Brushing VS Not Brushing?

[mellycurls]

Hi everyone! So when trying to grow out my hair, I am a bit confused at to whether or not I should brush/comb (I use a wide toothed comb) my hair frequently? Some say that it distributes the natural oils? Some say it causes breakage? What would you recommend and how frequently do you brush or comb your hair? Thanks and happy growing : ) !!

[Henrietta]

If you use a wide tooth comb and a BBB (Boar bristle brush) there would be no breakage. I comb my hair before making an updo (1-2 times per day) and I brush 1-2 times per day, once before going to bed and the second time (if at all) when I feel I need it to smooth my hair.
Don't be afraid of brushing/combing. Use good products- seamless wide tooth comb and a BBB, be gentle with your moves, and everything would be ok. Detangled, smooth hair and no breakage;)

[Aleria]

I comb mine when I'm in the shower, when it's full of conditioner.
I shower anywhere from once a day to twice a week XD. This is better for me since my hair doesn't really tangle too much, and combing it a lot makes it less wavy, and I love my waves.
I couldn't say whether it causes breakage or not, because I am always shedding and therefore losing hair.

[Viechen]

Personally I fingercomb in the morning and comb with a wide toothed comb at night and after i wash my hair. I am honestly not sure what in 'best' for hair, I think it completely depends on your hair. If it works for you then stick with it i guess...

[Capybara]

It depends. Whatever works for you, do it :)

Many members here swear by a certain brush or comb, or even finger combing exclusively. I think that, if something works for you then by all means do it. It may be helpful, in your case, to experiment with different brushes and combs.

Personally, I use a wide toothed shower comb in the morning (if my hair wasn't braided the night before - if it was, I don't brush or comb), and only use the BBB at night to distribute oils. It's up to you :)

ETA: you may wish to ask some of the curly haired members for advice as well. My routine works for my hair, but it mint not work for you :)

[spidermom]

With curls, I'd recommend you NEVER use a brush EXCEPT very carefully just before washing your hair if you really want to. Combing conditioner through in the shower and then hands off results in the best curl formation in my experience.

[Henrietta]

With curls, I'd recommend you NEVER use a brush EXCEPT very carefully just before washing your hair if you really want to. Combing conditioner through in the shower and then hands off results in the best curl formation in my experience.

Shhhh... I should have checked your hairtype before giving you any advice. Sorry. Indeed, brushing curls is not a good idea, unless you hate them.

[GoddesJourney]

I agree, brushing curls is typically not a good plan. However, if you want to distribute oils before a wash or before bed or something, a brush is a good way to do it. A BBB is fine for some people. I find it does not penetrate my hair in the least. I found a wooden paddle brush and it is my favorite thing ever. You may or may not like something like that.

[KittyLost]

I prefer combing to brushing.

You should experiment with your hair, see how it reacts to brushing and then see how it reacts to combing although with curly hair you may find your hair prefers the comb or neither!

[Pierre]

I'm a bit less curly (I have wavy middles and curly ends) and I comb in the shower, which seems to work well to distribute oil, as it removes loose hairs, which spread the oil down. I don't brush. I find tangles by the comb stopping; if I used a brush, it wouldn't stop as hard, or it might stop when one of the inner pins reached the tangle.

[aenflex]

I only brush with a paddle brush, with widely spaced, rounded, blunt wooden bristles, and i only use this brush to massage my scalp. Otherwise I've just never brushed, my hair doesn't tangle. And it hates BBB, so it just goes to show you that everyone's hair is different. Like others have said, you should really just do what your hair responds best to :)

[kittensoupnrice]

DH has 3a curls, and when he used to brush he got a frizzled head of poof with lots of split ends.

Now that he's using a wide-toothed comb only on wet hair, his hair is actually forming ringlets and looks 100% better.

I personally used to use BBBs as well, but while I found that while I didn't get breakage with them, they seemed to increase my shedding. Now if I want scalp stimulation, I use a small comb to scritch with, and I occasionally preen to move oils down my hair.

[going gray]

Personally I fingercomb in the morning and comb with a wide toothed comb at night and after i wash my hair. I am honestly not sure what in 'best' for hair, I think it completely depends on your hair. If it works for you then stick with it i guess...

Yes exactly, do what works best for your hair, there is no right or wrong.

[Chestershire]

I comb it every morning and in the evening, before I go to bed. When I let my hair down, I do have to brush it like almost every hour, because it tangles like crazy!

[Arianwen]

I comb mine when I'm in the shower, when it's full of conditioner.
I shower anywhere from once a day to twice a week XD. This is better for me since my hair doesn't really tangle too much, and combing it a lot makes it less wavy, and I love my waves.
I couldn't say whether it causes breakage or not, because I am always shedding and therefore losing hair.

Generally, I do the same, only comb when my hair is loaded with conditioner and feels like seaweed, plus I'm uber gentle and I use a Mason Pearson rake that has no seams...

[tweegirl]

I use a wide-toothed comb before and after the shower to detangle. When my hair is dry, I use a baby brush just to remove cat fur haha. I have 2 cats, their fur gets everywhere!

[Qwackie]

Combing it with a wide comb/finger's fine, but I only use an actual brush if I need it. When my hair was long, I used to not brush it at all in the morning and only before showers.

[smileycat]

I tried first a wide tooth wooden comb, then invested in a BBB and a wide-tooth bone comb, and most days I still reach for the cheap wooden comb. My hair is straight, though.

My brother dated a woman for years that had gorgeous, dark tbl hair. She only combed it out loaded with conditioner in the shower.

I guess you just have to try things to determine what works best for you.

[HintOfMint]

I use a wide tooth comb for detangling and a finer tooth comb for smoothing and giving my scalp a good scratch, although I've been tending towards fingercombing more and more lately.

I used to faithfully use my BBB everyday, but now I go for days at a time without it. I've also noticed fewer splits in my underlayer, so I'm guessing it wasn't the best thing for my hair. I love how it feels on my scalp and I love how it distributes oils on top, but some parts of my hair can't exactly handle it.

[PrincessBob]

I have not decided if combing is preferable, but have been doing so for a week.

[Blond Unicorn]

I'd say, you have to see what your hair loves the most

I brush every morning with a bbb and do after it a little combing to smooth my hair for the up-dos. Most days I'll stay like that till bedtime. Before going to bed I'll apply some of my loved panacea's salve and then comb it just a little to make my "bed braid".
I comb with a handmade horn comb I was able to get on the swap board:D