One Brush/Comb to rule them all?

[Adorkable One]

I was curious about everyone's opinion on what the most gentle tool for detangling AND styling of hair.

I have pretty thin, fragile hair. I like brushing with my Denman brush to quickly detangle my hair, and a BBB to smooth down my hair, like when brushing it back. I transitioned to the Denman from your standard paddle brushes with the little balls on the bristles. I found that those where pulling my hair. So the Denman made a huge difference for me. However, I'm starting to wonder if even that is too rough for my hair. It seems fine, but, if I could be even more gentle, then why not try. Is a Tangle Teaser even more gentles than a Denman? Or should someone like me, with thin hair, strictly only use wide tooth combs?

Combs seem like their own world of confusion. So many different materials, I would have never thought made a difference. I only recently started becoming conscious of things like seams in combs, and how smooth they are. I bought a basic, plastic comb from Sally's, only for it to be a huge pain to brush with. It snagged and tangled like crazy, and was totally painful.

I guess I'm just looking for recommendations/ general opinions on hair brushing tools, from best to worst.

[Sapeli]

To select and name just one, then it is wide tooth comb for my hair. With it I can create volume to my hair while airdrying and it is the best way to detangle my fine hair.

[Silverbleed]

I don't know why, but the wooden comb always gets through my hair without tangles or snagging. I honestly don't understand how because it doesn't make much sense. I expected the tangle teaser to work great, but somehow it tangled my hair like crazy making me grab my wooden comb just to untangle it again. It even made such crazy knots I had to cut off a few strands.
A wide toothed comb is on my second place, but isn't as good at my wooden comb. I use it when I'm under the shower or something but that's it. I've got several but the results are the same.

Based on the many posts and responses I've seen a wooden comb shouldn't be the best one. Even the place I bought it from says I should detangle my hair before using it :') I don't expect anyone else to share my experience either, I'm probably the only one xD
It blows my mind lol. But it works, so I'm happy.

[Nique1202]

I don't know why, but the wooden comb always gets through my hair without tangles or snagging. I honestly don't understand how because it doesn't make much sense. I expected the tangle teaser to work great, but somehow it tangled my hair like crazy making me grab my wooden comb just to untangle it again. It even made such crazy knots I had to cut off a few strands.
A wide toothed comb is on my second place, but isn't as good at my wooden comb. I use it when I'm under the shower or something but that's it. I've got several but the results are the same.

Based on the many posts and responses I've seen a wooden comb shouldn't be the best one. Even the place I bought it from says I should detangle my hair before using it :') I don't expect anyone else to share my experience either, I'm probably the only one xD
It blows my mind lol. But it works, so I'm happy.

Detangle before using a wooden comb? No, you use the wooden comb TO detangle! What nonsense are these people talking about?

Wide-toothed comb detangling takes longer than a Tangle Teezer or a brush but it's generally considered less damaging in the long run. You just have to start lower, so that you only get 1 or 2 tangles at a time instead of bunching up all the tangles if you start at the roots. Do the bottom couple of inches, move an inch or two up, then another inch or two, until you get to the roots. The most common mistake I see is people trying to use a wide-toothed comb the same way as a brush, starting at the top or even mid-length and expecting the tangles to work themselves loose. It won't work that way, it'll just put stress on the hair and cause breakage and bigger tangles.

Detangling is the part of my hair care routine that takes the most time and effort but for me it's worth doing as gently as possible since I know I'm going to grow to extreme lengths and I want to get there with my ends looking as nice as possible. Some folks will reach their goal lengths with nice ends using other methods, and that's great for them! It all depends on the hair. You won't know until you try the methods you're coveting.

[TatsuOni]

I can't choose between my BBB and wodden wide toothed comb. It works best when I use them both.

[Cg]

Detangle before using a wooden comb? No, you use the wooden comb TO detangle! What nonsense are these people talking about?

I have to finger detangle even before using my wide-toothed wood comb, so perhaps that's what they mean.

I too vote for both wide-toothed wood comb and bbb.

[meteor]

Seamless wide-tooth comb/pick for me, for sure. :D That's the only tool I've used for a few years now.

In terms of materials, I like wood (since it doesn't cause static), though metal is way smoother so I like it even more, but I need to find something that can't rust. I didn't like plastic or rubber, because it usually has seams or develops snags over the long run anyway.
In terms of structure/shape, I like picks the most because the teeth are very long and can get through thickness, and the way the handle is parallel to the teeth makes it easier for me to use.

I don't use brushes because they create frizz/poofiness in my hair and they just don't get through my hair, even if I section it meticulously. I also can get breakage from them in some areas that have finer, more cobwebby strands.

I do want to try those "loop brushes" (created for extensions and supposedly gentle even for the finest hair), so if somebody tried them, I'd love to hear your experiences with them. :flower:

[pailin]

I think Seeshami maybe did a review of the loop brushes once

[meteor]

I think Seeshami maybe did a review of the loop brushes once

Thank you, pailin! :blossom:
I think you are right! And I think she really liked it, IIRC. :D
I hope to hear more about those brushes, since I've never even seen them around here... Is there ever an issue of hairs getting stuck in the cushion/base, like with so many other brushes? Do any snags develop over time around where the bristles are bent into loops, I wonder? :hmm:

[lapushka]

I voted "other" because I couldn't select my WT comb, fingers, and TT. So... yeah. They all have their place in my routine.

[Miata]

Fingers. I can feel the tension in the hair around each individual finger at all times and they can react individually, so I feel that I cause the least possible damage that way. Can't misplace them either :laugh:. I recently bought a wide-toothed wooden comb though, and find it useful when I'm in a (relative) hurry. I use a Mason Pearson junior boar and nylon bristle brush that is over 20-years-old now (!!) once in a while as a finishing touch when I want my hair to look smoother because I need to look more put together.

[Upside Down]

Tangle teezer to detangle and a round brush to blow fry (style).

[pailin]

Thank you, pailin! :blossom:
I think you are right! And I think she really liked it, IIRC. :D
I hope to hear more about those brushes, since I've never even seen them around here... Is there ever an issue of hairs getting stuck in the cushion/base, like with so many other brushes? Do any snags develop over time around where the bristles are bent into loops, I wonder? :hmm:

I've seen them for sale here, but haven't actually tried one. TBH right now all I really want is a better wide tooth comb than I currently have.

[Obsidian]

I like my acrylic wide tooth comb best, especially for wet hair. My TT is nice for dry hair when I want to brush it our before putting it up. I try to finger comb but it pulls out a lot of hair.

[Belle Paix]

I've been using a wood brush for the last week or so, and really like it so far. I only brush once a day or so, so hopefully, keeping the mechanical damage down.

[hayheadsbird]

I'm trying to detangle once a day, and just adapt however I've worn my hair up to be suitable to sleep in. So today it will just be take the pins out of the buns and sleep in Dutch braids.
Detangling is a combo of fingers, TT and wooden comb. I like my sandalwood comb best even though the teeth are a bit close for initial detangle, depending on how knotty things are. It's so nice to use though!

[Anje]

Of the things I've tried, my favorites are fingers (but finger-combing took practice to not break my hair, and it takes longer), Tangle Teezer, and specifically my wide-tooth Eternally In Amber comb. Which I use is largely a matter of mood or whimsy, but each is good. Fingers and comb are better at not breaking up waves so much, while the TT is very good at removing shed hairs and smoothing hair. I don't break much with the wide-tooth comb, but I break fewer hairs with the TT or fingers I think. I've had other wide-tooth combs before that seemed to snag more and break more hairs, but with all of them it's a matter of using a very light touch in order to stop when encountering a small (2-3 strand) tangle before the hairs are permanently damaged or broken.

Finger combing took me a while to figure out. While I do rake though my hair with my fingers, the earlier steps are a lot more like running my hair between my thumb and fingers to feel for snags and work them out, getting the hairs to align. I think it makes my hair greasy faster, but that's probably because I like to give my scalp a bit of a rub as long as I'm at it.

ETA: To answer your question, the TT is definitely more gentle than the Denman. However if you have fine hair, you'll find you still can't just power through the tangles. You still have to start at the ends and work it slowly. I don't know about M or C hair -- it's possibly that the bristles flex before hairs get damaged for them, but with my F hair, strands still get stretched and badly kinked by trying to brush through the knots.

