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spidermom
April 4th, 2009, 10:44 AM
I've been meaning to write about this for a long-long time. I think the standard advice to comb out starting from the bottom is crap. On me, tangles get tightened into knots if I pull at them from below. I've found that the best way to comb out my hair is to start from the top and be very slow and careful - find out where the problems are, then stop (never ever pull the comb through a tangle), look at the area and detangle gently with my comb, working from superficial (top-most) hairs to deeper hairs. If it's a knot, I have to work it out with my fingers FROM ABOVE (never below).

Anybody else comb out from the top instead of the bottom?

SimplyLonghair
April 4th, 2009, 10:49 AM
And I thought that I was the only one. I work from my front down the side and down. I use my fingers when I come to a tangle and work through it with them first and then the comb afterwards. Never from the bottom, it is just too awkward for me. :shrug:

Rohele
April 4th, 2009, 10:49 AM
That's funny - I was thinking the same thought, last time I detangled after washing. I have a similar process to you.

I start from the top, get to a point where the hair tangles, and then work my way up from the bottom to the tangles, then work on the tangly part. I also do as you do - from the outer layer in. I wonder if it has to do with hair type?

KarenLynn
April 4th, 2009, 10:50 AM
If I actually have tangles, I work from the bottom up. However, I usually don't, so I typically start combing at the roots.

justgreen
April 4th, 2009, 10:51 AM
I start from the top also. I use a wide triple dipped pick and gently comb down from the top. Works for me!

Elenna
April 4th, 2009, 10:55 AM
Well, since my dye damaged hair is like velcro I get constant tangles. Trying to detangle from the bottom is such a hassle. I'll try your way or the highway.

BTW, I like your new signature picture. Your hair looks great!

HairColoredHair
April 4th, 2009, 10:58 AM
I can't start from the top... Most of my tangles aren't at the top, they're at the bottom, and they knot if I go from the top...

Periwinkle
April 4th, 2009, 10:59 AM
I start from the top, get to a point where the hair tangles, and then work my way up from the bottom to the tangles, then work on the tangly part.

That's exactly what I do. Mostly, my hair isn't tangly enough for it to need anything but one quick comb-through anyway.

Noctifer
April 4th, 2009, 11:00 AM
I usully does it about the same way as you do. My hair feels to short to start at the bottom, even of the most tangels and nots are at the bottom (if i have any)

EdG
April 4th, 2009, 11:04 AM
I too find that tangles are best pulled apart from the top.

I think the reason for "start at the bottom" advice is that there are usually multiple tangles along the length of the hair, so "starting from the bottom" effectively means "starting from the top of the tangle nearest to the ends of one's hair". It does make sense to free the tangles nearest to the ends first. :)
Ed

janeytilllie
April 4th, 2009, 11:05 AM
I firstly use my fingers to comb and I start at the top gently and find where the tangles are. Once I have done this, I will use my wide tooth comb top first and then my BBB brush :D

danacc
April 4th, 2009, 11:10 AM
I too find that tangles are best pulled apart from the top.

I think the reason for "start at the bottom" advice is that there are usually multiple tangles along the length of the hair, so "starting from the bottom" effectively means "starting from the top of the tangle nearest to the ends of one's hair". It does make sense to free the tangles nearest to the ends first. :)
Ed

This is how I always interpreted it, too. Start several inches from the bottom, but detangle from the top of the tangle. Once the bottom few inches have no tangles, move up several inches more, and again, detangle starting from the top of the tangles. I never tried undoing the actual tangle from the bottom--I undo it from the top.

