Combing Wet Hair

[Charli800]

I comb my hair when it's wet. *Cue shock, horror and loud gasps.*

Yes, I know it's supposed to be bad and cause breakage due to the hair being more fragile, but it doesn't seem to. I certainly have to be more careful combing dry hair if I want to avoid (noticeable) damage.

So, am I delusional and actually causing breakage without realising it, a freak of nature :D, or one of many who simply haven't made a fuss about it? I'm hoping the last - after all hair reacts differently to 'cones and SLS and such, so couldn't the same be true for combing when wet?

Opinions?

[AJoifulNoise]

You aren't alone. I comb my hair when it's wet.

[s_tresses]

Me too. I comb it with a wide toothed comb.

[janeytilllie]

I too comb my hair wet til it dries fully. I have no choice because if I do not comb my hair til it dries my hair goes all fuzzy wuzzy on me! And I really stuggle to comb if I leave it . My hair snaps!! it tanlges and gets very knotty :(

So I have to sit and comb my hair for 3 hours til it dries!

I am really baffled! I really do not get my hair at all??

So for me personally I have less damage combing it while wet til it dries. Does anyone else have this problem?

[teela1978]

My hair detangles much easier wet, so that's when I usually comb it. Everyone has different hair. You gotta do what works best for you.

[MsBubbles]

I comb wet hair too, also because if I don't it's like cotton candy when it's dry and would take hours to detangle. Spidermom just suggested over on my damage meltdown thread to comb it while the conditioner is still in it. I may try that tomorrow.

[AJoifulNoise]

I too comb my hair wet til it dries fully. I have no choice because if I do not comb my hair til it dries my hair goes all fuzzy wuzzy on me! And I really stuggle to comb if I leave it . My hair snaps!! it tanlges and gets very knotty :(

So I have to sit and comb my hair for 3 hours til it dries!

I am really baffled! I really do not get my hair at all??

So for me personally I have less damage combing it while wet til it dries. Does anyone else have this problem?

Usually I comb mine while it's wet then I put it up. But, when I do leave it down to dry (usually to post a new picture here) I comb it several times while it's drying or it becomes a fuzzy mess. So, yeah, I have your problem.

[tina1025]

I comb my hair when its wet (not soaking wet but after 10 to 15 mins of fan drying it) too :) I feel like it breaks more when they are dry.....

[Carolyn]

I comb mine wet every time I wash. I use my wide tooth Mebco detangling comb. I use conditioner all the way to the roots and don't have trouble detangling. I can't imagine letting it dry without combing :scared: I think if you do it carefully and use a nice slippy conditioner you'll be fine. Maybe it's my hair type but I just don't have a problem combing wet.

[Su]

I usually comb my hair wet, too.

But to me it works best and with fewest damage, if I comb my hair with conditioner still in it. And than rinse.

[Charli800]

Cool! I'm so glad I'm not alone in find detangling after my hair dries a nightmare. :)
But I'm kinda curious how it can be such a big taboo if there've been so many responses in 15 minutes . . . :confused:

[Coriander]

I am a proud wet-hair comber.

I comb it in the shower to get the conditioner dispersed, and I comb it again out of the shower to get the coconut oil dispersed. Then I let it dry in a towel for a couple of hours, and comb it again before I put it up.

Wooden wide toothed comb for me.

[AJoifulNoise]

Cool! I'm so glad I'm not alone in find detangling after my hair dries a nightmare. :)
But I'm kinda curious how it can be such a big taboo if there've been so many responses in 15 minutes . . . :confused:

There are many things that seem taboo around here: wet combing, cones, sulphates, etc, etc. But when you ask specifically, you usually find a good amount of people that swear by any given thing. Some can wet-comb, some can't. Some can use cones, others can't. And, the more mundane the thing, the less someone is likely to talk about it. CO is different from the mainstream idea of haircare, so we talk about it more than shampoo/condition. Wet-combing or brushing isn't all that strange in normal company, so not many speak up about it here.

That's my theory. Make sense?

[Charli800]

Yes . . . kind of. It does make sense, but it doesn't explain why you hear "and she was even combing wet!!!" but not "and she was using cones, can you imagine?!".

Maybe it's just random variation and I'm hyperanalysing, though. Wouldn't be the first time. :P

[lora410]

I comb when my hair is wet as well.

[Teakafrog]

The only time a comb touches my hair is when it's wet--and covered with conditioner, in the shower. I use a wide tooth comb, detangle it there, and then don't comb or brush it again until next wash. Otherwise the tangles are ridiculous, and it pulls out my curls. Now a wet brushing...shudder::scared:

[viking_quest]

I comb my hair when it's wet. I'm much more gentle than if I comb it dry, so I think I'm doing less damage.

[manderly]

It's not a taboo. Yes, hair is more fragile when it's wet, but if you don't plow through it like a maniac you're fine. It's not going disintegrate at the touch of a comb :)

I come when wet.

