longhaired Guy trying to find a new style

To some extent this is a hair-care issue you're having. The reality of long hair is that you have to detangle it as often as you need to, and you have to detangle it correctly.

First of all, how often do you detangle? If you get out of the shower and find dreadlock-like tangles, you're detangling way less often than you need to. Waiting til these form and then tearing or ripping them out will cause stretched-out, damaged ends that tangle up even more quickly.

So at this point you probably need a trim to remove some of that damage.

So how often do you really need to detangle? I suggest the following:

• before you go to bed


• right away when you get up


• before your shower


• while rinsing out your conditioner


• after blotting your hair dry


• whenever you run your fingers through your hair and they catch on anything

How to detangle? Take a very widetooth comb, and angle it so the tips of the tines point up a little bit. That way they will bounce off a tangle, rather than catching on it and ripping it. Starting at the ends, begin to comb downward. When you have the last 1/2" free, move up another 1/2". You should not catch a single tangle. If you do, move down again just below it and work your way up more slowly.

Never pile your hair on top of your head to wash it. Put the shampoo on the length of your hair and wash it while it's hanging down.

If you tend to tangle, always wash your hair in the shower, not upside down in the sink.

Never rub your hair with a towel to dry it.

Always use conditioner after shampoo.

Some people detangle with what they call finger-combing: they run their fingers through their hair until it is perfectly tangle-free, using the same bottom-to-top method I described above. This works too.

One more thing, though. I have straight hair. It hangs down and does nothing else. I can't even make it do volume or waves, no matter what I do.

Your hair is not straight if you straighten/heat-style it all the time, fill it up with loads of product, and it's still not acting like straight hair.

Just once, let your hair air-dry without product or styling. Let it do what it wants to do until it's completely dry. Report back and show us a picture.

Edited by eKatherine

The picture shows about 18" of my hair. I have put two twists in, leaving the rest natural, and I have crocheted some kinky microbraids to the base of the twists.

Sophie -my mannequin head- and I have been training seriously lately.

ekatherine, believe it or not, i do most of the thinks you mentioned. the problem is not that i dont know how to take care of my hair it the fact that i made a few mistakes along the way, my hair was in good condition until recently. i've managed to sort it out by finger combing my hair more often so it would not dread, especially before a shower. then again, if things get too bad, i dont mind if it locks. my main concern is the style. can anyone direct me to a mens gallery or something?