shave it off
February 9, 2011 12:13 PM   Subscribe

What are your best practices for preventing tangled hair?

I have medium thickness naturally wavy hair. the hair at the top of my head is pretty much straight and as you work your way to the nape of my neck it gets kinky-er and kinky-er.

Aside from frequent conditioning and limiting shampoo usage, what can I do to prevent my hair from tangling? I usually wear my hair down and if its the least bit windy or moist outside it knots up on itself. I need suggestions on how to prevent this that include things other than hair bands since my hair retains the "dent" from bands pretty easily and then does not look right hanging down. Product reccommendations, processes, anything. Help me.
posted by WeekendJen to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (34 answers total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
When using conditioner,start at the tips---dont even bother with the roots. And use a leave-in conditioner after you get out of the shower.
posted by vitabellosi at 12:20 PM on February 9, 2011 [1 favorite]


Comb your hair in the shower while there's conditioner in it.

Also, how is your hair cut? I found that my hair tangled a lot more when it was cut with no layers, but with some layering it tangles a lot less.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 12:22 PM on February 9, 2011 [1 favorite]


keeping your hair organized is the key.

Braids will work, if you can stand to wear a French braid, pigtails, one long braid, or a braided bun. Or other up styles - but you say you like wearing it down.

You could wear a kerchief over your hair when it's windy out.

And keep your hair really well-conditioned - a leave-in conditioner might be a good idea.
posted by peachfuzz at 12:22 PM on February 9, 2011


I used to get neck-dreadlocks until I trained myself to absent-mindedly run my hands through the hair at the back of my neck throughout the day.
posted by L'Estrange Fruit at 12:24 PM on February 9, 2011


Response by poster: My hair is cut into a few layers in the back and those "face framing" layers under my chin.


Any recs for a leave-in conditioner? Can I leave in a small dab of the conditioner from the shower (yes, I'm a beauty noob)?
posted by WeekendJen at 12:25 PM on February 9, 2011


Credentials: I've had waist-length wavy hair almost all my life.

To keep the wind from tangling my hair I often tie it back loosely when I'm outside, then shake it out once I get where I'm going. Sometimes I even tuck my hair inside my coat, or wrap my scarf.. At the very least, I would recommend twisting it and slinging it over one shoulder, anything to keep it from flying around and knotting itself. And I usually braid my hair or twist it in a hair elastic before I go to bed, which cuts down on tangles quite a bit.

I've also had good luck with Rusk Calm Detangler.
posted by milk white peacock at 12:27 PM on February 9, 2011


Cut it shorter?
Straighten it?
Use gel or mousse or hair spray?
Ask your hairdresser to "thin" it?

Tips for brushing out tangles more quickly and painlessly:

1. Start brushing them out an inch or two from the bottom, then work your way up.

2. Don't use one of those brushes with the little balls at the end of the bristles. Those are for lifting your hair when you're blow drying. That kind of brush is miserable to brush out tangles with.
posted by serena15221 at 12:30 PM on February 9, 2011


Have you played around with other ways to put it up that aren't reliant on tight elastics (the way ponytail and braids are)? For example, twisting it and folding it up into a wad, and holding it in place with chopsticks? Or folding it up under a warm hat when you're outside in winter? Of course these methods also make it hang funny, but it might be funny in a way that you can manage better than the crimp from a ponytail holder.
posted by aimedwander at 12:32 PM on February 9, 2011


If you have problems brushing out those tangles (like before you take a shower) I highly recommend Johnson and Johnson detangling spray, I believe it now comes in a greenish jade color bottle. It works even for after my curly hair has been mashed down in chlorinated water under a swim cap.

For leave in conditioner I like Garnier fructice leave in conditioner. It comes in a squat green bottle and I usually use about a quarter sized amount on my shoulder length hair.
posted by raccoon409 at 12:36 PM on February 9, 2011


Are you brushing really thoroughly before your shampoo-and-conditioner? That's key...

There's probably a conditioner out there that also works as a leave-in, but I wouldn't want to experiment to find out -- a lot will just be a greasy disaster if left in.

