When I was younger, my mom would sit me down every night and start brushing. I have very thick hair, so I could never get the knots out my self. She would brush my hair for over and hour to get all the knots out. I would put my hair in a pony tail or a braid all the time. The braid worked wonders for me, but the pony tail didn't do much for me. I just use more conditioner now, that helps me out a lot. I no longer get all the tangles and knots anymore. Thank god.