Preventing Matting of Natural 4b/c hair

[gmw]

Conditioner wash your hair instead of shampoo. Watered down conditioner. Shampoo very infrequently. Step up the amount of times you wash, maybe 2xs per week. Wear protective hair styles most of the time. Little to no manipulation. Garlic oil treatment is supposed to be good for slowing up shedding. There are some recipes on this board in the recipe section. Deep conditioner treatments once a week.

NEVER COMB 4A--Z HAIR DRY. Always have your hair soaking wet with water and conditioner when you detangle. This will cut down on unnecessary breakage.

Finally little to NO manipulation.

 

[DarkVictory]

Right now my hair (natural) is about 5 and 1/2 inches long and I have a terrible time with matting which is leading to major breakage, tangles and the horrific hair balls. I wear a wig during the day and sleep on a satin pillow case at night.

I wash, deep condition amd moisturize on the regular. Watch my diet take my vits and nothing seems to help. I mean I can just lightly pull on my hair and a ball will come out. In the morning my hair is matted and hard to pick out with out lots of breakage. Now I have been on this site for a long time and still am lost on what to do. I would keep it braided, but over a period of time that can cause breakage as well as heat. Roller setting you can forget about it. My hair is not the right texture to accomplish this in its natural state.

How to I prevent the matting?

Hey, Kally! Natural and super-coilly for years here. My hair used to matt terribly before I got detangling figured out.

It sounds like maybe your hair has reached a transitional length - the point where you have to work out some new methods. What worked when my hair was 2 inches long left my head a total mess at 5 inches long and so on as it grows. Once super-coilly hair reaches a certain length, I think you have to do everything - wash, dry, detangle - in sections.

Plat/cornrows under a wig or headcovering - wouldn't this be the ultimate protective style? I think your hair will be very happy.

 

[Poohbear]

Yes Girl Very dense. Yeah the combing with conditioner did not work for me either it harden my hair for some reason. Do you use cool air when you blow dry your hair? I have heard on here I think of others doing that. I think this may be safer then the hot comb. You also have been one of my hair inspirations

Yeah, conditioner makes my hair harder to comb too. I blowdry with hot air. It doesn't damage my hair. I don't blowdry my hair to straighten it, I blowdry to actually dry my hair and seal the cuticle. It actually makes it stronger and softer than airdrying. Blowdrying on cool air takes too long (I have 10 inches of nappy hair). If you are patient, you may want to use cool air. If you decide to use hot air, make sure to use a heat protectant.

 

[poetist]

I agree once my hair gets to where I can sport a afro puff or bun. I am leaving wigs alone. I was combing it daily erplexed.

I use wigs in my regimen and agree with the advice from the other ladies. Also, check out Kemi's fotki. She is natural and waistlength. She has a post in her fotki about loose natural hair (ie non-protective styles) stunting growth and causing breakage. So be careful with over use of afros and puffs in your haircare regimen. Try to alternate with some nice braided, twisted, and other protective styles