What I Found Out About Tangling/Matting/Knots

[e$h]

Like Preciousjewel, I spray s-curl on that newgrowth and it lessens my knot/matting problems .

Great thread LOL!

 

[Lavendar]

Okay, I tried this last night after my henna, even though I was scared of a lot of demarcation breakage. I have to say it really did the job. I used my fine tooth bone comb that I usually use for roller setting. I gently combed through from the roots to ends. After that, I could really get a good look at the ends and did my first dusting. (I'm terrified of cutting my own hair and making a mess.) It air-dried really well after being combed straight like that. I may have to incorporate this into my regimen every so often. Good lookin' out Locksofluv.

 

[InnerSoul]

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.

my mom has that exact same comb!! **contemplates snatching it from her while she sleeps ** j/k I guess I will have to buy me my own

 

[favorc]

This came right on time. I washed my hair yesterday and had alot of matts and tangles but i don;t have one of those small combs. i will get one this week. thanks so much for the info. i'm sure it will be helpful fopr me.

 

[Hair Iam]

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.

Thank you, I used a tail comb and eased through my hair last night. Mind you I may have lost a few unnecessary strands but it was worth it. Normally I only comb my hair in the shower, from now on; I will be doing this once per week. I had no idea there was such a build up of shedding hair. My hair feels so good. No little matted sections. Thank you for this little nugget.

 

[calliope]

Thank you so much for posting this locks of luv! It really made me sad to have to do this, but I really was hanging on to knots and tangles. Last night I took a deep breath and detangled with my leave-ins after my shower detanling. My new growth and rolerset was sooo smooth! I have 8 week post hair and its so soft and manageable now! I was sad to see the almost hand full of hair that came out, but all it was doing was stifling the healthy hair. Thanks so much for the tip- can't find the goody comb though- I'll be searching for it till I find it.

 

[sareca]

Great post!

I use two combs: the shower comb (large) and the bone comb (meduim). I only use the fine-tooth comb if I'm going to rollerset.

 

[Gisselle]

Thanks for the info. I'm going to try this next time I wash my hair.

 

[nycutiepie]

Thanks Locks. I'm going to try this when I take my weave out.

 

[ubavka123]

This deserves a bump because it is so true, especially for me when it comes to rollersetting. I have never found the Jilbere helpful, although some swear by it. I tried a no-combing experiment (while airdrying) for a week and a half and I got the dreaded dreads! It was hell to get them out.

So I decided to go back to combing as I usually do. On my last rollerset, I skipped that last step (thinking it would do me some good), where I comb through with a finer-toothed comb, and my hair was so rough. The rollerset looked nice, but my hair felt rough and was tangly (due to shed hairs not combed out) despite moisturizing. I am now sitting under the dryer again after learning my lesson. And just by feeling the hair on the rollers, I know this one is going to be soft and smooth. It doesn't pay to skimp on the more detailed detangling. As many of you pointed out, it hurts to see that hair (), but it has to go!

This is a brilliant post, LocksOfLuv. I know some smaller combs can be a no-no for some, but they help me tremendously. I use three as well when I do my rollersets.

 

[mahogany_horizons]

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.

THIS IS A GREAT POST. I AM GLAD I RESEARCHED IT. I WAS WONDERING WHY I WAS NOT HAVING THE SHEDDING I USUALLY HAVE WHEN I STRETCH. I think that I have too much product build up, and not getting enough of the shed hairs out is equaling dreads. I almost think that it would be worth it to stay up extra late tonight, wash with a clarifying shampoo, try going through my hair with a finer toothed comb to see if it's matted/dreading. I don't think that it is, but some of it feels a little stuck together.

WHEN I GET DEEPER INTO MY STRETCH, RATHER THAN FINGER COMB, WIDE TOOTH COMB, I am going to comb out the shed hair with combs of varying widths!! THANK YOU!!