A Felted Hat and Your Hair Have a Lot in Common: More on the Anatomy of a Tangle

Most of us have heard of felt or felted wool. Usually hats and bags are made from it. Or maybe you had a sweater made of it. If not washed and dried correctly, a prized, adult- sized sweater can end up too small to go over even a newborn’s head. Well, guess what?

The anatomy of a tangle for all hair types is the same idea. Hair has a natural way that it flows. The bulk of healthy hair, flows in the same direction. Most of us with hair that is longer than two inches or 1 centimeter are going to have some damage to our hair that may make it sticky and not able to move the way it would move if it were damage free.

Nonetheless, the average head of hair flows in the same general direction. I know Afro-textured hair is cottony. It still has a definite flow as well! Otherwise you wouldn’t get tangles. We all know how tangled our hair can get.

To make felted wool, the wool is weaved. Wool fibers are placed in a horizontal direction, then in a vertical direction. As each vertical fiber of wool is interwoven through the horizontal fiber strands, it is pushed down and creates a tight weave.   Well, hair is considered a fiber just like wool is considered a fiber. Most of us do not put product on our wool clothing, hats or purses. We do put hair products in our hair. Assume your tangle free, hair growing from your scalp represents the horizontal flow of your hair. Hair that naturally sheds or breaks off is no longer horizontal. It becomes perpendicular to the hair that is still attached. It becomes like the vertical fibers in a felted hat. Imagine mixing in some sticky product and some lint or dust onto the hair strand. Lastly, get out a mechanical implement such as a comb or a brush and comb through that same hair. You are pushing that tangle tighter, weaving your hair the same way that a felted piece of woven material is weaved. This is great for your sweater but terrible for your hair. So what are you to do?

Isolate the tangled hair. Pull as much shed, loosened or broken hair from the tangle as possible.

1. Wet or lubricate only the hair involved in the tangle.
2. Try to pick out any lint or dust and wash away the sticky product.
3. Don’t try to force a comb or brush through the tangle just yet.
4. First, try to squeeze the tangle. You are trying to detach any gummy, sticky or dry and hardened product.

6.      Then try to gently pull the heart of the tangle apart

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Hi everyone,

I wanted to go over some basic tips for us kinkies. These tips are the basics, but we always need to be reminded.

1. Never dry your hair with a bath towel, use an old white t-shirt.

2. Pre – poo as often as possible

3. Always apply a leave-in conditioner to your hair after washing it.

4. Try to finger comb/ part your hair as often as possible, less manipulation = less breakage.

5. Always detangle the hair when wet and loaded with conditioner. Use your fingers and then use a wide toothed comb, or tangle teezer, or denman brush.

6. Always protect your hair at night with a satin bonnet or satin/ silk pillowcase.

7. Apply your conditioner starting with the ends of the hair.

8. Always seal the moisture into your hair with a natural oil, starting with the ends.

9. Keep your ends tucked away as often as possible in a protective style. This will help you retain length.

10. Give your hair some TLC. Be very careful with it, as it is fragile.

11. Your hair grows from the inside out, so drink enough water everyday and don’t forget those green vegetables and fruit.

12. Moisturize your hair as often as needed. Don’t let your hair reach the dry, crunchy stage.

13. Keep a spray bottle around with distilled water, your favorite conditioner or vegetable glycerin and your favorite oils in it to keep your hair moisturized.

14. Water is the best moisturizer for your hair and scalp.

15. Wash your hair at least once a week. A clean scalp leads to maximizing your hair growth.

16. Only use bobby pins that have the cushion tip on them, when the tips fall off, the hair can be snagged and snapped off.

17. Be confident in yourself and your hair.

18. Always use a water-based moisturizer to moisturize your hair.

19. If you are going to wear hats, line them with silk or sating to prevent your ends from snagging in the inside.

20. You do not always have to wash your hair with shampoo, you can co-wash as often as you want to. But if  you use products that cause build up, you should shampoo as needed.

21. When taking a shower, let the mist hit your hair to add softness and moisture to it, then seal the moisture in with some Coconut oil.

22. Try not to use any heat on your hair. Let the air dry your natural hair. If you don’t want to fight with shrinkage, then flat twist, two strand twist, band or braid the hair and let it dry in that state. You will get a nice look too.

23. Things that work for other people, will not always work for you. Find what works for you best and stick with it.

We have to make sure that our routine is consistent and that we stick to what works for us.

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