8 Ways To Prevent Natural Hair From Getting Tangled

Click the image for Nia's regimen.

If like me you have hair that tangles a lot there are a few things that you can do to reduce the incidence of tangles:

1. Sleep with a silky or satin scarf over your head. Basically, the smooth texture reduces the friction between hair strands reducing the incidence of hair fibres tangling around their neighbours. It’s a myth that the silk or satin has to be real, as long as the texture is very smooth the silk/satin bonnet or doorag will work.
2. Get a silk or satin pillowcase. If you don’t like having something over your head then this is a good alternative. However, if like me, your head frequently ends up off the pillow and onto the mattress then this is not a great solution for you.
3. The kinkier and longer your hair, the more you need to sleep with it in twists. I could get away with not twisting my hair when my hair was shorter but when it got longer it matted so badly when I slept with it in freeform that I resolved to either always twist it before bed or chop it off.
4. Don’t dry your hair with an ordinary towel. To prevent tangled hair blot it dry with either a 100% cotton shirt or a microfiber towel. Don’t rub, just blot dry. This will also help to curb frizziness.
5. Don’t shake your hair dry! This will just increase the incidence of tangles.
6. Wash your hair in the upright position. You know when you wash your hair bent over a tub or bent into the shower? When you stand up and snap your head back into the upright position tangles are more likely to happen. If you need to wash your hair in this position wrap a towel around your head before standing back up and once it’s been blotted dry remove the cotton shirt or microfiber towel carefully.
7. Wash your hair in twists. If you have very kinky or curly hair, after shoulder length it’s propensity to tangle will increase by a lot. I used to hate washing my hair in twists but after a certain length I had to relent. I detangle my hair, twist it and as I wash and condition it, I move from section to section I no longer wash my hair in its free-flowing form.
8. Don’t swim without twisting, tying or getting your hair into a bun. Especially after a certain length swimming with free flowing hair exacerbates tangles.

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