Your combing/brushing routine

[divinedobbie]

I went on the hunt to read reviews for my first seamless comb (wood vs. horn etc) and came upon several very old threads. There seemed to be a huge variety of combing practices - some combing in shower with conditioner, some combing after towel-drying, only combing when dry, finger combing etc.

My own routine is: wash hair, gently pat hair dry with towel, comb with goody "Finish Dresser"* comb a few minutes later, air dry. I then comb as needed which is before putting it up, when changing updo's before bed and the next morning, or occasionally during the day. I don't use any oils or leave-ins and I use cone free or water soluble cone conditioners.

*I comb with a fine toothed comb because if I don't comb when wet my fine hair parts terribly, doesn't separate, and just dries funny. This also got me thinking that perhaps I should try wide tooth combs for detangling (combing fairly rough is my worst habit). I've always felt like they don't do anything though!

I'm looking forward to hearing what works and what doesn't for you. And of course if you have a recommendation for a comb, I'd love to hear all about it too!

ETA: I usually finger comb out the tangles before combing, especially when my hair is dry.

[Andeee]

My hair is medium thick and wavy / curly so I comb and brush as little as possible because brushing will ruin the waves and curls and combs will sometimes get caught or tangled.

I will lightly brush the top layer around my head it it's starting to look frizzy just to neaten it so when it's up it will look a bit sleeker. I will brush thoroughly on wash day (once a week or so) but not always. I think it's good for removing dead skin cells and lint, but sometimes even after a week it doesn't seem like it needs it.

I comb with my wide-toothed comb in the shower with conditioner. I will sometimes comb after I gently squeeze the excess water out with a towel, just to get the part where I want it and maybe help it lay right so it dries the way I want it to.

When I am doing a coconut oil treatment (every now and again a day before washing) I will comb it in and then brush to distribute the oil thoroughly (I saw heidiw do it this way in her video on oiling).

[Rushli]

If I want curly hair, I brush in the shower with my new tangle teaser. If I want it straight I brush it sometime after I am out of the shower. My hair is still short enough that it does not tangle too much and a little finger combing before updos or bed works. Sometimes I brush it on non-wash days and sometimes I finger comb. Whatever I feel like. I have a cheap walmart comb I love. I tried to find another one, but the new ones of the same brand are cheap plastic and dont run through my hair as well. It is the main reason I tried the TT. I love it, but am not sure if I shed more with it yet or not as I am still experimenting with poo bars and they could be the culprit.

[Rio040113]

I use a Mason Pearson rake comb (c7), which I love and very occasionally a Denman fine tooth cutting comb (for fringe style purposes) but I'm not too fond of the Denman, so I'm looking to replace that with a fine tooth MP. Also rather fancy a wooden comb and a wooden brush! :rolleyes:

I finger comb before my shower and before my sleep cap goes on. Other than that I use my wide tooth (MP) comb to detangle post shower (after my hair is towel/turbie dry) and then once again to do my bun for the day after my hair is fully dry. I also comb when my hair is heavily oiled. My hair is straight, so no worries about me destroying any wave/curl patterns at any time.

[LMB]

I finger comb before, during, and after my shower.
If I am going wavy/curly then I try to comb a little bit of my canopy so I can get a somewhat even part.
If I am going straight/wearing it up then I will blow dry (on cool) then run through it with my Tangle Teezer to get rid of any tangles the dryer might have caused then put it up.
I finger comb throughout the day if needed.
I recently got a Mason Pearson brush and use this at night (as per Madora's guide but I use it carefully as I have fine hair) before I put on my sleep cap.
I do wash every day so I brush it mostly because I like the feeling of it rather than trying to distribute the oil, but I think this will come in handy when I am trying to stretch washes if I ever get round to that!

