Detangling: Updated, Collective Wisdom As Of 2016

[Saludable84]

I'm aware of my high porosity and I use things for it. I've tried acv rinses at the end but never during. But right now I'm jaded...

I just mentioned Porosity because perhaps it could be causing the problem. I don't want you to be jaded. Natural hair is such a process. Your avi is one of my favorites so I don't want you feelin defeated.

I mentioned ACV rinse and AV because they are good for HiPo hair. I've heard of some using ACV after washing. Maybe try that and then an AV spray/concoction for detangling. I recently read a thread on a good Detangler to make. I'll bump it if I can find it.

 

[Saludable84]

@Royalq ok, it's actually a prepoo thread but it seems to have been successful.

https://longhaircareforum.com/threads/you-need-a-moisture-drenched-pre-poo.509482/

 

[Sharpened]

@Royalq do you think your water is the main problem? I am thinking a distilled water with citric acid as a final rinse might help.

 

[Sharpened]

This woman has some really thick hair, jealous...

 

[Royalq]

@Royalq do you think your water is the main problem? I am thinking a distilled water with citric acid as a final rinse might help.

Idk. When I lived in NYC as a twa I had no ssks. My hair was quite easy. But when I moved to Florida all bell broke loose. I recently started adding acv rinse as a last step.

 

[CheChe1881]

Relevant Product Review

Summary: Holiest of Holy Grail products for detangling my hair

Product name: From Etsy.com, NaturelleGrow's Protein Free Marshmallow Root, Slippery Elm Bark & Cinnamon Deep Cond for hair growth at https://www.etsy.com/listing/173473924/protein-free-marshmallow-root-slippery?ref=shop_home_active_1.

Details:
It comes in a version with protein and a version without. I just used it for the first time this morning, and right now I literally have no words. I feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone or an alternate universe or something--this deep conditioner's SLIP is OTHERWORLDLY and UNREAL.

This deep conditioner unknots tangles and knots that before I would have had to snip out after much -- ultimately fruitless -- effort to resolve the knot. This morning I had about 4 knots that I was SURE were "goners" (i.e. were so tiny and tight that they were going to have to be snipped). Somehow . . . SOMEHOW . . . using this product and my finger detangling methods, those knots were resolved! I honestly don't see how. Ah-mazing!

Precisely how I used it:

• Washed scalp with DevaCurl Decadence No Poo.
• Washed/conditioned strands with Naturlicious's 5-in-1 Moroccan Rhassoul Clay treatment.
• Allowed hair to dry 90% so that I could deep condition on dry or just-about dry hair (didn't want any water to sit in my hipo hair, blocking entry to the deep conditioner's penetrating ingredients).
• Sectioned hair into large, chunky sections.
• Section by section: Added deep conditioner to ends and proceeded with my full detangling methods as outlined in an above post in this thread.

Do you still use this product?
Is it still otherworldly? Lol

 

[YvetteWithJoy]

Do you still use this product?
Is it still otherworldly? Lol

LOL!

It is still very, very good, but I have since found a product that surpasses it: Soultanicals Slip-N-Slide Knot-Proof Hair Glide. It is discussed at the Soultanicals thread and a lot of us are very impressed with it. I also recently detangled with the Mielle Organics DC and I was shocked at how easily I was able to detangle with it. The Hair Glide worked so well for me that I was kind of "scared" to be without it until I detangled with the Mielle Organics DC.

My current project is to determine which of the following best detangles my hair:
Soultanicals Hair Glide
Mielle Organics DC
Qhemet Cocoa Tree Detangling Ghee (have yet to try it)
Honey Baby Naturals Knot My Honey Instant Detangler (have yet to try it)

Once I conduct my "study," I plan to report back here with rankings.

 

[Sharpened]

Idk. When I lived in NYC as a twa I had no ssks. My hair was quite easy. But when I moved to Florida all bell broke loose. I recently started adding acv rinse as a last step.

If you have hard water, you may need a chelating shampoo to get those minerals off your strands. Redken makes one that should be easy to find.

 

[YvetteWithJoy]

Qhemet Cocoa Tree Detangling Ghee just DEVASTATED my tangles like a BOSS.

