Historical Hair Detangling Grew My Hair to Hip Length

The way we detangle our hair can literally make or "break" our hair health. Pun intended.

Historical hair detangling grew my hair to hip length after a chin length hair cut, and hair that seemingly "refused" to grow. However, this kind of detangling can be a little counter-intuitive in our modern commercialized and daily-showering society, which is why I made this article and video. I want to break down what this kind of detangling looks like - for REAL.

Why "historical" hair detangling? After 23 years of having hair that seemingly refused to grow, I knew something had to change. What was I missing in modern, North American hair care that other cultures or time periods might have known? I began looking at historical women and their hair - so many of them had very long hair - on average much longer than the average woman you see today. What principles did historical people follow in their hair care that we may have forgotten today, to get these elusive results with their hair?

Historical people had much lower access to showers or indoor plumbing and therefore washed their hair less frequently, likely detangled it while dry, and didn't have a commercial hair product industry. They tended to rely on tools like natural brushes and combs where we rely on products in plastic bottles. These were all principles that I slowly amalgamated into a now tried and true hair health rejuvenation program. It has grown my own hair from chin length to (past) hip length, and has now helped hundreds more people. So how does all this apply to detangling our hair for maximum health, thickness, and length?

Before we jump into it, I'd like to give a tiny plug for my flagship and already super popular hair care product, my Herbal Hair Growth Oil. Apart from the following detangling approach, this product (which I have been making, using, and perfecting for the past 7 years) has been pivotal in my own hair transformation. Check out the reviews testimonials and you can see how it is working for so many other people too! We make this herbal hair growth oil by hand, steeping it for 3 weeks, and typically only make what we know we will sell. For the past two batches of hair oil, we have completely sold out just via pre-orders. However, for our latest batch of oil we doubled the amount we usually make, and therefore have some in stock for the first time ever! So don't wait if you want to try out this amazing product. Now let's get back to talking about hair detangling.

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My hair typically looks like a hot mess by the time I get around to washing it - but with this method of detangling, I can take it from looking like dry, matted straw to healthy, luscious, and moisturized. Not to mention free of tangles! This approach has evolved somewhat over my hair care journey, and I am always learning more as I go!

Is this approach easy? No - it can be frustrating and time consuming, and it definitely isn't for everyone. Does everyone need to use this detangling method if they want to grow long hair? Of course not. However, there are people out there with super fragile hair (I am one of them) who will need to radically rethink their detangling approach, in order to grow their hair out.

Basically, the main tenets of this historically-inspired detangling approach (I will break these down further below) are:

• Finger detangling as a first line of defence

• Oils used to provide "slip" and nourishment for hair while detangling

• Hair either completely free of water or with just a little moisture added in the form of an ACV spray

• Wide tooth wooden comb (or preferred gentle detangling tool) as a final step to remove tangles

So let's break these down one by one. Remember, if you'd like to see a very helpful and relatable demonstration of these techniques, watch the video!

Finger Detangling as a First Line of Defence

Finger detangling is the best way to minimize breakage while removing tangles. Our fingers can feel and give feedback to our brain while detangling, unlike an inanimate brush or comb. This allows us to gently negotiate knots out of our hair without simply ripping through them. For many years, this was the only detangling approach I used. Now, I discerningly add in the use of gentle, historical types of combs and brushes, like a wide tooth wooden comb, and boar bristle brushes. Typically, I use these mostly before I plan on washing, or as a styling tool in wintertime when I go longer stretches between washes.

Oils Used to Provide “Slip” and Nourishment for Hair While Detangling

I'm all for detangling hair while it is dry, or mostly dry. More on that later. Many people think this is crazy, especially for curly hair, but don't realize that the discerning use of oils during detangling can provide much of the same slip and lubrication that water and conditioners do, without the potential for damage arising from wet hair being weaker. Oils are also wonderful sources of nourishment for the hair, and protect it from the elements.

Hair either Completely Free of Water or With Just a Little Moisture Added in the Form of an ACV Spray

Hair is weaker when it is wet - especially soaking wet. This means that even though it may seem easier to detangle your hair while it is soaking wet in the shower, you may be causing tons of breakage and simply not notice because wet hair strands tend to break silently. For many years of my historical hair journey, I eschewed the use of any water, even a detangling spray, when detangling my hair. Now that my hair is very long however, I find that especially in summer humidity, my hair has serious tangles and matts that are easier to remove with the use of an ACV spray. This spray is approximately 1 part raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar to 2 parts chlorine-free water. This ratio is just what I have been using though, you may want to use much less ACV if you are new to it! Start with 2 TBS apple cider vinegar to 2 cups chlorine-free water. I usually only resort to this spray after an initial dry finger detangling with only oil. The spray helps take my hair to the next level of detangling.

Wide Tooth Wooden Comb (Or Preferred Gentle Detangling Tool) as a Final Step to Remove Tangles

The final step in my detangling process is the careful use of a wooden wide tooth wooden comb. This comb is very similar to what ladies in history used to removed tangles. I view it as a power tool to get my hair to where it needs to be before I wash it. Why is it so important to me to remove as many tangles as I can before washing? I have learned the hard way that any tangles in my hair going into the shower will be 20 times worse coming out - especially since I don't detangle my hair whatsoever in the shower, or after. Combing my hair prior to washing it also has two more benefits: it helps me come out of my hair wash with very defined curls that don't necessarily need any styling products to look great. It also helps distribute my herbal hair oil masque for maximum benefit.

That's it folks! I hope this was helpful to you, and please bear in mind that these are merely my suggestions and some general principles to keep in mind. Growing healthy hair is a journey, and one will evolve with you over time!

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