I like Bumble and Bumble Prep because I can't feel it at all; it does absolutely nothing else but make my hair easier to comb when it's wet. Just a few sprays and it goes from snarly to letting a comb glide through, and totally unnoticeable after that. (Reviews on makeupalley.com) A spendy brand, but a bottle lasts me about a year.
posted by kmennie at 12:36 PM on February 9, 2011


The only thing that ever worked for me was either braiding it or twisting it up with a hairstick or pencil.
posted by mollymayhem at 12:39 PM on February 9, 2011


if your hair isn't oily, i'd recommend using a leave-in conditioner on the ends.
posted by violetk at 12:44 PM on February 9, 2011


Here's my standard plug for the Curly Girl method, which works for a lot of people. I no longer follow it exactly, but I have stopped using sulfates and silicones and things seem to work.

My routine is to wash every other day or every third day. I use a very small amount of Dr. Bronner's as shampoo, and then thoroughly coat my hair with conditioner (Garnier Triple Nutrition), very gently run my fingers through my hair to make sure there are no large tangled spots, leave it in while I do my other showerly things, and rinse out at the end. And yeah, you can leave in a small amount of conditioner from the shower, or dilute your conditioner with a whole ton of water to use as a leave-in spray. I squeeze/shake out the excess water and air-dry - sometimes I clip my hair up, sometimes I let it hang. I love jaw clips for putting my hair up, since they don't dent or damage the hair like ponytail holders.

The Curly Girl instructions advise you never to brush your hair, so I stopped, and my hair is surprisingly tangle-free. The only time I brush it is when I have some sort of bedhead emergency.
posted by Metroid Baby at 12:45 PM on February 9, 2011 [3 favorites]


Can I leave in a small dab of the conditioner from the shower

Probably not, unless it says specifically that it's a leave-in conditioner. If you leave in a conditioner that is designed to be rinsed out, your hair will be gummy and awful.

VO5 Leave-In Detangle and Shine is a super-cheap and perfectly OK leave-in conditioner that's available at every drugstore and supermarket in the US. Bumble & Bumble Prep is great but a bit pricier. I love Kiehl's Creme with Silk Groom, but it's expensive.

Let me recommend a wide-toothed wooden comb; Whole Foods and the Body Shop both sell them and it will make all the difference in the world.
posted by Sidhedevil at 12:55 PM on February 9, 2011


Are you brushing really thoroughly before your shampoo-and-conditioner? That's key...

If WeekendJen's hair is like mine, brushing before shampooing is going to make it worse, not better. Combing with a wide-toothed wooden comb (or a wide-toothed styling comb) was the only way for me to manage my hair when it was long.
posted by Sidhedevil at 12:59 PM on February 9, 2011


Can I leave in a small dab of the conditioner from the shower

Absolutely, if your hair is thick enough. Just use a tiny bit, ends of the hair only. Try wetting your hands with water first, then adding a bit of the conditioner.
posted by runningwithscissors at 12:59 PM on February 9, 2011


I second Curly Girl, it changed my freaking life.

I use Infusium23 when I want a leave-in ... but I haven't really made a comparison, that was the first one I tried and it worked, so that's what I use. Mostly because I can spray it on.

I get less tangles when I have no layers, incidentally, but my hair sounds curlier than yours ... it works better when all my curls are the same length. So that might be worth experimenting too.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 1:12 PM on February 9, 2011


(Oh yes, and I haven't used a brush on my hair in closing in on 10 years. Wide-tooth combs only.)
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 1:13 PM on February 9, 2011


My hair tangles more when (a) I have tons of split ends, and (b) it's a little damaged from coloring, see "a."

Maybe get a good trim regularly, it would be nice if your stylist would deep condition before styling, and then switch to products without sulfates. These three things made all the difference for me!
posted by jbenben at 1:15 PM on February 9, 2011


I use strong gel and some silicon-based shine product, and my hair is lots less tangly.
posted by theora55 at 1:32 PM on February 9, 2011


Don't use really hot water when you shampoo your hair because it makes the microscopic scales open up so they grab onto each other causing tangling. Shampoo, rinse and condition with warm (just a bit warmer than skin temperature) water only. Makes a big difference.
posted by seanmpuckett at 1:37 PM on February 9, 2011


I love the Curly Girl method. I use V05 conditioner to wash (free of silicones, etc, and only $0.99 per bottle!) and for conditioning I use Nature's Gate Jojoba Conditioning (also silicone, etc free but richer than V05). Most of the time I also mix in a little jojoba oil in with the conditioner in my palm, maybe the size of a dime.
posted by Anonymous at 1:53 PM on February 9, 2011


I had good luck with Aveda Light Elements Smoothing Fluid, and have also used Aveda Brilliant Damage Control hairspray. I can't skip shampooing or have any heavy products in my hair, because it gets greasy, but these two are both very light.
posted by matildaben at 1:56 PM on February 9, 2011


I have the same kind of hair and I'm with Metroid Baby, I do a modified Curly Girl regime. When I'm in the shower, I finger-comb my hair quite thoroughly to get out the tangles as I'm applying conditioner. Then once I have rinsed the conditioner I get the best results from NO TOUCHIE.