[Wosie]

I try to keep my brushings to twice daily--once in the morning and once before I sleep. If I go out with my hair loose I'll brush it carefully when I come home as well. Right now I'm using a standard ball-tip vent brush (egads!) but as I have such resilient hair it doesn't get damaged when I brush it through slowly. I honestly like this brush quite a bit, I haven't had any problems with it. I won't be using it on a day-to-day basis for very long, however, a few days ago I ordered a wide tooth horn comb and a medium tooth purpleheart wood comb, from a seller at etsy. I'm really looking forward to trying them out. :D I can write my thoughts about them here once I've received them.

As my hair isn't very long yet and my hair is pretty coarse, I barely have any tangles most of the time. I do wonder when they will start happening! I hope they'll stay away for a long time, of course. :pray:

[tlover]

I comb "upside down" every morning with a wooden wide tooth comb then I use my BBB and work down the sebium down to the length of my hair, I love the result so I hope that I don't brush to often.

Sometimes Before I go to bed and Always Before I shower I rum my hair trough with my wooden comb (sometimes I do my "morning rutine" Before showering).

I basically never wear my hair down but if I change my hairstyle in the middle of the day I might break out the comb or I just fingercomb.

[Wosie]

Thanks, tlover, for reminding me... I also always brush my hair before washing it! It's very important, it would feel very odd and 'wrong' if I forgot to do that as I've had it as a routine for many years. :D

[Firefox7275]

I follow the Curly Girl method so detangle when washing hair and its slathered in conditioner, any tangles pretty much fall out. I use fingers and sometimes a wide tooth comb to neaten hairs and aid clumping.

If I wear my hair straight I use a very wide tooth comb on dry hair, and sometimes I finger detangle dry wavy hair which is a bad habit/ hangover from my days of obsessively playing with my hair (so damaging). Although dry hair is stronger than wet there are snags so I suspect this is more damaging.

[Cederin]

After washing: Combing my fringe with a wide tooth horn comb (if I just let my fringe dry as it is it will look hilarious) and after that I let everything dry to 95%.
Comb through the rest of my hair from ends to root. Finish off with a BBB.

Everyday combing: 3 times a day if hair is down, if else I just comb in the morning and evening. Same procedure as when my hair is 95% dry.

[shutterpillar]

I brush it when it's tangly. :shrug: Normally this is before I put it up for the day and right before bed, but I'm not opposed to brushing it during the day as well, if it needs it.

[Verdandi]

I detangle my hair with my wide toothed wooden comb in the morning (it really isn't much detangling since I sleep in a braid, but it feels wrong if I don't), and then I use my rat tail comb to make sure my part looks alright and to smooth things out when putting it up. In the evening I take it down, comb through with the wooden comb, apply a few (2-3) drops of argan oil and brush it through with my BBB.

Before washing I comb with the wooden comb, and afterwards I use the same comb to detangle towel dry hair. If I don't, I end up with a very strange part and clumpy hair dried in strange directions. (I have straight, mostly fine hair that loves to adapt to every strange direction it dries in, but somehow it refuses to hold any sort of curls... *sighs*) I wish I could comb it in the shower, but I shed like crazy when I do that.

[Wosie]

I wish I could comb it in the shower, but I shed like crazy when I do that.

You and me both. shudder: I can't even detangle once it's wet, I lose around twice as much as I would've lost when it's dry.

[divinedobbie]

Before washing I comb with the wooden comb, and afterwards I use the same comb to detangle towel dry hair. If I don't, I end up with a very strange part and clumpy hair dried in strange directions. (I have straight, mostly fine hair that loves to adapt to every strange direction it dries in, but somehow it refuses to hold any sort of curls... *sighs*) I wish I could comb it in the shower, but I shed like crazy when I do that.

I tried combing in the shower once and I shed so much hair, that it turned me off of it and I never tried it again. I remember I also shed tons of hair for the next day after. I don't know if it was a coincidence though. I'll probably try again out of curiosity. And it sounds like you're describing my exact hair there ;)

[rags]

I can't comb in the shower either, it looks like I've shed a small rodent! (And I don't have much hair to begin with, I need to keep every one I can!)

