Question about combing wet

[brok3nwings]

I know that we shouldnt comb our hair when its damp. But i do, with my large comb...(its not that large but its ok). the thing is, my hair is really a mess if i dont comb it...sometimes when i do CO i can pass my fingers and its ok like that, otherwise i cant stand letting it dry without combing... Besides i take bath at the morning and i have normally to leave the house with my hair still damp! What do you do? Do your hair normally behave well?

I dont think my hair is damaged, i´ve been taking good care of it since joining LHC, the only thing i do is sometimes i put some metal clips? to hold the sides of my hair ...or my bangs.

So anyone that combs with damp hair? And i know it damages but i dont know why, could anyone explain me?

Thank you :p

[Tap Dancer]

I know that we shouldnt comb our hair when its damp.

You shouldn't brush wet hair; combing is okay. I have a large "shower comb" with wide teeth and no seams. Just be gentle! :)

[Medvssa]

Yeah, I have to comb my hair when wet, since it gets more damaged when it is dry. It depends on your hair type, really. Just be gentle.

[brok3nwings]

ah ok! I know that brushing no no no ..(and it doesnt even make sence to brush when its wet..) but combing i thought it was bad too !

[eresh]

Should, shouldn't...it's all relative. ;-)
Depends on how you brush/comb your wet or damp hair and your hairtype.

I do this all the time, if I don't comb it immediately after washing it will be a tangled mess and I always wetbraid it after washing at night to go to sleep. When making a bun, I brush it, mist it damp, brush it again and then put it up.
Just do it gently so the hairs won't stretch, carefully and ofcourse work from bottom to top.

[eadwine]

Brushing being a nono simply depends on the hair on your head ;) Some hair can handle it just fine.

Combing it wet goes the exact same way. It isn't a rule set in stone. Do what works for your hair, and whatever you do, be gentle at it.

[Philomela]

I'm a wet-to-damp hair comber. I find it impossible to detangle hair when it's dry without inflicting damage, no matter how careful I am. In fact, I've noticed LESS damage since combing my hair wet-to-damp than I did when I used to comb when dry. I'm extremely careful when combing, though, and I use both a leave-in conditioner and oils. I use a wide comb, then a medium comb, and then a thin comb for each strand. The idea is to work with very thin strands at a time (no thicker than half an inch). I've also found that combing hair while it's wet-to-damp also minimizes tangles on subsequent non-wash days.

[frizzinator]

Fine hair breaks easily. When fingercombing, combing and brushing fine hair, to prevent breaks it helps to start at the hemline in order to remove little snags and tangles, then work up toward the scalp before making long strokes (scalp to hem). In this way breaks can be avoided by untangling with the fingers where they are located instead of dragging them down and creating broken hair.


When the hair is shorter, it's not easy to notice the damage caused by breaking. It's easy to ignore these little breaks. But if your hair is fine and if you want to grow long hair, you probably will not cut or trim it very often. At 25 inches long, it's depressing to start noticing a halo around your head, which indicates hair loss and broken hairs.


I don't use water, but the last few weeks before I stopped using water, I was practicing the WO (water only) method. I listened to the folks here at LHC who said not to comb while damp, and I was amazed. First of all, it is so difficult to stop combing, and even not to finger-comb when the hair is damp. Most of us combed damp hair all our lives, so it's not easy to unlearn this habit, but when I did leave my hair completely alone until it was dry, the snags and tangles came out easier than ever before when I finger-combed my dry hair.


If I had to leave the house with damp hair, I clipped it up on my head with a giant claw clip (even though it looked like a huge mass of tangles), then took it down whenever it was convenient to finish letting it dry.


I think brushing pulls hair out, so I'm not brushing much. I used to have frizzy hair, and all that I have learned on LHC is really helping prevent broken and pulled-out hair. I had a halo for over a decade, but now I can see nearly 3 inches of unbroken hair up near my roots.

[MemSahib]

I comb thoroughly right before a shampoo/condition and right after. When it is wet I carefully start with the very tips and gently work toward the scalp. Crazy, but I think my hair dries faster if combed after a shampoo. And it could be that my superstraight hair takes this combing better than another type might.

[psvzum]

I comb my hair when it's wet but I'm really, really careful. I use a very wide tooth comb, start at the bottom and gently work my way up.

