I'm a little bummed about the potential setback caused by the Mane n' Tail Detangler. I won't know for sure if it caused a setback until I do my relaxer next month and get my hair blow dried and flat ironed. But I can already feel enough of a difference in my hair to know that something is not right.
It's very disheartening to experience a setback, especially when I used a seemingly harmless product that others have raved about. This isn't like the time I used henna and indigo to color my hair black (LOL). Now, that I knew was a risky change in my regimen.
This will certainly affect any future products I try. As if I wasn't paranoid enough about trying new products (LOL). On the positive note, my short term goal of reaching waist length by December 2011 is still feasibly. Even if I cut another 3" (rough estimate) in October when I relax my hair, I still have enough time to regain that length. This is why its called my "hair journey." I go through different phases and have ups and downs. You might go through the same thing, so take heart, you are not alone.
It's just hair, yet it's not just hair. It's about setting goals and working towards them. So like any goal in life that you fall short of, hair goals also have an emotional effect on you.
Are you experiencing a hair setback?
September 16, 2010
September 15, 2010
Product Review: Mane n' Tail Detangler
Product claims and suggested usage:
- The solution for hard-to-comb hair
- Provides a rich, luxurious shine
- Hair becomes easily manageable
- Restores lost moisture
- Prevents breakage
- Reduces split ends
How I used the product
I bought this detangler to use on my dry hair to help me detangle before I washed. I also use it lightly after I washed my hair.
My Experience
I experienced no real improvement in being able to detangle my hair. To the contrary, I experienced excess shedding after the second time I used it. My hair started clumping together while I washed and was coming out in knots. I literally had to cut the shedding hair that was hanging down below the ends of my hair in order to limit breakage.
Since it was the only new product I used, I attribute the shedding to the detangler, but I also recognize that the seasonal change may have been a factor. Granted, I didn't follow the directions exactly but I did also use it on my wet hair after I washed and didn't find that it helped detangle my hair very much. I've also noticed a loss in the bulk of my hair and my hair feels straighter when wet than normal.
I suspect that I may have had a bad reaction to something in the detangler. It didn't occur to me at the time because I went 2 weeks without combing or washing, so I thought the shedding was the accumulation of 2 weeks worth of normal shedding. However, if it were normal shedding, then my hair would not feel less bulky or straighter when wet, which is now does.
This is an example of how what works for one person, may not work for another. I read great reviews on this product melting away tangles and leaving new growth soft and manageable. Unfortunately for me, that was not my experience.
Test period - Four uses over the course of 3 weeks.
Like/Dislike? - Dislike.
Recent Excess Shedding: Seasonal Change or Minor Setback?
Last week I shared a mini update on my hair about how I experienced excess shedding. At the time I wasn't too concerned about it, but after I deep conditioned again this weekend, my hair felt very different. I washed and deep conditioned with my staple products, according to my normal routine. However, this time my wet hair looked and felt much straighter almost as if I lost the bulk (for lack of a better word) in my hair.
For the past few weeks, I've been using the Mane 'n Tail Detangler to help me detangle my dry hair before I washed. This is the first time I've used this product, but read great reviews on it and I planned to write my own review. The first time I used it, I lightly sprayed my dry hair but didn't notice any improvement with detangling. So the second time I used it, I sprayed much more than before, and experienced the excess shedding. This was also the same time that I went 2 weeks without combing or washing, so I initially figured the shedding was the result of 2 weeks worth of normal shedding. I'll post a detailed review shortly.
Below is a picture I took of the hair lost after I detangled my dry hair and before I washed. After I washed, I lost an equal amount of hair, but I was running late for an appointment, so I didn't take another picture.
Then earlier this week, my friend emailed to ask me about my thoughts on shedding due to seasonal change. I never really paid much attention to how my hair responded to seasonal changes. So I honestly can't say whether the shedding was product induced or the result of the upcoming change in seasons from summer to fall. In any event, I will stop using the Mane n' Tail and I plan to return it to Sally's Beauty Supply.
Do you experience increased shedding due to seasonal change?
For the past few weeks, I've been using the Mane 'n Tail Detangler to help me detangle my dry hair before I washed. This is the first time I've used this product, but read great reviews on it and I planned to write my own review. The first time I used it, I lightly sprayed my dry hair but didn't notice any improvement with detangling. So the second time I used it, I sprayed much more than before, and experienced the excess shedding. This was also the same time that I went 2 weeks without combing or washing, so I initially figured the shedding was the result of 2 weeks worth of normal shedding. I'll post a detailed review shortly.
Below is a picture I took of the hair lost after I detangled my dry hair and before I washed. After I washed, I lost an equal amount of hair, but I was running late for an appointment, so I didn't take another picture.
Half the hair lost (sorry for the poor quality, I took it quickly with my cell phone)
Then earlier this week, my friend emailed to ask me about my thoughts on shedding due to seasonal change. I never really paid much attention to how my hair responded to seasonal changes. So I honestly can't say whether the shedding was product induced or the result of the upcoming change in seasons from summer to fall. In any event, I will stop using the Mane n' Tail and I plan to return it to Sally's Beauty Supply.
Do you experience increased shedding due to seasonal change?