[jel]

I also comb my hair in the shower, when saturated with conditioner, with a wide tooth comb. I also comb and brush (with Tangle Teezer) dry hair daily. As long as I'm careful and not ripping through the hair, no damage.

Manderly, nice Freudian slip! ;)

[AJoifulNoise]

Yes . . . kind of. It does make sense, but it doesn't explain why you hear "and she was even combing wet!!!" but not "and she was using cones, can you imagine?!".

Maybe it's just random variation and I'm hyperanalysing, though. Wouldn't be the first time. :P

Well, from my view people have eased up on silicone bashing since I signed up. Could be my imagination... But, people seemed to react more harshly toward the thought of 'cones when I was new. But, then, maybe that's just because I used 'cones so I was more sensitive to the comments.

I do occasionally see the "and she was even combing wet!" comments, but I just chuckle and move on. I guess to someone who can't comb wet that might be the end of the world and a horror. But, to me it's just life.

[punky]

I comb my hair with a wide toothed comb and use conditioner. The conditioner helps keep it from being frizzy.

[Gingevere]

I've never heard anything about combing wet hair being a bad thing. It's brushing wet hair that you're supposed to avoid at all costs, right? I comb my hair after showering with a wide-tooth wooden comb because it's easier on my hair than hacking through a dry, tangled mess.

[spidermom]

I think that as long as you aren't pulling and stretching your hair as you comb, it's o.k. to comb it while wet. If I don't comb out the tangles while it's wet, they've become knots by the time it dries. Plus I get that cotton-candy-fluff look.

[Indigosails]

I am another one that combs my hair when it is wet. I am gentle, working out tangles from the bottom up. I try to be careful to minimize tangles when washing and towel drying.

[Elphie]

I comb when wet as well using a wide toothed comb. My hair is barely tangled after washing so it's really more to arrange it so it dries better.

Great freudian slip back there!

[Forever_Sophie]

I always comb with a wide toothed comb when it's wet. It's always well conditioned so my comb practically falls through it - no tugging, really.

[manderly]

Manderly, nice Freudian slip! ;)

OMG :oops: BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

[aprilmay]

I also comb my clean, wet, well conditioned hair with a wide toothed comb. I have started finger combing while still in the shower after the conditioner has soaked in, but before I rinse it out. I find this effective in removing tangles. I also brush my hair before I wash it with a hair brush. I brush my hair at least twice a day. This works for me.

[Addy]

I'm a wet comber too. It's the only time I comb my hair. :D I usually comb it once and let it air dry.

[Chanteuse87]

Well, I don't generally comb my hair, unless finger combing counts? I squeeze the water out after my shower, leave it in a towel for a bit, and when I take it down I'll gently finger comb out the bigger knots (if I have any). Then I'll generally leave it to dry, occasionally running my fingers through it as it dries. Even when it's dry, I don't tend to brush or comb. This could be due to my length, since it's not all that long it's pretty easy to detangle without tools.

[LadyLongLocks]

I comb when wet. I switched to large combs in 2005 as I used to use a paddle brush on wet hair... bad, bad, bad... I divide the hair in half by parting down the back and pull each half in front.
I have never been brave enough to let it dry and then comb...sounds like a horror story!
A friend who owned a long hair salon taught me to ONLY comb with a large comb when wet.

[cobblersmaid]

I comb wet, but I have leave-in on it.

[Rain76]

I used to comb all the time when my hair was just washed, but now I just condition in the shower, and then put a leave-in conditioner in it. My hair is so baby fine (that isn't a good thing for me), that it doesn't tangle a lot at my APL length. Then I comb it out @ night, and braid or bun it. I have been very proactive lately in trying to prevent breakage, which I have a serious problem with.

[Lamb]

I can barely get a comb through my hair when it's dry, and, since I gotta detangle it on a daily basis, I do it when my hair is wet.

[spidermom]

I come when wet.

Oh my goodness; you don't say!

[Teacherbear]

I actually BRUSH my wet hair, but it is with a Denman (D3 or D4) (https://www.denmanbrush.com/store/results.asp?type=classic). It is like 7-9 combs all lined up. If I comb, I use a Kent comb. (I use Giovanni Direct Leave In after I wash - so that is on my hair when I wet-brush)

I can't comb dry hair. My hair breaks more when it is dry than when it is wet.

I say do what works for your hair. :queen: There are generally accepted "rules" but there are no laws, ya' know. ;)

[rapunzhell13]

I use combs to detangle and style my hair when it's wet. As long as I'm super gentle, I don't see any breakage. :shrug:

[Jeni]

There are many things that seem taboo around here: wet combing, cones, sulphates, etc, etc. But when you ask specifically, you usually find a good amount of people that swear by any given thing. Some can wet-comb, some can't. Some can use cones, others can't. And, the more mundane the thing, the less someone is likely to talk about it. CO is different from the mainstream idea of haircare, so we talk about it more than shampoo/condition. Wet-combing or brushing isn't all that strange in normal company, so not many speak up about it here.

That's my theory. Make sense?

