Why is my hair so tangled after washing (12 possibilities)

Do your beautiful hair matt when you get a shower bath, and you find it difficult to run your brush down your hair swiftly? I had to face a similar issue, which was a frustrating experience enough to ruin my mood as such hair demands extra time for makeup.  

You must be super concerned about your hair health and questioning, why is my hair so tangled after washing? 

I have come up with a list of possible reasons on why is my hair so tangled after washing, causing your hair feels sticky and tangled after washing, and easy tips follow the section to help you detangle your hair so you can enjoy healthy-looking strands all day.

Why is my hair so tangled after washing? 

Among the multiple factors responsible for matted hairs, one is the damaged cuticle. Also, if you use an unfit shampoo for your hair type, do not rinse the shampoo properly, and expose your hair to heat styling quite often, your hairs are at risk of developing tangles after washing. 

Tangled hair is the worst as it makes hair styling difficult, disturbs hair volume, and results in split ends. You can overcome this issue by offering much-needed moisture to your strands and investing in protein-rich masks and shampoo that suit your hair type to get your healthy strands back. 

12 possible reasons I figured out so far for tangled hair after a shower

There is a list of factors responsible for causing damage to your strands once you get out of the shower with wetted hairs. Let’s get into the reasons you experience matted hair after washing. 

Moisture deprived locks

Dry locks, the main offender, primarily cause hair snagging. The outermost layer of your hair, known as the cuticle, gets extremely dry when your hair is dehydrated, making it less likely for your hair to lay straight and more likely to tangle with other strands. 

You would not have got these tangled hairs if they were nourished with a proper moisture level to stay healthy.  Curly strands are more prone to damage and sometimes require hair care treatment to overcome the issue. 

📌 Here is a separate guide to help with “ Is keratin good for curly hair?’’ 

Improper rinsing after shampoo

Shampoo keeps the scalp clean and healthy but acts the opposite when putting a lot of product on your strands and not rinsing it thoroughly. This results in hair build-up, irritation, and a dry scalp, weighing the hair down and causing tangling. 

If you have been focusing more on the length of your hair rather than on the proper scalp scrubbing and later fail to rinse it properly, you end up adding additional dirt to your hair, causing excessive dryness followed by knotted tresses. 

Excessive heat styling 

Hair tangled after showering may happen if you have been using heat styling tools for quite a long time. Heating tools cause serious damage to the strands by stripping off natural oils, leaving behind thin hairs and split ends. 

This dry condition of the hair further leads to knotted strands. 

Exposure to chlorinated water

If you are a swimmer, your hairs often come in contact with chlorinated water – a serious culprit causing tangled hairs. Prolonged exposure to chlorinated water strips essential oils from the strands, resulting in weaker and dry hair due to damaged cuticles. 

A healthy cuticle protects the inner hair layers from any possible damage and locks the moisture to maintain hair health. But if it is not, this causes hair to feel sticky and tangled after washing.

📌 Also read: Can you swim with hair extensions?  

Untrimmed dry ends 

If it has been a while since you had your hair cut short, it’s likely that after washing your hair, it will become tangled. Uncut hair leads to split ends, curly hair, and more damage to the hair shaft, making the hair thinner and more likely to knot after washing.

Using harshly formulated shampoo 

Wet hairs are more prone to get knots, but using a harshly formulated shampoo can worsen the condition by stripping off natural oil. Shampoos with a sulfate formula exacerbate the dryness level after a bath and cause hair to become brittle and more likely to tangle easily. 

Improper or frequent hair brushing 

If you do not detangle your hair daily or are a person who brushes the hair multiple times a day, you can experience tangled hair after washing. Leaving the hairs unmaintained for longer offers ground to oil buildup, further increasing the risk of tangled hairs. Similarly, overbrushing can damage and lift up the cuticle in extreme cases, making the locks dry and weaker. 

Sleeping with a damp lock 

As the wet, weak strands get readily tugged and take shape, damaged hair is more likely to occur than dry hair. The problem is sparked by sleeping with damp hair because of the friction created by often switching positions; the strands are, therefore, more prone to become matted easily, making it challenging to brush the hair the following morning, leading to hair loss from knotted knots.

Not detangling hair before shower

You must get worried about, “why is my hair so tangled after washing” but may have never considered brushing your hair before getting a shampoo. Detangling the knots is equally important to brushing locks after a shower, as wet locks adhere to the shape more quickly. 

If you have been doing so, it is your sign to start detangling the knots before showering right away.

Hot shower bath 

Hot shower baths may feel good to your body but are a source of suffering to the strands. Hot water strips off natural oil from the scalp, leaving behind moisture-deprived locks, which can develop tangles swiftly. 

If you have been into a hot shower bath, consider rinsing your hair with cold or lukewarm water to maintain a healthy cuticle. 

Improper brushing 

You may have noticed tangled hair after brushing. It indicates that you have been styling your hair incorrectly and need to nourish it immediately because it is dry.

Inadequate brushing weakens the cuticle by allowing moisture to escape and making it simple for strands to tangle with one another.

Inadequate after-wash care

If you rub your hair harshly with a rough towel or tie up your damp hair in a towel, you encourage your strands to tangle after a wash. 

Since damp hairs take shape more quickly and are more prone to damage, it is essential to be extra gentle with your locks to prevent tangling. 

Easy tips to detangle your hair 

After mentioning all the possible factors resulting in knotted hair, below are some tips to add to your hair care routine to detangle your strands without suffering hair loss. 

Brush your hair the right way

The secret to avoiding shedding is separating your thick, curly strands before detangling them. To prevent pulling, divide your hair into four sections using a comb and run your fingers through them.

Once you’ve finished dividing your knots into sections, begin untangling them from the bottom up. When detangling excessively dry strands, applying coconut or aloe vera oil might help the process go more smoothly.

Invest in the right shampoo and conditioner

You can get detangled hair after washing if you use a sulfate-free shampoo and invest in the right conditioner. 

A sulfate-free shampoo will work gentler, locking the moisture in the strands, followed by a conditioner to offer smoothness to make the hair manageable and detangle the lock easily. 

Get yourself a detangling hair spray 

A detangling hair spray comes to service and works as a conditioner to smoothen the strands. Applying it to your wet or dry strands makes styling easy. 

Use a right comb 

Detangling spray or using the right conditioner after a shower can only do wonders once you use the right comb to brush your strands. A closed-tooth comb over moisturized dry hair can easily open the knots, while a wide-tooth comb is recommended for wet strands. 

Check out this quick video for how to comb the right way,

Keep your strands hydrated

Always put some energy into nourishing your scalp using essential oil twice a week to keep your strands hydrated so they do not bring tangles to your locks after a shower.

Getting a hair hydrating treatment is a perfect solution to tangled locks. 

📌 Recommended Read: How to get rid of frizzy hair in 5 minutes

Summing up 

Tangled hair indicates weak, damaged hair, alerting you to the need to address any problems causing your locks troubles in your everyday routine. Fortunately, you can restore your smooth hair days by properly nourishing your scalp, protecting it from any potential triggers that can spark the issue, and showing extra care and love to them. 

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