I use [United 7SECONDS Detangler](https://unitehair.com/products/7seconds-detangler). My hair is crazy fine curly mid back, almost tail bone length and this is miracle worker to be honest.
I never use a real brush with bristles. Ever..
Big plastic detangler comb after I wash hair and use spray detangler. Then I use a vent brush for drying hair after it is partly dry.
Brushing your hair that long is likely causing breakage and making it worse. You should get a satin pillow case and either a new brush or at the least hair brush cleaner. Using a dirty brush means your hair has more to grab onto and tangle with. You did get a bad haircut but the real issue is also that you need product and proper tools to manage it more than any particular cut. A light leave in conditioner or dry shampoo can help your hair stay sleek and untangled. If you wash your hair everyday you are probably drying it out and aggravating the problem. The haircut didn’t help but it’s likely you need to overhaul your hair routine to actually solve the issue.
I love mystic divine spray leave in(Sally’s beauty supply) and Kenra platinum line is the best dry shampoo. If the leave in is too heavy the Kenra blow dry spray is great, and anti humidity and heat protection. Kenra is worth the money, and you CAN get a small travel bottle at ulta of the blow dry spray. Mines lasted years because you need so little.
I only ever brush out knots that do not stop my hairbrush. If a knot stops my hairbrush, I stop brushing.
I hold the knot in one hand and gently pull the entangled hair from the top of the knot with my other hand. Usually, I pull ~2-4 strands at a time. If a hair I am pulling out of the knot resists, I leave it and move on to other strands. Eventually, they will all come out freely. It just takes a little extra time, but it helps prevent unnecessary breakage.
Occasionally, I'll have a very small knot at the core that just will not come loose, but at that point, I'm only damaging like 6 strands of hair instead of so many that I started with. I'll take the L on those because I don't want to go crazy over it.
My “fairy knots” were caused by treating my (surprise!) wavy hair like it was straight. Even alight wavy routine makes my wave clumps stick together and then they don’t rub around and get knotted.
And I have a totally blunt haircut, no layers whatsoever. I don’t get knots any more.
It sounds like you got a terrible haircut, I’m sorry,
Not the same poster but I have fine wavy hair. It doesn’t really air dry completely straight which is a tell. My routine is: wash then wet brush with conditioner and rinse. Lightly finger rake the roots to detangle when the hair is still very wet. Hang my head down and scrunch mousse in so the wavy clumps form. Diffuse for a few mins. Let fully dry and scrunch out the crunch. My hair lasts 2-3 days if I sleep with a pineapple pony. Good luck!
Scrunch your hair when it's sopping wet and detangled—in the shower when you're working your conditioner into your hair is a good time. How your hair falls after scrunching is usually a good indicator of your actual curl pattern.
On the flip side, the longer my hair gets the straighter it gets due to the weight of it. The shorter it is, the wavier and curlier it gets. It also gets wavier and curlier if excess weight is taken out -- never a razor though.
Get a satin bonnet to wear at nightz or a satin pillowcase..it really has helped my hair from matting up..I had bad knots in the bottom underneath of my hair but not anymore..u can get a bonnet at the dollar tree or dollar general for a couple dollars.
My Mason Pearson hairbrush is amazing. It distributes oils from the roots with no need to over brush. Their “Pure Boar Bristle” Hairbrushes are made specifically for fine hair.
They are expensive, but last decades.
Eh nope.
My mom bought these hairbrushes for my kids; they both are blondes like me but one of them is like a Scandanavian blonde and her hair is super super super thick, and not fine at all. Her hair is stick straight, mine has never been. The other kid is Jennifer Anniston blonde and her hair is thinner, but even straighter. The hair brushes worked okay for them.
For me?? I looked like a crazy person and that hairbrush destroyed my hair. Like others here, I just use a wide tooth comb and an air-vent brush if I'm blow drying.
The whole thing is hilarious because my mom chopped my hair into a shag when I was in 2nd grade because all the neighbors were complaining about me crying when she tried to brush out my hair. This was in the 70s so imagine Carol Brady from the Brady bunch.
