Thinking of getting a wooden comb

[ReptilianFeline]

I have been thinking that a wooden comb with wide teeth gaps might be a good idea for detangling my wurly hair. The wooden combs are harder to find, so before I track one down and pay for it, I want to make sure that it will be useful. Any thoughts?

[Siv]

I use one sometimes, but much prefer my tangle teezer, knock off wet brush, or even BBB. It just doesn't detangle properly for me, rather it somehow pulls the knots tighter? I dunno.

I got mine at Åhléns a few years ago, anyway. It's 49 SEK, and you can buy it off their website (https://www.ahlens.se/Skonhet/tillbehor/harborstar-kammar-15324/ahlens-utredningskam-88295686/) if your local store doesn't stock it.

Perhaps it's just bad quality and a more high end would work better for my hair, but I think I'm going to stick to the tangle teezer!

[lapushka]

I have a wooden "treasure" that I gifted myself a long long long time ago, it's by Grahtoe Studios and it is a big wooden comb. Boy that thing is... I hate to even use it and so I never did. It is so precious. Nice thick wood, nice wide gaps. I paid 100 dollars for it. Yeah, I know. It was a birthday present to me. :o

But there's a lot of sellers on Etsy that can get you a nice starter comb for less than that; and basically that's all you need.

Still, I would get a plastic or resin comb as you can also use it on wet hair, and you have to be careful with a wooden comb not to get it wet, so it's only going to be useful for dry detangling, which I wouldn't recommend with wavy or curly hair at all. I myself only dry detangle right before a wash. The rest of the week, I finger detangle (well, separate strands to get sheds out, I don't rake with my fingers).

[Suze]

I have one from the body shop which I love and use everyday, my hair is stick straight though.

[Chromis]

I have a thinner tined wooden comb that I love, but had put away in favour of wide combs. I just got a wide wooden comb as a swap present though a few months back, and wow do I love it! It glides so much nicer through my hair than plastic or resin! There is a trick to using them. Glide the comb smoothly and STOP as soon as you feel a tangle coming up. I detangle the spot with my fingers before I keep combing. If you try to comb as long as possible, the tangle will just get worse, so stop as soon as you see them. This is true of any sort of comb.

I have tried the Tangle Teezer and absolutely hated it. I feel they give my hair a lot more breakage and I know I am not the only one. I also never use my BBB for detangling, only for smoothing hair.

[lapushka]

I have tried the Tangle Teezer and absolutely hated it. I feel they give my hair a lot more breakage and I know I am not the only one. I also never use my BBB for detangling, only for smoothing hair.

Hmm, yeah, you either love or hate the TT. I love it, have done for over 10 years, I am on my second TT after all this time, so they can go a long way for just being a plastic brush. I do thoroughly detangle my hair with a comb before even attempting to go in there with my TT though. I never use my TT to detangle.

[Chromis]

Hmm, yeah, you either love or hate the TT. I love it, have done for over 10 years, I am on my second TT after all this time, so they can go a long way for just being a plastic brush. I do thoroughly detangle my hair with a comb before even attempting to go in there with my TT though. I never use my TT to detangle.

Mmmhhhmmm, they do seem divisive. I found it was breaking hairs even when I was using it just to smooth.

I am the opposite of you with my GTS comb though! I feel it is too nice *not* to use every day. :laugh:

[Siv]

There is a trick to using them. Glide the comb smoothly and STOP as soon as you feel a tangle coming up. I detangle the spot with my fingers before I keep combing. If you try to comb as long as possible, the tangle will just get worse, so stop as soon as you see them. This is true of any sort of comb.


Perhaps I don't have the technique down quite right, but I find just finger detangling more effective than doing this... It's sort of an unnecessary step for me? I comb, finger detangle, comb, finger detangle, and I still feel like it's no more detangled than if I'd just used my fingers and I have to use the TT to get the tiny single/two-strand knots out!

[Chromis]

Perhaps I don't have the technique down quite right, but I find just finger detangling more effective than doing this... It's sort of an unnecessary step for me? I comb, finger detangle, comb, finger detangle, and I still feel like it's no more detangled than if I'd just used my fingers and I have to use the TT to get the tiny single/two-strand knots out!

