How to Prevent Tangling Hair

Tangled hair can be annoying and frustrating. It takes the joy out of having long hair as you have to worry about unknotting hair strands often. As you struggle to deal with tangled hair, you experience other ugly situations such as broken hair brushes and comb teeth. We’ll share a few tips to help out, but first, let’s discuss some of the causes of hair tangling.

5 Causes of Hair Tangling

Low Hair Moisture

Dry hair is more susceptible to tangling. Low hair moisture content causes friction and tension, leading to hair tangling. Low hair moisture can also cause breakage, especially around the outer layer of the hair shaft. It ultimately worsens the condition of your hair.

Not Combing

Failing to comb your hair regularly can have dire consequences such as kinks and knots. These destroy your hair’s appearance and appeal. In addition, this habit allows the residues of oil, cream and other hair solutions to build up in your hair. This can damage your hair.

Sleeping with Wet Hair

As much as dry hair causes hair tangling, wet hair can also trigger hair breakage and tangling, especially when you go to bed with it. Your hair is extremely fragile when it is wet, so it can slip into tight knots and tangles easily. These tangles are quite rigid and difficult to remove. Also, going to bed without braiding or tying your hair can tangle it easily.

Untrimmed Hair Ends

You should constantly trim your hair as this helps it to stay healthy. Untrimmed hair can ruin the tips of your hair, causing dry, split and frizzy hair. There is no treatment or remedy for split hair. Dry and split hair also tangles easily.

Damaged Hair Cuticles

There are habits that damage the hair cuticles. One of these is constantly styling your hair with heat. Using blow dryers regularly can also damage your scalp and hair follicles. It can break your hair shaft, leading to tangling and knotting. Constant heat styling removes the outer layer of your hair and exposes the cortex. This can cause extreme damage to your hair.

6 Natural Ways to Prevent Hair Tangles

Now, you know some of your everyday hair habits that cause hair tangling and knotting. It’s time to find out the different ways to prevent any form of tangling or knotting in your hair.

Moisturize your Hair Regularly

Washing your hair with organic shampoo regularly and applying a moisture lock-in conditioner can help free up hair tangles and moisturize your hair. A lock-in conditioner helps your hair retain its moisture so that it is easier to comb without any form of hair breakage.

The best way to do this is to leave the conditioner in your hair for a few minutes so that it acts on your hair thoroughly before washing it off. In addition, moisturizing your hair regularly would help to smoothen your hair strands and make your hair softer and more attractive, with the right bounce.

Use a Wide-toothed Comb

This is the one time the saying, “the bigger, the better” aptly applies. If you want to free up hair knots and tangles, then choose a wide-toothed comb, as this makes detangling your hair a lot easier. In fact, the best advice you’d get on detangling your hair is: Do not use a narrow-toothed comb, rat-tailed comb or a round brush. Not only do they make the process excruciating, but they also damage your hair greatly. Using a rat-tailed comb on tangled hair can destroy the hair shaft by tearing it open. This is extremely difficult to repair. To neatly detangle your hair, work the comb from the tips to the root of your hair.

Try out Detangling Products

There are many hair detangling products that can help you to free up your hair and get rid of any knots or tangles. Detangling sprays, serums, and conditioners can help to straighten your hair and release any knots. These products work by softening and straightening out lumps of hair.

If you have large hair tangles that would be difficult to free up with a wide-toothed comb, simply apply some amount of hair detangling spray or conditioner on the tangled hair and area of the scalp surrounding it. Rub the substance neatly into the hair, then gently free up the knot using a wide-toothed comb or your fingers.

Use Hair Masks

With the right hair masks, you may never have to deal with hair tangling of any kind. Hair masks work to improve the texture of your hair so that it is smooth, silky and soft. In addition, this substance greatly improves your hair’s moisture content so that it stays well-hydrated. With better hair moisture content, your cuticles will be strong and healthy.

The best hair masks are made from natural ingredients like yogurt, almond oil, and honey. First, mix all the ingredients together to form a neat paste. Ensure that your hair is dry then apply the hair mask on it, evenly. Alternatively, you can use lemon juice hair treatment. Simply dilute fresh lemon juice in 2 cups of water then massage the mixture into your scalp.

This treatment option works like magic, and you’re sure to have all your curls and strands as freed up as they ought to be.

Use Essential Oils

Hair oils are instant lubricants that can detangle your hair. Hair oil helps to lock-in moisture so you don’t have to deal with dry or frizzle hair strands. Organic oils like extra virgin coconut oil work to restore parched scalp and hair tresses.

For this treatment, massage a generous amount of coconut oil or any other essential oil into your hair. You can also mix the oil with olive oil for better results.

Slow Down with the Towel

After a shower, it is common for many people to rub their wet hair vigorously and continuously, in a bid to get the water out. Well, if this sounds like you, then it is no wonder that you are battling hair tangles and knots. Rubbing your wet hair with such force, over a period of time, can cause hair breakage. Remember that the human hair is extremely tender and vulnerable when wet.

Vigorously rubbing your wet hair with a towel can also alter the structure of your hair cuticles, which can split your hair ends and cause frizzy hair. So how do you dry your hair? Quite simple. All you have to do is gently squeeze your hair with a microfiber towel and leave it to dry.

10 Quick Hair Detangling Tips

• Detach the hair knots with your fingers first, before using a wide-toothed comb to detangle them. This would make the detangling process easier and less painful.
• Break your hair into sections before detangling it. This would make it easier for you to manage.
• Trim off split hair ends regularly.
• Don`t brush or comb out knots in wet hair. Instead, use your fingers to remove any knots and tangles in your wet hair.
• Don`t use hair styling products that leave any form of residue in your hair, as this can cause tangles and knots.
• Ensure you apply a leave-in conditioner to your hair after washing it. This would help to improve your hair’s moisture content.
• Always wear a protective covering on your hair when stepping out. This will protect your hair from any pollutants or sun rays.
• To detangle dry hair, apply serum around the tangled hair, then detangle the hair gently using a wide-toothed comb.
• To detangle knots caused by the residue from hair styling products, moisturize the tangled hair with any essential oil then gently brush out the knots.
• To detangle wet hair, apply a serum to the tangled hair and free it up using your fingers.

Now that you Know…

Getting rid of hair tangles can be extremely difficult and painful, especially when you don`t know the best ways to go about it. With your newly-acquired knowledge, you can easily prevent and get rid of hair knots and tangles. Stick to these detangling tips and watch your hair regain its natural sheen and appeal.