Is combing curly hair damaging?

[LadyCelestina]

Hello,maybe this seems a bit silly,but I´m rather confused :confused: .
I´ve read you shouldn´t comb curly hair while it´s dry,as it causes damage. Does it really?
I finger-comb or comb my curls when making an updo,it´s easier to braid and generally to do whatever with them.I try to be gentle and use oil and/or CO,as it makes it easier to slip my hands through my hair.
I guess this shouldn´t be damaging,but I just want to be sure - is it bad or isn´t it bad ?:eek:

[Copasetic]

Combing/brushing curly hair when it is dry is generally discouraged because it breaks up the curls, and can leave your hair a mess. Its not inherently damaging, though.

[LadyCelestina]

Combing/brushing curly hair when it is dry is generally discouraged because it breaks up the curls, and can leave your hair a mess. Its not inherently damaging, though.
Aha.So if I´m not planning on wearing it down,there´s nothing wrong with combing? Good! Thanks a lot :-)

[Siava]

Curly hair tends to tangle easily. Combing is fine as long as you work tangles out gently. I do not recommend brushing dry curls though. It's much rougher and easier to rip through tangles and break them off completely.

[Cheeks1206]

What Siava and Copasetic said. If you are goin to brush your hair when it's dry maybe try starting from the bottom and work your way up. You may do that anyway, but I think it's definitely worth repeating for curls.

[perkidanman]

My hair is wavy/curly and unless I am VERY careful combing (not brushing) it then I end up with tangles even if I work from the bottom up.

[RocketDog]

I have wavy/curly hair and I try to avoid manipulating my hair when it's dry whenever possible, simply because of the tangling and big-huge-hairness that inevitably happens. I always comb my hair out before putting it up, but I spritz it with water first. One of the many spritzer recipes could work, but plain old water is easier ;)

I don't ever wear my hair down, partly because of the hassle of detangling afterwards.

[KateMcC]

I think that "no comb" advice is also relative to your hair's texture, how many days since wash, how you want to wear it, etc. I can't imagine combing or brushing hair to be damaging in itself (unless you are brutal to it in the process).

Here's what I have learned about my fine- to medium-textured 2c/3a curls. After washing (I CO actually), I detangle it with a Madora Detangler, then wrap it in a microfiber towel. When it is just damp, I put a bit of aloe gel on it and scrunch it up. It is pretty curly at this point, so I don't comb or brush it at this point, or it will frizz and pouff and not look so pretty. Then, before bed, I comb it out with my detangler, and braid it for bed.

Day 2 hair, I usually wear in a half up, and the curls have become more like gentle relaxed waves. I do comb it as I fix it.

Day 3 hair, I use the bbb brush and brush it smooth and put it up. If the ends seem at all dry, I will add a bit of EVOO before putting it up.

Day 4 is wash day (or put it up and wear a hat day), and we start all over.

My hair is curlier now than it has ever been, and is growing more than the average 1/2" per month. It is healthy and happy.

Please take all advice given here with a grain of salt. It's all relative to hair type, where you live, and the products you use. There are too many variables to create hard and fast rules for everyone. As you are searching for ideas, it may help to find a hair twin that lives in a similar area to you; i.e. someone who has the same amount of curls, the same texture and thickness, who lives in a similar climate (humidity, wind, soft or hard water, etc. makes a huge difference in how your hair acts), and wears their hair the way you want to. See what your hair twin does and give that a try--your hair may or may not like it, but it will be a starting point. Good luck figuring out what your hair likes best.

[Chamomile betty]

I use a wide tooth comb when my hair is wet. I will comb after my wash/condition. There would be tons of tangles if I didn't comb once a day. Just watch for breakage.

[McFearless]

Does your hair break when you comb it while dry? If not, don't worry about it. Personally I have to detangle it under running water or else it is a disaster. Combing while it is dry is too hard and causes my hair to break.

[Pierre]

Does your hair break when you comb it while dry? If not, don't worry about it. Personally I have to detangle it under running water or else it is a disaster. Combing while it is dry is too hard and causes my hair to break.
Me too, though I have combed it dry occasionally. Normally I wash it, comb out the sheds, and detangle it all at once in the shower, then dry it (overnight if I washed it in the evening), then braid it, and leave the braids in until the next wash while doing various updos with them.

[meowmeow]

Generally, the rule of thumb is to not force the comb/brush through a tangle, if you do, there's a really high chance of breaking your hairs. As long as you're gentle and ease out the tangle, it's probably fine.

