Brush recommendation for curly (3b/3c) hair?

[starsaphire]

Hi folks! Thanks in advance for listening, and for any advice you may have. :flowers:

So I have struggled all my life with finding a brush that works in my hair. Back in the 70s, when boar bristle brushes were all the rage, I hated them, because they worked about as well as rubbing a piece of fabric over my head.

As a little girl I remember sitting at the kitchen table in tears, with my mother and her Sturdy Plastic Comb yanking and tugging at all my tangles, and muttering about how horrible my hair was.

I naturally fell madly in love with the awful Goody brush with the vents and the round-tipped plastic bristles, because despite all the tearing and breaking, it actually got the tangles out of my hair and -- gasp! -- brushed it!

After all this time I've never found a single thing that worked for me and didn't damage my hair. I've tried wide-toothed detangling combs -- which work okay, except it takes about half an hour per three inches of hair, and I just don't have that kind of time. I would literally need to spend three or four hours getting the comb through my hair; by which time it will have dried and tangled itself up all over again. :(

I'm tired of swapping breakage for tangles. I have a professional job so I can't just let it matt up in the back, like I did in college; I can't wear it up or in a braid all the time because by the second day half my hair has escaped and formed a big tangly cloud (even with a satin pillow case) ... I'm at my wit's end.

Any suggestions?

- starsaphire

[Athena's Owl]

uh...

you say you have 3b/3c hair. but you want a brush.

are you planning on using it on your hair when your hair is dry? as a styling tool?

there is no way I could recommend ever using a brush on tightly curly hair when it's dry, when the result looks like this. (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=1029820&postcount=428)

i do use a brush on my hair, as part of the wet styling process. and this is what my hair looked like before I took a brush to it dry. (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=3095&pictureid=67663)

A lot of curlies here have thrown their brushes away, but I have found that a particular type of brush is extremely useful for me. I don't use it to detangle wet hair, ever. I use a comb for that, and my shower.

I turn my head so the water is running down my hair, soaking it, and running *down* and I start combing through the last 4 inches of a section, detangle that, and work my way up. (my hair comes down to my hip joints, wet. there's a lot to work with.)

It works extremely well on thick, difficult tangles - the action of the water keeps my hair conforming in going straight down, so my hair doesn't re-tangle after I've gotten a comb through it. On big tangles I use my fingers, to pick the tangle apart and the comb to smooth the rest of it out.

I used to do that soaked with conditioner thing, and I gotta tell you, it's for suckers. I use the shower water directional method, and a BAD matt session takes ten minutes. if i've had my hair in buns or i'm wetting it down to re-style after a couple days, it's less than five. I *don't* detangle before I get in the shower any more, either.

then I gently squeeze water out with my hands so water isn't pouring off, add my leave-in (which is honestly the same suave naturals conditioner I CO wash with) and then my stylers. I'm in love with boots curl creme! I bought some from the UK shop and i'm amazed that such an awesome product is so dirt cheap. then I do my gel. then I use a Denman nylon bristle brush on my hair to make my hair "clump" and get the product distributed and sudsy (the suds disappear.)

I warp my hair in a cotton or bamboo t-shirt (I don't have a silk one) and let that sit on my head to blot up more moisture, for ten minutes or an hour, whatever. I let my hair air dry, but some curlies diffuse dry with a hair dryer. I don't touch it while it's drying.

when it's dry, my gels got my hair set hard and crunchy. I run my hands over my hair like i'm smoothing it all back to put in a ponytail, the crunch comes out, my hair is fantastic.

That's the basic outline of how i detangle and style my curly hair. I started out with the hearsay curly girl method, and that was good, but I bought Live Curly, Live Free online, and it has much more detailed information that's given me a lot of control over curly hair. I wear it out much more often, and I'm much happier withit than i was before - and I was pretty happy with it then!

[~GypsyCurls~]

I use a cheap Conair little vent brush (it folds up and is round) when I want to use a brush. I only use it once a while, only after combing out my hair and while it's wet. otherwise I think it would damage the hair and make it frizzy too.

[manderly]

I agree with Athena's Owl. I certainly cannot recommend any type of brush for a curly to use on dry hair, as you should NEVER brush dry curls unless you want breakage and a giant poof of frizz.

That being said, I do use a denman knocokff when I'm in the shower and my hair is full of conditioner. It makes sure the condish is well distributed, massages my scalp nicely, and it pulls loose all the shed hairs that my curls hold on to.

If you are looking for ways to extend your curls between washes, consider pineappling it (a very high bun) and a sleep cap. I can go 2-3 days between washes (therefore brushing) by doing this and maintaining decent curls (though nothing ever looks as good as day 1).

[Heidi_234]

Denman, definitely a Denman (http://www.denmanbrush.com/acatalog/Classic_Styling.html). :D

[*Aoife*]

I know my hair isn't as curly as yours, but using a brush turns my hair into a frizzy cloud.


