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Hi all,
got a ? I am new to this all I have had my first unit for about two months and have tried at leat 20 different conditioners. I have settled on axis shampoo, motions moiture plus conditioner and soft sheen detangler w/ nature care leave conditioner that I cut with water because it's too thick. I only shampoo w/ detachment. I usually condition w/ water every three days and I detangle and leave in condition at least twice a day. All this and I still tangle up all day everyday w/ in an hour of doing any preventatives. I have 12 in wave curl. I have seen MANY posts about this problem and have directed my frustration to HD without any assistance. I don't know if its the hair quality or the type of hair I have which quite frankly i'm not really sure what I have beside a full cap hollywood lace with a poly perimeter in the back. So what is everyone using that has helped with this issue or any suggestions of the type of hair I should have would be of the greatest help.
thanks so much,
gina
Hi Gina,
I struggled with that problem initially as well. I wear a full cap with 5 inch wave curl. I also noticed that I had problems with severe tangling/matting only with the hair below my crown (my Mom wears an HD system and has never had a problem with tangling/matting, but her's is not a full cap system). One thing I discovered is the more water (or water based product) I put on my system the more it tangled and matted. Also, as I thought about it, more than moisture, what are systems lacking? They are lacking the oil that "real" hair receives from our sebaceous glands. So after much trial and error, I settled on a routine where I use (rinse out) conditioner only after I shampoo my system Then I spray my system lightly with an oil sheen spray before drying. If I have time I prefer to let my system air dry, otherwise I dry on a low setting, but I leave it slightly damp such that it completes (air) drying in about 10 -15 minutes. I then spay on a second light coating of oil sheen spray and style. I also spray a light coating of oil sheen spray every morning when between "shamppos". I have had very little problems with tangling and no problems with matting every since. I like the Nearly Natural products (shampoo, pre-conditioner spray and conditioner) now available through HD. Nearly Natural has a nice oil sheen spray, which I have tried. It's nice and works nicely but I think it is pricey. I prefer to use the less expensive spray I began using before HD introduced Nearly Natural's.
On another note, from reading various posts here, I found out about "remy" hair, which apparently is not as suscepible to matting. One post I read said one way to tell if your hair is "remy" or not is to wet it. If it tangles it is not remy. I called my hair tech (love you Mary!) to find out what type of hair I had, which based on the post I had read I now assumed was not "remy." My hair tech confirmed that and I have now requested "remy" hair for my next system and I will see how it compares. But in the meantime, I am happy because I have found a "hair" care regimen that works for me. Also I should mention that I also sleep on a stain pillow case, during the winter when I wear coats, I wear a silk or satin scarve over the collar and I made a satin cover for the head rest in my car. As your "hair" moves against these surfaces it gets caught and dries out and tangles. The satin/silk helps to prevent this.
PS maybe, instead of cutting your currrent leave in conditioner with water, you should just apply it more sparingly. With my "discovery" on the effect water has on non-remy hair, the water may be making your conditioner less effective.
PPS I did a little research and found out Jojoba oil is the closest oil to human sebaceous oil. Both Nearly Natural and the oil sheen spray that I use list jojoba oil (Simmondsia chinensis) as one of the primary ingredients.
Gina
Your frustration with tangles is felt by so many. I compliment Kathryn on pointing out what I feel is the most overlooked and least addressed aspect of hair replacement hair care - the addition of natural oils back into the system. As she stated Simmondsai chinasis does help to mimic the natural scalp oil (sebum) that is no longer available to aid in providing natural scalp lubrication to the hair .One extremely important point when using any oil replinishing spray is to use very sparingly- a very light mist to avoid excessive buildup on the hair . A common mistake when using the oil replnishing products comes when they are treated and applied like hairspray- most often resulting in an excessive amount .
My two suggestions:
1)If you do not currently use it in your regimen- I suggest using our Softening Solution on your system when you condition your hair . The Softening Solution is to be sprayed on your hair after shampoo is rinsed and immediately before rinse out conditioner is applied.
2)One of the long hair forum members -CurlySue- recently posted a new regimen discovery that she has found helpful in fighting the tangles for longer hair . She stated that she pulls her hair up in a ponytail at night before bed- then saturates her hair with NearlyNatural Moisture Mist. She may be able to expand her thoughts on the CurlySue PonyTail Conditioning method. http://www.hairdirect.com/community/forums/thread/13919.aspx
There is certainly an art to finding the right product combinations/correct timing for each person's specific needs /hair types and problems. I hope that we can work to resolve this problem so that you can enjoy your hair every day.
If anyone has used pureology products and nearly natural? Which do you prefer?
Thanks.
Hi there Hollywood,
I use a combination of both Pureology Nanoworks (don't forget the nanoworks part) and then Nearly Natural. It works wonderfully! I will tell you that if I were stranded alone on a desert island and had to pick one, it would be the Pureology...but then again, if I were stranded alone, I'd just take off my hair since the softness wouldn't really matter!
Babe
Not born with hair, but I've gotthe intelligence to find it, the money to pay for it, the patience to "stick" it on just right,the will to make it work, the confidence to wear it boldlyand the smile to wear under it!
Hi Gina-
Yes, we can all relate to your frustration. Some products are essential and then there are other tricks we learn along the way to help with the tangling and matting.
