Curly girls know a little bit about detangling. We can spend a lot of time prying our curls, coils, and waves apart from one another as they naturally coil and curl around themselves. It can be annoying at best and downright a nightmare at worst when it comes to detangling, but with our hair in its natural state it will need to be detangled in order to keep from matting. Naturally curly, wavy, and coily hair has its pitfalls, but detangling does not have to be one of them if you follow a few rules and tips for easier sessions. While there are a few different ways to detangle, finger detangling is by far the cheapest and gentlest ways to detangle.
Why finger detangle?
Fingers are more sensitive and can feel tangles better than combs well before the yanking begins. Those who finger detangle retain more hair than using a comb or brush alone. No one says you have to strictly finger detangle but implementing it even in combing allows for less ripping of your hair. While many feel it takes longer than other forms of detangling, that is not true for everybody. Some have simply mastered it over time while others use certain tips to help lessen the time and allow for better and quicker sessions. Here are a few tips that will yield shorter finger detangling sessions.
4 steps to a faster detangling session
1. Don’t wait until the dire end
Sticking to a schedule or just not waiting until the tangles have taken over your hair is the best and easiest way to lower your time on detangling sessions. Putting it off is a bad idea, as it only gets worse when you wait too long to do the inevitable. Waiting two weeks (or longer”> is allowing for more shed hairs to be trapped with the regular hairs and for them to tangle even more. I wash once every other week but co-wash in-between to keep the tangles at bay and it works.
2. Keep your hair moisturized
Dry hair tangles more than moisturized hair. Slip is always a great tool for detangling, but when hair is dry it will tangle more as opposed to moisturized hair. Use a spray bottle of water (and a favorite oil is optional”> to refresh your hair every day and keep it hydrated. Moisturized hair is much easier to detangle and will allow for a quicker session.
3. Section your hair
Sectioning hair to work with is always a good thing and that goes double for detangling sessions. Working on sectioned hair allows for less area to cover at one time, easier to keep up with what has been done and it allow you to move it out of the way when completed.
4. Get regular trims
I cannot tell you how much of a breeze detangling becomes when you have clean ends that are not splitting or raggedy. It allows for fewer tangles as raggedy ends tangle more than clean trimmed ones do and clean ends are easier to seal and stave off tangles. It is a win-win for regular trims and I get them twice a year. I usually know it is time for another one when the tangles worsen, so if you are dealing with unusually bad tangles and it’s been a long while since your last trim, it may be time for one.
While these tips will not shave off 50% of your detangling sessions, it will knock off enough time for you to notice and feel less stressed during washday. A little planning, regular maintenance, and enlisting the help of detangling products will make for quicker finger detangling and an overall better wash day.
