Help with Tangled Hair!!

Take a comb, start on the bottom and work it out. I have got some fantastic knots out that way. No product on earth is going to make it brush out.

start at the bottom of the knot and gently work it out! I would braid it durring her sleep so it wont get so knotted up. using a very hydrating condidtioner seems to be the trick for not getting knots in your hair!

I agree with the advice about working it from the bottom to the top, gradually.

Also, keeping the hair in braids or any other contained hairstyle during the day & night will really help.

Put her in the tub and gently wash her hair, when you add conditioner use a comb while the conditioner is still in her hair. Start at the bottom of the knot and work your way up. Then use your fingers while you rince it. My daughter gets really bad knots too and this seems to work for us. You have to comb it or brush it to get it out.

Next time it happens (and with curly hair, it will)... try glycerine.

It's what's used in conditioner to make hair slippery, and it's what's used in laboratories to make glassware slippery. It's NUCLEAR SLIPPERY. And available in most drug stores. :)

ALSO... something which will cut down on tangles by a gazillion percent is using "product". Curly hair needs to be treated soooooo differently than straight hair (for example, only brush when wet... curly hair isn't brittle when wet, like straight hair is... and when dry is almost like velcro, unlike straight hair which slides on itself when dry). The product (gel, mousse, etc.) will help the curls stay formed as curls instead of snarling and tangling as she's playing and her hair is blowing around.

A "holy grail" gel is Bumble and Bumble "Get Straight Gel". It will NOT make her hair straight. But it DOES make curls:
- Shiny/ glossy/ smooth
- SOFT
- Able to run your fingers through them (to a degree).

This is the holy grail trinity. It's expensive as all get out, but it does all 3. Cheaper gels and mousses run the gamut of hitting only 1 or 2 of the trinity, but they don't cost an arm and a leg.

ALSO remember with product and curly hair:

With straight hair, you use small amounts. With curly hair you SATURATE your hair with product... or it doesn't work. For 12inches of curls I use about a tennisball sized ball of mouse, or about 1/4 cup/ large adult palmful of gel. When I blow my hair out straight, I use 90% LESS product in my hair. The reason is that with curly hair, if every hair isn't covered, then it's every hair for itself. Scrunch the product in when her hair is wet, twist a few curls around your fingers to shape them, and then DO NOT blowdry her hair like you'd blowdry straight hair. The more the curls move while drying, the more they come apart. When curls come apart it = tangles and "locking up" / matting. To blowdry curls (like in winter, in summer just let them airdry), hold a towel behind her hair "cupping" the curls to keep them from moving, and blowdry on VERY LOW airflow. Even then, the curls WILL blow apart some creating frizz and tangling, but a gazillion times less than if you're just blowing it. A diffuser can help, but do NOT be moving the diffuser about a lot. The prongs help to hold the curls in place while they dry. Moving it all over (like washing a car in circles, which is how most people start off using them) makes just as big a mess as not using one at all.

When conditioning her hair comb it through to get all the knots out. I do this and it really helps. Then rinse it and comb through again. It does the trick.

One hair at a time...start at the bottom. I feel your pain!

Try mayonaise & olive oil overnight, while still in the hair, using a large tangle comb, start at the bottom of the tangle with only about 1" sections, work your way up gently...for later on, get her hair cut into a layered cut, the curls will perk up & you won't have to deal with so many tangles.

Happy New Year!

What helped me out when I was younger is I would put the conditioner in my hair (and I used over a handful of it) and I would brush it and then rinse with water and pat dry and brush again.

I use target brand detangler. It is a lifesaver!!

I would keep soaking it, and maybe work it with the conditioner in it. My DD does well with Dove Intensive Repair and she has curly hair.

Combing with conditioner or oil in it is probably the best bet. Working from the bottom helps. You might be able to separate parts on the sides and work it out a little at a time that way too. At worst it will be less to cut if it comes to that. Braiding at night helps a lot. If your daughter is like mine, this would be a good time to distract her with tv or a movie while you work on the knot.

With the conditioner on, very gently loosen and pick apart the knot.
Start from the bottom and slowly work your way up.
Hold back the rest of the hair with barrettes or clips so it's out of the way.
If you have a rat tailed comb, you can use the handle to loosen up tight areas.
It's going to take some time working on it and some hairs will break off, but you should be able to save most of it.
One it's resolved, keep her hair in braids as much as possible.