5 Simple Steps To Properly Detangle 4C Hair Without Damage
- Feb. 25, 2022
- Hair
To be honest I feel like detangling thick, dry, matted hair has to be one of the hardest things we experience in life. It’s literally a whole sport. But something I’ve learnt over the years is, it doesn’t really have to be that difficult if you master the art of properly detangling.
As we all know, natural hair is prone to tangles due to the tightly coiled pattern of the hair strands. Therefore, it requires a lot of patience to avoid forcefully ripping through the knotted strands while detangling. How you detangle natural hair is also quite dependent on the detangling products you use since some products might worsen the situation.
Keep reading for some of the best tools and techniques experts recommend for loosening even the trickiest of hair knots.
- Start with damp hair
Detangling natural hair dry will show you hell. Never try this if you love your hair and yourself of course since this will definitely give you a headache. Combing your hair dry compromises the elasticity which refers to the hair’s ability to stretch and bounce back without breaking. If the hair is wet then the moisture will help products glide through it smoothly. So before you start your detangling process, spritz hair with a spray bottle containing both water and conditioner. You could also add some oil to give it some slip and soften it up before combing through.
- Section your hair
Sectioning your hair in about six to eight different parts is quite a game changer when it comes to detangling. Natural hair is usually dense therefore swiping a comb through it in one pass without sectioning it first will make this process as miserable as possible. For people with very curly hair it is advisable to detangle in smaller sections and regularly. For those with wavy hair it’s best to work in larger sections and less regularly. This will not only make the whole process easier but also make sure you are thoroughly removing all the knots. Be sure not to do this frequently as it will cause damage. Experts recommend detangling once or twice a week averagely for all hair textures.
- Choose detangling tools
Finger detangling is one of my favourite and go-to when it comes to detangling my hair. This is because it allows you to be more gentle with your curls hence less breakage. A tip I’ve always used is starting with my finger nails then adding hair tools like combs later on. When using combs, start with a wide tooth comb then move on to smaller tooth combs to further loosen the curls. A good shampoo and conditioner also play a huge role in detangling but be on the look-out for those that might leave your hair feeling dry. Before detangling you could also coat curls with slip-inducing products that help detangle without breakage.
- Detangling technique
Experts recommend detangling your natural hair from the ends instead of the roots and in the middle instead of at the front. This is a common mistake made by many people hence the complaints concerning detangling. Natural hair is usually most dense in the middle therefore, if you start detangling from there you will get through the most difficult parts first and reduce breakage. Also, detangling from the ends upwards helps prevent unnecessary pulling of hair from the roots which causes more damage.
- Be patient
I know detangling isn’t a fun process but please don’t rush through it because you may end up causing more damage in the long run. Good thing take time right? So just be patient with it. A proper detangling session should take about an hour. Therefore it isn’t something you’d want to do when you’re pressed for time because even on the curliest of heads you can still expect to spend about 15-30 minutes completing a proper comb through.
I hope these tips were helpful enough to you and that they make your detangling life less easier if not super simple.
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