, which would deposit in my newgrowth which made it hard to comb.
2. that you have to get ALL the shedded hair, especially if you are a non-daily-comber like me. It hurts to see all those shedded hairs on wash days but it gots to be done. This was very crucial for me.
and
3. That the jilbere is a good comb, but it does not get out every single knot since the teeth are so wide. Over time these knots will build and turn into dreads/bigger knots/matting. I learned this the hard way erplexed .

I just wanted to tell you ladies that because a while back I had sworn off stretching thinking that I couldn't do it. I very much could have waited a few more weeks stretching but aesthetically I couldn't do it. One to two inches of new-growth with bonestraight ends is not my forte lol.

Simply put, if you are dealing with matts/tangles, find a smaller toothed detangling comb to follow after the Jilbere and get those shedded hairs outta that newgrowth.

 

[~*~ShopAholic~*~]

That is sooo true also.

I'm glad you figured out your problem, Love... your hair is gorgeous.

Not too long ago, I was having a serious "knot" problem but I found a good detangler recently and with the last three washes, I haven't had a problem since.

Also, I've discovered that if I comb through my hair before washing and remove shedded hair that my comb-outs are much easier. I have to remind myself of this every Saturday morning.

Kinkakes, your hair has it going on! Beautiful!

 

[yourleoqueen]

Yep! And my favorite one now is the middle comb. It's like the middle comb's long teeth removes the shed hairs perfectly w/o letting them get caught on the length. Lifts those hairs right out! It really "cuts into the hair" and get "deep" too-- perfect during a stretch.

Do you have a pic of this comb? Where did you buy it? Thanks Au!

 

[sylver2]

I relaxed last night and I keep thinking how this info may help someone's hair out, so I wanted to share.

Okay, so anyone who knows me know that I spent the last 6 mos of my life trying to find the answer to matting/tangling. I wanted to sucessfully stretch, and I even gave it up since the last time I did stretch my hair was so matted that I lost a golf-ball size of hair. I literally found dreads in my hair on relaxer day. I had sworn off stretching and I honestly thought my hair was too 'nappy' to stretch and that since I was a 4a/b I couldn't do it. For some reason I never thought to think that there are hundreds of naturals on this website that retain length and don't have a big problem with matting/tangling. But still I searched for that magic product, not knowing it was really a very simple technique that could have saved me a lot of hair.

Anyways, one day a thought came to me. That maybe my Jilbere shower comb wasn't cutting it like I thought it was. For a while I was using the Jilbere exclusively. So I went to Krogers and got a smaller toothed detangling comb ( Goody So gelous detangling comb). I then developed a new routine. Instead of using the jilbere exclusively, I would comb my hair in the shower with my Jilbere, get out, add my leave in and such comb again with my jilbere (to free any tangles that may have happened while I was applying my leave-ins), then break my hair down in sections and get the smaller tangles out with my smaller detangling comb.

13 weeks later (I relaxed) and not ONE dread/matt! Throughout the course of this stretch I realized;
1. my natural hair is not this tangly beast as I thought it was- it was that I was not properly getting all the shedding hairs and tangles out, which would deposit in my newgrowth which made it hard to comb.
2. that you have to get ALL the shedded hair, especially if you are a non-daily-comber like me. It hurts to see all those shedded hairs on wash days but it gots to be done. This was very crucial for me.
and
3. That the jilbere is a good comb, but it does not get out every single knot since the teeth are so wide. Over time these knots will build and turn into dreads/bigger knots/matting. I learned this the hard way erplexed .

I just wanted to tell you ladies that because a while back I had sworn off stretching thinking that I couldn't do it. I very much could have waited a few more weeks stretching but aesthetically I couldn't do it. One to two inches of new-growth with bonestraight ends is not my forte lol.

Simply put, if you are dealing with matts/tangles, find a smaller toothed detangling comb to follow after the Jilbere and get those shedded hairs outta that newgrowth.

lol..exactly.Best tip
This is what I do too. I comb in shower with wide tooth comb then get out and put leave in combing with an almost fine tooth comb. Thats how hair doesn't get all matted looking.

 

[Blossssom]

lol..exactly.Best tip
This is what I do too. I comb in shower with wide tooth comb then get out and put leave in combing with an almost fine tooth comb. Thats how hair doesn't get all matted looking.

From the mouth of an expert... this must be fact!

 

[LocksOfLuV]

Does the matting/dreading happen when you've been stretching for more than a certain number of weeks? Or when your hair gets to a certain length?

