What Every Mom Needs to Know About Detangling Natural Hair

September 12, 2021

What Every Mom Needs to Know About Detangling Natural Hair

We all started out as kids needing some grooming. But more than a few of us have had the experience of rounding out the week seated in front of Mama, Auntie, or Grandma getting our hair done. Raise your hand 🙌 if you wish your old school home stylist would have had access to the products and hair tools that are available now? Or at the very least have had a better set of tools for detangling natural hair!!

I DO remember Sundays in my childhood vividly. In the afternoon, I'd sit between my mom's legs, and she'd plait my hair in neat cornrows ready for a school week. 


But, what I remember most is not the cornrow styles or her soothing voice humming a chorus. No! I remember the pain of an afro pick parting my textured hair. She'd pass it through my hair, and a tear would trickle down my cheek. 


If she had known about ways to handle natural hair, such as using a detangling brush, my Sunday afternoons wouldn't have been so distressing. 


Now, for you... do you know how to detangle 4c hair? That's what we'll talk about in this article.


But first...

 

Why Does My Hair Tangle So Easily?

Believe it or not, some medical conditions may be responsible for knotted hair. And here you thought knots were just knots, didn't you? We'll highlight a few starting with:

Maybe It's Trichonodosis

Trichonodosis is a condition that can give your young one severely knotted hair. Trichonodosis might crop up spontaneously or as a result of a vigorous combing routine. When you comb such hair, it may break off at the knot, which means the tangled hair can lead to hair breakage.

She's more likely to have trichonodosis if she has kinky hair because as it recoils, it may coil into a knot. 

 

 

Or Maybe Acute Hair Matting

Other names for this medical cause of knotted hair are plica neuropathica and plica polonica. Though it also results from medical conditions like impetigo and poor mental health, we may experience this problem from poor hair care and using products with irritants. Having curly hair predisposes us to this problem, too.

Then There's Uncombable Hair Syndrome 

Seriously? YES! It's a real thing, not just something mean kids said to the one natural kid riding the bus in the late 1990s. 

Uncombable hair syndrome is more common among children. Such kids have dry hair prone to frizz, but it improves as they grow. Sometimes, uncombable hair syndrome comes from mutations in three types of genes, which modifies the proteins leading to hair shafts that don't lie flat no matter how much you comb them. Annnnd, this condition is hereditary.

But It's Non-Medical Hair Tangles

Then there's the rest of us who don't have medical causes of tangles, but our hair needs a little extra attention.


We assume that African hair has more tangles than Caucasian hair because we have thick, textured hair. Do you want the truth? Straight hair has more tangles than curly or coily hair.

What we have are curls that a comb can unravel when we comb the right way. It's not a claim; it's a fact after a study done on 212 heads over three weeks. They found that straight hair had about five tangles per head, yet curly hair had three tangles per head. So, why does our hair tangle?


I'd say we are using the wrong products and the wrong hair care routine. Other factors are rubbing wet hair with a towel, sleeping without a hair wrap to prevent friction.


Therefore, let's answer this top question in our minds:

How to Detangle Natural Hair Without Breaking It

I remember how my mom would plant a wide-toothed comb into the mess that was my kinky hair and clench her teeth as she pulled it out. 


She didn't know, but that exposed me to several scalp conditions. One common problem from forceful combing is traumatic alopecia, characterized by hair breakage and scalp injury. 


Another reason that ought to make you change your detangling process is subgaleal hematoma, where the scalp swells when you pull your young one's hair too much. 


It all sounds horrible, right? So, how can you detangle without causing hair breakage?

Finger Combing Works Wonders

A simple solution is detangling your kid's hair with your fingers before using a comb. It's time-consuming, but it's worth it. You can do this after deep conditioning the hair with our  Avocado & Babassu Deep Moisture Conditioner  as it'll be easier to run your fingers through it. 


Your fingers will feel the knots and focus on them before proceeding to the next section, unlike a comb. Plus, you'll be gentle, so a lower chance of scalp trauma.


Also:

Start From The Tip To The Root

That's where many home stylists and moms go wrong. They plant the comb deep and pull it out, almost pulling the scalp with it. They comb the tangles upwards, and the knots accumulate at the tip of the hair.  


Instead, a tip to root approach takes care of the worst tangles and moves to the less tangled area at the bottom. Hold a section of the hair in one hand and detangle the tip with a detangling brush for 4c hair. 

Should you detangle black hair wet or dry?

None of the two. Instead, detangle moistened hair. So, what's the difference? When you comb dry hair, you're likely to cause breakage at the ends, as that's where you'll apply more force. 


In wet hair, you'll use the same combing force, from the root to the tip of the hair, which means you'll probably pull out whole strands, not just the ends. 


For these reasons, focus on the moisture content in your little one's hair first. If it's dry hair that needs to be fixed, moisturize it, then detangle it. Some of the best moisturizing oils are argan, marula oil, and olive oil.

For wet hair, detangle it after deep conditioning so that the detangling natural hairbrush/brush for detangling natural hair slides through without pulling the strands. The hair shouldn't be dripping wet but soaked.


Also, check the number of bristles on the brush. For example, you can adjust the number of bristles on the Pydana Anti-static Brush to reduce hair tension. No more static hair with frizz and flyaways.

Tips for Getting Knots Out of Matted Hair

Deep condition the hair

Find a moisturizing hair conditioner that enhances slip so that your comb runs through the hair smoothly. On top of that, divide the hair into manageable sections when combing it. It'll be easier to separate the detangled section to prevent new tangles than when you're working on all your hair at once.

Once is never enough when detangling hair

Detangle your little one's hair in two stages of the hair care routine. Do it during pre-wash so that it retains moisture to reduce tangles in the shampooing stage. Secondly, when deep-conditioning such that moisturizing agents penetrate the hair shaft and prevent moisture escape. 


For hair that's severely tangled, you may have to,

  • Cut off the knots at the tip, or you'll pull the hair too much and damage your little one's scalp.
  • Rub the hair with moisturizing oils and let the treatment sit in for about 30 minutes before detangling.

To avoid most of these problems, comb the young one's hair regularly to prevent knots. 


Hence, here are:

The Hair Tools You Need to Detangle the Right Way

A few changes to the hair care routine, plus using the right tools, will get rid of those annoying tangles. Let's mention the must-have tools to undo matted hair. First:

A detangling brush for 4c hair

You've had your little one's comb for years, but you still struggle with tangled hair. Therefore, it's time to replace it with a special brush for tangles and knots.


The idea is to reduce friction so that you don't damage the scalp and to reduce shedding as you comb. For example, the Pydana Detangling Brush reduces breakage, excessive shedding, and tension. It comes in a variety of colors that your young one will love. Make the process more exciting for your kid; ask them to pick a color from the list.

 

If you'd like to slay the edges without pulling the soft hair along your kid's hairline, get a Pydana Edge Brush & Comb as it's for these delicate hair shafts only.


Also, you need:

Sectioning Clips

They'll come in handy as you part the hair into sections and detangle one part at a time.

 

A Thermal Cap

It's a wonder cap that allows conditioning agents to penetrate the hair shafts. First, apply a deep conditioner, cover the hair with a plastic cap, then a thermal cap on top. It's better than drying your little one's hair with direct heat.


As we conclude...

Takeaway

Tangled hair can cause unimaginable hair damage like traction alopecia. You have control over some of the causes of tangled hair, such as rubbing wet hair with a towel. Nonetheless, your little one may also be suffering from knotted hair because of a medical condition. 


Worry about what you can control; therefore, implement a hair care routine to remove knots and leave the rest to a medical doctor. First, invest in a detangling natural hairbrush/brush for detangling natural hair and an anti-static brush to eliminate frizz.







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