how long does it take you to detangle your hair?

[leayellena]

I saw this video on Real Rapunzels (yes, I know some of you find RR being a bit ******-y, but some of their videos are really good)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6R8IUxttkgQ

so my question is, especially for those of you tbl+ to terminal, how long do you need for detangling your hair.
I already noticed I need more and more time since I hit HL but honestly speaking I like it. It's like me-time: meditation, planing my tomorrow's schedule, or just admiring some birds outside or the clouds...

PS: I never saw a thread like this one, but if there is one and active, please link it and eventually remove (?) this thread...

[Simsy]

It depends where I am in the wash cycle. During the week, detangling might take 5 mins with a wide tooth comb; then a couple of moments to comb it back up into a bun position. I may or may not braid it; which will cut down on the tangles that need removing. I comb every couple of days depending on the bun in use; cinnibuns need detangling once or twice a day, Nautalis only needs handling every couple of days.

Wash day is a detangling marathon. The first round is on dry, stretched hair and usually takes 5-10 mins with a comb; depending on how diligent I have been through the week and if I have had to skip a wash day (I may or may not need the TT if I’ve been really lazy). Once I’ve washed and semi-dried the mop; I’m back in with fingers, oil, and a comb to finish up; probably another 10 mins of detangling and oiling. Once everything is dry and being put away, it’s another 30 secs or so; just to lose the last couple of curl tangles.

[HaMalka]

It depends on how long I've gone without detangling. If I've detangled within the past day (usu. every morning) it takes about 2-3 minutes. If I've ignored my hair for a couple of days it can take much longer but I haven't timed it. The detangle with conditioner during a wash can also take some time but I have never timed it.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

It generally takes me 2 -3 minutes, if I am detangling after washing it, it would maybe take 5 minutes, not long.

[Ligeia Noire]

She has magnificent hair btw.... i only detangle once a week and after washing.... it takes me around half an hour to an hour.

[blackgothicdoll]

eta: crap, didn't read the whole post disregard :o

[lapushka]

There was an earlier thread (from 2012), even with a poll attached:
https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=86357&highlight=detangle

If you had searched "detangle" and marked "titles only", you'd have surely found it. ;)

[MoonRabbit]

Maybe 10 to 15 minutes on a good day.

[Cg]

A few seconds each morning. Finally found an advantage to slippery 1a hair.

[ArabellaRose]

I have hip+ (just) length hair and the only time I need to detangle is just after a wash whilst it's still damp (even then it's not reeaaally detangling, just separating out the hair to ensure it gets coated when I do LCO), other than that I'm mostly brushing to smooth, my hair rarely tangles.

[gingerninja]

Tbl+ here and detangling with a wide tooth comb only takes me 2-3 minutes every few days, unless i had it down all day being blown around then it's up to 10 minutes.

[MusicalSpoons]

Currently at knee it takes maybe 3mins each morning, sometimes 5 if ... I don't actually *know* what causes it, but sometimes my hair wants to tangle more than other times. I wear it up in the day and at night (unless it's drying from a wash) and I think if my night bun was less secure than usual it tends to be more tangly. Nothing major though :) Occasionally if I'm feeling really slow and foggy it might take up to 10 mins the morning after a wash, but that is quite unusual and more to do with me than my hair, not wanting to rush because reaction time between feeling a tangle and stopping the comb is slowed when I'm really brainfogged - given the choice I tend not to detangle until my brain's working a bit bettee later that day, or just before going to bed again.

[JulyFun]

I generally brush every morning and evening, and it takes 5 minutes MAX (at tailbone length).However sometimes I'm not good about brushing and haven't brushed in 2 days, then it can take 30 minutes.

[Groovy Granny]

It takes me 30 secs to detangle at TBL....wet or dry.

Unless I try to braid in sections....or brush my hair upside down....then my ends :slap:

So I don't bother with either, and just do single or pigtail english braids ;)

[ExpectoPatronum]

It depends. If I'm detangling dry - which I rarely do - it takes me about 10 minutes. I usually detangle in the shower using my fingers and it takes maybe a minute or two. Having my hair slathered in conditioner really helps. I have curly hair so I try not to detangle it when dry but YMMV

[KameRose]

I only have a little longer than waist length. When my hair is dry it only takes me a minute or two. However, when I detangle my hair during my bath with conditioner it takes several or a dozen or so minutes. How long it takes me to brush my hair is entirely dependent on how much shedded hairs I have tangled in there at the moment. Since washing knocks a lot of hairs loose it takes longer during the bath. Especially when I go longer than usual between washes.

[Reyn127]

Wow I feel like I take so long compared to others. It takes me about 20 minutes, to detangle my hair ALL the way, like to the point that there are zero tangles and I can run my hand right through anywhere. But I don't usually detangle quite that far, I'll usually spend about 10-15 minutes a day, and more time less often during the week.

