Matted hair? How to detangle and prevent it?

Have you ever woke up with a big clump of tangled hair? Or have you tried combing your hair and your detangler seems to get stuck in one area? Chances are your hair has matted. Matted hair is a combination of tangled curls and loose strands that clump together. What causes matted hair? One of the main causes of matted hair is not detangling properly. Just imagine your tangles accumulating over time creating one big hair clump. You can also have matted hair when you wear your protective hairstyles like braids or dreadlocks longer than recommended. Sleeping without protecting your hair can also cause your hair to tangle and clump together. But do not worry. Your matted hair is not a lost cause. Here are ways to detangle your matted hair.

How to detangle matted hair?

Saturate your strands

When detangling your matted hair, it is recommended to do it on dry hair. Your hair is more fragile when it is wet so to avoid further hair breakage, detangle with your dry hair. Saturate your dry hair with detangling conditioner before you start combing. Make sure that every strand is covered with your detangling conditioner to make combing easier.

Loosen your hair

Loosen your hair with a wide-tooth comb or with your fingers. Start combing from the tips and work your way up to the roots. Gently comb your hair and add more detangling conditioner if necessary. There may be some hair fall and hair breakage as you detangle. But it is normal. They are the loose strands that clump with your hair. When you can easily glide your fingers through your hair, then you are done with detangling.

Rinse

The final step to freeing your hair strands from getting clumped up is to rinse with warm water. This will rinse off the products in your hair and the remaining loose strands.  

How to prevent matted hair?

Detangle your hair every wash day

The best time to detangle your hair is during wash day. As you cleanse your hair during wash day, you remove gunk and product build-up in your hair that can also contribute to matted hair. Partner your cleansing shampoo with a moisturizing and detangling conditioner to keep tangles and knots from your curls.

Use detangling products

When you detangle your hair, use a detangling conditioner. This will help loosen the tangles and knots to prevent your hair from further damage and breakage.

Get regular trims

Get your regular trims to get rid of split ends and dry hair. Split ends and dry hair contribute to tangled and matted hair. And mostly, hair tends to get dry on the tips. So not only are you preventing matted hair when you get your regular trims, you are also removing the drier part of your strands.

Protect your strands at night

Even while you sleep, you can still develop tangles and may lead to matted hair. The friction from the cotton pillowcases can cause hair strands to get tangled. Choose a silk or satin pillowcase to protect your hair from friction.

Consider the pineapple

Do a pineapple hairstyle as you sleep to keep your hair from getting tangled. Tie your hair on top of your head and voila! Your hair is ready for sleep.

Remove protective hairstyles when recommended

Protective hairstyles like braids and twists are really cool and stylish. The best part is they protect your hair from damage and breakage. But if you keep your protective hairstyle too long, this can also cause matted hair. A protective hairstyle can only be worn from 4 to 8 weeks. You need to free your hair strands to let the loose hair fall off and wash them to remove product and dirt build-up.  

Tangle Teezers  Innovative and effective detangling brush for wet and dry hair. The unique and flexible 325 two-tiered teeth make detangling easy and effective. The long teeth remove knots and tangles while the shorter teeth remove frizz and keep hair smooth. Buy On Amazon

Bring this ultimate detangling brush to the shower and say goodbye to knots and tangles. I love the size of this hairbrush, not too big for my head and not too small that I need to brush so many times. Another thing worth mentioning about this product is the shape of the handle that makes it easy to grip even with my slippery hands after applying my hair conditioner.  

Not Your Mother Detangler Tahitian Garden Flower and Mango Preserve your natural curls and let your hair bounce with the help of Tahitian Garden flower and mango butter. Tahitian garden flower smooths and softens the hair while the mango butter reduces frizz and restores hair elasticity and shine. Great for detangling the hair while enhancing its curl definition and body. Buy On Amazon

This is my go-to when I need a thorough detangling. The spray nozzle is effective for saturating the hair with this product. This can also be a leave-in conditioner so after detangling, you can go straight to styling.  

Aunt Jackie’s Curl and Coil Knot on my Watch Instant Hair Detangling Therapy Restore moisture balance in your hair while eliminating knots and tangles. Blended with Shea butter and Olive oil that softens and strengthens the hair giving you tangle-free and manageable hair. Buy On Amazon

I tried this for my little niece and boy, our detangling was fast. First time ever that we didn’t fight over detangling her hair. This is a testament that this product really works.  

Kinky Curly Knot Today Leave-in Conditioner/Detangler A creamy herbal conditioner for removing stubborn tangles and knots. It targets the cuticles to smoothen it and make detangling painless and effortless. Multi-function detangler that can be used in the shower or as a leave-in conditioner after the shower. Buy On Amazon

If you have thicker and coarser hair, I highly recommend this product. It works from the cuticles to remove tangles so detangling can be painless. Apply a generous amount on your hair during a shower and comb your hair to remove tangles.  

Satin pillowcase A premium quality satin pillowcase that makes sleeping more comfortable. This vegan pillowcase is made from 100% satin polyester that reduces friction between hair strands preventing tangles and frizz. The natural cooling and moisture-retaining properties of satin are beneficial in keeping the hair’s natural moisture. Buy On Amazon

Sleep like royalty with a satin pillowcase and I promise you, your hair will never experience friction again when you sleep. This is a good way to pamper your hair and your skin as you sleep. Plus the super smooth and soft texture of your pillowcase will give you the most comfortable beauty sleep ever!