In practice, I detangle this way in sections. Now that I keep my hair contained during the day and braided at night, I don't have that many tangles, and sometimes I start from the top since the bottom isn't tangled so there's really nothing to undo there. :)

Fireweed
April 4th, 2009, 11:15 AM
Yes, this is what I do too and always have. Thank you for this thread as I think it well be a big help those just starting out with longer hair.

jel
April 4th, 2009, 11:22 AM
I think the reason for "start at the bottom" advice is that there are usually multiple tangles along the length of the hair, so "starting from the bottom" effectively means "starting from the top of the tangle nearest to the ends of one's hair". It does make sense to free the tangles nearest to the ends first. :)


This is how I always interpreted it, too. Start several inches from the bottom, but detangle from the top of the tangle. Once the bottom few inches have no tangles, move up several inches more, and again, detangle starting from the top of the tangles. I never tried undoing the actual tangle from the bottom--I undo it from the top.


Me too! I can occasionally comb from the top of my head down, but only if I'd just released my hair from a (pre-detangled) braid. If I'd worn it loose or in the bun, combing from the top just pushes the tangles down, stretches my hair and makes it impossible to detangle. :twocents:

Ponytale
April 4th, 2009, 11:27 AM
I start at the top as described too. I always wondered if it was just my hair texture, but when I tried the bottom up advised here, I got no where.

hennared
April 4th, 2009, 11:36 AM
I'm on this boat, too! I have been 'making' myself try to start from the bottom, but it seems to cause me more trouble than if I start at the top. It's taken me a few months to reject the 'start from the bottom' idea as not helpful for me. My tangles only occur along the last several inches of my hair.

Thanks Spidermom, for this thread! Nice to know I'm not the only one having more success breaking the 'rules' :)

Carolyn
April 4th, 2009, 12:00 PM
I start from the top, get to a point where the hair tangles, and then work my way up from the bottom to the tangles, then work on the tangly part. I also do as you do - from the outer layer in. I wonder if it has to do with hair type?I use this method most of the time. If I've used a nice rich "slippy" conditioner I don't have much problem at all. Wearing a ponytail gives me a lot of tangles so I rarely do that. Whenever I run into a tangle I use my fingers to separate the hair and work through it. You learn to be careful.

Nightshade
April 4th, 2009, 12:21 PM
If I actually have tangles, I work from the bottom up. However, I usually don't, so I typically start combing at the roots.


Same here, mostly, I assume, that most my damaged hair is at the ends, so that's where the tangles are, so I start there.

Most times, though, I don't have to worry about it and can go roots down :)

morguebabe
April 4th, 2009, 12:31 PM
I can;t start from the top it turns into a HUGE matt if I do.

WritingPrincess
April 4th, 2009, 12:40 PM
I thought I was the only one who combed this way and felt guilty about it. I usually run the comb through the bottom six inches, then go from the top down. I feel it works better for me.

AmyJorgensen
April 4th, 2009, 01:02 PM
I find using a comb creates tangles for me. I just use a brush.

Shorty89
April 4th, 2009, 01:07 PM
I've tried both and I prefer to comb from the bottom. If I start at the top then I get mats, tangles and breakage gallore! If my hair is really soft, and just come down from an up-do I might run a comb through top to bottom, but not usually.

annie09
April 4th, 2009, 01:07 PM
I find using a comb creates tangles for me. I just use a brush.


me too i prefer my brush for now and top-bottom method and i also brush it while wet.

nowxisxforever
April 4th, 2009, 01:10 PM
I can't start from the top... Most of my tangles aren't at the top, they're at the bottom, and they knot if I go from the top...

I'm the same.

Helen Baq
April 4th, 2009, 01:24 PM
It depends on how tangled my hair is. If it's really tangled, I start from the bottom, but if there really aren't any tangles I start from the top. However, if I do encounter a tangle, I either work it out from the bottom, or with my fingers.

Celebrian
April 4th, 2009, 02:13 PM
I've been meaning to write about this for a long-long time. I think the standard advice to comb out starting from the bottom is crap. On me, tangles get tightened into knots if I pull at them from below. I've found that the best way to comb out my hair is to start from the top and be very slow and careful - find out where the problems are, then stop (never ever pull the comb through a tangle), look at the area and detangle gently with my comb, working from superficial (top-most) hairs to deeper hairs. If it's a knot, I have to work it out with my fingers FROM ABOVE (never below).