[Envari]

I can't help but wonder how those of you who detangle dry curly-wurly hair on no-wash-days avoid ending up like frizzies?

I am simply unable to do any detangling while my hair is dry unless I'm ready to sport the Sideshow Bob look for several hours/days afterwards. My curls will become a complete and utter mess - not to mention the almost inevitable breaks not matter how gentle I am.

[ktani]

It comes down to how gently you do it. It you are not raking your fingers through your hair and are gentle and you say you are, then no it is not damaging. As long as you do not force through a catch or tangle it is fine.

The same would apply to combing but there are conditions with that. Seamed combes, even wide toothed ones can be abrasive. Brushing can be damaging but again on detangled hair and with the right brush, not used on wet, fragile hair, it should not be a problem either.

[GRU]

I use a Tangle Teezer, and start at the bottom and work my way up.

No damage so far... my hair's in the best shape of my entire life (and that's 40+ years!).

[pepperminttea]

I always comb my hair out before putting it up, but I spritz it with water first. One of the many spritzer recipes could work, but plain old water is easier ;)



Thanks for this, I've been having combed braidwaves-related explosions lately, and I was wondering how to calm them down. I'll give this a try! :)

[HappyHair87]

I think it depends on how curly your hair is. I think looser curls can get away with dry combing...but extreme curls like mine....:no: No matter how careful...my hair would just break off.

If i am blowing my hair out usine a comb attachment on my blowdryer....i make sure to detangle thoroughly on wet hair first, put hair in twists to keep the curls stretched out...and THEN i use the comb/blowdryer....that's as close as i get to dry combing. I used to do it tho when i was relaxed with no issue....but my hair was straight then.

[Kelikea]

I can't help but wonder how those of you who detangle dry curly-wurly hair on no-wash-days avoid ending up like frizzies?

I am simply unable to do any detangling while my hair is dry unless I'm ready to sport the Sideshow Bob look for several hours/days afterwards. My curls will become a complete and utter mess - not to mention the almost inevitable breaks not matter how gentle I am.

Do you ever try to re-wet it after detangling? Use a spritzer/spray bottle with conditioner or plain water to mist hair and re-scrunch in your waves/curls.

[manderly]

Do you ever try to re-wet it after detangling? Use a spritzer/spray bottle with conditioner or plain water to mist hair and re-scrunch in your waves/curls.

Yup. On the odd days when I didn't wash, the curls are dead, and I don't want to wear it up, I'd split my hair down the center, comb out the length, then I'd lean over the sink and re-saturate from about the ears down. Rescrunch with more moisture/gel and let dry like normal. Fluff and I've got great hair again.

I never had any luck with spritzing (frizz city). For my hair, it's WET or nothing.

[Maktub]

Depends how you dry your hair too.

Ex. if I let my hair dry loose, I'll have 3a curls. Trying to comb those dry is possible, but I have to work very slowly, on well moisturized hair, and it ends pretty pouffy. I also tend to break a few hair doing so...

if I dry my hair in a soft bun or braid, I get more like waves, and it's pretty sleek. I can then comb it pretty easily and it doesn't get frizzy when I do so.

I can do the first scenario, and then bun or braid the pouff... and that gets me to the second scenario (ex. overnight).

It also depends on how long since last wash (the sooner after a wash = the more frizz factor from combing)

It also depends on your specific hair type and curl pattern.

[CurlyCap]

I finger comb when wet and loaded with conditioner. Anything else is a risk. :D

But honestly? I run my hands through my hair all day at work, and I don't have any damage. I haven't trimmed in 9 months and don't have a single split end.

I avoid combing or brushing thoroughly when dry because undoing all the spirals tends to cause tangles. For me, it's just easier to hop in the shower and detangle when wet. The only exception might be if I braided my hair while it was damp, because then there are no spirals. Easy peasey then. :D

[Envari]

Do you ever try to re-wet it after detangling? Use a spritzer/spray bottle with conditioner or plain water to mist hair and re-scrunch in your waves/curls.

It might be doable but doesn't change the fact that my hair generally tends to break more easily if detangling when dry.

I tried last night and it worked out okay but that's mainly because I had coconutoil sitting in the hair form Friday to Saturday. Since I CO-wash there was a fair amount of oil left even after I washed it on Saturday, so it was possible to detangle AND control the frizz :cheese:

However, the slight oil residue weights down my hair and streches the curls so adding oil is not going to be a permanent solution. I'll give conditioner a go but fear that the result will be similar.

