combing when wet

[pdy2kn6]

So everyone knows brushing when wet is a NO.NO. but there seems to be diverse opinions on combing with a wide tooth comb when wet. Does this cause brakage/damage? I was watching a video of sameese on youtube (a lady from America with amazing long hair) and saw she was combing her hair when wet: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=BDkxGN0sFNw&feature=related

Her hair looks amazing, i don't think she is currently a long hair community member, but when i spoke to her on youtube about a year ago she told me she was a non-trimmer, so it made me wonder if combing when wet is problematic? perhaps it would be easier to comb when its wet, instead of the strenuous task of combing hair when it dries, post wash??

[Euphony]

I usually comb when wet. If I don't I end up with a mass of bendy hair that sometimes wants to spiral too. My hair also feels rough if I don't comb it wet and it stays feeling like that. I do not notice any damage from combing my hair wet. I do notice a lot of breakage if I wait to comb it until it's dry.

[Bene]

i only comb when damp or dry. i always end up pulling hair out when i comb wet.




i'm watching the video now. that's some impressive hair. reading the comments too. already there's been a person telling her she "should" donate it. :rolleyes: she's a better person than i am because she responds politely.

[Hue]

I sometimes comb when wet, albeit very carefully. When I hit it right, the comb seems to go through more gently than when my hair has dried (if it dries in clumps).

But I find that the widest-toothed combs don't work best for this. For me, it's a comb somewhere in midrange (not my Denman wide-toothed, but not a fine-tooth either) that works best. I'm not sure why.

[Gumball]

From what I remember it's best not to comb when hair is sopping wet because then is when it's at its most fragile, but if it's just a little damp then combing separates the hair and gives it more surface area to speed up drying. I squeeze some excess water out of my hair on wash days, then wait for a little bit post-shower before I bust out my comb. That really does help speed up drying versus if I just left it. It also really, really cuts down on the hassle of dealing with my hair with a comb had I let it dry on its own without anything done whatsoever.

[GlassEyes]

I have to comb my hair, not ONLY when it's sopping wet, but when it's filled with conditioner, otherwise I can't get it through.

[shwankie]

I comb when wet. I have to, otherwise I get entrenched snarls and tangles that will not come out without cutting or damage. I let my hair dry in towel for several minutes before I comb, and I do so with a smooth pick. I have no damage in my hair, so I'd have to say it works well for me. That said, I have SUPER fine hair, and it's probably different for those with different hair types.

[harpyangel]

I comb when it's been up in a turbie-towel thing for about half an hour. But I always start combing from the ends and slowly work my way up. Otherwise I'd never get through my thick hair!!

Angelina xxx

[~GypsyCurls~]

I have no choice but to comb my hair when wet...not soaking wet, but it needs to be more than damp in order for me to get a comb through it.

[HotRag]

I usually comb when wet. If I don't I end up with a mass of bendy hair that sometimes wants to spiral too. My hair also feels rough if I don't comb it wet and it stays feeling like that. I do not notice any damage from combing my hair wet. I do notice a lot of breakage if I wait to comb it until it's dry.
Sounds like it is for me.
I don't know if I get breakage from not combing wet though, but I think that could be the case.

Hair is not totaly wet when I comb, I have it in towel for 20 minutes then comb.

[suicides_eve]

i comb after misting or when damp, wet makes me scared my hair will stretch and snap off ( bleach over process lead to this before) i am a bit leary of it. But damp works fine for me

[AJoifulNoise]

I comb when wet. Mostly because I also put my hair up when it's wet/damp. I have a hard time controlling it when it's dry. Also, my hair is neither straight nor wavy... So, in my opinion, it looks messy if I don't comb it straight while it's drying.

I can get away with not combing until dry, but I hear my snapping hairs that way...

[logica_divina]

She should be more gentle! shudder:
Personally I very rarely comb my hair wet, if ever.

[Faepirate]

I pile conditioner in and then comb under the shower when the water's running. So my hair is absolutely sopping wet when I comb it, and being bombarded by water from above :p

I have no idea if this is bad for my hair. I hope not! It's the easiest way.

[Ryanne]

I comb my hair when wet, soaking wet, after I fingercombed for a while. Then I don't have to touch my hair again when I go out of the shower.

[spidermom]

I think it all depends on your individual hair and how it behaves. If my hair dries with scrunched up ends, those ends tangle and knot up every single day. The outcome is far better if I take the time to carefully comb it out before it dries.

[inspiral]

i do the same. sometimes, if my hair is really tangled, i will detangle some bigger knots with my fingers when its dry before i shower, then in the shower i wet it and pile on loads of conditioner, and finger comb it all from the bottom up, then use a wide tooth comb, but very carefully and slowly, stopping with the comb when it hits a tangle and detangling with my fingers again, until i can comb it all smooth, then i form the curls in the shower and dont comb again until my next hair washing, unless it doesnt get too tangled and i am able to finger comb dry a little and put it in braids, but usually if i wear it down, it ends up getting tangled pretty fast, especially since i wear it down most for more special occasions, like going out dancing and parties.