I think this varies for everyone. I work outside, so my hands are too rough usually to do hand finger detangling because they catch on the hairs. A comb is much smother, so then I can just gently pick up the tangle. I mostly try not to get tangles in the first place, so I have very few. I forgot to mention that smoothing my hands down the hair as I go often catchs up loose hairs, which would otherwise tangle into the other strands. The top causes of tangles for me are either those loose hairs or a bit of lint.

[lapushka]

Mmmhhhmmm, they do seem divisive. I found it was breaking hairs even when I was using it just to smooth.

I am the opposite of you with my GTS comb though! I feel it is too nice *not* to use every day. :laugh:

Yes, in that case I don't blame you for not wanting to use it at all. I am the same with my BBB, I found that broke hairs on me, and even "fuzzed" out my hair, for lack of a better word. It's all fine if you have 1 hair an it's a smooth glide.

Oooooh now I'm dying to bust it out! LOL I might one day just up and start using it. Why am I "saving" it? I mean? I think I might start using it, you know... Maybe as of next week's detangling session. I might!

[Krissycats]

I have a nice wooden comb that I found on Amazon. I keep it in my purse. For detangling I use my tangle teaser.

[Hairkay]

I thought about getting one once but didn't because it's not suitable for wet hair and I do a lot of finger detangling. My hair needs to be wet to get it detangled properly.

[Groovy Granny]

I much prefer the 'wet brush detangler' to the TT, and I got one with BBB added that I love and use daily for styling....my reg BBB I use in the Winter for cutting static.
My wide tooth wood combs are made of sandalwood; I also have some sandalwood bristle brushes that I like; all items were found on Amazon.

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

You dont have to spend big bucks on a wood comb...
the thing with combs is that it doesnt need to be any particular material it just needs to be seamless

http://hairsense.com/combs/bone-combs/

[Kitke]

You dont have to spend big bucks on a wood comb...
the thing with combs is that it doesnt need to be any particular material it just needs to be seamless

http://hairsense.com/combs/bone-combs/

I was under the impression that it was important to choose a comb made of wood/horn/bone because plastic can give your hair some crazy static fluff. Is that not true? (I'm also someone considering buying their first wooden comb)

[ghanima]

I much prefer the 'wet brush detangler' to the TT
I love my Wet Brush too! it works fantastic on my curly hair.
Like someone has observed already, if you're a 3A there's no point in buying combs and brushes that don't go under a shower. I am full of combs and brushes in various materials, sometimes even quite expensive, that I never use for that same reason.
I tried the TT but for my particular texture the Wet Brush is the deal, it never ever pulls the hair but it magically detangles them all, it's incredibly soft. I also like that it had a handle, and I find it softer than the TT. My second best choice is a wide tooth comb in buffalo bone, which I prefer to a wooden one because it slides on the hair much better imo. Third best is a Tek wooden brush, which would be amazing if I ever detangled dry hair, which I don't, sadly. Bow to the texture.

[lapushka]

You dont have to spend big bucks on a wood comb...
the thing with combs is that it doesnt need to be any particular material it just needs to be seamless

http://hairsense.com/combs/bone-combs/


I was under the impression that it was important to choose a comb made of wood/horn/bone because plastic can give your hair some crazy static fluff. Is that not true? (I'm also someone considering buying their first wooden comb)

I second Hairsense. I have the volume bone comb, it is your standard wide tooth comb.

These combs aren't "plastic". I think they're made of a certain resin.

None of my hairsense combs (I have 3) have ever gone static on me, and I have had them about 10 years.

[ghanima]

When you comb wet hair with conditioner on, static is not a problem. And if you are a 3 you will only occasionally comb your hair dry and in that case something with slip like the Hairsense or something in bone seems a better idea than something in wood.
Another brush that's very popular among curlies, mostly to distribute styling products, is the Denman. I don't have any experience with it though.

[ReptilianFeline]

Thank you all for your input :)

Maybe I'm doing it wrong, but I never detangle in the shower, I wait for my hair to be dry, then apply a bit of coconut oil and start working. I've tried a TT, but I didn't like it.

@Siv, the Åhlén comb is one that came up on my searches. If I get that one, I'll have to smooth it with the dremel first.

At the moment I'm using a detangling comb for dogs. The tines are made of smooth round metal, swivel and can be pushed down into the handle to follow the contour of my head. It's OK, but I want something else. I feel that sometimes it doesn't take enough loose hair and sometimes too much, but then I'm battling shedding so it might all be in my head.

