How To Detangle Kinky Afro Hair: A Step-by-step Guide

A child's afro hair being pulled

A child's afro hair being pulled

If you have kinky afro hair, you must have experienced the frustration of constantly trying to keep your hair tangle free. Coarse hair(like afro hair) is even more prone to tangles and knots because of the structure of our hair strands.
Most people like to detangle in the shower, but we don’t recommend detangling soaking wet hair. This is because wet hair is susceptible to breakage. Besides, detangling before washing your hair only means you’ll have to go through the whole detangling process twice(before and after washing). Trust me, it’s not as fun. In this article, we’ll provide a step-by-step guide to gently detangling your kinky afro hair.

Simple Tools For Detangling

  • A spray bottle containing a mixture of water and any hair oil of your choice.
  • A wide-toothed comb
  • Your fingers. (Yes! You read that correctly)
  • Hair clips(optional)

A step-by-step guide to detangling

1. Spray some water on your hair

Afro hair is prone to dryness, so constantly spraying your hair with water is a good way to ensure your hair is getting the moisture it needs. For effectiveness, mix your water with aloe vera, melted Shea butter, conditioner or even any essential oil of your choice. This will help ensure that your hair is locking in nutrients with moisture. A spray bottle comes in handy while detangling because moisturizing dry hair makes detangling easier.

2. Section the hair

Dividing your hair into smaller sections makes it easier to manage and handle. For people with kinky hair, the smaller the section, the easier it is to handle. If you’re detangling by yourself, use hair clips to hold the sections in place. This will help make sure you’re doing a thorough job and not just focusing on one part.

3. Work through tangles with your fingers first.

Your fingers are an important detangling tool. Before you even start to comb your hair out, gently work your fingers through the parted sections bit by bit. By gently using your fingers to pull your strands apart, you get to save your hair from the harsh pulling from combs.

4. Use a wide-toothed comb

A wide-toothed comb is the holy grail of natural hair(whether afro or curly). The wide spaces between the tooth enable the comb to loosen the knots your fingers didn’t get without harshly pulling your hair strands.
Combing requires you to be gentle on your hair. Rough handling of your hair can cause unnecessary snags and breakage. While combing start slowly from the tip and slowly work your way to the roots since that’s where the knots usually are. Holding the section you’re combing down will make the combing experience relatively painless.

5. Loosely braid or twist as you detangle

This will help make sure that the untangled sections don’t mix with the rest. Also, you can apply generous amounts of any nourishing hair product of your choice. This will make absorbing of these products into your hair faster.

How To Prevent Your Hair From Getting Matted

1.      Have a spray bottle handy

Moisture is your hair’s best friend. Lack of moisture is the main culprit for tangled hair, so you must ensure your hair is constantly moisturized. A simple spray bottle containing a mixture of water and any hair oil of your choice is a great hack for keeping your hair constantly hydrated.

2.      Don’t towel dry

Avoid towel drying your hair after washing. A towel will only cause friction and make your hair tangle up more. Leave your hair to air dry after a wash session.  If you’re impatient, you can blow dry with minimal heat.

3.      Wear your hair in a protective hairstyle

Styling your hair in simple two-strand twists, especially during harsh weather conditions like harmattan or winter will go a long way in keeping your hair safe from getting tangled. This will come in handy if you have low-porosity hair.

4.      Have a Nightime hair care routine

An overnight hair routine can be as simple as wearing a silk scarf or bonnet to bed. Don’t just leave your hair bare and unprotected before bed. Make sure your hair bonnet is silky to keep the moisture in and protect your hair strands from friction. Cotton bonnets will only absorb all the moisture from your hair and cause extra friction, tangling your hair and causing breakage in the process.

Conclusion

Detangling reduces hair loss or breakage while styling. It also ensures that hair treatments are able to penetrate your strands and nourish them accordingly. Detangling also makes your natural hair journey seamless.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You May Also Like