How To Detangle Curly Hair Painlessly Without Cutting

Those curly locks are unruly and have their voice. They can be easily prone to dryness, become frizzy, brittle, and knotty. How to detangle curly hair easily? If you think that trimming is the best way to avoid the pain during detangling, take a pause and read this post. We have discussed the various ways to detangle your curly hair and to achieve those lustrous, healthy, and curly locks without breakage and split ends.

What You Need To Detangle Curly Hair

• Shampoo: The dirt and pollution trapped in your curls also cause tangles. Cleanse your scalp and hair strands with a fortifying shampoo to minimize hair breakage.
• Conditioner: Conditioners moisturize and add slip to the hair strands for easy separation.
• Detangling Mist: You can buy a detangling mist and apply it along the length of the hair to gently detangle it with your fingers in the shower.
• Wide-Toothed Comb: Brush your hair with a wide-toothed comb, starting from the ends and working your way up to the roots. This helps detangle lumps of knotted hair easily without breakage.

Trivia

In the 1930s, the power paddle brush was introduced for efficient detangling of curly hair, preserving curl patterns, and ensuring scalp comfort.

• Tangle Teezer: Tangle Teezers have short and thin bristles that help detangle finer tangles in curly hair. Work from the bottom up to reduce hair breakage. Be very gentle. Apply more conditioner to add slip to your hair.

New York-based expert hairstylist Jessica Shults recommends this tool for detangling and adds, “Using a Tangle Teezer in the shower while you’re rinsing out your conditioner is perfect for evenly distributing conditioner through each strand, and it will be your best bet for getting rid of tangles.”

• Oil: Apply coconut oil, argan oil, almond oil, or olive oil to your damp hair to help your curls retain moisture and shine. The oil will also prevent future hair knots.

Now, you are ready to hop into the shower and start detangling your curls. However, checking out the basic tutorial on how to detangle hair the right way will also help you understand the detailed tutorial on detangling curly hair given below.

How To Detangling Curly Hair (Tutorial)

Step 1 –

Shampoo your hair.

Step 2 – Apply detangling mist all over the length of your hair.

Step 3 – Gently comb through your hair with your fingers.

Step 4 – Very gently detangle each tangle.

Step 5 – Apply a conditioner for curly hair. Avoid the roots.

Step 6 – Comb your hair with a wide-toothed comb. Start from the bottom up.

Pro Tip

Use a comb made of high-quality plastic or smooth wood when detangling curls to minimize breakage and static frizz and maintain the natural curl pattern.

Step 7 – Detangle the knots, starting from the bottom up. Be very gentle.

Step 8 – Apply conditioner and use a Tangle Teezer to detangle the fine knots.

Step 9 – Apply a leave-in conditioner and finish with a oil.

Step 10 – Massage your scalp and nape of the neck with the oil.

Voila! Get ready to flaunt your curly mane!

How To Detangle Single Strand Knots

Wooh! The worst kind of knots to have are the single strand knots. This is when a single hair strand gets knotted. If you do not untangle it in a day or two, it can pull in other hair strands and create a bigger knot. How to get rid of it painlessly? Here are the steps:

• Apply coconut oil to soften the knots and prevent the hair from tangling any further. Besides coconut oil, there are many other ways to prevent the hair from tangling that you must know to have detangled, healthy-looking hair.
• Use your fingers to gently detangle the single hair knot.
• You can also use a Tangle Teezer to loosen up the knot.

How To Detangle Knotted Ends

Knotted ends can be painful to get rid of. In a review published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society in 2019, hair types across different ethnicities were analyzed. Data from 2138 Europeans, 92 Asians, and 39 Africans were analyzed to understand hair shapes. The results indicated that a small percentage of Europeans (12.7%) and an even smaller percentage of Asians exhibited curly hair (12%). In contrast, Africans had predominantly curly hair (94.9%). Follow the steps below to detangle them:

• Apply a mix of coconut oil and almond oil.
• Leave it on for 30 minutes.
• If required, apply a hair cream to add more slip and prevent hair breakage.
• Use a wide-toothed comb to gently detangle the ends.
• Shampoo your hair and apply conditioner to keep your curly mane healthy.

