Naturals with long hair.....how do you retain length?

StarScream35 · Sep 20, 2012

I'm just curious about this and I also want to know, do you comb your hair? How do you keep it from getting so tangled?

As my natural hair is growing, I'm struggling with the tangles and whether or not I should comb it. But then if I comb it, I face breakage and that's what scares me.

I also notice I'm getting fairy knots which drive me INSANE!!!!!!!!!!!!! :spinning:

MissSenegal · Sep 20, 2012

I have bsl hair if you consider that long. I am hair lazy which is why I wear wigs. When I do wear my hair out its usually a twist out or a puff. I only comb my hair with lots of conditioner. It takes about 3 hours to detangle. My hair tangles no matter what even while braided.

leiah · Sep 20, 2012

I finger detangle with lots of leave in conditioner on wet hair.

I braid my wet hair and let it dry in the braids to reduce tangles
I seal my ends with a heavy butter.

I used to detangle once a week, but now I am shedding a lot so I find it necessary to do it a few times a week

Dee Raven · Sep 20, 2012

I'm HL, and what I do is once a week, before washing, I put coconut oil and conditioner on my hair and cover for at least 10 minutes. This way the hair is already wet when I get in the shower. In the shower I part hair in 4 sections and detangle with a denman brush under running water. You're going to have to play with combs brushes to find what works for you. My hair is really fine and dense, so I have to use a denman or I don't get all the shed hair out. But I've heard some people prefer wide tooth combs. At any rate, this works like a charm. Also, leaving conditioner in your hair when you style works great as well.

The knots are part of the territory. But I find that if I wear my hair stretched, I get fewer knots.

constance · Sep 20, 2012

I'm HL and I only use a comb once every 3-4 wks. I finger detangle in the shower before shampooing, after applying dc, and when rinsing out dc. I wash every 1-1.5wks & I shampoo in 4 sections like Dee Raven mentioned. I do not detangle at other times. I keep it in a bun/2 buns 90% of the time and 2 french braids the remainder of the time.

SSKS-When I keep my ends straight and apply a leave in I do not have a problem BUT if I get lazy at all...

**SaSSy** · Sep 20, 2012

In terms of LHCF I don't have "long" hair, but in terms of the real world, my hair is pretty long for being natural (SL in the front, a little past APL in th back) stretched. All I do is:

-Shampoo once a week with my shampoo bars
-Rotate between moisture/protein based conditioners (this is the only time I use a comb to detangle)
-Use my homemade ayurvedic oils on my scalp during the deep conditioning process
-Moisturize my hair wet/damp with oil/butter based products
-Wear twist (or other PS) no more than 2 weeks at a time
-No regular use of heat (2 times a year with a blow dryer or less)

Basically leaving my hair alone

Lita · Sep 20, 2012

Hi,I finger comb a lot,when I wash my hair I use a shower comb,keep my hair in lg braids/twist..Keep the length moisturized & try to apply some kind of oil/grease on ends,helps with tangles...Always,Always use a moisturizing leave-in after every wash..

*With twist/braids i may spritz & apply moisturizing cream or butter for 2nd 4th day hair..To help with tangles/moisture..

*My hair is in layers,I have a bang,the sides are at the top of my breast,back sides wl,center is tbl..Some parts CL....My hair is u-shaped..3c Lil 4a in certain parts..

Happy Hair Growing!

SherylsTresses · Sep 20, 2012

I'm grazing MBL.

I wear my hair in buns 99% of the time. The ponytail part is in three twists, pinned, baggyed, and a black wig cap for decoration. I cowash/DC twice per week and finger-detangle. I only comb detangle with protein treatments (DC/EVOO/egg yolk) once every 6 weeks. I always add EVOO to my conditioner and detangle in front of a mirror so I can see my tangles and finger-detangle them first, then followup with a wide tooth comb.

I get little to no knots.

LynnieB · Sep 21, 2012

Brighteyes35 said:
I'm just curious about this and I also want to know, do you comb your hair? How do you keep it from getting so tangled?

As my natural hair is growing, I'm struggling with the tangles and whether or not I should comb it. But then if I comb it, I face breakage and that's what scares me.

I also notice I'm getting fairy knots which drive me INSANE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Like many of the ladies here, I detangle, with a comb before washing using lots of watery cheap condition (vo5 works for me).

