Breaking Your Hair Out Of Protective-Style Jail

The hardest part of coming out of a protective style is coming out of a protective style. The detangling requires some mental preparation before the actual prep begins.

After weeks (sometimes months) of braids, twists, locs, or crochet, the hair underneath has matted, shed naturally, and compressed in ways that aren't always obvious until you start the takedown. How you handle this phase determines whether your hair comes out of October healthy or whether you spend the rest of the month managing damage from a rushed removal. And spoiler alert: if you don’t learn to take down your hair gently, i.e., without causing damage, then your length retention goals are pipe dreams.

So, here’s how we break out of protective style jail without causing any hair damage.

Firstly, start the takedown with the hair damp, not dry and not soaking wet. Dry hair doesn't have enough slip. Too much water weight makes tangling worse. A light water spritz with conditioner mixed in is enough. Work in manageable sections from the start, loose enough to see what you're working with.

Then finger detangle before any tool goes in. Your fingers can feel a knot and stop before it tightens. A comb cannot. Work from the end of each section upward, removing shed hair as you go. The amount of hair that comes out during protective style takedown can look alarming. Most of the time it's the natural daily shedding that had nowhere to go while the style was in, not actual breakage. The way to tell the difference: shed hairs have a white bulb at the root end. Breakage doesn't.

Once a section is finger detangled, apply MPL Coconut Hair Oil before going in with a wide-tooth comb. Coconut oil provides enough slip to ease a comb through without creating friction, and it penetrates rather than just sitting on the surface, which keeps the hair soft and manageable through the rest of the process. Work from end to root, small portions at a time. And don’t rush things; keep your takedown gentle and slow.

After the full style is out, check the hair's condition before wash day. If it feels dry or crunchy, a pre-poo with conditioner left on for twenty to thirty minutes before shampooing gives it some moisture before the cleansing process strips further. If it's in reasonable shape, go straight into your normal wash day.

Every prison break requires adequate planning, preparation, and patience. Give your takedowns the time they need. Hair that's been in one position for months doesn't come out easily, and the removal process is where the most damage happens if it's not handled carefully. So clear out your day and get your hair out in one piece.

After that, the rest of October is yours.

Love MPL,

Your Hair Doctor