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Detangle Matted Hair

Rohini Mohan
So, you just returned home from an amazing road trip but find your hair tangled and matted beyond repair? Here are tips to transform your bird's nest into a shiny and smooth mane...
Is a head full of matted hair bringing you down, making it impossible for you to try out new hairstyles? Until a few years ago, trying to fit into the grunge-rock scene was impossible without sporting the matted or bed-hair look.
What we didn't realize at that point was, how difficult and painful it is for us to detangle matted hair. We all fell right into the trap and now it's time we claw our way out...literally. Matting out straight hair looks cool, but untangling them becomes a pain.
Of course when you see gorgeous models strutting down the ramp with those crazy haircuts and new styles, it's but natural that we would be tempted to do the same.

How to Untangle Matted Hair

Method 1

Let's start with precautions, as they are always better than the actual cure. The first cardinal rule to a head full of healthy hair is to keep them clean.
Cleanse your hair, every other day with a very mild shampoo. You may opt for herbal products as they contain lesser chemicals and do not harm the hair or the scalp as much as regular shampoos would.
Always condition your hair well after washing your hair with shampoo, as it helps retain some of the moisture, softness, and sheen of the hair. Natural conditioners, such as eggs, and yogurt can be great herbal remedies if they don't eek you out!
  • OK, so now it's time to talk about some of the most effective damage control measures that can be taken to rectify this peculiar hair problem. Anti-frizz serum, hair smoothing serum, hair oils, or a good quality detangler can work wonders and show great results. Take a wholesome quantity of hair serum or oil and apply it to your hair. Let it remain for at least 15 minutes, so that the strands can soak the solution and eventually dampen or soften up.
  • Once the hair is moist and limp, gently start separating the collected hair strands with your fingers.
  • Use a wide toothed comb and gently start combing the damaged part. Take your time and do it slowly.
  • Divide your hair from the scalp into 6 to 7 sections, and chose a section with lesser strands in order to untangle them faster and more effectively, this way you won't miss out on any patch that may be tangled.
  • Once you're done combing the entire hair, comb it once again with a fine toothed brush or comb.
  • Now you can wash your hair to remove the serum or oil.

Method 2

  • There is a much simpler way that is advised by many hair experts for maintaining good hair care. Here is what you need to do, once you're done washing your hair with shampoo.
  • What you need to do, is to apply the conditioner and let it stay for 10 to 15 minutes. Then take a wide comb and start combing your hair under a running tap or shower.
Comb gently and take one section of hair at a time to untangle, while using your fingers to separate the knots simultaneously. The conditioner makes the task much faster and painless. Now let the hair dry naturally.

Method 3

  • All you need to do, is to comb your hair before you sleep.
  • Once you're done combing, tie your hair into a simple ponytail or braid.
  • Tie a loose braid so that it does not mess with the blood circulation to the scalp and allows you to sleep comfortably.
  • The next morning your hair is going to be absolutely tangle free and you can try out new and cool hairstyles without having to worry.

Method 4

  • A common reason for hair getting tangled, is the natural sweat that is secreted by our scalp. When you let this sweat accumulate, you also allow dust, grime, and germs to seek refuge. This causes fiber and dirt to stick to your hair strands making them coil together.
  • The first thing you must do in order to check if your scalp is clean or not, is to keep your scalp clean. The moment it gets too sticky, you'll know it's time for a wash.
  • However, I would suggest that you do not wait for your scalp to get oily and instead, wash your hair every alternate day, while using a mild shampoo and conditioner.
  • Secondly, make it a habit to protect your hair while traveling by wrapping it in a thin airy scarf or cap.
  • The reason being that pollution causes severe damage to hair and skin, which can be easily avoided through this simple method.
  • Also, some women prefer applying oil after washing their hair; however, this may eventually turn detrimental for the health of your scalp. 
  • The reason being that if this oil isn't washed the very same day, it will cause dust to get stuck to it.
  • Which is why I suggest once again, that women with longer hair must rinse their hair every other day.
To untangle matted and damaged hair is quite problematic, as it sometimes requires taking the extreme step of trimming the tangled section if it proves too resilient. I'm sure no one prefers that! Hair gets damaged due to many reasons, the primary ones being the use of harmful hair dyes, coloring, straightening, perms, etc.
The list is never-ending but the results are the same, as you end up with split ends, dull and dry hair, and not to mention lots of hair fall. So, you need to start practicing a healthy regimen for your hair on a daily basis in order to avoid having to deal with matted hair again. That would be your best way to get out of this messy situation in the future.