I agree.

I do alot of the "bad" stuff. I use sulfates, cones (my shampoo, conditioner and leave in all have cones), wash daily, and comb while wet.

If I don't wet comb my hair doesn't lay nicely, it gets kinks and waves. If it just looked like I had buns waves I'd be happy and no comb would ever touch my wet hair! Instead it look like I slept funny on wet hair, not pretty. :(

[Noctifer]

I combe it when its wet, just because i dont have the patience to wait until its dry to detangel it

[HotRag]

I comb my hair when wet/damp.
I can see or feel no damage from that.
If I don't comb when damp, it will become "frizzy", to big, caveman like and not nice when dry.

[Honey39]

I *only* comb my hair when wet; when it's dry, no chance. I detangle with a round comb in the shower when I am rinsing out conditioner, and then before I let it dry, I gently comb out with a wide toothed comb, and that's it until the next time it's wet (most days usually).

Guess it depends what kind of hair you have, perhaps???

[RancheroTheBee]

I can beat you. I comb while wet if I plan to later flat-iron.

*collective gasps*

Yes, bad, I know. But if I touch it while it's drying, it flips out heavily, and I need to iron sections while I wait for it to get long enough to put up.

[Pierre]

I comb in the shower, pulling just hard enough to find the tangle, which I then pull apart by hand (or snip off if it's at the ends). I comb dry only to straighten the part.

I do not cone when wet :silly:

[shrimp]

I only comb when wet - even when I've (none heat) straightened my hair.

My hair has been so much happier since I stopped combing everyday. :cloud9: I literally just give it a quick shake with my hands at the roots in the morning or evening and then put it up.

[NorthernDancer]

I used to comb my hair while it was wet. If I didn't my hair was a total mess to comb later!

But I have found a new routine that I really like. I'll comb my hair while I'm in the shower with a really wide tooth comb, one that's ment for a shower. I put my head under the water so that the water helps to de-tangle it and then slowly part and comb it. Once I'm out of the shower I just finger comb it until it's dry.
My hair really seems to like this. Doing it under the water has made the de-tangling job much easier.

[Charli800]

Guess it depends what kind of hair you have, perhaps???
Yes, though it's not a straight/wavy/curly thing, since I've seen some of each on this thread. I'm almost beginning to wonder if most people couldn't comb their hair wet/damp. Or maybe it's just one of those things that hair likes or doesn't.

[rags]

I comb mine when wet, always have. I've never seen a problem with breakage doing this either, even when my hair was at waist. But I have a very wide tooth comb and very fine hair, so it's not like it's grabbing and yanking on it! I am very gentle.

[heidihug]

I used to comb when wet, until my hair was between BSL and waist. After that, it became impossible, just because of the length and the amount of criss-crossing it does on itself (if that makes sense).

I can usually get my Denman vented brush through my hair if it is about 85% dry, but not before, and only if I very very carefully work from the very ends slowly and gently up the length. I only thoroughly and easily brush dry hair once, the morning before my evening wash, which I do every two days.

[magpielaura]

My hair would dry to a super tangly mess if I don't comb it wet. The hairs all dry into weird shapes and until next wash will be a birds nest of knots within minutes of detangleing.

[Debra83]

I comb it during washing with conditioner on it, and I sometimes comb after. If I use a towel to grab the moisture off, I have to comb it but it dries WAY differently than if I dry it a la "mixed chicks" method. WAY different. I prefer the mixed chicks method, but mornings I don't usually have the time I need to dry it. Summer won't be bad to go out with very wet hair, but winter? BRRRRRR!

[AmyJorgensen]

I've been combing my hair in the shower as a means to remove conditioner and detangle for at least 10 yrs now. It seems great to me, but I've always wondered if I was secretly damaging it. I think the conditioner negates the wet hair rule.

[embee]

I comb when damp, not fully dry. Otherwise it's a Big Problem with tangles. Also, if I comb damp it drys faster. Wide tooth comb, very gentle, very careful. There's some breakage and some shedding/loss, but at least it's not in my tub drain! :)

[Pixna]

I comb my hair when it is wet. But I only do so AFTER I have used a detangling cream rinse and applied a leave-in conditioner. I comb it through and let my hair air dry, and comb it a couple times more while it is drying, as this helps keep the frizz at bay. I HAVE to comb my hair while it is wet or else I end up with an unmanageable mat of frizz, knots, and other frightening stuff too scary to mention. :brains:

[Lady Godiva]

I've always combed my hair when it's wet, right out of the shower. It would be a nightmare if I waited until dry. I use a medium-toothed comb, as wide-toothed combs don't catch as many tangles. Sometimes my husband will turn the comb around and use the fine-toothed end for the final detangle. Then I know that all the tangles are out. :thumbsup:

I once read that it's not true that hair is "weaker" when wet. It's simply more flexible, so it naturally can stretch in ways that it cannot when dry. That's a part of its design, maybe even a strength of wet hair. What might stretch hair when wet can break it when dry.