No combing experiment!

[CryssieWillow]

Ok, I am going to try something I have not tried before.
I have very difficult waves. It is difficult to get them to hold properly and very easy to turn them into a puffball of frizz. (2a. yaaaaay :rolleyes:)
But when they do turn out nice, they are gorgeous! When my hair airdries after a wash, I leave it down and don't touch them, they turn into these spiralling beauties. Sometimes I even have pipecurls all over.
My hair likes to turn piecy or frizzy within minutes after combing. There seems to be this big pit. After combing it is nice and silky, then it turns into a frizzball if I leave it down, but when I leave it alone it gets nice again. It is a different kind of look. Not the shiny wave of silk we see in pictures here, but a different nice.

I am starting an experiment. :)
I am putting all my combs and brushes away except the shower comb. From now on, I am going to try to fingercomb only and use a little more oil to keep the hair nice. The fingercombing will allow me to have a better sense of what I am doing when detangling.
And if I do not keep my hair obsessively combed, the extra oil will not bother me which is better for the hair.
Combing will only happen in the shower when I condition.
It is a great excuse for more scalp massages :)
And I think it will benefit my hair to start thinking of combs as a tool to make nice neat braids and buns. There is something strangely OCD-like in combing hair and too much of anything is never a good idea. I also have the feeling that our ancestors did not comb their hair on a daily basis....

Ok, I will try to keep you all updated on how I like this.
Any brave souls who want to venture on this insane journey with me? :eyebrows:

[Curlsgirl]

I very rarely comb except in the shower with lots of conditioner on. It cuts way down on breakage for me. Also it kills my curls and creates terrible frizz to comb when dry. I do sometimes comb it through with my same shower comb after I get out of the shower when it is still dripping.

Good luck! Be sure to report back. Maybe your hair is curlier than you think? :cheese:

[shrimp]

I only comb in the shower too.
(I'm still getting used to the hair monster in the plug hole from only combing every 3/4 days)

I noticed last time I went back to braid straightened hair that my hair still did better without any combing between washes. I'm kind of sad about it really as I love my horn combs but don't need them anymore (and don't have an excuse to buy anymore).

[BlndeInDisguise]

Good luck! I really should do this, because I only did fingercombing after I ditched the brush and waited to order my horn comb. I had the least breakage I've ever had with just fingercombing.

I'm not sure I can put down my comb, though. :( I'll give it a try. ;)

[Monsterkitti]

I only finger comb and have found it really good for keeping my curls intact. I also cant be trusted to be carefull enough with a brush/comb so just got rid of them :) Good luck with it :)

[jivete]

I tried this for a little while and it helped wean me off the comb for the most part. I think it's a good challenge. I posted about it here.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=13319

[Drynwhyl]

I tried not combing a few times. Not a good idea. Not at all.
It gets so tangled I barely keep my cool trying to comb it...especially after concerts and stuff. uh. I love keeping it untamed, so I have to comb like 2x a day.

[Ryanne]

I only comb before braiding and then go to sleep a day before washing, apart from that I only fingercomb.

[mira-chan]

I regularly go several days without combing and I don't comb when my hair is wet either. I don't even finger comb sometimes and no problems. I have hair that doesn't tangle much so that helps a lot.

[Periwinkle]

I've ventured before.

It worked pretty well for me. Certainly, I don't NEED to comb; I can get by pretty well without it. My hair was very wavy, and I even had quite a lot of curls at the ends (normally I only get them on just-dried hair).

However, I have decided that combing is for me. It's easier to deal with (I don't need to worry about not combing it) and I think my hair looks nicer when it's combed. Still, it's very do-able, and I wish you the best of luck!

[Aisha25]

I never comb and it has done my hairs alot of good (thank you skitts:D) I only fingercomb them when they are dry and then almost everyday maybe once every 2 days or so i'll fingercomb again. So it work for alot of people hopefully it will work for you too:smile:

[Mangachan]

I've been doing this since I've been wearing my hair in it's natural texture. It's actually a must. I only comb and brush my hair when it's wet. I finger comb it when it's dry but that's it.

[teela1978]

I have lost most of my wave lately, but I still rarely comb with anything but my fingers when dry. Tangles are much easier to remove when soaked in conditioner, and don't seem to make my hair look uncombed.

[getoffmyskittle]

No comb has touched my hair in at least three years. :lol:

[Rain76]

I am just curious...Why would anyone NOT want to comb their hair? Is it that damaging, even if you do it very carefully & slowly? If I didn't comb my hair, it would get very tangled, which I think would be much more damaging than combing it.