[az_sweetie01]

I do comb when wet because if I don't, my fine, straight hair is a tangled up mess. Again, gently, from the tips to the roots. :) Also I don't find that I shed any more or less either way.

[paradoxx]

It just depends on your hair. If I allow tangles to dry in my hair, they are unremovable without scissors. :scared: Therefore, I detangle it while it is damp. You just have to find what works for you.

[Celebrian]

Someone told me a few months back that my long, slightly wavy hair shouldn't be combed whilst wet. I should (she said) gently fingercomb it a little, and then wait until dry before combing. This would (according to her) make the comb just 'glide through' the hair.

Well, my hair has been a nightmare following that routine - and reading this thread, I think I may as well return to my older routine of wet-combing. Waiting until it was dry just made it kind of fuzzy and shapeless anyway... :rolleyes:

[Riot Crrl]

If I didn't comb it when it was wet, I would just never comb it.

[Carolyn]

You don't have your hair stats in your profile so it's kind of hard to know and compare hair types. I comb with a wide tooth comb when wet and damp. If I start at the ends and work carefully upwards, I don't think I am damaging it. I can't imagine waiting until it's dry to comb out the tangles from washing. I have 1C hair and no problems with combing it out after I wash it. I rarely have to use a detangling product. I wouldn't worry about wet combing.

[flapjack]

My hair is lame and the top 1/4 or so is mostly fine hairs, while from the ears down to the nape of my neck is pretty coarse. So if I'm in a rush after bathing and I have to comb it wet (which is rare, I usually just let it air dry as is... it's not prone to tangling), I will comb the bottom really well with a comb when wet and then fingercomb the top hairs or leave them be.


As a general rule from what I have seen... coarse hair and some people with medium hair can comb when wet... while people with fine or extra fine hairs should not comb or brush at all when very wet. Fine hair almost always feels softer and silkier but you have to be gentler with it. This is not a hard and fast law, but it's definitely a reasonable generalization. Having both can be a hassle because you have to watch what you're doing on what part of your head. The bottom hairs are smooth and feel very rubbery when wet, but they're never as silky as the top hairs and they're very strong... while the top hairs are incredibly soft and shiny but when wet they feel kind of like carpet. Slightly annoying to have both kinds at once, but I'll adjust.

[Missie]

I comb out my wettish hair but very cautiously.. holding the length and then gently pulling through the ends

[mommy2one05]

I have to comb mine out when wet or it would be a tangled mess when dry. My hair is in the 1 category for the most part. I use a wide tooth comb and detangler or leave in conditioner. Now I was told to NEVER take a brush to your hair while wet.

[Sissilonghair]

I never brush my hair when is wet...I love my wide toothed comb and I can't do without it even when my hair is damp after I CO.:)

[Miuku]

I always brush my hair when wet. It looks totally horrible if I let it dry without brushing.

[Sana]

I comb my hair with a wide toothed comb after it's air dried for a few mins. Otherwise my hair would be a frizzy mess!

[missy60]

I have to comb my hair when its wet or I would never get a comb thru it without alot of breakage. I have tried the finger combing method but it doesnt work very well to get the tangles out of my hair. I comb my hair with conditioner in it and then just finger comb my gel thru after showering. That is usually all the combing my hair gets until the next wash.

[Cichelle]

I have to detangle (comb) my hair while wet. If I let it dry with tangles in it and then tried to comb them out dry, it would damage my hair. Yes, I learned the hard way over the years and repeated the mistake many times. Combing or brushing dry curly hair is...well, not really a good idea. At least not my curly hair. I will occasionally, very gently finger comb dry hair. But even that requires great caution.

[Ohio Sky]

Why not take your comb into the shower with you, and comb with the CO in your hair? Its would get rid of all the tangles and the conditioner would help protect against breakage.

[florenonite]

I finger-comb thoroughly after towel-drying my hair, and rarely use a regular comb or a brush. I used to use a regular comb, but found that I didn't like the way it left my hair, and it really wasn't necessary.

[Delila]

As others have said, without having your hair type in your profile, it's kind of hard to know how to advise you. :)

In recent months, I've been avoiding even finger combing until my hair is dry, and I like the results enough that I've kept it up.

As with so many things, I think this is just something to experiment with, to see if it works for your hairtype. If so, great, if not, just find something that does work, and stick with that.

IMO, the main 'must' for hair care is to find out what works for you, and suits your lifestyle. If that means wet combing, go for it!

