Asking for advice - why I'm afraid to start finger-combing....

[shikara]

Well thanks to all of you at TLHC my fine hair that was once crazy tangly is much much better (putting info on chelating and olive oil etc into play!!). While I feel that finger combing is probably the very best way to go, I don't understand how working my fingers through my hair can possibly get at all the hairs that need it and I fear that if I go this route, that after a number of days if I were to try to comb through it there would be a mass of tangles that my fingers missed! luxepiggy addressed some of this very well in a previous forum but I still don't understand how finger combing can get at everything like a comb can. What can you tell me?

[squintinschool]

The reasons finger combing is sometimes better than a comb is that you can actually feel the knots. I find this really helps with the stubborn ones. Using a comb, its kind of a blind beating at the problem, and that can sometimes lead to tearing through a tangle. Fingers are gentler because you can feel you're stuck, and then proceed to spot fix. I tend to use a combo of finger and comb - mostly comb, but when I hit a particularly stubborn tangle, I put the comb down and work it out with my fingers. As for getting all the spots, you have to work through your hair section by section. And then use your fingers like a comb to rake through it all, and see if you've missed any knots.

[Hala]

I'm confirmed finger-comber. Then again, I'm that person who enjoys untying knots in thread, so there you go.

My advice is to make sure you start from the bottom up. The bottom is where it's harder to feel a comb doing any damage, and even if you're combing your hair out completely, if you can gently untangle the bottom three inches, I think it's that much better for damage.

Hanging out here, I've started to realize my hair is both thicker and finer than I'd thought--I kind of thought it was normal, but as it turns out it's very, very fine and pretty thick. This is a recipe for tangle hell, and I really do swear by finger-combing. I do a big detangle/oiling in the morning and at night, but I'm also doing maintenance throughout the day. If you're gentle enough, it's a great habit for a reformed hair twiddler.

You're not rakng your fingers through, so much as checking gently to see where there's resitance, and then un-tangling. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Either you think it's incredibly tedious, or kind of fun.

I do a BBB brushing with the oil at the end of the night, often, but finger-combing is pretty much my go-to.

[Roseate]

Finger combing does not work for me. Hair gets wound around my fingers and I end up pulling out more than I'd like. (Maybe it's my wurls?) Plus it just takes forever to get through my hair; I get impatient, quit too soon and don't get all the knots.

But, that said, I don't think you need to worry that you will end up with a crazy rat's nest if you try it! It's always easy for me to tell if I've missed a spot, I can feel it. So give it a try, I know it works well for a lot of folks here, just not me. You can always go back to the comb.

[Hala]

I think Roseate might be right, in that it's better for Type 1s. I know that my curly daughter can do a little finger-combing, but then it starts to just make things worse.

[teela1978]

I can finger comb... but I much prefer to use a real comb. Finger combing for me takes a ridiculous amount of time compared to using my comb. The increased number of teeth and the smaller spacing are much better than my hands, and they're less likely to catch on a random strand. So for time savings I go with my comb... part of why I have my hair long is that I can ignore it and let it do its thing. Spending upwards of 10 minutes finger-combing my hair doesn't mesh well with that philosophy.

[Fufu]

My hair is 1b hair type, I only finger comb my hair when it's dry, if it's wet or damp, sometimes you will just accidentaly snap some of he hair out.

Alternatively, i like to use wide tooth comb to detangle, it works the best for me.

[cuticom]

I'm a 3b (must change my profile) and finger combing is absolutely necessary for me. A comb can ruin my curls in about three seconds if there's tangles. I carefully separate the curls and run my fingers through them making sure there's no knots and removing the loose hair. As a curly my hair is naturally extremely tangle prone and a comb just snarls the whole lot up. But if I finger comb I can get all the big knots out easily and a comb just deals with the tiny knots. Plus I only comb right before I was it, since combing gives me a blonde afro. Afros on people with dark hair look amazing, on me it just looks really really weird.

[Slinks]

I can see how curly hair would get tangled, what a mess .. I finger comb as well as use a wide tooth comb, I like to finger comb the oil in .. today I just bought some Argan oil, it feel so smooth :-) ..

[pepperminttea]

I finger-comb directly before I comb/brush, to get rid of the big ones. I find finger-combing's a lot gentler, since you can feel how much pressure is needed, and you can easily stop to untangle a knot individually. I just finish off with a wooden comb (when damp) or a wooden-quilled brush (when dry) to smooth things over and find any little knots that are hiding from my fingers.

Just make sure you remove any rings, bracelets or watches first; boy did that hurt the first time I forgot that.

[kaned_ferret]

I finger comb my hair, but then it is only 6 inches long atm. And to be honest it's more about the fact that I can't stop running my fingers through it because it feels so nice (never had that before due to over processing / improper care etc etc)

It may be a different story as it gets longer lol :)

[PeacenQuietGal]

I finger comb my hair, but then it is only 6 inches long atm. And to be honest it's more about the fact that I can't stop running my fingers through it because it feels so nice (never had that before due to over processing / improper care etc etc)

Me too! Isn't it wonderful to have your best ever hair? Yay us :toast: lol!

[heidihug]

Finger combing is not a substitute for regular combing (actually, brushing, I don't use a comb) for me. However, I never ever brush when my hair is wet or damp; so the morning after I shower, I get out the big tangles and knots with my fingers, then put it up.

[constancev18]

Finger combing has been a God-send to my 4a/3c hair. I usually only do it when my hair is moisturized with coconut oil. Anything else (detangling dry hair) results in broken hairs.

[Madora]

finger combing is fine for a general detangling but only a comb really works for a thorough detangling.

Snarls/knots/mats can be very fine at times and aren't felt when finger detangling. They are easily detected when using a comb.

The thing to remember when using a comb is to start at the bottom of the strands and move slowly upward. When you find a snarl, use your fingers to untangle it! Just combing through it accomplishes nothing..the snarl is still there..or even worse, the hair is caught in the comb and broken.

If the snarls aren't untangled, they have a wicked propensity for becoming even more snarly, which you don't want!

[spidermom]

I do much better with a comb and only finger comb briefly if I'm throwing my hair into a braid for the night or something like that.

[lajsa]

I do finger-comb sometimes, but I'm crazy paranoid of my fingers being greasy or something, and since I prefer to just do my combing while I'm lazing by the computer I often really don't feel like going to wash my hands first. :p Otherwise I like it; it's pretty gentle.

[akuamoonmaui]

Finger combing takes time, but it's worth it. I section my hair to finger comb and it seems to work much better than just random attempts. The sectioning isn't anything scientific, just taking a hunk and working through it, then moving on to another section.

[luxepiggy]

As you already know, I've held forth on this topic at length already, so I'm just popping in with a little moral support. I'm at 10 years & counting! No giant tangled mess yet (^(oo)~)