The importance of Detanglers

One of the main reasons a lot of women lose hair from shedding and breakage is because they are not detangling their hair properly. African American hair gets more tangled and matted because of its tightly woven structure and curly appearance. Women with natural hair and children are more likely to shed hair or lose hair from combing, brushing or styling if their hair is not effectively detangled. Every young black girl has experienced the pain and discomfort of having her hair styled and the term “tender headed” has been loosely tossed around for those who flinched or dared to move when their hair was being combed.

 

The difficulty in detangling young black girl’s hair is what led to early chemical application of relaxers which was done by mothers who wanted more manageability of their children's hair. The use of detanglers is now a necessity in the natural hair community and can no longer be perceived as an optional activity. Detanglers can also be used for women who wear weaves and wigs because they help remove knots and tangles and extend the life of the weave hair not to mention the refreshing fragrance infused in some of the well known brands. Dreadlocks although they’re knotted and matted can also enjoy the benefits of a good Leave-In Detangler helping to separate locs during loc maintenance. Detanglers can be used to remove braids and twists so that more hair is retained on the individual’s hair. Women with relaxed hair or who are transitioning from relaxers can also benefit from the use of a good detangling product since there are large amounts of hair loss and hair breakage during styling. Women who transition have a line of demarcation which denotes two different textures of hair, the weaker relaxed hair and the stronger textured natural hair at the roots which needs softening and detangling to minimize hair loss.

 

What is a Hair Detangler?

 

It is a type of conditioner that smoothes hair by coating it with an oil or polymer and or acidifying it so that the hairs surface tightens up whiles smoothing the scales on the hairs outer surface or cuticle to prevent tangles. The acidifier in the hair detangler helps balance the hair’s pH which helps to strengthen the hair making it more pliable. This ultimately helps reduce hair shedding and breakage. Common ingredients in hair detanglers are:

 

Ingredient	Purpose
Silicone	(E.g. dimethicone or cyclomethicone) a polymer that adds gloss to the hair.
Hydrolyzed protein	Helps to repair damaged keratin, smoothing the hairs cuticle which makes hair softer and less likely to tangle.
Behentrimonium Methosulfate	It is created from non genetically modified rapeseed oil .This scientifically sophisticated ingredient is renowned for its superior detangling ability  without causing build up on the hair and is extremely mild and gentle on the hair .
Panthenol	This is a B vitamin derivative which is great for fine, weak, damaged hair. It helps restore natural properties, oils and moisture to hair while detangling.

 

Hair detanglers are rendered in the form of sprays, creams or hair lotion. There are shampoos and conditioners that sometimes contain tangle taming ingredients. Creams and lotions may often lead to product build up on the hair and may cause flaky hair and scalp. Some creams may also feel sticky or tacky. Sprays are highly recommended. A good leave-in conditioning spray will not only mist the hair with much needed moisture but also detangle hair without product buildup.

 

What makes a Detangler great: A good detangler has the following benefits:

• Prevent shedding
• Increase moisture content in the hair
• Add body and sheen to hair
• Nourish hair with heat protectant properties from alcohol free and organic or natural ingredients.

 

Women with children are now aware of the effects a good detangling product has on their children’s hair. Braids and twists can be removed more easily from children’s hair and little girls can also actively participate in their own hair care and hair grooming needs without experiencing discomfort, thereby saving time for mothers and promoting independence and increasing self esteem in children. As these children grow they will implement the same processes using similar or better products which will result in an inter-generational culture of detangler users for years to come.

 

Future of Detanglers: Due to the fact that black women love versatility and different hairstyles, detanglers will always play a major role or central role in all the styling needs related to African-American hair and sales of detanglers is expected to increase in the coming years. Offering detanglers with the sale of hair weaves will help with weave maintenance and reduce customer complaints about hair purchased. This can help increase the store’s revenues significantly and can be leveraged as a cross selling strategy. Store owners and sales assistants should be aware of the benefits of detanglers and must actively educate and recommend products which make hair more manageable to their customers. Customers want to be educated about products which can help increase their hair growth and make their hair healthier. Demonstrating this form of care and concern will help increase loyalty to the store and its staff. Leave-In detanglers as demonstrated have a wide array of uses and are an essential part of a black woman’s hair care journey, whether they are natural, have relaxers, wear weaves or wigs. As women continue to embrace their natural hair and encourage the younger generation to do the same, it will help increase the self esteem of young African American girls. After all, longer, healthier hair begins with one word: "Detangling".