Anybody else comb out from the top instead of the bottom?

Thanks for starting this thread. I've tried to be 'good' and go from bottom up - but have been finding that the longer my hair gets, the more it prefers to be almost 'stroked' out with a wide-tooth comb, going from the top superficial layers inwards and downwards. I push the comb gently into the surface of the hair and sort of move both down and outwards. Anyway... yes, I think we're on the same track! :eyebrows:

Honey39
April 4th, 2009, 02:19 PM
I only ever comb my hair when it's wet, and if I started at the top I think it would just turn into a massive tangle instantly! I comb it upside down over the sink, starting from the ends - but (and this is odd) I do like to see how much hair I shed, and if there is much 'breakage', which I can see by it all collecting into the white sink.

I am SOOOOOO sad, lol.

wintersun99
April 4th, 2009, 02:20 PM
I've tried both and I prefer to comb from the bottom. If I start at the top then I get mats, tangles and breakage gallore! If my hair is really soft, and just come down from an up-do I might run a comb through top to bottom, but not usually.

This was the case for me, too (when hair was APL+)

nicolezoie
April 4th, 2009, 02:21 PM
It really depends on how my hair was before I started detangling - was it in a bun? a braid? a ponytail? loose and piled in my hoodie?

Bun: USUALLY I can start about a foot from the bottom, and move upwards in foot-long sections.

Braid: Once it's un-braided, I have to start from the bottom. Not sure how this happens for certain, but my braids are more tangly than loose hair, and I may as well not even braid it for the lack of protection a braid provides.

Ponytail (inside a hair-sleeve) : I can pretty much start from the neck on down. Generally the tangles start where the hair tie was, and I have to move them down to get rid of them.

Loose/in hoodie: More or less the same as the bun.

Speckla
April 4th, 2009, 03:33 PM
Bottom up does no good for me because the bottoms are tangly again by the time I make it to the top.

seedge
April 4th, 2009, 03:46 PM
I start from the top, get to a point where the hair tangles, and then work my way up from the bottom to the tangles, then work on the tangly part. I also do as you do - from the outer layer in. I wonder if it has to do with hair type?

I do mine exactly the same way!

Maybe it does have to do with hair type... hmmm... inquiring minds will be watching.

hippie girl
April 4th, 2009, 04:11 PM
Yes, I detangle from the top, too. My hair seems to be knotty in the middle, so I can comb the bottom, but then encounter knots. If I do this, it seems to make the knots tighter, or creates more at the top somehow. If I divide my hair in three (side, middle/back, side) and comb from the top down, I encounter fewer tangles.

When I divide from the scalp, it sort of keeps the hair in it's proper "sector" and becomes easier to comb straight. If I try and untangle from the bottom without doing this dividing, it seems that hair that belongs on one side ends up on the other side, and becomes harder to sort out as I work my way up. I try and divide the sections where they naturally want to separate and don't rip thru a spot that has a tangle. Just sort of loosely divide the areas for easier combing. I guess as long as I divide the sections, I can work top down and bottom up as needed. Sometimes they are not tangles, but just a hair wrapped round another that can be separated by gently pulling down on one hair, the others then seems to just let go from it and no more tangle.