How To Detangle Dreads

Dreads are dreadful to detangle. Not washing and brushing your hair for a long time can lead to matted hair. However, with the right procedure, you can easily detangle dreads. Follow these steps:

• Apply a mix of coconut oil and almond oil.
• Leave it on for 30 minutes.
• Spritz your hair with water.
• Apply a deep conditioner. Use your fingers to massage the conditioner into the inner tangles. Leave it on for 15 minutes.
• Use a wide-toothed comb to gently detangle your hair.
• Apply conditioner and water if you think your hair needs it.
• Use your fingers to gently separate the strands.
• Apply a hair moisturizing cream and leave it on for 30 minutes.
• Shampoo your hair. Apply a conditioner.
• Use a Tangle Teezer to further detangle the knot.
• Finish off by using hair oil and brushing your hair.

How To Detangle Curls At The Nape Of The Neck

The curls at the nape of the neck can be annoying and tough to detangle. Instead of pulling on them, here’s what you can do to detangle the curls at the nape:

• Shampoo your hair and apply a leave-in conditioner.
• Tie your hair up in a bun.
• Apply a generous amount of conditioner to the nape.
• Use a wide-toothed comb to gently brush your hair. Remember, brush your way up to prevent pulling your hair and hair breakage.
• Wash off the conditioner.
• Apply almond oil and brush the hair on your nape to prevent tangling.

It is clear that you can detangle your hair without chopping your hair off. But, can you detangle your hair without breakage? Find out in the next section.

How To Detangle Curly Hair Without Breakage

Let’s break the internet myth that you can detangle without any breakage. That’s not possible. You lose up to 100 hair strands on any given day. Every time you brush and detangle your hair, you will lose some hair. Of course, you can make detangling less painful and minimize breakage by using the methods mentioned above. But, you will lose a few strands. With that in mind, take a look at the do’s and don’ts of detangling hair and how to prevent tangling in the first place.

Dos And Don’ts

• Always detangle curly hair when wet.
• Brush your hair from the ends first to reduce breakage.
• Use a conditioner every time you wash your hair.
• Wash your hair twice a week.
• Use a leave-in conditioner to prevent your curls from tangling.
• Use a mix of hair oils to keep your hair moisturized and tangle-free.
• Be gentle while combing or detangling your hair with your fingers.

Rimi, a YouTuber, mixes conditioner with water in a spray bottle to detangle her hair. She uses a wide-tooth comb as well. She adds, “I just really like this comb as it has very rounded teeth at the end (i).”

Frequently Asked Questions

Does apple cider vinegar detangle hair?

Apple cider vinegar may help make your hair smooth and allow the brush to glide through easily. Hence, detangling hair becomes easy after applying apple cider vinegar. However, ensure you use diluted apple cider vinegar as the raw variant could harm the skin.

Why is my curly hair matting?

Dry hair, friction, high porosity, and not detangling can make your curly hair mat.

Does baking soda untangle hair?

Yes. Mix one tablespoon of baking soda with three tablespoons of conditioner and apply it to your hair. You can start brushing your hair after a few minutes. Detangling becomes easier with this remedy.

Untangling curly hair can be a challenging task and painful, especially when you do not have the proper tools with you. Watch the next video to learn how to detangle knotty hair in three simple ways.

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Reviewer Author Editor Fact Checker

Jessica ShultsLicensed Hairstylist

   

Jessica is an expert hairstylist with over 20 years of experience. She specializes in all areas of hair color and is exceptionally skilled at balayage and best-in-class gray blending techniques. After two decades of hairstyling, she launched Twisted Scissors Salon, a full-service hair salon.

Read full bio of Jessica Shults

Arshiya SyedaCo-Editor-in-Chief

 

Arshiya Syeda is the Co-Editor-in-Chief of StyleCraze with 8 years of experience. Prior to that, she was a content writer who combined her writing and research skills to write over 200 high-performing articles on hairstyles, hair care, and skin care.

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Anjali SayeeAssociate Editor

Anjali is an associate editor at StyleCraze. She specializes in hairstyles and hair and skin care and has written over 200 articles in these domains. She has 7 years of experience, and her philosophy about hair and skin care is simple: if you love and care for it, it will be healthy.

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Monomita ChakrabortyBeauty & Lifestyle Writer

Monomita has a graduate degree in mass communication and video production from St. Anthony's College, Shillong, and a master’s degree in journalism and mass communication from the Royal Global University, Guwahati. She is also a certified skincare coach with a keen interest in skin, hair, tattoos, nail art, and lifestyle trends.

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