Detangling: Part 1

Hello there my lovelies,

Detangling is one of the most daunting tasks associated with naturally textured hair. So, I thought I'd share a few tips on detangling. Some of these come from me and some from books/blogs that I've read, but I'll let you know what's what.

• First and foremost, don't detangle your hair if you aren't in the mood and/or don't have time. Your hair is so sensitive and delicate, if you rush a detangling job you will end up pulling out hair and do more harm than good. It is recommended by many that if you are not "detangling minded" it is better to just forget it until later.


• Only detangle when your hair is wet. Now, this is a Shaynaism. CurlyNiki has suggested detangling hair first while dry and then again when wet. I don't try to detangle my hair unless it is wet (unless I just happen to be playing with it and come across a knot;-). For me, my dry hair is too much to detangle so I don't even bother (and my hair actually doesn't tangle too badly).


• Detangle hair when it is loaded with conditioner. Your hair is easiest to detangle when it has conditioner on it. This is something that is recommended by just about everything/one that I've read. And a must do for me.


• Put hair into sections to detangle. This is a Shaynaism, but especially if your hair is thick, this just makes your hair easier to work with and the task a little more managable.


• After you get a section detangled, put it into a loose twist or braid to aid it in not retangling. This is something that Chicoro has suggested in her book "Grow It: How to grow Afro-textured hair to maximum lengths in the shortest time," and I too find this to be useful.


• When detangling start at the ends and work your way toward the root. Everyone suggest that you begin your detangling at the ends of your hairs. It is helpful to hold your hair about an inch away from where you are detangling.


• BE PATIENT

If you want more tips/info about detangling, Chicoro talks about this in depth in her book (and I own it if anyone in the area wants to borrow it). Also, I'll put up another post with details on my personal detangling routine, which works well for me.

Hope this was helpful

Tootles for now,

Me