I pretty much do what you do, spidermom, in the sense that if I encounter a tangle I stop and work it out as carefully as possible using my hand to separate (and the comb, I suppose) and then continue down the length. Fuzz or a loose/shed hair seem to be the cause of my tangles, so I try and remove them carefully from my hair as well as the comb as needed so as not to get them retangled in the next spot I comb.

hippie girl
April 4th, 2009, 04:13 PM
I should add, I only comb when dry, and always, always before a shower/bath/swim, what have you. I never let my hair get wet w/o combing straight. It is way harder to remove a knot or tangle if my hair is wet, creates more knots for sure. I always remove shed hair before wetting so as to prevent tangles. I think this is the one most important thing I do for my hair.
Always comb first, not after. That's just me, though. Your mileage may vary.

spidermom
April 4th, 2009, 05:04 PM
I should add, I only comb when dry, and always, always before a shower/bath/swim, what have you. I never let my hair get wet w/o combing straight. It is way harder to remove a knot or tangle if my hair is wet, creates more knots for sure. I always remove shed hair before wetting so as to prevent tangles. I think this is the one most important thing I do for my hair.
Always comb first, not after. That's just me, though. Your mileage may vary.

Me too. Or I brush before, comb conditioner through during, and wait until damp or dry to comb again, depending on when I have to bun/braid it for bed or protection.

manderly
April 4th, 2009, 05:47 PM
That's exactly how I comb spidermom. I comb from the top, encounter a snag, gently "pick" at it with my comb and fingers until it's freed, then continue :)

Tangles
April 4th, 2009, 06:00 PM
If I start from the bottom, sometimes the crown doesn't get combed through well enough and I'm left with stringy hair on top. Not a good look.

jivete
April 4th, 2009, 07:11 PM
I comb the same way. From the top, encounter tangle, gentle untangle and keep working down. I never could quite get the combing from the bottom up.

joyful373
April 4th, 2009, 07:14 PM
Thanks spidermom, now I've been really sitting here thinking about "how I do things." ;) I start at the top, comb until trouble, then go to the ends, gently detangle, and then go to the top and gently do the whole length of hair. Like others have said, if I start at the bottom, I'm not really combing very efficiently. Also, to agree with hippie girl, when I divide my hair in 3 parts and comb in a similar fashion I have success. Thanks :)

Ash
April 4th, 2009, 09:05 PM
I do the same thing. If I started at the bottom it would take all day to comb my hair. I do each side first then the back and each time I comb until I hit a tangle then work it out and keep going.

Heidi_234
April 4th, 2009, 11:18 PM
I comb from the top, when I encounter a tangle I just stop, pull out the comb and insert half an inch lower and continue on. After a while the tangles pretty much work themselves out. :shrug:

ZaBasDa
April 5th, 2009, 01:57 AM
Since combing for me usually means barely raking the first couple layers of hair, I just start at the roots and go down. For detangling purposes I tend to start halfway down the middle of my hair and finger comb, then use a wide tooth comb, then a finer tooth comb if need be.

ElizaSea
April 5th, 2009, 03:10 AM
When I was little, I saw something on Sesame Street about brushing from the bottom up, so I did. As in, putting the brush at the bottom of my hair and brushing upwards. My mom was none to happy to have to detangle my backcombed hair.

NeilTheFuzz
April 5th, 2009, 03:21 AM
With the mess on top of my head it's a case of brushing anywhere that tricks me into feeling like I am making some progress. Generally, I have to detangle first, then like you say, start at the top and brush down until I hit a knot, which then I gentally dentangle with my fingers. Then it's a case of repeating this process until I get bored or the job gets done. :)

Anlbe
April 5th, 2009, 03:53 AM
When it's tangled I have to finger comb and section my hair first and then comb each section from the bottom up. Doing it this way it only takes about five mins to comb out, if I start from the top - all bad, breakage and thirty minutes!

BittSweetCherry
April 5th, 2009, 06:34 AM
Guilty, too. I brush from the roots to somewhere between my ears and my collarbone (the region with extensive new growth), hit tangles, pull the brush out and then start from the bottom of the tangled section. It speeds things up but with due care I don't think it's too damaging.

princess
April 5th, 2009, 06:45 AM
I always comb from the top and work my way down tangles or no tangles. I stop when I hit a knot and take it out gently and then proceed with the combing. Do the same with DD's hair.

eadwine
April 5th, 2009, 07:46 AM
Anybody else comb out from the top instead of the bottom?

