Severe Shedding and Detangling on wash days....

**KeelyLuv** · 05-24-2011, 12:00 AM

I big chopped in June of last year, which left my hair at 1" or less in length. At that time, since my hair was so short, I never had problems with matted ends or massive shedding. My routine included avoiding sulfates so I co-washed with a cheapie condish, then deep conditioned with Suave coconut and olive oil, and styled with gel and a denman. After 1 month, I stopped styling with gel and the denman because I felt the denman took a bit too much hair. So I did protective stying with hair pieces from then to now because I want to preserve my hair and sooner or later reveal a head full of lush healthy and long afro-textured hair.

Starting in December of last year, I wash my hair every 2 weeks. They are left in twists between that time. My long-time routine for my hair is.
Saturate hair with water and "wash" with cheapie condish.... or every 2 months or so...a sulfate free natural shampoo...
Rinse. Go section by section and add deep conditioning mix of Suave Coconut condish and olive oil to hair...detangling as I work along...Leave condish in hair for 30 min with shower cap. Rinse.
Then I usually go section by section AGAIN and add my leave in mixture of olive oil cholesterol and coconut oil so that I can moisturize and twist my hair all over.

Every wash day I lose more and more hair. Most recently, I used the tangle teezer. I feel it butchered my hair and so I ended up with a full cup. I've never had extremely thick hair and my hair is only about 4" - 5" in length, so this continues to worry me. Every wash day, I am set back once my hair gets WET and tangled.

I tried the black tea a few months ago but I still had pretty bad shedding although it seemed like less because my hair was shorter. Wide or Medium tooth combs have NEVER worked for me so I usually always use a smaller tooth comb or rat tail comb and work my way up from the ends... I just recently bought a $2 detangling style comb so I hope it does justice....and also I might try the denman again but this time I will only leave in 3 rows of teeth.

So my main issue is with all of this MASSIVE SHEDDING...I did my first home-made garlic powder treatment last washday and it did seem like it reduced the shedding. But since I had washed afterwards with a shampoo...my hair became EXTREMELY tangled and so no matter what tool I used (though I did end up using the TT throughout) - alot of my hair came out and I now have bad ends all over.
It seems like my ends just go crazy and wrap around eachother once WATER hits them. I do not want to start balding; this is so stressful. I looooove afro-textured hair and I want to see mine thrive like so many others.

Does anyone have any advice on how I can drastically reduce tangled hair when wet and massive shedding while detangling or even touching my hair?

**NappyNovelist** · 05-24-2011, 12:13 AM

Perhaps you should try detangling before you wash instead of after. Just wet the hair in the twists that you wear and detangle each with conditioner as you take each twist down. Then section the hair in 4-6 big twists and wash that way.

**KeelyLuv** · 05-24-2011, 12:36 AM

I've contemplated doing that but since my twist are usually so frizzy and unraveled near the root by time I wash them...I thought that maybe it could cause unbearable tangled hair once I wet it that way....I just don't know...

Thanks for the feedback.

**meraki** · 05-24-2011, 12:50 AM

When you say you go section by section "again," do you mean that you detangle twice?

If you use a small-toothed comb, you're going to pull more hair out. What do you mean when you say the wider teeth don't "work" for you?

Some women with natural hair get a lot of tangles with twists. You may want to try braids instead.

I have major tangle issues. I've tried the Denman and the Tangle Teaser. I don't use either of them anymore, because I believe they pull out too much hair. That's just MY experience.

Some women find relief by washing their hair when it's still twisted or braided. Even more women wash their loosened hair in sections b/c that seems to reduce tangles. My hair isn't thick, so sectioning isn't something that really benefits me.

How I deal with tangles - I always secure my hair in twists and a scarf at night. I don't do any pre-poo. I wash my hair with a SLS-free shampoo, then pile in conditioner. I put a plastic baggie on and let the conditioner sit for about 30 minutes. That seems to help. Section by section, I detangle with fingers, then a wide-toothed comb.

Good luck!

**AmirahJasmine** · 05-24-2011, 12:54 AM

i agree with detangeling before washing, instead of after.
maybe you can use an ouchless hair band to hold the bottom of your twists? Or you could make plaits instead of twists, and braid all the way to the end.
Hope this helps

**KeelyLuv** · 05-24-2011, 01:22 AM

Hi Meraki,
Yes, usually I have to do a quick 2nd detangling as I go back through each section to detangle.
My hair has very small curls (I think its 4B) and usually when it is tangled it forms big mattings in my hair...so the wide tooth comb usually only makes it worse because it can't comb the small curls or coils apart...it only "breaks" my hair...

And I couldn't agree more about the TT pulling out hair! I regret ever using that thing...it set me even further back sigh...I will be returning it back to Sally's in a few days...

I suppose I could try "washing" my hair while it is still twisted; I mean...what further damage could it do that isn't already being done every wash day...

Thanks for the feedback.

**KeelyLuv** · 05-24-2011, 01:24 AM

Hi Amirah,
Oh, if only I could create the plaits! Even when I was relaxed, it was such a hard thing to do....and now that I'm natural...it's even harder to learn for me.

Thanks for the feedback.

**G.Eve** · 05-24-2011, 01:34 AM

Put the combs n tools down n try detangling just with ur fingers. Have u Tried changing you products at all?

**yaynita** · 05-24-2011, 01:40 AM

Some people don't use a comb to detangle at all. They use their fingers.

**KeelyLuv** · 05-24-2011, 01:52 AM

Hi G.Eve and yaynita,
I don't think my fingers could ever get out the horribly complicated matting and tiny knots during the washing process.

Also, A couple of times I've changed products but it's done nothing, so I always go back to the routine products that I know best...

Which are:
Any V05 condish to initially wash with..
Suave Naturals Coconut Conditioner with olive oil (I like the soft yet heavy, creamy feel) to detangle and deep condition with....
And Lutrasilk Olive Oil Cholestorol with coconut oil (this also has a soft yet heavy, creamy feel) to twist with....

I wish I knew of other products that could deliver the same feel and have better results for my hair type.

Thanks for the feedback.