[heidihug]

I never comb or brush when wet. My hair needs to be nearly, or better yet, completely dry to be at all "comb-able". If I try to get anything through it when wet, even my fingers, it pulls and snaps and stretches - eek!

I usually do not brush my hair until about 36 hours after I wash. First day (after night-washing), I just pull my damp hair back and put it in a bun without doing anything other than finger-combing any unsmooth strands. The next morning I brush it gently before styling. Then that night I wash again.

[MandaMom2Three]

I'm actually able to brush when wet with no ill effects. I use a wood bristle brush from the body shop. After I take the towel off after washing I use my wide tooth wood comb to detangle, but my baby hairs are still sticking up everywhere, the brush smooths them down then I use said brush to brush in a few drops of olive or jojoba oil. No snagging, no pulling, no snapping, the brush just glides through my hair like a hot knife through butter.

[Moldilocks]

I comb damp hair after wearing a turbie for 10-15 minutes. For awhile I was trying to comb dry hair before showering. It wasn't good. It's much better to detangle in the shower.

[Niphredil]

Combing or brushing my hair when it is dry after washing results in major hairloss. Combing while in the shower with water running through results in smooth hair with barely any hairloss. I do use a wide toothed plastic seamless comb. When I finish washing, I gently squeeze/scrunch out the water, put it in a cotton diaper and after a few minutes to up to 30 minute I take off the towel and comb it again to smooth it, rearrange my part and put in leave-in or anything else I like (either mousse or gel or cream to help with curl formation and clumping). I then usually do not touch my hair with a comb or brush until it is soaking wet next wash.

My hair is like velcro when dry, but very easy to manage when wet. While handling hair when wet might be more damaging because of its wetness, for me, handling it dry leads to a lot more damage.

As long as you are gentle and careful, I don't think it matters when you comb your hair. Your individual hairtype and structure determine what works best.

[Elphie]

I finger comb it in the shower while I'm rinsing my conditioner and give it a quick run through with a wide toothed comb after I step out. It's still very wet, but it's not tangled at all by that point. It does dry better IMO if I comb it first.

[Arctic]

I can do either way, comb, finger comb or no combing. I can comb wet, damp and dry.
I use wide tooth seamless comb.It helps me to hide the cow lick I have and I don't find it damaging as long as I do it gently and with time.

[Leabhar]

I comb my hair when it's wet, damp, dry--mostly when it's damp, to get out tangles and so it dries without kinks.

[pdy2kn6]

She should be more gentle! shudder:
Personally I very rarely comb my hair wet, if ever.


i agree, such a fine mane, i would treat it as gentle as handling an egg

[pdy2kn6]

i really need to start trying to comb my hair when it is wet, because i remember it being much easier to detangle (from my recollection from years ago). i stopped because i was heard it was bad, however after yesterdays kofuffle trying to detangle my dry newly washed hair I don't think i can handle the detangling again. I had so many knots :(.

[NeilTheFuzz]

I think that if the comb slides through your hair easily without snags, you aren't going to do much damage. Personally, with the curls I have to run my fingers through carefully first. I do comb my hair while it's wet sometimes :)

[sandigirl]

I use a very wide plastic bristle vent brush. I only brush a little bit as I blow dry. I seldom lose more than 7 hairs and my hair is in perfect condition.

http://img2.timeinc.net/instyle/images/2007/products/october/HRT/090607_goody_c.jpg

[BlndeInDisguise]

I also comb my hair when it's wet. It's easier to detangle it when it's still wet than to wait until it's dry.

I agree, if I did that to my hair, I wouldn't have any hair left! But then, my hair is SUPER wimpy. :(

[Cai]

When it's still soaking wet I don't do anything to my hair at all as I just seem to pull out too much then. When it's damp I comb with my fingers and when it is almost dry I comb.

When it's dried it is much easier to comb than wet as I don't use conditioner (only catnip).

[EdG]

I can't do anything with my hair when wet because it is too heavy.

The best time to detangle is just before the hair has completely dried. The dampness provides needed slip. Hair becomes hard to detangle between the time it has completely dried, and the time the sebum has reappeared. By then, it's time to wash again. :)
Ed

[DelynofRhondda]

I have a detangling comb, from many years ago. It has two sets of teeth. Rather unique & haven't seen one again. Also a soft bristle, boars bristle brush.

I have to comb conditioner through while ringing wet, comb while drying, comb after dried, and brush. Plus finger comb to tease out any tangles & knots.