I do. I find it taking so annoyingly long otherwise as well. It's just that when you encounter a knot to not yank at it, but simply loosen it up with the fingers and continue combing. It's done in a jiffy here in any case.

Xandergrammy
April 5th, 2009, 09:46 AM
I'm right there with you, spidermom. If I started at the bottom, even with my hair soaked with conditioner, it would take me all day to detangle. :bigeyes:

dearladydisdain
April 5th, 2009, 10:09 AM
Wow, that's interesting to me that so many people find it better to comb from the top! I would never be able to detangle my hair that way. I start from the bottom, going in little sections. Most of my tangles are towards the top. Even when my hair is perfectly detangled, I cannot run a brush/comb straight from root to tip unless it is wet - it always gets caught on something. Stupid texture :(

AnneAdeline
April 5th, 2009, 10:24 AM
Wow, look at all these responses!
I've always combed from the top down. I never yank through the tangles, though.

JamieLeigh
April 5th, 2009, 07:22 PM
I don't get tangles either, even at classic length, so I don't have to start at the bottom. :)

going gray
April 5th, 2009, 07:28 PM
I also finger comb my hair first, then use a brush from the top down. The only way that works for me.

wonderlywroughte
April 5th, 2009, 08:12 PM
I usually start from the top, because this pushes the tangles closer to the bottom. Then I go from the bottom up to get rid of the tangles. It seems to take so much longer if I start at the bottom, because I run into much more tangles. Starting at the top sort of...pushes all the tangles together into one spot, and then I can deal with them from the bottom up.

earthdancer
April 5th, 2009, 09:25 PM
I have to start from the bottom and work up. Starting from the top makes massive huge snarls on the way down and sometimes the only way to get rid of those is to cut. So, only from the bottom for me.

paper
April 6th, 2009, 08:30 AM
I always thought I was suppose to comb from the bottom. But, I don't either. I start from the top and stop when I get a tangle. My hair has very few tangles and usually combs right through with no problems.

rhosyn_du
April 6th, 2009, 03:12 PM
Oh, man. It's so neat how different people's hair behaves in different ways.

I have to go bottom up because I can't get a tangle out without working it all the way to the ends of my hair, so if I've got multiple tangles involving the same hairs, going top down just pulls them all into one great big (and tight!) tangle. I can't even wrap my head around starting at the top, working out the first tangle, and then moving on to the next like some people have mentioned. I wish I could do that with my hair.

Anje
April 6th, 2009, 08:12 PM
I tend to comb from top to bottom, but I do find that I tend to end up with lint-filled knots and kinks this way. I don't have much additional luck starting at the bottom, though, because I end up tackling too much of my head's worth of hair at once this way.

I get tangles, whether my hair's at shoulder length or tailbone. It's what my hair does.

I do agree -- knots are best pulled apart a few hairs at a time, pulling them out from the top.

Brat
April 6th, 2009, 08:41 PM
I only brush mine when it's wet. Or flat ironed! Brush, because I just can't do it with a comb. The brush has to have padding that makes the bristles mobile though. They have to give. I start from the bottom always. If I start from the top, the light tangles turn into knots.

Arctic_Mama
April 7th, 2009, 12:54 AM
I tend to go top-down as well, it is a habit I can't seem to break. It takes a lot longer to detangle the other way.

Glad to know I am not the only one!

Gumball
April 7th, 2009, 12:56 AM
I totally do that, spidermom. It's like the surefire way to find a snarl at the source and then analyze and take correct action. I usually rake my comb through very slowly and if I hit something I feel could be problematic I keep the comb there until I can get a hand on the area so I can bring it around to peek at it.

nueinsel
April 7th, 2009, 08:15 AM
yep, I start at the top and stop when I reach a tangle, then work it out little by little from the top. it seems to pull less that way.

spidermom
April 7th, 2009, 09:08 AM
I had wet hair and unexpected activity the night before last, and my hair was so knotted and tangled up yesterday morning that I had to start at the bottom. I couldn't even more my comb down an inch starting from the top. My hair was such a mess and took so long to untangle. Next time I'm going to say "no way - it'll mess up my hair."

