I recently took in a new foster daughter. She has very bad matted hair. She is old enough to sit still and let me comb her hair, but I am having a very hard time getting the mats out. Does anyone have any tips or products that can help? A little more info about her hair: she is caucasian and has thick wavy hair. Please help
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Dampen it and add 3 minute miracle by Austin. It worked for the kiddos I had a few years back.
Get her hair wet and then as your brushing through put conditioner in it
Coconut oil and also believe it or not baby lotion helps to start from bottom and work your way to the top
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Cantu Care for Kids Conditioning Detangler, 6 Fl Oz https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LTIAUEM/ref=cm_sw_r_sm_apa_glt_fabc_2QRGPEXYNXJG8RRDFG04?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Brush well conditioner is in
Horse sheen… amazing detangler! Just take caution on hardwood floors. Turns em into an ice rink​:sweat_smile:
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Try using only conditioner
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Any leave-in-conditioner. Or coconut oil may help. Good luck.
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LOADS of conditioner and a wide toothed comb. Start at the bottom and work up, in sections.
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Try putting warm olive oil as a hair treatment. Leave it on the hair for 30 minutes under a shower cap and then start first with a wide comb and then gradually smaller until you have it combed completely
It depends how bad it is. Try using coconut oil and comb it out. If it’s beyond combing, it needs a cut.
Get it wet, put some good quality conditioner (a generous amount) and let it sit for a few min. Comb through it from the bottom up, sometimes pulling apart with your fingers help as well.
Also, a wet brush (brand) is VERY helpful. My daughter has thick curly Caucasian hair and wet brush plus conditioner in the tub is a lifesaver.
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Use coconut oil, work a small area at a time…it works great.
7 second miracle by Schwarzkopf is amazing I imagine it will help loads - home bargains 2.49
Have her shower and don’t take out all of the conditioner and start at the bottom and work your way up
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Lots of hair conditioner
Spray in leave in conditioner and a wide tooth comb until you can get them out
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Wetting the hair can cause more matting. You want to start dry and use conditioner. Try to separate as much as possible with hands first before combining or brushing. And if using a brush, use the wet brush brand from any store.
When u wash her hair use conditioner too because that works alot
Alot of conditioner. Start from the bottom To the top. get some good brushes
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Rinse it with a very deep conditioning mask and perhaps cut as much off as you can just to allow some healthy regrowth:) it’s probably been neglected for so long it wouldn’t hurt to start a refresh for her and you can start taking care of it all over again from a new cut 
Start at the ends and not at the root
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Mane and tail detangler. My hair is super thick and wavy and gets matted so easily and this helps every time.
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You may want to take her for a haircut and ask to have it thinned out
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For sure coconut oil based conditioner
I seen a hair dresser say she used WD40 to help
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My neices hair was same way. I put her in the tub washed hair, and then while conditioner was in I used a comb. She’s very tinder headed so it seems to help with that too!!
Soak in a mixture of hot water and conditioner. Then work from bottom up once it’s rinsed out.
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I use this, works great in my daughters hair that sounds similar
Conditioner in the hair while combing.
Wash it use allot of conditioner let it set then rinse w cool water use a brush and tons of detangler my hair does this when it gets so long she needs a good trim too
Coconut oil & or lots of conditioner. Don’t use a brush, it will just hurt her, a wide tooth comb will be much easier to work with as well as less stress on her.
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There is a horse product called Dr Show, it will untangle dreadlocks!!! I used to use it on my bum length hair, it will untangle ANYTHING!
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Use the end of a rat tooth comb and some detangle stuff like Miss Jessie’s .
If its a foster child you cannot cut her hair without parents permission. Neglectful parents or not… So I would try everything else you can to try to unmat her hair.
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my kids used to always have matted hair from not brushing it:/ i made them get hair cuts until they got older and tool care of it
Coconut oil. Make sure it’s not hot but warm. Soak the hair and work the knots out. Wash it out after. Do a deep conditioning to try to repair some of the damage. It may take a while depending on how bad the knots are.
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Lots of leave in conditioner. Brush a section of it at a time and slowly. My stepdaughter has super thick hair and that’s what I do.
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Coconut oil. Start from the bottom.
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Try and brush it with conditioner in it in the tub, start from bottom
My niece’s hair got this was and no matter what we did nothing worked. We had to take her to get it cut.
