Fingercombing

**mallorykay13** · August 28th, 2011, 09:01 PM

I am thinking about switching to solely fingercombing. ANyone have any ideas, thoughts or opinions to share?

**Cassie 123** · August 28th, 2011, 09:22 PM

I stick to fingercombing for the first day or two after a wash (to prevent poof), but I love to use my horn comb after that, and I consider my resin comb a must when I am applying conditioner. Can I ask why you want to fingercomb only?

**squiggyflop** · August 28th, 2011, 09:30 PM

at apl you might be able to (assuming you dont have tangly hair).. but be warned, your hair may get greasy faster than usual because of the oils on your hands..

i cannot finger comb, my hair is very tangle prone and it takes well over 3 hours to finger comb it.. i use a tangle teezer..

**luxepiggy** · August 28th, 2011, 09:42 PM

I've been fingers-only for almost a decade, and I love it! For me, the key is thorough detangling in the shower while I've got the conditioner in. On non-wash days, I fingercomb in the morning after getting dressed. Other than that, I don't have to do any dedicated detangling, although I do tend to idly run my fingers through my hair and gently detangle when bored. For example, if I have to stand in a queue, my hair will be 100%tangle-free by the time I reach the front (^(oo)^)v

Fingercombing has really reduced the amount of breakage I experience. I used to have quite a bit of taper towards my ends, but now that I've been fingercombing long enough for all the breakage to grow out, my hemline is much fuller than before.

**Honestwitness** · August 28th, 2011, 10:03 PM

I must not know how to finger comb, because it always seems my hair is much more tangly when I put my fingers in it than if I use a wide-tooth comb. Can you please describe how it should be done?

**mallorykay13** · August 28th, 2011, 10:07 PM

Generally, when I finger comb, I run my fingers from my scalp toward the ends, then once I hit a snag, I stop right there and gently pull out the knot and move on.

**BlazingHeart** · August 29th, 2011, 12:24 AM

Fingercombing and I don't get along. I have more strands pulled out when I attempt fingercombing than when I just use my wooden pin brush. To each their own, eh?

~Blaze

**pepperminttea** · August 29th, 2011, 04:45 AM

My fingers are my main detanglers.

Once they've done all the real work, I just use a wooden-tined brush (dry hair) or a wooden comb (damp hair) to smooth things over. It's been a huge factor in reducing damage for me. I'm never sure if I'm doing it correctly, but this is what works for me:

I wash and dry my hands. Start at the bottom few inches, just as you would with a comb or brush. Wiggle your fingers in, and gently move them towards the ends. When you reach a tangle and can't move your fingers, stop and gently tug it apart. You might need to lift it away from the main amount of hair to see. Follow it to the ends to make sure it's completely untangled. When you stop, you might have found several tangles rather than just the one - work through them one after the other. Patience and gentleness are the key. Keep going in the same manner, starting higher up each time, until you're eventually wiggling your fingers next to the scalp to start. When you've finished, if your hair is heavily oiled, you might need to wash your hands again afterwards.

It does take longer than just tearing through with a brush, but for me it's been worth it. With hip+ length, thick-end-of-average hair, it takes me about fifteen minutes to detangle, that's including the brush afterwards. In the mornings I do it in front of a mirror, but in the evenings it's very relaxing to sit down and do it in front of the TV. I have a lot less splits, and my hemline's still thick after not trimming for 11 months. I used to find a lot of splits through the length and ends; now there's just a few in the ends themselves.

I really would give finger-combing a try for two weeks. After that you'll know if it's for you.