Brushing hair when wet

[Mellifluous]

I'm attempting to grow my hair out so I'm following all the conventional hair tips. However, I'm struggling with one thing: not brushing my hair when wet. Ever since bleaching my hair it has become super tangle prone (my natural hair never had this problem) and the amount of conditioner I use never tends to help. I have just bought a leave in conditioner which I've never tried and bought a detangle hair brush but I really wanted to try only brushing my hair when dry. I tried this last week, but my hair will not dry if not brushed!! It just tangles up and all the knots hold the water and it will stay wet all day, its so annoying. If I brush my hair, my hair usually dries in around 30 minutes and it will also dry pin straight, so I have always brushed when wet.

Does anyone have any advice to deal with this? Is it really bad if I continue to brush my hair when wet? I'm really gentle and I take my time working my way from the bottom up and never rougly pull out knots or anything, but I know hair is at its weakest when wet...
Thanks!

[jane_marie]

What is your curl pattern? If you are a curly I think most curly haired folk on here do brush wet... I could be wrong.

Generally speaking, if you bleach and can't get your hair dry it's a sign that the hair is extremely damaged. I would be careful with it if you want to grow it out and if you have hair more on the straight side that means not brushing wet, wearing protective styles as often as possible (in and out of bed), and maybe even protein treatments if your hair can take it.

Someone please correct me if I am giving misinformation. :)

[lostchyld]

I brush when wet. It's the only way I get a brush through my hair. I have loose curls that currently love to tangle. I also braid when wet to keep it straighter. Not that I hate my curls, but they make it difficult to put my hair up dry and I like having my hair up.

I use a wide tooth comb, but it's plastic and still has a seam. I'm not sure what kind of seamless comb to get for working with wet hair.

[jane_marie]

I use a wide tooth comb, but it's plastic and still has a seam. I'm not sure what kind of seamless comb to get for working with wet hair.

If you are up for it a comb made out of bone or horn would work well on wet hair. Etsy has some nice ones for cheap(ish).

[lostchyld]

If you are up for it a comb made out of bone or horn would work well on wet hair. Etsy has some nice ones for cheap(ish).

do you have a favorite seller? The last time I ordered a bone comb, the seller hadn't sanded between the tines, so they tore my hair up worse than the seam on the plastic comb.

[jane_marie]

do you have a favorite seller? The last time I ordered a bone comb, the seller hadn't sanded between the tines, so they tore my hair up worse than the seam on the plastic comb.

I have no suggestions unfortunately. I finger comb lightly while wet and use a sandalwood comb when it's dry.

Maybe someone else will have a suggestion. :)

[Feral_]

Do you brush it before washing? I find that really helps with tangles and I don’t rough it up too much when washing either. Also I ‘dry’ it in a microfibre towel not a fluffy one to keep the hair follicles smoother. No rubbing with the towel, squeeze water out with hands then I put it up in a turban for 10 mins or so. I use a very wide tooth wooden comb on damp hair, not a brush. My hair is bra to mid-back length and dries really quick, 45-60 mins tops, but I do water only washing and that has made the drying time unreal.

[Mellifluous]

I missed a few details! So, my hair is super straight and has literally no curl pattern at all, I believe its just super tangley from having coloured and bleached it in the past. It's not horrendously damaged or obviously fried as I always went to a good salon, however, a few years of hair bleaching, professional or not, has obviously dried it out a lot and is bound to change the quality.
I ALWAYS brush my hair before getting it wet, be it swimming or washing it etc. If I don't, my hair is impossible to brush when wet and will just take too long to dry. I also just find it easier to have no tangles before my shower so that when I condition I know I've gone through my hair thoroughly without struggling. I never, ever rough up my hair with a towel or use them to make a turban. I also use as microfibre hair towel as Feral stated instead. When I get out the shower, I usually squeeze the water out my hair gently and put it in a microfibre hair turban. I then take it out about 15 minutes later and apply hair oils or serums etc. in an effort to make the hair easier to brush, and then detangle and brush it. I have tried using wide tooth combs before, but I don't really feel they work well for me as my hair doesn't get individual knots, its more like all my strands velcro together because they are dried and slightly rough from bleaching. I find it a lot easier to apply a lot of oils/detangler etc. and to then use a detangler brush from my ends and work my way up. This doesn't take me very long and I can generally get rid of all the tangles quite easily and my hair will then dry a lot quicker!

