Damp Detangling VS Dry Detangling natural hair| ELEANOR J'ADORE

After having worn my hair in wash and gos for 2 solid weeks, I was in need for a serious detangling session over the weekend. I usually detangle with coconut oil and conditioner, but for some reason I wanted to only use coconut oil and leave it in my hair overnight, as I know that coconut oil can really penetrate the strands deeply if left in the hair for a number of hours. Due to sheer laziness I ended up not doing it on Friday night, but found myself reaching for my jar of coconut oil on Saturday morning only, ready to tackle the mane with oil alone. I’d barely started when I stopped to ask myself why on earth I would think applying oil to my dry hair would be a good idea?

I know that there are many curly girls out there who detangle just with oil, and I thought that I wanted to get in on the action too, but alas, it was not for me. Here I summarised the reasons why damp detangling works so much better for me than dry detangling.

Damp Detangling

Conditioner / Water and Oil

• The added moisture makes the hair softer and more pliable.
• The softer hair allows for tangles to be worked through more easily.
• Conditioner coats the hair strand and smooths the cuticle, providing slip, which makes it even easier to remove tangles.
• I love how the combination of moisture (water and/or conditioner) and oil makes my hair feel.

Dry Detangling

Oil only

• It can become painful if there are too many tangles and knots present.
• It takes much longer to detangle the hair dry than damp.
• If the hair is already quite dried out and brittle, it can lead to breakage.
• I don’t like the feel of oil only on my hair.

Detangling is necessary for all naturals, whether you choose to do it with a comb, your fingers, a brush, or any of the nifty detangling tools on the market. And whether you choose to do it on dry, damp, or soaking wet hair is up to you, but I would definitely say that experimenting for yourself to see what you prefer is key. Ultimately the goal is to get get rid of as many tangles as possible without sacrificing length.

Do you detangle on damp or dry hair? If you detangle on dry hair please share some of your tips and tricks below.

By Eleanor J'adore