Beauty Blog
How To Detangle That Matted Mess
Jun
Tangled, unmanageable hair is every woman’s nightmare. From long and thin to luscious, curly locks, no texture is immune to this nasty hair care challenge.
Some hair is just naturally prone to matting, but certain levels of humidity can make the problem even worse. For some, just the act of going to bed can lead to a morning mess of tangles.
If yours seems to be a chronic issue, don’t give up. With the right products and a little patience, you can smooth out your style for good. These eight steps can get you there.
People love to make suggestions for how to detangle hair with things you can find in your pantry. Some of these include peanut butter, mayonnaise, vinegar and olive oil.
Though these may taste good in recipes, there’s a reason they weren’t meant to be massaged into your scalp. Not only can the smell make your head reek, but the results aren’t exactly reliable. Some may even irritate your skin.
If you’re at home in the middle of a style crisis, it’s tempting to go for what’s within arm’s reach. Resist that temptation and get your hands on the right stuff as soon as you can. There’s a big difference in the outcome when you use a formula that’s actually meant for hair.
Your best bet with a conditioner is one that is designed for unmanageable, tangled hair. These typically have more moisturizing properties to help you repair the dry and brittle texture.
Another thing to look for is the ingredients. Natural formulas tend to nourish better, and some may even provide added benefits to keep your locks healthy and vibrant.
It may take some experimentation to find the conditioner that works best for your hair. Don’t be afraid to try out new products if the results aren’t what you expected. Once you find something that works well for you, you’ll be glad you made the effort.
With your chosen bottle in hand, it’s time to get started. Head to the bathroom and start gathering your tools.
Before you get started, make sure you have everything to help you get the job done. The most basic things you’ll need include the following supplies:
- Conditioner
- A towel
- A comb
- A wet brush
Brush your hair as best you can, and then jump in the shower long enough to get your head nice and wet. Drape a towel over your shoulders to stay dry as you apply the conditioner.
Work the product into your scalp gently. Take sections of your hair and treat them individually. Be thorough about the application.
If you’re dripping onto the floor, use the towel to pat yourself dry. Be careful not to remove the conditioner at this point. It needs time to loosen up the knots.
Wait patiently and let the conditioner do its job. The treatment you picked may have specific timing requirements, but a good 20 minutes should be enough for most formulas.
You can use a shower cap to keep your hair contained while you get dressed. You’ll eventually be rinsing out the product in the shower so go for comfortable. An oversized t-shirt and a pair of shorts works perfectly.
If you find yourself getting antsy, distract yourself with a book or maybe a gaming app on your phone. For conditioners with longer leave-in times, put on an episode of your favorite TV show.
Set a timer to keep yourself honest. Once the product has had time to absorb, your hair will be much easier to work with.
Take a seat and start to carefully work your fingers through your hair. When you find a knot, pull from both sides with slow, gentle movements to break it apart. Don’t be too rough at this stage or you might cause damage.
Once you’ve taken care of some of the looser tangles, grab your comb to tackle the messier ones. Begin at the ends and move up as you detangle.
To reduce the risk of pain, use your free hand to hold the section you’re combing right above the knot. This should help relieve the tension from your scalp.
This process can take much longer than the time you waited for the conditioner to set. Don’t rush it. If you’re getting too much resistance, you might need to treat that section a second time.
After you’ve managed to work out most of the tangles, it’s time to rinse out what’s left of the conditioner. Get back in the shower to give your head a thorough soaking.
As you rinse, you may be able to work out knots that were too stubborn before because they’d started to dry out. Gently pull them with your fingers.
With the treatment done, it should be much easier to run your wet brush through your hair. No matter how loose it feels, go slow in case there’s still some tangles hiding somewhere.
At this point, you should have smooth, gorgeous hair that’s completely free of tangles. It was a long road, but it was worth it.
You may not be able to clean up the whole mess in one shot. The persistent knots may be easier to tackle once you’ve smoothed out the rest of your hair, but it’ll help once you can focus completely on the trouble spots.
To address the remaining tangles, squirt out some more conditioner and rub it directly into the knots that are still causing problems. A little extra attention and tender loving care can usually help those tricky tangles unwind.
If you feel like there’s still a lot of work to be done, you might consider doing the whole treatment again. Give yourself a nice break before diving back in.
Detangling can be an amazing feat, but the best thing you can do now is prevent the mats from happening again. Make a habit of running a brush through your hair a couple of times a day, especially when you wake up and before you go to bed.
Avoid products or treatments with a lot of chemicals. Also, try to get the ends trimmed regularly to keep the rest of the strands healthy.
A leave-in conditioner or spray can also help you avoid tangles throughout the day. Apply it to dry hair for maximum effect and make it a part of your daily beauty routine.
Next time you wake up to the dreaded bird nest on your head, take a breath. The thorough process of detangling your hair can actually be therapeutic. That moment to pamper yourself may even lift your mood.
You can find many choices in conditioners and detangling solutions by shopping at LaLa Daisy. We want you looking and feeling your best every day of the year with products you can afford and have faith in.