I have super baby fine (finer than my infant niece!) hair which.....floats when it's down. It's that fine. It's also right in the line between straight and wavy, so it tangles like mad (as well as grabbing anything it touches and tangling in THAT! ). Basically, I don't wear my hair down very often at all (its right around hip right now).

When I'm wearing it up (probably all but a couple days of the year). It gets a comb run through it when I come out of my sleep cap (no tangles usually) and I use a bbb to smooth the top when I put it up. At night when it comes down I comb it out then into the sleep cap it goes. Occasionally I'll take it down in the evening, and those evenings become detangling sessions.

If I really want it down for whatever reason, I wash it the night before and slather it with heavy duty cones. This helps, and I only have to detangle it several times a day.

I think a lot is to do with your hair type. I know that on the fine/thin thread, a lot of us have tangling problems if you're anywhere past about a 1b or so.

[HoneyDayTripper]

I just bought a wooden comb I adore and I've switched to only that and my boar bristle brush. I detangle before the shower and then I use the comb in the shower for conditioner (I know you're not supposed to do that but I've had no problems so far.) All of this is done obsessively carefully from tip to roots. If I wear my hair down all day, I have to stop and detangle once or twice throughout the day-- but I will only do this if I have time. If it gets tangled and I'm really busy, I won't quickly try to brush it because it rips if I do that. I'll just carefully and loosely braid it and get on with my day.

I'm a super tangler, but I've been lucky enough to find a hairdresser who is as obsessive as me when it comes to detangling carefully. What has helped the most with all this is just braiding it 50-80% of the time. If I'm having a lazy weekend and not doing anything special, it's braids and oil all weekend. I want to find another seamless comb-- I think a jade one would be amazing. Haven't found one yet.

[antler_tines]

In my case, I've stopped brushing and combing all together. I do detangle with my fingers though. I shower and let it air dry then if it needs it I will finger comb. Most of the time when I'm working in my shop I wear my hair in a fork or stick, other wise I wear it down and it doesn't seam to tangle. At night I french braid it. I used to brush it when it was wet because I alway fought its slight wave :P I thought my hair should be straight! My hair seems very fragile so for me brushing it just leads to snapped hairs. In your case because you said it dries weird maybe just a wide toothed comb would be sufficient?

[lapushka]

My hair gets detangled with a wide tooth comb (in 2 sections over the shoulder), then same thing with a Tangle Teezer brush. Then it gets washed. After my whole routine, it gets into its turbie twist towel for 15 to 20 minutes. After that my hair is detangled once again with a wide tooth comb *only* - it is pretty damp by then, all of the wetness is gone that could be hurtful in the combing process. That's all for a whole week. It is not touched by a comb or brush for a week. Until wash day, and this process starts all over again!

[emilia1992]

I use a denman brush before a shower: that way it doesn't tangle so much even when wet. I try and dry my hair without using the brush, but if I'm in a hurry I use the brush to separate out the hair as I blowdry it to speed it up a little. I did have a wooden comb, but it didn't detangle very well - just pulled the tangles tighter for some reason!

[DweamGoiL]

I comb each morning very lightly since I sleep with my hair braided and bunned on top of my head with a plastic wide toothed comb. About 3 days after wash day, I use my Mason Pearson BBB to spread sebum. By this time, the roots are looking a little clumped together. I usually wash the evening after that. I comb in the shower after I apply conditioner and again after I wash and before I apply product to the hair. After that, I just leave it alone. Usually, the first morning after a wash, I just finger comb since I don't want to disturb my wave too much and it's not tangled at all. On days when I feel my hair is catchy, I will finger comb throughout the day when I am at work.

[Madora]

In the morning I detangle with a wide tooth shower comb from Sallys, then brush 100 strokes in the head down position, with my Goody pure boar bristle brush. My hair is then braided up for the day and stays up until the next morning.