I tried it on both a dry and wet section. I had 12 twists installed. I unraveled one and left one half dry and completely saturated the other half with water. My hair had last been detangled about 10 days ago after having been worn in a ponytailed twist-out that kept my hair very stretched.

Here is the amount of hair lost:



That was the most I lost for a twist (my most tangled area). I lost about 3 times as much altogether for my entire head.

 

[Sharpened]

Wow...

 

[NowIAmNappy]

Regarding the bolded blue: Thanks for sharing! I'm so glad I'm not alone with this! I have felt SO GUILTY for not being able to join the "finger detangling only" club, because supposedly it is SO MUCH better for your hair if you don't use tools. I tried it for a few weeks, and so many tangles and shed hair remained in my hair. So both tangles and shed hair were building up more and more over the days. It was no bueno.

Regarded the bolded black: Aww! I love your spirit! I need to have such an attitude when I'm branching out.

I never got a chance to respond back but I love the brush. I finger detangled first and then used a comb and then finally the wet brush after taking down the locs. Yesterday I did a quick wash and go and used the wet brush exclusively and was really surprised at how quick and easy it was to detangle, it took me around 30 mins for everything!

 

[YvetteWithJoy]

@Royalq, how are things going?

 

[Royalq]

@Royalq, how are things going?

I made an appointment at a natural hair salon for Friday 9am

 

[YvetteWithJoy]

I made an appointment at a natural hair salon for Friday 9am

LOL! Sounds like what I gladly have done a few times. Enjoy!

 

[Royalq]

LOL! Sounds like what I gladly have done a few times. Enjoy!

I seriously couldnt do it. My last detangle seesion took 3 hours in the shower. And usually in the shower is way faster than out the shower on damp hair. damp hair I have to split it between 2 days, 5 hours each day. I have to wash my hair this week and it was like picking between misery and despair. I hope I enjoy this salon. If its good than this might be a permanent thing.

 

[YvetteWithJoy]

I seriously couldnt do it. My last detangle seesion took 3 hours in the shower. And usually in the shower is way faster than out the shower on damp hair. damp hair I have to split it between 2 days, 5 hours each day. I have to wash my hair this week and it was like picking between misery and despair. I hope I enjoy this salon. If its good than this might be a permanent thing.

I totally, totally understand and can relate.

 

[MileHighDiva]

 

[Evolving78]

Qhemet Cocoa Tree Detangling Ghee just DEVASTATED my tangles like a BOSS.

I tried it on both a dry and wet section. I had 12 twists installed. I unraveled one and left one half dry and completely saturated the other half with water. My hair had last been detangled about 10 days ago after having been worn in a ponytailed twist-out that kept my hair very stretched.

Here is the amount of hair lost:

View attachment 391449

That was the most I lost for a twist (my most tangled area). I lost about 3 times as much altogether for my entire head.

I love the stuff! When I move to a hotter climate, this will be my go to for my daughter! It worked extremely well on my 4a coily hair.

 

[Sosoothing]

I just took out my braids after 8 weeks. I mixed equal parts of generic humectress and olive oil, left it on for 10 minutes and my hair melted apart.

I also noticed my hair tangles more when I need a protein treatment.

 

[KaciaLN12]

I am a 4a (with some random 3C and 4B sections), high density, medium strands and a cottony, webby texture.

I finger-detangle almost exclusively and I only finger detangle after shampooing with globs of rinse-out conditioner in my hair. My hair is always in 4 sections when I wash and once the rinse-out is in each section of my hair, I then split each section into 4-6 subsections and proceed to thoroughly finger detangle.

I have detangled before washing, after deep-conditioning, while deep-conditioning and now after washing and before deep-conditioning. Before washing made me too tired to actually finish wash day, after deep conditioning made me dread washing out my dc and the detangling after, during deep conditioning used too much deep-conditioner (DCs are not cheap!). I have reached a happy medium. Since I wash and condition in the shower, once I'm in the shower, I can go ahead and get detangling out of the way. Also, my hair detangles easier when it is wet and using rinse-out conditioners before DC-ing gives my hair a nice base of moisture so I don't have to use so much DC. My hair is so long and tangles so easily that getting detangling out of the way as soon as possible but in a way that makes detangling as easy as possible makes me not DREAD wash day as much.

OK, here is an update. I have officially went back to combs for detangling. I've moved to a place with a smaller shower and a more easily clogged drain and I have also gotten acrylic tips for the first time in years and my hair keeps getting caught on the edges. All that to say that detangling with a long-toothed comb with those kinda pointy teeth has drastically cut down my detangling time. Like, cut it down by more than half. And I also lose half as much hair, oddly enough. Maybe I was too rough with finger detangling. And having thoroughly detangled hair has made doing a shingled wash n go a lot easier. I do still detangle with rinse out conditioner after shampooing and before deep conditioner.

 

[YvetteWithJoy]

It was mentioned in the long "Random Hair Thoughts/Thinking" thread that someone's Devachan stylist says it's less damaging to use a flicking motion when detandling. The poster said the stylist said that the Wet Brush is damaging.

I tried using a flicking motion today when detangling with the medium-course-toothed side of my Kent 16t comb.

It went well. Below is the amount of hair lost. I've lost less before (when detangling hair that'd been left stretched), but I don't feel it was a lot of hair lost this time.

 

[Sharpened]

Be careful with using the "praying hands" method. It causes my sheds to knot with the still-attached ones. Maybe my hair is too tighly coiled for that.

 

[GGsKin]

Be careful with using the "praying hands" method. It causes my sheds to knot with the still-attached ones. Maybe my hair is too tighly coiled for that.

I agree. Those praying hands and raking methods are not for my hair either. I've ripped clumps out that way. I prefer to stretch and smooth my length, holding my ends taut and carefully separating the strands where necessary. Shed hairs tend to just slide out this way, and any strands that do hold on or are tangled, can easily be isolated and removed (or cut off).

 

[Sharpened]

Multiday detangling session edited down to twenty minutes:

 

[Sharpened]

Bubs Bee has a new one:

 

[Aggie]

Yesterday morning I finally used Soultanicals Knot Proof hair Glide and I gatta say it did an amazing job detangling my hair.

I used it in the shower and of course because it was a leave-in, I left it in my hair aftrwards. I ordered 4 more after realizing it was that good at detangling my hair. I sure hope they don't screw up the formulation .

 

[YvetteWithJoy]

Yesterday morning I finally used Soultanicals Knot Proof hair Glide and I gatta say it did an amazing job detangling my hair.

I used it in the shower and of course because it was a leave-in, I left it in my hair aftrwards. I ordered 4 more after realizing it was that good at detangling my hair. I sure hope they don't screw up the formulation .

I'm with you, @Aggie. That stuff is unparalleled. It's shocking what that stuff does to both my dry strands and damp/wet ones. The ingredients are divine, as is the smell! Of my 4 bottles, I'm down to 2.5. Will reorder more soon.

Qhemet Detangling Cocoa Tree Ghee is the only other product that made me gasp when detangling with it. Both products can be left in.

 

[Aggie]

I'm with you, @Aggie. That stuff is unparalleled. It's shocking what that stuff does to both my dry strands and damp/wet ones. The ingredients are divine, as is the smell! Of my 4 bottles, I'm down to 2.5. Will reorder more soon.

Qhemet Detangling Cocoa Tree Ghee is the only other product that made me gasp when detangling with it. Both products can be left in.

Hmmm, I have this (bolded) but I haven't used it as a detangler, just as a moisturizing leave-in. I will try it as a detangler the same way I used the Knot Proof Hair Glide and see what happens.

 

[YvetteWithJoy]

I can barely wait the two days to get this brush! LOL. Recently, the tangling has gotten so bad, I decided to trim back a 1/4in. My hair was untangled for 30 minutes. So I basically cut for no reason. I also get the webbing of hair where it actually looks like a spider's web when you try to separate the hair. smh.

When my Wet Brush bristles began to stop holding up, I invested in the KareCo Tangle Buster brush. I got mine from WalMart. It surpasses the Wet Brush for me in every way. So glad I took a chance on it.

https://www.kareco.com/products/tangle-buster-brush

 

[YvetteWithJoy]

This morning I detangled my ENTIRE HEAD in 20 minutes.

*faint*

Method:

1. Apply SM hipo masque to dry section.
2. Work the product in, concentrating on ends, and dampen section.
3. Using the KareCo Tangle Buster brush, gently detangle with flicking motion on ends, and then from the bottom of the section gradually up the section.

I had about a quarter sized ball of shed hair.