I squeeze my hair in a towel and let it air dry, and if I can avoid fiddling with it at all, it dries in nice ringlets. These ringlets don't tend to tangle too much. I guess because the hair is pre-clumped.

Once my hair has dried, I will occasionally run my hand through at the nape of my neck to detangle during the day. But for the most part, it isn't necessary.

And I NEVER EVER USE A HAIRBRUSH. Brushing - with any kind of brush or comb - makes my hair Very Angry.
posted by ErikaB at 2:15 PM on February 9, 2011 [1 favorite]


Have you talked to whoever cuts your hair about this? I have fine, wavy hair, and I had the same problem. Drove me crazy. My hair guy did something (thinned it, maybe? put layers underneath?) so that my hair doesn't look different, but now I can actually run my hand through the underneath part of my hair without it getting stuck. It is amazing.

FWIW, I use Davines Melu shampoo and conditioner, but I don't know if using that particular product matters--the haircut does.
posted by zoetrope at 2:17 PM on February 9, 2011


my hair pretty much fits the same description as yours.
One thing that's helped A LOT is buying good quality shampoo and conditioner. It won't help that much at first (but still help), but in the long run it's changed my life!!! I don't even need to use leave-in conditioner anymore, but when I did, I used Redken smooth down detangling cream.

Do you have an ULTA near you? They sell several salon brands of shampoo and conditioners. Every so often they have great sales on their liter sizes. I highly recommend them! Plus those liters go a very long way so they're really not that expensive.

And trimming the dried out parts is a very good thing.
posted by Neekee at 2:27 PM on February 9, 2011


I recently got a few of these spiral hairpins which enable you to pull your hair up/back without the ponytail holder bump. They take a bit of a learning curve to figure out, but once you do they're incredible.

As for preventing tangling in general, for some reason the bulk of my tangles come from the showering/shampooing/drying process and not the elements. So I concentrate my detangling there. I brush thoroughly (concentrating on the tangle-prone nape of the neck) before showering, towel dry carefully, blowdry, then brush again if it looks tangled.

I tend to wear my hair up or under a hat if it's windy out, though, so YMMV. I hate hair in my face way more than I hate tangles.
posted by Sara C. at 2:29 PM on February 9, 2011


Get satin pillow covers. Your hair is noticeably less tangled in the mornings, which is a good start, and there seem to be run-on benefits further on into the day - hair seems a little straighter / less mussy, and slightly less tangle-prone.
posted by -harlequin- at 2:35 PM on February 9, 2011


My experience contradicts Sidhedevil, my hair is flat on top and wavy/frizzy from the ears down. I *only* brush just prior to showering. After the shower, I let it air dry, then style with my fingers. This is the only thing that has worked for me aside from my much more onerous method of sleeping with my hair in a french braid and using half a bottle of Aussie Moist every time I washed my hair.
posted by miscbuff at 4:25 PM on February 9, 2011


Yes, you can definitely leave shower conditioner in your hair. It'll do a good job of helping tame flyaways and frizz, and lessening tangles. You can also use shower-condtioner as a styling product if your hair doesn't tend to be greasy. Just make sure not to apply it to dry hair- wet or damp only, or it'll leave flakes.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 6:50 PM on February 9, 2011


seconding the V05 weightless leave in conditioner, I use that on the days I don't wash my hair.

Don't know if your hair is damaged, but mine is both kinky/wavy and was pretty dry/damaged until recently. I used V05 hot oil treatment as a one-off thing, but you can do it once a week, the box says, if your hair is particularly frizzy.

I also use the Aussie 3-minute miracle conditioner in the shower and that works well. I do a quick rinse so that some of it still stays on my hair.

