Hard matted hair - help and advice needed

[Sparky17]

Hi I've been in hospital for 4 months following a horrendous car accident. I'm now at home but still can't walk or get around much and due to Covid and the lockdown have not been able to get much care. The NHS carers have been great at helping to get me out of bed, quick wash in downstairs cloakroom and putting my shoes on. However they are obviously very busy and don't have huge amounts of time. As the accident wasn't my fault, a personal injury lawyer promised all sorts of help from private carers to help with cleaning but due to Covid nothing has been possible. I can't shower or get in the bath. I washed my hair in the kitchen sink and put loads of conditioner in it and combed it all through and got it cleared apart from one small clump which I had to leave. I went to bed leaving the conditioner in my hair thinking I'd finish it off the next day. However the next morning I had other health complications and left it. It's now been 2 to 3 weeks and my hair is a solid matted mass. Hairdressers not open, mobile hairdressers can't work so I'm at my wits end. I've been through such a lot and still got major injuries and pain but my hair is really getting me down - I guess it's the last straw but I feel I've had/am getting depression. Has anyone got any suggestions on how I can tackle it. I don't want to shave it off. After stabbing and pulling and tugging it with a pin tail comb and chopsticks the matted mass seems to have moved closer to my scalp and is now pulling at my scalp giving me headache and is uncomfortable to lie on. I'd be really grateful for any suggestions......it would help if I could get in the bath or shower but that's not an option yet.

You could try some coconut oil and gently ease out with your fingers, hope things get better for you very soon.

Coconut condition or hair mask. My daughter gets this after surgery's but it isn't pain free. With a wide toothed comb start at the bottom of the knot and work your way up but it may take a few days as your head will get sore x

Oh you poor thing. Maybe ask the carer next time you see one. Do you have any family or friends who might be prepared to break lockdown rules a little? I say a little, because you’re vulnerable and you need help.

Are you able to put your head back in the sink?

A friend or family member coming to help with that wouldn’t be breaking lockdown, it would be essential care.

How long are the carers coming for and do they need all the time? I have NHS funded care and one of my calls is a few minutes longer than I need. The policy of my team is that’s my time. And my carers would be happy to do that sort of thing. So it would be worth at least asking if they could help.

Ah thanks for replies 💐 I've tried all sorts of oils including coconut oil.
I could try leaning back in the kitchen sink with a chair - I've only ever thought about leaning forward.... I had a chat to carer who has just left and she will see if she's allowed to come back later - we could then try leaning back in the sink so that it might be more comfortable and the hair can have a good shampoo and soak through with water - hopefully the water will be able to penetrate the hard mass! Is there any good hair softening/detangling products that can be recommended?

You want a conditioner with slip, so do you have any that feel really slippery between your fingers? That's going to be the easiest to help detangle

What a nightmare. I think it will need a good long soak in warm water first. Would a basin be easier? I would also try and order a shower head attachment that can be fitted to your sink from amazon.

ooh now there was a post about this the other week there might be tips on, I want to say it was @babdoc but I could well be wrong about that (apologies if it's not you babdoc!)

I think the best thing is patience and someone else to pick it apart if at all possible. I had a similar thing but I just shaved it to make it easier to deal with.

Try aTangle Teaser brush with conditioner or detangling spray. Will take some work but they are brilliant. Start off with a section at the nape of the neck, clipping the rest out of the way. You will need someone to help you though.

Tangle Teezer.

Mane and Tail detangling spray is good.

Not me, sorry! I can only echo the PPs who advise soaking, shampoo and conditioner. If there are clumps you can’t fix that way, you may have to cut them out and let your hair regrow.

If you trust the carer then I would let her chop bits off as she detangles with a little pair of scissors (eg nail scissors). It will increase your chance of success overall.

I would try a thicker all like veg oil and let it soak in for a while. It will make a mess but you will hopefully save your hair, much better than coconut oil in this sort of situation.

maybe an argan oil based conditioner? these are very slippery, my DD sometimes uses them and I nearly went flying over when I got in the shower, because she didn't rinse the bottom of the bath.

Hi OP, I can really recommend Childs farm hair detangler. It's for children but I've used it in my hair to get rid of some bad matts / tangled and it worked wonders. I don't know what's in that stuff but it was absolutely terrific. It somehow made the hair slippery so much easier to untangle. Hope you get help and start to feel better soon.

I’m desperately trying to remember the name of the one I used for my daughters hair.. it’s a kids detangler, strawberry smell and costs 99p normally... a few bottles of it and lots of time might work..
Could you google/research a hairdressers group online and ask ‘professional’ advice? There was one post going round Facebook a while ago about a teenage girl whose health problems had caused her hair to become matted and she went to hairdressers and asked her to shave it all off.. hairdresser refused and spent time sorting the matts out and she ended up with a lovely short funky bob style..
I really hope you get it sorted and that you recover well

Liquid silk spray conditioner is really good but honestly if you're having to leave it for 2 or 3 weeks, you'd be better just to cut it very very short or even shave it.

We followed a YouTube video which had a mix of oil, maybe olive or veg, conditioner and water, say 2tbsps oil, 2 tbsps conditioner and top up with water, shake loads to mix, spray on matting and rub in well. Then work from the tip to the root slowly separating hair.

I did it in tiny sections but it worked.

Good luck with whatever you try

Would the stuff for removing dreadlocks be suitable?

There are devices like this that facilitate washing hair in bed and video on YouTube about methods to wash hair in bed. Maybe you could get a carer for a longer time as a one-off or a friend (or a retired nurse who learned how to do this in the 1970’s like I did ) who could help you do a soak and a gentle wash and detangle?

www.manageathome.co.uk/pd/inflatable-hair-wash-basin_13335?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI0ry11OPY6QIVh-N3Ch33aAXdEAQYASABEgJbn_D_BwE

You need a conditioner with a lot of silicones for slip. Look at the ingredients - you need the ones ending in -one, like dimethicone, amodimethicone or cyclomethicone. Soak the knot in the conditioner and unpick it slowly, starting at the end away from your scalp, with the end of a tail comb.

If you can wait a few days I really can recommend Cowboy Magic Detangler. It's horrendously expensive but you only need a little and it really works. It's available from Amazon Prime, or much cheaper but with longer delivery time from Vetsend. Yes, it's a horse grooming product, but a lot of people use it for their hair and it smells floral, not horsey. I use it to keep Small Dog's armpits knot-free and if it works for that it'll do anything.

You've all been fantastic thank you so much for your time and consideration- hugely appreciated 💐The carer did try with a shower attachment but it needs time and it's not fair to expect a carer to pick at my hair for hours. However you have all given me great tips and ideas so I'll try them. Thanks again 🤗Xx