Boar Bristle vs Other Brushes

[Amiblue]

Which do you prefer and recommend for waist length, very thick curly hair? I am just getting into this after having too many stylists cut off all my length when I had only asked for a trim. So, I am really wanting to hit on all the right things. Plus, Hubby really wants my hair longer and he hates it every time some cuts to much off.

So, back to the original question, I am debating on getting a boar bristle paddle brush and what type. Is it worth it in your opinion and do you have suggestions. We are not made of money. ;-D

[Yozhik]

Since you are a curly, I'd probably recommend against a boar bristle brush.
From what I know about curlies, brushes in general don't seem to work that well because they break down the curl clumps and produce a lot of floof.

What I'd recommend is getting a good plastic wide-toothed comb that doesn't have any of those plastic seams on the edges that come from being made out of a mold (you can sand them off if necessary). Then, you can gently comb through your hair in the shower with a whole bunch of conditioner glopped on your head to detangle it. And let it airdry without touching it or otherwise messing with the curl pattern. :)

Welcome to the forum! :flowers:

I'm sure some curlies will drop by shortly and give you more specific advice. :)

[Amiblue]

Thanks and I am glad to have found you all! Everyone is wonderful and until I got on here, I believed it when I was told I had long hair. Not any more! Lol. I am still a shorty in comparison. :-)

[CavySong]

I have seen multiple recommendations to curleys for wide tooth horn combs. There are some to be found on eBay and Etsy and look among the reviews linked on the top of the page for tools. I purchased a detangler comb from a George Michael salon, but even it has sharper corners than I would like. Find one with a REALLY high polish and smooth, rounded teeth. They are not cheap but you will be glad you invested in one.

[heidi w.]

BBB brushes are not intended to detangle hair, and generally aren't grand for curly hair types. Brushes tend to pull apart the coiled ropes of hair which can create a poof or bushy effect that most curly hair types dislike.

As it concerns your trim problems, I recommend showing the amount to take off, wear a blouse with a kind of obvious line on it to give the hair trimmer a guideline, and state verbally that you want two inches, or a specific measurement trimmed, not a vague statement of wanting a trim.

I also recommend that you find a sympathetic and truly professional stylist. These are found to be more often among the "older" crowd, not the younger crowd who may have less experience and be more interested in asserting their ego through your hair. You need to interview a stylist and inquire if they are pro long hair. And then tip that person well, and stick with that individual. You'll fare better being specific about how much to take off, and reiterate it through showing how much to remove. And do explain that people have historically taken off too much.

Depending on how curly you are, it turns out that curly hair types really should trim dry, not wet. Because wet hair stretches, even curly hair, and you can't tell how much it appears is being removed versus how much IS removed. Curly hair can sometimes have an inch, say removed, and because it coils up so much more now that it's lighter in weight, it can look as though a whole lot more was removed.

Just FYI.


heidi w.

[Cainwen]

I'll just pop in here and say as a curly, I *do* use a BBB. But I'm not concerned with making my curls stay curls past washing day. I long ago figured out the only way to make my curls nice was to wash them, and I'm not willing to wash (and wait 4+ hours for it to dry) every day.

So, here's my two cents--a BBB can work well for a curly haired person, if you are willing to sacrifice your curls. The picture in my avatar is what my hair looks like after it's brushed with my BBB--wavy, soft and smooth. It will go poof if left to its own devices regardless if I brush it, but I wear it up all the time anyway, so I don't consider that an issue. You want to detangle with a wide tooth comb/fingers first, but I love my BBB and wouldn't give it up.

[Orangerthanred]

A comb. Brushes don't go good with most curls, especially those boar bristle ones. Trust me.

[Amiblue]

I am trying to move the natural oils throughout my hair as my scalp and a few inches will become oily while the rest of my hair is a frizzy, dry straw bed. I use dove intensive therapy and now coconut milk (used twice) which is making a difference, but what else can I do? I have lost a great deal of thickness (about 3/4) and length - evidently from being fragile due to some split ends (stylist said she cut about 3 inches off last week). First cut in 15 months.

I thought a boars bristle would be better, but if not, HELP! :confused: Thanks for your experience so far!

Also on a side note, why does this site keep logging me out even as I type and why won't it let me access anything other than to post? I am very new to here and am not sure what is going on.

[Kyla]

I am trying to move the natural oils throughout my hair as my scalp and a few inches will become oily while the rest of my hair is a frizzy, dry straw bed. I use dove intensive therapy and now coconut milk (used twice) which is making a difference, but what else can I do? I have lost a great deal of thickness (about 3/4) and length - evidently from being fragile due to some split ends (stylist said she cut about 3 inches off last week). First cut in 15 months.

I thought a boars bristle would be better, but if not, HELP! :confused: Thanks for your experience so far!

Also on a side note, why does this site keep logging me out even as I type and why won't it let me access anything other than to post? I am very new to here and am not sure what is going on.

"6. Restricted boards
Members with 100 posts, 60 days of membership, and moderator approval may view the restricted-access boards at TLHC. The private content posted on the restricted boards is not to be posted on the public boards." That's from the community guidlines page. Also, once you reach 25 posts, you will be able to see people's profiles and photos, and it will stop logging you out so much I believe.