I don't wear my hair in shrunken styles like WNGs. Instead I let it dry in a few plaits or twists and that avoids having problems with matts or complicated tangles. If you notice too much tangling or if your hair gets too spider webby then it's time to do some dusting.

I try to always keep the ends of my hair protected with an extra coating of oil or conditioner.

Try to sleep with scarf, it stops hair from getting tangled why you sleep.

Keep your hair well conditioned and deep condition whenever you do your regular washday routine.

When you comb your hair, do not try to do it all at once, instead do everything in sections; wash, condition, dry. When you detangle, do it in small sections and don't try to comb through the entire length at once. Gently work the comb down the length, stopping when you hit a snag (usually it's a shed hair ball).

Wear protective styles or easy maintenance styles as much as possible.

That's all I can think of atm. Good Luck OP, you can do it!!

P.S. - probably the biggest weapon in your long hair arsenal will be PATIENCE!! It's going to take a while!

Maracujá · Sep 21, 2012

I gain length by protective styling (braiding, threading,...etc). Also, I've noticed that puffs are not of the devil, they don't give me as many tangles as I thought I'd have. HTH

Allandra · Sep 21, 2012

My regimen is pretty simple:

deep condition on dry hair
wash
condition
moisturize
place in cute protective style
air dry
wear that style for a week

I always comb my hair on wash day (would never be able to not comb my hair). I use a wide tooth shower comb, and I detangle my hair when it's loaded with conditioner. Once my hair is in a protective style, I leave it alone until it's time to wash it again. It doesn't bother me, so I don't brother it (my famous motto). :giggle:

I retain length by keeping it simple and not doing a whole lot of stuff to my hair.

FoxxyLocs · Sep 21, 2012

Keep hair stretched
PS
Heavy sealing on ends
Regular dusting
Weekly DC

Morenita · Sep 21, 2012

LynnieB said:
Like many of the ladies here, I detangle, with a comb before washing using lots of watery cheap condition (vo5 works for me).

I don't wear my hair in shrunken styles like WNGs. Instead I let it dry in a few plaits or twists and that avoids having problems with matts or complicated tangles. If you notice too much tangling or if your hair gets too spider webby then it's time to do some dusting.

I try to always keep the ends of my hair protected with an extra coating of oil or conditioner.

Try to sleep with scarf, it stops hair from getting tangled why you sleep.

Keep your hair well conditioned and deep condition whenever you do your regular washday routine.

When you comb your hair, do not try to do it all at once, instead do everything in sections; wash, condition, dry. When you detangle, do it in small sections and don't try to comb through the entire length at once. Gently work the comb down the length, stopping when you hit a snag (usually it's a shed hair ball).

Wear protective styles or easy maintenance styles as much as possible.

That's all I can think of atm. Good Luck OP, you can do it!!

P.S. - probably the biggest weapon in your long hair arsenal will be PATIENCE!! It's going to take a while!

The bolded x1000!

I'm just shy of WL. I actually probably was WL but I cut 2 inches because my hair was tangling terribly. As soon as I got those yucky ends off, I was able to FINGER DETANGLE my hair for goodness sake! I haven't been able to do that since I b/c'ed. So yeah, keep those ends fresh.

To quote FindingMe, I'm also more of a lazy hair enthusiast. It actually works in my favor because it's low manipulation. For example, I do buns and ponytails more often than braidouts. (But I stretch my hair in a braid out beforehand).

Other than that, just do what LynnieB says! She knows her stuff. Seal those ends, dust when you need to, condition no less than once a week, moisture and protein balance. And be gentle! When/if you use combs, use them gently. And stay away from boar bristle and similar looking brushes. They are the debil. A Denman can break your hair too, so just use with caution.

greenandchic · Sep 21, 2012

Keep my hair moisturzed by cowashing 2x/week, and using leave-in at least every other day.
Keep my hair stretched. When I wash, I always flat twist my hair until it dries after moisturizing and sealing (I sometimes use a styler like my homemade custard which helps).
No WnGs. No shrunken styles.
Make sure I get rid of shed hairs at least once a week while I'm detangling. Shed hair often form knots around other shed hairs which form knots around the hair that's still attached.
DC once a week at least
Dusting. Which for me is a bit tricky since my hair grows so slow.
Henna - My hair is porous so monthly henna treatments helps strengthen my hair and fill in the holes.

