Having super high shrinkage 4a hair that can really tangle, I have discovered that the key to detangling my hair with the least amount of breakage lies in two things:
- Strategy #1: Not allowing the hair to tangle much in the first place, which translates to not allowing the hair to shrink much.
- Strategy #2: Elongated hair is MUCH EASIER to separate (detangle) than shrunken hair. Thus, a key strategy of mine is to ELONGATE each section as much as possible before beginning the STRAND SEPARATING (i.e., detangling) process for the section.
My Detangling Products and Tools
- spray bottle of water
- Shea Moisture High Porosity Moisture Seal Masque (used as a detangler)
NOTE: It now has a new formula and is called the Shea Moisture High Porosity Moisture Correct Masque- Backup detangling product: Curl Junkie Curl Assurance Smoothing Lotion
- Backup to the backup detangling product: Soultanicals Slip-N-Slide Knot-Proof Hair Glide
- Curly Hair Solutions Flexy Brush (NOT PICTURED)
- Kent 16t seamless comb
(I got mine from Amazon.com. It’s a seamless comb that is fine-toothed at one end and course-toothed at the other end.) - Brush Cleaner by Wet Brush
(I got mine from Sally’s and use it to clean my KareCo brush and my Kent 16t comb after using them)
My Detangling Method
- Step 1:
Working at first on dry hair, take one half of my hair and divide the half into 4 sections. Use clips and/or barrettes to help section off hair. - Step 2:
Gently pull and caress the ends of the dry section (section size = 1/4 of one half of my hair) to begin elongating and unfurling the strands. - Step 3:
Apply Shea Moisture High Porosity Moisture Seal (or Correct) Masque to the section’s ends (hair is still dry). Apply the masque to the rest of the section, working my way up. Keep elongating and unfurling, also twisting the hair into a rope-like shape (as if about to make a bantu knot). Untwist the rope and keep elongating and unfurling the section until pleased with the level of elongation and unfurling.NOTE: Elongated hair is WAAAAAAAY easier to separate (detangle) than still shrunken hair. In fact, much of my hair’s tangles DISAPPEAR simply via the elongating and unfurling process — so no detangling of them is even needed. Truly, elongating and unfurling is MORE THAN HALF THE BATTLE of detangling my hair. I wish I’d known this in year 1. 🙂
- Step 4:
Spray water onto the section to moisten the masque. Now that the masque is made even MORE slippery from the added water, begin pulling the elongated strands apart at the ends. Continue pulling the strands apart. Take time to concentrate on separating the hair at the roots. Finger comb through the section, and if the fingers get stuck, pull the hair from around the fingers (to separate the tangles/hair). Clip out single strand knots if there are any.- IMPORTANT: When pulling the sections apart, use the Harp Method (see video below), the Shingle and Peel Method (see video below), and YouTuber What the Kink’s detangling method (see video below).
- Step 5:
Once I can finger comb through the section without my fingers getting stuck, then I take the Curly Hair Solutions Flexy Brush through the section, starting at the ends and working my way up.- EXTRA, FULL AND THOROUGH DETANGLING ONCE A MONTH:
Once a month, after using the Curly Hair Solutions Flexy Brush, I do VERY THOROUGH detangling by next going over the section with the wider-toothed half of the Kent 16t comb. After that, I comb through the section with the finer-toothed half of the Kent 16t comb. FINALLY, I use the fingers on my ends to feel for single- and multi- strand knots. I remove them, clipping them with hair scissors if I can’t get them unknotted.
- EXTRA, FULL AND THOROUGH DETANGLING ONCE A MONTH:
- Step 6:
Twist up or bantu knot up the section to prevent it from re-tangling.
Repeat steps 1-6 for the remaining sections of hair. Done!
The Best Detangling Video Demos I’ve Found
These detangling tips/moves/skills have changed my whole hair life, along with the KareCo Tangle Buster Brush! Enjoy! 😀 ❤
The Blossoming, Fit Natural 