Put this on hair after showering and leave sit. Then take in very small sections and work through with a “wet brush” brand brush, then comb, then regular brush. It will take an hour or so but slow n steady wins this battle. My kid with similar hair went to 4h camp for a week and never brushed her hair so we had this issue
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Condition her hair really well brush out what you can and then condition her hair again and when you go to brush it out the second time use de-tangler.
Hair conditioner and water in a spray bottle, a wide tooth comb, start from the bottom and work your way up. Paul Mitchell also makes a detangler conditioner that works wonders . If she has curly hair please do not get it thin out.
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Miracle 10 product leave in conditioner
id use coconut oil on it and combine little by little
This brush… trust me when I say that too cause after leaving a violent relationship I fell into severe depression n didn’t brush my hair for months n it got super matted and I tried everything possible too and this brush right here worked wonderfully. It takes patience tho
I would brush it when it’s wet with conditioner
Or right after washing
Lots of conditioner on damp hair and a large paddle brush
Extra Conditioner and water in a spray bottle drench the hair and brush easily from the ends to the root.
Just trust me on this one, WD-40
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Wet brand hair brush. As a long haired person whose curls tangle with a breath of breeze it is amazing. I love this brush. https://www.amazon.com/Wet-Brush-Original-Detangler-Hair/dp/B094DK6JNF/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=wet+hair+brush&qid=1627073976&rdc=1&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExSkNKM1pGUkhZSFomZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA4MDUxNjhGSU42Tjg0N1M3NkYmZW5jcnlwdGVkQWRJZD1BMDYwNzI1NTFNTzlBOE8zRUpFMFomd2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGYmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl
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Let conditioner soak into her hair as she takes a bath. Don’t rinse out til right before she gets out then separate and brush or comb in sections
Honestly soak in bath with lots of conditioner and slowly work them out. Our oldest use to get them from having such thick hair and not brushing it properly. Right now she has an undercut to help with it and migraines
Wet brush and A LOT of conditioner
Brush with conditioner in it in the bath start from bottom very slowly in sections if you can go from bottom to top. Put in a lot A LOT of leave in conditioner while it is still wet. Let it dry and brush again with more leave in conditioner. I prefer to do cream leave in conditioner for wet hair and spray for when it is dry.
Looks like you got some fantastic advice I hope it works for you. Good luck… Hugs to you both.
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Just watched a TikTok where a hair dresser used wd 40
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Is it moldy inside the mat first and foremost? Seriously mold can and DOES often form inside matted nests I’ve witnessed it on numerous occasions as a hair dresser. Detangler for sure mane and tail or the Shea moisture for kids detangler are both good. Start at the bottom and work your way up try to use a wide tooth shower like comb first then work your way down. It’ll take hours. Get the baby a few suckers or ring pops or something because it’s going to hurt and that sucking motion can be a distraction for her. I know you need to be cautious about cutting hair with a foster babe but if it’s a super bad nest sometimes you can make a vertical cut to break it up to comb it out. Research how to un dread hair as in take out dreadlocks and that could give you good information for aftercare as well as tips/tricks. Baby steps and tiny tiny bits at. A time are the key
I put a lot of conditioner in the hair while she’s in the tub and comb it with a wide tooth comb while still wet in the tub. Go from bottom to top.
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I saw online somewhere to use WD-40! Apparently it’s amazing to untangle mattes!
And brush it every morning
I have super curly hair too! Get her to wet it. Put in a leave-in conditioner and wrap it in a towel for about 30 mins. Rinse it out. Then use a pick and some detangle spray (Johnson and Johnson is good). Do one section at a time. Go from bottom and work your way up. And when she sleeps have her put her hair in a ponytail, helps keep the tangles out. Get her to use conditioner each day and make sure she uses a pick to brush through it. Also, find a good creme to cut down on frizz, helps with future tangles. I let mine air dry.
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While hair is wet with conditioner use a wide teeth brush an brush it out with Best Conditioner: SheaMoisture Mango & Carrot Kids’ Conditioner. Made with natural and organic ingredients like shea butter, coconut oil, orange blossom, and carrot oil, this conditioner will leave your child’s natural curls and coils soft, strong, and moisturized after washing hair to keep hair soft an tangle free use a good brand hair serum which will keep hair tangle free throughout the day
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Cantu dentangling spray!!!
