Detangling: Can you really expect a miracle?

It's that time again for another head-to-head product showdown. This time, I'm putting two products to battle against on of my hair's greatest arch enemies...tangles. A few weeks ago, I was sporting a head full of new growth that was shedding uncontrollably. Constant shedding plus low manipulation normally equals a plethora of tangled hair so I knew I had to go hard and utilize whatever I had at my disposal to detangle while minimizing the casualties.

Prior to pre-pooing, I sat down, detangling comb in hand, ready to face my knots head on. I'd like to paint a clear picture of what I was dealing with. Although I was only 3 months post, I had quite a bit of new textured hair growing in. As I shed, the coils would wrap around the straight hair creating a bundling effect. So one shed hair could wrap around several other hairs at once. I'm then left with tangled chunks of hair that I have to carefully unravel. I painted this grim image for you just so you can see what kind of detangling power my hair desperately needed.

To the left of me I had a 10 oz bottle of It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In treatment. I was first introduced to this product via an overwhelmingly positive review by Essence Beauty Editor Tia Williams. Check out what she had to say about the product.



Moments after hearing what she had to say about the product, I immediately began seeking out where I would find this "miracle in a bottle." A day later I had a 10 oz bottle that I paid around $30.00. This stuff is not cheap! My Mane 'n Tail detangler, mean while, only cost me $4.49. Let me also mention that Mane 'n Tail was readily available at my local Sally's or pretty much any beauty supply store. It's a 10, however, was a little harder to get a hold of. I had to purchase at Ulta. So if I had to compare the price and availability of both products, I would say the Mane 'n Tail definitely wins this round.

Next we'll look at what the products claim to offer us for their value. Obviously, both products claim to effectively detangle the hair. But It's a 10 alleges that it can also do the following:

• Repairs dry, damaged hair
• Adds shine
• Controls frizz
• Seals & protects hair color
• Prevents split ends
• Stops hair breakage
• Creates silkiness
• Enhances natural body
• Heat protectant

I can't say for sure that this product can immediately deliver on each promise but I have to give it to them for attempting to create an all in one product that does more than most people normally expect from their detangler.

Finally came the moment of truth. How well does it work? To be honest with you, I wasn't impressed with either product when I first use them. Sure, they helped in the detangling process but I really wanted something that made them tangles beg for sweet mercy. When I first used Mane 'n Tail, my experience was acceptable but not remarkable encourage me to use on a regular basis for my detangling needs. Even my first experience with It's a 10 was mediocre. But looking back, I understand why I wasn't so pleased with the "miracle" product. Unlike Mane 'n Tail, It's a 10 is thick with a similar consistency to a conditioner. I'm so used to watery leave-ins that I was sorta turned off with the change in texture. The thickness of the product made it a little difficult to spray so I easily became frustrated with the whole process.

This time, I was willing to forget the past and start fresh with both products. My hair was in such a state that I couldn't afford not to reap the benefits, even if it were only minimal. So I start off my experiment by spritzing a little Mane n Tail on dry hair. Again, the moisture helped a little but I really couldn't see the extraordinary difference between using this product and a normal leave-in to detangle. Next came the It's a 10. As I sprayed the product on a tangled clump of hair, the first thing I noticed was the ease in which my detangling comb glided thru my hair. Section after section, the same result. It wasn't long before I set the Mane 'n Tail aside and proceeded to quickly (much more quickly than I expected) finish detangling my hair and moved on to the pre-poo. I could not believe how well the product worked for me! It was just as Tia described it in her video testimony.

Why did this product work so well this time and not the first? As I think back to my first experience with It's a 10 miracle leave-in versus this time, I can tell you that my hair was in two different states. The first time I used it to help roller set wet hair. Honestly, I just didn't like the texture to help create a great roller set. I'm so used to using a spray bottle with water that I felt like this product would weigh my hair down and alter my end result. Maybe next time, I'll dilute it to see how it works. On dry hair, this product worked like a dream. So for me, using it as a leave-in wasn't as promising as utilizing it as tangle eliminator! I didn't spray it all over my hair and scalp. I located tangles, sprayed the product, and combed thru with ease. I expected to spend several hours painstakingly working my hair section by section. That was not the case.

