How to Cut Down Your Detangling Time

 

Today, I have a guest post on Natural Hair Rules!

In September, I set a record. It took a whopping three days to detangle my hair. A styling assistant washed my hair in a circular motion, which caused numerous tangles. Then, he proceeded to brush my hair from the root and in a rough manner. ( And continued to do so after I expressed concern.) To top it off, the stylist put my dry, matted hair into flat twists. It took three days to remove deadlocks and shed hairs wrapped around my strands. Some of it was detangled. Some of it was cut.  For the last few months, I  have continued to cut shredded ends.

This is a tale of caution. Extreme example? Maybe. But does it provide some valuable lessons? Yes. If it is taking you hours to detangle your hair, it is likely because your techniques are causing excessive tangling. So if you are wondering why it is taking you so long to detangle your hair, here's why:

You do wash and gos...

When I was pregnant, I was too exhausted to twist my hair. Instead, I opted to do wash and gos. It got me out the door, but I paid for it dearly when it was time to detangle. When you stretch your hair in twists and braids, it prevents your curls from coiling around eachother. Once I returned to my regular twist/twistout regimen, my detangling time was cut down significantly.

You don't trim your ends...

It is a major debate over how often you should trim your hair. But a tell-tale sign that its time for a trim is detangling issues. If you find your comb continuously getting caught at ends of your hair -- and breakage-- then it's time for a trim. 

You don't wash your hair in sections...

I used to hate washing my hair in sections because it was an added step. That was until I learned that it cut the length of my I overall wash session. You can braid (or clip) your hair in four or more sections and attack each section one at a time. Remember to focus on your scalp and then run the shampoo down your hair shaft. (Don't scrub like the styling assistant did. It causes tangles.) You can even try detangling prior to your wash since washing your hair causes some shrinkage (and tangling).

You don't add slip...

Slip is the key to detangling with ease. When my hair was uber tangled after my nightmare styling session, I used an entire bottle of cheapie conditioner and detangled my hair in sections under running water. To add slip, you can use water, conditioner, and/or oil.

So there you have it! The reasons why it is taking you so long detangle your hair. Hopefully, incorporating these methods will cut down on your detangling time.

Do you have any other detangling tricks up your sleeve?