One of the most common statements I hear from parents is "My child's hair gets so matted and tangled, dentangling every day is a nightmare!" More often than KNOT, there are easy solutions to dentangling issues.
Causes of Tangles
Hair is made of three layers. The outer layer of the hair, called the cuticle, is supposed to lay flat and smooth down the hair shaft. When the cuticle opens up, the hair is considered damaged. An unhealthy cuticle causes strands of hair to snag on eachother and tangle. The more damaged the hair, the more knots and tangles you will experience. Damage to the cuticle can be caused by:
Heat (blowdrying, hot tools)
UV rays & sun exposure
Chemicals (haircolor, chlorine)
Unproper washing- shampooing with extremely hot water, scrubbing too hard, washing too often which strips the natural oils from the hair, tying wet hair up in a towel
Brushing vigorously and tying up wet hair
Lack of mositure- frizz, hair that feels dry to the touch, brittle, and tangles can indicate a lack of mositure
Managing Detangling
Detagling can be a tough process that parents and children dread on a daily basis. It is easy to get out of the habit of daily proper haircare, but avoiding only makes the problem worse. But, with the right tools, you and your child will be able to easily navigate the process.
On Wet Hair:
Only detangle wet hair when the knots are minor. Minor knots can form during daily wear and tear, from sleeping, or from shampooing.
After your child finishes shampooing, make sure to saturate the hair with a mositurizing conditioner. Focus on the ends of the hair, and work your way up. Rinse the conditioner and then run through the hair with a wide tooth comb. Wet hair is more fragile than dry hair, so avoid using a brush.
Section the hair and clip the top half of the hair out of the way. Make sure that you are combing through the underneath of the hair, where tangles are most common.
Start from the ends of the hair and work through tangles until you reach the top of the head. Hold the strands firmly in one hand, while using the other to comb. This helps to prevent excess pulling and pain. Make sure to work in smaller sections.
On Dry Hair:
Detangling on dry hair usually happens in the morning while getting ready for the day, before stlying, or when there are major knots. Major knots are those that cannot be detangled in less than 15 minutes.
Again, start from the ends and work your way to the root in small sections with either a comb or brush. If you are not able to run your brush through the hair without catching, then that section needs to be worked through again.
Have a good detangling spray handy. Moisturized hair is healthy hair. Detangler is your best friend when brushing or combing out tangles.
Preventing Tangles
If you want to avoid the drama, prevention is key. The best way to avoid knotting is moisture. A good mositurizing conditioner will help close the cuticle on the hair and keep it smooth. It will also help maintain the elasticity and strength of your child's hair.
Some other ways to prevent to prevent tangles:
Frequent haircuts. If you are combing youry child's hair and it seems like every time you finish one section, another tangle forms, OR you are having to brush your child's hair more than twice a day, they are probably due for a haircut. A good trim will remove split ends and damaged hair, which is causing the hair to snag on itself and knot. Once a season trims is a good rule to go by for good hair maintenance.
Loose braids before bed. If you loosley braid your child's hair before bed, they are less likely to wake up with a rat's nest in their hair. It will keep the freshly detangled hair smooth and in place throughout the night. In the morning all you will have to do is remove the braid, comb quickly, and go!
Sleep on silk or satin. Cotton, linen, and fleece sheets cause more friction than satin or silk and could damage the hair and cause tangles.
Wet the hair before swimming. If your child is heading into the pool, pond, or ocean, spray them down with some tap water or bottled water. The hair will soak up the tap water instead of chlorine or salt, thus reducing the amount of damage.
Do not tie up wet hair. Wet hair stretches more than dry hair. If the hair is pulled back, as the hair dries, the strands will shrink back up and become prone to snap. Broken hair is damaged hair, and damaged hair tangles.
