Detangling knotted hair can be painful, frustrating and time-consuming. These tips will help keep your hair sleek and tangle-free.
Knotty hair conjures up images of childhood wailing and brandished scissors. Sadly, the problem does not always go away with adulthood, especially for those with fine but plentiful hair. One way of dealing with tangles is to drag a brush through the top layer and jam on a hat—otherwise, try these suggestions!
Avoiding Tangled Hair
Dryness, split ends and friction all contribute to knotty hair. Keep your hair well-moisturised to give it some 'slip'. Snip out split ends as you see them—split hairs are damaged hairs, and the roughness and increased volume of splits can easily create tangles. Make sure you are using gentle hair care techniques to keep your hair free of damage.
To avoid friction, try sleeping on a satin pillowcase at night. Cotton pillowcases have fibres which rub against the hair, while satin allows the hair to slip freely about. Slipping a satin petticoat or nightie over your pillow is a cheaper option—the difference will be obvious when you comb your hair the next day. Never leave barrettes or clips in your hair overnight, or they may be 'eaten' by your hair and be difficult to remove.
Tangles also frequently occur while washing hair. Never pile your hair atop your head and scrub. Instead, detangle it before hopping in the shower, and shampoo your scalp only. The length of your hair is rarely dirty enough to require scrubbing, and will be sufficiently cleaned by the shampoo as you rinse it out. Next, comb the conditioner through your hair with a wide-toothed comb, and continue combing as you rinse out. This way your hair should not require further detangling before it dries. Don't rub at it with a towel—let your hair dry naturally, loose or wrapped in a turbie towel.
Keep Your Hair Tied Up
The looser your hair is, the more chance it has to become tangled and damaged by rubbing against your clothes, getting caught under handbag straps and blown about in the wind. Braids are a perfect way to keep hair from tangling. Practice braiding your hair at night until you get the hang of it—'sleep braids' don't have to be perfect, and are a wonderful way to protect hair from tangles while you toss and turn. Once you've mastered the techniques, braids can be worn in endless combinations and styles during the day.
Buns are another excellent way to protect hair from tangles. Using the sock bun method, even fairly short hair can be kept out of harm's way.
Removing Knots From Hair
Bobble-tipped brushes are damaging to hair, and useless for removing knots. To detangle hair, use your fingers or a wide-toothed comb and begin with the bottom few inches of hair, gradually working your way up. Always start at the bottom of a knot and tease it out downwards, rather than pulling it wide apart. Once detangled, use a boar bristle brush to polish and protect your hair.
Some people find damp hair easier to detangle. Use a spray bottle of professional detangling product, or a mixture of water, jojoba oil and aloe vera. For really stubborn knots, saturate the hair in conditioner for a few minutes before attempting to remove the knot.
The copyright of the article Tips for Tangled Hair in Hair Care is owned by Sarah Tennant. Permission to republish Tips for Tangled Hair in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
i am a woman aged 50 with long hair. i do get tangled hair and also its get
itchy over time. your comments arew worthy of resolving my problem. but my
problem gets repeted evry 6 months. i do wash my hair daily with shampoe,
but i apply herbal oil before shower. i do use conditioner evry alternate
day. do you have any other ips to further reduce my problem regds
Aug 17, 2008 4:37 AM
Sarah Tennant :
It's possible your hair is overdry. Is there any reason you use
conditioner only every second day? Check out my article on water-only hair
washing: http://hair-care.suite101.com/article.cfm/water_only_hair_washing
Another possibility is that your scalp is sensitive SLS or SLES
(sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate), which appear in most
shampoos. In that case you could try using an SLS/SLES-free shampoo.
For the tangles, a leave-in conditioner might help. Some people
find that oiling their hair helps give it some slip. Use a light oil such
as jojoba or apricot kernel oil. Pour just a drop on your hands (less is
more!), rub them together and run them over and through your hair, avoiding
the scalp.
I have hip-length hair, so for me the most
important key to avoiding tangles is keeping my hair braided at night.
Good luck with your routine--and good on you for wearing your hair long and
beautiful at 50!
Oct 12, 2008 7:38 PM
Guest
:
Wow. My hair is down to my waist and very straight....no bangs. Very
blond (and I have to die the roots cause the sun bleachs the ends). The
hair dye dries it out. Very fine. But I have a lot...thank God. Since I
am a small girl, tangles, tangles, tangles. To get the tangles out, I
spray it with 'botanical oil' or 'Jojoba oil' when it's wet or dry....the
knots come out easy. Wal Mart sells it. I also spray some of that oil
before I go to bed, about 3 times a week. Or, I will put a heavy duty hair
treatment and leave it on all night. I don't blow dry my hair or put gel
or whatever in it. cause that will for sure tangle it. I comb it only when
it's wet and use a STRAIGHT pin dog brush (cause they don't make that kind
for people) only once after it's completely dried. Only I put leave in
treatments all the time. I wash it everyday with pantene. I usually put it
back with hair clamps (like the hot hairdressers do). It prevents
breakage and it looks very neat, sexy and classy. On weekends, I let it
down. Men just go crazy over my hair. Everybody wants to touch it. But
it's hhaaarrrrdddddd work !!! I also use a split endzer every month. I
cut my hair myself twice a month (boy....it grows fast). At full moon and
before at the first quarter. And nobody else touches my hair. Well, there
you go. It is a lot of work...but worth it.
Oct 16, 2008 9:32 PM
Guest
:
i am 12+ years old i do get tangled hair everyday.my hair is very long
eventough i read those advises there is no use is the any oil or shampoo to
prevent tangled please reply me....its will be painful and frustratin
sometimes i feel like cuttin off my hair....
Oct 20, 2008 4:51 AM
Guest
:
can u help in my problem,,its actually that i have a very small forehead.
wat shud i do so that my hair wich r exactly at the start of forehead that
disappear by applyin something or suggest me that do i have to go for any
treatment to get these hairs off..please help bcoz i really cant open my
hair as it doesnt suits me.
Oct 23, 2008 12:22 PM
Sarah Tennant :
A naturally low hairline can be disguised with bangs. Facial hair which
occurs on the forehead, however, can be treated with a method such as laser
hair removal. Most depilatory creams and waxes are not suitable for use on
facial hair, so be careful about applying any products! If the hair is
dark, its appearance can be minimised by bleaching.
Nov 10, 2008 1:50 PM
Guest
:
hi sarah,
there is also a natural product called Take Down
Removal cream. It really detangles severly matted hair. It untangles any
kind of "bird nest" type knots. It is safe for kids too. Visit
their website and get a free sample-www.takedownproducts.com
Great article....so many women need help daily with this issue of tangled
hair.
cheers
Mar 24, 2009 8:06 AM
Guest
:
Sarah, My african twist were up for three months, onceI took them
down,tried to relax my hair. Therelaxer did not take my hair is
knotted,matted, tangled and everything. Its like I have lock knots in my
hair. Help what must I do!
Mar 24, 2009 2:01 PM
Sarah Tennant :
I'd start by slathering my hair in conditioner... lots of conditioner!
Leave it on for a while, then start from the bottom and very gently try to
ease the tangles out with a wide-toothed and then a regular comb.
The bad news is, chemical relaxers are very damaging to hair. There are
some non-chemical relaxing methods available online - I have straight hair
so don't know much about them, but I recall seeing a cool method with Saran
wrap. It's a bit time-consuming, but less damaging to hair which
ultimately means far fewer tangles and split ends.
May 24, 2009 1:35 AM
Guest
:
Hello Sarah. Great article. I'm 13 and my hair goes a little below my
shoulders. I've started growing these horrible split ends- and my hair
tangles real easily. Help?
May 24, 2009 4:54 PM
Sarah Tennant :
Hi there. :) I've written an article about split ends you might find
helpful:
Hair that is subject to heat damage is more prone to split and
tangle, so the best thing you can do for your hair is to avoid blowdrying
or straightening/curling it with heat. Keeping it in plaits at night also
makes a huge difference to my hair - worth a try!