Beldaran
April 7th, 2009, 09:18 AM
I start from the top, get to a point where the hair tangles, and then work my way up from the bottom to the tangles, then work on the tangly part. I also do as you do - from the outer layer in. I wonder if it has to do with hair type?

I do this most often. I don't usually get horrible tangles, so starting at the top isn't a big deal, but with actual tangles, then I pick at them from the bottom.

Eireann
April 7th, 2009, 09:34 AM
I comb from the top. Also, I ignore the advice to never comb your hair when it's wet. If I didn't, the tangles would be much much worse. I've heard that hair is more fragile when wet, but I find that my dry hair snaps instantly when I hit a knot, and the wet hair stretches a little bit so I can stop and work out the knot before I break it.

embee
April 7th, 2009, 10:46 AM
I start at the top (which seldom has any tangles), get to about shoulder length and then start again from the bottom. Very carefully. Wide tooth comb. Dry or slightly damp. After washing, must not let hair dry completely without combing out or it seems to make permanent tangles - plus it takes much longer to dry uncombed.

mbeckhhp
June 12th, 2009, 02:48 AM
Another cool tool to try,my hairdresser insistsis more flexable, and causes less breakage, and on my fine ,curly hair ,Ive had to agrre, is the bedhead ouchless masterpeice brush.Even on wet hair.No breakage.its a miracle,and nothing to catch,frey,or break off hair.I also hold bottom sectin,and work my way up .

Pegasus Marsters
June 12th, 2009, 03:53 AM
Gosh, don't you find that the tangles at the bottom get in the way of de-tangling the ones at the top? I've tried but just ended up pushing all the tangles to the bottom of my hair and wound up with big disastrous tangles from them ending up one on top of the other.

Flynn
June 12th, 2009, 06:38 AM
I find it more effective to start brushing from the bottom, but I grab a very tight hold of my hair just above the part I'm brushing, so the higher-up knots tend not to tighten. Also, it's brushing, not combing. Probably very different.

If I start from the top, all the knots push down onto and into each other, leading to one massive UBER-KNOT, which is basically a mess of matted, almost intractable hair-tangles.

It's funny that different people have such different experiences with the same techniques! Really goes to show how individual and sometimes fickle our hair is.

Flynn
June 12th, 2009, 06:39 AM
I had wet hair and unexpected activity the night before last, and my hair was so knotted and tangled up yesterday morning that I had to start at the bottom. I couldn't even more my comb down an inch starting from the top. My hair was such a mess and took so long to untangle. Next time I'm going to say "no way - it'll mess up my hair."

*LAUGHS* I can see that going down well...!

Some mornings, it can take me an hour or more to work out all the tangles... T^T

Torrin Paige
June 12th, 2009, 07:03 AM
I start from the top down. When I hit the first tangle, I kind of tilt the back of the comb down towards my feet, slide it out of my hair and continue with that motion until the tangle is out. I think of it as cajoling the tangles out. :) Now, when I find an actual knot, it's time for the intricate finger work of gently pulling and separating. Then I run a comb through it to smooth it out. I also comb when wet. With my detangler the comb glides through for the most part. If I wait and let it dry without combing...I end up ripping it out because the tangles have "set".

heidi w.
June 12th, 2009, 07:37 AM
As a person who's witnessed a lot of bad detangling practices, as in starting at the top and ripping the brush through the hair, pulling harder and harder at knots and tangles, I would still advise to begin at the bottom.

I do have a light organization effort I make by starting at the top, and lightly (not fully inserting the comb) go over the canopy to align hairs.

THEN I do begin a few inches from the bottom.