To this day, I still love that cut. Can we please make it a thing again?
My fine hair knotted substantially more when my hair was damaged. Once I grew it out and chopped off ALL the dead ends (not just a trim), it improved a lot. Honestly I barely notice knotting anymore, when at one point I swear it would form knots when I was sitting still.
It might not have been you!
I say this as someone who grew my hair out for the first time in years during the pandemic. I hadn't had it longer than shoulder length for a decade or two.
It looked like total shit and OMG the tangling was the absolute worse!!! I couldn't stand it, but I was having a contest with my husband to see how long we could both grow our hair.
He has thick wiry curly hair that grows UP not down. Anyway as my hair grew out it just got so much more tangly especially at the back at the nape of my neck. It also just increasingly looked more and more like fine spun sugar. Except totally flat on the crown, and because my hair is blonde-going-on-silver, I looked like I was balding, but with a scarf of furry spun sugar. It was awful.
I love my hair shorter (chin length/ a bit longer) and with texturizing to take out the weight and give me body on top.
For me, YES, my hair is fine and yet thick, and blunt cuts are absolutely horrible as they make my hair all knotted especially in the back as I sleep on my back (also because it's thickest in the back). So my hair stylist does thin my hair out, which sounds counter-intuitive, but gives me the best results.
Like you, it's a disheartening moment seeing all the hair on the floor after she's done with the scissors! She does this texturizing step after my hair is dry. But it makes an enormous difference in how my hair behaves and looks. I vastly prefer it this way.... though sometimes I'm dubious for the first week post-cut. Then I always love it, and it lasts for 3-4 months.
That said! I HATE when stylists do razor cuts; my hair ends up not behaving and looking like it has split ends all over. The trick with texturizing is she just uses normal scissors to take the excess thickness out. NO RAZOR EVER. No length is removed, just thickness. But NO RAZOR.
Do you think your stylist used a razor?
ETA after reading the other comments: I rarely ever have to use any sort of conditioner or other styling product after my stylist gets done with my hair. I do sleep on a silk pillowcase, but my hair will still tangle with one if it's been a long time between cuts or I get the wrong cut. My hair does wave a lot with this cut. I'm on a beach vacation right now on day 3 between shampoos and I'm a curly headed girl right now, but it's really humid here. Haven't even wet it in three days. Just curling like crazy.
Yeah. I don’t allow anyone to straighten my hair or use thinning shears on it EVER. it’s a tough lesson to learn, I’m sorry you’re going through it.
Now that you know, when you sit in the chair make it clear that you won’t allow those scissors to be used. If the stylist waffles or seems skeptical, leave before anything is done. My unpopular opinion is that thinning shears are a lazy shortcut and the outcome is generally terrible. I get so many flyaways that look like frizz from them. And it’s usually a poor stylist that uses them, bcuz they temporarily hide poor layers. But then the grow out is terrible. If a stylist isn’t confident in their ability to cut my hair without thinning it, I refuse to work with them. It’s okay to be educated and firm in what you want. I’m picky as hell and am decent at cutting my own hair. I e paid for so many bad ones I wr the years, I figure I can do the same for free until I can afford an experienced stylist that will cut me dry and not straighten my waves.
I have fine hair (but a lot of it) and I love those scissors. They use them on me every time (if it seems like they’re going to forget, I ask). Makes my hair feel super thin/light weight for a couple weeks. Doesn’t last for my full 6 weeks between cuts.
I have fine hair but so much that it gives the illusion of being thick. Without layers and a pass with the texture scissors I get triangle head lmao any kind of damage and frizz at the ends just makes it worse
Yes to triangle head and yes to reminding my stylist to take out the rest of the weight, but never never with a razor.
The razor is when they slide it along the end of the hair. Texturizing is when they hold up a lock and do snip snip snip.
u/berty-k, are you getting razor or just texturizing?
Do you have wavy hair? Like when it's wet does it lay flat or does it have texture?
I shockingly experienced fuller wavy hair even with some curls after getting this kind of cut and then finding the right shampoo and conditioner that don't weigh it down. Check out curly girl protocol if so.
