Detangling 101: It’s Knot That Hard!

Do you dread showers because of how they turn your Rapunzel locks into a knotted mess? You’re not alone.

Thankfully, we know just how to smooth out the knots and tangles while minimising hair damage.

Tackle your hair section by section to find the tangled areas. Once you locate a knot, isolate it and pull back the rest of your hair. This eases detangling as smaller sections are easier to detangle. The sections without the tangle are also kept safe from over-brushing.

Then, focus on one section at a time by brushing it out with a detangling brush or wide toothed comb. Starting from the lower end of your hair shaft, gently comb to the hair ends. Then, repeat on a higher section and finally work your way up the hair shaft. Brushing or combing right from roots can simply push all the knots to the end, creating giant knots.

It’s important to use a wide toothed comb or even better, detangling brush which smooths the hair out effectively, minimising breakage and damage.

Dessata detangling brush, available at Shins stores.

SOURCE: hair2go.com.au

Hold your hair right above the tangle so that when you try to brush out that knot, you have better control. This minimises tugging from combing which can result in an injured scalp and hair breakage.

You may need a little help from detangling products if you’re dealing with particularly tough knots. These are formulated to minimise breakage by providing moisture, reducing friction, and loosening the knots. Simply massage the product into affected areas before brushing.

Biacré Argan & Macadamia hair oil from Shins prevents frizz and tangles.

SOURCE: gemfive.com

If you’re on a budget, coconut oil is a good detangler alternative.

Detangling starts in the shower. Use hair products that promote detangling, or if you can’t find those, then any product that promotes smoothness should do the trick. If you have a major case of the knots, then we recommend a full range shampoo, conditioner, and mask routine.

If you have very dry, damaged, and tangled hair Redken’s All Soft heavy cream mask will work great. After shampooing, apply this product and gentle comb your hair through with a wide-toothed comb. Leave on the mask for up to 15 minutes before rinsing.

SOURCE: bellezo.com

After showers, make sure to gently squeeze the ends of your hair with the towel instead of rigorously rubbing the towel against your hair. This create static, frizz, and tangles!

Yanking your hair too hard will only cause further damage and more tangles. Keep your cool and take your time to detangle. If the knots are hard to see – like at the back of your head – head to a salon and get experts to sort it out for you.

Having said that, prevention is better than cure. To avoid future kinks, make sure to practice these:

• Regular trims. Split or dry ends are the main reasons for those twists. Visit the salon every 2 to 3 months to keep them away!

• Silk pillowcases. The smooth texture will reduce friction and prevent bedheads, the kind that’s too messy to be considered shabby chic.

• Gentle washes. Tangles often occur from too much hair movement. You could be unintentionally knotting your hair with rigorous shampooing.