When do you comb?

[Shanarana]

How many comb when hair is wet, or wait until it is dry than comb through.

My habit has been combing very gently when wet, and finger comb when dry.

Or some my use a brush.

[GeoJ]

I only comb after it is dry. Sometimes I will use my fingers to gently detangle when it is damp.

[Shanarana]

Do you find that you have more tangles? We seem close to hair type....I've been so afraid to comb it dry.

[Arctic_Mama]

I used to detangle and comb wet, but I had bad breakage thanks to fine, tangly hair. Now I detangle WELL before the shower and try not to even finger comb it damp, then comb it gently in the morning and evening once it is dry.

[jel]

I detangle in the shower every time I wash my hair (which is twice a week), with conditioner on, using a wide-tooth shower comb.

In addition, I carefully detangle dry hair (almost!) every evening, with a tangle-teezer or a wooden comb, prior to braiding for bed.

[RancheroTheBee]

I finger comb when it's necessary, read: extremely tangled. I don't do it for the reduction of mechanical damage (but that is an advantage), but rather because I am hugely lazy and I never really got used to the whole combing deal. If tangles get really bad, I usually sit down and separate them gently with my fingers.

[1nuitblanche]

Hardly ever. And when I do comb, it is dry.

[Shanarana]

Seems most comb when hair is dry. What about oils? I figured it better to oil my hair when wet and comb the oil through so that it is distributed evenly.

[Unnamed]

I comb thoroughly before washing, and then again while wet (about when it stops dripping) around when cond/oil gets put in it. The first is to get out sheds/tangles, and the second is mostly just to realign things (after pulling forward to squeeze the bulk of the water out).

I'll also come about once every 1-2 days, depending on how tangly things are feeling. If I wait longer than about 48 and it gets rather tangled, and it's harder to untangle things.

[RoseRedDead]

I fingercomb and then comb pre-wash to detangle. After washing, it depends on whether or not I want to wear it wavy. If I don't necessarily want it wavy, I will comb and then apply a leave-in.

Aside from washing, I comb whenever I feel it needs it, usually 3-4 times a day when I wear it down, maybe 1 or 2 on a day I wear it up.

[ZaBasDa]

If I'm going to be putting gel and stuff in my hair I will comb with a wide-tooth comb while my hair is still soaking wet after it has been washed. If my hair is really tangled I will finger comb.

[spidermom]

It depends on what effect I want. Wurly/curly/wavy - don't comb. Otherwise, comb while wet, several times preferably. And I carefully comb out my hair while dry anytime I want to put it up, otherwise tangles get compressed into knots.

[AmyJorgensen]

I comb pre-shower, detangle w/conditioner in shower, after shower to put in Kimberlily's Defrizz, and then around lunch and evening.

[OhioLisa]

I only comb my hair right after washing, which is every other day. I fingercomb to put into a daily updo.

[kirky]

I comb before I shower, then detangle with LOTS of conditioner and a wide tooth comb in the shower when it's wet. Then, depending on how I'm wearing my hair that day, I'll sometimes comb it after it's been towel dried.

[Firefly]

Two or three times a week I comb my conditioner through in the shower, and my AVG right after, but other wise I don't comb. I may use my fingers to detangle a bit, but usually avoid that. And like someone else said, when I want it really wavy, I skip the shower/post-shower combing.

[BlndeInDisguise]

I wait until it's dry. I used to comb while it was wet, and thought my hair would be hopeless tangly if I didn't, but it turns out that it's not.

[mira-chan]

I hardly comb but when I do it's only on dry hair. Even finger combing is for dry only.

[Suldrun]

When I came to TLHC I got rid of all combs and brushes except my BBB. I only used it on dry hair. I stopped using it when I thought it was breaking my hair, it also really really made my scalp greasy.

I then fingercombed only for about a year.

I decided to get a comb after the last meet...my hair looked horrible lol. So I got the wood comb to throw in my bag for future meets but I love using it everyday now.

I got a horn comb first and then wood comb. I used the horn exclusively to spread oil on dry hair before wash day. Now that I have my wood comb I have taken to finger detangling in the morning and then combing through. Then updo or braid and then in the evening fingercomb followed by wood comb then night braid. I love the feeling on my scalp and it has become a relaxing ritual. I still use the horncomb for oiling though.

I also comb before I wash my hair.

[WritingPrincess]

I usually comb right after squeezing the water out with a towel, then wait until dry or almost-dry. Often it's drying in a braid or a bun, though, in which case I will comb before bed and in the morning.

[feralnature]

I comb as little as possible, some days I do not comb or brush my hair at all. I just put it up in the morning and that's that.

[kdaniels8811]

??? I comb my hair sopping wet, otherwise it dries in a mass of tangles. I use catnip for conditioning and the comb glides right through my hair, no breakage or shedding. Guess I am in the minority?

