Combing wet or dry?

[Dyefree]

Ok, so I'm a little confused ( easily done :D ) I've been reading lots on how to care for hair properly and I'm a little confused as I keep reading conflicting advice and I really don't want to damage my hair any more than I already have.

My hair is wavy/ curly and so I read I shouldn't brush or comb when it is dry and I should only detangle with a wide toothed comb when wet in the shower with conditioner In the hair... But then I read elsewhere that hair should only be brushed or combed when dry as wet hair is particularly weak when wet.... :confused:

So which method is correct and kinder on my hair....?

Great advice and tips here so far- my hair is actually feeling more 'normal' already :)

[Vermelha]

Detangle with a wide-tooth comb, wet with conditioner, from the bottom (ends), and gradually moving upward towards the roots. After this, you won't need to comb or brush.

And you're right, hair IS weak when wet, but that is what the conditioner is for. It provides "slip" to allow the comb to pass through.

But in the case of curly hair, it should never be combed dry, or face tons of tangles and breakage. The comb wasn't invented for curly hair--just being honest.

HTH

[loralie]

Welcome!

Hair is fragile when wet, but that's usually when I end up combing it. I only comb out my hair right after a shower, with lots of leave-in conditioner in it. I start by finger combing from the bottom up, gently pulling out the tangles but being very careful to stop putting pressure when I start to feel my hair catch or stretch. After I have "combed" through with my fingers, I move on to a wide toothed comb, and start from the bottom up again.

The only time I comb dry is when I have some time to devote to doing it gently and carefully- My hair tangles easily so I usually don't even brush or comb until the next time I shower as I don't want to risk damaging it.

I think it's generally okay to comb hair when wet, I think people warn against it if you're ripping the comb through as it's harder to tell when hair is snapping or getting damaged when it's wet. You just have to be really careful! Try using your fingers first to comb out the worst snarls, then move on to a comb. Also, if your hair is dry, spritzing it with a nice conditioner to give it some slip can help too! :)