Hot bath, soak with conditioner, detangler, a comb and a wet brush, and honestly… I’ve seen hair dressers use just a touch of DW-40 on really bad mattes
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I have very fine hair but it Matt’s up quickly with a sloppy bun. I use tresemme in the shower. Once I put conditioner in I let it sit for a few mins and use a wide comb starting at the bottom. I get it broken down into smaller pieces and rinse my hair. Then once out I add leave in conditioner and finish brushing it out with a wet brush.
Get a spray bottle. 1/4 fabric softener and 3/4 water. Works like a damn charm. And smells amazing.
You can also try a tea tree conditioner, I got some from a friend who ordered the wrong kind, and brushing my daughter’s hair use to take 15 to 20 minutes. With the tea tree conditioner, the knots are out in 5 or less.
Soak it. Put lavender oil on the mats and extra conditioner let it sit and comb it out from bottom to top.
Depends how bad the Matting is. If it’s extremely bad, WD-40.
I took dreadlocks out of my hair after 6 months & all I did was literally soaked my head with a half bottle of conditioner & tied a plastic bag around my head & left it that way over night & then the next day I would lube up each dread with a ton of conditioner & take a comb & slowly from the bottom just pick it out. Took a while but it didn’t rip out a bunch of hair & was damn near painless.
Conditioner & slow and easy … start at the bottom and work your way up … coconut oil works well, also.
Footnote for all the moms who have kids who like to chew gum & get it in their hair … use smooth peanut butter to get the gum out of hair … or clothes … lol. Works wonders
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The oil on the top of natural peanut butter jars!!
Detangler and work from bottom up.
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Lots and lots of conditioner detailing spray lots of patients and breaks
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I put conditioner in a girls hair and brushed it slowly and then had her to wash it out and wash it with shampoo and conditioner
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Use a conditioning mask and let it set in. Use a wide toothed comb and start from the end and work your way to the scalp
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I like Aussie mega moist! It untangles my 4c hair like a dream!!
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Garnier fructis works my super curly thick hair!
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Wash it real good and lather up some conditioner and try to get what you can out then after use some leave in conditioner I just bought some Aunt Jackie’s from Walmart it’s green in a bottle and works wonders on my girls hair use a wide tooth comb. Some ppl recommend a wet brush but I find they don’t brush through my kids thick curly hair. Go bottom to top. Then I’d say get a good cut or trim to clean up any dead ends. 
good luck!
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Blend a banana and egg and use it as a conditioner after a coconut oil hair massage.Does wonders for the hair.Deep conditioning treatment the natural way.
Coconut oil. Lather it up with coconut oil and divide in section and just slowly work the mats out with a wide tooth comb. After done with it you can get the coconut oil out with baking soda. All you have to do is add a baking soda to shampoo for a couple of washes and then coconut oil will be out. Also you could probably try just soaking the hair in conditioner or leave in conditioner and using a wide tooth comb.
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Always start from the bottom.
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This is a really good shampoo and conditioner. I recommend purchasing a detangling hair brush.
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With that type of hair definitely lots of quality conditioner in the shower and brush it through in the shower. Cool rinse preferably but not necessary. Then lots of leave-in conditioner or detangler after she’s out. Possibly braid it to keep it nicer at night.
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My daughter’s hair is the exact same way. If we don’t brush it in the morning and at night, it gets severely matted. I call it “Barbie Hair”. Lol. A curl defining shampoo and conditioner is great, and it’ll keep the waves so that way they don’t become damaged when the hair gets matted.
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If u can use a warm straighter brush
Lots of conditioner and a wet brush while she’s in the shower or tub and slowly pick out the big knots.
Olive oil and then wash it with dawn
I had to cut off my hair because of depression knots, as I call them.
A wet brush is really going to help here
Apple cider vinegar sprayed on, then drown in conditioner, start at the bottom with a wide tooth comb then use a brush after the comb goes through
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Leaving spray conditioners. And argan oil conditioners.
These type of boar bristle brushes are brilliant!
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Bio oil. You can buy it in the salons inside Walmart.
Conditioner. Also, if she goes to bed with wet hair make sure to braid it to help avoid it being terribly knitted by morning.
lots of detangler spray