[FennFire911]

I'm glad to read so many with hair significantly longer than mine still only need a few minutes. Mine takes me 2-5 minutes wet or dry. And I do it several times a day. I don't like shed hairs staying in and risking being knotted in, and it's soothing in a way. It's just nice to take a few minutes, slow the heck down, and give my hair a few minutes of attention. It's almost as good as getting caught up curry-combing my horses when I used to have them. Mental relaxation. :)

[iforgotmylogin]

∞ minutes

[Deborah]

It takes me literally seconds almost all the time. My hair is very fine, soft, strong, straight and silky. Maybe it's a texture thing. Who knows?:shrug:

[Servana]

Wow I'm surprised it's so quick for everyone. Maybe there are a lot of straight hairs answering, lol

I have thick, wavy hair that's MBL at the moment but is usually waist-hip and on a good day it takes me maybe 7 minutes? Second day hair is a nightmare that I don't wish to discuss 😔 I'm referring to when I wake up in the morning and brush my hair to leave the house. I also wet detangle in the shower when I wash my hair (every other day), which takes 5 minutes or less.

A full detangle (including the underside of my hair) takes 15+ minutes. This I only do when I'm getting a hair cut because I hate hairdressers having to yank at my hair. That's not to say that I only surface brush on a daily basis, but I don't feel the need to flip over and get every single strand when I'm rushing to get to work, lol.

My hair used to get massive knots underneath and I'd have to cut a lot of hair off, but I haven't had that problem in about 10 years, probably because my hair isn't as dry as it used to be. I don't think it tangles more than the average long hair but you definitely can't run your fingers all the way through it, even when it's fully detangled. It's just not that type of texture.

[The-Young-Maid]

Takes me no more than a minute and I do it several times a day, on wet and dry hair. Tangle Teezers make it very easy.

[JulyFun]

I have definitely taken measures so that my hair won't take long to bursh. I have a nape undercut because no matter what I did my baby hairs at the back were always tangling, I have bangs which avoids my baby hairs in the front tangling. I henna regularly because it makes my hair more slippery, I know when I'm due for a treatment when even after washing and conditioning my hair is more prone to tangling. I have also tried many brushes to find one that works quickly (i have a wet-dry brush, the ones with different length plastic bristles, it creates a lot of static but works quickly, I also don't use it wet since I don't detangle wet)

[Milkchocolate]

I’m so shocked at how quickly everyone is able to detangle their hair! My tangles happen at the scalp and turn very dreadlock-like. I get sooo tender-headed. Not to mention my neck straining. It’s horrible! I want to say it could take me about 40 mins +, that is of course after hair wash day. After that, it’s a lot easier but still a bit difficult sometimes.

[Natalia_A00]

20-30 minutes or so if I want to do it carefully without damaging or breaking any hair strands... It's really annoying. Sometimes I don't have the patience and I brush violently!

[lithostoic]

Not TBL, only hip, but it usually takes me about 5 -10 minutes depending on where I am in my wash cycle. I finger detangle in the shower with conditioner. I'm not super careful when detangling, I'll be honest, I'm kind of impatient.

Usually in the morning I undo my sleep braid (rope braid) and lightly shake out the roots, while massaging my scalp. I then dampen the hair with my favorite leave-in and detangle from the ends with my Wet Brush. Then I put it up for the day or leave it down if I am not working.

Sometimes I also sleep with it down. Especially if I've worn my hair wavy rather than poofy straight, I'll leave it down to preserve the waves better and in the morning I won't brush at all, just spritz with leave-in.

[Simsy]

I’m so shocked at how quickly everyone is able to detangle their hair! My tangles happen at the scalp and turn very dreadlock-like. I get sooo tender-headed. Not to mention my neck straining. It’s horrible! I want to say it could take me about 40 mins +, that is of course after hair wash day. After that, it’s a lot easier but still a bit difficult sometimes.

Mine does something similar if I let it coil. I eventually worked out that my hair can’t stay coiled for more than a few hours if I want to avoid the locing; so I don’t do a lot of cinnibuns or rope braids any more.


Wow I'm surprised it's so quick for everyone. Maybe there are a lot of straight hairs answering, lol

I have thick, wavy hair that's MBL at the moment but is usually waist-hip and on a good day it takes me maybe 7 minutes? Second day hair is a nightmare that I don't wish to discuss 😔 I'm referring to when I wake up in the morning and brush my hair to leave the house. I also wet detangle in the shower when I wash my hair (every other day), which takes 5 minutes or less.

A full detangle (including the underside of my hair) takes 15+ minutes.

To be fair, a week in buns goes a long way to stretching out the curls; and they are a lot better behaved now that I know to soak them in conditioner once a week. That was a Rosetta Stone level revelation for my hair care. If I leave braids in for a week; which I used to do a lot; I’m up for a 45+ min detangling sessions.