Anyways, the detangle-when-wet-and-well-moisturized is working so I'm not really in trouble here, I was just wondering how you dry-detanglers manage to avoid the frizz-look. Seems like it's just not for me :neutral:

[Nera]

I really can´t comb or brush my curls when my hair is dry. It needs to be covered in conditioner and under running watter.

[Envari]

I'm beginning to think I got this hairtyping all wrong when I signed up here - ending up with exploding frizzies allover after detangling dry curls doesn't seem very 2b'ish.

/walks off to find pics of 2c's and 3a's :ponder:

[Sookie]

But i thought that combing hair while wet causes breakage due to the factor hair is delicate(after conditioner and water).
I am having a serious breakage problem. I will try combing it only wet to see if this works for my hair.

[manderly]

But i thought that combing hair while wet causes breakage due to the factor hair is delicate(after conditioner and water).
I am having a serious breakage problem. I will try combing it only wet to see if this works for my hair.

Typically curlies do not comb just wet hair. We comb when our hair is full of conditioner while wet, and is just a big slippery mess.

I would have better success combing dry hair than plain wet hair. It's the conditioner that's important :)

[jacqueline101]

It makes my hair frizzy. I'd try a wide tooth comb.

[Maktub]

yes ! There NEEDS to be conditionner in the wet hair for detangling gently when wet !

[Sookie]

Typically curlies do not comb just wet hair. We comb when our hair is full of conditioner while wet, and is just a big slippery mess.

I would have better success combing dry hair than plain wet hair. It's the conditioner that's important :)

Do you use conditioner as a leave in? Until now i use to comb my hair after air drying and then put it ip in a bun? But although i am so gentle with my hair (i was bsl before some days) i still have to cut a lot of inches due to damage( i am apl now). How do you keep your hair in a bun?

[manderly]

Yes, I leave conditioner as a leave in.

I do not comb my hair after air drying - I like to wear it curly and down. It doesn't get messed with much until the second and third day when it is tossed into a bun because it's hideous and I don't feel like washing.

I just twist it into a peacock or a cinabun and clip. My hair does need to get a good cut every now and again, I find that curly hair is quite delicate (at least for me), and no matter how moisturized and sweet I am to it I still get lots of breakage and icky ends.

[longcurlygirl<3]

Curly hair should only be combed when wet and saturated with conditioner and done SLOWLY with fingers or a wide-tooth comb. Comb either dry or wet with a brush can cause damage.

[Sookie]

Thx for the answer manderly and longcurlygirl<3. That was helpful!

[kitschy]

I'm beginning to think I got this hairtyping all wrong when I signed up here - ending up with exploding frizzies allover after detangling dry curls doesn't seem very 2b'ish.

/walks off to find pics of 2c's and 3a's :ponder:

Yep, I would call you a 2c and/or 3a

[DarkSky]

I run a goody wide tooth detangler comb through my hair (mainly the lower half) to break up the unruly clumps and create a more organized wurly pattern for second day hair. I do this very lightly. I haven't noticed any damage. Some bits of hair will fall of course but not much. My ends overall seem to look ok and I've been doing this method for quiet a few months.

[Beckstar]

Hello,maybe this seems a bit silly,but I´m rather confused :confused: .
I´ve read you shouldn´t comb curly hair while it´s dry,as it causes damage. Does it really?
I finger-comb or comb my curls when making an updo,it´s easier to braid and generally to do whatever with them.I try to be gentle and use oil and/or CO,as it makes it easier to slip my hands through my hair.
I guess this shouldn´t be damaging,but I just want to be sure - is it bad or isn´t it bad ?:eek:

My hair is naturally dry and combing while dry is not good for me. My hair snaps and sounds like fireworks. pop pop crackle poo the noises are scary to hear.

I will put loads of conditioner on my hair and finger detangle as much as I can. I rinse most of it out but leave a little for a leave-in. I oil my hair and then detangle with a widetooth comb. I put oil or conditioner on the comb too. I detangle the bottom, move up to the middle and comb all the loose hairs down. I use my fingers to get it all out and then comb from the roots down. I makes it easier and takes less time.

[Envari]

Yep, I would call you a 2c and/or 3a

I think you may be rigt. After my last moisture-splash I'm starting to think it's 3a but I guess I can't really determine for sure before I get a steady moisture-level going.

Oh well, I'll try to be patient and wait for the final moist-level before I make my final evaluation. Thanks for the input :)