Wash Day: Hair is thoroughly detangled and brushed before stepping into the shower. After the final rinse I towel my hair, then pat down the length to remove as much water as I can. Then I use 4 drops of mineral oil (applied to my hands, not my hair) then detangle with my wide tooth comb.

[jupiterinleo]

I use a widetooth shower-comb or my fingers to detangle before a shower, and then a Denman-knockoff brush. I comb it in the shower, and sometimes fingercomb after it's dry before I go to bed.

I sometimes comb in the morning, and sometimes at night. Usually I will just fingercomb until wash day. I will use the "Denman" brush if I am doing a French braid or anything like that.

A few days after a wash, I will detangle, brush with "Denman" brush, then brush with my actual Denman BBB.

[Komao]

In the morning I detangle with a wide tooth shower comb from Sallys, then brush 100 strokes in the head down position, with my Goody pure boar bristle brush. My hair is then braided up for the day and stays up until the next morning.

Wash Day: Hair is thoroughly detangled and brushed before stepping into the shower. After the final rinse I towel my hair, then pat down the length to remove as much water as I can. Then I use 4 drops of mineral oil (applied to my hands, not my hair) then detangle with my wide tooth comb.

I also detangle with a wide tooth comb and I love to brush my hair with BBB. I think your hair is beautiful so I'm going to continue. I've heard so many say brushing is damaging but I can't see it specially if using good brushing technique. I once asked someone about the 100 strokes a day and she thought that was an old wives tale. No one brushes it that much and she suggested maybe 20 strokes a day, tops. So I've been limiting myself to 20 strokes a day!
I love LHC and have learned so many helpful things but in the end you have to make decisions for your own routine and from experience. Sometimes I get confused as trying to do the best for my hair so it will grow really long but then I come back to what felt good, made my hair look good and try to relax until I hear the next, don't do this. I feel there is a lot of different hair types and they all require different methods for keeping locks in top shape. I understand if you have curls not wanting to brush as that will diminish their curl. I have wavy hair and brushing it doesn't make it frizzy? So, I guess I'll keep experimenting with different ideas and in the end I will figure what works for me. :)

[Larki]

I brush in the morning after waking up. I shower at night, so I brush before I shower, and then wait until my hair is dry or just slightly damp and then brush again and braid.

[Madora]

I also detangle with a wide tooth comb and I love to brush my hair with BBB. I think your hair is beautiful so I'm going to continue. I've heard so many say brushing is damaging but I can't see it specially if using good brushing technique. I once asked someone about the 100 strokes a day and she thought that was an old wives tale. No one brushes it that much and she suggested maybe 20 strokes a day, tops. So I've been limiting myself to 20 strokes a day!
I love LHC and have learned so many helpful things but in the end you have to make decisions for your own routine and from experience. Sometimes I get confused as trying to do the best for my hair so it will grow really long but then I come back to what felt good, made my hair look good and try to relax until I hear the next, don't do this. I feel there is a lot of different hair types and they all require different methods for keeping locks in top shape. I understand if you have curls not wanting to brush as that will diminish their curl. I have wavy hair and brushing it doesn't make it frizzy? So, I guess I'll keep experimenting with different ideas and in the end I will figure what works for me. :)

Thank you for the compliment, Komao.

Brushing is not harmful to your hair provided you use the right brush, detangle before brushing, and use the brush properly. This means slowly. Brushing should never be done in a hurry. To help calm the static that brushing makes, just run the palm of your free hand down the hair you just brushed.

My hair is slightly wavy and I've been doing the 100 strokes every day for decades. My maternal grandmother did the same. It does not matter if you brush 20 strokes a day or 100. It is more important to be consistent and do the same amount every day. Brushing is not a hit or miss thing. It's also important to keep the brush clean and free of shed hair.

Do whatever you feel comfortable with. Not everything works for everyone (and brushing is not for curlies).