[Mellifluous]

Another note - I notice a lot of people that recommend actually letting the hair half dry and then brushing it, because your hair isn't as wet and vulnerable.. but I HATE doing this!! I find that my wet strands will all interwine and become super stretchy and snap and just stick to the dry strands. It's generally a lot easier to go through my hair when wet and just be gentle, but I know this is advised against

[Xlena]

I don't see the relation between long hair and brushing it wet. I have WL hair, very healthy and I have a lot of hair (my ends are pretty full), and I brush it wet everyday.

[Mellifluous]

I don't see the relation between long hair and brushing it wet. I have WL hair, very healthy and I have a lot of hair (my ends are pretty full), and I brush it wet everyday.

I've heard that wet hair is more suceptable to breakage because its in a weaker state so people advise to not brush it, but I feel I probably have less breakage by being gentle when its wet rather than trying to deal with the unruly knots I would then get once it dries!

[barnet_fair]

If your hair gets into a terrible tangle if you don't brush it while wet, but dries straight with no issues if you do, then it sounds like brushing while wet is probably the right thing to do.

The only issue (and presumably your underlying concern) would be if you are damaging the hair while doing this, by snapping it when you hit a tangle or possibly stretching it (if this is how bleached hair behaves). If you pay really close attention while brushing your hair, and do it slowly enough, you'll be able to tell if you're damaging it - you'll feel it snag or hear it snap.

Don't worry about following all the conventional hair advice. Part of the fun is experimenting with what works for you, over time. My hair is straight and I regularly comb it while wet, using a wide-toothed comb followed by a fine-toothed comb.

[Mellifluous]

If your hair gets into a terrible tangle if you don't brush it while wet, but dries straight with no issues if you do, then it sounds like brushing while wet is probably the right thing to do.

The only issue (and presumably your underlying concern) would be if you are damaging the hair while doing this, by snapping it when you hit a tangle or possibly stretching it (if this is how bleached hair behaves). If you pay really close attention while brushing your hair, and do it slowly enough, you'll be able to tell if you're damaging it - you'll feel it snag or hear it snap.

Don't worry about following all the conventional hair advice. Part of the fun is experimenting with what works for you, over time. My hair is straight and I regularly comb it while wet, using a wide-toothed comb followed by a fine-toothed comb.

Thanks for your advice, I agree with what you've said. I use a detangling brush so it has very small, wide space bristles that are very flexible and short. When it hits a tangle, it pretty much just flops out and can't snag it. Plus, I always start right at the ends of my hair and work my way up a centimetre or so each time, as my hair is so fine it doesnt take me too long but I can make sure I'm not dragging through a lot of knots

[Sweet_Decadence]

Sounds like your in a damned if you do damned if you don't situation. If you're finding it's causing the least damage, carry on, maybe get yourself a nice wet brush to minimize the damage. Your does sound severely bleach damaged however, so it's almost inevitable that most of it will break off over time.

[hennalonghair]

I comb only when wet and it usually to distribute conditioner or I use the tangle teaser.
Once my hair is completely dry I brush it with an MP brush to put it up in a bun or back in braids.

[Miss Thyme]

I had that velcro feel to my hair. I found that deep conditioning removed most of it. I've recently discovered that switching to a conditioner with protein got rid of the last of it, and it is currently keeping the velcro at bay. So if you haven't already my suggestion would be to try one of those options.

[Mariekeeee14]

There are a few good brush options for wet detangling on the market. Wet brush, con air, tangle teezer... You already said you are very gentle when brushing wet so go for it, and my advice would be to look into a good wet detangling brush.

[Lucy McLucyFace]

For me if I don't detangle it when it has conditioner on it turns into a bird's nest when dry. I detangle with a wooden wide tooth comb from thebodyshop (careful not to leave it in the bathtub as it will bend and even fall apart) while the conditioner is acting. Then I rinse it carefully making sure the hairs stay aligned so as to not cause tangles and use my fingers to make sure it's all neat. I do no detangling after that and let it dry and don't have much in the way of tangles after.

