Braids are a great protective style and our favorite to wear on vacation all year around. The beauty, the versatility and the easiness of wearing braids in the summer time makes it the best hairstyle. How to detangle hair after braids is as important as how you installed them. In order to retain the health of your hair you will need to carefully detangle to remove hair shedding and tangles. However, we know that the detangling process can make you delay taking down your braids. The knots and the tangles sometimes leading to hair breakage and damage can seem a bit dauting. Don’t fret, with the right knowledge and technique, this process can be made effortless and pain-free to preserve the health of your natural hair.
Wearing protective styles such as braids for a long time can leave you with matted hair that needs to be cared for with patience.
How do you detangle matted hair after braids?
Prepare your hair: Create sections to simplify the process
Separate your hair into small sections to be able to reach all your hair strands. This approach will give you more control over the detangling process, enabling you to work patiently through each part. Once this is done, it’s not the time to grab a comb and start detangling your hair yet! Before that, you will need to ensure your hair is in the best condition for the detangling process. Dry, matted hair is not the right condition to detangle hair after braids.
It’s care time: Hydrate and moisturize
Moisturize First: This step is crucial when it comes to detangling your hair post-braids. To safely prepare your hair for detangling after braids, it needs to be thoroughly hydrated and moisturized. You will need:
- A spray bottle, to hydrate your hair with water.
- Your favorite moisturizing leave-in conditioner to nourish your hair.
Take one section and spray water with your water bottle until your hair is fully saturated. Then apply your leave-in conditioner on that section of hair until your curls absorbed the product. This moisturizing step will help loosen up the tangles and knots, making it easier for you to detangle your hair. Choose conditioners with a good slip, so your hair becomes lighter and smoother.
Our favorite leave-in conditioners to detangle hair after braids
Start with finger detangling then use a detangling tool
Choosing the right tool to detangle your hair can make a significant difference. Whether you choose a wide tooth com or a detangling brush, make sure you select the method that feels the most gentle on your hair strands.
Before you start to detangle your hair after braids, we recommend to remove your hair shedding with your fingers. Leaving your braids in for months results in a lot of hair shedding, due to the accumulated hair loss in your braids. Take one section and gently pull the ends of your hair to remove it. Then, separate your hair, strand by strand working your way up to your roots. Once you reach your roots, gently separate the matted hair by small section. This step can also be leveraged as finger detangling before the use of combs and brushes.
Once your hair feels more manageable, feel free to use a wide tooth comb to help removing additional knots and tangles. This method will significantly minimize the risk of hair breakage. When you need to detangle your hair after braids, you will be reminded that patience is a virtue. Always take your time during this process. Do not get frustrated as rough brushing can lead to unnecessary hair breakage. Be patient, please don’t pull too hard on your precious coils.
Investing in a quality detangling tool such as a detangling brush can make your detangle sessions a breeze. There are a lot of tools on the market created for tight coils that need to be handled with care:
Don’t skip deep conditioning: It will strengthen your hair after wearing braids
After successfully detangling and washing your hair, don’t forget to deep condition. This step helps to restore moisture and nutrients from the months you have been wearing your protective style. Additional Tip: Detangle your hair again once your deep conditioner has been on your hair for at least 15 minutes. Regular deep conditioning treatments can help to maintain soft, shiny, and, most importantly, healthy hair.
How you can prevent tangles and easily detangle your hair after braids in the future
Finally, assess if you notice split ends or if you see that your hair doesn’t get easier to detangle. It might be time to get a trim. Removing the damaged hair will help to prevent further tangles, breakage and promote hair growth. Maintaining a regular hair care regime can avoid to accumulate tangles. Try to frequently moisturize, gentle detangle, and avoid hairstyles that cause excessive tension on your hair.
Detangling hair after removing braids doesn’t cause hair pain with breakage. By preparing your hair, using the right tools and products, and giving your hair the care and patience it deserves, you can easily detangle your hair after braids. Leading to healthy, vibrant hair that is free of knots and tangles from your summer protective hairstyle.