[Aisha25]

I am just curious...Why would anyone NOT want to comb their hair? Is it that damaging, even if you do it very carefully & slowly? If I didn't comb my hair, it would get very tangled, which I think would be much more damaging than combing it.
When I used to comb them I would get more shed and hear them breaking it broke my heart to hear this and plus my hairs broke every comb I got so I just gave it up and started using fingers:) now no breaks nothing bad.

[iris]

I am just curious...Why would anyone NOT want to comb their hair? Is it that damaging, even if you do it very carefully & slowly? If I didn't comb my hair, it would get very tangled, which I think would be much more damaging than combing it.
Damage is one factor; another factor (which sounds like it's more important to CryssieWillow) is that for wavies, and curlies too, combing breaks up the tendrils that form a curl or wave. The result, particularly on wavies, is hair that looks straight and frizzy, rather than wavy. It's a bit hard to explain (I see you have very straight hair so you don't know it from experience). There is a thread here somewhere where curlies and some wavies show what their hair looks like when they brush it.

CryssieWillow, I stopped combing and brushing about 8 years ago, before I found LHC already. I think I would have typed myself as a 1c or 2a before, but I'm actually a 2c. You may need to retype yourself after this experiment, too ;). Your description of what your hair does sounds very familiar.

I actually hardly combed at all for a few years (only once a month or so), but that way I got the beginnings of some dreadlock formation. After I found LHC, I started combing my hair regularly again but only when it's wet or right before a wash. Haven't looked back. It makes a huge difference.

Good luck!

[CryssieWillow]

Thanks everybody! :D

It is difficult to update after a day, but the first signs are very hopefull.
When I woke up this morning after only fingercombing the previous day, my hair felt softer.
It would be interesting to see if I have to retype myself. My mother has slippery 1a hair. My dad is more difficult but he has fine hair. 2C or 3A. His oldest sister is a solid 3b/3c. I would not mind to become a 2B or something :)
I am still kinda compulsively stroking tangles out. Aaargh!

[Rain76]

Aah, that makes sense now. So, really this is focusing on people with curly/wavy hair. That would definitely not apply to me:) Thanks!

[Anje]

Hmmm... This is interesting to me, especially since I have quite a lot of ongoing breakage, despite that I try to be gentle when combing. I don't generally wear my hair loose, and I usually comb it to put it up, but I might be able to manage this by fingercombing.

I'll give it a try for a day or two, combing only when conditioner-loaded (probably tonight) and see how it goes, or whether I get hopeless tangles without a comb.

[Roseate]

Combing makes a huge, huge difference in how wavy my hair is.

If I comb it only in the shower, then let it dry naturally, it gets wavy enough that the casual observer would go ahead and call it curly. The first time I discovered this was just last summer, and I was really amazed! I never thought I had "curly" hair.

If I comb it while it's damp or dry, it pulls the waves out into a subtle ripply pattern. I like it both ways, and I don't have a big problem with breakage, so I just choose according to my mood.

[AnneAdeline]

My hair tangles like no other, so I think combing is for me. Though maybe my hair would be wavier if I tried finger combing only. I've always wanted to be a wavy!

[Friesiangirl]

I have spirals! I have... I have-- SPIRALS!

Oh my. I didn't comb my hair and I got spirals. I'm happy.

Hayley

[crystal_89]

I didn't comb for a month, except for finger combing when I left my comb at a friend's place and got too lazy to buy a new one. This was when I first joined this forum. My hair went from 2a to 2c. I had amazing spirals. They showed up beautifully in half updos. Another thing I like doing is going to bed with damp hair and not combing it in the morning.

After reading this I might try combing less to see if I can get my spirals back.

[lapushka]

My hair only gets combed when washing, just after the shampoo / conditioner is rinced out, before it goes into the towel. It's combed wet, and yes it's done carefully; wet conditioned hair is the best to comb, the best way to get through it.

I never comb between washings.

[teela1978]

I think you've changed my behavior through suggestion! I've kinda stopped combing my hair except for in the shower. Honestly, I don't see much difference between combing and not combing. Well, other than excessive shed hairs in the shower since I'm not combing them out.

I think my hair looks less oily though (I'm a bit of a grease head). I'm thinking that less manipulation is helping with that.

[Johanna64]

I only comb my hair before I go to the hairdresser,that's 2 times a year :)

[CryssieWillow]

*blows dust of topic.*

I have something pretty awesome to report.
After a few months of not combing and also not trimming, it seems that I barely have any split ends! :D
And I even wear my hair down more often because it finally behaves the way I want it to. It seems I am on my way to discovering my hair's sweet spot.

