Tangles. Every parent’s arch nemesis, every child’s nightmare. The pulling, the yanking, the ouches, the tears, the bargaining, the dream of clippers and a buzz cut…. We’ve all been there, tangles are terrible. Tangles are what make kids hate hair brushing, hair styling, and haircuts. Brushing tangles hurts, it gives kids anxiety whenever they even see a brush or a comb. So how can we relieve the tension literally and figuratively around tangles? What’s the best method to remove them? More importantly, can’t we prevent them from happening in the first place?

On a scientific note let’s talk about the mechanics of hair and how tangles are formed:

The hair shaft is comprised of 3 layers. The outermost layer, the cuticle, is made of overlapping cells that look like fish scales. When those scales lay flat hair feels smooth, when they don’t, hair feels rough. Imagine if you will an electrical cord vs. a string of Christmas lights. Which one is easier to manage? Which one is constantly tangled no matter what you do? When you use products that have a pH balance that is too high, or alkaline, your cuticle lifts and the hair strand essentially becomes a string of Christmas lights, and disastrous tangles are unavoidable.

Why does kids’ hair seem to get so tangled compared to an adult?

A child’s skin and scalp produce far less oil (sebum) on a daily basis than an adult. Sebaceous glands secrete a mixture of lipids called sebum. Sebum is our bodies natural form of moisturizer. Sebaceous glands are largely inactive until puberty, after which they enlarge and become secretory. Kids are more prone to tangles because they only produce about 1/3 of the amount of oil that someone who has gone through puberty does. Dry = rough, rough= tangles. This is why properly formulated products just for kids is so important, especially a hydrating leave- in treatment like our Leave- In Detangling Therapy.

Combine these with environmental stressors- dirt, micro particles of pollutants in the air, sun, wind, humidity, sweat, friction, etc. and you have the perfect recipe for terrible tangles. Let them sleep with wet or even damp hair? Expect this in the morning…

So, how do we treat tangles that have already formed and how can we prevent them from forming or becoming unmanageable?

Removing Tangles:

• Use a paddle brush with firm bristles that are not tightly packed when brushing a tangle in dry hair.
• Work in small sections of hair and hold hair at the base of the scalp when brushing to avoid painful pulling.
• Never lift hair up above the shoulder when brushing. Always hold hair lower than the area it grows out of the scalp to avoid pain.
• When you encounter a tangle, start at the bottom of the tangle, not the top. Use many light short strokes as opposed to few long, aggressive strokes to try to remove the tangle, this causes breakage.
• When encountering a tough or severe tangle use a detangling, moisturizing product on the tangle like our Leave- in Detangling Therapy before brushing, to protect hair from breakage and reduce the time it takes to remove the tangle.
• Always remove tangles before washing hair or getting it wet. Brushing tangles when wet will cause breakage as hair is 1/3 as strong when wet compared to dry hair.
• If a tangle has formed in wet hair use our Nourishing Conditioner with our Wide Tooth Detangling Comb and gently remove the tangle with the steps above to avoid breakage. Rinse, towel dry and follow up with our Detangling Leave- in Therapy.

Preventing Tangles:

• Brush hair when you brush your teeth. In the morning and at night before heading to bed. This will greatly reduce tangles form forming during sleep and make brushing in the morning a much easier task.
• Wash and condition hair with our pH Balanced Nourishing Shampoo and Conditioner that is specifically formulated for kids’ hair and scalp type every 1-3 days depending on activity level and sebum production.
• Use our Wide Tooth Detangling Comb to ensure all tangles are removed and to evenly distribute conditioner while conditioning hair.
• Use a pH balanced product like our Detangling Leave- in Therapy after washing and conditioning the hair. Our leave- in treatment restores the pH balance of the hair after it is altered by alkaline (high pH) tap water when rinsing. It smooths and restores the cuticle.
• Towel dry wet hair gently, and then blow dry. Blow drying hair with medium to low heat will help smooth hair, seal the cuticle and lock in moisture. Water’s alkaline pH causes the hair shaft to expand in turn lifting the cuticle up, creating rough textured hair more prone to tangles and breakage.
• Never ever, ever, sleep with wet hair. The longer water stays in the hair shaft, the more the shaft is swollen causing a lifted cuticle. The longer the cuticle is raised the weaker and rougher the hair becomes. Combine a rough raised cuticle and the friction of hair tossing and turning against a pillow at night= tangle and breakage disaster.
• Cut your hair. Tangles start in the ends of your hair and work their way up. If all of the steps above are followed and tangles are still a significant issue, it is time for a hair cut to remove the split and dead ends that cannot be repaired. Split ends= tangles.

Using properly formulated haircare that is made for kids’ unique needs is essential for keeping hair and scalp healthy and keeping tangles at bay. Less tangles = less of a nightmare for kids and parents in all areas of haircare. If we can help eliminate the pain and anxiety around tackling tangles, kids will start to think of grooming differently. Haircare will become a form of self expression and empowerment instead of dread and pain. 

Now, how can I change the taste of broccoli to take on that challenge?