Avoiding Setbacks | Don't let tangles rob you of your progress

I think I just narrowly avoided my first setback of 2015.   Although there were some casualties, the damage wasn't not as bad as it could have been.  I had to take some drastic action to address the situation, which, looking back, could have been avoided.  That's why I'm sharing my experience, as a reminder to myself, and hopefully as a warning to others.

My hair is prone to excessive tangling.  Actually, it graduated beyond tangles to full blown knots.  One thing I love about being texlaxed is the fullness that comes with added texture. But, on the other hand,  the coarser texture of my hair makes it a breeding ground to tangles.  When my hair is bone straight, shed hair is easily removed via finger detangling or with a comb.  I rarely straighten my textlaxed hair so it pretty much wraps itself around its neighbors as it sheds.  The longer I go without combing, the worse it gets.

And that's the problem.  I rarely comb my hair.  The only time I actually comb it is during my roller set on wash days.  The rest of the time I finger detangle.  Detangling by hand a wonderful thing unless, it's done in frequently and haphazardly.  Which is exactly what happened in my case.

But all of that is about to change.  I'm putting 100% of my energy into overcoming this issue once and for ever.  Tangles are a sensitive issue for me.  If I put off detangling, I end up with knots. If I finger detangle too frequently, I over manipulate and end up with breakage + thinning.  What's a girl to do?

Going extended periods without a well conducted detangling session is out of the question. I never want to get to a place where I 'm cutting knots out of my hair again.  The only other option is to remove the shed hairs in a way that completely avoids the negative effects of mechanical manipulation.  If my hair could withstand the detangling session with minimal breakage, I'd be set.  I received some assistance with managing breakage from Olaplex (full review to come).  Once I have the threat of breakage under control, I just have to increase frequency of detangling to avoid the worst case scenario.

Ideally, I'd like to do some form of detangling at every 1-3 days.  Preferably as part of a nightly routine before bed.  One mistake I've made when detangling in the past was to try tackling all of my hair at once.   Going forward, I'd like to divide my hair into 9 sections (three on the right side, three in the middle section, and 3 parts on the left).  If 9 sections isn't enough, I'll up it to 12.  At least that way I could be systematic about it.  Using 9 sections would also help me address the weaker areas of my hair.  Back in the day, I would divide my hair into two, maybe four sections whenever I applied product.  That, my friends, is the fastest way to experiencing damaged areas (and setbacks).  The more sections I create, the more I equitable I am in how I handle my hair.

Next are the tools for detangling. My favorite comb in the whole wide world for detangling is (The Mason Pearson rake comb).  This comb is all I need and more. I have every detangling comb known to man.  They all are now collecting dust because none of them love my hair the way my Mason Pearson does.  None of them.  Even though it's teeth aren't as wide as some of the others I own, it's gentler.  Don't know how to explain it.

 I'm putting out mental request for a product to use daily,  that'll help the shed hairs easily slide down the length of my hair without getting tangled.  When my hair was bone straight, I loved using It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In with Keratin.  I broke it out again last nigh and did a decent job.  I like that it contains strengtheners, like keratin, to help protect my hair from breakage during manipulation.  For the moment, I'm using it as a spot treatment.  Once I find my bottle of the original It's a 10 Leave-In, I'll try that out as well and compare the two.  Also got my eye on Keracare's detangling mist which has pretty good reviews.

Honestly, I would love to find a "dryer" product to fight tangles.  Something light that doesn't weigh the hair down.  I think most products on the market are aiming for the client to use while the hair is wet (after washing), I'm looking for something that can aid in detangling at any time, day or night. If I do come across this miracle detangle, you'll be the first to know.

Some other actions I'll take to deal with tangles include:

What's your favorite detangling product?  Please share your secrets to effortless detangling.