Why Does My Hair Tangle So Easily? 5 Steps To Smoother Hair
As part of getting ready for the day, brushing your hair is one of the most common morning tasks. But this seemingly simple task can be harder for some people than others. Tangles, knots, and mats can make brushing your hair a chore. Whether you have natural hair or wear a wig or topper, understanding why your hair tangles so easily can make daily maintenance much easier.
Hair tangles usually happen because the outer cuticle of your hair becomes rough, allowing strands to catch on one another. The most common causes include:
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Hair type (fine, curly, thick, or long)
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Hormonal or nutritional changes
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Dryness and damaged cuticles
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Improper brushing techniques
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Environmental exposure
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Product buildup
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Sleeping habits
Fortunately, most tangles can be prevented with proper hydration, gentle detangling, and using products designed for your specific hair type.
When you are using a real hair wig or topper, tangles can be just as common. So if you ever wonder, “Why does my hair get so tangled?” read on for the answer, as well as ways to reduce those nasty tangles.
We are breaking down the causes into 3 main categories that address why your hair might tangle easily. As we discuss these causes, we will also include ways to prevent tangles based on each cause. Once you know how to get tangles out of your hair properly, your daily hair routine can become much less frustrating.
How Do Your Hair Cuticles Play A Role In Tangles?
One of the biggest answers to why your hair can tangle easily is the condition of your hair cuticles. The cuticles form an outer layer that protects the core of your hair.
Cuticles are scales that lie flat and smooth when your hair is healthy and moisturized. However, if they are raised by dryness or damage, they can catch on other strands of hair and cause tangles, knots, and mats.
For many people, the reason why their hair tangles so easily is a combination of hair type, daily habits, and environmental factors that impact these cuticles.
Why Does My Hair Tangle So Easily? (Your Hair Type)
By and large, you can’t change your hair composition. It is as much a part of who you are as any other genetic feature. The same usually goes for your wig’s hair type… you want to learn how to care for it, not immediately change it if it’s tangling. However, knowing how to manage your hair type could reduce the tangles you get, even when wearing a real-hair wig or topper.
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Fine hair:
If you have fine hair, you are likely familiar with tangles, but do you know why don't hair in particular tangles so easily? The answer lies in how fine hair strands wrap around one another. This tangling happens because they are lightweight and delicate.
To avoid tangling in fine hair, it is recommended that you use only lightweight conditioners, get regular mini trims, and use volumizing products to cause less rubbing of strands together.
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Curly/coily hair:
Curly or coily hair is also likely to wrap around other strands due to its natural looping or spiral shape. This explains why your hair gets so tangled, for many women with this hair type.
Curly or coily hair can benefit from layering leave-in conditioner, cream, and oil, as well as using satin or silk pillows and curl-safe brushes.
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Thick/dense hair:
Thick or dense hair strands may not tangle often, but when they do, they can hide under layers of hair. If not found early, tangles can turn into knots or mats.
If you have thick or dense hair, try using leave-in creams and weekly hydrating masks. It can also help to make sure you are brushing out the hair at the back of your neck. Always go from the bottom to the top.
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Long hair:
Long hair strands have more surface area to rub against each other, causing friction that leads to tangling. Additionally, longer hair tends to be drier, more frayed, and more prone to split ends, all of which contribute to tangles.
For long hair, light oils, leave-in conditioners, and frequently trimming the ends should help keep your tangles at bay. These are ways to avoid hair that tangles easily.
Why Does My Hair Get So Tangled? (Internal And External Factors)
Aside from your hair type, there are internal and external factors that play into tangles. With a few changes, you can see marked improvement.
Internal Factors
Sometimes the answer to easily tangled hair has less to do with your routine and more to do with what's happening inside your body. Internal factors are conditions within your body that affect how tangled your hair gets. These do not apply to real hair wigs or toppers, but they are important to consider if you are trying to improve your natural hair.
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Hormone imbalances:
Hormones regulate your hair’s natural oils, and if your hormones aren’t where they should be, it can leave your hair dried out. Shifts in your hormones can lead to your hair’s cuticles being raised, causing them to catch on each other, tangling your hair. Imbalanced hormones may also affect the strength of your hair strands, making them more susceptible to breakage.
If you think that you may have a hormone imbalance, please see your doctor for blood tests and follow their recommendations. While your hormones are rebalancing, you can use a wide-tooth comb, a satin or silk pillowcase, and a leave-in conditioner to reduce your risk of tangles.
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Nutritional deficiencies:
We’ve all heard the phrase, “You are what you eat.” When it comes to tangled hair, what you are eating, or rather not eating, might be the culprit. Certain vitamins, minerals, and protein are necessary for healthy hair. Decreased iron, B vitamins, low protein, and Zinc are all possible causes.
As with imbalanced hormones, please see your doctor. They can order blood tests to determine if and what deficiencies you may have, then follow the guidelines they set for you. The solution may be as easy as a small change in diet.
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Lack of moisture/hydration:
While drinking water is important for the health of both your scalp and hair, that alone will not fix your dry hair problem. The issue is the moisture on the surface of your hair. That moisture keeps your cuticles smooth with fewer tangles. Additionally, dry hair can break more easily due to its brittleness.
What can help with dehydrated hair is a professional-grade leave-in conditioner, deep conditioning treatment, or a lightweight serum or oil. Also, using a microfiber towel or a cotton t-shirt and gently squeezing water out of hair instead of rubbing it with a regular towel may help retain more moisture and prevent breakage.
