How To Wash Braids & Cornrows Without Ruining Them

Styles like braids and cornrows are an essential part of the textured hair catalog. They are key to protecting curly and coily hair, especially during extreme weather. In the summer, heat and chlorine damage is at an all-time high, and in winter, colder temperatures can dry your scalp. But there’s no denying these styles can make hair cleansing tricky to negotiate. Here’s how to stay fresh without ruining your look.

How to untangle matted hair

Start by grabbing your favorite deep conditioner or conditioning spray. Dove Intensive Repair Conditioner For Damaged Hair and Dove 7-in1 Miracle Mist are great options. Apply to the matted section when your hair is dry, dousing the hair until it is fully saturated. This will give your strands some slip and make it easier to start unraveling the matting.

Next, gently coax out the tangles using your fingers, easing out the edges of the matted area. When you can see the hairs starting to move and loosen you can add a lightweight oil to the hair for added slip to speed up the process.

Once the tangles start to separate, reach for a wide-tooth comb and detangling brush to assist, alternating between the two to pull the strands loose until you’re tangle-free.

Finally, wash your hair with a softening and moisturizing shampoo and conditioner – Dove Daily Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner is infused with a nourishing complex to boost the hair’s resilience to daily brushing. Going forward, ensure you brush your hair regularly (but gently) to avoid severe tangles in the future.

How to get knots out of hair that is matted

If you’ve ever tried to comb tiny knots out without plenty of TLC, you’ll know it can cause fraying and breakage. Knots can be tricky to get out, so it’s best to deal with any matted hair that’s gathered around it first. Once you’ve made as much progress as possible, you can tackle the knot itself. Your hair should already be lubricated from untangling the matting, but if not, run Dove Brilliant Gloss & Repair Serum over the knot. Take the end of a rat tail comb and gently unpick the knotted hair, loosening through the middle before breaking it down strand-by-strand. Goodbye, knot – hello healthy-looking, tangle-free strands.