First of all, :grouphug: I understand that it's frustrating.
Secondly, I'm not sure how you would lost thickness due to split ends, unless they were up the length. If that's so, what you can do to curb them is a method we here call S&D, AKA "Search and Destroy." You look for and cut off individual split ends with a sharp pair of scissors. At first this sounds intense and very time consuming, but if you do it only a little bit a day in your free time, it does work! I highly recommend it. On that, even if you only have splits in your hemline, I still recommend it, as well as microtrimming. You can read more about all of this is the "articles" section, which I believe you can view. Link! http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php
There are also a ton of other articles I suggest you read, it's very informative.

[katsrevenge]

I use either a hair pick or a wide toothed comb to actually detangle my hair.

I use a boar bristle brush to help condition my hair.. so I only do that when my hair is a bit dirty or oiled. As I have a heck of a lot of hair I section it all up, detangle with my comb bottom to top and then use the boar brush top to bottom. I then repeat all over my head. Sometimes I flip my head and do it underparts first.

It does make a huge difference in how my hair feels. It's softer, more 'conditioned feeling' and the roots are not oily afterwards. It also pulls a lot of the curl into wave and poofs it. Like Cainwen, I'm not interested in wearing my hair curly so this doesn't bother me. (too long to dry and them they are unpredictable) I just braid or bun and go on with my life.

[jeanniet]

We could help more if we knew what your routine was--how often you wash your scalp/length, what products you use, etc. If you wash your length often, you may want to change how you wash to protect your length.

I'm another curly who uses a brush. I detangle with a Tangle Teezer and use a BBB several times a week. I also use a very wide-toothed comb sometimes, but my hair is a mix of fine and coarse and the fine hairs tend to tangle around everything, so combing dry is difficult. The TT works better. I lose curl, but that's OK with me.

[Roscata]

My advice for you is that if you're a curly RUN from brushes, run fast, run far. lol Why? This: Curlies: brush your hair! (fun picture thread) (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=7003)

I'd recommend the free option first which is finger combing. It is as it sounds, you use your fingers to detangle your hair.

Second option is cheap buy a wide tooth plastic comb from the dollar/99 cent store or wherever you can find a cheap comb then file down the seams to make it hair friendly.

The third option is a bit pricey (10 dollars or more) buy a seamless, wide tooth bone comb.

Always start at the bottom and work your way up a few inches at a time. Use your hands to gently pull apart knots.

Good luck! :D

[CavySong]

Also on a side note, why does this site keep logging me out even as I type and why won't it let me access anything other than to post? I am very new to here and am not sure what is going on.

I was able to solve the involuntary logging off without being over 100 posts by checking the "remember me" box in the sign in window.

[ya-ya C]

I'll just pop in here and say as a curly, I *do* use a BBB. But I'm not concerned with making my curls stay curls past washing day. I long ago figured out the only way to make my curls nice was to wash them, and I'm not willing to wash (and wait 4+ hours for it to dry) every day.

So, here's my two cents--a BBB can work well for a curly haired person, if you are willing to sacrifice your curls. The picture in my avatar is what my hair looks like after it's brushed with my BBB--wavy, soft and smooth. It will go poof if left to its own devices regardless if I brush it, but I wear it up all the time anyway, so I don't consider that an issue. You want to detangle with a wide tooth comb/fingers first, but I love my BBB and wouldn't give it up.


I second that opinion.
I'm a curly-head myself, but the curls are best on the wash day. Then I BBB on the non-wash days before bed so by morning the poof is gone but I do feel the help of BBB in conditioning hair, spreading the oils along the shaft, making hair shiny, smooth.

[Amiblue]

In the winter time, I usually wash my hair about once a week, sometimes a little over a week. Usually about the time it starts to feel yucky or bother my head. I have tried just rinsing to extend washing's, but that doesn't work apparently with our water. The rest of the time I wash ever 2-3 days. We live in Florida so I get what my Husband refers to as "sweaty hair" and he hates that. Loves my hair, NOT that smell. Unfortunately, all I have to do is walk outside just about and I have it. So, I try to wash more often then.

Shampoos and conditioner brands are constantly being switched out. Right know I have Suave Intensive Shampoo, Dove Intensive Repair Conditioner, Simply Conditioner and Coconut Milk that I use. Normally wash my hair, condition it in the shower and let sit for a while, rinse. When I get out, I towel dry, put in more Dove conditioner and let air dry more occasionally combing through. While still a little wet, I will apply some Coconut milk and comb through with a huge mane comb. After my hair is dry and usually the next night, I will apply more coconut milk mixed with a little water to spread easier and then gently brush and rub with my fingers the oil in for a fair bit of time. The oil is helping and leaving in the conditioner helps some with dryness.

Here is a picture. It is right after I got my hair done and she spent an HOUR just blowing it straight and putting all kinds of stuff in. She said she cut about 3 inches off and made long layers you can see.

[Amiblue]

Okay, don't know why it didn't load. Try again:

http://i1094.photobucket.com/albums/i448/amiblue26/SAM_0441.jpg

<a href="http://s1094.photobucket.com/albums/i448/amiblue26/?action=view&amp;current=SAM_0441.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1094.photobucket.com/albums/i448/amiblue26/SAM_0441.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

[Amiblue]

Okay... I guess you have to follow the link. Sorry all. :(