Bone or resin might be fine, I just like the way wood turns softly smooth after some use.

BTW... I always bun my hair so the wurlyness of it is pointless to me unless I want to go to a party and let my hair down. Then I simply dentangle a bit with my fingers.

I wish I still had my favorite hair brush. The handle was plastic, the tines plastic but they were set in solid rubber. It came down through my hair to my scalp and was small enough for delicate work. In the end the rubber fell apart or I would still use it.

[Aredhel]

I use a very smooth sandalwood comb and I absolutely love it. My other favourite comb (which is currently MIA in my house somewhere....) was a gift from Mira and it was made from horn... I actually like this one just a bit more than my wood one, it is incredibly smooth and gentle on my hair. Plus it has a handle - which I really recommend - which gives me a bit more control over the comb (my wooden comb is without a handle and it flies out of my hand all the time:p).

[ghanima]

I wait for my hair to be dry, then apply a bit of coconut oil and start working.
Sorry I had confused you with Kitke, who's a 3 type like me. You 2 types are less bound to need to detangle in the shower!
As you say you're battling shedding, I would not exclude the Wet Brush used with conditioner on, it's quite cheap, so should it not work for you it wouldn't be a terrible loss. Shedding for me has been less than a third of what it used to be since I bought that brush, and used it with conditioners with more slip.
Combs in sandalwood feel amazing to the touch, I totally agree, they are so nice to hold.

Btw before when I said bone I meant horn. Translation... I agree with Aredhel it is super super soft and gentle.

[Kitke]

ghanima thank you for the advice! I normally finger detangle in the shower and then later dry detangle with a paddle brush so that I can plait it better- I may be a type 3 right after a shower but I do a lot of sport, so I wear my hair up in plaits or buns all the time, and so I barely see my natural 3a texture. But recently I've been thinking my brushing habits are causing my hair unnecessary damage, hence thinking about buying a wooden comb. Think I may be addicted to dry detangling even though it's not ideal for my texture!

[ghanima]

What if you wet braided or wet bunned the hair right out of the shower, after it's been detangled with conditioner? maybe not a great sensation but you can get used to it, and it will save you from all mechanical damage. Many longhairs do that. Or you can look for the mother of detangler sprays, and use it generously and then pay attention to the build-up and clarify often. The wooden or horn comb or even finger combing will certainly be better than a paddle brush.

[Kitke]

ghanima I think it would be just too uncomfortable for me to wet bun or braid my hair :( but as you say, a wooden/horn comb plus a liberal application of detangler would probably be an improvement on my current routine, so that's what I'll try first!

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

I was under the impression that it was important to choose a comb made of wood/horn/bone because plastic can give your hair some crazy static fluff. Is that not true? (I'm also someone considering buying their first wooden comb)

That definately depends on your hair type, I personally use a seamless plastic wide toothed comb (but mostly finger detangle) and get zero static.
I also live in a 0 humidity climate. Cold, no moisture in the air. And have 0 issue. So i think it really depends on your own hair.

The link however that I provided are resin, bone and other seamless materials. Not plastic.

[-Fern]

I got a wide tooth sandalwood comb for under $8... And loved it so much I promptly bought two more as presents. It doesn't have to be expensive, and it is a pleasure to use.

Chromis gave great tips. I have strong waves, so I only comb my hair wet with detangler...

[Shigure]

I ordered 2 wooden combs online and wait until it comes. It's such a nice thing. I am trying WO and I simply hate using and cleaning BBB. I have one very small wooden comb and I love using it. It make my hair smooth and shiny and is antistatic which is important to me.

[ReptilianFeline]

I read about shampoo brushes, looked at the images and figured I could get one for cheap in the pet store. I bought one first that turned out to be too rubbery so it caught on my hair even when wet. It's perfect for body scubbing though :) . The second one has plastic cone tines and is better, but I still haven't figured out how to properly use it. I just use it to work on my scalp and massage the homemade shampoo into there. Handy when I have broken a fingernail. I tried using it on the lenght of my hair, but I'm not sure how to do it properly.
I really am weary of doing too much pulling on the hair when it's wet. Maybe I worry too much about it, but I don't want to make any mistakes. On the other hand, wet detangling would be nice :)

[marvel-lover]

I've heard that Tek is a really good brand. A bit more expensive, but worth it.

