After shampoo... wet comb out or dry?

I would like to know the best way to handle detangling long hair.

We all know that hair is most fragile when it's wet. But for me if I don't comb it out when it's very wet, I can't touch it. And if I wait until it's completely dry, the tangles seem worst not to mention it gets pretty wild.

When a person has very very long hair, what is the best way to untangle it?
Can some of you share your techniques?

I have found that using a good conditioner will help the comb glide through my hair. I am very careful to keep my hair hanging back smooth and I don't scrunch it up either when I wash it. Usually my hair is not tangled at all. I also have a couple of leave-in conditioners to help. If it's too tangly after a wash, cause we went jeepin or hit the beach on a windy day, then I wait until it's dry and then gently work on it. But I don't know if that is better.

Those of you who have super long hair, what is the best way to tackle this on any given day?

wittils

My hair isn't super long...just at waist length...but I comb mine in the shower while I have conditioner in it. Then I rinse the conditioner out and before getting out of the shower I put in a little leave in conditioner and comb this through. Then I don't comb or try to detangle it the rest of the day.

Like Snowwhite, I don't have superlong hair and I comb out tangles in the shower - sometimes with conditioner, sometimes after rinsing, using the water to help smooth things out.
I also completely detangle before I wash.

HTH
Gren

Once upon a time, I wrote a most excellent dissertation on the subject, which was posted online right here at the HairBoutique. Well, at least the posting location is true. Read it and weep if you get the shampoo in your eyes.. erm, I mean you can read it here:

http://www.hairboutique.com/tips/tip033.htm

I should say that if I were to re-write the article today, the technique I describe would be much different. In part, because different lengths of long require different techniques, but mostly because I have modified or refined the technique so that it is more effective and less tangling. So I hope this helps, Wittils, and if you or anybody would like to hear the technique I use these days, let me know.

Yes, please, I would like to know... I am wanting to find out what might be the best way to go at this as my hair becomes longer. It's way short right now, but my daughter's is mid-back and we are growing ours long together.

I use to do what SnowWhite and Grenwich do. All I know is that if I wait just 2 seconds too long after I wash it, and it begins to dry just a little bit, I can't touch it.

And even though hair is stronger when dry, the tangles seem worse if I wait whether it's my hair or my little girls.

And no matter how gentle I am I lose some hair. That bothers me a lot.

Thank you lots for all of your advise and comments!

Does everyone fret over this???

I have found that if I wash it upside down (as Dave has written) but then condition it right side up and as i rinse the conditioner, I run my fingers through and the tangles seem to go out without any tension at all. Then condition again and move my fingers though and untangle with the conditioner in my hair. rinse and it is tangle free. Then I have a HUGE head towel that i made myself. It wraps from the top of my head down to the ends without my having to twist it up onto myhead or anything. This works pretty good for me.

Jacqui

I too comb my hair when it is wet. Otherwise it dries with erratic waves and curls (which are nice on occasion).

Then I wrap it in a micro-fibre hair towel which rapidly absorbs moisture. This has made an incredible difference to the amount of tangles I get. They are significantly less then when I used an ordinary terry-cloth towel.

The comb is a wide-toothed detangler that glides through the hair.

After 10 minutes, I let the hair out of the towel and let it dry naturally, combing again at intervals.

I think it is important to comb slowly and carefully after washing. A little oil on the comb also helps.

Uzi

Hi Jacqui,

I think you misunderstood me, I do not wash my hair upside down. Results in too many tangles, but if it works for you, good for you! My motto is "whatever works, go with it."


Hi Wittils,

There is something I should add: Before I start the shower, I have thoroughly detangled my hair dry with a wide-tooth comb followed by a paddle brush. This helps remove any loose hairs beforehand, meaning fewer strands that fall out during the shower and afterwards, during the comb-out.

And since you asked for the additional info I offered, one of the significantly different things that I do -- and this may be a result of the fact that my hair is quite a bit longer now than it was when I wrote the article -- is that when my hair is finally entirely wet, I prop my hair each side on my shoulders, which allows me to more easily work the shampoo into the scalp.

I also don't put any shampoo on the ends. Never.

I also dilute my shampoo now, like 20-1. Basically I squirt a certain amount of shampoo into an empty, clear plastic squirt bottle (leftover shampoo bottle will do), and add water. I go with about 4 ounces of the shampoo/water mix. Just swirl the bottle when the water's added, don't shake, otherwise you'll get a bottle full of bubbles. I gradually apply the mix to a given spot on the scalp and massage until it starts to suds, then move on to another spot on the scalp. I do this until I've got the entire scalp just a bit sudsy, then I massage, and rinse... and repeat (LOL). It works really well for me. When I first heard about diluting shampoo I thought it would never work for me, but after I tried it, I find that it works extremely well because it cleans without completely stripping out all the natural sebum (so it's not "squeaky" clean).

Hope this helps.

Lots of good ideas and good advice, so thank you. I won't stress so much and I will try the diluted shampoo. I heard about that so long ago and totally forgot.

Plus I am switching to a Mega Moisture shampoo to help with the damage I created two months ago. I just want to snip it all off and start fresh. My hubby would disown me so....

I did read an article that said to grow healthy hair you have to start with healthy hair, so cut off the bad part. At this point I would have only 3 inches.

So I will just baby it and in time, lots of time, the damage will be gone. Ooooh... it's going to be a long time. But I count my blessings. It could be so much worse. It's just too dry, the driest I have ever seen it.

So thank you again for the help!
wittils

Sorry Dave...I must have gotten my articles mixed up...I have read too many, I think.

jacqui