Is there a way to help hair that tangles?

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DD has beautiful think hair but it’s so fine. She loves having long hair but it mats and tangles so easily. Swimming is a nightmare. She lives in plaits. But even the slightest wind or bit of chlorine and it’s a mass of tangles that take hours to brush out. I’ve tried every detangling solution and brush I can find.
Please help - where are we going wrong? I have thin flat hair so never had this problem!

Lots of conditioner after washing to weigh it down a bit

If you get it cut short it will not tangle at all

Johnsons kids spray leave in detangling conditioner.

Any spray in leave in conditioner before combing out with a tangle teezer brush.

It’s hard to explain how bad it gets. It becomes dreadlocks in water and can only be untangled when dry. I was wondering if it might be curly and me brushing it is the problem, but if I don’t brush it, it becomes a solid mass very quickly.

Thanks so much - we have tried Johnson’s, Asda, Mane and Tail, TangleTeezer spray, revlon leave in conditioner and some others, but none fix it

Ah me and my daughter are the same, slightest bit of wind it’s tangled, the size of the matted knot of hair at the nape of her neck purely from her school shirt collar is a nightmare hence high plaited ponytail every day- the best things I’ve found are the wet brush and products like conditioner and leave in conditioner specifically for hair extensions

My daughter’s hair is a bit like this, though maybe not as extreme. We’ve found Alberto Balsam raspberry conditioner fantastic and so cheap - so I’m happy using loads of it. I need to add a lot more than I would use in my hair, rub it in all over the hair and I don’t rinse too thoroughly. I also find detangling sprays a bit of a double-edged sword - work well in the moment but make it worse later in the day. I use it very sparingly, and have a spray with plan water to “reactivate” the conditioner.

My DD hair would get badly matted from the fur from the hood of her winter coats 🧥
We used Tangle Tease but actually we now both use Cantu bristled hairbrush’s for thick curly hair even though we have fine poker straight hair and it works so well for us.

They cost between £12-£15 from Superdrug or Sainsbury’s.

Also Aveda do a brilliant leave in hair rescue remedy if you get really desperate. Obviously it’s pricey but it’s brilliant stuff.
Also try Garnier hair food mask especially the banana one which can be used as a conditioner and left in

Headjog 08 brush - a game changer!

Put conditioner on the hair before swimming, then plait it.

Use a wide-toothed comb for detangling.
Her hair might be wavy.

Alberto Balsam is fine.
I also find detangling sprays a bit of a double-edged sword - work well in the moment but make it worse later in the day.
I have an Aussie one and more or less agree with what @roofa said.

Those kids detangling sprays are not nice long term and will strip her hair. Try using curly girl method products, no sulphates, lots of moisture, mid range brands. Curlsmith weightless air dry cream and souffle, a bit of oil (Cantu men's beard and hair oil here). She might have some protein build up depending what products have been used so give it a really good clarify and then a really good moisturise. She might be a bit greasy whilst you find the balance and what works but it's better than all the knots. We also use a paddle brush from wet brush.

An hour before washing put a heavy mask on. Then rinse in the bath . Then coat the hair in shampoo but don’t rub in. Rinse in bath and put another mask on. To rinse let her body move through the water so her hair is swaying. It works.

What works for us:

Brush: https://amzn.eu/d/2hw6293 (this is honestly our holy grail brush)
Treatment pre-shampoo: Olaplex 3
lamellar conditioner: Lamellar conditioner (Elvive)
leave-in conditioner: Aldi wonder liquer (link to eBay as no longer in stock)

When we go swimming, DD and I wet our hair, put olaplex in, then do a tight bun at the nape of our neck. We both have long fine hair and it tangles and then breaks off easily when you try to untangle it. The only way for us to keep our hair long is to try and prevent tangles in the first place.

Mine is the same- a wide tooth comb or tangle tease brush are the best.

Firstly a good cut to make sure it's not dead ends causing tangling. I've got long thick curly hair and know it needs cutting when it starts to dred.
I dont follow curly girl method, but I use faith in nature shampoo and conditioner so no parabens or sulphides. I never brush or comb my hair dry, only when wet, once I've put conditioner on, comb it with a wide tooth comb, starting from the bottom gently working tangles out slowly, then comb again with a normal tooth comb, again starting from the bottom.
I then wash out the conditioner and repeat the process with a tangle teaser, then comb some oil through it.
If you comb straight from the roots all the little tangles get dragged into a big
super-knot that's impossible to untangle. If you do get a super-knot, I find holding the knot and using my fingers to gently tease any loose hairs free of the knot works well, keep going until the super knot is gone.

What is her hair type? That should be the first thing you determine before you buy anything or think about methods or cuts. Also how old is she, how long is her hair, and how has it been cut? What would she like?

Generally, I’d suggest a swim cap for the pool, a silk bonnet or pillow case for sleeping, and making sure you keep the ends of her hair trimmed as dead ends cause knots. Make sure her hair ties & pins are appropriate for her hair type. Make sure you use leave in conditioners etc.

I only detangle when my hair is wet & full of conditioner - never dry - and prefer a sturdy comb to a brush. I kind of follow the curly girl method (tweaked & slimmed down) - and get only dry hair cuts (each curl cut individually) - maybe it’s worth investigating? I only detangle twice a week or less - I embrace the curly girl method, it looks good and save time (and hair).

I have hair like this- poker straight & matts horribly when washed or subject to a winter scarf. Most recently matted on top due to sleeping too near my velvet headboard!
The cure? Counter intuitive but try drying it with hairdryer without brushing or combing first. You’ll find that you can then gently tease the matts out as it dries with your fingers, then brush it. The only conditioner that has any effect on mine is Herbal Essences Coconut- just put it on the ends. Never swim without it being tied in bun. And this hairbrush is brilliant denmanbrush.com/products/d90l-tangle-tamer-ultra

Thank you so much - great ideas here

How is best to tell her hair type please? She is 6, long wavy ish hair down her back. She’s desperate not to have it cut and I’m trying to help her.

DD has hair like this. I've found Elvive Dream Lengths shampoo and conditioner (lots of it and worked into the hair patiently - hers goes like dreadlocks when wet too, so this takes a few minutes), rinsed and then followed by a generous application of Pantene Pro-V Argan oil is the best combo. A Wet Brush Pro to brush, and then a hairdryer on not too hot, pointing the nozzle down the hair in the direction of growth. Making sure it's cut regularly to avoid split ends helps too.

Oh yes, and brush from the bottom up (take a section of hair, brush the tangles out of the bottom three inches, then once they're gone, move up and do the next three inches, etc. Don't try to brush straight from top down and don't take too large a section.

Brilliant thank you

OP if you haven't had it cut in ages thats why shes having an issue.
The key to long hair is regular trims
You don't avoid cutting it for years or it just splits all the way up the shaft and tangles horribly then you have to cut loads off.
You just need to get regular trims to keep the ends healthy, eg just a cm or two every 10 or 12 weeks

You've avoided answering peoples question of when it was last cut and i suspect its because it hasnt been cut in possibly years and unfortunately if that's the case you will probably need to cut several inches off.