[Beeboo123]

I have a $2 peachwood comb, and a pricey boxwood comb. Haven’t noticed much difference between the two. I use them to distribute oils in my hair. They definitely work much better than plastic combs at that.
Unfortunately, my hair frizzes when I comb it dry, and wooden combs, unless lacquered, cannot be used on wet hair. So, I only use them for oiling my hair before I wash it.

[Shorty89]

I bought an inexpensive wood comb from Americombs years ago. It was inexpensive and worked well. My only complaint was that it got gunked up easily. My horn one doesn't seem to have that problem. Then again, my hair is used to stretching washes now.

[MusicalSpoons]

Thank you all for your input :)

Maybe I'm doing it wrong, but I never detangle in the shower, I wait for my hair to be dry, then apply a bit of coconut oil and start working. I've tried a TT, but I didn't like it.

@Siv, the Åhlén comb is one that came up on my searches. If I get that one, I'll have to smooth it with the dremel first.

At the moment I'm using a detangling comb for dogs. The tines are made of smooth round metal, swivel and can be pushed down into the handle to follow the contour of my head. It's OK, but I want something else. I feel that sometimes it doesn't take enough loose hair and sometimes too much, but then I'm battling shedding so it might all be in my head.

Bone or resin might be fine, I just like the way wood turns softly smooth after some use.

BTW... I always bun my hair so the wurlyness of it is pointless to me unless I want to go to a party and let my hair down. Then I simply dentangle a bit with my fingers.

I wish I still had my favorite hair brush. The handle was plastic, the tines plastic but they were set in solid rubber. It came down through my hair to my scalp and was small enough for delicate work. In the end the rubber fell apart or I would still use it.

That sounds like a Denman to me. I loved my Denman but went with a wooden comb to try to stretch washes (didn't work - sebum + blonde + fine-ish hair = not a good combination) and out of habit I've just stuck with my wooden comb since then. Mine cost less than £5 from Amazon, has no snags, still smells wonderful (yay sandalwood!) and I just love the feel of wood. As for benefits to hair ... I can't really tell because the rest of my haircare improved around the time of starting to use the comb too.

But, if you can find a cheap-ish one online that explicitly says it's smooth, without snags, I'm sure if it's not as described you can return it for a full refund. If you get one that's fine, but you find it's nothing special, it shouldn't be too big a loss :)

[Siv]

Thank you all for your input :)

Maybe I'm doing it wrong, but I never detangle in the shower, I wait for my hair to be dry, then apply a bit of coconut oil and start working. I've tried a TT, but I didn't like it.

@Siv, the Åhlén comb is one that came up on my searches. If I get that one, I'll have to smooth it with the dremel first.


I don't even know what a dremel is but I did sandpaper mine a bit :D overall I found it smoother than I thought it would be!

[ReptilianFeline]

I don't even know what a dremel is but I did sandpaper mine a bit :D overall I found it smoother than I thought it would be!

Dremel https://www.dremel.com/

So far, the bodyshop didn't have a wooden comb any more, but they did have a version of my old brush with the rubber. They said it was for blowdrying styling, but I got it anyway :D

It's a nice brush, but wow, does it make a lot of static!!! Must be real rubber in it.

@MusicalSpoons - yes, looks like a Denman styling brush, now that I've googled that.

[EdG]

I have had a number of Body Shop wooden combs. The quality is variable: some last for years while others develop splits.
Ed

[ReptilianFeline]

I have had a number of Body Shop wooden combs. The quality is variable: some last for years while others develop splits.
Ed

Maybe that's why they discontined them? At least here in Sweden.

[EdG]

Maybe that's why they discontined them? At least here in Sweden.That could be a factor. I didn't mind buying new ones because they were inexpensive in the US.
Ed

[Martinaa]

You should check out TEK company :)

[ReptilianFeline]

You should check out TEK company :)

I had to google a bit before I found it, but at least one online company sells them here in Sweden, so if I can't find any other in a shop where I can examin it, I'll try for a TEK comb. Thanks!