My matting happens when I don't properly comb out the tiny knots and they buildup over time. Thos elittle small knots eventually turn into a dread or matting for me.erplexed

I don't know if it happens the longer the hair gets though.

 

[LocksOfLuV]

ITA with the bolded. As I'm parting my hair to put it in braids for washing, I comb it out thoroughly with my medium-tooth (not too wide, not too fine) seamless comb. I spray the NG liberally with my S-Curl mixture first to loosen things up even more. This really works for me to prevent knots and tangles - and I don't have to manipulate my freshly washed hair too much to detangle.

Yes yes yes!! Excellent. I must have gotten this from you, but this really really helps my situation. This is excellent for my hair.

 

[LocksOfLuV]

From the mouth of an expert... this must be fact!

LOL, exactly! everytime sylver posts, I take note.

 

[Blossssom]

Love, I think the longer and thicker your hair becomes the more prone it will be to knots and tangles. That's been my experience thus far.

I use a wide-tooth comb for initially combing it out and if need be, I will switch to a medium-tooth comb. I also have a fine-tooth but I seldom have to break it out.

Sometimes my hair just seems really "grabby" like it's holding onto itself. Those are disastrous days for me, because there is more likely than not to be a knot somewhere along the line.

 

[Blossssom]

LOL, exactly! everytime sylver posts, I take note.

Yea, she needs to write a book and put all of us out of our misery

 

[LocksOfLuV]

Love, I think the longer and thicker your hair becomes the more prone it will be to knots and tangles. That's been my experience thus far.

I use a wide-tooth comb for initially combing it out and if need be, I will switch to a medium-tooth comb. I also have a fine-tooth but I seldom have to break it out.

Sometimes my hair just seems really "grabby" like it's holding onto itself. Those are disastrous days for me, because there is more likely than not to be a knot somewhere along the line.

I think you got a good point there. Seriously. Especially since I started texlaxing, whew lawd!

I seldomly have to break out my small-toothed rattail comb either. Usually the Jilbere and the Goody serves it's job.

 

[LocksOfLuV]

Yea, she needs to write a book and put all of us out of our misery

Sista is covering that for us!

 

[Blossssom]

I just have to make sure I keep my "stroke" on because if I don't, my hair will start "grabbing" so bad, it'll take me about half an hour to 45 minutes to comb through this stuff.

I want to recommend a product which I found highly useful for those struggling to comb through new growth: Biolage's Daily Leave-In treatment.

A few weeks ago I purchased it from Macy's hair salon, and it's a wonderful product. I'm going to get Biolage's shampoo and conditioner next time I'm in the market.

Right now I have about four or five different shampoos and conditioners, and my Mixed Chicks is waiting at the manager's office for me to pick it up.

 

[bellesocialite]

Great post! I came to the same realization last night.

I got these terrible tangles in my hair after washing (I'm only 10 weeks post). My hair starts acting crazy around normally 14 weeks but it started to rebel earlier this time around. I swear to you, I spent almost 2 hrs getting out the tangles before I rolled my hair up. Using the Jilbere comb exlusively is not a good idea for my hair since it does not get out all that shed hair. I made sure to comb it out before washing it but I see the pass-through-once-or-twice-to-avoid-breakage deal was not going to cut it. I am making the commitment to section of my hair and comb with a smaller comb to get the shed hair I didn't comb out during the week before washing it. These tips will be very useful.

 

[LiLi]

I relaxed last night and I keep thinking how this info may help someone's hair out, so I wanted to share.

Okay, so anyone who knows me know that I spent the last 6 mos of my life trying to find the answer to matting/tangling. I wanted to sucessfully stretch, and I even gave it up since the last time I did stretch my hair was so matted that I lost a golf-ball size of hair. I literally found dreads in my hair on relaxer day. I had sworn off stretching and I honestly thought my hair was too 'nappy' to stretch and that since I was a 4a/b I couldn't do it. For some reason I never thought to think that there are hundreds of naturals on this website that retain length and don't have a big problem with matting/tangling. But still I searched for that magic product, not knowing it was really a very simple technique that could have saved me a lot of hair.

Anyways, one day a thought came to me. That maybe my Jilbere shower comb wasn't cutting it like I thought it was. For a while I was using the Jilbere exclusively. So I went to Krogers and got a smaller toothed detangling comb ( Goody So gelous detangling comb). I then developed a new routine. Instead of using the jilbere exclusively, I would comb my hair in the shower with my Jilbere, get out, add my leave in and such comb again with my jilbere (to free any tangles that may have happened while I was applying my leave-ins), then break my hair down in sections and get the smaller tangles out with my smaller detangling comb.

