new thread
lately, i've been washing my hair every three days or so... and just letting it air dry. i'm not using any "products" like gel, etc. in the morning before work, i usually comb through my hair with a sort of wide-tooth comb i have, and always come across a good bit of tangles...usually near the ends. mostly in the back, but they are sometimes on the sides as well. my hair is pretty thick and wavy/curly, i was wondering - what can i do to lessen this problem? does this mean i have split ends?
i've looked at the tangles a few times, and they look pretty knotted up sometimes. i try to work them out the best i can (i really don't want to break/pull out any hair, i'm sure you can understand that!). just wanting some advice on how i can deal with them, and/or prevent it from happening so much. could it be possible that the type of shampoo i use could cause tangles as well?
anyway, thanks for any advice you can give! this is the longest i've ever been without a haircut (going on 1 year, 2 months now)... maybe i can get some pics soon.
Here goes - I want to commend you for using some good techniques, such as infrequent washings, air drying, using a wide-tooth comb, and no additional products.
Question: how long is your hair now? I can only make suggestions to you based on the information in your post, so I am assuming that you started from short hair and now have shoulder length hair, based on 14 months of average growth...
Tangles are one of the most normal aspects of having long hair, so they should not come as a complete surprise. It's something to which every long haired person must adjust. That said, there are things you can do to reduce having too many of them.
First, I suggest detangling your hair several times during the day: in the morning, at lunch, before dinner, and before bed. Also detangle before you wash and after you wash. Regularly keeping ahead of your tangles means that you never have a huge mass of them at any given time, and it means that each time you comb, it should go fairly quickly.
Your wide toothed comb is good for this. Check to make sure that the molding seams on the tines are smooth and without extra molding plastic bits that can scrape and cut your hair. You can sand these down with sandpaper. Start detanging each and every time from the ends and slowly work your way up. This means detangle the lowest 2 inches until it's free of tangles, then moving up two more inches, bringing the new tangles down and thru the area below that you just detangled, so now you have roughly 4 inches of the lowest hair detangled. Then move up 2 more inches and repeat as before. Keep doing this until you reach the top of your head or your part and can run the comb thru your hair's full length.
Only after detangling with a comb can you move onto a brush, if you like the polishing effect that brushing leaves in your hair. It is not necessary, though. I do not use a brush, for instance, although many love them. Considering that your hair is wavy/curly, you probably don't brush... a speculation of mine based on common consensus among longhaired curly heads who seem to prefer combing by far (from what I've read, as my hair is stick straight).
Next, take a look at those hair ends very closely. Do they split, which you can see, and which you can generally tell, if the ends tend to suddenly get bushier that the rest of the hair, as well as look duller and drier. If this is the case, it could be the result of rough combing or brushing, which you can remedy by going more slowly and carefully, and you can also trim these splits one at a time with a sharp pair of nail or mustache scissors (called an S&D mission for Search & Destroy). This takes time, but should lessen over time, if you keep up with it and apply more careful grooming to your hair. Don't use regular paper scissors which aren't hard enough and will eventually dull because your hair is harder than paper. Remember that your hair ends are the oldest, most delicate hair on your head, so you want to be careful with them. You may want to get an overall 1/2 or 3/4 inch trim, if there seem to be a ton of splits. Make sure your salon stylist knows what 1/2 or 3/4 inch is (bring a ruler with you to the salon)!
Another thing you can try is applying a little vegetable oil to your hair's length (not the scalp usually), especially focusing on the ends. Usually this is done when your hair is freshly washed and dry, although it can be damp, too. You probably need only about 2 drops, because any more will make your hair start looking greasy. Vegetable oil (not mineral oil or baby oil) is very good for your hair and has been used since ancient times by many cultural groups, the most well known being the Tahitians. Favorite oils among long haired people are jojoba oil (found in natural foods stores, health food stores, or online), coconut oil, and olive oil, but these are by no means the only oils that will work. Simple vegetable oil will work, so if cost is an issue, buy a small bottle of it, and it should last a long time (store in the shade or a drawer). Jojoba can get expensive, although it is considered the best due to its very long shelf life and close resemblance to human sebum (our skin's natural ester wax/oil). For olive oil, I recommend Pure Olive Oil, not the Extra Virgin variety because Pure hardly smells, so you don't start thinking you're a salad (it's also cheaper). ;-)
As for shampooing, perhaps you might benefit from focusing on your scalp more than your whole head while washing your hair. Usually it's just the scalp and scalp hair that requires cleaning anyway, and for the hair that hangs, simply let whatever shampoo runs thru it while you're rinsing under the water take care of it. Try not to pile your hair on top of your head while washing. That's not necessary. Just let it hang and focus on the scalp. With my hair, I put it in a bun and bag the length in plastic while washing my scalp, but my hair is much longer than yours.
