No Comb? No Worries! Here Are 5 Tips For Finger Detangling Fine Hair

A lot of natural women tend to confuse ‘fine’ with ‘thin’ when it comes to describing their hair texture and type. Some even assume that because your hair is fine that it cannot be thick or if your hair is coarse, it cannot be thin–this is not always the case. “Thick” and “Thin” are usually used to describe the density of your hair as a whole. Thick hair has a high density–more hair strands per square inch, or denser hair follicles–while thin hair is low density.

On the other hand, “fine” and “coarse” are used to describe the thickness and thinness of the individual hair strand itself. So no, having coarse hair doesn’t always mean you have thick hair, and having fine hair does not always mean you have thin hair. It’s important to know the difference in terms so that you can properly care for your hair–especially when detangling.

Detangling is one of the most tedious tasks when it comes to natural hair; it becomes a lot more complicated when your hair is fine because fine hair is usually fragile, and detangling can bring a lot of shedding and breakage if done incorrectly. This is why finger detangling is usually the better option for those of you with fine, natural hair.

There are tons of products and techniques you can use to make sure your hair care goes as smoothly as possible, but here are just a few basic tips that’ll help you build a strong method when figuring out how to detangle your fine hair, no matter the texture.

Dampen, Don’t Saturate, Your Hair 

Fine hair can be a bit on the fragile side so you want to avoid any products or liquids that’ll weigh down your hair. This means it may not be in your best interest to detangle your hair in the shower–or at least immediately after wetting or washing your hair.

After sectioning off your hair, take a spray bottle and give your hair a few light sprays and then begin to work through it. This will give your hair some slip, but won’t weigh it down or cause it to shed more than it should.

Separate, Don’t Pull or Tug

When running into snags, tangles, or knots, it’s tempting to want to yank or pull at them. Of course, we all know that this can cause a crazy amount of breakage since natural hair of any texture seems to tangle a ton. Instead, you should work your way through each tangle by separating each strand! This may take a little big longer, but it’s totally worth the very little shedding.

If you have thick, fine hair, you may even experience matting. For this problem, you still should separate strands but be sure to use a light cream or oil for some extra slip. Matted hair usually takes a little bit more ‘elbow grease’ to loosen up.

 Use Light Creams and Oils* 

Like I mentioned before, light creams and oils* can work wonders for detangling fine hair! The keyword here is “light”; heavier products will weigh down your hair or make it sticky, which  ultimately makes the process more difficult by causing excess shedding.

My favorite products to use are Cantu Shea Butter* Coil Calm Detangler or Grapeseed Oil* on damp, sectioned off hair. Both products are great for moisturizing/sealing, but don’t weight down my hair. Any two products plus water will do–the only tricky part is finding the right balance for your hair’s personal needs.

Twist and Move Out The Way

Simply put: twist the section you just detangled and move it out of your way. Getting already done hair mixed up with the hair you still need to do is a mess EVERY time. Not only do you waste your time going through hair you’ve already detangled, but you’re unnecessarily touching your hair which can cause some shedding, frizz, or worse–damage the ends.

If you have short or medium length hair, loosely twist the finished sections and move to the next one. If your hair is longer, twist the section a little tighter and then roll into a loose bantu knot and tuck. If you feel like it’ll unravel, pin it down with a plastic bobby pin.

Go Into A Protective Style Immediately After 

Fine hair is typically fragile, and fragile hair likes to be left alone. Detangling is probably the most manipulation your hair should see in one day. As soon as you’re done, move right into a protective style that you can rock for a few days.

The style should be be something like twists, loose buns, dutch braids, etc Something that is reasonably loose, but will also let your hair breathe.

Remember, the most important things when detangling fine hair is to be gentle, protect your ends, keep your hair moisturized, and that your fingers are the best tool to use.