I can't speak for the 3c's of the world but, if anything, not having those straight ends to weigh it down has made it worse. I never experienced matting with relaxed hair or while transitioning, but I am literally picking dreadlocks out of my hair daily with natural hair.This intrigued me so I decided to post a poll asking about your experience with matting. In my own experience, my hair matted terribly when I was transitioning namely because I didn't have a clue as to what I was doing. It would happen when I went to sleep without braiding, twisting or setting my hair. I learned to stay on top of my hair by not letting it get tangled or matted in the first place. For me this means not letting my hair coil up on itself by wearing natural hair sets: braid outs, twist outs and roller sers. I'm also careful not to take naps or lean my head against anything while it's loose because it causes frizz and matting. If I need a nap, I quickly twist my hair up in a high loose bun and use a scarf or bonnet.
Matting
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Hi! I am the poster of that matting comment, up really late for no good reason and saw this poll. I'm as curious as you are about the results. I would check, star, underline and highlight the very last box in your poll if I could. When I say that the hair matts no matter what I do I mean that I braid/separate the hair (because sometimes it will just matt within the braid!!)sleep with a silk scarf on a satin pillow (and lately I've been bagging in yet another futile attempt to keep any measure of moisture in the straw on my head) wake up, "style" my hair which consists of me crying and screaming trying to just put it up, going to work, coming home,releasing my hair and then spending 1 1/2 hours picking out the dreadlocks that have formed . Every. Single. Night. I must have been a very bad person in another life.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you aren't using the right products.
ReplyDeleteHave you experimented with different brands/lines?
Do you use shampoos with sulfates? You should stop!
Also, you want to use cool water as your final rinse when you're washing your hair to close your hair follicle. This will lock in moisture.
Do you use smoothing techniques when you braid? Do you ensure that your hair is smooth and moisturized, soft and supple before you set your hair in a braid or roller? If not, this will cause matting. If your hair feels rough while wet, you're using the wrong products.
Do you leave in a lot of conditioner or some kind of curling cream when you braid? You should!
How big are the sections you're braiding in? You might try smaller sections.
Are you moisturizing enough? Some women have to moisturize once to three times per day to maintain moisture levels. Think of it like applying lip balm or lip gloss. When you feel your lips getting dry, you apply more lip gloss, right? You have to anticipate dryness so at the first sign of dryness, you apply your leave in of choice. It only takes a few seconds, but it will save your hair. Keeping your hair moisturized should prevent tangles, knots and matting.