Advice for getting out a friend's mats & tangles in a hospital stay?

[OleanderTime]

Hi everyone, hoping for a little advice here.

I have a friend who just woke up today after being unconscious in the hospital for 4 days. Today, she felt her hair for the first time and was understandably concerned to feel it was pretty badly matted. I'm going back tomorrow and want to help her out.

I am bringing a little hair kit containing a silk pillowcase, a tangle teaser, and a very soft natural bristle brush.

How do I attack this mat and knots? Her hair is fine, straight, and to her shoulders. It hasn't been washed and she cannot get out of bed. Do I just work at it slowly with my hands and tools, or do I need conditioner or an oil?

Thanks in advance for your help. I reviewed a few other threads that bring this up and will be putting her hair in pigtails when I'm done. Thanks!

[Purdy Bear]

I'm sorry to hear of your friend's hospital stay and hope she gets better soon. I don't know about the hospital bit but I've been my Fathers carer for over a year now.

For your friend you may need the help of someone else if she can't sit forward as the back of the head can be a problem to get to. I would start off at the ends and work up with a wide toothed comb and see how you get on. There are dry shampoo's on the market but I know you can get your hair washed (in the UK) while staying in hospital so maybe she needs to ask one of the nurses/carers about it. My mother was given a hair wash while in ITU so I know it can be done.

[Panth]

You could use a similar method to the one I have successfully used to comb out dreadlocks:

1) Buy a very large bottle of cheap, coney conditioner (yes, cones - if she doesn't normally use them, just get used to the idea that this is going to be the one time you'll really need them - for the slip).
2) Take along the conditioner, a towel (to drape around the shoulders/pillow), a strong wide-toothed comb and (for last resort) a strong, metal-tined fork.
3) Starting at the extremities of the tangle, soak the hair in coney conditioner until it is very slippery (you may need to dilute the conditioner a bit if it's a very thick/gloopy one - just enough to let it spread easily).
4) Working from the outside in, comb out the tangle with the wide-toothed comb. If the tangle is very bad, you may need to use the fork as the tines are stronger.
5) Continue working inwards into the tangle, ensuring the hair is thoroughly saturated in conditioner.

That method may hurt quite a bit, depending on how bad the tangles are, but it will get them out. You may need to work in several sessions as it can be quite sore on the scalp. You'll want a bin nearby for the shed/broken hair that gets combed out. I'd work at each individual tangle in turn rather than a bit on each, so you have a measureable sign of progress after each session and so that if doing it in multiple sessions you minimise the risk of re-tangling. Once you've combed out an area, you could keep it neat and out of the way with a plait or French plait.

Depending on the nurses, your friend may not want to request a hair wash from them. Some of them are lovely and patient, but others are rushed and in a hurry and will just rip through or cut out tangles.

I hope your friend gets better soon. :flower:

[Emanuelle]

Yes I would REALLY bring a conditioner. A heavy conditioner with cones to get the tangles out.

Hope she feels better soon!

[Bagginslover]

What about one of those kids coney detangling sprays? Combined with a wide tooth comb, then she won't have to rinse her hair afterwards, as its designed to be left in.

[lapushka]

I'd try the wide tooth comb first, starting at the very ends and moving your way up. Do the whole hair as best as you can, and leave the bits that you can't get out. Then go in with the Tangle Teezer and do the same thing a few times. Only *then* would I go in with conditioner and oils as they make the hair "wetter" and might make the mats harder to get out.

[Firefox7275]

Silicones and/ or mineral oil and/ or natural oil, fingers first then comb then Tangle Teezer.

[kmcg]

If oils make her fine hair too greasy I'm a fan of aloe vera as a detangler. You would need to wet her hair a little first (probably take a spray bottle). Sometimes when I have a lot of aloe in my hair it takes longer to dry but it's worth it for me. Aloe also helps distribute oil more evenly if that's the route you want to take. I hope she recovers quickly.

[heidi w.]

Use a comb, separate the hair and work very carefully and slowly to detangle. It might take a few days.
Do not wet or massage with conditioner, etc. Detangle from the bottom on up the length.
heidi w.

