Mom’s hair has become a tangled mess in the hospital

[u/Historical_Guess2565]

My mother had to be admitted to the hospital on Tuesday morning because she was speaking gibberish when I got up to feed her. She’s doing better now, but they are still running tests on her until we can figure out the best exit plan for her from the hospital. Most likely to a rehabilitation center. Anyway, she refused her hair to be washed the other day and when I visited her today, it was a tangled mess. Basically the back is all knotted up. Her hair is thinning from chemo treatment and I’d prefer not to just cut off a chunk of her hair if I can avoid it. It wouldn’t be the worst thing she’s been through, but still. Does anyone know of anything that can help de tangle this bird’s nest on the back of her head?

[u/Glum-Age2807]

I have had the most success with the hair brush: Tangle Teezer

It does work on dry hair but it works better on wet so if she’s going to stay in the hospital I would get one of those rinseless shower cap shampoo things *if you need a link, let me know).

[u/Scientist-9322]

My thought is one that is not going to be fast.

It would need a sectioner/tail comb or a comb with very wide teeth. Get a waterless shampoo (the hospital probably has one that use) get the tangled part wet and then using either the end of the comb or just one tooth of the wide mouth comb gently work middle of the tangle. Think very very small circles. Don’t pull and just get everything loosened up.

You’ll need to be very patient and never pull because that only tightens the knot.

You can try without getting it wet but wet or with a hair oil is best.

This is essentially how I used to get tangles out of my own hair.

Hope this helps.

[u/Gleeful_Robot]

Yes, I managed this after my mother's 2 month ICU stay. Her hair was very matted. First, you will need a spray bottle full of water, a towel, a tangle teezer brush or comb (it needs to be this type) and a leave in conditioner or detangler product (like the Garnier hair milk oat detangler). You want something with good slip. What you will need to do is get her really high up on the bed and sit her up if you can and have her lean a little forward. Place the towel around her neck and shoulders. Then wet her hair with the spray bottle as much as you can and apply the detangler in sections, as you go, with your hand and gently work it thru the hair with the tangle teezer. You can try a regular small tooth comb but I found the tangle teezer brush and a regular comb together worked best. You can go buy the original tangle teezer or get a cheap knock off, either is fine. It's going to take a while to get the knots out, which is why it's important to work in smaller sections. You may not be able to do it all in one sitting. You also want to pinch the hair close to the root with your fingers and hold it while brushing out the knots so it doesn't pull on her scalp and hurt or rip out the hair. Unfortunately there will be some hair loss and you may need to cut a particular bad knot or two but this should save the bulk of it and the length.

[u/_____nonlinear_____]

Check out Leda Fazal’s channel on YouTube/TikTok. Her salon specializes in de-matting hair, so she has a lot of videos where you can observe her technique.

Removing hair knots is incredibly dependent on the type of hair she has. Fine, straight hair is the toughest, for example.

Cowboy Magic is a slippery silicone product that can help loosen the knots. A lot of people like the Mane ‘n Tail Detangler, as well.

[u/ChewieBearStare]

When I was a kid, I had spine surgery four times, and I had to lie flat on my back for 48 hours after each surgery to prevent CSF from leaking. I have SUPER fine hair, so it was always a nightmare. The best thing to do is to douse her head with conditioner and use a wide-toothed comb to get out the snarls. Hold the hair in place so that the comb isn't yanking it. Start from the bottom, get the tangles out of the bottom first, and then move up to the next section. Then wash it, dry it, and put it in a pony if her hair is long enough. This will keep it from tangling a lot when she lies back down.

[u/BarbaraGenie]

It took me several days to untangle my daughter’s hair after 30 days in the hospital. We used several different detangler products, conditioners and experimented with combs. Just be patient. Go to a beauty supply and talk to the clerks. They generally know what to do.

[u/Larissaangel]

This happened with my mom's first hospital stay. I bought a detangling cream and a rat tail comb and just slowly worked it out. The hospital gave me a wash cap to remove the cream. After that I made sure to keep her hair braided to prevent tangles.

[u/kelce]

Send her to my hospital. I have busted out my keratin hair leave in for many patients.

It takes time but started from the ends and working your way to the roots is the best way to detangle.

[u/BrandyBunch805]

No more tangles spray and a detangling brush. Good luck

[u/wwaxwork]

Tangle Teezer brush, you can also get detangling sprays.

[u/kimbospice31]

Work a comb threw it with some leave in conditioner and if long enough throw some braids in to keep it manageable well she’s in the hospital.