I can't wear it up or in a braid all the time because by the second day half my hair has escaped and formed a big tangly cloud (even with a satin pillow case)

Leaving your hair in the same updo for more than a day? There is no way I can manage that. I braid my hair in the morning, sleep on it and redo it in the exact same style the next morning. You might want to comb your scalp to make it not look messy but you don't need to put a brush or a comb near your length.

[AmericanWoman]

Curly hair shouldn't be brushed. Maybe after detangling with a wide toothed comb, right before washing. I use a wide toothed comb most of the time. Once in awhile I use a BBB, but my hair is in between wavy and curly, so I can wear it either way. I recommend you mostly finger comb., it'll keep the curls in their natural formation.

[Belisarius]

Have you tried combing in the shower with lots of conditioner in it? A really wide toothed comb would still be necessary.

[elliebean184]

Like the other commenters said, I use I wide-tooth comb with conditioner in the shower to detangle- it's very gentle and calming, but fast!
I do, however, brush my hair regularly, around the 3rd day after a wash, especially if I don't have time for another wash. It does get poufy since it's dry, but I oil it lightly and hop in the shower- the humidity even after the oiling seems to keep it happy. I braid it for bed and wear it up the next day. It saves me that extra hour, and the next day it's doing pretty well!
I try to brush gently and slowly, like I'm combing, though it's still faster than a wash. I use a wood-tooth brush from Bath and Body Works. It's also nice for a scalp massage since I always crave one mid-week.
Hope you find something that works, starsaphire!

[Roseate]

Denman, Denman, I third the Denman recommendation.

[starsaphire]

Thank you, everyone! I will definitely go look for a Denman. :)

To answer a few questions posed upthread:

Yes, I've tried wide tooth combs. Utter fail, for me. Three hours later I'm still detangling the same tangles. :rolleyes:

Yep, tried the "gobs of conditioner, comb it out in the shower" too. It works fairly well, but then after I rinse it, carefully pat it dry and get out of the shower, I still need to brush it out before I braid it/bun it. So, back to square one. :)

No, I never brush my hair when it's dry; a long time ago someone told me (and I have no idea if it's true or a myth) that curly hair is more vulnerable when it's dry, so never do more than finger-comb it at that stage.

My standard routine: I CO once a week, and rinse my hair in the shower every morning; I brush my hair out sopping wet and put it in a loose bun until I get to work, at which point it's still damp enough to style but not soaking the back of my blouse.

Thanks again for the input, everyone; I will definitely be investigating getting a Denman. Or two. :D

[BattahZ]

Do you leave in a little bit of conditioner when you're done washing? Something with a bit of slip would help immensely in detangling. I think generally when hair is really hard to detangle, it's dry.

[starsaphire]

I used to, but I prefer working in a little bit of Hair Butter into the ends and letting that help me detangle. Of course, then I need to brush it pretty thoroughly to achieve even distribution... ;)

I'm intrigued by posts suggesting that one can put up and take down an updo without brushing or combing in between. I can barely take my hair out of a braid without ending up with a huge tangled wad. I'd love to know how it's done!

[KBG]

Another vote for the Denman(We have the D143 and the D3.). Our oldest child has type 3 hair and we use it after spritzing heavily with water and/or using a bit of conditioning creme...

or after spraying on a lot of Ouidad Botanical Boost

or during a conditioner wash.

but never on dry curls.

[mwedzi]

My hair is curlier than yours, but many Type 4s like me and Type 3s also on LHCF like the Goody Add + Shine brush
http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=206749&catid=83750&aid=337953&aparam=goody_styling_therapy_br&CAWELAID=258550506

I hate the Denman, though many people love it. I find the Denman breaks my hair too much. The Goody brush is much more gentle, but still does a decent job of getting out shed hair, which is the only reason I ever use a brush. Like for you, a wide tooth comb is not enough. A shower comb is the worst; I might as well have done nothing.

[Arctic]

Maybe you have buildup making your hair velcrolike so it retangles immediately?

[KBG]

My hair is curlier than yours, but many Type 4s like me and Type 3s also on LHCF like the Goody Add + Shine brush
http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=206749&catid=83750&aid=337953&aparam=goody_styling_therapy_br&CAWELAID=258550506

I hate the Denman, though many people love it. I find the Denman breaks my hair too much. The Goody brush is much more gentle, but still does a decent job of getting out shed hair, which is the only reason I ever use a brush. Like for you, a wide tooth comb is not enough. A shower comb is the worst; I might as well have done nothing.

okay, now I'm totally curious about this Goody brush(I'm a total fan of your hair M!). I'm type 4 and I've cut back on my own brush use in favor of finger combing and more braiding.

OTOH, My children are type 2 & 3 and the Denmans are a dream on their hair. Perfect detangling and curl definition but only on water soaked or product-soaked hair. Never dry.