So, my pick for a superior detangling experience absolutely has to go to It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In. Yes, it's pretty expensive but, take it from someone who's suffered many a setbacks from not properly addressing tangles, this is well worth it. I should also mention that they offer smaller sizes of this product at a lower cost. Honestly, I feel that I'll have my 10 oz bottle forever using the search and destroy method versus spraying this product all over.

So ladies, I think we have a winner on our hands. It's a 10 miracle leave-in takes it! Thank you it's a 10. My hair now believes that miracles do happen!

Are you protecting your cuticle layer from uneccessary protein loss?

Combing is just one of those things we all have to do on a regular basis for grooming purposes and managing tangles. This is why I have to share with you some interesting facts I read about as a result of a study conducted in 1995. In the study presented at the Annual meeting of Cosmetic Scientists. Researchers sought to isolate and measure the amount of protein the hair strand loses during the simple acts of shampooing and combing. Their hypothesis was that hair fragments from the cuticle layer are chipped away gradually causing eventual deterioration of the hair strand.

As part of the study, the researchers combed strands of hair for 10 strokes, measured protein loss, then combed again for another 10 strokes, measure, and continue with the same process for up to 100 strokes. As you would imagine, they found that the amount of protein loss increased directly in correlation with the number of combing strokes each strand received. The next phase of the study involved shampooing the strands of hair. Following the shampoo, the strands were combed to see how much protein would be lost as a result the process. In this particular study, they tested the effectiveness of two separate shampoos. "Brand B" was found to offer better protection against cuticle chipping protein loss than "Brand A". Not only that, they also noticed that the strand shampooed with Brand B did not increase the protein loss amount as they continued to increase the number of combing strokes. So in other words, "B's" protection of the strand remained consistent no matter how many times the hair was combed during that session. I tried desperately to determine what ingredient(s) were unique to Brand B that set it apart from "A". No clue was given in the study other than the fact that "shampoo B [allowed the hair to] comb significantly more easily than shampoo A."

Overall, the researchers found that protein loss was the highest in non-conditioning shampoos.

Although most of the study was conducted on virgin hair, those involved in the research took it to the next level by testing chemically altered hair (permed/bleached). Obviously, hair that was chemically treated saw the highest amount of protein loss during manipulation. This is due to the changes to the hair shaft after the chemicial treatment. The cuticle layers are more prone to open up as a result of the process. This makes it easier to experience chipping during manipulation.

One of the conclusions made after testing both virgin and processed hair is that the same conditioners which helped to provide some cuticle protection to virgin hair, offered little to no protection when used on the same type of hair after a chemical process. Remember when I posted a link to Royale3086's regimen video? If you recall, Royale said she opts for products made for damaged/dry hair even if her hair looks and feels strong. I have always followed the same reasoning. Don't go by how healthy your hair seems. If you have udergone any chemical process, always reach for extra moisturizing/strengthening products made specifically for chemically treated hair. Your tresses will respond much better to these types of products, and they'll to protect your even after the product has been washed out.

I should also mention that the method researchers used to collect the lost "protein" for measurement was simply by shaking the hair strand in a container of water. The loosened hair fragments would be extracted from the water for assessment. When I read this, I thought about how much protein we could be loosing just from the simple of act regular washing. This study was quite interesting, for me, so I thought I'd list some key tips that we can learn from to protect our hair from this dreaded protein loss.