[meteor]

This is a great thread as I believe the stuff you do most frequently to your hair (for example, how you wear it every day and night, how you groom and wash it) is going to define the condition of your hair in the long run.

I comb my hair only when dry or damp with my fingers and a seamless wooden wide-tooth comb once a day or sometimes once every other day. I find my hair is in better condition, tangles less and has a better shine when I manipulate it as little as possible. I never let tangles/knots just stay there, but I don't randomly comb/brush my hair anymore. Ever since I quit brushing my hair and started combing my hair only when needed, I noticed I don't get any split ends - I hope this trend continues. I think minimal manipulation and no heat is what stopped the splits for me.

I also notice that the less I comb my hair, the less it tangles. At first I thought it was a coincidence, but I'm not so sure anymore, as I remember several LHC ladies complaining: "The more I brush, the more tangles I see." I don't know where this is coming from, but I also saw more tangles when I was constantly brushing and combing.

I don't detangle in the shower, because I don't like spending too long washing my hair and I think I shed more when I tried combing wet hair.

I'd like to experiment with a horn / jade comb, and maybe get a very wide tooth rake. I don't want to try plastic again as it gets easily scratched and I think hair can get caught in those tiny scratches/splits/snags. Someone on the LHC (sorry I forgot who) looked at her tools under a microscope and she saw many snags on her plastic comb and TT - plastic tools might have a short "seamless" lifespan and may need to be replaced more often than other materials.

Note: I forgot to mention that my hair is thick, fine, and wavy, and wear it up all the time. I would probably have a very different routine if these circumstances were different.

[georgia_peach]

<snip>

I'd like to experiment with a horn / jade comb, and maybe get a very wide tooth rake. I don't want to try plastic again as it gets easily scratched and I think hair can get caught in those tiny scratches/splits/snags. Someone on the LHC (sorry I forgot who) looked at her tools under a microscope and she saw many snags on her plastic comb and TT - plastic tools might have a short "seamless" lifespan and may need to be replaced more often than other materials.

Note: I forgot to mention that my hair is thick, fine, and wavy, and wear it up all the time. I would probably have a very different routine if these circumstances were different. Hi, meteor! For your reference, I present my new Hairsense detangler! (Just arrived in today's mail.) It's "horn" (actually resin) and seamless. My plastic detangler comb is the one to the right and heading to the trash bin in mere moments. http://i862.photobucket.com/albums/ab188/bcmathis0213/b3e7164c-4e94-407c-9b81-c3d09b2b8c1e_zpsafa5c3ad.jpg (http://s862.photobucket.com/user/bcmathis0213/media/b3e7164c-4e94-407c-9b81-c3d09b2b8c1e_zpsafa5c3ad.jpg.html)

[Aderyn]

Well, I used to detangle with a wide tooth comb, but the comb has a crack in it so I'm not using that currently. Ordered and am now waiting for a replacement comb to come.

Usually, my routine is this:
1. Wide tooth comb
2. Denman brush
3. Boar Bristle Brush (only on 3rd+ day hair)

Since I don't have a wide tooth comb, I'm just using a denman brush and it's fine, it's glides through very easily and since I wear my hair up all of the time, I don't have any serious tangles to deal with.

I don't use a denman brush to detangle wet hair, sometimes I will on damp hair, but usually on dry. With a wide tooth comb, I will detangle on pretty much wet, damp and dry hair, though I'm trying to cut back on wet detangling. If I plan on wearing my hair down (pretty much never), then I will only detangle with a wide tooth comb.

[HazelBug]

I never use a brush. I gave that up last time I grew my hair out. I use a wide tooth comb. I comb when it seems messy or when I want to pull it back. I comb right before my shower. I also have a shower comb that I sometimes use when I condition my hair. I'm not sure how I feel about combing in the shower yet though. If I don't detangle with a comb after my shower it can take 2 or 3 days for my hair to dry. As is it already takes hours.