Tangled!!! And no I don't mean the movie

[mommy22pumpkins]

Sorry to post this here but the lovely people on this board seem to be able to figure out everything. My dd is 8 and we've always had problems with her hair getting extremely knotted and tangled. She cries terribly when we or she has to brush it out. We were trying to grow her hair out. She wanted to donate it when it gets long enough. But I don't think we can deal with the detanglng anymore.
The hairdresser has suggested maybe she has a sensitive scalp. But really didn't seem to know any tricks for getting knots out. Or keeping it from getting tangled in the first place.
We have tried every kind if detangler sold at CVS Walmart etc and even use expensive conditioner that I don't even buy for myself out of desperation. We really don't want to cut her hair short but don't know what to do.
We do brush her hair every day. It's just that her hair just has a tendency to knot really quickly. More than normal I think.
If anyone has any tried and true advice I would reallllly appreciate it.

 

[princessesintraining]

Have you tried putting a leave-in conditioner on her hair after you wash it? That seems to help my girls' hair.

 

[Darcy03231]

When DD was young we kept her hair in a braid or braids, even to sleep (kept it loosely braided for bed). We found that really helped with the knots.

 

[java]

After she washes it are you using a detangling spray? That always helped dd. J&J makes the one that worked for us

 

[darnheather]

I had the same problem with both my DDs. I tried every product, every old time remedy, EVERYTHING. Honestly the only thing that worked was to cut it off. D had shoulder length hair and still wouldn't let me brush it. I told her so many times that I would shave it if she didn't start letting me take care of it. Finally I did. And I mean Army boot camp shaved. She loved it. When it finally grew back it had normalized quite a bit. She's still fairly tender headed but will brush.

Izzy was seven when she got her first haircut. It was past her butt. She had the worst tangles and knots in the back and while I tried my best to keep on top of them, letting it go just two days meant I was in the rough. Finally I gave in and had it cut just below shoulder length. Cried my eyes out, but no more tangles. So far it hasn't grown out much but I'm hoping she can have it really long again without the previous problems.

 

[savannahcat]

My older DD has the same problem. We've found that using Suave Keratin shampoo and conditioner (in the gold colored bottles) really helps. Not nearly as many knots recently.

 

[christygobar]

DD is almost 3 and has fine, long blonde hair that is always tangled. I won't say anything about conditioner because it looks like you have already been that route (i use Original Sprout leave-in) Here are things that work for us:

Try different brushes and find what works best. We have a large comb (kind of like a pick) for wet hair and a Knot Genie for dry hair.

Brush it 3-4x a day. It helps keep the tangles to a minimum in the morning and the evening. Brush it after playing outside, after school, even have her maybe keep a brush in her school backpack and try brushing it herself after lunch. I always brush it BEFORE she goes into the bath, because it helps the tangles after washing. Any little bit may help as long as it's not becoming an obsession

Ponytails! They seem to help keep the tangles away.

The last thing I do is just take my time. If she is really tangly, then I try to hold the hair at the base of the head so that when I brush the ends, it's not pulling against her scalp. Just a little section at a time. She does get upset with me, but it usually is more when she's already cranky and tired. She's much younger though, so it's not quite the same.

Good luck. I love DD's long hair, so I understand your hope of not cutting off her hair. I hope you can find a way to manage it better

 

[holden]

We brush our DDs' hair from the bottom up. We use J&J detangling spray (really don't like the L'Oreal spray) all over, then wet the brush, then pull the hair like you are making a low pony tail. Then we start brushing from the bottom up. Brush the "pony tail", then start brushing (still from bottom up) the rest of the hair. I keep the hair in "clumps" (like mini-pony tails) so the brushing doesn't hurt. Eventually, the entire head is in good shape.

DD6's hair is crazy - curly undreneath and straight on top, but very knotty. This works for her. HTH!

 

[Tink-n-MrIncredible]

Have you tried Matrix Biolage conditioning balm? It has made the world of difference in my DD's hair. We have been using it for year.

 

[Marsheliz]

I use the biolage conditioning balm too. I have even tried using something cheaper and I keep going back.

 

[DawnM]

Have you tried Infusium leave in conditioner? That works best for me.