HOWEVER, when I encounter a knot or tangle, I do NOT recommend continuing with the detangling tool and pulling downward. I suggest instead, locate the gnarled hair zonage and pick it up in your fingers and pull the hairs up (towards the sky) and to the side to pull the knot apart and to loosen it. With a minimum amount of effort these knots will come undone since they're basically a kind of organized knot that if you don't keep pulling downward will not be furiously tied hopelessly. Most knots come out rather easily with this effort.

The longer one's hair is, the more of these types of knots there will be. I call them pin knots. In fact, many wide tooth combs may not even be able to get them out since the knot is so tiny.

It's inevitable that the longer one's hair is, these types of knots will arise.

I can even have completely detangled hair and try combing down, and since hairs are being moved about (a movement at the top creates a kind of S motion way down at the bottom, just like what happens when you move your head, and why also when wearing hair down there eventually, for most anyway, arises a balled fuzz of hair at the back of the neck/top of shoulder zonage), I can actually create a new knot.

When I get those few inches at the bottom detangled, then I go up the hair a few more inches, perhaps around 4 inches, and work on that zonage.

So it's as though I do basically start at the bottom, but in chunks from a higher up spot.

heidi w.

Flynn
June 12th, 2009, 07:47 AM
Speaking of which, after I witnessed my boyfriend smack down onto a knot so hard with his wide-tooth comb that he broke off one of the teeth, I gave him a brush with flexible bristles, in the hope that, as I can't change his combing practises, I can at least try to minimise the damage. (He's a curly, hence the comb, courtesy of his mum, to start with. )

zift
June 12th, 2009, 07:54 AM
Even the thought of starting at the top makes my scalp ache. I could never do that because the tangles get together and create huge amounts of knots at the bottom when I do that. I always start from the bottom and work my way up, why would it be crap:confused:

Flynn
June 12th, 2009, 07:59 AM
'Parrently it is in Spidermom's hair. Hair is weird stuff.

NiAosSi
June 12th, 2009, 08:39 AM
I start at the top, too. Most of my tangles are in the middle of my head. So I push 'em down and then just detangle them at the bottom. It's easier and I find that my hair won't snap off.

Pegasus Marsters
June 12th, 2009, 08:57 AM
Speaking of which, after I witnessed my boyfriend smack down onto a knot so hard with his wide-tooth comb that he broke off one of the teeth, I gave him a brush with flexible bristles, in the hope that, as I can't change his combing practises, I can at least try to minimise the damage. (He's a curly, hence the comb, courtesy of his mum, to start with. )

Erm... curlies really should not be brushing. His hair will end up poofing beyond belief. Can't you try teaching him to comb properly? I taught my ex (3b/m/III) to look after his hair properly and his hair looked great once he'd learnt how to comb and condition properly.

bahannas
June 12th, 2009, 09:07 AM
It depends on how tangly my hair is. If it's a really bad day, I start from the top and slowly work my way through the tangles. Otherwise I gently comb from bottom to top.

Nevermore
June 12th, 2009, 11:17 AM
In dry hair, I gently go down from the top until/unless I hit a tangle, then I go up from the bottom.

In wet hair, I always start at the bottom. I've broken combs in the past trying to start at the time in wet-even conditioned and pretty tangle-free hair. It's not until I comb from the bottom, use more conditioner, comb from the bottom again, use more conditioner that I can start at the top.

earthdancer
June 12th, 2009, 11:50 AM
I started waiting until my hair is mostly dry before I comb it out after washing it, and it made all the difference in the tangles. After I mentioned this to my sister, she said her husband, when he had long hair, would never comb his hair out when it was wet, he always waited until it was dry. Why didn't anyone tell me? It makes the difference between 20 minutes of detangling to 20 seconds!

I still detangle from the bottom up, though. If I start at the top, I just get a matted mess that takes an hour to get undone. I wanted my hubby to comb my hair once. The first stroke he started at the top and got stuck half-way down, and yup, it took me about an hour to get the matting out of the back of my head.:(

Kiraela
June 12th, 2009, 04:10 PM
That's funny - I was thinking the same thought, last time I detangled after washing. I have a similar process to you.