External Factors
Finally, if you're still trying to figure out why your hair tangles so easily, don't overlook external factors like water quality, product buildup, or sleeping habits. Many of these conditions can be corrected with a few basic changes.
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Environmental factors:
Wind, salt water, heat, sweat, and humidity can all wreak havoc on your hair. They can dry out your hair, cause it to swell, and increase the friction on your hair strands. Putting your hair up loosely, using leave-in products, and braiding it can all mitigate damage.
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Water quality:
Believe it or not, your water may be why your hair tangles so easily. Hard, soft, well, or city, the water used to cleanse your hair also has an effect on your hair. Each of these types of water contains different chemicals and minerals. Many of those elements can cause your cuticles to remain raised rather than smoothing out.
You might consider purchasing a showerhead with a water filter, or a whole house water filter to prevent iron and other minerals from damaging your hair. Additionally, if you have hard water, a water softening system is usually your best choice.
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Product build-up:
Product residue is another overlooked reason that can cause your hair to tangle easily after washing. The combination of styling products and the wrong shampoo can leave residue in your hair. Over time, that product builds up, causing your cuticles to become rough and leading to tangles. It is recommended to use a clarifying shampoo if you use a lot of styling products.
Clarifying shampoo cleans your hair more thoroughly, getting rid of any product residue, leaving your hair smooth and less likely to tangle. Please note that clarifying shampoo should be used weekly, not every time you wash your hair. Using it every time will overstrip your hair and cause it to dry out, continuing the tangle cycle.
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Sleeping habits:
Sleep, while restorative to your body, can be tough on your hair. As you move your head around during the night, it causes friction, which leads to tangles. If you know you often toss and turn, try switching to a satin or silk pillow case, as those produce less friction.
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Rough brushing:
Your brush could be doing more harm than good. Switching to a detangling brush can reduce the risk of hair damage when brushing. Along with that, being gentler while brushing can lessen hair breakage. And, of course, don’t forget to brush from the bottom to the top. Don’t just start at the top, as that can worsen the tangles.
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Hair style:
How you wear your hair can also create tangles. Some of the most common hairstyles that contribute to this are loose ponytails – which move a lot – and tightly pulled hairstyles that cause breakage. Better options include half ponytails, using claw clips to hold your hair more loosely, and a loose braid.
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Hair length:
If your hair is long enough to rub on your back and shoulders, it will most likely tangle where your hair has the most contact with your clothes, especially on windy days, and especially if you often wear either high-necked tops and collars or scarves. If that applies to you, you would be wise to lightly comb out that area every day to prevent dread-locking and breakage.
How To Get Tangles Out of Hair Safely In 5 Steps
There are a few simple steps you can take to remove tangles in your hair in a way that does the least damage to your hair. Learning how to get tangles out of your hair starts with using the right technique, as well as the right products.
Follow these 5 steps to learn how to get tangles out of hair.-
Start with damp hair and add some leave-in conditioner. Dry hair is more prone to breakage; conditioner will help to work the tangles loose.
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Be gentle. Pulling too hard or trying to force the tangle or knot to separate can cause your hair to break. Broken hair only causes your hair to tangle more. When you're looking for how to get tangles out of your hair without causing breakage, patience is a virtue. Take it slow.
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Begin by running your fingers through your hair to break up tangles as much as possible. Once you’ve done that, it is really important that you switch to a wide-toothed comb or a brush specifically designed for detangling.
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With that comb or brush, ALWAYS start at the bottom of your hair, slowly working up from there in small, manageable sections. NEVER try to detangle starting from your scalp or the top of your piece to the ends – that is almost a guarantee for breakage and even more tangles!
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Finally, you will want to give your hair a final rinse with cold water to seal the cuticle, create shine, and eliminate both remaining frizz and future tangles.
These practical techniques for how to get tangles out of your hair can help preserve your hair's strength and smoothness.
Why Does My Hair Get So Tangled? (Wigs And Toppers)
Hair tangles rarely have one single cause. In most cases, they're the result of your hair type, the condition of your cuticles, your daily habits, and your environment working together. Identifying the underlying reason makes it much easier to choose products and routines that actually help.
Key Takeaways
✓ Hair tangles are usually caused by friction between raised hair cuticles.
✓ Curly, fine, thick, and long hair all tangle for different reasons.
✓ Internal health and external habits both affect tangling.
✓ Proper brushing technique prevents breakage (ALWAYS top to bottom!).
✓ Wigs and toppers require many of the same detangling techniques as natural hair.
So, whether you have natural hair, a wig, or a topper, it is important to be able to answer the question, “Why does my hair tangle so easily?” If you are using a wig or topper and are having difficulty with tangles or styling, we would be happy to help you. We can either teach you the proper way to care for your real hair wig or topper, or do it for you!
Women are wearing wigs and toppers for many reasons these days. Some use them to simplify getting ready, for religious reasons, or because of a medical issue that causes hair thinning or shedding.
We offer online and in-person private consultations in a safe environment to share your story, determine what you are looking for in a real hair product, and work to find the best option to help you feel great. All of our wigs and hair toppers are custom cut, and personalized even further for clients who come into our salon. This allows you to stay with your usual look or try something a little more daring!
Please don’t hesitate to contact us to see how we can serve you.
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