The hair battle begins. Is this the kind of feeling you get, everytime you pick up the comb to brush your hair or detangle its knots? We all relate with you.
None of us can escape knotted hair strands, given the harsh hair products we use or the new hairstyles we flaunt every other day. But there are ways to detangle your hair without tearing away half of your hair. All you need is a little patience and our list of prevention tips. Scroll down to find out.
What Expert Says
“ Hair knots are often difficult to detangle. But products like hair oil, hair mask or even hair conditioner can make it easier to remove the knots. It is advised not to try removing knots from wet hair. There is a high risk of hair breakage if you try to detangle wet hair. Once the hair is dry, try using a wide-toothed soft bristle comb to remove the knots.”
Abhisikta Hati, Senior Product Development Executive, SkinKraft
What Causes Hair Tangling?
Tangles are caused when the outer layer of your hair (cuticle) is damaged and opens up. The open cuticles block each other and form knots. Basically, a hair knot forms when two single strands of hair wrap around each other to become intertwined.
If this happens to a couple of strands, it gets difficult to remove these knots (tangles), right? Hair that is smooth or silky is not prone to tangles. But damaged and textured hair (wavy or curly) is the worst hit.
It is not surprising to know that all these factors can contribute to hair tangling:
- Harsh hair care products
- Massaging hair too hard while shampooing
- Over-washing
- Lack of hydration
- Heat styling
- Rubbing hair with a towel
- Wind blowing through your hair
- Not brushing hair daily or overbrushing
- Sleeping with your hair down
- Split ends
How To Detangle Your Hair?
Irrespective of any hair type and texture, hair knots are experienced by almost everyone. It is not an easy task to remove a hair knot without destroying your hair. But it is not impossible either.
Our senior product development executive, Abhisikta Hati says, “ Hair knots are often difficult to detangle. But products like hair oil, hair mask or even hair conditioner can make it easier to remove the knots. It is advised not to try removing knots on wet hair. There is a high risk of hair breakage if you try to detangle wet hair. Once the hair is dry, try using a wide-toothed soft bristle comb to remove the knots.”
Here are 8 ways in which you can detangle your hair without causing damage.
1. Conditioner
Conditioning your hair is one of the most important steps towards good hair care. What it also helps with is detangling the hair. Apply a conditioner at the tips and move upwards towards the roots. Spare your scalp, it does not need a conditioner. Leave on the conditioner for 5 minutes, comb your hair to detangle, and rinse.
2. Detangling Spray
Detangling hair spray is definitely worth the money. It helps reduce the tension between the hair while detangling. Also, it is a quick fix when you are out and have no time. Detangling sprays can be used on both dry and damp hair.. They need not be rinsed out. The sprays contain ingredients like shea butter to soften your hair so that detangling becomes easy.
3. Oils
Mineral oil can be used to effectively detangle the hair. It is a colorless and odorless distillate of petroleum. Mineral oil acts like an antistatic and removes tangles. Make sure that your hair is conditioned just enough, too much residue on the hair hinders the function of mineral oil in removing tangles.
After you detangle your hair, your hair may seem a lot more brittle. Apply a few drops of olive oil and let the oil penetrate your scalp and strands for a good twenty minutes. You can sit under a steamer for this or simply wrap a warm towel on your head.
Oil your hair regularly to avoid dryness. You can use a carrier oil like coconut oil, olive oil, castor oil or sweet almond oil along with essential oils like lavender, tea tree or rosemary.
4. Water
Moisture can make detangling easier. It helps remove the tangles without harsh pulling. Use a spray bottle filled with water to spritz some water on your hair before starting out. Take sections of hair with your fingers, comb with a wide-toothed brush and clip the detangled hair with a secure hair clip or pin. Continue for all hair sections until your hair is completely detangled.
5. Wide-toothed comb
Have you been overlooking the importance of a wide-toothed comb? Wide-tooth combs and paddle brushes help detangle hair in a much painless way. They are gentler on your hair.
6. Begin from the bottom
One hair care mistake that most of us make is by combing the hair from the roots. Start from the bottom of the hair. Comb some inches at the bottom and work your way upwards gently. This helps prevent hair breakage and the pain at the scalp due to aggressive pulling.
7. Use your fingers
Before you reach for your comb, separate your hair into sections with your fingers gently. This way you can remove most of the tangles before combing your hair.
8. Hair masks
If your hair is prone to regular tangles, it may be a sign of dry hair. Use a hair mask packed with moisture to provide your hair instant hydration. You can choose from a variety of hair masks in the market or make one at home using simple kitchen ingredients like egg, yogurt, honey and banana.
Tips To Avoid Tangled Hair
Dos
- Do brush your hair before washing if you have hair that gets tangled easily.
- Use a little amount of shampoo on the strands when compared to the scalp.
- Apply conditioner and comb your hair to detangle and spread out the conditioner evenly. But be gentle because wet hair is more prone to shedding.
- Wear braids as these hairstyles keep the hair in position and avoid tangles.
- Use a scarf or a hat on windy days to make sure your hair is not all over the place and tangled.
- Get your hair trimmed every 4-6 weeks. Split ends cause tangles, making your hair look damaged and dry.
Don’ts
- Don't rub your hair with a towel as it can cause tangled hair. Use a soft cotton t-shirt to dry your hair.
- Don't sleep with open hair. Consider a gentle updo.
- Don't sleep on a cotton pillowcase. Switch to silk pillowcases and avoid knotty hair the morning after.
- Avoid products that produce heat as they lead to hair damage. Hair damage obviously means more tangles.
- Over using shampoo to create more lather should be avoided as more foam doesn't necessarily mean more efficient cleaning. It does more harm than good.
Wrapping Up
This was our two cents on detangling hair in the safest way possible. We hope that you no longer lose your mind over tangled hair and follow our simple tips of using conditioners, oils and wide-toothed combs the right way. Most importantly, be gentle with your hair.
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