I start from the top, get to a point where the hair tangles, and then work my way up from the bottom to the tangles, then work on the tangly part. I also do as you do - from the outer layer in. I wonder if it has to do with hair type?


Same here, exactly. I split my hair in two sections, pull them over my shoulders, and work one side, then the other. Start from the top, comb down until I hit a snarl, and then work my way up from the bottom.

Although I have to detangle from the bottom or the middle of a tangle, not the top... (for some reason, middle detangling is easier)

Flynn
June 12th, 2009, 05:13 PM
Erm... curlies really should not be brushing. His hair will end up poofing beyond belief. Can't you try teaching him to comb properly? I taught my ex (3b/m/III) to look after his hair properly and his hair looked great once he'd learnt how to comb and condition properly.

I tried to teach him, and he won't. Doing it properly takes too long, or something. Sometimes I do it for him, (and I use a comb) but that's just 'cause I love playing with his hair. I know curlies shouldn't brush, but he brushes or combs only when it's dripping wet. THankfully, switching from a comb to a brush hasn't made any difference other than he isn't tearing as much out every time he detangles. XD

nowxisxforever
June 12th, 2009, 05:33 PM
I can't comb from the top to the bottom, even when I've detangled already, without hitting a snarl. It pulls my would-be knots into tight knots and then it hurts to get them apart.

My mother detangled my hair from roots to ends as a child, and as a result my hair was always a rat's nest because it tugged on my scalp enough that I never wanted her to touch my hair. She would just rip through the tangle, and there would be neverending tangles because she was doing it wrong.

As a teenager with BSLish hair that I left down, I could not detangle from top to bottom, lest I have to cut the tangles out.

tarn
June 12th, 2009, 05:53 PM
Man, I am so glad I am not alone!:grouphug:
All this time I was feeling so guilty for combing from the top and detangling as I go. I didn't think I was actually doing any damage, but so many people say to start at the bottom etc etc.
I guess it is just whatever suits, as long as we take it easy with the tangles.:)

Cinnamon Hair
June 12th, 2009, 10:51 PM
I do a little combing from everywhere. I start at the bottom in general, but I'll go to ear-shoulder height and pick around there for a bit to get things aligned further down. Then I go to the lower middle and back to the bottom again. I'm all over the place really. I think starting from the bottom is good advice when you don't understand how to be gentle.
Here is a video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vD7ygWqg9n0) of my combing method, for anyone who is interested.

hennaphile
June 12th, 2009, 11:10 PM
Sometimes I do :)

Niphredil
June 13th, 2009, 01:40 AM
I haven't read the rest of the thread yet, but I agree with this:


I can't start from the top... Most of my tangles aren't at the top, they're at the bottom, and they knot if I go from the top...

I too find that tangles are best pulled apart from the top.

I think the reason for "start at the bottom" advice is that there are usually multiple tangles along the length of the hair, so "starting from the bottom" effectively means "starting from the top of the tangle nearest to the ends of one's hair". It does make sense to free the tangles nearest to the ends first. :)
Ed

My tangles are mostly from the nape down. I take a piece of length (usually all since it is not that long yet but I might divide it in sections when longer or extremely tangled) and start working on the bottom 5" to remove tangles, positioning the comb above the tangle but below my hand. That way I don't disturb the hair above my hand by pulling on it, but I don't pile all tangles together in a big knot like it would surely happen should I start from the top. When cleared, I grab the next 5" and repeat the process until I get to the nape area. Then I remove the remaining tangles by starting at the top.

Marika
June 13th, 2009, 08:05 AM
I'm with Cinnamon Hair. Most of my tangles are usually at the nape of my neck so I start from the bottom, go up and then down again. And for one split second my hair is actually tangle-free...:rolleyes: