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Hiya, guys,
After using a brush for the last few years, about a month ago, I finally listened to the advice on here and went out and got myself a wide-toothed comb. It's quite a good one, moulded plastic, but no seams or rough bits to snag stray hairs. My brush's one of the ones with a wooden handle and nylon bristles of various lengths, some soft, some quite stiff.
I'm finding that the comb takes more than twice as long as the brush ever did to detangle my hair and it also seems to cause more snarls. With the brush, I can usually get my hair tidy with about a dozen strokes - working from the ends up on three sections with about four strokes to each section, the first about six inches from the end and working up about six inches each time to a final stroke from root to end. Using the comb takes forever. If I try to work through more than an inch of hair at a time I end up with tangles. I also have to work with much smaller sections of hair, and then, when I've finally managed to comb it out, if I want to comb it all back to tail it, I end up with tangles again! Wet or dry, it's always the same, except that the tangles are harder to get out when it's dry.
That never happens when I use the brush, so am I doing something wrong? Using a comb is meant to cause less damage, but I can't say I agree with that. I also seem to end up with more hair in the comb than I do in the brush. Anyone else have a similar experience?
Personally I give up using a comb on my curly hair. It tangles so easily, and even if I just combed a big tangle out, I pass by it again and its already tangled again!!
So I give up using combs. If i need to de-tangle I'll finger-comb, but if I do that my hair will grow a lot in volume and it's not good to go out with.
I use a brush to distribute heavy oilings, usually overnight before I wash my hair with shampoo. It ends up looking terribly frizzy, but yeah the brush really makes life much easier!!
I stopped using combs a long time ago. Now all I use is a boar-bristle brush, and even then, maybe once a week.
I find that the more I touch my hair to detangle it, or try to tame it, the more the curls turn into a giant vertical frizzy afro. so I'm trying to touch it as little as possible, especially in public :)
Hope this helps.
Shawn
My hair's naturally wavy, so it tends to be fairly easy to control although that means it tends to just lie flat and not have much volume. You'd think a comb would go through it easily enough, but no. I must admit I sometimes envy people with curly hair because their hair always seems to look good, but I know plenty of curly-haired people who would love to have straight locks. I suppose we all want what we don't have.
In my case, if I go straight to either a comb or a brush I often end up with some ugly snarls, so I generally start with the ultimate in wide-toothed combs, my fingers. I start with the bottom six inches or so, gently working out whatever tangles I run across, and then moving up about 9-12 inches at a time. Once I can run my fingers from scalp to ends easily, then I'll break out the comb and/or a boar-bristle brush.
I rarely get any snarls with the brush but if I comb or finger comb I end up with something that looks like a bird's nest.
It all depends on your hair type. Your a "brush guy"; I'm a "comb guy." TomatOE/TomatOH. If the brush works and you're not snapping hairs, use it. I wouldn't use a brush on wet hair though. Advice and opinions, we all know what theyr'e like...everybody has one ;-)
MB
I'll probably get shot down in flames for this, but I always brush my hair when it's wet. I usually finger comb it in the shower while rinsing out the conditioner, so it's usually tangle-free, but if I try to comb or finger comb it while it's damp, it knots up, but the brush just seems to glide through. I used to leave it to dry before brushing it, but any tangles just seemed to set then and it was evern more difficult to get them out.
About the only problem I have with my hair is that the ends seem to break off, which, I'm told is because of brushing. That was why I decided to try the comb in the first place, but it just doesn't seem to work for me.
I used to have split ends but they're few and far between these days. I think that's down to the fact that I plait my hair almost all the time now. A couple of weeks ago, I left it loose for a whole day but ended up with heaps of splits, so I think I'll stick with the plait unless I want to make a statement.
I've got wavy/straight hair and most of the time I only finger comb my hair. Sometimes a comb and I only brush my hair when I haven't washed it for a few days, but I seldom do that.
Everyone's hair is different just go with what you get the best results with.
Thanks, Vincent.
I tend to wear mine in a plait most of the time these days, so I don't usually have to worry about tangles. However when I do wear it loose or in a tail, it can get quite knotted and I often end up having to finger comb it then, although the brush usually does the job. Combing just seems to make it worse, so I think the comb's going to stay in the drawer from now on.
But with my hair reaching past my waist, it take so long to detangle. It is so much simpler to take out the tangles on top and then work my way up with brushing. I save the comb for wanting to do things like parts.
I'm jealous. My hair's just getting to belt length now, although it's quite wavy, so it tends to sit a few inches above it for now when it's dry.
I suppose I'd have to say I'm becoming anti comb, because it just seems to cause more snarls and tangles than the brush. In fact, even when I've brushed my hair, if I then run the comb through it, it gets tangled. The joys of wavy hair, eh?