Maybe try doing it this way. Just be careful with the wooden comb, it doesn't like getting soaked though it's ok with being wet from my hair

[Ylva]

What's most important is that you brush GENTLY, be it dry or wet. If brushing wet allows you to be more gentle with your hair then I definitely believe that is the right way to go.

I don't see a problem with your way of doing things.

[lapushka]

I detangle prior to washing, which I would recommend to anyone, whether you leave it dry or spritz it a bit damp, to be able to get through the knots before you hit that drain, is awesome! Saves your drain and makes the entire washing process so much easier.

After the wash, my hair goes into the towel for quite some time, but once it gets out, then I damp-detangle it (wet brush dupe) right before I put/scrunch in my stylers.

Maybe detangling before washing it is something to consider, for me it was life-changing! Saved me so many tangles!

[rachdun]

I detangle prior to washing, which I would recommend to anyone, whether you leave it dry or spritz it a bit damp, to be able to get through the knots before you hit that drain, is awesome! Saves your drain and makes the entire washing process so much easier.

After the wash, my hair goes into the towel for quite some time, but once it gets out, then I damp-detangle it (wet brush dupe) right before I put/scrunch in my stylers.

Maybe detangling before washing it is something to consider, for me it was life-changing! Saved me so many tangles!

Thanks for the tip! I'll have to do that next time I wash my hair!

[Kat]

Finger-combing. Or, use a wide-toothed comb if you must. My hair will also dry faster once it has been detangled (because of course I'm separating the strands so air can get to them, rather than leaving my hair in wet clumps).

[Firefox7275]

Honestly I would work on hair quality and strength, and not length. I think you are underestimating how badly damaged your hair is. I lighten my own hair so honesty, no judgement intended.

The wetting/ drying behaviour is because the inner cortex of your hair is porous like a sponge. Consider doing long pre-wash treatments with coconut oil on dry hair (overnight or longer).

The snagging and velcro-ing is because the outermost fatty f-layer has gone, the protective cuticle is rough, chipped and raised. 'Patch repair' this with conditioners or leave-in treatments containing hydrolysed protein, 18-MEA, certain silicones that do not build up.

Hair that is already damaged is highly vulnerable to further damage. From tangling, all brushing and combing, wetting and washing, UV light/ sunlight, etc. Dry brushing, wet brushing and damp brushing are all damaging to bleached hair.

Working bottom up with your brush just means the oldest weakest ends are subjected to many more strokes of many more bristles than the younger healthier roots. IMO detangle primarily with treatment products/ ingredients not mechanically.

[cathair]

My current strategy is to pretty much only detangle with my fingers and my hair full of conditioner. Then when I get out of the shower, I comb it with my fingers once more to get most of the water out. It dries very quickly that way and mostly straight. I might give it a final comb with a wooden comb just before it's 100% dry if I feel like it needs to be tidier, but usually not. Don't know if that would work for you. My hair isn't very thick.

[Laurab]

I always comb my hair when wet. If i don't I just don't feel like I can properly work the shampoo and conditioner in, and if I don't use conditioner when it's wet it looks pretty horrible when it dries.
I don't think it's a big problem as long as you're gentle. I just go slow, stop when anything pulls to switch to finger detangling, and continue.

The tangles have to come out at some time or another, and any detangling can cause breakage if you're not careful. Since I can get more slip on wet hair I've always been more inclined to detangle wet.

I'll also say that my hair is really healthy right now, and it hardly tangles at all these days. My hair is also shorter than a lot of people's on here, but when i was a kid I would get crazy awful knots in my chin length hair, so I can tell a difference.
I think someone else already mentioned that super damaged hair isn't going to last forever anyway. I would just worry about getting your hair as healthy as possible, to save those ends as long as possible and to stop the damage from spreading.

[Deborah]

Since I bought a Wet Brush I have dropped the comb entirely. The Wet Brush detangles gently and easily. It is made with plastic bristles, but there is something about the design that makes it work fabulously well on tangled wet hair. It is really different from any other brush. It's amazing. As you can guess, I highly suggest that you get one. :o

[jane_marie]

Honestly I would work on hair quality and strength, and not length. I think you are underestimating how badly damaged your hair is. I lighten my own hair so honesty, no judgement intended.

The wetting/ drying behaviour is because the inner cortex of your hair is porous like a sponge. Consider doing long pre-wash treatments with coconut oil on dry hair (overnight or longer).