I've had wide-tooth wood combs which seemed great, but they've paled in comparison to my EIA, which is slippery-smooth even between the teeth. It's slick-smooth unlike the powdery-smooth of wood.

[animetor7]

My favorite is the tangle teezer and if I had to only have one brush/comb that would be the one I choose. I have used it exclusively for trips or when I've broken my wooden comb with no ill effects. But the three "combing/brushing implements" I use regularly are a wide-tooth wooden comb for parting, scritching, and occasionally detanglilng, the tangle teezer, for detangling(especially when wet), everyday brushing, and styling, and a BBB for preening, removing dry shampoo, and distributing oils in my hair. I'm trying out a modified NW/SO routine to stretch washes, but if I wanted to, I could rely more heavily on dry shampoo and just use my tangle teezer. :)

[ravenheather]

For me, wooden comb and bbb. For my girls 6 & 8 it's a tangle teezer all the way.

[Adorkable One]

Wow, so it seems that there's an overwhelming amount of support for wood wide tooth combs. I think I might get one of those soon. I think I go overkill on all the brushing I do, which is especially bad considering I don't have a lot of hair. I just have a lot of short, wispy layers and bits, and I don't like when my hair is uneven. Lol. So there's a compulsion to get as much control as possible.

I've had my eye on this comb...
https://www.etsy.com/listing/268383996/handmade-natural-chacate-preto-wood

Do you think that's a good comb? It looks super smooth, but I don't know if that's truly a wide bristle or not.

[TatsuOni]

Wow, so it seems that there's an overwhelming amount of support for wood wide tooth combs. I think I might get one of those soon. I think I go overkill on all the brushing I do, which is especially bad considering I don't have a lot of hair. I just have a lot of short, wispy layers and bits, and I don't like when my hair is uneven. Lol. So there's a compulsion to get as much control as possible.

I've had my eye on this comb...
https://www.etsy.com/listing/268383996/handmade-natural-chacate-preto-wood

Do you think that's a good comb? It looks super smooth, but I don't know if that's truly a wide bristle or not.

My comb is more wide toothed. I also recomend detangling big tangles with your fingers.

[Adorkable One]

Of the things I've tried, my favorites are fingers (but finger-combing took practice to not break my hair, and it takes longer), Tangle Teezer, and specifically my wide-tooth Eternally In Amber comb. Which I use is largely a matter of mood or whimsy, but each is good. Fingers and comb are better at not breaking up waves so much, while the TT is very good at removing shed hairs and smoothing hair. I don't break much with the wide-tooth comb, but I break fewer hairs with the TT or fingers I think. I've had other wide-tooth combs before that seemed to snag more and break more hairs, but with all of them it's a matter of using a very light touch in order to stop when encountering a small (2-3 strand) tangle before the hairs are permanently damaged or broken.

Finger combing took me a while to figure out. While I do rake though my hair with my fingers, the earlier steps are a lot more like running my hair between my thumb and fingers to feel for snags and work them out, getting the hairs to align. I think it makes my hair greasy faster, but that's probably because I like to give my scalp a bit of a rub as long as I'm at it.

ETA: To answer your question, the TT is definitely more gentle than the Denman. However if you have fine hair, you'll find you still can't just power through the tangles. You still have to start at the ends and work it slowly. I don't know about M or C hair -- it's possibly that the bristles flex before hairs get damaged for them, but with my F hair, strands still get stretched and badly kinked by trying to brush through the knots.

I've had wide-tooth wood combs which seemed great, but they've paled in comparison to my EIA, which is slippery-smooth even between the teeth. It's slick-smooth unlike the powdery-smooth of wood.

I suppose finger combing is great if you're patient! Lol, it's a challenge to not rip at the hair if you have long nails.

Thank you for answering my concerns about the Denman. I loved it when I first got it. It's so much more gentle than standard paddle brushes. It glides through my hair. But now that I've had it for a while, I still felt like maybe it's too much for someone with thin hair. Sometimes it feels like it's grabbing too much and "stretching" my hair. I've considered removing some of the rows of bristles to see what that's like. Worth a shot I guess, but I feel like the part that might be bothering me is the rubber base of the bristles. I mean, it's rubber! It grabs hair like crazy.

