Combing Problem

[Bunnehlvr22]

I have a problem that I'm a tad confused over. I have always brushed my hair while it was wet with a plastic paddle brush. It looks quite well when it dries. But because of the obvious damage it does to it I decided to give it up to combing my wet hair. I use a comb that is wide on one end and smaller on the other end. Every time I comb my wet hair it looks dirty when it dries and sort of stringy. If I brush my wet hair it looks soft and fluffy when it dries. Am I doing something wrong?:confused:

I saw something called a "wet brush" and thought about trying it but I don't think it's firm enough for my iii hair.

[neko_kawaii]

Curious what your hair type is. "Stringy" is a common description of wavy hair that one is accustomed to seeing brushed straight.

[Aderyn]

Definitely seconding neko_kawaii's comment!

If you like the effect of brushing your hair, you could try detangling first with the wide tooth comb and then going in and brushing it. That should help decrease the damage of wet brushing. I definitely thing you should give the Wet Brush (or even the Tangle Teezer) a try, as they are both decent brushes from what I've heard! I think you'll be fine with iii hair and either of those. :)

[endlessly]

I agree with both of the comments so far. I gave up using a regular paddle brush after learning of how damaging it was, but just using a wide-toothed comb on my hair didn't work either. Now, I incorporate a wide-toothed comb to detangle and then I brush with my Tangle Teezer. I find that it not only looks better, but it also prevents me from accidentally catching any tangles and knots with my brush and ripping through them.

[Nique1202]

I third the hair texture idea. Hair drying "fluffy" after being brushed while wet is a big neon sign that you're brushing out waves or curls. If that's your intention, then you can definitely find less damaging ways to accomplish it, but it might be worth letting your hair dry without touching it and see what it does.

As for comb stuff, I'd probably skip the two-different-widths comb and just get a single wide toothed comb. The combs that have wider and finer parts on either side often aren't actually wide enough for safe detangling, and are usually pretty cheaply made with seams between the tines of the comb that will cause more damage over time than a smooth brush. Combs with tines sized and separated like this one http://www.thebodyshop-usa.com/hair-care-products/hair-brush/detangling-comb.aspx are ideal. They're wide enough to not cause extra damage, but close enough together to catch all but the tiniest of fairy knot tangles.

You may also consider not combing or brushing at all while the hair is wet. Dry hair is less prone to damage anyway. If you do have natural wave or curl it will go through a phase while it's wet and damp of looking kind of stringy, but those "stringy" bits are actually the defined wave and curl clumps. It's a good thing!

[spidermom]

I agree with getting a wide-tooth comb for wet hair. Try combing conditioner through, rinse, be careful not to mess it all around, then let hair air dry to see how much natural wave and/or curl that you have.

[lapushka]

I agree with getting a wide-tooth comb for wet hair. Try combing conditioner through, rinse, be careful not to mess it all around, then let hair air dry to see how much natural wave and/or curl that you have.

Yep, then take a pic, and let us hairtype you. Maybe it'll solve a lot of issues!

[Bunnehlvr22]

Wow, I had no idea about all that. 0.0



Yep, then take a pic, and let us hairtype you. Maybe it'll solve a lot of issues!

As suggested, I let it air dry. While it's not completely dry here, it's about 30 minutes away from it and it's getting more wavy the dryer it gets! :agape: I always thought my hair only had enough wave to give it a tad bit of volume. But here I give you 3 hours but 30 minutes from completely dried hair:

*http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f354/BookLvr21/Mobile%20Uploads/20150721_200422-1_zpscfeb5abd.jpg

[Bunnehlvr22]

(I forgot to mention that it's still "stringy" as in the locks are still together and not like straight hair after I brush it. Did that make sense at all?)

[Deborah]

If your hair is not pretty damp in that photo, then you probably have over-conditioned it. That would leave it looking a little 'stringy.'

[Bunnehlvr22]

If your hair is not pretty damp in that photo, then you probably have over-conditioned it. That would leave it looking a little 'stringy.'

I am still fine tuning the conditioner process. Its possible im using too much. I think I'll wait and see how it looks tomorrow. My hair takes so darn long to completely dry. :thud:

[Xavien_Grey]

While your picture isnt loading for me i have to agree, if it appears stringy even after its mostly dry its too much conditioner. When i had shorter hair i learned early on never to brush or blow dry it... it would always end up huge, tons of volume (i could get it pretty straight mind you, and static... im not even going there. Nowadays i just detangle dry with a bit of coconut oil and a sandalwood. WTC.

Anywho, your hair is probably wavier than you think. As far as detangling goes, just rinse a little longer in the shower and try cutting back a bit.... i know they say you really only need like a quarter --> ive never believed it myself, but just experiment and try not to touch it, after you detangle and rinse, as much as possible.

[spidermom]

Try using only about a teaspoon of conditioner for hair that length.

[Bunnehlvr22]

Thanks everyone! I'm going to try to cut back on the conditioner tonight when I wash it again. My profile picture is what it looked like when I got up this morning and it was 100% dry. It does look like I used too much conditioner. (Oops) But I had never let my hair truly airdry dry before, only towel dry, without brushing it first and wow. You can't tell too much wave from the picture but my hair feels like it suddenly woke up with a will and life of its own. :agape:

[lapushka]

It doesn't look stringy, or overconditioned to me. You just have about a 1c wave pattern, that's all. It's supposed to look like that.