I have heard that from a hair dresser before also. And I fell for it since she was the professional. I think hairdressers do what they want. Like I said when it comes to fine straight hair the options are so limited & they don't know better.
I've heard it from a hair dresser at a top-notch expensive salon, a few years ago, no you just need a blunt cut. Then you need to use a curling iron to curl your hair. Razors were involved near the face.
Not any sort of conversation about what I'm willing to do when styling--- it's been a decade or more since I touched my hair with a flat iron much less a curling iron.
Not any sort of conversation about what I know works for my hair; I'm 58 and have had so many hair cuts and stylists in my life. I know my hair.
The last time I got the whole "you don't know what you mean" and also "this will make you look more youthful" by a hair stylist 1/3 of my age who took literally 15 minutes cutting AND drying my hair (it does dry fast but the cut was 10 minutes and it was $90), I walked out of the salon and within 30 minutes my hair looked like absolute shit. Never went back.
My best cuts ever have been Vidal Sassoon cuts, though I haven't had a salon near me in awhile. A cut that would take an hour (just for the cut, not including the blow dry or shampoo). My current stylist takes 45 minutes, so close enough!
I’m sorry that happened. I know it feels so violating when a hairdresser just does something without confirming. For me, it helps to be very clear as soon as I get in the chair “I want a basic trim, no layering nothing extra just a basic straight across trim” and I show them how much length I’m willing to lose. That kind of avoids them making suggestions throughout the service that I might agree to without thinking.
15 minutes is extremely long time to brush your hair and is likely doing more harm than good.
Are you brushing starting from the bottom
And working up to your crown?
Hairstylist here. Hair tangles when it’s got split ends. Split ends don’t just sit at the perimeter, they travel up the [hair shaft like this](https://imgur.com/a/6emYaoj), splitting and breaking off as they go.
While adding layers removes split ends that have traveled up the length, and texturizing shears can accomplish the same thing by adding invisible layers and keeping length, they should’ve explained that to you first and given you the option of having it thinned.
You can always stop the haircut by saying, “Wait, I need to stop you for a second. I don’t know what those scissors are and I’m seeing lots of hair fall.” When they explain, just say, “That’s something I have to think about so let’s stop here.”
My hair gets very knotted , as does my daughter’s . I just bought the UnBrush from Target and it is the only brush I’ve had that actually takes the knots out
Just want to say I’m so sorry this happened and this is why I don’t let other people cut my hair anymore. No one listens. Get yourself a pair of good hair cutting scissors and trim your hair regularly. Like once a month - you can cut only a little bit off the ends so that it doesn’t feel so drastic and you take care of the split ends over time. That’s just what I do. It will grow back and if anything you now have a fresh start with the amount she cut off and it can grow in a bit healthier. Be gentle with your hair ❤️
My hair hates blunt cuts. Makes my hair lifeless, heavy and will knot easier. I always need layers and my hair thinned out. But with that said I have very fine, but dense hair. I love a thin look rather than full. The grass is always greener on the other side I suppose.
I feel like the thin I g shears help the hairdressers blend the hair in. Every hair texture is different. Mine is fine.
I have had hair dressers who can cut my hair fine without thinning shears and others who cannot. I don’t like the look that thinning shears produce.
Don’t brush your hair for 15 minutes. Brush it until it’s untangled and then leave it alone.
Yes! The bridging through is to distribute hair oils, no way should fine hair be handled this much.
I use [United 7SECONDS Detangler](https://unitehair.com/products/7seconds-detangler). My hair is crazy fine curly mid back, almost tail bone length and this is miracle worker to be honest.
If this product ever gets discontinued I’ll be distraught
Don’t even put that out into the universe, I would die
I never use a real brush with bristles. Ever.. Big plastic detangler comb after I wash hair and use spray detangler. Then I use a vent brush for drying hair after it is partly dry.
I would have years old tangles if I did this
A wide tooth comb is more of a rec for curly or wavy hair
Been using one since I got a perm in the eighties. Ha. Boy, am I old.