Allandra · Sep 21, 2012

LynnieB said:
Like many of the ladies here, I detangle, with a comb before washing using lots of watery cheap condition (vo5 works for me).

I don't wear my hair in shrunken styles like WNGs. Instead I let it dry in a few plaits or twists and that avoids having problems with matts or complicated tangles. If you notice too much tangling or if your hair gets too spider webby then it's time to do some dusting.

I try to always keep the ends of my hair protected with an extra coating of oil or conditioner.

Try to sleep with scarf, it stops hair from getting tangled why you sleep.

Keep your hair well conditioned and deep condition whenever you do your regular washday routine.

When you comb your hair, do not try to do it all at once, instead do everything in sections; wash, condition, dry. When you detangle, do it in small sections and don't try to comb through the entire length at once. Gently work the comb down the length, stopping when you hit a snag (usually it's a shed hair ball).

Wear protective styles or easy maintenance styles as much as possible.

That's all I can think of atm. Good Luck OP, you can do it!!

P.S. - probably the biggest weapon in your long hair arsenal will be PATIENCE!! It's going to take a while!

I know that's right.

FindingMe · Sep 21, 2012

Morenita said:
The bolded x1000!

I'm just shy of WL. I actually probably was WL but I cut 2 inches because my hair was tangling terribly. As soon as I got those yucky ends off, I was able to FINGER DETANGLE my hair for goodness sake! I haven't been able to do that since I b/c'ed. So yeah, keep those ends fresh.

To quote FindingMe, I'm also more of a lazy hair enthusiast. It actually works in my favor because it's low manipulation. For example, I do buns and ponytails more often than braidouts. (But I stretch my hair in a braid out beforehand).

Other than that, just do what LynnieB says! She knows her stuff. Seal those ends, dust when you need to, condition no less than once a week, moisture and protein balance. And be gentle! When/if you use combs, use them gently. And stay away from boar bristle and similar looking brushes. They are the debil. A Denman can break your hair too, so just use with caution.

LOW MANIPULATION for me is the key...I am MBL right now, but had a hard time getting past BSL. The less I fooled with my hair (including manipulating it for twist outs or stretched styles), the better for me and that's when I got past BSL.

I typically wear WnGs, washing on average about 2 times per week. I only co-wash, always pre-poo with conditioner and olive oil for about 30m-1h before I wash. I always put it up in a pineapple at night using a very old loc soc that has very stretched out banding around the hairline. I don't fool with it until wash day. I may spritz it with water and a little oil to refresh it between washes, but that's about it. So I really only manipulate my hair, even to style, like a couple of times a week. I finger detangle in the shower, but the pre-poo helps tremendously in melting knots and tangles before I even start. Because my hair is coarse and dry, dry, dry, the frequent washing seems to help.

If my hair gets super frizzy, or super curly, I just let it be until I wash it. My hair shrinks to just below shoulder length, so this routine is very manageable for me.

Again, LOW manipulation for me is key.

OT: Morenita - I haven't straightened my hair in almost a year. You are making me want to do it. :yep:

Your siggy is lovely!!!!! :drunk:

ya, sis!

greenandchic · Sep 21, 2012

FindingMe - How to do you sleep with your WnG hair?

Bublin · Sep 21, 2012

My thoughts and a question...........

When you have very long hair you are easily able to 'throw it in a neat bun'.
However if your hair is much shorter this is not possible and at the very least the front has to be styled which means more manipulation than the advice given here.

I'd like to know how you all were styling your hair when it was say, shoulder length (stretched)? Or did you start your journey with longer hair? Did you all wear weaves?

I am APL stretched but my shrinkage is 50% and my hair at the front is much shorter. I cannot put it into a neat bun. My only option is to wear a braid or twist out which is quite alot of manipulation. I don't like weaves, wigs or extensions.

LynnieB · Sep 21, 2012

Bublin said:
My thoughts and a question...........

When you have very long hair you are easily able to 'throw it in a neat bun'.
However if your hair is much shorter this is not possible and at the very least the front has to be styled which means more manipulation than the advice given here.