The snagging and velcro-ing is because the outermost fatty f-layer has gone, the protective cuticle is rough, chipped and raised. 'Patch repair' this with conditioners or leave-in treatments containing hydrolysed protein, 18-MEA, certain silicones that do not build up.

Hair that is already damaged is highly vulnerable to further damage. From tangling, all brushing and combing, wetting and washing, UV light/ sunlight, etc. Dry brushing, wet brushing and damp brushing are all damaging to bleached hair.

Working bottom up with your brush just means the oldest weakest ends are subjected to many more strokes of many more bristles than the younger healthier roots. IMO detangle primarily with treatment products/ ingredients not mechanically.

I agree with this.

This is exactly what I had been trying to say when I responded. I just wasn't sure how to cushion the statement.

[lapushka]

Honestly I would work on hair quality and strength, and not length. I think you are underestimating how badly damaged your hair is. I lighten my own hair so honesty, no judgement intended.

The wetting/ drying behaviour is because the inner cortex of your hair is porous like a sponge. Consider doing long pre-wash treatments with coconut oil on dry hair (overnight or longer).

The snagging and velcro-ing is because the outermost fatty f-layer has gone, the protective cuticle is rough, chipped and raised. 'Patch repair' this with conditioners or leave-in treatments containing hydrolysed protein, 18-MEA, certain silicones that do not build up.

Hair that is already damaged is highly vulnerable to further damage. From tangling, all brushing and combing, wetting and washing, UV light/ sunlight, etc. Dry brushing, wet brushing and damp brushing are all damaging to bleached hair.

Working bottom up with your brush just means the oldest weakest ends are subjected to many more strokes of many more bristles than the younger healthier roots. IMO detangle primarily with treatment products/ ingredients not mechanically.

Can I ask what "a fatty f-layer" is, though? An f-layer? Is that a typo, or am I just missing stuff where hair is concerned, which is quite possible. LOL!

[MusicalSpoons]

Can I ask what "a fatty f-layer" is, though? An f-layer? Is that a typo, or am I just missing stuff where hair is concerned, which is quite possible. LOL!

I shall leave Firefox to explain but wanted to leave this good article here https://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/chemicals-ingredients/cuticle-protectant-the-18-mea-layer

[Hildegarde]

I have 3a/3B curly hair and I find an alternative to detangling and brushing while wet is to detangle with my fingers and a good amount of oil

[lapushka]

I shall leave Firefox to explain but wanted to leave this good article here https://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/chemicals-ingredients/cuticle-protectant-the-18-mea-layer

Ah, thank you so much. That'll help. :)

[GRU]

I brush in the shower with a Tangle Teezer and conditioner, then after rinsing I use a Tangle Teezer to distribute my leave-in, also. Between the gentleness of the TT brush and the slip of the conditioner, it's very gentle on my hair. (I gained well over a foot of length after switching to this method, plus quitting shampoo and CO-washing instead.)

[Simsy]

I comb wet after washing it because I don’t need the fight that will result if I don’t. My hair dries in ringlets; and given half a chance and no detangle, it will form long, thin, locs without any prompting...which I than have to try and remove. So I detangle dry before washing it, detangle wet/damp after washing...and occasionally run a tangle teaser through in the shower under running water if I think it’s necessary.

Yes, on the whole, hair is more fragile when it’s wet. It’s also more pliant. It’s why overnight curls are usually done on wet hair, the strands aren’t as likely to fight you. Sometimes the risk of breakage is worth the avoidance of tangles later on. Honestly, it’s about figuring what works, what doesn’t, and which battle you would prefer to skip. For myself in your shoes, I would comb gently while wet and skip the tangled mess from waiting until it’s dry...which is largely what you’re already doing.

[momao]

Hi! A fellow wet-brusher here! I have 2b/c hair, so I choose to brush when wet. If you're careful, and you brush your hair out before getting into the shower when it's dry, it isn't too damaging. Brush your hair starting from the bottom and use a detangler as well. I also reccomend a Wet Brush or Tangle Teezer in the place of other paddle brushes.
However, from what you've said, it seems like your hair is very damaged. Bleach makes hair very porous (https://science-yhairblog.blogspot.com/search?q=porous), so that's likely why your hair has been drying so slowly. I would reccomend an Olaplex treatment (https://www.amazon.com/Olaplex-Hair-Perfector-Repairing-Treatment/dp/B00SNM5US4) and a lot of deep conditioning. I would also reccomend spreading out your wash days as long as you can. Good luck! Bleached hair can be difficult to manage.