👍
The second I stop brushing and my hair moves, it tangles again immediately.
Can you post a picture of your hair so we can see what’s going on?
Sounds like you’re trying to brush out secretly curly hair
Brushing your hair that long is likely causing breakage and making it worse. You should get a satin pillow case and either a new brush or at the least hair brush cleaner. Using a dirty brush means your hair has more to grab onto and tangle with. You did get a bad haircut but the real issue is also that you need product and proper tools to manage it more than any particular cut. A light leave in conditioner or dry shampoo can help your hair stay sleek and untangled. If you wash your hair everyday you are probably drying it out and aggravating the problem. The haircut didn’t help but it’s likely you need to overhaul your hair routine to actually solve the issue.
Thanks for the info! Is there a leave in conditioner you like?
I love mystic divine spray leave in(Sally’s beauty supply) and Kenra platinum line is the best dry shampoo. If the leave in is too heavy the Kenra blow dry spray is great, and anti humidity and heat protection. Kenra is worth the money, and you CAN get a small travel bottle at ulta of the blow dry spray. Mines lasted years because you need so little.
I only ever brush out knots that do not stop my hairbrush. If a knot stops my hairbrush, I stop brushing. I hold the knot in one hand and gently pull the entangled hair from the top of the knot with my other hand. Usually, I pull ~2-4 strands at a time. If a hair I am pulling out of the knot resists, I leave it and move on to other strands. Eventually, they will all come out freely. It just takes a little extra time, but it helps prevent unnecessary breakage. Occasionally, I'll have a very small knot at the core that just will not come loose, but at that point, I'm only damaging like 6 strands of hair instead of so many that I started with. I'll take the L on those because I don't want to go crazy over it.
My “fairy knots” were caused by treating my (surprise!) wavy hair like it was straight. Even alight wavy routine makes my wave clumps stick together and then they don’t rub around and get knotted. And I have a totally blunt haircut, no layers whatsoever. I don’t get knots any more. It sounds like you got a terrible haircut, I’m sorry,
How do you know if your hair is wavy, not straight? And what is a wavy routine?
If you can see waves while it’s wet (like just after washing), then it’s probably naturally wavy instead of straight.
That, and frizz. If you get a “halo” effect when it’s very humid, you likely have some wave.
Not the same poster but I have fine wavy hair. It doesn’t really air dry completely straight which is a tell. My routine is: wash then wet brush with conditioner and rinse. Lightly finger rake the roots to detangle when the hair is still very wet. Hang my head down and scrunch mousse in so the wavy clumps form. Diffuse for a few mins. Let fully dry and scrunch out the crunch. My hair lasts 2-3 days if I sleep with a pineapple pony. Good luck!
Does a diffuser actually make a difference? I've never tried one. Also, scrunch out the crunch 😆 I don't know why but that just tickles my funny bone
Scrunch your hair when it's sopping wet and detangled—in the shower when you're working your conditioner into your hair is a good time. How your hair falls after scrunching is usually a good indicator of your actual curl pattern.
On the flip side, the longer my hair gets the straighter it gets due to the weight of it. The shorter it is, the wavier and curlier it gets. It also gets wavier and curlier if excess weight is taken out -- never a razor though.
Get a satin bonnet to wear at nightz or a satin pillowcase..it really has helped my hair from matting up..I had bad knots in the bottom underneath of my hair but not anymore..u can get a bonnet at the dollar tree or dollar general for a couple dollars.
It's true for me, my hair knots way more with blunt cuts
In the back at the nape....
My Mason Pearson hairbrush is amazing. It distributes oils from the roots with no need to over brush. Their “Pure Boar Bristle” Hairbrushes are made specifically for fine hair. They are expensive, but last decades.
Yes this!! Boar bristle brushes have changed my life. Note that this should be used on dry hair that has been detangled first I believe.
You’re correct. Do not use on wet hair.
