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getoffmyskittle
June 30th, 2009, 01:25 PM
Hey all, long time no see on this forum. :lol:

I've been thinking I want to start WOing. I know there's a thread for that, but I have a much more specific question. I'm a 2a/2b, but my hair's texture would best be described as "fluffy." It does not lend itself to brushing very well, not even with a BBB; it crackles, breaks, and splits. I've been fingercombing only for years.

Buuut, one of the keys to getting WO to work is to "preen": brush with a BBB and/or a fine-toothed comb to clear the scalp and distribute sebum. Has anyone with thick, fluffy hair had success brushing? I'm thinking that it miiight be different/okay with WO, due to oils being on the hair and everything, but I know brushing normally is damaging for my hair and I'd rather not attempt it and mess things up if there's just no chance.

Thanks. :flowers:

ETA: Wow, fail. I just searched and there was a thread on this topic... started... two days ago. :doh: But the question wasn't really the same, so... uh... I don't know. Humor me? :shrug:

misstwist
June 30th, 2009, 01:38 PM
I remember Gladtobemom has described her hair as fluffy. She isn't WO, but her blog header describes a pre-wash routine of skritching, detangling, then bbb.

That would make sense. Skritching to mobilize the oils, detangling to align the hair, bbb to spread oils and remove sheds.

HTH.

Madame J
June 30th, 2009, 01:58 PM
The WO description has a link to an article by Snowymoon on a way to preen and spread oils without any tools except your hands, specifically in reference to prepping for a WO wash. If you go to VITs, there are two links to WO things, and the first one is a description, while the second links to the current WO thread. The description mentions Snowy's massage/preening technique.

florenonite
June 30th, 2009, 02:14 PM
I'll humour you if you learn to spell "humour" :p

I'm also going to plug the Tangle Teezer now. I don't like finger-combing only, because my hair still looks frizzy when I do it, so I got the TT and love it. You do need to finger-comb first before using it, but I think it's great for distributing oils and smoothing hair. Sometimes I'm lazy and don't finger-comb first and my hair pays, but if I remember to finger-comb it does work well. If you don't want to spend ten quid on a hairbrush, though, you could try finger-combing, followed by combing with a wide-tooth comb, then using a BBB.

You can also use your fingers to "preen" your scalp, which I think is more or less Snowy's massage technique, mentioned above. Essentially, you bend over, massage your scalp, and kind of "pull" the oils from your scalp down the first couple inches of your hair.

getoffmyskittle
June 30th, 2009, 04:01 PM
Ooh, thanks for the info, misstwist and Madame J. I never thought to look in VITs. :doh:

florenonite, the only word I misspell (actually misspell as opposed to typo-ing) is "vacuum." I always try to put two c's in it. I don't know why.

florenonite
June 30th, 2009, 04:08 PM
florenonite, the only word I misspell (actually misspell as opposed to typo-ing) is "vacuum." I always try to put two c's in it. I don't know why.

I do that, too! For years I thought it was correct, which I suppose is why I always write it like that now.

Thinthondiel
June 30th, 2009, 04:15 PM
I used to have really fluffy hair before I went WO... now it's a lot less fluffy, and I hardly have any fly-aways now, they're smoothed down with the rest of the hair. It's also less dry and brittle, so brushing isn't a problem for me. :)

misstwist
June 30th, 2009, 04:19 PM
I do that, too! For years I thought it was correct, which I suppose is why I always write it like that now.

*threadjack*
For years I had special and appreciate marked in my dictionary (do people use dictionaries anymore) because I just couldn't get them to stick in my head.
*end*

getoffmyskittle
June 30th, 2009, 09:31 PM
Thanks, Thinthondiel! That's pretty much exactly what I've been wondering. But my hair is fluffy, soft, and moisturized, not dry and brittle. I wonder if that means we just have different textures.

Wanderer09
June 30th, 2009, 10:04 PM
My hair's curly and quite fluffy at all times. I recently got a BBB and tried it on oily hair (not washed for a week), and I liked the results a lot. It was so soft! I've only done this a few times so I can't really observe any breakage or damage because of it yet. Just make sure to comb (or fingercomb) the tangles out before you do it.

I haven't tried the brush on freshly washed curls yet. I imagine the result would be monstrous. :p

misstwist
July 1st, 2009, 09:09 AM
My hair's curly and quite fluffy at all times. I recently got a BBB and tried it on oily hair (not washed for a week), and I liked the results a lot. It was so soft! I've only done this a few times so I can't really observe any breakage or damage because of it yet. Just make sure to comb (or fingercomb) the tangles out before you do it.

I haven't tried the brush on freshly washed curls yet. I imagine the result would be monstrous. :p

For post-boomstick pictures. http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=7003

florenonite
July 1st, 2009, 10:35 AM
*threadjack*
For years I had special and appreciate marked in my dictionary (do people use dictionaries anymore) because I just couldn't get them to stick in my head.
*end*

I definitely still use a dictionary, though if my computer's already on I use the OED online, because I get free access through my uni ^.^

/hijack

Shell
July 1st, 2009, 12:43 PM
I have fluffy hair, but I don't WO. I will share my brushing technique though.

I detangle first using a wide tooth horn comb--you could finger comb first. Then I turn my head upside down and use the horn comb to comb from nape to ends (or as far down as you can reach :smile: ). Then I use a BBB to brush from the nape toward ends and all around scalp. Then I flip my hair up and finger comb, then use the horn comb, and then use the BBB again.

It takes a while, but I don't get breakage or tangles this way. I'm really liking the results too. My hair is shinier and softer, but still quite fluffy. Maybe with WO the fluffiness would be less. I couldn't do WO. No water would work fine, but something about daily wetting with no shampoo or herbs doesn't work for me. Never washing my hair is oddly fine. Go figure.

Good luck with the WO and keep us posted.

GlassEyes
July 1st, 2009, 12:54 PM
I'll humour you if you learn to spell "humour" :p


Dirty Brit. :lol: Even if you aren't one. xDDDD;; Also, my two words are 'squirrel' and 'career'. I've almost got them both down though!

I'm curious how this thread turns out. It seems to me your best bet would be to brush before doing WO to spread stuff down, but I don't know how that'd work out with breakage, obviously. I'd like to do WO, but I obviously have curly hair, and it'd be crazy.

I remember girlcat saying that when she did WO, she started by BBB'ing her hair in a ponytail at the scalp. Could you do that first? It'd help with the puffyness, at least.

getoffmyskittle
July 1st, 2009, 01:07 PM
Thanks, Shell! I'm going to try finger preening, but if that doesn't work, I'll try your technique. I actually don't plan to water rinse every day. If I did that, my ends would dry up and break off in a rabbit's heartbeat. I plan to water wash only 1-2x per week, just like normal. I don't want to do it if it's going to be a whole lot more work and wet hair than CO or CWC, you know?