How often do you wash your hair? For me a big problem is overwashing, then over-drying out, then the hairs breaking off because they're already coarse/frizzy and getting even more tangly. Washing every 2-3 days works well for me.
posted by nakedmolerats at 7:47 PM on February 9, 2011


Flat iron. I have your hair (it wants to be wavy/curly but is pulled down by just having so damn much of it), and oh gracious, the first time I flat ironed my hair.... It saved me so much time and pain when I brushed it! And I can walk in wind, just like a normal person! Of course you don't want to damage your hair with too much heat, but if you can wash your hair, say, twice a week and only flat iron it once then half the time your hair will be straight, without flat ironing repeatedly.

Otherwise, really wide headbands and hairbands will leave fewer marks. Something like this knitted headband or a fleece jogging headband, and this kind of hairband with the cloth covering... or you could just go all out and wear a knit cap. And tuck your ends under your coat, especially if you're just walking from A to B.

And if it's at all wet, umbrella or hood. Wet is the enemy of hair.
posted by anaelith at 4:55 AM on February 10, 2011


I have fine, thin, dry, very porous hair that's a little longer than bra strap length. My old hairdresser used to euphemistically refer to as 'textured' - which is to say my hair is neither wavy nor curly nor straight but somehow all at once. My hair will form vicious snarls that need to be cut out. I've tried going silicone and sulfate free in the past, but I've discovered that it made my tangling worse, then went back to using a conditioner with a soluble silicone, and it really helped with the tangles. That said, I did find curly hair forums really helpful for educating me about haircare ingredients - I now know, for instance, that the slightest trace of protein will turn my hair into a snappy, tangled mess.

Here is what helps me:

- I use a combined boar/nylon bristle brush (like a cheapie Mason and Pearson), and I brush a few times a day, and definitely before showering. At first it felt a bit strange to use a brush with such soft bristles, but it really does work to very gently get the knots out. It also really helps to start brushing at the ends then work my way up.

- Because my hair is on the thin side I wash every second day, but I only use shampoo every other wash. On the other days I conditioner wash by applying a cheapie conditioner very generously to my scalp, 'scrubbing' the conditioner in with the pads of my fingers, then applying a very generous amount to the lengths and ends (usually 3-4 palmfuls [yes really] to the roots, then 2-3 palmfuls to the rest). I then twist my hair back in a clip while i do the rest of my shower thing, and right at the end use a wide toothed shower comb to detangle from the ends to the roots. I find it helps to let the conditioner sit and do its thing before combing, and I've really found quantity helps, and there really is very little difference in the ingredients in an expensive shampoo or a supermarket shampoo.

- My hair also dents really easily, but I use it to my advantage. Your best friend is the traditional open hair pin - the ones that look like this (http://www.buy.com/prod/soft-n-style-3-jumbo-bronze-hair-pin-1-lb-box/q/sellerid/28621848/loc/67984/216393872.html) rather than a bobby pin. If I want to wear my hair out for the day and it's windy, before I go out i twist my hair into a loose bun by pulling it right up like i'm a troll doll, twisting it (concentrating on the ends) then wrapping it around itself. I then stab in two hair pins, kind of 'sewing' them in and criss-crossing them over each other, then cover the lot with a hat. You'll probably need more pins, as my hair really is quite thin. When I get to wear I'm going I quickly take out the pins and shake out my hair. No tangles, no snarls, no fouls. Bonus - it looks a bit fuller if i put the bun right on top of my head.

- Which reminds me - I've learned that I just can't wear my hair out when it's windy. Other people can, I can't. I keep a couple of hair pins in my pocket and do my loose bun if it looks windy. I've also learned that any kind of heated tool, whether it be hair dryer or flat iron or curling iron, makes my hair feel like straw. I figured out ways to air dry, and my hair feels much better and less tangled. Figure out what your hair can deal with and what it can't.

- COCONUT OIL. SRSLY. Coconut oil has CHANGED MY HAIR and I swear it's made it less tangle-prone. I oil it every day at night by scraping a very small quantity - I'm talking half pea size - out of the jar, emulsifying it in my hands, and running it through my lengths at night. Once a week I'll saturate my dry hair with it, massaging it well into my scalp, then clean the house for a couple of hours before shampooing and conditioning as usual. It's made my hair much less porous and much smoother, which has really helped.
posted by nerdfish at 7:09 AM on February 10, 2011


Seconding Infusium 23.
posted by heatvision at 8:07 AM on February 10, 2011


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