How to Detangle Coily Hair

Detangling is an important process in caring for your naturally curly hair. It can be a daunting task, especially if you’ve been previously relaxed and are used to the ease of gliding a comb through your coils. But with a bit of patience, a bit of knowledge and some great products, tools and tips, detangling your kinks and coils can be a breeze.

Detangling Products

The products you use for detangling your hair can make a world of difference in whether it’s a smooth process or a nightmare. Depending on the state of your hair, you may be able to use a lighter product to glide through the snarls, or you may need heavier, creamier, oilier products if you’re having serious issues.

When practicing my normal wash routines of every other week, it doesn’t take much to loosen any tangles I may have. In this case, using a conditioner with slip on your curls is a great way to detangle. With your hair in sections, add a generous amount of conditioner to your section and proceed from ends toward your scalp to work through your hair. Because I tend to use a lot of conditioner, I opt for an inexpensive brand like Suave Tropical Coconut Conditioner to tackle this task. You can also dilute a more expensive conditioner or add oils to your mixture to create more slip. If it’s been longer than twoweeks between detangling sessions, I might break out the heavy duty products to whip my hair into shape. Qhemet Biologics Cocoa Tree Detangling Ghee literally melts any knots out of my hair, making it easy for me to get my hair back under control.

Detangling Tools

The easiest tools for detangling your hair are going to be your fingers. You can feel your way through a knot better with your fingers than with a comb or other tool. Just make sure your fingernails are trimmed and not ragged or that could create more problems for you. If the fingers aren’t cutting it, it’s okay…they make tools for that! My favorite tool for detangling my hair is a shower comb. It doesn’t have to be expensive to do the job and you can find them at just about any grocery or beauty supply store. The wide spaced teeth allow the comb to gently pass through your sections without tearing or ripping the hair, if you’re being gentle. You’ll find this task easier to accomplish when you detangle in sections. I also use a Denman brush as my final pass through when detangling. I like using a Denman last because it has more teeth and I run less risk of pulling my hair out when it’s already been gently detangled. Good tools in combination with great products make for quick work detangling your hair.

Detangling Tips

When it comes to managing your coils, there are a few tips that can make your life a bit easier. Many people find that separating your hair into several sections makes it easier to get the job done. Depending on the length of your hair, you may require 4-8 sections in order to efficiently tame the tangles. If you need more, add more! Don’t be afraid to do this…trust me, it will save you from a headache later.

Working from the ends up to the root is also another important tip to detangling your hair effectively. If you work from the ends, essentially you can pull the tangles apart; however, if you start at the scalp, you will make small tangles bigger and can end up doing some serious damage. I’ve learned that the hard way too!

Last tip is to do what works for you. If you like detangling your hair dry with oil and it works for you great! If detangling with conditioner works for you fantastic! Experiment until you find that happy median that will keep your detangling sessions quick and painless. You will have some shed hair no matter what option you choose, but with good products, gentle hands and technique you can make detangling your hair a breeze. Happy styling!

How do you detangle your coils?