• Protein loss in the hair strand increased with the number of comb/brush strokes. Knowing this, we should always make sure that when ever we comb, we lubricate the hair with our most effect moisturizer and or natural oil. This will help to create that "ease of combing" which reduces protein loss. Ease of combing=fewer strokes.
• If you are not pre-pooing, shame on you! By pre-pooing, you are providing extra cuticle layer protection prior to the manipulation that will occur during your wash. Even if you aren't scrubbing the hair clean, there will be some friction during the process. Protect your hair, do...not....skip.....the.....pre.....poo.....step.
• Add some coconut oil to the pre-poo. Coconut oil, in a different study, was found to help penetrate the follicle bringing it's nourishing properties all the way down to where the hair needs it most.
• Always go for products designed for weak damaged hair. Even if your hair feels strong at the moment. Remember, the chipping away is gradual. If you aren't always providing your hair that protection, you might find yourself reacting to damage later on instead of protecting your hair from further damage today.
• Use detangling combs to help with ease of combing. Remember, the fewer strokes you use, the better.
• Of course, remember, to use the most extreme care you can whenever handling wet hair.
• Do not stop searching until you find the perfect conditioning shampoo. The more slip/softness the shampoo provides, the more protected your cuticle layer from excessive chipping.
• Stock up on ceramide containing products. Remember, ceramides are the quintessential glue that helps keep the cuticle layer intact. The more ceramide your strand contains, the better chance it has at withstanding damage due to manipulation.

I don't know about you, but I can certainly say that I benefited from learning from the findings that resulted from the study. Going forward, I'll be thinking about the tiny little cuticle chips that I may stand to lose anytime I get lazy, or heavy handed with my hair (especially during the wash).

Hope this helped you. I know it will make a big difference in how I approach my wash going forward.

Detangling just became a whole lot easier

I've talked about the importance of documenting your hair journey in previous posts. Well I just became the beneficiary of my own written documentation process when I came across a draft of an old post that I never published.

Just last week, while I was setting my hair, I thought about setting a goal of reducing the amount of loss (breakage and/or shedding) week after week. After analyzing my routine over and over, I still couldn't figure out what I needed to do differently to loose less hair. That is until I found this excerpt taken from my drafts folder.

Take a gander:

In my quest for glorious hair, I've often sat back and thought about the washing process in general. I know that wash day should be the one time of the week were I'm nourishing and replenishing the health back into my hair. But for some reason, I could never become comfortable with loosing a lot of hair in the process. Well not too long ago, I heard about a method of washing the hair in braids section by section. The idea never caught on with me because I figured that because I wasn't scrubbing the hair and overmanipulating, there was no need to go the extra step.

This week, however, I bought into the idea that I need to try something different if I want to experience different results. So here's what I did:

-A day or two prior to washing I pre-pooed with one of my fav conditioners. My schedule that day prevented me from washing. Actually, I didn't get to wash until two days later. The morning of the actual wash, I re-applied a bit more conditioner and some Alma oil and proceed to create four large braids.

-Next I stepped into the shower and took one braid loose so I can apply Keracare Dry Itchy Scalp shampoo liberally to my scalp. Then came the Hair One conditioning shampoo down the length of the hair. This product is so moisturizing that I am able to begin detangling with ease. Afterwards I apply a really moisturizing conditioner to that section and two strand twist.

-I repeated this step with each section seperately making sure to keep re-twist each section after applying shampoo and conditioner. By keeping each section separate, I found that I had more control of the entire process. I wasn't dealing with an entire head of hair at once, I could focus on one manageble section at a time.

-Finally, I took the sections individually and applied a heavier conditioner. I re-twisted once again, put on a plastic cap and went on about my business.

By the time I did my final rinse, you could imagine my glee when I washed the conditioner out of perfectly detangled hair. I rinsed each section separately. I also opted not to retwist after the final rinse. The results were amazing! I normally air dry in a pony tail and loose a ton of hair trying to work the tangles through. This time was a totally different experience. I had no worries once I stepped out of that shower.

This method does take a little bit more time than normal to execute but believe me, the results are well worth it. I can only imagine who easy rollersetting will be going forward. Today I'm going about my day as normal but I've got a bit of a swagger. My confidence is sky high because my hair feels good, looks, good, and will only get better.

I'm excited about being reintroduced to this method of detangling. I'm going to reinstitute this method into my routine going forward. Will keep you posted on how this works for me long term.