How to Detangle Kid's Curly Hair - From Experts at the DevaCurl Salon!

We recently took a trip to NYC and visited the DevaCurl salon in SoHo. It was an amazing experience and I can’t wait to share with you what I learned. I wanted to take as many notes as possible. As I considered the stylist hair experts and I wanted advice to take back to our daily curl hair routine. One of the biggest take aways? How to detangle kid’s curly hair without tears!

First, if you haven’t heard of DevaCurl I highly recommend their hair care products. Through the years we’ve tried different brands, but somehow we always come back to DevaCurl. I first found out about them because I was googling curly hair care products without paragons, sulfates or silicone. We haven’t looked back since.

So we were thrilled when DevaCurl asked if we wanted to come to NYC for a complimentary haircut!

The staff was great with our daughter and she felt comfortable right away. Here are some of my biggest takeaways and tips for how to detangle curly hair:

How to Detangle Curly Hair

Lesson 1: If You Think You Are Using Enough Product, Use MORE!

I knew I used a lot of conditioner in my daughter’s hair, but I was amazed how much product the stylists used! I was also impressed that they only used their fingers to detangle her hair. After, she had such curl definition and they acheived it without a brush. It motivated me to get better at finger detangling (I usually use a Wet Brush because it just seems easier and faster).

Kid's curly hair tips from the experts at the DevaChan salon in NYC! — After her haircut and styling session!

One way they could detangle so easily? They used a TON of the Wash Day Wonder slip detangler. You actually use this product before you shampoo, mask or condition. It’s so silky smooth and makes detangling a million times easier.

Lesson #2: Separate the Curls into Small Sections

I was trying my best to soak up every technique I saw at the DevaCurl salon. One thing I noticed, they detangled very small sections of our daughter’s hair at a time. It can be tempting to do a whole section because you think “I want to get this over quickly.” But in the long run if you want to detangle your kid’s curly hair without tears it’s best to start in small sections.

Clip back the sections you haven’t done and slowly separate the curls. Start detangling at the bottom of the hair and work your way to the scalp.

Lesson #3: Prevent Extra Tangles BEFORE Your Next Wash

I thought we had a good styling routine down, but I learned a few new tips to help reduce tangling and frizz. First, always wash hair with warm water. This helps open the cuticle and get some of that thick moisturizing conditioner into the hair. When you are ready to style rinse the hair with cool water. This helps lock the cuticle back up.

I also noticed the stylist used a ton of water throughout the process. When he detangled, conditioned and styled he was always adding more and more water to her hair. This makes the whole process easier and less painful.

Finally, he suggested after you style the hair to put a little bit of Wash Day Wonder on the ends so it doesn’t tangle up as easily before the next wash.

Lesson #4: Refresh Curls and Detangle Daily

We don’t do a full detangle routine each day, but if my daughter is wearing her down hair, I spray it with water and conditioner. Then I use my fingers to detangle the curls. This makes a tremendous difference on wash days. If you wait 3 to 4 days to detangle, it will difficult.

A few more tips, invest in a silk pillowcase or bonnet to prevent nighttime tangles. Also consider easy protective styles like banding to help protect tangles and the curls.

There are so many ways to care for curly hair and I’ve learned over the years it’s a process. I learn something new all the time and it’s okay to experiment to see what works best.

The stylist gave me great product recommendations. I can get overwhelmed by all the options when I search the web myself. “How do I know which product will work best with our daughter’s curl pattern?” It helped to get a second opinion.

I highly recommend visiting the DevaCurl salon in NYC if you get a chance. If you don’t live nearby you can find a local stylist who has been trained by DevaCurl!