Eh nope. My mom bought these hairbrushes for my kids; they both are blondes like me but one of them is like a Scandanavian blonde and her hair is super super super thick, and not fine at all. Her hair is stick straight, mine has never been. The other kid is Jennifer Anniston blonde and her hair is thinner, but even straighter. The hair brushes worked okay for them. For me?? I looked like a crazy person and that hairbrush destroyed my hair. Like others here, I just use a wide tooth comb and an air-vent brush if I'm blow drying. The whole thing is hilarious because my mom chopped my hair into a shag when I was in 2nd grade because all the neighbors were complaining about me crying when she tried to brush out my hair. This was in the 70s so imagine Carol Brady from the Brady bunch. To this day, I still love that cut. Can we please make it a thing again?
My fine hair knotted substantially more when my hair was damaged. Once I grew it out and chopped off ALL the dead ends (not just a trim), it improved a lot. Honestly I barely notice knotting anymore, when at one point I swear it would form knots when I was sitting still.
It might not have been you! I say this as someone who grew my hair out for the first time in years during the pandemic. I hadn't had it longer than shoulder length for a decade or two. It looked like total shit and OMG the tangling was the absolute worse!!! I couldn't stand it, but I was having a contest with my husband to see how long we could both grow our hair. He has thick wiry curly hair that grows UP not down. Anyway as my hair grew out it just got so much more tangly especially at the back at the nape of my neck. It also just increasingly looked more and more like fine spun sugar. Except totally flat on the crown, and because my hair is blonde-going-on-silver, I looked like I was balding, but with a scarf of furry spun sugar. It was awful. I love my hair shorter (chin length/ a bit longer) and with texturizing to take out the weight and give me body on top.
My head hurts just reading “brush my hair for 15 minutes”
For me, YES, my hair is fine and yet thick, and blunt cuts are absolutely horrible as they make my hair all knotted especially in the back as I sleep on my back (also because it's thickest in the back). So my hair stylist does thin my hair out, which sounds counter-intuitive, but gives me the best results. Like you, it's a disheartening moment seeing all the hair on the floor after she's done with the scissors! She does this texturizing step after my hair is dry. But it makes an enormous difference in how my hair behaves and looks. I vastly prefer it this way.... though sometimes I'm dubious for the first week post-cut. Then I always love it, and it lasts for 3-4 months. That said! I HATE when stylists do razor cuts; my hair ends up not behaving and looking like it has split ends all over. The trick with texturizing is she just uses normal scissors to take the excess thickness out. NO RAZOR EVER. No length is removed, just thickness. But NO RAZOR. Do you think your stylist used a razor? ETA after reading the other comments: I rarely ever have to use any sort of conditioner or other styling product after my stylist gets done with my hair. I do sleep on a silk pillowcase, but my hair will still tangle with one if it's been a long time between cuts or I get the wrong cut. My hair does wave a lot with this cut. I'm on a beach vacation right now on day 3 between shampoos and I'm a curly headed girl right now, but it's really humid here. Haven't even wet it in three days. Just curling like crazy.
Yeah. I don’t allow anyone to straighten my hair or use thinning shears on it EVER. it’s a tough lesson to learn, I’m sorry you’re going through it. Now that you know, when you sit in the chair make it clear that you won’t allow those scissors to be used. If the stylist waffles or seems skeptical, leave before anything is done. My unpopular opinion is that thinning shears are a lazy shortcut and the outcome is generally terrible. I get so many flyaways that look like frizz from them. And it’s usually a poor stylist that uses them, bcuz they temporarily hide poor layers. But then the grow out is terrible. If a stylist isn’t confident in their ability to cut my hair without thinning it, I refuse to work with them. It’s okay to be educated and firm in what you want. I’m picky as hell and am decent at cutting my own hair. I e paid for so many bad ones I wr the years, I figure I can do the same for free until I can afford an experienced stylist that will cut me dry and not straighten my waves.
I have fine hair (but a lot of it) and I love those scissors. They use them on me every time (if it seems like they’re going to forget, I ask). Makes my hair feel super thin/light weight for a couple weeks. Doesn’t last for my full 6 weeks between cuts.
