ryanshope
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http://www.howtodothings.com/fashion-and-personal-care/a3902-how-to-detangle-your-hair
By Brittany Artis
October 28, 2006EMAIL ARTICLE
PRINT ARTICLE
There are many methods for preventing hair tangles. However, once your hair does tangle, do not panic or pull at it as this will only make it worse. Keeping hair from tangling in the first place is a very important part of hair maintenance. Tangles can happen in many different ways--from rain storms, windy weather, and even after swimming.
Follow these tips on how to prevent and treat hair tangles.
Brush hair thoroughly before washing to get any loose hairs or dirt out. Hair tends to tangle on its own when hair is dry and wetting it can make it worse.
While hair is wet, use a wide-toothed comb and section hair off in small sections. To prevent knots, comb beginning at the ends and slowly move up, section by section, to the roots.
There are a wide variety of hair products made for detangling hair. Spray on wet hair and comb with a wide-toothed comb. Detanglers come in different forms. The most popular type is a mist, but shampoos and deep conditioners can also have detangling ingredients. Detangling products are also made by hair type, such as a gentle formula for fine hair or children's hair. Hair detanglers can also provide a second service like shine serum or frizz control.
Since tangles tend to happen at the ends of hair, be sure to apply a deep conditioner to the ends. This will soften them and help to prevent tangling.
If hair is already tangled, apply a dime-sized amount of oil or conditioner to the knot to loosen it with a wide-toothed comb, carefully combing out the knot.
To prevent tangling while blow drying hair, use a blow dryer with a wide-toothed comb attachment and blow dry the hair straight down, one small section at a time.
If gum is tangled in the hair, products like peanut butter, olive oil, and mayonnaise can be applied to the gum to soften it, making it easier to work out of the hair.
If a scrunchie or rubber band is tangled in the hair, it is best to cut out as much of the band as possible, then work the rest of it out of the hair.
Sleeping on a satin pillowcase at night or pulling your hair back before bed also prevents tangles because it prevents hair from moving around too much.
If worst comes to worst, cut the knot or tangle out, but before doing that, try to work out as much of the hair as possible so as not to have to cut a lot of hair. Cut very close to the knot and only what you have to. After cutting, condition the ends to prevent them from splitting.
Detangling Tips
Some major tangles may just not be salvageable. Although I am a huge advocate of giving something your very best shot, I also believe that after a point you have to throw in the detangling pick. Would I spend a week detangling my own hair? Probably. Would I recommend someone else do that? Only if they loved their long hair as much as I love mine.
(Image courtesy of Clairol - 2003)
http://www.hairboutique.com/tips/tip3826.htm
So what can you do to try and recover from a major matted tangled web of hair:
1. Remain Calm
Sometimes a major tangle looks worse than it really may be. Take a deep breath and access the situation. Don't do anything drastic for at least 24 hours if possible. This will give you time to clear your head.
2. Keep The Tangles Dry
For many people their first impulse is to just stick their tangled mess under the shower and shampoo. This is actually one of the worst ideas since the combo of the water and the suds can lock the matted mess permanently. Even worse, hair is more vulnerable to ripping and tearing when wet. So even if wetting your tangles helped, which it probably won't, resist because of the potential damage.
Although it could take several days while you are detangling, refrain from washing your hair until you have removed all the knots.
3. Soften, Soften, Soften
Reach for your favorite detangling products and apply to your bone dry hair remembering to focus on one section at a time. In the case of tangles, more is always much better than less. Whether you decide to use a spray, cream or other type of detangling formula, slather it on to give your hair maximum softening power.
Some people have reported great results using straight jojoba oil. Others have better results with a spray mixture that they can spray on the tangles as they move through each section.
Jennifer Bahney reported that she literally spent days carefully unraveling her post-hospital tangles. Not only did Jen show extraordinary patience and motivation to save her locks, she also had the wisdom to slather her hair with a very thick layer of conditioning and detangling products. Jen's products softened her hair while making it slippery and maybe even a tad slimy, but ultimately completely detangled.
Over the years the following products have been reported to me by a number of hair experts as very helpful for detangling: Phytodefrisant, Phyto7, Phyto9 and Aveda Curessence Detangling Spray, Paul Mitchell The Detangler, ARTec Smoothing conditioner. Jen also mentioned Phytodefrisant and Phyto9 as products that are very helpful for detangling.
Although I am sure there are many other products on the market that will provide an equally beneficial solution, these products are mentioned the most often. Phyto9 contains Macademia Nut oil which is known for softening and detangling knots.
4. Divide And Conquer
Try not to focus on the entire tangled area all at one time. Instead focus your attention on small sections at a time. Clip the sections off that you are not working on to protect them.
Study the pattern of your knots and look for areas that are looser and would be potentially easier to work through initially.
Believe it or not you should never start without a plan of action. Why? No two tangles are created alike. If you can figure out the mother lode of the main tangle, you can work around any minor or baby tangles that fan out from the major tangle.