[asantegold]

My hair is almost impossible to comb dry. When I do, I get a lot of breakage. Its better for me to comb my hair when its damp because I get less breakage this way. I think it depends on your curl pattern and hair texture.

[Shina]

I totally agree, I the only time I can detangle my hair is when its wet. I use a wide-tooth comb and work from bottom to top (which I learned here :D). You can't, well at least ~I can't~ detangle my curly hair when dry.

But there is one thing I'm worried about- I read somewhere that combing/brushing hair while wet weakens the hydrogen bonds in the hair. Is that true? That worries me since my hair is pretty weak. Anyone know? How could I strengthen my hair?

[sipnsun]

I always comb my hair when it's wet, I'm just very careful because it's fine and will break easily. If I don't comb it when just washed, it looks horrible when dry.

[heidi w.]

I used to NEVER comb my hair even damp, but now I do.

The real key is to not comb it sopping wet as this is when it's fully stretched and expanded and can't handle any more pulling in any way as it's at its limit.

Just work from the bottom up.
Don't aim to pristinely detangle. Do it in stages as the hair becomes drier and drier with the ambient air.
Use a comb.
Use kind of stabbing motions or rather like a pick-- go into the hair a trace, and slightly go down working from the bottom up in the smallest of sections from the bottom up.

Curlies can not possibly wait to detangle when dry. They end up with a frizz ball if they do! This hair type does better applying leave-ins, such as oil, when the hair is damp, too.


heidi w.

[30isthenewblack]

I think combing my hair with an actual comb when wet accounted for 80% of my breakage. I now finger comb just to seperate my curls and shed less than 10 hairs a day. I think it will be one of the major factors in growing my hair longer.

[Tangles]

If I don't comb my hair, I look like I've been shipwrecked, mugged, or just laid in bed for the entire week... LOL. I just use a cheap plastic comb with really wide teeth. Doesn't damage as far as I know.

[Chromis]

For my hair I *cannot* comb wet and even combing damp is risky. I never wash my hair right before I plan to go out, I wait until I've come home again (Besides, nothing nicer than a nice hot shower to wash the stresses of work clean away!). If absolutely need be, I will very gently comb just the scalp backso that it looks neat and then braid or put the rest up for the day to look presentable and then take it down to finish drying when I return. I comb my hair out before I shower and handle my hair very carefully when washing it so it does not have many tangles afterwards.

[Curlsgirl]

I have tried both and I think it's less damaging for me to comb with conditioner on it in the shower with a wide tooth shower comb. If I dry it straight, I can use a wide tooth comb to detangle while it's dry but not if I leave it curly or if I do when it's curly I have to be VERY gentle. It takes quite a while too. I cannot go from wash to wash without detangling because I get shed hairs caught in it and they tend to knot and cause breakage I have found. I only wash/wet once a week normally.

[Gumball]

I do comb and detangle while my hair is wet (with conditioner) in it and then afterward, like heidi w. mentioned, in stages as it dries. If I don't do this in addition to getting slightly frizzier my hair will dry and wrap around itself and get some tangles that I don't really like to deal with. Starting from the bottom up is pivotal and really I lose less hair combing wet than I do dry. I will do slight detangling while dry at the end of the day before I do my hair prior to sleeping. My hair responds well to that.

[Stagecoach]

I ALWAYS comb my hair when it's wet. Usually I sop up excess water with a towel, comb and put into a bun.

[LadyLongLocks]

FOREVER WET! The wetter the better. I put it in a towel for no longer than 5 minutes. I use a large comb and start from the top, make a center part and separate it down the back. I comb half at a time starting from the top and sort of "raking"it pulling the comb out of the hair dozens of times. I work my way down. It works best if I start at the top and work my way down. After my hair is all combed out I sometimes put it back in the towel. I only rinse the conditioner from the hair for 30 seconds and use luke warm or cool water. This leaves some conditioner in the hair for easier combing. Even better is a gallon of filtered tap water for rinsing-makes it easier to comb and very soft :)

[AnneAdeline]

I comb when it is still wet. I've tried waiting until dry to comb, but it ends up looking messy. Also, I swear it dries quicker if I comb it.
Like LadyLongLocks, I work my way down when I comb.

[Juanita]

I just finger comb when wet .I always comb before washing. My hair is fine and thin so dries fast.