How to Untangle Matted Hair and Prevent it From Happening?

What Causes Matted Hair?

You need to understand the root cause before finding out how to untangle matted hair. Once you find out the reason behind matted hair, it will be easier to prevent facing the issue in the future.

You might be surprised to learn about the several different reasons which contribute to causing mats in the hair.

1 - Thin, Brittle Hair

People who have thin hair usually deal with matted hair as part of their daily routine. If your hair is lengthy, there are even more chances of tangling and snarling. One of the main reasons thin hair becomes matted is that it breaks quickly. These broken hair strands get stuck in the hair. Thus, if you don’t comb the hair regularly, there will be knots around the hair, quickly turning into a mat.

2 - Naturally Curly Hair

If you have naturally curly hair, it is prone to getting matted. Since the strands of the hair curl around each other, you will often find knots around the hair. Without proper care and combing of the hair, these knots rapidly form mats.

3 - Long Hair

People who have short hair don’t deal with mats the way people with long hair do. When you have long hair, the strands are more likely to get attached to different strands, particularly if the hair remains uncombed. Then, the hair becomes tangled and matted.

If you want to deal with this problem, learn how to untangle matted hair. Frequent brushing and proper care of the hair will usually prevent the matting and tangling of the hair.

4 - Processed Hair

The hair, which has been heavily processed, becomes dry. Thus, it is more likely to become tangled and matted. You need to properly condition the hair so that it doesn’t remain oily, and there will be fewer chances of the hair strands clinging to each other.

However, if you don’t stop processing the hair regularly, it will become dry and brittle. The chance of the hair becoming matted will increase in such a situation.

What Should You Do If The Hair Becomes Matted?

After noticing the hair has become matted, there are some simple steps you can take which can help prevent the hair from matting further. While untangling the hair, it is important to keep in mind that you don’t damage the hair strands in the process. First, use a conditioner on your hair since it will make the untangling process easier.

Moreover, try to remove the matted hair clinging to other hair strands. Since the matted hair can get excessively tangled, isolating the mat will limit the chances of matting the rest of the hair.

How To Untangle Matted Hair?

Once you find the hair has started matting, immediately get rid of the tangled spots so they do not spread. If you don’t start taking care of the hair, the situation will soon worsen, and there will be hair breakage. Here are some simple ways which can help you untangle matted hair.

Detangling Process

Follow these steps to untangle matted hair:

Put Detangling Spray Or Conditioner

You need to put tangling spray or conditioner on the matted hair. If you try to comb the hair without using a spray or conditioner, dryer and brittle hair will keep the matted hair tighter.

When you moisturize or hydrate the hair with spray, the process of detangling becomes smooth and easy. Ensure to condition the surrounding areas of the matted hair since it can spread further on dry hair.

Leave The Conditioner Or Spray On The Hair

You should leave the hair hydrated for at least 30 minutes. The hair will become moisturized, and it will make the untangling process quick.

Use An Untangling Comb Or Brush

You will need an untangling brush with a wide-tooth comb to untangle the hair effectively. Since a wide-tooth comb can isolate the large strands from each other, you must get this comb for untangling the hair.

Use Your Fingers

You can easily find out which hair strands can be isolated from the mat using the fingers. Since you won’t damage the hair when using fingers, it is the best way to untangle it. Start from the top of the mat to reduce unintentional hair breakage.

Prevent Hair From Tangling Again

Once you have successfully removed some hair strands from the mat, ensure they don’t become entangled again. You need to use an untangling brush to comb through the still matted hair gently. Ensure that the matted hair doesn’t get tangled with other strands again while untangling.

Use Wide-Toothed Comb

After removing most of the hair from the mat, use a wide-toothed comb to finish removing other narrower hair strands, which are still tangled. Ensure all the hair strands have been untangled.

Rinse The Hair Using Conditioner

You should wash the hair with cool water after conditioning it properly. Reapply the conditioner to hydrate the hair strands properly so that it don’t become matted again.

Note: You can use coconut or olive oil instead of conditioner.

Conclusion

We hope you understand the reasons due to which the hair becomes matted and how to untangle matted hair properly and quickly. You need to comb the hair regularly to prevent the matting of hair in the future. Conditioning and hydrating the hair daily will ensure that your hair doesn’t feel dry and brittle.