Although most tangles work best when detangled from the bottom up, some tangles actually require a top down or side to side approach. This is why you should have an idea of how to work on each section.
If you are not sure of your tangle configuration, ask a friend to lend you some eyeballs to identify your tangle creation.
Start the detangling process by very gently pulling the bottom of the tangled section like a very fine spider web or an old book that can rip. Gentle is the key word. Go slow and be very careful but continue to pull like you are trying to unravel a silken string.
Be sure to start from the very tip of your strands and slowly work your way up the strands. Once you have a section detangled, clip it off separately from the rest of the tangles to protect it.
5. Fingers, Knitting Needles & Rat Tails To The Rescue
Fingers can actually work as a great natural pick by either breaking through a tough matted section or by helping to gently pull through a knot. Try coating your fingers with your chosen detangler and working your fingers carefully through the targeted section of the tangle. You may be surprised how easily your own fingers can work through knots. Work through each tangle with a steady pressure. Focus on loosening each tangled hair section into a soft loop that will eventually completely open and unravel.
For super tight tangles break them apart initially by carefully sliding a knitting needle, hairs tick or rat tailed comb through the knot to loosen it. Be careful when poking a needle or other tool into a super tight matted section not to inadvertently tighten the snarled area.
Not only is each tangled case of locks unique, each person is different in their approach. Choose your detangling tools wisely. Although some experts recommend that you only use tools made of stone or ivory, if these do not work for you, use what feels best. Experts caution against using tools with rough or scratchy surfaces.
You may find that you have the best luck with a combination of tools ranging from a tortoise like pick or wide tooth comb and a knitting tool or a brush and a crochet hook.
Experiment with a range of tools to see what works best. The mother of the son with the reversible dreadlocks actually used a giant pair of surgical tweezers to break apart the knots.
6. Be As Gentle As Possible
Whatever tools you utilize, be sure to use the most gentle ones possible. Use high quality brushes (boar's hair), picks and combs.
Keep in mind that if you successfully detangle your hair but wind up with 6 inch split ends you will have defeated your purpose.
7. Send Out An SOS
If your tangles are near the back of your hair or you can't reach certain sections, send out a call for help to your long hair loving friends. Choose your helper wisely. Be prepared for the idea that some of your friends may encourage you to just cut your hair off and be done with it.
If you are determined to give your hair every possible chance to be saved, only request help from friends and professional hair care folks that will be completely sympathetic. Patience challenged people will tire quickly of the tedious task of unraveling strands and may push for the instant gratification of a chop.
By Brittany Artis
October 28, 2006EMAIL ARTICLE
PRINT ARTICLE
There are many methods for preventing hair tangles. However, once your hair does tangle, do not panic or pull at it as this will only make it worse. Keeping hair from tangling in the first place is a very important part of hair maintenance. Tangles can happen in many different ways--from rain storms, windy weather, and even after swimming.
Follow these tips on how to prevent and treat hair tangles.
Brush hair thoroughly before washing to get any loose hairs or dirt out. Hair tends to tangle on its own when hair is dry and wetting it can make it worse.
While hair is wet, use a wide-toothed comb and section hair off in small sections. To prevent knots, comb beginning at the ends and slowly move up, section by section, to the roots.
There are a wide variety of hair products made for detangling hair. Spray on wet hair and comb with a wide-toothed comb. Detanglers come in different forms. The most popular type is a mist, but shampoos and deep conditioners can also have detangling ingredients. Detangling products are also made by hair type, such as a gentle formula for fine hair or children's hair. Hair detanglers can also provide a second service like shine serum or frizz control.
Since tangles tend to happen at the ends of hair, be sure to apply a deep conditioner to the ends. This will soften them and help to prevent tangling.
If hair is already tangled, apply a dime-sized amount of oil or conditioner to the knot to loosen it with a wide-toothed comb, carefully combing out the knot.
To prevent tangling while blow drying hair, use a blow dryer with a wide-toothed comb attachment and blow dry the hair straight down, one small section at a time.
If gum is tangled in the hair, products like peanut butter, olive oil, and mayonnaise can be applied to the gum to soften it, making it easier to work out of the hair.
If a scrunchie or rubber band is tangled in the hair, it is best to cut out as much of the band as possible, then work the rest of it out of the hair.
Sleeping on a satin pillowcase at night or pulling your hair back before bed also prevents tangles because it prevents hair from moving around too much.
If worst comes to worst, cut the knot or tangle out, but before doing that, try to work out as much of the hair as possible so as not to have to cut a lot of hair. Cut very close to the knot and only what you have to. After cutting, condition the ends to prevent them from splitting.
Detangling Tips
Some major tangles may just not be salvageable. Although I am a huge advocate of giving something your very best shot, I also believe that after a point you have to throw in the detangling pick. Would I spend a week detangling my own hair? Probably. Would I recommend someone else do that? Only if they loved their long hair as much as I love mine.