[Shanarana]

If you don't comb your hair, do you find when you do that you have more shedding? I would think that the loose hairs would just stay put until combed out.

[1nuitblanche]

I think I get the same amount of shedding from putting my hair up as I do from combing it once.

[pdy2kn6]

i comb when ive been out of the shower for about 10 minutes, so the hair isnt dripping wet but still quite. i find it much easier, especially if i have got some oil left in my hair

[hazelnut]

I just went natural the week before last week. And I'm loving it so far!! I only comb my hair when it's soaking wet.

[Curlsgirl]

I always comb with a shower comb with conditioner on my hair in the bath when I shampoo (usually 1-2 times per week) and sometimes once or twice in between when dry. I get less breakage when wet with conditioner it seems. When it's dry I either finger comb or use a very wide tooth comb.

[lirael]

I usually fingercomb, then add a tiny bit of oil, then use a horn comb while it is very wet. It seems much easier to comb wet than dry and if I don't, it dries in tangles and random waves.

[Xandergrammy]

I think I comb too much, compared to everyone else. I only use a pick or wide tooth comb to detangle, but I have to detangle in the shower when my hair is wet and with conditioner on it. Then I let it dry. Every night I braid it for sleep, using my fingers to comb. Every morning, I comb with my wide toothed comb before putting my hair in an updo or braid. My hair gets very tangled overnight even in a braid. I'm a "busy" sleeper.

[Suldrun]

I think I comb too much, compared to everyone else. I only use a pick or wide tooth comb to detangle, but I have to detangle in the shower when my hair is wet and with conditioner on it. Then I let it dry. Every night I braid it for sleep, using my fingers to comb. Every morning, I comb with my wide toothed comb before putting my hair in an updo or braid. My hair gets very tangled overnight even in a braid. I'm a "busy" sleeper.

I wake up with mats lol even when I braid! I am a busy sleeper too. My pillows will be all over the place, I can barely keep my head on my satin pillowcase. I have to detangle in the mornings more then in the evenings.

[Jessica Trapp]

I gently finger comb when my hair is wet using a leave in detangler. Afterwards I sometimes run a wide toothed Mason Pearson comb though it a few times.

[masterofmidgets]

I fingercomb in the shower while I'm conditioning, and then no combing or brushing that day at all - otherwise I end up a frizzball.

I comb at night after the first day, to get my hair untangled before I braid it to sleep, and I use a BBB in the morning to smooth down all the hair that escapes from my braids and floofs around my face.

[LadyLongLocks]

I always comb my hair while wet. I rinse the conditioner out for only 20 seconds to make sure there is some left in the hair for combing. I put it in a towel ONLY for 5 minutes and then comb while very wet. I use some leave in conditioners too. I separate the hair in 2 sections, parted down the back and carefully comb half starting at the top and working down.
I comb my hair as little as possible between shampoos.

[HotRag]

I detangle when wet/damp, after wash. Very gentle. If I don't detangle then, I get very easy tangled and frizz like hair.

Then I comb once a day between washes, but I usually do not have any tangles since hair is braided most of the time.

[windinherhair]

It sounds like I do just the opposite. When my hair is wet, I use a gel and then run my fingers through it gently to take out the tangles. I plan to start using oil on my hair instead of the gel... still need to get some.

Then I let it air dry. I use a wide comb later when it is dry.

[EdG]

I comb my hair when it's dry or nearly dry.

Nearly dry seems to be the best time because the dampness provides a little slip.


If you don't comb your hair, do you find when you do that you have more shedding? I would think that the loose hairs would just stay put until combed out.

Yes, I shed pretty much only when combing. Combing removes the hairs that are just about to shed naturally. If I don't comb for a day, the loose hairs will stay put (temporarily). :)
Ed

[LittleOrca]

I comb my hair when it is dry on the ends are starting to dry after a shower. I tend to put coconut oil on the comb and comb it through my hair :)

[Heavenly Locks]

It varies. :)

Sometimes if it feels tangly I make sure to detangle before washing so that it doesn't knot worse. Most times though, I run a comb through wet and then let it dry. Only combing again occasionally before styling or whatever.

I am really try to cut down on how much I had been brushing/combing it. It just doesn't need it. Especially if I let my waves dry the way the want to.

[Shanarana]

Thanks for all the responses. I find it interesting how people take care of their hair after washing. I may try some different things mentioned just to see how it would work for me. :)

[Molster]

Once in the morning, once before bunning for bed, always before washing, and never if its wet.

LLL's response surprised me regarding always combing when wet - her impressive locks rather blows the theory about it being a no-no!

[Juanita]

I tend to finger comb and BBB before washing then finger comb again when dry. Otherwise finger comb then BBB and style hair. Finger comb and two braids for bed My hair doesn't seem to tangle too much.