I'd like to know how you all were styling your hair when it was say, shoulder length (stretched)? Or did you start your journey with longer hair? Did you all wear weaves?

I am APL stretched but my shrinkage is 50% and my hair at the front is much shorter. I cannot put it into a neat bun. My only option is to wear a braid or twist out which is quite alot of manipulation. I don't like weaves, wigs or extensions.

I BC'd to 6-7" of hair - if I used alot of bobby pins or scarfs, the front stayed down. I wore alot of twists, braids, 2 cornrows and puffs.

Edit to add (it's been so long ago!) - I also did a few rollersets when my hair was shorter. They were relatively easy to do at that length.

My daughter however, BC'd to about 3-4". She went to a natural stylist for the cut, she put her hair in comb coils and twist out fros. Once it started hitting 5-7" she has it flat twisted in the front, sides and back and either twists or twist out puff using the flat twists instead of a headband or scarf. This past month she's letting me do it for her, I flat twist the front and twists in the back. When she gets tired of that, she does a twist out with the back, leaving the front in flat twists. Small neat cornrows in place of the flat twists would work too.

My mother's hair is a around 5-7" too but she prefers comb coils so that's how I do it.

Forgot to add that none of us has ever worn a wig, weave or extensions although for some trying to grow their hair out, that may be an option.

HTH

nurseN98 · Sep 21, 2012

I was wsl a couple of months ago but I chopped about 6 inches off (i want to get a professional cut but I just haven't had time) so now i'm mbl. I had horrible tangling issues and one thing that helped is sealing with silicone serum. The only prob with that was that my scalp was sensitive and the serum caused me to itch. Recently I discovered mowrah butter and i've been sealing with it after wash & conditioning. I've tried other butters but they usually leave my hair greasy and heavy but this mowrah butter is perfect for my hair. I apply it all throughout from root to tip. This keeps my hair from tangling as badly and instead of taking 1hour to detangle now it only takes 5-10 minutes.

SEMO · Sep 21, 2012

I just came in to co-sign on all the advice given. I've discovered that, like others, my likes less wash n' go's than I previously thought and does well when the ends are more contained. I finger detangle or use a wide-toothed shower comb only on wash days when my hair is saturated with conditioner. I need to moisturize my hair at least every other day and when I don't seal my ends regularly (oil or butter), things go very badly.

Retaining length has also gotten easier since I started trimming my own hair. Now I don't have to avoid trims altogether or go to a stylist and have them cut off too much.

NappyNelle · Sep 21, 2012

Bublin said:
My thoughts and a question...........

When you have very long hair you are easily able to 'throw it in a neat bun'.
However if your hair is much shorter this is not possible and at the very least the front has to be styled which means more manipulation than the advice given here.

I'd like to know how you all were styling your hair when it was say, shoulder length (stretched)? Or did you start your journey with longer hair? Did you all wear weaves?

I am APL stretched but my shrinkage is 50% and my hair at the front is much shorter. I cannot put it into a neat bun. My only option is to wear a braid or twist out which is quite alot of manipulation. I don't like weaves, wigs or extensions.

I wore lots of twists, pin-ups, braid outs, and puffs.

Morenita · Sep 22, 2012

Bublin said:
My thoughts and a question...........

When you have very long hair you are easily able to 'throw it in a neat bun'.
However if your hair is much shorter this is not possible and at the very least the front has to be styled which means more manipulation than the advice given here.

I'd like to know how you all were styling your hair when it was say, shoulder length (stretched)? Or did you start your journey with longer hair? Did you all wear weaves?

I am APL stretched but my shrinkage is 50% and my hair at the front is much shorter. I cannot put it into a neat bun. My only option is to wear a braid or twist out which is quite alot of manipulation. I don't like weaves, wigs or extensions.

FindingMe Thanks! I know you are having great success with the curly girl method (I read that thread you posted in). I straighten a few times a year to have fun with the length and to get a good dusting and s&d in.

Bublin When I b/c'ed, my hair was shoulder length stretched and I could just barely get it into a ponytail, let a alone a bun. I did a lot of wng's at that time because I was newly natural and that's the whole fun of it, enjoying your new texture, but quickly figured out that wng's create a haven for single strand knots. I then switched to braidouts and twistouts and have been wearing my hair this way ever since. It can probably be considered medium to high manipulation but it works fine if you're gentle. I just use my fingers to detangle as much as possible and limit the use of combs and brushes and it's been working pretty well.

kandake · Sep 22, 2012

Bublin said:
My thoughts and a question...........