[Monsterkitti]

CryssieWillow - Glad its working for you :)

I used a brush on my hair for first time in maybe 6 months a few weeks ago and it just reminded me why I dont, big mess and snapping sounds no matter how careful i was :s

[manderly]

Cryssie, try my soft waves drying method. It helps your waves dry properly and as an added bonus you can comb your hair, then "refresh" your waves by re-twisting then dry and shaking them out. Every morning I spritz with water and retwist, but a dry retwist during the day will refresh everything and eliminate the poof you get when you upset your waves :)

Good luck with your experiment!

[Zindell]

Hm... interesting topic.

I think I will stop use my comb (although wide toothed) and just finger comb for awhile. My hair never tangles anyway and it is a little on the thin side. Perhaps finger combing will be more gentle and help my hair thicken up a bit...

I also have a slight wave. Perhaps that will show of more if I just gently finger comb. We shall see!

[Katze]

I go back and forth on this one. On the one hand, I like my 'natural' waves. Brushing, especially, destroys them and makes them weird and bumpy (see avatar pic). But if I don't comb at all, I get really stringy hair...and freshly washed hair on me is stringy pretty much no matter what I do.

For me, it seems like I get the best hair (smoothest, not necessarily waviest) if I only comb once it is completely dry, then fingercomb until it gets 'dirty' (days 4 onwards depending on how much I oil it). Once my hair has reached the stage where i am only wearing it up, I can then brush it to get it as smooth as possible, since the waves don't show in an updo except to ruin it.

Interesting food for thought here, though...

[patissegrietje]

I think i want to join! My hair is always frizzy; i took some pictures after washing and it appears i do have some waves (body wave?)
The first picture is still wet, not combed, second is moist combed, third is also moist but a bit dryer and combed another time.
I always have a massive halo of frizz going on as well... maybe i can be a bit more wavy without combing. :-?
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k210/ouwekrakkemik/nietkammen.jpg

[Katze]

I think i want to join! My hair is always frizzy; i took some pictures after washing and it appears i do have some waves (body wave?)
The first picture is still wet, not combed, second is moist combed, third is also moist but a bit dryer and combed another time.
I always have a massive halo of frizz going on as well... maybe i can be a bit more wavy without combing. :-?
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k210/ouwekrakkemik/nietkammen.jpg

It would be easier to hairtype you if you do NOT comb your hair. Airdy it, and let it dry on its own without any touching at all. As it looks, I'd say you are at least 1c, if not more - like mine. :) Your hair is really pretty and reminds me ofMelisande or OhioLisa, two other fine wavies.

Frizz is a definite sign of waviness.

[patissegrietje]

It would be easier to hairtype you if you do NOT comb your hair. Airdy it, and let it dry on its own without any touching at all. As it looks, I'd say you are at least 1c, if not more - like mine. :) Your hair is really pretty and reminds me ofMelisande or OhioLisa, two other fine wavies.

Frizz is a definite sign of waviness.

Thanks Katze! I will make pictures uncombed after my next wash, and will try to stay away from my horn comb for this no combing experiment :)
Would be nice if i turn out to be wavy, and know how to deal with it :p

[Sammybunny711]

Oh my goodness....I am SO trying this now. My hair has been SO tangly lately even with lots of combing (it has never been this way), so I am going to give this a shot--trying only to finger comb and embrace my natural wave. I'll see how this goes...A month, huh? I'll give it a shot.

[gmdiaz]

I am doing this too. . no more combing. I'll be finger combing only.

I love having spiral curls and combing or brushing just wrecks them.

[CryssieWillow]

I am resurrecting this topic!

I am still not combing my hair and even detangle rarely to never and I have.... wait for it..... no tangles. :confused:
Split ends ave gone to practically zero. I only comb my hair when I trim it and it immediately will start to frizz and it feels a lot rougher afterwards.

Are any of you ladies still on this bandwagon with me?

[Joette]

I'd love to hear from some of the girls who originally hopped on this bandwagon and see some photos if they've kept not combing. I think I'm going to give this challenge a shot. Anyone else new want to try it with me?

[CryssieWillow]

Bumperdebump.
After aaages I logged on again. :o

Well, I have not touched a brush in years so I can give a little long-term result report.
I am pretty confident that any mechanical damage resulting from combing is gone and that has made a massive difference in the amount of tangles I get. I think it is very manageable and I almost wear my hair down or in messy buns. When I feel like it, I pluck some knots out when I'm watching tv. Anything that is left falls out when I rinse my shampoo. It is that easy.
There are a lot of members here who treat their hair a lot more carefully than I do, so for them I suppose the effect would be even more drastic.
Splits occur a lot less then they used to. (I think about 10-20% of the old number)
My hair looks a lot better, waves are more defined. And yeah! :)

In my case combing causes more tangles than they take out....