What is an EIA?

[Anje]

Ah, that's "ETA" = Edited To Add. Forum-specific abbreviation. :)

[lapushka]

ETA: To answer your question, the TT is definitely more gentle than the Denman. However if you have fine hair, you'll find you still can't just power through the tangles. You still have to start at the ends and work it slowly. I don't know about M or C hair -- it's possibly that the bristles flex before hairs get damaged for them, but with my F hair, strands still get stretched and badly kinked by trying to brush through the knots.

Yes, a Denman immediately pulled at my scalp. The TT doesn't do that much - if at all. I find it softly takes tangles out, while a Denman just... reminds me of the days I was a child and my mom needed to brush my hair. *shivers* :lol:

[Sophiatrist]

If I really had to pick just one I'd go with my wide-tooth sandalwood comb. But IRL it's finger comb, then my wood comb and finished up with BBB.

[embee]

I wanted to select Denman brush and Wide Tooth comb, but the poll only let me pick one, so I chose the Denman brush. I use it every day, twice a day, and I use the comb sometimes. That's all I've got - no TT or boar bristle or wood comb.

[Lize]

I am a bit backwards, but this is what I have learned through the years what works best for my hair.

When it's wet I put conditioner as a leave in and then use a wide tooth wooden comb to detangle. When it's dry I do it in two steps. First I go over it with a soft goat hair brush. Softer than boar bristles and perfect for my fine hair. Never hear a snap or feel a pull ever. After that I use the Tangle Teezer since the goat hair brush is too soft to go through all of my hair. If I use the Tangle Teezer or wooden comb without starting with the goat hair brush I will always get stuck in at least one tangle and have hair pulled. So for me it's not one, but two different brushes in combination. Only use the comb for wet hair because if I use it on dry hair it's actually worse than a brush for my hair.

[Groovy Granny]

I have wood combs and brushes, BBB brushes, and fine/wide tooth/detangle combs; all have their purpose and are used often.

I was never comfortable to try the TT and just tossed out my Michel Mercier for a Wet Brush Speed Dry Hair Brush (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BCU41UG?ref_=ams_ad_dp_asin_1)

I feels heavenly on my fine silver.....so light, and glides through wet or dry hair to detangle it with decreased sheds :crush:

Initially I got it for the shower; I loved the open back that wouldn't collect water like the seamed brushes can, and it was such a hit I got a 2nd one for my room!

That's my :twocents: :eyebrows:

[Dwemeri]

I have wood combs and brushes, BBB brushes, and fine/wide tooth/detangle combs; all have their purpose and are used often.

I was never comfortable to try the TT and just tossed out my Michel Mercier for a Wet Brush Speed Dry Hair Brush (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BCU41UG?ref_=ams_ad_dp_asin_1)

I feels heavenly on my fine silver.....so light, and glides through wet or dry hair to detangle it with decreased sheds :crush:

Initially I got it for the shower; I loved the open back that wouldn't collect water like the seamed brushes can, and it was such a hit I got a 2nd one for my room!

That's my :twocents: :eyebrows:

I've always just used the same old wide toothed comb which seems to work well with my hair (except for static problems once in a great while) but I gotta say that looks tempting to try. The handle seems very thin though, do you find it comfortable?

[Groovy Granny]

I've always just used the same old wide toothed comb which seems to work well with my hair (except for static problems once in a great while) but I gotta say that looks tempting to try. The handle seems very thin though, do you find it comfortable?Yes I do...it is so light, and the curves make it easy to hold!
I tied a cotton corn to the handle of one to hang in my shower, and I use it after applying conditioner and then before doing towel turban.

The reason I switched to wood combs/bristle brushes was the static from the conair wide tooth combs.
I still use all of their versions but just as a final style tool.

Hopefully this brush won't give static in the Winter; if it does I'll just use it in the shower until it passes.

[Elly May]

Sally's has a plastic seamless wide tooth comb for 88 cents. I think I have about ten of them. I have never had one that was at all rough or snagged.

[missmelaniem]

I seem to grab for my brushes the most... my Aveda paddle brush and the Tangle Genie . I'm really actually pretty lazy so its whatever brush is handy at the moment