Brushing/Combing...wet or dry?

[joyfulheart18]

I comb my hair with a wide toothed comb, because I absolutely cannot go brushless. I've tried it, and it's quite scary and messy looking. Right now I brush only in the shower with my hair slathered in conditioner soaking wet. Yet I've heard some people say that you shouldn't brush your hair when wet?

What do you do...wet or dry?

[varintalonguard]

Us curly/whirly types usually have to detangle when wet cause any brushing or messing with dry hair disrupts the curl patten and turns our hair into a frizz ball. You have to be gentle when brushing or combing wet or dry because damage is possible and hair is susceptible to damaged when wet I believe.

[joyfulheart18]

I find it's easier to brush hair out when I'm under running water. Anyone find this?

[jojo]

no hair type should brush wet hair. Wet hair is at its most vulnerable and stretchy and is more prone to snapping if brushed when wet. If you absolutely need to tame it when wet, use a wide seamless comb; body shop does a good one. Be sure to start from the bottom and be very gentle to prevent stretching the hair shaft and once the knots are out leave well alone until dry.

[pepperminttea]

What Jojo said - wet brushing is generally a bad idea if you're trying to avoid breakage, no matter what your hairtype. I don't brush or comb in the shower (although many curlies detangle with the conditioner in their hair in the shower, just not with a brush). I detangle my hair when it's damp, just after it's come out of its towel turban. I use my fingers starting at the ends working up, and then slowly comb out the small tangles with a seamless wooden comb; stopping at any significant tangles to work on them separately. When it's dry, I detangle with fingers, and then use a wooden-quilled brush. I prefer wood since it gives me less static. :)

[joyfulheart18]

So you would suggest letting it dry and then brushing it? :P I would think that would make it a hundred times more tangled. Some of my knots are so tight I have to lather them in conditioner until I get them out...I don't know, I guess I could try it. What would the negative effects be of brushing it wet? Anything visible?

[telegraph64]

A long time ago, I used to brush my hair before the shower, when wet after the shower, and when dry after the shower, which did nothing good for my poor long hair ! That behavior is what cost me the length, and I did learn the hard way.
I now finger comb under the running water, let it air dry, and finger comb again whilst oiling my hair with coconut and castor oil. That is before I put it up.

[monsterna]

Meh. I comb with a seamless, wide tooth comb while it's wet. However, I use coney conditioners. Only then am I able to effortlessly comb it while wet. It doesn't break or feel stretchy. I make sure to go slow and if I feel tension, I stop and untangle with fingers. But it's rare I get tension with coned up hair in the shower. So far I haven't noticed anything different.

[QMacrocarpa]

So you would suggest letting it dry and then brushing it? :P I would think that would make it a hundred times more tangled. [...]
I don't trust that I would be able to get rid of tangles that have "dried in" either, so I gently comb or tangle teez my damp hair. I wash once or twice a week.

[RitaPG]

Honestly, I used to have more breakage when I combed my hair dry, it's just too fine and prone to tangles. I do brush my hair in the morning and before going to bed and it's dry.
But after washing, I'll detangle it with conditioner on. I never get a hair yanked out this way :)

[joyfulheart18]

I just came out of the shower and I tried doing it VERY VERY gently and very slowly with conditioner on in the shower. I had no breakage at all for the first time, probably because of how gentle I went. Thanks!

[LotusFIre]

Meh. I comb with a seamless, wide tooth comb while it's wet. However, I use coney conditioners. Only then am I able to effortlessly comb it while wet. It doesn't break or feel stretchy. I make sure to go slow and if I feel tension, I stop and untangle with fingers. But it's rare I get tension with coned up hair in the shower. So far I haven't noticed anything different.

Me too, pretty much. I use a coney conditioner and a wide toothed detangling comb I got at sally's. I don't brush until it's dry, and I have been losing a lot less hair than when I used to rip a brush through it like a maniac when it was wet :ohmy:

[nliedel]

I need it ready to go up and get out of my way, most days, so I can soap. I put a conditioner I created (make stuff, addicted to trying everything) and let it sit. Work out tangles in the shower with my fingers and a very wide tooth comb. No pulling, if I get one bit of pulling, I stop and work it out with my fingers, then rinse out my conditioner. After I shower, dry without twisting as much as possible, lightly twist into a big 80's scrunchy and work (I work from home). I've got very straight and damaged from color hair that's apl. When I take it down from the scrunchy, after it's dry, I can gently comb it and it's shiny. Just hardly mess with it and it's fine. I do oil my ends, but I've not found the mixture I like, yet.

[CathyEarnshaw]

I use a wide tooth comb in the shower to detangle and distribute the conditioner throught my hair. When my hair is dry, I brush....with a BBB to distribute oil and make hair sleek and shiny or with a plastic brush to style.

[ooo]

combing wet is only exceptable with conditioner in hair. brushing wet hair is a no-no.

[jojo]

So you would suggest letting it dry and then brushing it? :P I would think that would make it a hundred times more tangled. Some of my knots are so tight I have to lather them in conditioner until I get them out...I don't know, I guess I could try it. What would the negative effects be of brushing it wet? Anything visible?

just use your fingers to ease the tangles out. Brushing wet may get rid of tangles but will cause breakage and splits. Also combing your hair whilst your rinsing your hair out may help. Long hair needs to be treated gently, long wet hair needs to be treated more so.

The choice is yours really, personally I would not brush wet hair as I want very long hair.

[Scarlet_Heart]

I use an ox horn comb and I find it best to try and only use it once a day and this is how. I finger comb before my shower, after my shower I comb (/w o.h. comb) right away. Then I throw it in a braid or two. When I wake up I can do a quick finger comb or not and go. Then repeat the process in the evening.

[nliedel]

I have a super wide plastic comb. I'm a veggie, so bbb and horn are not possible for me. Which used to bum me out. The truth is I'd over brush with a BBB.

[GALISH]

I usually comb in the shower with a wide seamless comb but just a little, this helps me detangling a bit.
Then I comb once more with a plastic pin brush once it's dried but still a little wet.
There are many different opinions on what's worse, some say wet hair is more vulnerable, and some others say it's weaker when dry... I don't know. It's a matter of try and find what's best for your hair.

[Alvrodul]

I detangle before I go into the shower - I have found that for me, doing so cuts down on the tangles after the shower - and also cuts down on the amount hair that clogs the drain.
I sometimes also do a bit of detangling while in the shower, with my hair quite full of conditioner. But mostly I don't let any comb near my hair unless it is entirely dry.