Help! Detangling issues with fine hair

S.O.S.

Active Member
I have been having trouble with tangles and knots in my hair and I don't know what to do. Here's what usually happens, after I finish my wash routine I put in some leave in and start to detangle. Thats where the trouble starts. The shedded hair gets wound around the hair and it becomes a mess. Even when I am able to easily comb through my hair with a large and meduim size comb. I still have tangles golore when I airdry. I even tried to detangle in sections but that didn't really work either. I have tried to comb my hair before I wash. I think my hair might be to fine to airdry. I just don't know what to do any more. Any suggestions ladies!
 

january noir

Sunny On a Cloudy Day
We'll need more information. Are you natural, relaxed, etc? Do you manipulate your hair alot? What products are you using. How do you wash your hair (shower, sink, etc.) Hair type... you know the drill!
 

Ivonnovi

Well-Known Member
? Have you tried puttig your hair into ponytailed sections before washing it?

?? Do you gently lather & rinse your hair (much like you would hand wash a delicate item) or are you aggressively washing your hair?
 

S.O.S.

Active Member
We'll need more information. Are you natural, relaxed, etc? Do you manipulate your hair alot? What products are you using. How do you wash your hair (shower, sink, etc.) Hair type... you know the drill!


lol... Im 4 a/b relaxed. I dont manipulate my hair much at all. I wash with what ever shampoo and conditioner I'm trying to use up. This time I think it was Jason's tea tree shampoo and I deep condtioned with Queen Helene's Cholestrol. I usually wash in the shower.
 

S.O.S.

Active Member
? Have you tried puttig your hair into ponytailed sections before washing it?

?? Do you gently lather & rinse your hair (much like you would hand wash a delicate item) or are you aggressively washing your hair?


No I haven't tried doing the pony tails... hmmm... I have tried braiding it in sections though. I usually gently handle my hair cuz I know I'm prone to tangles. My stlyist told me to grease me hair and comb it from root to tip with a fine tooth comb:nono:. It tooke her 10 mintues to detangle my hair after my last relaxer.
 

january noir

Sunny On a Cloudy Day
lol... Im 4 a/b relaxed. I dont manipulate my hair much at all. I wash with what ever shampoo and conditioner I'm trying to use up. This time I think it was Jason's tea tree shampoo and I deep condtioned with Queen Helene's Cholestrol. I usually wash in the shower.

Please try Creme of Nature (CON) shampoo. It helps to detangle (almost like a rinse), That is the first thing I would recommend.
 

Jazala

Well-Known Member
lol... Im 4 a/b relaxed. I dont manipulate my hair much at all. I wash with what ever shampoo and conditioner I'm trying to use up. This time I think it was Jason's tea tree shampoo and I deep condtioned with Queen Helene's Cholestrol. I usually wash in the shower.

Jason's Tea Tree is very drying for me. It's a dandruff shampoo and the 2 times I used it, I had a very hard time detangling. Queen Helene's is a protein condish (I think) which might cause more hardness to your hair.

Sounds like your fine strands needed some moisture. Do you have a moisturizing DC? I'd change the shampoo or condish or add something moisturizing.

If you're washing more than once a week, try doing a co-wash for the 2nd one. It works wonders for manageability.
 

hot_pepper96

Well-Known Member
My hair is also 4 a/b relaxed and also fine. I am prone to tangles as well. I've found that my hair cannot use just any shampoo. There are only two moisturizing shampoos I can use, which are Keracare Detangling & Softsheen Carson Breakthru Shampoos. I have several other shampoos in my arsenal that I've tried and I always come back to these two. If I need to clarify, I would use ORS Aloe Neutralizing shampoo as my first shampoo, but even this is drying. I tried diluting the ORS shampoo with water and the drying diminished but not enough. Try a baking soda rinse instead if you need to clarify.

I would suggest cutting way down on drying shampoos. One way you can try to test out if a shampoo is too drying is washing your hands with it. If your hands kind of squeek while rinsing, that shampoo is too drying for you.

Also, I 've found that combing my hair before washing helps to get the shedded hairs out before I start the washing process. I hope this helps.
 

LiLi

Well-Known Member
Wash in braided sections and detangle with a medium-toothed comb in very small sections and then a fine-toothed comb in very small sections - one braid at a time. Trust me, I am a 4 a/b relaxed too and I had the same problem as you. Wide-toothed combs do not do it for me. They do not remove all of the hair that has shed. I had a hair catastrophe last week because I did not follow those two things. Every time I stray from that, I always ... always have problems. Also, I can use any shampoo/conditioner without problems using this technique. Of course, I have products that are better than others. But the tangling problem is not an issue not matter what I use.
 

