The Skinny on Detangling Coily Hair

It took a while before I was able to find the right tools for detangling my hair. I have tried many different techniques and tools and found all to be breaking for my hair type. If you share similar tresses as mine and still don't know the skinny on what works best, stay tuned.

Dry, Damp, or Wet? Tools or No Tools?

Each state has its advantages and disadvantages, especially for very coily, fine hair. I have tried all 3 states on my hair. Here are the results of each:

Dry - this works best when you are finger detangling and for stretched styles. Using tools here will definitely rip your hair out. Instead, opt for fingers. Before tackling the section, coat with an oil of your choice. I have found that medium thickness oils have the best give such as Olive oil, Avocado Oil, or a 50/50 mix of Coconut Oil and Castor oil. Start and the ends and hold the section taught. Gently pull on the ends to release shed hair and uncoil any knots. If you do encounter a knot, stretch it down and pull the individual strands out of the knot or, if the knot is really stubborn, add more oil to it and grab a safety pin for additional aid.

Damp - works great with fingers and detangling/wide tooth combs on slightly shrunken hair or stretched hair. Dampen the section first with water, coat with oil, and start from the bottom. When choosing fingers, hold the section taught and lightly pull on the ends or comb through gently. This will release shed hair and untangle any knots. Move up the section piece by piece until you reach the root. By the end of the detangling section, you should be able to run your fingers or comb through the section of hair from root to tip with no or very minimal resistance.

Wet - works best with conditioner and detangling brushes on shrunken or stretched hair (especially works well under water stream). Most curly heads opt for this as their go-to detangling method. It is the faster way to detangle hair and does a good job at it. Soak the hair in warm water and squeeze out access water. Then grab a conditioner with good slip such as TRESemmé or VO5). As with the other detangling methods, start at the bottom while holding the rest of the hair taught. Gently brush any tangles out of the ends before moving up the section. If you feel that you don’t have enough slip, add more conditioner or water. You can even add a light to medium thickness oil.


Techniques

Now that you know what hair state works best with what tools, you should look at techniques and the reason why you’re detangling. Many coily and curly heads detangle their hair to keep it from tangling, obviously. But the method you choose to detangle your hair will dictate how your next style will look. 

If your going for smoother styles such as twist outs, braid outs, coil outs, roller sets, or bantu knot outs, Dry and Damp detangling works best with the aid of a tool. This helps smooth the hair, even if your curls naturally pop during the process, using a tool will help smooth those curls and coils.

If your going to a textured style such as wash and gos, textured buns, or updos, it’s best to finger detangle and leave curls/coils intact throughout the entire process. Don’t comb through them, again, even if your curls naturally pop don't comb them. This will just add frizz to the mixture.

For my coiled tresses, I have found that Damp hair works the best with the aid of an oil. I have tried paddle brushes, Denman-like brushes, and wide tooth combs on Dry, Damp, and Wet (with conditioner) hair. These tools are way too harsh on my fine strands and I always end up hearing the “Snap & Pop Symphony.” Instead, I finger detangle now.

I haven’t always had the patience to do this but it comes easier over time. To minimize the amount of finger detangling time, I make sure my ends are properly coated and moisturized when first styling my hair. I use a pomade/butter to coat the ends and continue to make sure ends are properly coated and coiled, not tangled, throughout the week. This helps with the finger detangling process.