[Shanarana]

Once in the morning, once before bunning for bed, always before washing, and never if its wet.

LLL's response surprised me regarding always combing when wet - her impressive locks rather blows the theory about it being a no-no!

I totally agree....her hair is amazing!!! Just goes to show I guess what works for one may not work for another.

[Shanarana]

I tend to finger comb and BBB before washing then finger comb again when dry. Otherwise finger comb then BBB and style hair. Finger comb and two braids for bed My hair doesn't seem to tangle too much.

Do you do two braids on the sides or the back? I always wear mine in one high up braid to throw over my pillow.

[auburnlocks]

Um . . . I comb when wet, but I put a leave in conditioner in first to make it a little slippery. If I wait until it's dry to comb it I won't be able to get the comb through and will break alot of hair . . . :mad:

I guess that makes my hair a little wierd. LOL.

[Juanita]

Two braids behind my ears. My hair is not very thick.

[Shanarana]

Two braids behind my ears. My hair is not very thick.

I think I may try that. I find that as my hair gets dirty and I'm not ready to wash.....that when I pull it up, my scalp sometimes gets sore.

[Juanita]

I also don't tie off the ends and they are still there in the morning but looser.

[HotRag]

Once in the morning, once before bunning for bed, always before washing, and never if its wet.

LLL's response surprised me regarding always combing when wet - her impressive locks rather blows the theory about it being a no-no!
Must be different from person to person.
I would surely damage my hair if I would comb when dry (after wash).
It would get a tangled mess.
Tangles slips out much easier for me when having wet hair (or damp) than dry hair.

Maybe because I have many different structures, some fine, some coarse, some medium hairs, some with waves, some that are truly straight. That gets my hair to tangle if not combed when wet.

I am very carefully and have never seen any breakoffs when wetcombing.
And I loose no hair due to pulling, and have less "scalp pain" from combing wet. Combing dry tangled hair is more likely to rip hairs out.

I can't understand how you can comb all your hair when dry :) (after wash).
I combed wet even when I had really long hair.

[Tangles]

Though my hair fares better if I comb when damp (not wet, not dry), I don't usually have time to let it drip for a half hour before combing. The next best thing is to comb and then put it up. For some reason, combing when wet and leaving my length down is the kiss of death and leaves me with crunchies.

[Copasetic]

I have curly hair, so I pretty much only comb when it is wet, right after I put in conditioner. I might use a comb when I put it up, but that's pretty rare. I never comb it when it is dry. It would be a disaster if I did.

[morguebabe]

In the shower with conditoner on it.

[Ryanne]

I comb while my hair is wet.

[CryssieWillow]

I don't comb at all.
I just detangle a little by gently pulling the knots out. I'd hardly call it fingercombing. It makes my waves look a lot better and I barely get any split ends nowadays.

[swirlytresses]

With tons of conditoner in the shower and with a wide tooth comb after applying my products.

[eshta]

When it's dry after a shower and in the morning before I put it up, I fingercomb first and then use a wide tooth seamless comb. In the evening I fingercomb before braiding it for bed.

So a lot of detangling for me. I'm a busy sleeper and really need to detangle in the morning, plus my son really likes to play with it, loose or bunned he doesn't care :rolleyes:

[chrissy-b]

Sometimes I comb when it's wet, but I've been trying to wait until it's completely dry these days. It makes my hair more wavy and it is easier to get the tangles out too.

[dulce-de-leche]

I comb on dry hair only because I loose alot of hair when I mess with it too much in the shower,even when rinsing with cold water I get chunks of hair loss.I comb in the morning and bedtime.

[Jessaka]

I comb before I get into the shower. After I'm done, I let my hair dry a little bit so it's damp, then I comb through the tangles after spraying some detangler in it. Other than that....just when I need to attempt to style it.

[JamieLeigh]

For me, it depends on how dry my hair is. I have a natural wave that on certain days I love and other days I don't, lol. If I want it straighter, I finger comb every ten minutes or so starting when it's still barely damp. Otherwise, I leave it alone until it's completely dry. Then I only comb it with my fingers if I'm going out or wanting to put it up. If it's going up, I use my BBB to smooth out around my face only so my updo looks nicer. If there are tangles, I use my wide-tooth wooden comb. (I only use the comb on dry hair - if I'm finger-combing and find tangles when it's damp, I leave them be until after I'm fully dry)

[82exoticbeauty]

I only comb my hair when it's dry, and I comb my hair with fingers into free tangle my hair! I work my way down first and then up! After finishing, I use a comb! I use the wide tooth comb with the ball point on it that stimulates the scalp, then the brush that has a soft rubber ball to it!

[CTH3989]

I only comb my hair after I have washed it and it is covered in conditioner.

