How to untangle really knotted hair

[Itsfab]

DD has a lot of hair and doesn't brush it properly or enough. She is currently weeping as DH tries to untangle it. We have tangle teaser brushes, leave in conditioner and I encourage her to wash it every 2-3 day and brush it through while damp.

I think her hair is thick and frizzy. What can I do to help her? She is refusing to have it cut after a traumatic appointment and the now left hairdresser said thinning her hair out wasn't an option or wouldn't help.

Maybe she will listen when we tell her to brush it more and let me plait it to sleep in but what can I do right now to help?

It has taken so long her hair has pretty much dried.

Whole bottle of Aussie Three Minute Miracle conditioner and then work from the bottom up with the tangle teaser. And then plait for bed and require thorough brushing (by her, adult finish off / check if necessary) night and morning, otherwise it has to be cut.

Put in lots of conditioner, and slowly coming and tangle teeze (or comb) through, it will take a while. Lots of conditioner will really help.

If her hair is frizzy maybe the tt won't help, it certainly hurts me to use it and mine is very curly and frizzy.

Do you come out from the bottom? rather than try to bring a comb downwards start at the bottom it will be much better.

I can't help much more as mine is a bush, I only comb it once when wet, get tangles out and then leave it until I wash it next time.

The leave in conditioner should help.

Put it into sections, spray lots of conditioner on and work it through bit by bit. If it's really matted you might need to snip the knits out and then get a proper hair cut sorted tomorrow

sorry should say comb out from the bottom.

Mark Hill No Knots! spray from Boots is really good.

Cutting the knots out is a no go as there are too many.

She has problems which make it impossible to have a hairdresser comb it all out plus it would take so long they wouldn't be impressed.

I will get both recommended products tomorrow and hopefully she will learn. It is horrible to see her so upset. The knots are hard.

Coconut oil. Works miracles on frizzy, knotted hair.
Massage it in, work from the bottom up.
I used on my own hair, before I chopped it all off.

DH has done an amazing job but she has lost a lot of hair .

I have plaited what is left.

Where can I buy coconut oil from please?

And is there a particular shampoo and conditioner that would be fine for her? She is 11.

Holland and Barrett and big supermarkets sell coconut oil.

Do you have a very wide toothed comb?

Use the hairdryer on dry hair whilst combing, I think the heat releases the natural oils in the hair and it really helps.
I promise.

I've had the same issue with DS for years. He has armpit length curly wiry hair. It got so matted underneath it went green and sticky with product build-up.

It took me about 3 to 4 recorded episodes of Top Gear to section it off and comb out hair by hair.

Some of the knots were only attached to his scalp by a few hairs anyway, so they got snipped off. I reckon about 30% of his hair ended up in the bin. Once I got it de-tangled I sectioned it off again and straightened it with GHDs then cut it straight across with my sewing shears. It looked amazingly good!

Agree with comb out from the bottom I get knotted hair in back and combing like this really helps

Tangle teezers are no good for thick hair IMO.

You need to wet it and comb it in sections every night then plait it.

Go to body shop and use their rainforest moisture products.

I would repeat again, don't use a brush. I struggled with my thick hair at that age - you need to help her!

Thank you all.

Can you recommend a decent brush for her please? TBH the tangle teaser used to be okay but not any more it seems.

Tangle teaser is ok if you section the hair, I find, or if it's only slightly knotted you can do top layers then flip head over and do the bottom layers. For worse tangles and styling I have a wooden one from Boots with wideset bristles, I found the Denman ones pulled too much but maybe that's just my dd.

Go for a comb.

With the rainforest body shop range, you must mix it with water in your hands to get it to lather. It doesn't strip your hair as much though and it isn't expensive so quite handy!

A comb! Never a brush, no way.

If her hair is frizzy you need a wide toothed comb not a hairbrush, that will only make her hair more frizzy exacerbating the problem.

I use a Denman tangle tamer brush on DD's hair. I got it in Boots. The tangle teaser was useless on it.

She has very thick hair and wide tooth combs hurt her too much (it may be the way I brush it though).

I have bought a wide toothed comb, detangler spray and Aussie shampoo, conditioner and something else. Didn't get a brush as she didn't want a new one and we thought we would try what we had to start with. Looked in the Body Shop but no signs and no one to ask so didn't get the rain forest stuff. Going to look on line to see what it looks like. I find in the Body Shop the staff are either all over you and over familiar when you don't want help and oblivious or not enough of them when you do. I asked for something last week and she decided to serve two people before going to look for it for me. I am not a fan of the body shop.

DD's hair this morning was all wavy from the plaits and lovely to brush through. She finds washing her hair really hard so I think it is partly it not being conditioned enough or for long enough that is adding to the problem and she has admitted not brushing it when it is damp as well .

Tbh if she can't or won't look after it, cut it off.

It's a responsibility. If she wants to have long hair then she has to look after it. Try micro managing her over it, if not scissors out!

Her hair is flyaway and she has lots of it.