Check your shampoo's ingredients. Maybe your hair doesn't require detergents like sodium laureth sulfate, as many heads don't. Mine does, being a super greasy head, but that's just me. Clarifying shampoos generally shouldn't be used daily, but have a purpose in ridding your hair of previous build-up, so if that's what you're using, I suggest finding a gentler alternative. Don't rely upon printed advertising, though, but hopefully some participants here can suggest gentler shampoos. I'm not so helpful with this issue. Periodically I've seen shampoo recommendations here.
Do you use a conditioner right after washing with shampoo and rinsing it? In some ways, conditioning your hair is more important than the shampoo. Think about your hair type, and if your ends tend to be dry, then try to find a moisturizing conditioner. Use it just on your hair length from about your ears down, not on your scalp (usually). There also are leave-in conditioners that you use very sparingly after rinsing out the normal conditioner, although these don't usually come into play until hair reaches about waist length.
Another excellent idea to test and that many people rely upon is the vinegar rinse (often using Apple Cider Vinegar). People use it in different ways, but if frizz, dryness, and tangles are your concern, this could be helpful. What it does is chemically return your hair's pH back to the low state that it prefers, but which is raised thru shampooing and conditionning. High pH works well to clean dirt and excess oils, but it also leaves your hair's cuticle in an open position, which will definitely encourage tangles, as well as dryness, as moisture leaves this way. Healthy, shiny hair has its cuticle closed back down, leaving it smooth and less tangly, as well as better moisturized. Think of the cuticle like tiny overlapping roof shingles, each layer laying on top of the lower layer. Healthy hair has a smooth, closed cuticle that is flexible and strong. Keeping it closed is something you can do naturally and chemically with the ACV rinse after shampooing and conditioning, by mixing approx. 1/8 cup with 1/2 gallon of water in a jug, poured slowly over your scalp and hair. Leave it for a minute, then rinse with water. Not only does it help with returning the pH lower, but it helps fight dandruff. It is excellent stuff for your hair. (Aside - this assumes that your water is hard (high pH), as is most city/community water. If your water is soft (low pH), the ACV rinse may not be necessary.) Don't use salt water, either (just thought I'd throw that in).
You can mechanically/physically close your hair's cuticle by doing your final rinse with cold water, but if you're a wuss like I am and can't tolerate that idea, try using cool water with the ACV rinse. :-) (Aside - my hair is super long, so running cold water down my whole self is just too much!)
After washing, conditoning, and rinsing, carefully towel your hair dry. Try not to rub, which can roughen up that cuticle, as well as yank and stretch your hair. Next, while you can detangle while your hair is wet, do so with a comb, not a brush, which usually causes overstretching that cannot be undone. Since your hair is on the curly side, you'll probably benefit by knowing that many curly heads ONLY detangle/comb out when their hair is wet, and if their hair is super curly, they never touch their comb to their hair again until they next wash, instead finger combing several times per day. You'll have to decide, based on exactly how curly your hair is.
I think I've run out of ideas. Whew, hope this helps!
JE
thank you for the response... i definitely appreciate it!
yes, my hair is just about shoulder length. i condition every time i shampoo... lately i've been using the garnier fructise fortifying shampoo and conditioner, but sometimes use neutrogena t-gel as i sometimes have a problem with itchy scalp/dandruff. i also use aussie moist conditioner.
i rarely ever brush... it doesn't really work well with my hair type. i used to do the apple cider vinegar rinse thing, i need to do it every now and then i guess... haven't done it in quite some time. i'll also try to get some jojoba oil and see how that helps as well.
thanks for the tips on focusing more on the scalp while shampooing, and the ends when conditioning... i'll keep that in mind. most of the time i wasn't letting the hair hang and working up a lather with all the hair bunched up, which is not good apparently!
again, thanks for the informative post! much appreciated!