Learn How To Detangle Your Hair Without Damaging It

Combing your hair can take you back to your childhood when maa or nani would sit you down, detangle your messed up hair and apply a generous amount of oil. The irksome knots would cause pain as your mother insisted on sorting your chidiya ka ghosla out, come what may. While the intentions were the purest, detangling your hair is almost an art that requires technique and patience to avoid damage. And here are some tips to help with just that. For all those who love flawless and unerring hair, how to prevent hair from tangling has never been easier.

Causes Of Tangled Hair

Tangles are caused due to very primitive reasons, out of which the most regular is when the outer layer of your hair starts to damage and opens up. This results in tangles that might be very hard to comb through. Every hair type, be it curly, straight or wavy suffers from tangles and knots and are very hard to deal with.

When two strands of hair that have been peeled out from the outer layer, they end up entwining with each other and hence the tangle. So all you women out there, a smooth textured hair is what you need as your solution to detangle hair. Frizzy and moisture-lacking hair is more prone to tangling by friction.

Common factors that lead to extensive hair damage include:

1. Poor and non-nutritive diet
2. Stress and anxiety
3. Frequent heat styling and chemical treatments
4. Climatic conditions and use of chlorinated water
5. Vigorous hair drying by towel and rough combing of hair

How To Untangle Hair The Right Way 

Here are some awesome tricks and life-saving hacks that will help you detangle hair. Everyone’s hair is different, and so also, they have different whims. What might work for one of you with straight hair might not be suitable for someone with curly or wavy hair type. These tricks below have been sorted according to individual hair type.

1. How To Detangle Curly Hair

 This particular hair type ranges from light beachy curls to tightly wound curls. While the extent of curliness may range, curly hair if held out into a ponytail is much thicker than any other hair type which also makes it more tolerant towards the ill effects of heated styling, artificial colouring and other styling treatments. 

Busting a famous myth, it is proven that curly hair has less tendency to entangle than straight hair. However, it is still needed to be taken care of and resolve all issues

• Start by detangling your hair in the shower itself. Work your way through the knots and tangles while you apply shampoo or a conditioner
• Do the ‘one at a time’ trick. Grab each strand and work with it individually and gradually proceed. This trick may take a bit of your time but will ensure you good and smooth hair.
• Use your fingers to slide in gently through your hair strands. This will ensure that there remains no knot even after you wash your hair
• For taming curly hair, you must use a deep moisturizing shampoo and a conditioner that will lock the moisture in your hair and not make it dry
• Brush your hair with a detangling brush and have tangle-free hair

2. How To Detangle Natural Hair

A majority of women consider natural hair is easily tameable and thus end up giving it less attention and care. In simple words, be ignorant about it. But the truth is slightly drifted. Every hair type, irrespective of their quality and texture, needs care and nourishment. Negligence will only make things worse.

For all, you women with natural textured hair tend to have moisture-laden scalps and thus have a difficult time choosing the right products. Make sure you don’t skip on any hair care routine. 

• Apply a conditioner religiously after every wash with a suitable shampoo.
• Dry down your hair till the tip of every strand
• Avoid combing it right after the shower. Let it dry and then use a detangling brush to work through till the end of each strand
• Avoid rubbing your hair with a lot of force. Instead, pat it dry strand by strand. This will reduce the friction between the hair follicles and avoid tangles

3. How To Detangle Long Hair

The longer the hair, the more difficult it becomes to take proper care. Long hair needs to be efficiently combed, washed, oiled and detangled. If not done, it might result in severe knots which if not untangled might permanently damage your hair. As a consequence, you might have to cut it short. Therefore, remember to give it the extra attention it needs.

• Make it a routine to oil at least twice a week. As much it is important to wash your hair, giving your hair the proper nutrients is very essential
• Work through every corner of your hair till the tip of every strand using a detangler, be it a hair cream or a protein-infused brush or a detangling spray
• Use a tangle tweezer comb in case a detangler is not available at the moment. Brush your hair every night before going to bed with a tangle tweezer comb
• Start from the bottom. Avoid rushing to the roots as it might hurt and result in unnecessary hair loss

How To Prevent Hair From Tangling

Regardless of what your hair type is, taking good care of it is a must. Haircare counts as one of the most important practices. To prevent hair from falling at an early age or premature breaking of hair strands, you ought to follow some tips that will enhance your hair quality without doing you any damage at all.

These tips listed below are not only suitable for every hair type but also keep it nourished and rich.

1. Avoid keeping your hair tied up into a taut bun very often. Keep it moderately loose. This will prevent your hair from breaking off.
2. Oil your hair. Oiling your hair once or twice a week is a very good practice. This will smoothen your hair if coarse and also supply nutrients. Apply the oil to your scalp and massage well.
3. Do not skip on washing your hair. Dirty hair is a house of tangles and knots. Also, pollutants must be washed off. 
4. Apply a conditioner or a detangler after you wash your hair.
5. Pat dry your hair and avoid rubbing it harshly with a towel.
6. Do not apply hot water on your hair as it may damage hair follicles and result in dullness and tangles.

FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How can I detangle my hair easily?

A. In order to detangle your hair easily, without much effort, you will need to follow a few steps:

1. Oil your hair.
2. Make sure you regularly comb your hair. Keeping it uncombed will result in severe tangles.
3. Wash with a suitable shampoo and apply a conditioner.
4. Use your fingers to untangle while you wash your hair.
5. A detangler or a detangling brush will help you deal with your tangles easily.

Q. Is it best to detangle hair when wet or curly?

A. It is advisable to detangle curly hair when wet. That way you can avoid the tangles when your hair dries. For any other hair type, it is best to let your hair dry before you start combing through it.

Q. How do you detangle without breaking?

A. The best way to detangle natural hair without breakage is to use your fingers. Combs and brushes are excellent at removing tangles, but they also remove the rest of your hair.

Q. How do you get tangles out of hair without it hurting?

A. Detangle your hair with your fingers before using a comb. Gently pull your hair apart with your fingers and work your way through till the ends. This will reduce the severity of the knots and relieve some of the pain you might feel when trying to run a comb through it.