[luxepiggy]

Bumperdebump.
After aaages I logged on again. :o

Well, I have not touched a brush in years so I can give a little long-term result report.
I am pretty confident that any mechanical damage resulting from combing is gone and that has made a massive difference in the amount of tangles I get. I think it is very manageable and I almost wear my hair down or in messy buns. When I feel like it, I pluck some knots out when I'm watching tv. Anything that is left falls out when I rinse my shampoo. It is that easy.
There are a lot of members here who treat their hair a lot more carefully than I do, so for them I suppose the effect would be even more drastic.
Splits occur a lot less then they used to. (I think about 10-20% of the old number)
My hair looks a lot better, waves are more defined. And yeah! :)

In my case combing causes more tangles than they take out....

Another fingercomber! Cool (^(oo)^)v

Fingercombing is one of the most underrated haircare techniques ever. I almost never get tangles or splits, even though I blow-dry and sleep with my hair loose. I'm pretty it's because I haven't touched a brush or comb since 2001!

[gracenotes]

I've noticed that my hair does tend to behave better and get less breakage when I'm just fingercombing, and I've yet to find a tangle that fingercombing can't sort out, so why not? I haven't used a brush or comb in about a week, and I'm very satisfied so far. I'm considering sticking with fingercombing for the long term now-- maybe it will help coax my waves out of hiding!

[heidi w.]

Ok, I am going to try something I have not tried before.
I have very difficult waves. It is difficult to get them to hold properly and very easy to turn them into a puffball of frizz. (2a. yaaaaay :rolleyes:)
But when they do turn out nice, they are gorgeous! When my hair airdries after a wash, I leave it down and don't touch them, they turn into these spiralling beauties. Sometimes I even have pipecurls all over.
My hair likes to turn piecy or frizzy within minutes after combing. There seems to be this big pit. After combing it is nice and silky, then it turns into a frizzball if I leave it down, but when I leave it alone it gets nice again. It is a different kind of look. Not the shiny wave of silk we see in pictures here, but a different nice.

I am starting an experiment. :)
I am putting all my combs and brushes away except the shower comb. From now on, I am going to try to fingercomb only and use a little more oil to keep the hair nice. The fingercombing will allow me to have a better sense of what I am doing when detangling.
And if I do not keep my hair obsessively combed, the extra oil will not bother me which is better for the hair.
Combing will only happen in the shower when I condition.
It is a great excuse for more scalp massages :)
And I think it will benefit my hair to start thinking of combs as a tool to make nice neat braids and buns. There is something strangely OCD-like in combing hair and too much of anything is never a good idea. I also have the feeling that our ancestors did not comb their hair on a daily basis....

Ok, I will try to keep you all updated on how I like this.
Any brave souls who want to venture on this insane journey with me? :eyebrows:

Detangling hair helps to remove shed hair strands, which when left in, can lead to matting and/or dreadlike hair, given enough time. I'm glad to hear you at least intend to finger comb. It is my opinion that fingers are a bit too fat of teeth for most heads of hair. But I've seen folks who do this, and it works for them, and yes, they're usually curly heads, not heads like mine of stick straight hair without bend or curve of any sort. When fingercombing, others have tried on my hair, and I myself have tried, and it's a treacherous action of kind of pulling and ripping hair out. I have found it to be painful. But I am a tender head.

I wish you luck in your experiment.
heidi w.

[proo]

Manderly, can you tell us more about your soft waves drying method?

[Suze2012]

I think i want to join! My hair is always frizzy; i took some pictures after washing and it appears i do have some waves (body wave?)
The first picture is still wet, not combed, second is moist combed, third is also moist but a bit dryer and combed another time.
I always have a massive halo of frizz going on as well... maybe i can be a bit more wavy without combing. :-?
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k210/ouwekrakkemik/nietkammen.jpg


I know this is an old post....but I just wanted to say..the first pic looks much like my curly hair looks when it's wet and finger combed.
Mine is 'wrinklier' a bit higher up but not much.
If anyone's hair does look like this when wet and wants some more waves I'd try scrunching with a t-shirt - it really has worked to encourage my curls and I even get ringlets now too.

I haven't used a comb since starting co-washing about 6 weeks ago (and I would say it's 20 years since I used a brush) and my hair tangles less now.
I got blown about in gale force winds while out and about on Friday...and it still didn't get very tangly at all.
I used to use a wide tooth comb (only ever when wet) but always really knew that the width of the spaces between wasn't the same width as some of my curls.