Long Hair Detangling Tips
As I was standing in the shower after doing my once a week long hair cleansing ritual I figured I might as well Blog about my detangling techniques. Afterall, I blog about just about everything else and detangling long hair is key to hair, which is what Hairboutique.com is about.
Yes, it’s true, I only wash my very long (very old) hair (5 inches below my waist) once a week to protect it from the wear and tear of getting wet, having shampoo (even diluted shampoo) run through it and have it exposed to being detangled, even when I do it very carefully.
In between wet shampoo sessions I use dry shampoo to keep the fringe and top of my hair clean, fresh and very fluffy.
I’m a huge fan of Rene Furterer Naturia Dry Shampoo and have been using it since it was first introduced. Of course there are lots of great dry shampoo products on the market and you can even make your own if you desire but I just happen to get fabulous results with Naturia.
Karen’s Long Hair Detangling Tips
1. After my final cool/cold water rinse, yes I really do that, I turn off the shower and gently use my fingers (smooth and without any rough spots) to gentle pat and squeeze my wet strands to remove excess water. I try to avoid squeezing with any force to avoid damaging the ends in any way.
2. Once the majority of the water has been gently patted and squeezed out, I step out of the shower and use a very soft towel (without snags or rough spots) to blot my hair. I do not roll my hair into the towel due to my own personal preference and past experience with slight tangling.
3. After patting my hair to remove any remaining moisture with the super soft towel I apply a leave-in conditioner. I alternate between a few different brands (Phyto 7, Phyto 9 or Rene Furterer) but I currently prefer the Rene Furterer (RF) Fioravanti Detangling Cream which acts as a dual detangler and conditioner.
4. Before applying the Rene Furterer I always shake it well to make sure the cream is completely mixed. Then I squeeze a quarter sized glob of the creamy white conditioner into the palms of my hands, massage them together and then apply to my damp strands starting about 1 inch from the roots and working down to the ends.
I love the aroma of the RF Detangling Cream. To me it smells like fresh laundry with a dollop of coconut milk.
5. I gently gather my hair at the nape of the neck as if I am making a low riding pony and direct all the hair over to one side of my shoulder. This allows me to work on all the hair at once starting at the very bottom of the roots.
6. I use a seamless French handmade Kent style wide tooth detangling comb and work in very small areas. The key is to be extremely careful not to snag, rip or pull the delicate damp strands.
7. Once my hair is completely detangled from the ends to the roots, I gently wrap my hair is a cinnamon roll configuation and let it air dry at the back of my neck. If I want to wear my hair bone straight (it has natural waves and some curl) I will blow dry it briefly using a special blow dryer set on a very low, cool speed. I rarely blow dry except for special hair events since it can be hard on the tresses.
8. After letting my hair air dry for a few hours I unpin it and have a cascade of very soft waves with minimal damage, lots of shine and shimmer.
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June 11th, 2011 at 2:05 pm
One thing that works extremely well for me is the following:
Take one Garnier hairspray bottle and empty it. Rinse it out very well.
Fill half of the bottle with filtered water. Fill 1/3rd of the bottle with Infusium 23 STEP 3 leave-in treatment for frizzy hair. Add 40 drops of Organix argan oil. Add 25 drops liquid Vitamin E. Add equal amounts water\infusium to finish filling the bottle to the base of the neck. Shake well.
Once you’ve combed towel dried hair with a wide-toothed comb, apply this mixture minimally starting in the underneath, sides, middle of the back and then the top. Do NOT stick the nozzle directly on your scalp when applying. Apply it holding away from your head for more even coverage. Then fluff up your hair several times before combing again with a smaller comb or wide bristled paddle brush.
I let a co-worker with hair down to her butt borrow this mixture. I didn’t tell her what was in it. I just said ‘Hey, try this and let me know what you think.” Told her how to use it. I went to work 2 days later and she immediately said “How much would you charge to mix me up some of that stuff?! That sh*t’s the bomb!” I didn’t let her pay me and I told her exactly how to do it.
The thing that sound crazy about it is that any one of the ingredients in it ALONE don’t produce good results. I have no idea what made me mix them together, but I think I must have hit the ultimate hair detangling jackpot or something. The stuff works like nobody’s business.
As for myself I have hair that is super fine medium thick, color treated mid-way between my chin and shoulders. It seems to tangle and break just by looking at it. I used 4 strategically placed squirts on my hair and that was all it took. I don’t even use conditioner at all anymore since I came across the Creme of Nature detangling conditioning shampoo. I just use the shampoo, comb my hair with a wide toothed comb, spritz on some of my mixture, fluff it around, comb it with the paddle brush, wait for my hair to dry good and then go back and comb it with the paddle brush again. Super easy! Another plus is that I can skip a step in the shower since I don’t use conditioner anymore and I can have my shelf space back because I got rid of all the stuff that didn’t work taking up space!
June 16th, 2011 at 9:10 am
Hi Shauna,
Thank you so much for taking the time to provide this detailed detangling recipe. As someone with hair to her butt, I am going to try your recipe. Detangling is such a critical step for all of us with long hair because if we don’t do it with care, we can lose some of our precious growth. Have a wonderful rest of your week and thanks again for stopping by.