Knots in your hair are impossible to avoid, but getting them out pain free isn't impossible. With the right detangling brush and a detangler spray for your specific hair type, you can take the worry out spending time with your kids scalp and avoid the tears. Beautiful hair just takes a little time with a spray, the right brush and a few minutes brushing the right way.

Why does my hair tangle more than other people?

Hair is more prone to tangle when it's damaged and the hair shaft isn't smooth. The hair types most prone to tangle include dry hair, thick curly hair, hair with split ends, chemically treated hair, hair prone to frizz, exposure to the elements and swimming in chlorine and the ocean. Thicker hair is going to tangle more simply because there's more of it.

Detangling brushes will do a better job than other brushes because they have features a regular paddle brush won't have. There are different detangling brushes suited to wet or dry hair. Hair loss is natural, but you can keep it to a minimum by using the right products for your hair type which will, in turn, keep breakage to a minimum and allow you to detangle your hair in a more gentle way.

Start with a detangler spray

You will get the best results from any hair detangler brush if you smooth the hair shaft before you start brushing. You can use a detangling spray for this. They truly shine on dry hair, but you can use them on slightly damp hair too. We have a kid specific spray from SLiCK KiDS and for adults, the Leave-In Conditioner range from Giovanni are multi-tasking products and can be used daily if needed.

The best detangling brush for wet hair

We love The Happy Sparrow Spiral Detangling Brush with Firm Bristles to use on wet hair. The bristles are firm and wide like a comb with separate bristles through the whole brush, no clusters. It will massage your scalp as you brush and it's like a hybrid between a hairbrush and a comb. If you have a sensitive scalp, be gentle with this brush. It has a highly flexible head with mildly flexible bristles.

The biggest tip we can give you when using a detangling brush on wet hair is to make sure you actually brush your hair before you wash it. Washing knotted hair makes it so much harder to get the knots out.

The best detangling brush for dry hair

We prefer the detangling brushes that have a less flexible head but more flexible bristles, the clear bristles made from nylon. These bristles are so flexible that you can bend them down 90 degrees and they'll bounce right back up. The Soft Bristles brush from The Happy Sparrow in the fishbone design is our favourite along with the Bass Brushes range.

The best detangling brush for kids

The SLiCK KiDS detangling brushes are like our dry hair brushes with the super flexible nylon bristles and they also have some shorter clustered black bristles around half the length of the nylon bristles. Kids hair gets particularly tangled from enjoying life, so unless your daily styling includes braids and plaits, you can forget getting to the end of the day without needing a good brush.

How to get the best results from a detangling brush?

1. Choose the right brush for the occasion (wet or dry hair)
2. Separate tangles with your fingers first
3. Segment your hair in to sections and only work on one section at a time
4. When working in each section, start from the bottom, get the knots out and then move further up the hair shaft.