Master Hair Reconstructor!

When hair gets matted, your first instinct may be to cut it all off and let it grow out anew. This is not so for Jeanene Barrett who is an expert at de-knotting hair. Owner of Billionaire Hair in Brooklyn, NY, Barrett has worked with celebrities like Serena Williams, Naomi Campbell and Misa Hylton-Brim. Barrett's salon is all about turning their clients' frustration into liberation through versatility and education. I asked Barrett to give MODERN her insight into what it's like working with matted hair.

How does hair become matted? Hair becomes matted when it is not getting combed as needed to permit natural shedding. Loose hair can knot several times around strands, creating tangles that cause the hair to matte. When the hair is damaged the cuticle is lifted and not smooth making it difficult for each strand to slide pass each other during the combing/brushing process.
 Jeanene Barrett

How do you de-matte hair?Tell me the steps/products involved in the process.

To de-matte, saturate the matted area with a lubricant to make the cuticle smoother and easier for the strands to slide pass each other. I recommend PhytoSpecific's Revitalizing Treatment, Jane Carter's Hair Nourishing Serum or Hot Six Oil for lubrication. Cover hair with a conditioning cap and apply heat for 30 minutes. Depending on the damage of the hair, I recommend removing hair from the heat to allow the lubricant to soak in and work through the tangles. I then use a special metallic clamp and a lot of patience, to gently pull the strands apart in the reconstruction process.

How can women prevent their hair from becoming matted? Avoid overprocessing your hair with bleach. Overprocessed hair tends to be left in an unruly state where there is little protein left, which weakens the hair shaft and makes it difficult for strands to slide pass each other during the combing/brushing process.

Avoid knots and tangles by getting split ends cut regularly.  Even hair extensions need to be trimmed. For shampoos and conditioners look for hydrating ingredients that will help maintain moisture. Products that contain soy isoflavones that aid in strengthening hair and maintaining scalp integrity.

Brush hair thoroughly before washing to get any loose hairs or dirt out. To prevent knots, comb beginning at the ends of the hair and slowly move up to the roots.

To prevent tangling while blow drying hair, use a blow dryer with a wide-toothed comb attachment and blow dry the hair straight down, one small section at a time.

How long does a de-matte treatment usually take?
It depends on the hair texture and severity of the knots and/or matting. Most small knots can take 1 to 2 days to remove. Curly hair can be difficult be more difficult than straighter hair. Long curly hair tends to wrap around each other so there may be many knots inside of the 1 visible knot.

What advice do you have for women with sew-in extensions/weaves? Weaves/extensions are really two different words for the same process/service. Depending on the condition of the hair, it is important to get your sew-in weave tightened every 1.5 and change out hair every 90 days.

Sew-in hair weave can over just as much flexibility in styling as strand-by-strand infused hair.

Good foundation: the size of the braid, stitching and the inches the braids are spaced apart play a big role on whether a sew-in weave appears flat and smooth or bumpy and lumpy. If this foundation is good the hair can be changed out without re-braiding natural hair.