 

[mamahas5]

I have 4 daughters and one thing that has always helped was having a satin pillowcase for bed! Strange but true...we also swear by the Tangle Tamer http://www.amazon.com/Remington-Tangle-Tamer-Wet-Dry/dp/B000JI9JYQ...take some time to read the reviews if you need some convincing

 

[goNDmay9]

My DD19mths and I both have hair that tangles!!! We have long fine curls.

I use a wide tooth comb in the shower and saturate her hair with conditioner before combing. I am definitely using way more than i should, but it helps! Depending on the day, I will follow up with JJ or Paul Mitchell Baby detangler. We also use the knot genie when her hair is dry - but only after spraying tons of detangler.

We too have tried almost every conditioner out there. A more obscure one is a detangler by Fresh. Sephora will give you a sample or let you return it if it doesn't work. It is one of my faves but we go through it so fast for the price.

Good Luck!!

 

[Samar]

We use Breck detangler (I buy ours at the Dollar Tree) for DD as well as the Wet Brush (you can get it from Sally's). Both of those have made for tearless hair sessions

 

[DJorJD88]

I have hair down to my butt and I am very prone to knotting. I do this routine and it seems to help.

After washing hair with a silicone free shampoo and conditioner, I let it air dry.
I then, finger comb and try to gently tease out any tangles with my fingers. I go section by section slowly through all of my hair.
Then with a gentle hair brush, boars hair and nylon combo, I brush each individual section starting from the bottom and work my way up to the scalp. I use a Mason Pearson brush but they are incredible expensive. You can get something similar at Target. Its by Sonia Kashuk and it will be in the Makeup dept. next to her makeup brushes.
After brushing the sections I brush the hair as a whole from root to tip massaging the scalp.
I wash my hair no more than 3 times a week and try to distribute the oils on my scalp to the rest of my hair.
I braid it or do Jasmine's hairstyle with soft hair ties while I sleep and I keep it braided or bunned most of the day as well.

I'll try to follow the thread to answer any question. Hope this helps!

 

[reneaterry]

My 6 yr old has hair to her butt and very sensitive head. We also brush starting from bottom up. I start on one side and work in small sections. Her hair also goes in a pony tail or braid everyday unless we're going somewhere special and she wants it down. The exception is if we're going to be outside then it has to be up. It knots very easily.

 

[1000HappyWishes]

I have hair that goes down to my butt, and I'll offer some advice. A detangling spray, if you haven't already tried, works quite well, as I've found. Has she tried brushing her hair while she showers? That's what I'll do. My drain logs frequently, but I live in an old house and when I lived with another family member for a while his drain never clogged.

Also, try keeping her hair in a ponytail or pigtails as much as possible, if she's willing to do that. And when you brush her hair, distract her so she won't feel the pain as much. Do it in front of the TV? That's what my parents did when I was little.

 

[The_Princess's_Mommy]

KNOT GENIE!!!!

My 5 year old has long, fine hair that ALWAYS is tangled. We tried everything, and it was always a screaming match.

We finally found the Knot Genie brush, and viola! No more screams. We squirt her hair with detangler (any kind) and use the Knot Genie working from the bottom up. And I brush it flat on her back (I don't hold the hair in my hand and brush with the other). I think brushing it flat on her back makes it pull less, resulting is less screams.

Good luck!!!

 

[pigletto]

I was just going to suggest something similar to the poster above. I watch a little girl after school who has thicker hair than anyone I've ever met. Her mom sent her over with this brush so I could get her ready for dance class. It's AMAZING. If I had this when my dd was younger we could have avoided so many hair brushing meltdowns. It really really works..
http://www.fruugocanada.com/tangle-...n&utm_source=google&utm_medium=product+search

(This is just the one I used but I am sure there are similar products. Doesn't look like much but it's awesome!)

 

[My2Pixies]

Biolage Daily Tonic is an excellent detangler. It isn't advertised as such but it works wonders. After shampoo and conditioning I would gently squeeze out the hair, spray in the daily tonic, detangle with a large wide tooth comb and immediately braid or bun it to keep it from getting tangled. We are in the process of growing out my 10yo dd's hair as well and this method has really worked for her thick, tangle prone hair.