Hands up if you hate wash day?
Ok so hate may be too strong a word so let’s change it. Hands up if you dread wash day?
I know I do. I love how good my hair feels after I’ve washed it but quite frankly I hate the process. The washing part is not even so much the part I don’t like its the detangling part that gets me…every time.
I don’t think I have ever come across a natural who has said: “I can’t wait to detangle my hair.” If you have please pass along their number to me because they must know something that I don’t.
In as much as I hate having to think about detangling my hair, it’s important to do it and do it properly. The health of your hair depends on it.
Although I can’t make detangling natural hair go away. I have found some ways to make it a little less difficult to do.
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Why Detangling Natural Hair Is Important
I mentioned earlier that the health of your hair depends on you detangling it. I don’t say that lightly.
It really does make a huge difference to the health of your hair when it is detangled properly in the right way.
A few years ago I got super lazy with my hair and I neglected to detangle it properly. I would generally look after it but I never took the time out to make sure that it was fully detangled.
One day I decided to do something a little differently with my hair so had to part it. I kid you not I found a massive tangle in the middle of my head and I just could not believe it. It was like I had a dread, just one, in the middle of my hair.
It was a full-on knot. It might seem strange to you, but I was able to style my hair for so long without even knowing that it was there. It took me a full hour, achy arms and a quarter bottle of conditioner to separate the hair.
Even when I did manage to separate it I was left with long pieces and short pieces of hair that were completely damaged and would need to be cut off. That day I vowed never to do it again.
I saw the damage that I had caused my hair. Never again.
How To Easily Detangle Natural Hair
No one wakes up in the morning, happily jumps out of bed and just can’t wait to detangle their hair. It just doesn’t happen but you can make the process of detangling natural hair easier on yourself by following a few little tricks that I have learned along the way.
Tools needed:
- Wide-tooth comb
- Conditioner
- Water spray bottle
- Your fingers
Step By Step process
Firstly by far the easiest way to detangle your natural hair is in the shower on wash day but if you can’t wait that long or it doesn’t suit you then the second-best option would be to start on damp hair.
1. Start with sections
It’s much easier to detangle your hair when you start in small sections. I like to work with 6 sections and clip my hair so it stays in position with these clips.
2. Dampen It
Take your first section of hair and dampen it with water using your spray bottle. This helps with the elasticity of your hair to make sure it doesn’t snap easily when detangling.
3. Add Conditioner
Next, add your conditioner. Preferably one that has lots of slip. When we talk about slip it means that when you add the product to your hair it becomes slippery to help you detangle. The more slip you get from a conditioner the better as you will experience less breakage.
4. Choose Your Tools
This next tip is dependent on your personal preference. I prefer to finger comb my hair but some people find using a wide-tooth comb more effective. Neither technique is necessarily right or wrong it’s just about what you find easiest.
I personally prefer to use my fingers as much as possible as I find that I have more control over protecting my strands from accidentally snapping as I can feel it before it actually happens.
Some people find that using a comb makes it faster to get rid of tangles. As I said before its all personal preference.
5. Detangle
Begin to detangle your hair from the ends, a little at a time until you have worked your way all the way up to the root.
Next: Once that section is done twist it and clip it away so that it doesn’t have the opportunity to get tangled again.
Lastly: Continue to do this to all the other sections of your hair until it is completed then style as usual.
Common Mistakes People Make When Detangling Natural Hair
1. Detangling On Dry Hair
Never ever do this, never try to detangle on dry hair. There is minimal elasticity in dry hair and you WILL be snapping hairs unnecessarily if you try to do this.
2. Detangling From The Root
Whenever I see anyone combing hair directly from the root, it just sets off all my alarm bells at once.
Trying to comb your hair straight from the root which is where your hair is likely the thickest will absolutely cause breakage.
Always take it slowly when detangling and take the path of least resistance (the ends first)
3. Detangling When Pushed For Time
I’ve made this mistake a few times myself and I usually regret it very shortly afterwards.
Trying to detangle your hair when you are in a rush will only lead to breakage as you won’t have the time to be patient. Never do your hair when you are pressed for time it’s a sure-fire way to cause extra damage.
4. Trying To Detangle With No Product
When you add product to damp hair you help give your hair slip and this makes it easier to detangle.
Without conditioner on your hair trying to separate strands of hair feels almost impossible and becomes a huge daunting task.
Final Thoughts On Detangling Natural Hair
Even though detangling natural hair is not everyone’s favourite subject it doesn’t have to be a completely painful experience. If you follow the tips above and stay away from the common mistakes that people make you will get through it easily and in no time at all..
Related posts:
My review of the As I Am Coconut Cowash
How to Prepoo your natural hair
How to maintain and grow your natural hair