When you have very long hair you are easily able to 'throw it in a neat bun'.
However if your hair is much shorter this is not possible and at the very least the front has to be styled which means more manipulation than the advice given here.

I'd like to know how you all were styling your hair when it was say, shoulder length (stretched)? Or did you start your journey with longer hair? Did you all wear weaves?

I am APL stretched but my shrinkage is 50% and my hair at the front is much shorter. I cannot put it into a neat bun. My only option is to wear a braid or twist out which is quite alot of manipulation. I don't like weaves, wigs or extensions.

Bublin My hair is shoulder length stretched. I've been wearing buns religiously for the last two months. I put my hair in my usual puff. Split the hair down the middle, smooth it with a comb/denman brush, pin it in the middle, repeat on the other side. My avatar is a puff bun.

Bublin · Sep 22, 2012

Morenita said:
@FindingMe Thanks! I know you are having great success with the curly girl method (I read that thread you posted in). I straighten a few times a year to have fun with the length and to get a good dusting and s&d in.

@Bublin When I b/c'ed, my hair was shoulder length stretched and I could just barely get it into a ponytail, let a alone a bun. I did a lot of wng's at that time because I was newly natural and that's the whole fun of it, enjoying your new texture, but quickly figured out that wng's create a haven for single strand knots. I then switched to braidouts and twistouts and have been wearing my hair this way ever since. It can probably be considered medium to high manipulation but it works fine if you're gentle. I just use my fingers to detangle as much as possible and limit the use of combs and brushes and it's been working pretty well.

Thank you. That's what I'm doing, braidouts. Your hair is lovely.

kandake said:
@Bublin My hair is shoulder length stretched. I've been wearing buns religiously for the last two months. I put my hair in my usual puff. Split the hair down the middle, smooth it with a comb/denman brush, pin it in the middle, repeat on the other side. My avatar is a puff bun.

Excellent idea. I will try this. Your hair looks really nice.

southerncitygirl · Sep 22, 2012

dust every 3-4 months

shampoo with low or no sulfate free poo once a week

use a 2 step protein treatment every 4-6 weeks

i only detangle on wash day with a shower comb

i wash in sections

moisturize and seal 2-4 times a week

my staple style is a twist out style and i am a cottony 3c/4a... i get some single strand
knots and i pay them no mind some come with the territory of having curly-coily hair.

i may play around with braids using extension hair and twists with my hair only this winter. i also plan on being more consistent with dc-ing every other week if i don't do weekly.

Whimsy · Sep 22, 2012

I comb it gently, tip to root, with a wide tooth comb. (that finger combing mess doesn't work for me)

I retain length by protective styling, being low manipulation, moisturizing and DCing often.

I also just try to be gentle with the hair.

Dee Raven's technique of dousing the hair with oil/condish is what I do as well but I leave it on for at least 1/2 hour.
Sometimes I'll prepoo with coconut oil only, overnight.

Bublin · Sep 22, 2012

kandake
I quickly tried your bunning idea with my braid out and it is soo easy.
Thank you.

Bubblingbrownshuga · Sep 22, 2012

I am slowly transitioning to mainly finger combing my hair. I picked up the technique after only trying it once in the past and I was pleasantly surprised to see how it removed shed hair, just like a comb.

I notice that my hair doesn't like to stay in buns, especially when my hair gets dry after washing it. After a while my hair gets stiff and looks straightened.

My hair has been thriving from two strand twist updo's. To hold them in place, I opt for Good Hair Day pins over regular bobby pins because they cause less breakage to the hair.

FindingMe · Sep 23, 2012

greenandchic said:
FindingMe - How to do you sleep with your WnG hair?

I use an old loc soc that has lost the elasticity around the banding. It ends up being a pineapple (more like Nefertiti :lol:

) when I put it up in there. It holds the curls and doesn't mash or mush my hair and the best part is absolutely no manipulation. Because there's so much hair, it holds the loc soc on and the banding is loose around my hairline, so no rubbing. I also sleep on a silk pillowcase.

Naturals with long hair.....how do you retain length?

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