13 weeks later (I relaxed) and not ONE dread/matt! Throughout the course of this stretch I realized;
1. my natural hair is not this tangly beast as I thought it was- it was that I was not properly getting all the shedding hairs and tangles out, which would deposit in my newgrowth which made it hard to comb.
2. that you have to get ALL the shedded hair, especially if you are a non-daily-comber like me. It hurts to see all those shedded hairs on wash days but it gots to be done. This was very crucial for me.
and
3. That the jilbere is a good comb, but it does not get out every single knot since the teeth are so wide. Over time these knots will build and turn into dreads/bigger knots/matting. I learned this the hard way erplexed .

I just wanted to tell you ladies that because a while back I had sworn off stretching thinking that I couldn't do it. I very much could have waited a few more weeks stretching but aesthetically I couldn't do it. One to two inches of new-growth with bonestraight ends is not my forte lol.

Simply put, if you are dealing with matts/tangles, find a smaller toothed detangling comb to follow after the Jilbere and get those shedded hairs outta that newgrowth.

I've been preaching this for a long time on this board.

 

[Isis]

I just have to make sure I keep my "stroke" on because if I don't, my hair will start "grabbing" so bad, it'll take me about half an hour to 45 minutes to comb through this stuff.

I want to recommend a product which I found highly useful for those struggling to comb through new growth: Biolage's Daily Leave-In treatment.

A few weeks ago I purchased it from Macy's hair salon, and it's a wonderful product. I'm going to get Biolage's shampoo and conditioner next time I'm in the market.

Right now I have about four or five different shampoos and conditioners, and my Mixed Chicks is waiting at the manager's office for me to pick it up.

I alternate between Giovanni Direct Leave-in and Biolage Leave-in for detangling. I agree that this Biolage is very good.


Thanks LocksofLuV for a great thread. I'll have to do this and see the difference, once I buy a fine-toothed, detangling comb.

 

[Blossssom]

Just some advice, comb through hair before washing and see what happens.

No sense in washing shedded hair, right? That might be why there are so many knots and tangles.

And of course, we know what knots and tangles mean: BREAKAGE!

Breakage is heresy at this board

 

[alexstin]

Great advice. I use two comb as well: The Jilbere and the Mebco. The Mebco is the HG of detangling combs.

Same here! The JIlbere by itself was not cutting it!

 

[LynnieB]

Just some advice, comb through hair before washing and see what happens.

No sense in washing shedded hair, right? That might be why there are so many knots and tangles.

And of course, we know what knots and tangles mean: BREAKAGE!

Breakage is heresy at this board

man that shed hair can make a tangle only a pair of scissors can cure.

i also make a bunch of little sections and try to S&D any knots i feel before i get near the water. sometimes i just use my hands and pull out shedded hair by just grabbing a handful, make a fingers comb and stroke down the length.

still gotta detangle but at least you've gotten rid of alot the problem already. wet tangles are the worst.

 

[Blossssom]

still gotta detangle but at least you've gotten rid of alot the problem already. wet tangles are the worst.

Yes, exactly! It's much easier to detangle your hair if you remove the shedded hair FIRST!

Who needs all that shedded hair in the way after you wash/condition and try to comb through it? Shedded hair is not anyone's friend, much less the hair that is still on your head.

NO!

 

[LovelyLionessa]

Matts and knots are serious stuff. It's all about having the right comb. These are my 2 favorites for in-shower use:

I use my Cardinal comb for the majority of my hair, I love it, plus it's only 99 cents at Sally's.

I use my Mebco Detangler on my tricky nape area where knots like to hide.

 

[Guyaneek]

Nah. See the comb that I got is a small detangling comb. Not just one of those small toothed combs. It glides really smooth. That only time it snags is when i forget how long my hair is and I try to release the comb out of my hair too fast. Here is a pic:

Just know when you detangle with a smaller comb, seamless or not, it's best to comb in sections.

Hey I have this comb! Thanks for the advice!!!!! No more matting for me

 

[janeemat]

This is good advice. I use two combs as well. A seemless detangling comb by Frederica Fekkai and small fine tooth comb. They allowed me to roller set on a 12 wk stretch. I didn't have any problems with matting or knots.

 

[preciousjewel76]

Yes yes yes!! Excellent. I must have gotten this from you, but this really really helps my situation. This is excellent for my hair.

I'm sure I picked it up from somebody else here on the board. S-Curl is great for "moisturizing my situation" when the new growth kicks in. It's saved me from having any bad knots or tangles thus far.