I have very curly hair so I have always ordered units with perms in them between 10 and 16 inches long. The length did not matter--it matted and tangled like crazy, regardless of the products I used. It was just like velcro! It is true that Remy hair has not had the cuticle stripped from it and should be less prone to tangling if vented properly, however, once the hair is permed it is no longer Remy hair. Perming the hair actually rots the hair follicle. So, if you are dealing with a unit that has been dyed and permed, you will experience even more drying, matting and tangling than if you have a unit with no perm. I struggled with this rather unsuccessfully for four years. Recently, out of frustration I switched to unprocessed Remy hair with a natural wave instead of a perm. It's not the same, and I miss my curls, but it still looks really nice and is MUCH easier to deal with. I'm not even positive I have Remy hair, but it's still easier to deal with than the perm.
Regardless, with a non-permed unit we still need to go through the conditioning and softening process on a daily basis, and I am still learning how to do this. For the past few months I have been using Nearly Natural products almost exclusively in trying to really understand how the conditioning process works and what is most effective. Prior to this, I had stopped using leave-in because they seemed to have so much alcohol in them that they were counterproductive. My unit started to matte and tangle terribly and it was only 5 weeks old. As soon as I started using Nearly Natural Moisture Mist my hair recovered very quickly.
My routine is now this: Shampoo and condition every three days with NN Sulfate-free Color Fade Shampoo (When I detach I use the NN Hydrating Soy Shampoo and Conditioner because it seems to act like a clarifying shampoo for me). Then I rinse the shampoo and comb my hair. I then very liberally spray the NN Softening Solution along the length of my hair and add NN Sulfate-free Color Fade Conditioner, comb through and let that sit for a few minutes. After I rinse, I comb again and I spray my hair with NN Natural Sheen that Kathryn mentioned. I'm currently experimenting with rinsing out vs. leaving it in. Then I towel dry my hair with a microfiber towel and spray NN Moisture Mist and let my hair dry naturally. I never blow dry. I rarely use any styling products because of the alcohol content and buildup on the hair. Occasionally I use mousse on the third day since I know I will be washing my hair the next day. If I want my hair to stay wavy, I just crunch it and I don't touch it after it's dry. It DOES tangle a bit, but it's manageable, and I no longer experience matting at all.
On the days between shampoo I usually soak my hair in the shower and repeat ALL steps except for the shampoo. I must condition every day.
If I don't wet my hair at all on a particular day because I want to wear it straighter, I definitely at least use the Natural Sheen to keep some oils on the hair.
When my hair was in bad shape and I was desperate to repair it, I started using NN Moisture Mist in the evening as well, and decided to keep this as part of my routine. I put my hair in a high (or low) ponytail (you get more coverage with the high ponytail without affecting the base/knots) and saturate it with the Moisture Mist, comb through and go to bed. In the morning my hair is remarkably softer and I can comb right through it. Plus the MM smells so good, it's like aromatherapy to fall asleep to! This process is working very well for me. The Softening Solution is also key though.
I am still working through this process to see what works for me. I too have tried a bazillion different kinds of conditioners and have settled on the Nearly Natural products for now. I like that they are botanical (I think) and don't seem to contain harsh ingredients. Also, I noticed a little goes a long way with the shampoo and rinse conditioners. I think a lot of other salon products are all the same thing in different packaging with different colors and smells to make us think they are different when they really aren't all that different. I used to use this really expensive shampoo and conditioner that was recommended to me at the salon. They were $37 each for 8.5 oz bottles because they have CAVIAR in them. Needless to say it worked about as well as Pert.
By the way, I also invested in a water softener for my shower. That may be helping as well. I know it has made my boyfriend's long, thick locks super slippery soft!
Hope this helps a bit. Let us know how you make out!
Sue
well thanks to all for the input. I ordered the NN softening solution and sulfate free conditioner and arrrgghhh my hair feels like straw. I had high hopes but now it's ten times worse it literally feels like tiny needles stabbing my back where the hair touches my back. I guess I will keep trying things and hopefully will find something. Oh and just an FYI to all who want to try the NN I have noticed since I used the these products I am losing fingerfulls of hair and I do use the knot sealer.
Gina,
Send me an email so I can chat with you!
Sorry to hear you are having this trouble. I originally started using the Softening Solution on an old unit that had been permed twice and was like straw. I had to use it several times to notice any difference because the unit was in such bad shape. It took a couple of weeks before I noticed a difference and it didn't recover it to silky smooth (but it got better) but I could not have expected it to completely return to its original texture on that on old over-processed unit. I have noticed when I start using it from the beginning on a new unit it helps keep it soft. The Moisture Mist is the thing I have found that really softens. Maybe Babe can help you with some tips. I know she's a fan of the bleach/ammonia bath. I was able to repair my unit with the NN products and did not need to go that route.
I'm sure you know not to apply any conditioning product to the base or near the knots of the unit because this will cause shedding. I'm sorry you are experiencing more shedding now. I'm not sure why this would happen if you don't apply the conditioning products near the base of the unit. I am no longer using TDI knot sealer because it does not work for me at all. I am in the process of trying a new knot sealer.
Good luck...you'll find something that works for you.
Feel; free to contact me as well because my ultimate goal is satisfaction and understanding of why there is not responding the way that it should. Please drop me an email: info@thenearlynaturalcollection.com We will get work together to find a regimen that ultimatly fits your needs expectaions.
Key steps .
Always rinse shampoo throughly Very important
After shampoo is rinsed - spray Softening Solution and then immediiately apply
conditioner of choice. .Allow to set for up to 30 sec. Then rinse. Comb through along wth a small mist of natural sheen combed into the hair for replinishing oils.
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