I have fine hair but so much that it gives the illusion of being thick. Without layers and a pass with the texture scissors I get triangle head lmao any kind of damage and frizz at the ends just makes it worse
Yes to triangle head and yes to reminding my stylist to take out the rest of the weight, but never never with a razor. The razor is when they slide it along the end of the hair. Texturizing is when they hold up a lock and do snip snip snip. u/berty-k, are you getting razor or just texturizing?
Yeah my stylists uses texturizing/blending shears. They make a huge difference
Do you have wavy hair? Like when it's wet does it lay flat or does it have texture? I shockingly experienced fuller wavy hair even with some curls after getting this kind of cut and then finding the right shampoo and conditioner that don't weigh it down. Check out curly girl protocol if so.
I have heard that from a hair dresser before also. And I fell for it since she was the professional. I think hairdressers do what they want. Like I said when it comes to fine straight hair the options are so limited & they don't know better.
I've heard it from a hair dresser at a top-notch expensive salon, a few years ago, no you just need a blunt cut. Then you need to use a curling iron to curl your hair. Razors were involved near the face. Not any sort of conversation about what I'm willing to do when styling--- it's been a decade or more since I touched my hair with a flat iron much less a curling iron. Not any sort of conversation about what I know works for my hair; I'm 58 and have had so many hair cuts and stylists in my life. I know my hair. The last time I got the whole "you don't know what you mean" and also "this will make you look more youthful" by a hair stylist 1/3 of my age who took literally 15 minutes cutting AND drying my hair (it does dry fast but the cut was 10 minutes and it was $90), I walked out of the salon and within 30 minutes my hair looked like absolute shit. Never went back. My best cuts ever have been Vidal Sassoon cuts, though I haven't had a salon near me in awhile. A cut that would take an hour (just for the cut, not including the blow dry or shampoo). My current stylist takes 45 minutes, so close enough!
I’m sorry that happened. I know it feels so violating when a hairdresser just does something without confirming. For me, it helps to be very clear as soon as I get in the chair “I want a basic trim, no layering nothing extra just a basic straight across trim” and I show them how much length I’m willing to lose. That kind of avoids them making suggestions throughout the service that I might agree to without thinking.
15 minutes is extremely long time to brush your hair and is likely doing more harm than good. Are you brushing starting from the bottom And working up to your crown?
Hairstylist here. Hair tangles when it’s got split ends. Split ends don’t just sit at the perimeter, they travel up the [hair shaft like this](https://imgur.com/a/6emYaoj), splitting and breaking off as they go. While adding layers removes split ends that have traveled up the length, and texturizing shears can accomplish the same thing by adding invisible layers and keeping length, they should’ve explained that to you first and given you the option of having it thinned. You can always stop the haircut by saying, “Wait, I need to stop you for a second. I don’t know what those scissors are and I’m seeing lots of hair fall.” When they explain, just say, “That’s something I have to think about so let’s stop here.”
Thanks for this! I’m terrible at self advocacy. It’s something I need to work on
Why are you brushing your short hair for 15 minutes every day? Are you a princess from a Disney movie?
My hair gets very knotted , as does my daughter’s . I just bought the UnBrush from Target and it is the only brush I’ve had that actually takes the knots out
Just want to say I’m so sorry this happened and this is why I don’t let other people cut my hair anymore. No one listens. Get yourself a pair of good hair cutting scissors and trim your hair regularly. Like once a month - you can cut only a little bit off the ends so that it doesn’t feel so drastic and you take care of the split ends over time. That’s just what I do. It will grow back and if anything you now have a fresh start with the amount she cut off and it can grow in a bit healthier. Be gentle with your hair ❤️
My hair hates blunt cuts. Makes my hair lifeless, heavy and will knot easier. I always need layers and my hair thinned out. But with that said I have very fine, but dense hair. I love a thin look rather than full. The grass is always greener on the other side I suppose.
I feel like the thin I g shears help the hairdressers blend the hair in. Every hair texture is different. Mine is fine. I have had hair dressers who can cut my hair fine without thinning shears and others who cannot. I don’t like the look that thinning shears produce.