Detangling Natural Hair Extensions: Do's and Don'ts

I think it is fair to say, detangling is probably our least favorite part of our natural hair routine.

I don't know about you but I actually LOVE the act of washing and conditoning my hair. It feels as if I'm cleansing any stagnate energy from the past few days and I feel lighter, mentally and physically,

after washing my hair. But, that whole detangling process...mannn, that can go.

Please keep in mind when you have natural hair extensions, you still have to be gentle and thorough when detangling. We have some Do's and Don'ts that will hopefully make things easier for you on wash day and even some tips on what to do during the week to keep wash day as quick and easy as possible.

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DO: Detangle With Conditioner

If you want to just cut out the BS and make your whole life easier, then ALWAYS detangle with a good conditioner with a lot of slip. Your arms and your hair extensions will be happy you did.

Detangling with a good slip conditioner (And no we do not mean a leave-in conditioner. We are talking about a real, rinse out conditioner. We listed our favorites below) will do a lot of the hard work for you. Conditioners are designed to moisturize and break down the tangles in the most gentle way. When applying the conditioner, apply using downward strokes instead of going upwards. Gently use your finger to work the conditioner onto every strand.

We recommend:

    DO: Wash Your Extensions Once A Week

    The most convenient time to do this is in the shower on wash day. Nahara's Curls recommends to wash your natural hair extensions once a week. Doing this will keep the extensions moisturized and the curls clumped.

    When curls are clumped (intentionally, not dreaded or matted due to neglect) they are less likely to roam and find other strands to "become friends with".

    We say "become friends with" because curls like to be clumped together with their neighbors (hair strands in their area). When they are directed by us (when we are defining the curls) they are told who to clump with. When they don't have that guidance, then they are lost and instead of clumping with the neighbor, they clump with hair strands in the next city or state! That is not good and causes more tangles.

    Your natural hair extensions also look their best with a weekly washing. They stay shiny and manageable. Who doesn't love that!?

    DO: Use the Right Detangling Tools

    What you use as a detangling tool is probably one of the most important decisions for your extensions. It can determine whether you spend 10 mins detangling or 1 hour detangling! I think we all are aiming towards the 10 mins.

    Finger-Detangling:

    We all have heard that finger detangling is the most gentle way to detangling natural hair as well as natural hair extensions. This is true, but when it comes to natural hair extensions we believe that finger detangling is a good start. But, you do need to use a good detangling brush to get through that tangles that your fingers might have missed!

    Detangling Brushes:

    Detangling brushes are great because they have a lot of "teeth" and ends up smoothing out tangles quicker and more gentle than a wide tooth comb. That makes detangling go by a lot quicker. Stay away from detangling brushes that have very thin "teeth", similar to "The Wet Brush". The teeth are not strong enough to thoroughly detangle our extensions, unless you are rocking our "TULA"  Collection.

    We recommend:

    Olivia garden finger brush

      DO: Detangle Thoroughly

      This is also a very important step! You don't want to skip it.

      You can't detangle only the top section of your hair and leave the underneath tangled. The tangles don't just go away. They will always be there and now they have more time to get even more tangled throughout the week. This is why detangling with a proper conditioner and detangling brush is a MUST.

      You want to detangle until there are no more tangles in the hair and you can easily run the brush through and your curls are bouncing back up.

       

      DO: Your Hair Needs To Be Dripping Wet

      This is why it is best to detangle on wash day, in the shower.

      You want the hair to be dripping wet because at the end of the day water is the best moisturizer and helps tremendously with the detangling process. If you feel like you are doing all the other things right and its still tangled, then add more water. You'll be amazed at what water can do to tangles.

      Keep the water luke-warm to warm. If the water is too hot, it will dry out the curls.

      Now for the DON'TS

      This is where we break down the habits that are causing you to have unnecessary tangles.

       

      DON'T: Detangle With Only A Leave-In Conditioner Or Only Water

      Water is the ULTIMATE moisturizer, but when it comes to detangling it does need some help from a rinse out conditioner.

       

      Leave-in conditioners are great, and we do need it when it comes to natural hair extensions, but they are not designed to rid the hair of week old tangles. They are there to keep the hair hair moisturized throughout the week and protect the hair from natural elements, like wind and sun. That protection ends up helping your hair from creating excessive tangles. And most leave-ins don't provide the same amount of slip as a rinse out conditioner.

      DON'T: Sleep Without Silk Or Satin Covering

      I believe we all know this but it is worth mentioning, just as a friendly reminder.

      We toss and turn in our sleep and are laying on a pillow for 6 or more hours. That is a big chunk of time, and if you are not wearing anything to protect your tresses, you are causing more tangles than ever before. Especially if you're sleeping on a cotton pillow case.

      We love this silk pillow case.

      @Alexandra_NX

      We recommend sleeping in a pineapple and wrapping a silk/satin scarf around or using silk/satin pocket bonnet. We like pocket bonnets because regular bonnets tend to have a lot more room for the hair to move while sleeping. The less movement the better.

       

      DON'T: Go To Sleep With Wet Hair

      Never go to sleep while your natural hair extensions are still wet or damp.

      Wet/damp curls plus sleeping is recipe for- tangles! The way your curls dry, is the way they will stay. So, if you are sleeping on your wet/damp curls, you will wake up to limp and matted curls.

      If you must sleep with your curls wet (only for rare occasions when you have no choice) then braid your hair in 4-8 plaits and don't forget the scarf! This will at least keep your hair in place while you are sleeping.

      DON'T: Start At The Roots

      Always, always, ALWAYS start at the ends of the hair.

      When you start at the root of the hair, you are causing a lot more stress on the hair and taking on all of the tangles at once when you don't have to.

      Detangling from the bottom and working your way up allows you to gradually work through the easiest part of the hair. You are also working through the tangles section by section as you move up.

      Trust us, working section by section is the easiest and most efficient way to do this. Even if it sounds like more work.

      DON'T: Detangle All Of The Hair At Once

      Nahara's Curls recommends grabbing a couple clips and sectioning your hair off into 4-6 sections. This will allow you to focus on one part without feeling completely overwhelmed.

      Make sure each section is thoroughly detangled before moving onto the next. When it is thourougly detangled you can either braid or twist it and clip away.

      These clips are great, they hold curly hair the best and are durable.

      Above all else, just remember to be patient when detangling. Sometimes it can be more difficult in the beginning, but after you get the hang of it, it will become second nature!

      With these tips your next wash day will be so easy!

      To learn more about our extensions or to make a purchase. Please visit us at www.NaharasCurls.com or follow us on Instagram @Naharas.Curls

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