DETANGLING 101

Detangling can be a frustrating, time-consuming and even a painful task, especially if you have curly, high porosity, damaged, fine, or chemically treated hair. In this blog post, we’ll cover the different types of tangles (single strand knots, tangled hair, and matted hair) and how to tackle them.

Tell your tangles KNOT TODAY!

Hair traits that make you tangle-prone:

  • Wavy, curly, or coily textured hair
  • High porosity hair (link to porosity blog)
  • Damaged hair (via sun/heat damage)
  • Fine hair (thin strands)
  • Chemically treated hair (via color/bleach)

DIFFERENT TYPES OF TANGLES:

Type 1: Single Strand/Fairy Knots (trichonodosis): Source link

These micro tangles occur most commonly on curly/coily/kinky hair due to its pattern. Mechanical factors such as scratching, combing, washing or friction may produce tangling and knotting of hairs. Repeated encounter with these factors results in tightening of the knots.

Type 2: Tangled Hair

Two or more hair strands entwined. These tangles can get pretty severe, but are still easily manageable without professional help or the need to cut the hair. It is common to take anywhere from 5-45 minutes to detangle depending on severity. If not treated, these can develop into hair mattes (type 3).

Type 3: Matted Hair

Large hard clusters of knots aka Mattes/hair matting (extreme knotting). Hair matting does not happen overnight, but over a prolonged period of time anywhere from 1 week or longer.  Often occurs when tangled hair gets wet and dried without being detangled, for example after swimming repeatedly. In extreme cases, the hair will develop a horrific smell and mould from not being cleaned/dried properly.

Bad Hair Practices For Greater Difficulty in Detangling

  1. Time between sessions. On average, we shed 100 strands per day so as each day passes, more and more hair will be stuck in your curls.The buildup of fallen hairs is what can make detangling a true nightmare, and it gets worse the longer you wait to detangle. Maintaining a regular hair routine minimum 1x a week will help keep your hair tangle free.
  2. Infrequent Haircuts: The longer your hair, the longer it’s lived on your head the more damaged your ends get. Without frequent haircuts/trims(link blog “how often”, to remove excessive damage and split ends, your hair will become harder to manage. If you’ve recently noticed your hair started getting very tangled, its probably time to book a haircut appointment OR follow one of my DIY cutting videos on this playlist.
  3. Improper Care: by not using the right hair accessories, you can drastically exasperate your entanglement. Silk/Satin hair accessories are always better to use than cotton, as it creates less friction and doesn’t absorb the moisture from your hair. This includes pillow cases! 
ZIMASILK 100% Mulberry Silk Pillowcase for Hair and Skin Health,Soft and Smooth,Both Sides Premium Grade 6A Silk,600 Thread Count,with Hidden Zipper,1pc (Queen 20''x30'',Coral)
  • ✅ 100% Mulberry Silk: Bringing you the best silk pillowcase means the highest grade 6A organic silk (Tips: Avoid low-priced silk pillowcases, they maybe Low Silk Content or Fake Silk, 100% mulberry silk pillowcase can’t be less than $20/piece!). Also compare with some other brands, they mark their pillowcases as 21, 22 Momme sold on Amazon. Zima silk pillowcase has same thickness. Both sides of Zima silk pillow case is constructed from 100% 19 momme Grade 6A mulberry silk.
  • ✅ Only Real Mulberry Silk - The Perfect Sleep Fabric: Silk has been clinically proven to be the fabric of choice for those skin conscious. Satin and other imitations made from petrol, which is NOT ECO-FRIENDLY. They are harsh on the skin and hair, causing wrinkles, knotted and tangled hair, as well as skin irritation. A completely natural and hypoallergenic silk pillowcase designed by our team of experts that does wonders for your hair, skin and overall health while you sleep.
  • ✅ Silk Benefits for Hair and Skin: Zima silk pillowcases are made of pure mulberry silk. It has various kinds of Amino Acids that are believed to effectively stimulate your skin cells' metabolism. Silk is gentle and naturally nourishing on your hair and skin. Best for sensitive skin or minimizing morning lines, wrinkles, acne. Silk is anti static and friction, excellent for curly hair, bed head, hair breakage and hair loss.

Your mental health can also correlate to the care you give your hair. It’s nothing to be ashamed of but it is something to get a hang of, so if you are struggling with depression, anxiety and/or are easily overwhelmed by your hair, please take care of yourself and seek help and know you are not alone <3

HOW-TO TACKLE TANGLES

  1. ISOLATE: This is going to be relevant for level 2-3 tangles. Separating the knotted area from the rest of the hair OR trying to section it into smaller pieces will make the task much less daunting.
  2. SOAK: I’m not referring to water, although sometimes it can be beneficial to gently shampoo the area if it is coated in a lot of buildup (usually for level 3 tangles). But soaking the area in a detangler/conditioner that will help provide slip & softness to the hair.
  3. POKE: Using a tail comb or a detangling brush with fine needle-like teeth (like the Tangle Teezer Wet Detangler)
  4. CLIMB: Start from the bottom and work your way up.
  5. REPEAT: Until each hair is free flowing!

PREVENTION IS KEY!

  • Making sure your hair is properly conditioned will keep strands smooth and prevent them from linking together. 
  • Styling with a brush helps set the curls without tangles.
  • Re-applying oils/serums every few days helps keep strands soft and is a great prep product before… 
  • Dry detangling (with your fingers to pull out fallen strands that are locked in the curls).

By following these tips and tricks, you can say goodbye to tangles and hello to smooth, tangle-free hair!

Other Products I Recommend

Shea Moisture Silicone Free Miracle Styler Leave In Conditioner Spray with Sugarcane Extract and Meadowfoam Seed, Unisex Leave In Treatment Detangler Spray, 8 Oz
Eva NYC Therapy Sessions Hair Mask, 16.9 Ounce
COLOR WOW Money Masque - Deep Hydrating Conditioning Treatment by Celebrity Stylist Chris Appleton | Vegan Formula
Shea Moisture Silicone Free Miracle Styler Leave In Conditioner Spray with Sugarcane Extract and Meadowfoam Seed, Unisex Leave In Treatment Detangler Spray, 8 Oz
Eva NYC Therapy Sessions Hair Mask, 16.9 Ounce
COLOR WOW Money Masque - Deep Hydrating Conditioning Treatment by Celebrity Stylist Chris Appleton | Vegan Formula
Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime
Shea Moisture Silicone Free Miracle Styler Leave In Conditioner Spray with Sugarcane Extract and Meadowfoam Seed, Unisex Leave In Treatment Detangler Spray, 8 Oz
Shea Moisture Silicone Free Miracle Styler Leave In Conditioner Spray with Sugarcane Extract and Meadowfoam Seed, Unisex Leave In Treatment Detangler Spray, 8 Oz
Amazon Prime
Eva NYC Therapy Sessions Hair Mask, 16.9 Ounce
Eva NYC Therapy Sessions Hair Mask, 16.9 Ounce
Amazon Prime
COLOR WOW Money Masque - Deep Hydrating Conditioning Treatment by Celebrity Stylist Chris Appleton | Vegan Formula
COLOR WOW Money Masque - Deep Hydrating Conditioning Treatment by Celebrity Stylist Chris Appleton | Vegan Formula
Amazon Prime

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