S.O.S.

Active Member
I will try the hand washing method. To test out shampoos. The Jason tea tree was waayyy to drying. I can tell because my scalp is itching like crazy.

I didn't realize that the Queen Helene's cholestrol was protein. I need to look at my products more closely. I wondering if I am having protien ovverload. I did the Jason's shampoo, and Nexxus Emergencee and the Queene Helene.:perplexed

Thanks for all the suggestions, keep them coming.
 

january noir

Sunny On a Cloudy Day
I will try the hand washing method. To test out shampoos. The Jason tea tree was waayyy to drying. I can tell because my scalp is itching like crazy.

I didn't realize that the Queen Helene's cholestrol was protein. I need to look at my products more closely. I wondering if I am having protien ovverload. I did the Jason's shampoo, and Nexxus Emergencee and the Queene Helene.:perplexed

Thanks for all the suggestions, keep them coming.

OMG! You still have hair? That is a LOT of protein! Nexxus Emergencee is one of the most intensive protein treatments out there!
 

S.O.S.

Active Member
Yeah... I still have hair:blush::lachen: It's just one of those mistakes that you learn from. Well really all the oil I poured on my hair saved it from breaking off while detangling. I mean I broke out the Olive , super 8, hot six, seasame oil every thing but cooking oil (canola).I was having some breakage issues but I really needed to clarify my hair so I had decided to just shampoo really well and do a Nexxus treatment. Well it really back fired on me this time!
 

sherann

Active Member
I have fine 4b hair that tangles easily too. I've finally discovered that the culprit is often shampoo. Even if I use a lot of oil (for pre-poo), I still have to use minimal shampoo or else my hair tangles. And no strong protein treatments when I am several weeks post-relaxer. I have done this in the past and it takes so much effort to restore moisture levels.
 

january noir

Sunny On a Cloudy Day
Yeah... I still have hair:blush::lachen: It's just one of those mistakes that you learn from. Well really all the oil I poured on my hair saved it from breaking off while detangling. I mean I broke out the Olive , super 8, hot six, seasame oil every thing but cooking oil (canola).I was having some breakage issues but I really needed to clarify my hair so I had decided to just shampoo really well and do a Nexxus treatment. Well it really back fired on me this time!

:spinning:I was shocked when I read what you had used! Glad your hair survived!
Mine would have been on the floor! :lachen: You do live and learn. You'll find LHCF a godsend! You were given some good advice here. Happy hair growing!
 

FluffyRed

New Member
Wash in braided sections and detangle with a medium-toothed comb in very small sections and then a fine-toothed comb in very small sections - one braid at a time. Trust me, I am a 4 a/b relaxed too and I had the same problem as you. Wide-toothed combs do not do it for me. They do not remove all of the hair that has shed. I had a hair catastrophe last week because I did not follow those two things. Every time I stray from that, I always ... always have problems. Also, I can use any shampoo/conditioner without problems using this technique. Of course, I have products that are better than others. But the tangling problem is not an issue not matter what I use.

This is good info.

I will try this with dry detangling.

I have lots of shed hairs.
 

SherylsTresses

Well-Known Member
This use to happen to me. So what I did was:

  • Condition hair in sections
  • DC w/ heat for 30 mins, let it cool, add some more conditioner
  • Get into shower and gently detangle each section from ends to root
  • Allow water to flow onto hair as needed while detangling with a shower comb
I lose much less hair now. For some reason, the first time I detangled in shower, I did lose a lot of hair. Now I don't...??? :yep:

http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=384172&highlight=
 
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charmtreese

Well-Known Member
Im a very fine 4b and what works for me is:

1. pre-pooing before every wash (usually over night) with coconut oil and conditioner or just plain coconut oil. Make sure you finger comb the coconut oil through your hair really good...this helps with detangling and softening the NG if you have any.

2. Detangling your hair with a medium tooth comb as seamless as possible after you have added your leave-ins.

***extras***

***Protein/moisture-I use nexxus emergencee once a week....for my hair its only a mild-medium protein. I only leave it in for a minute or two before I rinse and then follow up with a moisturizing DC. IMO fine hair needs more protein then regular and coarse hair...therefore I use protein weekly
***Washing in sections- when all else fails I wash in sections!!!!
 
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