[Ligeia Noire]

Mine does something similar if I let it coil. I eventually worked out that my hair can’t stay coiled for more than a few hours if I want to avoid the locing; so I don’t do a lot of cinnibuns or rope braids any more.



To be fair, a week in buns goes a long way to stretching out the curls; and they are a lot better behaved now that I know to soak them in conditioner once a week. That was a Rosetta Stone level revelation for my hair care. If I leave braids in for a week; which I used to do a lot; I’m up for a 45+ min detangling sessions.

Same here mine always takes 30 to 60 minutes to detangle after wash. Always did... Curiously, nowadays, it is more towards half an hour than an hour. Maybe because i wear it bunned and braided every day and it's less wavy that way. I never knew that 5 minutes detangling sessions could be possible. But i enjoy to comb my hair... so, folks that take a long time detangling, you are not alone :p

[RottenMango]

2-5 minutes with a wet brush and conditioner.

[Glitch]

Sweet, was looking for a topic like this! I always wondered if others also had a similar hassle-free time with detangling. Takes me about a minute to gently detangle damp hair after a wash, and about 10 seconds to detangle regular dry hair everyday. I don't really get true tangles, never really have (unless I've done something bizarre, like trying out hair gel the other week :p). A lot of my hair is fine, but I have a bunch of average strands as well, so I think it maybe helps. :confused:

[MusicalSpoons]

Currently at knee it takes maybe 3mins each morning, sometimes 5 if ... I don't actually *know* what causes it, but sometimes my hair wants to tangle more than other times. I wear it up in the day and at night (unless it's drying from a wash) and I think if my night bun was less secure than usual it tends to be more tangly. Nothing major though :) Occasionally if I'm feeling really slow and foggy it might take up to 10 mins the morning after a wash, but that is quite unusual and more to do with me than my hair, not wanting to rush because reaction time between feeling a tangle and stopping the comb is slowed when I'm really brainfogged - given the choice I tend not to detangle until my brain's working a bit bettee later that day, or just before going to bed again.

How things change! With more texture it does tend to take more like 10-15mins for the first detangle after a wash, which is usually 4+ days after washing. Subsequent detanglings might take 5-10 mins depending on how many days it's been since the previous one. I guess overall it doesn't take any longer than it used to though, as it takes longer each time but I do it much less often.

For reference this has been the case at calf and ankle lengths; the extra few inches didn't make much difference. Texture is the main factor.

[Glitch]

How things change! With more texture it does tend to take more like 10-15mins for the first detangle after a wash, which is usually 4+ days after washing. Subsequent detanglings might take 5-10 mins depending on how many days it's been since the previous one. I guess overall it doesn't take any longer than it used to though, as it takes longer each time but I do it much less often.

For reference this has been the case at calf and ankle lengths; the extra few inches didn't make much difference. Texture is the main factor.

Oh wow! This is something I'm so curious about. I wonder how things may change for me as my hair becomes much longer. I know detangling can be so annoying, but the fantasy of all that hair to work with gets me so excited :laugh:

[MusicalSpoons]

Oh wow! This is something I'm so curious about. I wonder how things may change for me as my hair becomes much longer. I know detangling can be so annoying, but the fantasy of all that hair to work with gets me so excited :laugh:

Before LHC I was around hip~tailbone for years, and just brushed it. With additional length it does add some time just by virtue of there being *more* to get through, but really the major factor for me has been in going from thinking my hair was straight and treating it as such - combing every day - to treating it as wavy, as the texture has changed. My hair is a lot happier being left alone more, but that does mean each infrequent detangling has more shed hairs to potentially get caught up. But then if I try combing too soon after the wash, my hair is incredibly unhappy being separated from its clumps and tangles more and quickly, before I've even finished! There is obviously a change in technique needed once it's longer than arm's reach to get through all in one stroke, but the thing that's most guided how I handle my hair has really been the texture.

No doubt you'll be finding out what changes there are for your hair with even more length soon enough :cheer:
(I often think the word 'journey' is overused and somewhat cliché, but in this instance it is quite appropriate as the hair is on a literal journey ever downwards, and we learn as it goes.)

[JasminxCat]

Depends on how long I went between brushing. 1-5 minutes

[-Aithne-]

Less than five minutes for almost knee length.

I comb it with conditioner in with a wide tooth plastic wig comb and once more after rinsing before wrapping it in a microfiber towel (I “fold” it in three to get it in there). In the morning when it’s dry, I brush it with a porcupine brush starting at the ends (always). I put it in a bun with a wood comb and wood brush.

It looks like it takes about the same amount of time for a lot of people :)

P.S. I love MusicalSpoon’s hair toy…with the curly leaf. Itks gorgeous!