Why Does Hair Get Matted?

Have you ever woken up to matted hair? We’ll bet that your first thought was, “Where did these mats come from?” Several things could be to blame for your matted hair, and we’d like to share them with you. By the end of this article, you’ll know the most common causes of matted hair. 

Infrequent Detangling

Hair should be detangled every so often to keep tangles away. If it’s been a long time since you detangled your hair, this could be the reason why your hair is matted. To avoid matting, you should detangle your hair as soon as it gets tangled so that it doesn’t get to the matted stage. 

Drying Hair Products

Hair products containing drying alcohols, salt, and other drying ingredients can cause your hair to become hard and matted. Often, you’ll find that your hair becomes matted right after washing it with a clarifying shampoo, bleaching your hair, or using a drying hair spray. If you suspect that a particular hair product is to blame for your matted hair, it’d be a good idea to stop using the product for a while and observe how your hair reacts. 

Untrimmed Ends

Split ends are one of the most common causes of matted hair. Those frayed ends tend to clump together with nearby strands and create knots that turn into mats. To avoid mats from untrimmed ends, we recommend going for a trim every 6 to 8 weeks. 

Chronically Dry Hair

Dry hair is much more prone to tangles and matting than moisturized hair. Why? Because when the hair is adequately moisturized, your strands can effortlessly glide past other strands without getting tangled. To keep your hair moisturized, always condition your hair after shampooing. If your hair feels dry after conditioning it, try using a deep conditioner to impart deeper moisture. And always use a leave-in conditioner to keep your hair hydrated between wash days. 

Improper Shampooing

Shampooing your hair the wrong way could be the culprit behind your tangles and knots. As a child, you may have been told to pile your hair on top of your head as you massage the shampoo in using large circular motions. It’s this shampoo massaging method that makes your hair tangle up. Instead, allow your hair to hang down your back while scrubbing the shampoo using tiny circular motions. If you use this method, you’ll notice that your hair tangles much less. 

No Nighttime Protection

If you lay down on your hair at night without wearing a scarf or bonnet, this could be the cause of your tangled hair. When you toss and turn at night, this is the prime opportunity for your hair to get tangled. Our advice is to always cover your hair up at night with a silk or satin scarf/bonnet. It will restrict your hair so that it won’t move around so much, giving it fewer opportunities to tangle. And as a bonus, it will help to preserve your hair’s moisture levels. 

If you follow the tips in this article, you will notice that your hair doesn’t get as tangled as usual. We trust that one or more of these tips will help you keep the tangles at bay.

Author: Andrea Reyes

Andrea is a mother, wife, writer, and natural hair enthusiast of 15 years. Currently on her natural hair journey, she’s been trying countless products and techniques to understand and embrace her natural hair. She is the creator of NaturallyTextured.com, a new website featuring informative articles that share tips, tricks, and techniques aimed to help others learn to love their hair through proper hair care. She writes with the hope of making hair care easier to understand and implement.