[spidermom]

I'd use a detangling spray and a wide tooth comb.

[The-Young-Maid]

I think this calls for a bottle of detangler!

[BlazingHeart]

I'd definitely bring a bottle of kid's spray on coney detangler. At least for me, left in conditioner makes my hair stick and tangle terribly, and always has. Use enough spray to dampen the knot and start working out the edge of it with your fingers. Once you break it up with your fingers, then try a wide tooth comb. Leave any kind of brushes for last. Putting it in a French or Dutch braid (or even better, two of them, which reduces the rubbing on the braided parts) will help keep it from retangling.

[Leeloo]

Hi everyone, hoping for a little advice here.

I have a friend who just woke up today after being unconscious in the hospital for 4 days. Today, she felt her hair for the first time and was understandably concerned to feel it was pretty badly matted. I'm going back tomorrow and want to help her out.

I am bringing a little hair kit containing a silk pillowcase, a tangle teaser, and a very soft natural bristle brush.

How do I attack this mat and knots? Her hair is fine, straight, and to her shoulders. It hasn't been washed and she cannot get out of bed. Do I just work at it slowly with my hands and tools, or do I need conditioner or an oil?

Thanks in advance for your help. I reviewed a few other threads that bring this up and will be putting her hair in pigtails when I'm done. Thanks!

If she could wash her hair I’d say try conditioner or oil, but if she can’t then just working the tangles out slowly I think is the way to go.

[Leeloo]

Hi everyone, hoping for a little advice here.

I have a friend who just woke up today after being unconscious in the hospital for 4 days. Today, she felt her hair for the first time and was understandably concerned to feel it was pretty badly matted. I'm going back tomorrow and want to help her out.

I am bringing a little hair kit containing a silk pillowcase, a tangle teaser, and a very soft natural bristle brush.

How do I attack this mat and knots? Her hair is fine, straight, and to her shoulders. It hasn't been washed and she cannot get out of bed. Do I just work at it slowly with my hands and tools, or do I need conditioner or an oil?

Thanks in advance for your help. I reviewed a few other threads that bring this up and will be putting her hair in pigtails when I'm done. Thanks!

If she could wash her hair I’d say try conditioner or oil, but if she can’t then just working the tangles out slowly I think is the way to go. Hope your friend feels better very soon.

[cranberrymoonz]

I usually find wide tooth combs to be too harsh on fine hair. A tangle teaser works better. Just be gentle, work from the ends and handle the knots one by one. If her hair is only to her shoulders, I shouldn't be too bad. Detangling sprays sound nice.

[starlamelissa]

I'd go for an amazing detangling spray. Pantene knows their silicones.

[Aingeal]

I don't have anything to add as the ladies already covered it, but wanted to giv enough some hugs. I hope your friend recovers quickly and goes home soon!

[jacqueline101]

I'd use a detangler and wide tooth comb. Start at the ends work up.

[Majormiles]

Really hope that your friend gets well soon!!!

My hair is fine like your friends and if I have tangles conditioner always makes them harder to work. If I were you start with dry detangling and then try conditioner if that doesn't work. Remember you will be able to add conditioner but not take it away!

[OleanderTime]

Thanks everyone! I ended up using the Mane & Tail Detangling Spray and then a Tangle Teezer from the bottom up. I gave her both of these things to use to keep it nice until she leaves. I put it in pigtails with those soft kids material ponytails. She was really happy, despite some crown breakage, it looks much better and she lost very little hair in the process.

She left the hospital today. :) Thanks for your help!

[Natalia]

I hope your friend recovers quickly! If time and gentle combing isn't enough id mix up some kimberlilly's. It wont hurt to leave it in and if she cant wash for a while oil might cause her to shed more if left in too long.

[shubham]

A very nice sharing, Thanks for share with us.

[tigereye]

I'd go for a kids detangling spray and a tangle teezer too. The kids stuff is usually made for fine hair, and fine hair sometimes hates wide tooth combs. That said, I would take a comb with you anyway and see how it goes.

Korean did a kids detangling spray that was really good, but I don't know if they make it where you are.