If I didn't handle my hair like this it would be impossible to do anything with. I've never, even when short, been able to get either comb or brush through it once dried, if not "done" while wet.

Even when wearing it curly, I still have to comb through while both wet & drying. The curls are going to form anyway, and this helps keep them curlier.

:o I will also brush it while wet when I want a wavy-er look.

Maybe it does have something to do with thickness...

[Teacherbear]

I use my Denman brush on wet hair. But the Denman D5 is a lot like using 5 combs all at one time. I usually brush when my hair is very wet, then not again until the next day (and my hair is dry by then). I'm always careful when I brush (wet or dry). I start at the bottom and work my way up, I don't rip through knots. But I *do* brush wet hair.

[dalriada-lady]

I comb when wet, if i let it dry before detangling my hair it has to be cut completely. so i comb very carefully when wet, not pulling and using my fingers when i find tangles. my hair feels better and looks much better when i comb/untangle my hair wet. I say as long as you comb your wet hair very carefully and Do Not tear or pull the hair all should be well.

[Debra83]

after being here since October, I have brushed my hair less than a handful of times. I've noticed serious change in the look and feel of my hair. Lately, I've taken to wet combing with a wide tooth comb with conditioner in my hair, and maybe after taking the towel off one or two times, that is when I actually use a towel. Sometimes I just let it dry from dripping wet with conditioner/coconut oil.

[Demetrue]

I also use a plastic vent brush in the shower, sopping wet with conditioner. I can either brush it very wet, or very dry - as it is drying, the damaged parts become very fragile, tacky and rubbery and will break off. Once it's dry, it seems stronger again.

[teela1978]

Kinda depends on your hair doesn't it? Some people get a lot of breakage from combing when their hair is wet. Mine detangles much easier when damp, somehow it gets more slip. Combing dry is much more difficult, and results in a lot more breakage for me. Therefore, I comb damp. If it works for you, do it. There is no one recipe for proper haircare.

[k_hepburn]

I pretty much always comb my hair with a standard dress comb, first the wider side then the narrower one, when its just a little drier than towel dry. Combing it when it's still soaking wet isn't a good idea for me, since my hair stretches a lot at this stage which makes combing more difficult and you can pretty much feel that it's damaging the hair. On the other hand, on the odd occasion that I leave it until completely dry I find my hair much harder to comb, much more difficult to untangle.

katharine

[magpielaura]

I comb wet but gently - I couldn't possibly be as rough as in that video. I didn't think hair could be that strong! It seems to work for her though.

I CO wash but rinse it all out and use a vinegar rinse. I gently towel dry and then stroke a little coconut or jojoba oil or maybe a dot of condishener through the ends to help combing through. I then bun it for a few hours so the hair at the front/top of my head dries smooth, then let it down to dry more. I might comb again as it dries, and may re-bun before it dries completely. My hair will be a knotty mess if I don't comb wet - the hairs all dry in funny shapes and tangle more until next wash, so I expect I do less damage combing wet than dry.

[lapushka]

I comb wet after the conditioner's been in or while the conditioner's soaking. It's the best for detangling. When dry, I don't comb, ever. I haven't noticed any damage from it. You do have to be gentle, but you are gentle automatically, because if not you'd soon feel it!

[helen2806]

I used to put my hair in a towel for about 10 mins then comb through with a wide-toothed comb, but I got a Tangle Teezer for Christmas and have been using that on my hair since. I use it as soon as I get out of the shower, so my hair is dripping wet, and it doesn't snag at all which is really good - also it gets through my whole head of hair much quicker because I don't have to work up from the ends

[rhubarbarin]

I don't have any hard rules about combing or brushing. The only thing that matters to me is that when I do it, whatever state my hair is in and whatever implement I am using, NO hairs are getting snapped (I can hear that popping sound across a room and I can't stand it!).

Until I got a new super wide-tooth comb, that meant that I didn't comb at all unless my hair was wet and covered in condish. Now I can comb dry hair without any damage.

[LadyLongLocks]

This youtube video is of a lady named Samantha "Sam". She is a sweetheart and has very thick almost floor length hair. She has a yahoo group called Long Tresses.
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/LongTresses/?yguid=233802850
I am a member of her group.

As far as combing the hair while wet- I always have. In 2005 I switched to large combs after I met a friend who owned a long hair salon. He said it was ok to comb while wet, but never brush. He sent me a Madora de-tangling comb.I am much more gentle at wet combing that this video demo shows. I believe it is very important to have lots of patience combing wet hair (and it's my least favorite thing)
4 years later and I still comb while wet. I don't rinse all the conditioner out and leave enough in so the comb slides through the hair easier. I also use a shower filter which mostly filters out the chlorine and sediment in the hot water tank.I notice that my hair is softer and easier to comb with the filtered water.