Why Is My Natural Hair So Tangled After Wash Day

We’ve all been there, running our fingers through our wet hair after what we thought was a good wash day, just to find our hair is a tangled mess.

No matter what detangling products and steps you take, you just can’t seem to get rid of hair tangles after wash day.

This is mainly caused by your hair type, if you have natural hair, the hair strands easily become a tangled mess when you don’t take caution.

With curly hair, the spiral of individual strands can get tangled to the spiral of another curl.

But with a good hair care routine as a wash day routine, this shouldn’t be too much of an issue and you’ll be on your way to tangle-free hair in no time.

Why Do I Have Tangled Hair After Wash Day?

While your hair texture plays a big role in this, it shouldn’t be too much of an issue. You should still be able to manage your curls if you have healthy hair.

The health of your hair is important in avoiding tangled hair, and having unhealthy hair may be why you can’t have a successful wash day, here are factors that may cause extreme tangles:

You have dry hair:

One of the factors that cause hair tangles is dry hair. Because hair cuticles don’t lie flat, this causes them to snag against each other and become intertwined.

Not detangling properly:

When you don’t detangle your hair properly before your wash day, you are doomed to cause hair knots. Don’t just detangle the ends of your hair, make sure to get all tangles out from the roots to the ends.

You are towel drying vigorously:

When drying your hair, if using a towel, rubbing on your hair will cause your hair to snag together and cause hair knots.

You’re using the wrong hair products:

When choosing hair products for your hair care routine, make sure to choose products suited to your hair’s needs. When you choose products that aren’t right for you, you can dry out your hair and cause knotting.

Your water is not right:

Hard water contains a damaging amount of chemicals, which can clog your pores and dry out your hair. You should also avoid washing your hair with hot water, rather use warm water to shampoo and cold water to condition.

Not detangling before shampooing:

When you shampoo your hair before detangling, you can set any hair knots in stone. Shampoo dries out your hair and removes any natural oils from the hair that could have helped you detangle your hair.

Not using a sulfate-free shampoo:

Sulfates dry out your hair, causing hair breakage, loss, and damage.

You have split ends:

Split ends cause hair next to it to attach at the ends and snag, causing hair knots and hair breakage.

Your hair is over-processed:

Over-processed hair is known to be damaged and dry hair, which contributes to tangling after wash days.

You tangle your hair during shampooing:

Another way you can cause hair knots is by manually creating them when you wash your hair. When you scrub the shampoo vigorously into your hair and rub it in circles you run the risk of tagling the hair.

How To Prevent Hair Knots After Wash Day

Now that you have identified what is causing your hair tangles after a wash day, let’s discuss what the best way to get rid of the problem is.

Do a pre-poo treatment:

I recommend doing a pre-poo treatment and finger detangling before washing your hair. You can use oils like coconut oil, castor oil or olive oil for your treatment or use a hair mask or hot oil treatment. This will soften up any knots and make detangling much easier.

Detangle properly:

Skipping through initial detangling is a big no-no, make sure to thoroughly detangle with a wide-tooth comb after finger detangling. Make sure there are no knots and your hair is tangle-free.

Use a sulfate-free shampoo:

One way to reduce dryness is to use a sulfate-free shampoo so as to not dry out your hair.

Deep condition each wash day:

A deep conditioner is important to keep your hair hydrated and moisturized, I recommend doing a deep condition of your hair after using a good sulfate-free shampoo.

Put your hair in twists:

When washing your hair, divide your hair into sections about 4-8 and twist them away as you detangle (while pre-pooing). This will help prevent your hair from tangling up again. I like to keep these twists in during the entire wash day.

Use a microfiber towel or cotton t-shirt:

Rather than use a normal towel that can be harsh on your hair, use a microfiber towel or a cotton shirt to be more gentle on your hair strands.

Use a detangling spray:

When detangling your hair out of the shower use a detangling spray to avoid detangling on dry hair, your hair needs excess water to prevent it from breaking as you detangle. Never detangle your natural hair dry.

Get regular trims:

I don’t mean get a trim every 3 months like most people recommend, I’m saying get trims as needed. You know your hair best when you see your ends begin to thin, get a trim to avoid split ends.

Protect your hair during your sleep:

When you go to sleep, put your hair into a pineapple and wear your bonnet. Alternately sleep on a silk pillowcase or a satin pillowcase to avoid causing split ends and drying out your hair.

Do a protective style:

Protective styles are great for curly hair, put your hair away and let it rest from all the constant manipulation from day-to-day styling. So make sure to put your hair in some cute protective hairstyles.

With these tips, you can now enjoy your wash day again without having to worry about the hair tangles to come.

Pin For Later!