[Naamah]

I comb before my shower to detangle it first. Then I also comb after my shower while it's wet because I like my hair to be very straight. My comb just glides through my hair though, I never have a problem getting it through. Hardly ever have a tangle in my hair. :) I'm trying to comb it less though.

[CaityBear]

I find on damp hair, my fingers tend to get tangled in my hair, so I use a wide tooth comb VERY gently when it's damp (and have no problem; barely hit knots). And then as it dries I tend to finger comb it a bit to keep it from becoming knotted.

[RancheroTheBee]

About once a month. :o

In just do it if my hair has been straightened and I need it to look neat, but otherwise I finger comb, if I even find it necessary. I just don't feel like it makes a big difference for me to comb it, you know? Other than the fact that I'm avoiding some mechanical damage.

[Wicked Princess]

I always comb very gently, taking extra care to work out the tangles, the worst of which only occur in the last four inches or so...which makes me want to consider trimming it some.

I comb before I wash it.
I use a wide tooth comb in the shower after I've applied liberal amounts of conditioner.
I comb after it's halfway dry, or I wait a little longer if I'm going to put it in an updo (which, actually, is most days, but I'm terrible at updos, so it ends up being a fairly sloppy cinnamon bun).

[Laylah]

I comb my hair when it is sopping wet right out of the shower, and I'm applying oil...or, when it is dry and I'm (lightly) applying oil, which is about once a day or once every two days, because my hair is awfully dry. I can't comb it during the drying process because I find too much hair on the comb. I almost always use a wide tooth comb. I can't remember the last time I brushed, and I can't use a BBB because I'm a vegetarian. Speaking of that, does anyone know any non-animal-derived good brushes?

[Lord Bélgorôth]

Very rarely. At the moment it is still short enough that I don't really have to style it in any way, but when I do comb it it is usually before or after I shower and get my hair cleaned.

[Debra83]

I comb when I have the last conditioner in my hair.

[Quixii]

I comb while wet. If I comb or brush while dry, it turns my curls into frizzy waves. :(
Lately I've been experimenting with varying degrees of comb-assistance in the mornings, because it gets tangle with no brushing until my next shower, but it gets frizzy with brushing/combing. How do other curlies do it? Sigh.

[Stephichan]

I think I comb too much. I comb gently before a shower to detangle everything. Then after my shower, with everything wet (but not dripping) I comb just enough to get my part the way I like it. No matter how I comb it, once it's dry, it's wavy (sometimes with a few curls tossed in). I also comb it in the morning when I take out my sleeping braids (my boyfriend says that when I sleep I resemble a dead person - I don't move at all, yet for some reason, my braids are a mess when I wake up. Maybe it's the moving I do to get comfy before I fall asleep). I also comb my hair before I do any sort of updo or braid. I updo after I take out my braids, and only comb once in between, so maybe it's not as much as it seems?

[hydrangea]

I recently joined TLHC and started combing only when my hair was dry just last week. Previously I would (not so gently) comb after towel drying my hair while it was wet. I have much, much less hair loss now! My hair is very short...not even shoulder length yet. I'm trying to get rid of all my bad habits now that I have decided to grow it out.

[Medievalmaniac]

I don't know what to do now! lol I've always heard that combing or brushing it with a BBB when wet was the best way to avoid breakage. Then I saw all kinds of breakage when I combed it wet, so I started just brushing it dry with a BBB. Then so much fell out I got paranoid and tried just braiding it to avoid tangles...that did NOT work! lol I went back to combing while wet with conditioner in it, and then brushing it again when dry w/a BBB. That appears to be the best choice for my hair...but I'm reading so many conflicting reports on the BBB that I have myself in a little tizzy over it now. I checked and saw lots of small growing-in hairs...but overall, I don't see a lot of breakage, and there's a lot of hair each time I brush, but I've checked and for the most part it appears to have the little white tippy roots on it.

I guess I'll keep up with the comb when wet with conditioner, brush when dry with oil routine for a few weeks and see what comes of it.

One thing's for certain - this thread has definitely reminded me that everybody's hair is very different! :)

[CherrySilver]

Several times a day -- in the morning when I wake up, after topicals and a scalp massage, before/during/after my daily shower (after a workout) and right before I go to bed. Wake up in the a.m. (hair is relatively tangle free) and start all over again!

I've gotten realllly careful with the way I comb my hair because I do it so often. It's disturbing when I even loose one very long hair! Trying to minimize the tangles which are mostly at the last 12" with deep conditioning treatments/oils. Doubt that I'll ever get away with combing so much unless I give up my daily shower/workouts.

[teela1978]

I comb while it's slathered in conditioner in the shower, helps tangles to slip right out and I think it helps to distribute the conditioner. Then I usually comb it after it's been up in a towel for a bit so it dries a bit smoother. I really don't notice any breakage from combing while wet/damp, I notice a lot more pulling/snapping if I comb my hair dry. But everyone's hair is different.