Naturals... What are your DETANGLING secrets?!

[BeExceptional26]

Hello Ladies!!! So I am in desperate need of your help. I dont know why, but last night I had absolutely the worst time detangling my hair in the shower and by the time i was done there was massive amounts all over the shower and they seem to come out in long clumps with strand among strand. I'm simply frustrated and discouraged at this moment, so i would love your input on what you do to make detangling easier =)

For those who are interested here is what I did... or tried to do haha

1. Cleansed hair and scalp with hair one
2. Protein treatment with Aphogee
3. Rinsed and left on joico K-Pac conditioner while I finished up in the shower

I don't know if I am using to much protein and its causing my hair to become so unmanageable or if im protein sensitive or if im simply not using the right products.... When i got out of the shower i covered my hair in an old tee shirt like i always do and then went to my room (im in college) to let my hair down and put on olive oil and heavy cream and try to detangle some more.. I had to re-wet my hair right away because it had sucked up all the water by the time i walked from the bathroom to my room..... What the heck is going on!!

 

[Irresistible]

I don't know , but yes too much Protein can leave your hair a tangled/dry/hard mess

 

[jeniece]

Yeah that is certainly a lot of protein you got there. On wash day, when you get to the conditioner part, slather a good slippery conditioner all over and the steam from the shower will help as well. Your oils and creams should be more for retaining moisture or styling.

It also depends on how often you detangle. Do you do it every time you wash? And if so, how often do you wash?

 

[Whimsy]

v05 moisture milks - they're slippy conditioners (to me at least) that really ease the detangling situation.

damn girl you're livin in protein city huh!?

here are my detangling ideas:

only detangle when wet and slathered in condish
use a WIDE tooth comb
detangle from tip to root
detangle SLOWLY
detangle OFTEN (i know some folks are on some once a week stuff...but for me, i need to detangle often or I'll end up wanting to shave my head)

 

[biancaelyse]

v05 moisture milks - they're slippy conditioners (to me at least) that really ease the detangling situation.

damn girl you're livin in protein city huh!?

here are my detangling ideas:

only detangle when wet and slathered in condish
use a WIDE tooth comb
detangle from tip to root
detangle SLOWLY
detangle OFTEN (i know some folks are on some once a week stuff...but for me, i need to detangle often or I'll end up wanting to shave my head)

Cosigning with Whimsy. Myabe your hair is reacting to too much protein. I've never used Aphogee but I know it is strong. Maybe go with one protein per wash and not 2.

I love V05 for cowashing. I have a lot of hair as do my kids so we can go through a bottle in just a day if I was all 3 heads.

 

[DirtyJerzeyGirly]

cheapie conditioners and my Ouidad Double Detangler Comb. That's all I need!

 

[tada1]

focus on getting your moisture levels up. If you live in a warmer climate, you might want to give co-washing a try.

As far as detangling goes, have you invested in a seamless wide tooth comb? i hate to encourage people to buy stuff (that PJ thread is LOOONNNNGGG ) but i think this is one of the basics of healthy hair care.

If you're not averse to brushes, I say gut yourself a denman to make sure that you're getting all the shed hairs out

 

[Lady Esquire]

v05 moisture milks - they're slippy conditioners (to me at least) that really ease the detangling situation.

damn girl you're livin in protein city huh!?

here are my detangling ideas:

only detangle when wet and slathered in condish
use a WIDE tooth comb
detangle from tip to root
detangle SLOWLY
detangle OFTEN (i know some folks are on some once a week stuff...but for me, i need to detangle often or I'll end up wanting to shave my head)

everything Whimsy said, plus detangling, washing, and DCing in braided sections.

 

[BeExceptional26]

Man you ladies are a God send!! jeniece, I am currently washing 2 times a week and that is when i detangle I also deep condition on one of those days which is usually Sunday.... I live in wisconsin/minnesota area so its REALLY cold here right now which might also be a factor. Tada I have invested in a wide tooth comb ;-) i suppose ill have to keep working on my techniques haha.

A few more questions for you pros...
How is everyone here sectioning there hair when they wash it? And do you let the water run through your hair a little after applying the conditioner before you start the detangling process?? And on average what amount of protein is most suitable for natural hair?? (Im having a really hard time catching onto this whole moisture/protein balance thing)

 

[mscocoface]

I don't know what is in the Kpac but I use the conditioner that comes with Aphogee and then use another moisturizing conditioner after that one.

I let it sit for a minute because of the amount of protien that is in Aphogee. I also don't use a lot of protein because my hair has a sufficient amount on its own. I lack moisture more often so I find products geared towards moisture.

 

[EMJazzy]

A wide tooth comb and a head full of moisturizing conditioner.

 

[Lucky's Mom]

My detangler............

4 oz of Aloe Vera Gel
1 tsp of Wheat Germ oils
2 tbls of coconut oil

whip in the mixer..................

Use as much as you want to detangle =)

 

[DivineNapps1728]

I usually detangle once a week on wash day. If my hair has been twisted or in a shrunken state since my last wash I slather on a great deal of Suave coconut conditioner, fingercomb then run through my hair with an afro pik or wide tooth comb. It does the trick every time. Also Aussie Moist shampoo is great at detangling even if I skip the suave step.

P.S. I agree that you may be suffering from a protein overload. Try sticking to moisturizing conditioners for a spell.

 

[dbachick74]

I didn't hear where you used any moisturizing conditioner after the protein to balance. Both Aphogee and Joico K-Pak are protein conditioners. The aphogee, especially the 2 step treatment, is very heavy protein which is why they have the moisture step required behind it. HTH!

 

[Nayna]

When I detangle I usually separate my hair into 4-6 sections and I braid them up. Once in the shower and the conditioner has soaked in for a while I take down the sections one by one; comb and braid them back up, rinse out the conditioner after a while then go on to styling. Most of the time I just separate the sections in half, add whatever product and let them air dry like that with some rollers. My hair stays stretched and detangled and it makes life easier since braid outs are my preferred hair style.

P.S. I think your protein use is a bit much. That protein/moisture balance gets tricky. I think if you add more moisturizing stuff to your regimen you'll find it easier to detangle. I use a heavy protein (nexxus) once every 4-6 weeks and a light one like aphogee 2 min every 2 weeks (or when I can remember, lol).

 

[a_shoe_6307]

That's a lot of protien. I know my hair, which is manageable usually, turns into a tangled mess with too much protien. I use V05 Tea Therapy Conditioners because they have a lot of slip to them and I never have problems with tangles. They are also very cheap so I can use a lot of it.

 

[ryanshope]

I have 4 a/b hair and I always section my hair to dry---twists or plaits..no wash n goes..ever.

I section my fro into 4 quadrants and detangle with a wide tooth comb or fingers.

I use slippery conditioners.

 

[NikStarrr]

Aussie Moist, Elucence MB or Hello Hydration and my shower comb (Jilbere knockoff) are my secrets.

Also, in my opinion, unless you wear your hair majority flat ironed--I don't really think natural hair needs a hardcore protein like Aphogee.

 

[godsflowerrr]

It sounds like you are may have a touch of protein overload. this may be the cause some tangles. I detangle my hair with a wide tooth comb after deep conditioning and before rinsing out the dc (which has a lot of slip). I take small sections and work section by section ...maybe about 8 sections. I deep condition weekly so I detangle weekly...for the rest of the week I finger comb.

 

[curlicarib]

Unless your hair is really damaged and breaking, that is waaayyy too much protein. You need to get really serious with the moisturizer to combat all that protein. Step away from the protein for a few months!

For detangling - a lot of Hello Hydration Dangerously Straight conditioner and a wide tooth comb, in the shower. And when you rinse - don't rinse it all out. Leave a little in - it makes all the difference in the world for me.

 

[Lynnerie]

Its definitely the protein. This has happened to me from using 2 protein conditioners in 1 wash and I had to spend hours getting all the tangles out. Now I just use cheapie conditioners like vo5, suave, and aussie moist with a shower comb.

 

[coolsista-paris]

i detangle mine while putting on the conditionner (i do it with, egges,avocado,and any oil ,usually olive or sweet almond) i start at the bottom of my hair. i take a part of hair,put the conditionner then comb...all that till i get to the front.

my hair is soft after and easy to comb.

 

[crr0121]

Man you ladies are a God send!! jeniece, I am currently washing 2 times a week and that is when i detangle I also deep condition on one of those days which is usually Sunday.... I live in wisconsin/minnesota area so its REALLY cold here right now which might also be a factor. Tada I have invested in a wide tooth comb ;-) i suppose ill have to keep working on my techniques haha.

A few more questions for you pros...
How is everyone here sectioning there hair when they wash it?
I section mine in 6 parts, down the middle with 3 on each side
And do you let the water run through your hair a little after applying the conditioner before you start the detangling process??
I don't, i SOAK my hair w/ cond, like tresseme and get straight to detangling, good slippy cond helps strands slide right past eachother (ETA: i don't rinse until ALL tangles are out or if it's really bad tangles, i rinse, then apply more cond and detangle again, then rinse, it's hard for me 2 rinse once the cond is out with just water (but that's just me)
And on average what amount of protein is most suitable for natural hair??(Im having a really hard time catching onto this whole moisture/protein balance thing)
It depends if your hair is damaged. Many ppl start their hair journey w/ damaged hair so do a lot of protein until its healthy. After it's healthy, I think protein once every month or every other month should be good. whenever hair feels weak or overmoisturized.

I def think you are using WAY too much protein. AND it's cold there? DRY+DRY+DRY= tangles and damage. Aphogee treatment AND K-pak (another protein) on the same day with NO deep moisturizing cond right after? That's really asking for trouble, esp for being natural. You're not relaxed and therefore SHOULDN'T have broken bonds too often (but everyone's diff). I say up the moisture.

HTH

 

[yardyspice]

I use two conditioners: a cheapie one (VO5) for cowashing and another for detangling (Trader Joe's Nourish). If my hair feels too mushy then I add Neutral Protein Filler to my Nourish and voilà it's back to normal. HTH.

 

[vkb247]

My detangler............

4 oz of Aloe Vera Gel
1 tsp of Wheat Germ oils
2 tbls of coconut oil

whip in the mixer..................

Use as much as you want to detangle =)

Conditioner for detangling is the only product I haven't found a simple and easy recipe for. I so hope this works for me!

 

[darlingdiva]

To detangle, I put my hair in six sections. Then I liberally apply the Jane Carter Solution Revitalizing Leave-In + oil to my dry hair. Then I comb my hair from root to tip with my wide-toothed comb, then with my comb that has teeth that are closer together (it's not a fine-toothed comb, though). Then I braid it and moisturize and seal my ends. The last time I did it in one hour and 47 minutes, which is a great improvement for me.

I wash my hair in six sections.

I agree with the other posters about the protein; I think you used too much of it.

 

[Keedah]

My secret is sections. I divide my hair into 4 sections, shampoo, apply condish and detangle. Once thoroughly detangled that section goes into 2 big twists. When my whole head is done I put on a plastic cap, sit under my hooded dryer for a deep conditioner and rinse with the twists in. When I take it out my hair is still perfectly detangled and I found I loose less hair this way.

 

[mariofmagdal]

When my hair is dry, I saturate with coconut oil, combing is a breeze.

When wet, plenty of conditioner.

I detangle before I wash.