Advertisement
The Shocking Reason Your Hair Tangles Easily & What To Do About It
Hannah Frye is the Assistant Beauty Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.S. in journalism and a minor in women’s, gender, and queer studies from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Hannah has written across lifestyle sections including health, wellness, sustainability, personal development, and more.
Persistent tangles are annoying. If you want to be kind to your strands, these snarls can take forever to work through; aggressively brush through those knots, and you'll risk manual damage.
That's why preventing tangles is so important in the first place. Below, an expert reveals one sneaky reason your hair may be extra prone to knots and how to deal.
Why high porosity hair tangles easily
Extra tangle-prone individuals may have what experts call high porosity hair, which means the outer layer of the hair (also called the cuticle) is more sparse than it is dense. This makes it absorb water quickly, dry faster, and, unfortunately, tangle easily, too.
"It works like Velcro; if your cuticles start rubbing against each other, that creates one of the causes of tangles," says professional hairstylist Adam Reed, founder of Arkive Headcare.
"Of course, this depends on the hair type and how the cuticles sits," he notes, so not everyone prone to tangles will have high porosity hair and vice versa—but it's definitely a common reason.
Some folks simply have high porosity hair as is, while others have strands that become more porous as they become exposed to damaging factors like UV rays, hair bleaching, chemical relaxers, and so on.
So if your hair tangles easily, it might be due to the highly porous cuticle; so you should take extra caution when styling it, as it may be even more prone to breakage.
Below, discover a few expert-approved tips to encourage healthier strands with fewer tangles:
- Limit hot tools and bleaching when you can.
- Stick to creamy, dense wash products.
- Work a hair mask into your weekly hair routine.
- Use hydrating pre-shampoo treatments.
- Opt for styles that utilize your natural hair pattern.
All of this to say: You may be tempted to run a hairbrush through your locks at lightning speed to rip those tangles out, but strands prone to knots actually need even more TLC, so be kind to your hair (and yourself).
The takeaway
Anyone who gets tangles often knows the temptation to rip them out with a hairbrush and call it a day. However, many folks with tangle-prone hair also have high porosity strands, which means your hair is even more sensitive to breakage. Treat your strands gently when you brush them, and focus on deep hydration. Here, a full guide to high porosity hair (including some of our favorite products) if you want to learn more.
Watch Next
Enjoy some of our favorite clips from classes
Enjoy some of our favorite clips from classes
What Is Meditation?
Mindfulness/Spirituality | Light Watkins
Box Breathing
Mindfulness/Spirituality | Gwen Dittmar
What Breathwork Can Address
Mindfulness/Spirituality | Gwen Dittmar
The 8 Limbs of Yoga - What is Asana?
Yoga | Caley Alyssa
Two Standing Postures to Open Up Tight Hips
Yoga | Caley Alyssa
How Plants Can Optimize Athletic Performance
Nutrition | Rich Roll
What to Eat Before a Workout
Nutrition | Rich Roll
How Ayurveda Helps Us Navigate Modern Life
Nutrition | Sahara Rose
Messages About Love & Relationships
Love & Relationships | Esther Perel
Love Languages
Love & Relationships | Esther Perel
What Is Meditation?
Box Breathing
What Breathwork Can Address
The 8 Limbs of Yoga - What is Asana?
Two Standing Postures to Open Up Tight Hips
How Plants Can Optimize Athletic Performance
What to Eat Before a Workout
How Ayurveda Helps Us Navigate Modern Life
Messages About Love & Relationships
Love Languages
Advertisement
