Challenge of the Month: July 2012 Finger Detangling RECAP

 I challenged all of my readers to a month of finger detangling. So did you make it?! I hope you did! I haven't used a comb in about two months now. Here is what I have discovered about finger detangling:

1. My hair is curlier: Because I am not separating all of the curls with a comb, my hair is naturally curlier, and bouncier. 
2. My hair doesn't stretch as well: I miss the wide tooth comb because while I am still able to stretch my hair, I don't get the best stretch possible. That final run through with a wide toothed comb does a lot!
3. Curl sets makes my hair more tangled: This is because I am not getting the strands nice and smooth before rolling. So when I seperate the curls by finger detangling, they are more frizzy and not sleek. It works much better when I can comb through the strands
4. The right detangling product means everything! Kinky curly knot today is the BEST for detangling in my experience (its just expensive). Make sure you have a product with lots of slip to make the detangling process a breeze! 
5. Less breakage and shedding: I have experienced way less breakage and shedding! So much so that I have been able to visibly see length retention. This is very exciting!!

I had a lot of readers send emails or texts asking me how to finger detangle your hair safely. It isn't a long process for me at all. In fact its quite enjoyable because I know I am doing something really good for my hair.

How to finger detangle hair:

1. Section your hair into workable sections (I use 4-6 sections)
2. Spritz your hair with water if it is not already wet
3. Apply a leave in conditioner with a lot of slip to one section
4. Glide the leave in through your hair with clapped hands to loosen the tangles and curls
5. Then gently separate and work out any tangles or knots
6. Rake your fingers through the section like a comb to make sure the tangles are out. If your fingers can glide through easily, you have been successful with that section.
7. Seal with an oil or butter twist that section and move on to the next

What to avoid when finger detangling:

• Avoid tugging and yanking on tangles. If you don’t have patience or are in a hurry, you can end up damaging your hair. You must use care.
• You shouldn’t hear snapping and popping. That’s a sure sign that you are not being gentle enough
• Make sure your leave in has lots of slip. Slip refers to a product that feels slick and slippery on your hair strands so that you can easily manipulate and detangle your hair. 

My conclusion: I will definitely continue to finger detangle my hair. However I will use the wide tooth comb and tangle teezer to glide through my hair once it is finger detangled for smooth styling. I am so glad that I have incorporated finger detangling in my regimen!

How was this experience for you? What did you notice about your hair and the process?