[lapushka]

Hi! A fellow wet-brusher here! I have 2b/c hair, so I choose to brush when wet. If you're careful, and you brush your hair out before getting into the shower when it's dry, it isn't too damaging. Brush your hair starting from the bottom and use a detangler as well. I also reccomend a Wet Brush or Tangle Teezer in the place of other paddle brushes.
However, from what you've said, it seems like your hair is very damaged. Bleach makes hair very porous (https://science-yhairblog.blogspot.com/search?q=porous), so that's likely why your hair has been drying so slowly. I would reccomend an Olaplex treatment (https://www.amazon.com/Olaplex-Hair-Perfector-Repairing-Treatment/dp/B00SNM5US4) and a lot of deep conditioning. I would also reccomend spreading out your wash days as long as you can. Good luck! Bleached hair can be difficult to manage.

That's how I'm doing it. Tangle teezer (knock-off) right before the wash, ends up. And then once it is detangled: wash. Then after it comes out the towel, I damp-detangle with a wet brush (knock-off) and then put/scrunch my stylers in.

Once I learned to work with my hair and not against it: game changer! :)

[beckybourbon]

I like to brush my hair when wet. I have a good detangling conditioner that works like a charm. When I get out of the shower after it’s been up in a towel I brush it first with a wide tooth comb, then my tangle teezer(boy has that been my savior). I can’t stand tangly and messy hair when it’s trying to dry.

[BleachedBerry]

I'm attempting to grow my hair out so I'm following all the conventional hair tips. However, I'm struggling with one thing: not brushing my hair when wet. Ever since bleaching my hair it has become super tangle prone (my natural hair never had this problem) and the amount of conditioner I use never tends to help. I have just bought a leave in conditioner which I've never tried and bought a detangle hair brush but I really wanted to try only brushing my hair when dry. I tried this last week, but my hair will not dry if not brushed!! It just tangles up and all the knots hold the water and it will stay wet all day, its so annoying. If I brush my hair, my hair usually dries in around 30 minutes and it will also dry pin straight, so I have always brushed when wet.

Does anyone have any advice to deal with this? Is it really bad if I continue to brush my hair when wet? I'm really gentle and I take my time working my way from the bottom up and never rougly pull out knots or anything, but I know hair is at its weakest when wet...
Thanks!

I would try not brushing your hair all use a wide tooth comb or large pick. Wet or dry should be fine if you start gently from the bottom up.

[BleachedBerry]

Hi! A fellow wet-brusher here! I have 2b/c hair, so I choose to brush when wet. If you're careful, and you brush your hair out before getting into the shower when it's dry, it isn't too damaging. Brush your hair starting from the bottom and use a detangler as well. I also reccomend a Wet Brush or Tangle Teezer in the place of other paddle brushes.
However, from what you've said, it seems like your hair is very damaged. Bleach makes hair very porous (https://science-yhairblog.blogspot.com/search?q=porous), so that's likely why your hair has been drying so slowly. I would reccomend an Olaplex treatment (https://www.amazon.com/Olaplex-Hair-Perfector-Repairing-Treatment/dp/B00SNM5US4) and a lot of deep conditioning. I would also reccomend spreading out your wash days as long as you can. Good luck! Bleached hair can be difficult to manage.


I am not a fan of wet brushes and not because they don't work, they do. I just feel as if its brushing right over the top of my head. I like to feel my brushes in the scalp. I only use a wide tooth comb. Wet or dry. Unless I'm styling. Occasionally I will use a paddle brush or bbb before washing if I have product build up.

I second an Olaplex treatment (https://www.amazon.com/Olaplex-Hair-Perfector-Repairing-Treatment/dp/B00SNM5US4) and a lot of deep conditioning.

[TinaRider]

I only brush my hair just before I wash it.Brushing it while it's wet makes my hair break off.

[lilbee]

For me, brushing hair when wet is an absolute must otherwise knots gets caught in shape forever ! I don't really "brush" though : I use a wide tooth comb or a "wet brush".