Knotty Hair: How to Manage Curly Hair That Tangles Easily
Knotty curly hair, just like frizzy hair, is something we all want to avoid. But, unfortunately, tangles are part and parcel of curly hair – especially long, curly hair (I thought I’d best get that disappointment out of the way right at the beginning).
However, there are some things you can do to manage curls that tangle easily. In this article, I’m going to outline some of the steps you can take to look after and detangle your curly hair.
My Experience With Knotty Hair
Personally, my long curly hair does always have some tangles. The only time I can actually run my fingers straight through my hair, without coming up against a tangle, is when it’s soaking wet and loaded up with conditioner or curl cream after detangling
While it may always have some tangles, my hair doesn’t look knotty – the curls hide it well – so I generally leave it until my next wash day, which is day 4 or 5. As long as your hair is not overly dry, some tangles are fine.
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Wavy Curly Haircare (@hanzcurls)How to Detangle Curly Hair (Wet)
When hair gets very dry and tangled, this can lead to breakage, so it’s important to take steps when you wash your hair to safely detangle and moisturise your curls. Following this curly hair detangling routine once or twice a week on wash day will help to ensure your curls stay healthy and free of breakage.
1. Deep Condition (Pre-poo)
Wet your hair, apply your favourite deep conditioner and detangle your hair with a tangle brush (Tangle Teezer (my fave), Wet Brush and No Knot Co are all great options). Pop your hair in a loose bun, or put a shower cap over your head and leave the deep conditioner on your hair for 30-60 mins.
2. Apply Plenty of Conditioner
After cleansing/co-washing your hair, apply a generous amount of conditioner (I love Noughty’s To The Rescue Conditioner) over the canopy of your hair and throughout the lengths. Be sure to add plenty of water into the mix too, as this will help with detangling. Finger detangle your hair until it feels a slippery seaweed-like texture.
3. Squish to Condish
While your conditioner is still in, and your hair is soaking wet, squish sections of your hair in a pulsing motion to ensure the water and conditioner gets deep into the cuticles of each hair strand. This will help to properly hydrate your hair and prevent it from getting so knotty – dry hair tangles lots easier than well-hydrated hair. Proceed to rinse the conditioner out, or leave a small amount in for extra moisture.
4. Rake In Curl Cream
When you begin applying products, trying raking a curl cream or leave-in conditioner through your hair. This one last rake-through will ensure you’ve gotten rid of each and every tangle.
5. Sleep on a Silk Pillowcase
Silk pillowcases are much kinder on our curls than regular cotton ones. Cotton pillowcases dry out the hair, and, as mentioned before, dry hair is prone to tangles. I didn’t buy into this for a long time because I thought my hair was fine sleeping on a cotton one. However, since sleeping on a silk pillowcase, I have definitely noticed a difference – my hair is less dry and not as knotty as before.
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How to Detangle Curly Hair (Dry)
Some people find that dry detangling their curly hair causes less breakage due to the fact they have more control. Curly hair is also less fragile when wet, so if you’re finding you get a lot of breakage with wet detangling, give the below a go:
1. Apply an Oil
On dry hair, before washing, apply a few drops of oil to soften your hair, loosen tangles and add flexibility.
2. Finger Detangle or Brush Detangle
When dry detangling you can either use your fingers or a brush. I find I have more control when finger detangling as I can feel when I come up against a knot. But I do tend to do a bit of both. My favourite brush to dry and wet detangle with is the Tangle Teezer Naturally Curly.
Finger detangling:
Gently pull any knots apart with your fingers in sections, as if untangling a necklace. Start at the bottom and work your way towards the roots of each section.
Brush detangling:
Start at the ends of your hair and brush out any knots. Starting at the ends will stop you from creating more tangles. Brush detangling in sections will make the process more manageable.
Knot Today, Tangles!
So there you go, that’s how to care for knotty curly hair! Remember, the longer you leave your curls between wash days, the drier and therefore more tangled they will get. Hopefully these tips will help keep your curls tangle-free for longer!
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