[gustavonut]

https://eternallyinamber.com
This is where I get my seamless combs

[ladycaladium]

I've used the Bodyshop combs and found them to be hit or miss. I now have a horn comb I picked up in Beijing that the tines are a bit close together for detangling and it's a bit warped. I have a boxwood comb I picked up in Kyoto that I love. I use it on wet hair as well as dry. I've had it a few years and have no issues with it (not even warped!).

[Kat]

I've not noticed that wood combs are any different for my hair than plastic combs (someone once suggested I might try a wood comb over plastic to keep the comb from breaking my hair so much). I don't get static with plastic, either. I just like wood better. :) So now I own sooo many combs... my serviceable plastic, a cheaper wood one, and then a pair of green-sandalwood combs I got in a shop at the airport in Shanghai. They smell wonderful! And they have a nice feel too, quite smooth.

For my hair, I have to finger-detangle first. This is usually all I do, since it's up or pulled back 98% of the time and I just need to keep the tangles at bay before they take over, because my hair loooooves to tangle (I always figured my hair would dread easily, and I suspect it could almost felt if left to its own devices). However, when I do wear it down, I must comb it finely... my hair likes to get stringy, so unless I comb it smooth and separate the strands with a fine comb, it doesn't look nice (and then I have to keep doing it periodically through the day). Once I've finger-detangled and find absolutely no tangles, then I can use a wide-tooth comb. Once I find no tangles with that, I can go to the finer-tooth combs. (Brushing is a no-no...especially since the brushes I have are boar-bristle and if you want to see static, there you find it, along with my hair being plastered to my head and let's not talk about if I haven't washed for a couple days. Especially if I've had my hair braided and have braid-waves, a BBB will just make it frizz. I've not tried a paddle-type brush with the fat plastic or wood bristles... don't see a point in buying another hair tool to try when what I already have-- fingers and combs-- works fine.)

[lapushka]

https://eternallyinamber.com
This is where I get my seamless combs

To me they're a little too flimsy. If I dare detangle with it wet, it sort of slightly "bends" on me. I can only dry detangle with their comb.

[gustavonut]

To me they're a little too flimsy. If I dare detangle with it wet, it sort of slightly "bends" on me. I can only dry detangle with their comb.

I could never imagine combing while wet on my hair.. I lose enough hair in the shower as is :shrug:
I’ve never had a problem with it bending even though they seem like they would. Alas, I haven’t noticed this. But then again you have much thicker, and more luxurious hair than mine ;)

[EdG]

One great feature of wooden combs is that they remain smooth as they wear. One is essentially sanding them smooth with one's hair. ;)

In contrast, the fancy acetate combs that I once used developed grooves as a result of wear. After a while, they became useless.
Ed

[lapushka]

I could never imagine combing while wet on my hair.. I lose enough hair in the shower as is :shrug:
I’ve never had a problem with it bending even though they seem like they would. Alas, I haven’t noticed this. But then again you have much thicker, and more luxurious hair than mine ;)

I doubt that ii/iii is that much different than iii, after all I only have 4.25 inches of thickness.

I do divide my hair into 2 when it comes out of the towel, and go through each section with the comb (I use my Hairsense bone volume comb for this part, much sturdier for me and bigger so a better grip on it too).

[gustavonut]

I doubt that ii/iii is that much different than iii, after all I only have 4.25 inches of thickness.

I do divide my hair into 2 when it comes out of the towel, and go through each section with the comb (I use my Hairsense bone volume comb for this part, much sturdier for me and bigger so a better grip on it too).

Then again my hair is actually pretty straight and not as wavy as yours and seems to have much less volume as yours. I’m not sure what my ponytail circumference is :(
Even when I gently fingercomb my hair while it’s wet it still stretches quite a bit and breaks. That’s why I usually leave it alone till it’s completely dry or at least mostly dry. Those bone combs look amazing but I unfortunately already spent some money on new combs anyway. :shrug:

[lapushka]

Then again my hair is actually pretty straight and not as wavy as yours and seems to have much less volume as yours. I’m not sure what my ponytail circumference is :(
Even when I gently fingercomb my hair while it’s wet it still stretches quite a bit and breaks. That’s why I usually leave it alone till it’s completely dry or at least mostly dry. Those bone combs look amazing but I unfortunately already spent some money on new combs anyway. :shrug:

It depends a lot person to person what combs are best to use. If you're doing fine with the EIA combs, then for sure stick to them! :flower: