Tangled hair is one of the most annoying things — so simple yet so difficult to handle. The problem is that most people aren’t taking the time to prevent it. There are a couple tools you need to have on hand, and a few simple tweaks that you can make to your routine to stop tangles from ever happening in the first place.
Let’s take a look at how to get a knot out of your hair.
Buy a Strong Hair Elixir
A good hair elixir can make your detangling process much easier. Less tension means they’re easier to comb through without breakage.
Using a hair serum for getting knots out of hair is simple, and can be done with wet or dry hair. Just add a few spritzes to each section of your hair and use your wide tooth comb to go through it. Add a little more serum if necessary, but take care not to use too much. Pat dry your hair afterwards if it feels greasy.
Purchase Viviscal’s PRO Thin to Thick Elixir is the ultimate lightweight, densifying leave-in treatment.
Must-Have: Wide-Tooth Comb
A wide-tooth comb is going to be your main tool for getting knots out of hair. The teeth are wider and thicker than regular combs, and there’s more space between each tooth so that it combs more gently through your hair. A wide-tooth comb for wet hair is an absolute must. It’s the easiest way to detangle hair.
One of the best ways to get knots out of hair is to use your wide-tooth comb immediately after a shower. Your instinct might be to try combing from your roots, but it’s just the opposite. Hold your hair mid-shaft and start combing at the very bottom of your hair. Work your way up and have patience when you get to a particularly nasty knot. Wiggle your comb around a bit to loosen it up. Be careful when you comb, because wet hair is more fragile than dry hair.
Towel Dry — Pat, Don’t Rub
Your hair is very fragile and sensitive when it’s wet, but for some reason, that tends to be the time when we treat it the worst. Without even thinking, we step out of the shower and scrub our hair dry with our towels like we did when we were kids. Not only does this contribute to breakage, it creates very tight knots that might not come out with anything other than a pair of scissors. Your best bet is to avoid these types of knots altogether.
Instead of rubbing your hair dry, take the extra time to pat it dry. After your shower, squeeze all the excess water out and then wrap your hair in a towel while you finish the rest of your routine. After 20 minutes or so, the moisture will be absorbed and you’re ready for a quick blow-dry. Easy, effective, and most importantly, no knots.
Braid Your Hair Before Bed
Instead of wearing your hair down at night, a simple protective hairstyle will help you avoid the knots and tangles that magically happen overnight. Not only will it prevent your hair from getting tangled, it will help you wake up to wavy, lively hair.
Our favorite protective hairstyle is the French braid. It’s easy and will definitely hold tight through the night. Using a bit of leave-in conditioner or hair serum will make your hair shiny and wavy when you wake up. If you don’t feel like doing a French braid, a loose bun on the top of your head will do the job.
The Satin Pillowcase
We all toss and turn when we sleep. All this movement on a cotton pillowcase can have the same effect as rubbing your hair dry with a cotton towel. Lots of friction, severely tangled hair.
But there’s a way to fight this friction. Enter the satin pillowcase. Soft and smooth enough to let your hair glide rather than rub. You can find a satin or sateen (made from cotton, feels like satin) pillowcase at any large retailer. If you can find one that says something about “facial beauty,” that’s even better as it will help prevent the absorption of dirt and oils.
Preventing knots is much easier to do than spending hours detangling. If you’re willing to spend a little extra time at night and after the shower, you’ll save yourself a big headache down the road. Some knots eventually need a drastic haircut…and nobody wants it to come to that.