(Image courtesy of Clairol - 2003)
http://www.hairboutique.com/tips/tip3826.htm
So what can you do to try and recover from a major matted tangled web of hair:
1. Remain Calm
Sometimes a major tangle looks worse than it really may be. Take a deep breath and access the situation. Don't do anything drastic for at least 24 hours if possible. This will give you time to clear your head.
2. Keep The Tangles Dry
For many people their first impulse is to just stick their tangled mess under the shower and shampoo. This is actually one of the worst ideas since the combo of the water and the suds can lock the matted mess permanently. Even worse, hair is more vulnerable to ripping and tearing when wet. So even if wetting your tangles helped, which it probably won't, resist because of the potential damage.
Although it could take several days while you are detangling, refrain from washing your hair until you have removed all the knots.
3. Soften, Soften, Soften
Reach for your favorite detangling products and apply to your bone dry hair remembering to focus on one section at a time. In the case of tangles, more is always much better than less. Whether you decide to use a spray, cream or other type of detangling formula, slather it on to give your hair maximum softening power.
Some people have reported great results using straight jojoba oil. Others have better results with a spray mixture that they can spray on the tangles as they move through each section.
Jennifer Bahney reported that she literally spent days carefully unraveling her post-hospital tangles. Not only did Jen show extraordinary patience and motivation to save her locks, she also had the wisdom to slather her hair with a very thick layer of conditioning and detangling products. Jen's products softened her hair while making it slippery and maybe even a tad slimy, but ultimately completely detangled.
Over the years the following products have been reported to me by a number of hair experts as very helpful for detangling: Phytodefrisant, Phyto7, Phyto9 and Aveda Curessence Detangling Spray, Paul Mitchell The Detangler, ARTec Smoothing conditioner. Jen also mentioned Phytodefrisant and Phyto9 as products that are very helpful for detangling.
Although I am sure there are many other products on the market that will provide an equally beneficial solution, these products are mentioned the most often. Phyto9 contains Macademia Nut oil which is known for softening and detangling knots.
4. Divide And Conquer
Try not to focus on the entire tangled area all at one time. Instead focus your attention on small sections at a time. Clip the sections off that you are not working on to protect them.
Study the pattern of your knots and look for areas that are looser and would be potentially easier to work through initially.
Believe it or not you should never start without a plan of action. Why? No two tangles are created alike. If you can figure out the mother lode of the main tangle, you can work around any minor or baby tangles that fan out from the major tangle.
Although most tangles work best when detangled from the bottom up, some tangles actually require a top down or side to side approach. This is why you should have an idea of how to work on each section.
If you are not sure of your tangle configuration, ask a friend to lend you some eyeballs to identify your tangle creation.
Start the detangling process by very gently pulling the bottom of the tangled section like a very fine spider web or an old book that can rip. Gentle is the key word. Go slow and be very careful but continue to pull like you are trying to unravel a silken string.
Be sure to start from the very tip of your strands and slowly work your way up the strands. Once you have a section detangled, clip it off separately from the rest of the tangles to protect it.
5. Fingers, Knitting Needles & Rat Tails To The Rescue
Fingers can actually work as a great natural pick by either breaking through a tough matted section or by helping to gently pull through a knot. Try coating your fingers with your chosen detangler and working your fingers carefully through the targeted section of the tangle. You may be surprised how easily your own fingers can work through knots. Work through each tangle with a steady pressure. Focus on loosening each tangled hair section into a soft loop that will eventually completely open and unravel.
For super tight tangles break them apart initially by carefully sliding a knitting needle, hairs tick or rat tailed comb through the knot to loosen it. Be careful when poking a needle or other tool into a super tight matted section not to inadvertently tighten the snarled area.
Not only is each tangled case of locks unique, each person is different in their approach. Choose your detangling tools wisely. Although some experts recommend that you only use tools made of stone or ivory, if these do not work for you, use what feels best. Experts caution against using tools with rough or scratchy surfaces.
You may find that you have the best luck with a combination of tools ranging from a tortoise like pick or wide tooth comb and a knitting tool or a brush and a crochet hook.
Experiment with a range of tools to see what works best. The mother of the son with the reversible dreadlocks actually used a giant pair of surgical tweezers to break apart the knots.
6. Be As Gentle As Possible
Whatever tools you utilize, be sure to use the most gentle ones possible. Use high quality brushes (boar's hair), picks and combs.
Keep in mind that if you successfully detangle your hair but wind up with 6 inch split ends you will have defeated your purpose.
7. Send Out An SOS
If your tangles are near the back of your hair or you can't reach certain sections, send out a call for help to your long hair loving friends. Choose your helper wisely. Be prepared for the idea that some of your friends may encourage you to just cut your hair off and be done with it.
If you are determined to give your hair every possible chance to be saved, only request help from friends and professional hair care folks that will be completely sympathetic. Patience challenged people will tire quickly of the tedious task of unraveling strands and may push for the instant gratification of a chop.
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It's very useful, because my hair constantly gets tangled when wet.
) conditioner, and do medium sized sections, you're good to go. Plus it keeps breakage to a minimum. That combined with tea rinsing, and auyruveda. (sp?) it works for me.
