new thread
Hi, I'm new here, and have been growing my hair out for about 10 months now (from pretty short). My hair is about eight inches long right now and is sort of wavy and a little bit curly. I found that it helps a lot if I comb my hair every morning, but combing is difficult sometimes and it seems to take a lot of hair with it. Does anyone use a brush, and/or know of which is the best to get?
Cheers!
The answer to your question can depend on your exact type of hair. However, yours doesn't sound too different from mine, and I (and a number of others) have found a natural boar-bristle brush to be a good addition to the hair care toolbox. They generally do a pretty good job of helping to spread your natural hair oils dowh the length of your hair, especially as it continues getting longer.
I used ot have the same Problem
A few months ago i started Finger brushing befor i would use a Actual Brush on my Hair and that made brushing Alot easier on my Hair without all the Pulling and Breaking
Avoid the old fashion brushes use the afro comb or a "brush with spacesed plastic come like pins not brissles!
Birdman
Hi there Orange Wedge (I love the name, BTW!),
I fully agree with what both Brad and JSFrodo said. It does indeed depend on your hair type, as well as finger-combing is always the most gentle way to start the untangling process.
In addition to the brush that JSFrodo recommended, I also like using a wooden brush to begin with, ending with the boar's bristle brush to finish smoothing my mane out for the finale. Just make sure you learn how to always start with the lower half of your hair, first; then gradually work your way up to the hair closer to your scalp. By that I mean: you should carefully brush & untangle the ends, first; then gradually work your way up to the middle portion; and lastly work on the area closest to your scalp. At the end, you should be able to take your brush with one smooth stroke, from the scalp all the way to the ends. Repeating that action can feel very invigorating, because that brushing ritual can stimulate blood flow to the scalp, as well as help to distribute the natural oils on down the hair shaft towards the ends (where it is needed the most). Then you are done!
Also, I always follow the advise of a long-haired woman that I knew from long ago: NEVER USE A BRUSH ON WET HAIR!!! Brush your hair only when it's dry. Hair is weakest whenever it's wet, so more likely to break then. I use a wide-toothed comb when my hair is wet after shampooing (plus, I use a TON of conditioner to make the combing process even easier).
If your hair is super-curly, though, we've heard from other curly-haired guys around here that they usually prefer NOT brushing (even when their hair is dry). A wide-toothed comb or pick seems to work better for them, as I recall. Hopefully somebody else who has curly hair will reply to you here, and make any other additional comments or corrections to what I've just said.
Hope that helps!
- Ken in San Francisco
As my hair has gotten longer, I've learned to hate combs. A good brush will help clear out the loose hairs (yes, there will be many of them) without catching and pulling on the untangled attached hairs. Tangles are a problem, but the brush seems to handle them a bit better than combs.
As for which brush to get, I'm not picky. I just grabbed the one that looked the most comfortable at the grocery store one day. ;) I brush in the morning, in the evening, and after a shower when my hair is wet (supposedly a bad idea, but I do it anyway ;p).
I think our hair types might be pretty close. Mine is very thick, fine, and wavy/curly, especially at the ends. Just below my ears it starts to get poofy, creating a bell shape when I don't tie it back...
Wow, thanks for all the responses! I'll look into some different types of brushes based on what I've read, and I will try it with my hair dry.
For what it's worth, I am blessed with just the right amount of oils in my hair, and thus I never use shampoo. What works for me is washing well with water for a few days, then a diluted apple cider vinegar rinse, and an apple cider vinegar leave-in conditioning every week or two.
It's just in that awful awkward stage right now. Hopefully I'll be able to tie it back in a few months! It's getting there...
Heya. I'm new here myself. :-)
I've had luck using large brushes on my thin, straight hair. I attached a pic of one of my current brushes (I usually keep a similar spare one in my backpack.) This type is a bit squishy on the bottom, with plastic pins that are firm, but not too hard or too sharp.
I agree with Urban Cowboy that working from the bottom of the hair to the top is key. Personally, I've found that brushing slowly is also good, especially when I start brushing. If I run into a trouble spot, I'll lightly hold it in place with one hand, then work my way from that spot downwards.
As for hair loss, some is to be expected. Just be careful of pulling it out. Holding spots of hair in place has worked well for me, as has brushing slowly. Fast moving brushes through a tangle are a good way to unnecessarily lose some hairs.
Good luck!