Hair Tip: Detangling

Seamless Bone Comb Purchased online from Hair Sense

Detangling natural or transitioning hair can most definitely be a doosie.  For starters,  If you are transitioning and you have done your research, you know very well what the line of demarcation is.  For those that don't know, the demarcation line is the section of your strands of hair where the relaxed and new growth meet.  This section of hair is particularly fragile and susceptible to breakage.  That breakage mainly occurs when you comb your hair the wrong way (or too much manipulation and rough styling...but this tip is all about detangling).  Yes there is a wrong way to do it.  I'm going to give you my top 3 tips for detangling, based on things that I have done wrong in the past.

1. Comb your hair starting from the roots Comb from the tips of your hair and work up to the roots.
-You know that joke about your hair being so nappy that it sounds like your eating an apple when you comb it?  That joke is real life!  For transitioners especially, you have to realize that your hair is more tangled at the roots than it is at the tips.  Combing your hair by starting where it is the most dense, is asking for trouble.  By starting at the tips where it is less dense, your hair has time to loosen itself up by the time you get to the roots.  No more crunchy apples!

2. Dentangle while dry Only detangle while your hair is wet or moisturized.
- Combing dry hair is like raking dry grass.  Like the rake, the comb will get stuck, yank, and pull at your hair in all the wrong ways.  When your hair is dry, think of it as being asleep.  When your tired, you don't feel like moving.  Your hair is the same way.  Dry, sleepy hair will not move smoothly through any comb, therefore causing breakage.  By waking your hair up with water or some type of moisturizing product, it will be able to bend freely without breaking.

3. Use a comb with closely placed teeth  Use a wide toothed comb or your fingers.
- This one is pretty self explanatory.  For the sake of less breakage, use a wide tooth comb.  Some people don't like to use a comb at all so they just finger detangle.  Just remember, that whether you use a comb, or your fingers, your hair should always be combed starting from the tip while hydrated.

Bonus Tip (just my opinion): new naturals/those with shorter natural hair...STOP DETANGLING YOUR HAIR!! I'm only 3months into this natural thing and I have to say that detangling for me has been an absolute breeze! Why you ask? Because I only detangle my hair once a week, twice at the most.  If you are only wearing your hair as is (no twists, or style, etc.) after a wash, there is no need to detangle your hair.  The only time I detangle my hair is while I condition it on shampoo days.  Any other time is only when I am styling it.  I wear a wash-n-go pretty much everyday, so there is no need for me to comb my hair.  I used to comb it when I first BC'd, but that was only to cover up the patchy spots.  My hair is never tangled and on the days that I do detangle, I have little to no breakage.  I think that this is the reason that my curls are so defined all the time. The less you do to your hair the better.