Combing through thick 4a hair

[bermudabeauty]

Hey ladies as you know I am newly natural and as my hair is getting longer it is definately more hair to comb. When my hair was super short I just combed my curls with my generic denman brush or a rat tail comb. But now that it is about 2 inches longer..My hair just laughs at my attempts to comb through with those tools. Now I am finger combing through my hair while wet with condioner. But I want to thoroughly detangle.

So I ask... how do you comb through the thick curls? I am interested in any feedback you may provide thanks.

 

[bermudabeauty]

bumping for responses

 

[tocktick]

I also have thick 4a hair.

* The first thing I do is coat my hair with either conditioner or a mix of olive oil and castor oil before combing.

* I section my hair off into about 10 sections with hair bands.

* I comb by starting with the ends first and working the knots out of my hair all the way to the root.

* Once I'm done with one section, I will usually twist it (it doesn't have to be neat) up so that I know I've finished combing it.

As my hair gets longer, I use the comb to detangle less and less. I mainly finger comb my hair in the shower. When my hair is loose I use a comb to detangle probably about once every 10-14 days. I do not manipulate my hair much, so don't feel the need for very regular combing. I always use a wide-tooth comb and no longer use the denman. I didn't feel like it was working that well and it made my hair fuzzier.

Although I've cut my hair back between SL & APL, when I was APL I found that if I was going to keep my hair loose I needed to put it into 3-4 braids at night to avoid tangling and matting. Imo, combing too regularly can hinder length retention.

 

[Makenzie]

My hair is in between sl and apl with almost a year's worth of new growth. Detangling/combing has always been something I did in the show under running water with conditioner in my hair. Adding oil to the conditioner, while in the shower under running water makes it even easier to comb and detangle. I think it's called an oil rinse. I use evoo because I like the consistency. Jojoba was too thin and JBCO was too thick.

ETA: When finished in the shower my hair is real manageable to to manipulate for styling. I have 4a hair.

 

[kooskoos]

One of my bestest friends has very think 4b hair, and she stopped combing her hair because it was so difficult But I've encouraged her to go through her hair slowly when it's wet and full of slippery conditioner with a wide-tooth comb and then braid those sections afterwards. Then for additional detangling, go through each section with a denman and braid it up. I don't think I would recommend a fine-tooth comb ever, not even on wet hair, no matter the hair type. Those teeth are oh so small!

 

[Ronnieaj]

Saturday is my twist day. I finger-detangle on heavily conditioned hair, then while I'm in the shower I use a wide-toothed comb to detangle again. I put on deep conditioner and let it process for 15 minutes, remove shower cap, section hair and use Mason seamless detangling comb to detangle again, rinse hair, then use small-toothed comb to smooth out each section before twisting. I know that sounds utterly insane, but I get very little breakage or knotting this way, and it doesn't actually take me that long since I'm so used to it.

 

[bludaydreamr]

If my hair is loose, I comb in the shower full of conditioner in sections. I have also noticed that if I sleep with Lekair on over night my hair is like butter to detangle with out getting in the shower. If I'm in twist after I wash and condition; I take them down one by one detangle and retwist.

 

[bermudabeauty]

I also have thick 4a hair.

* The first thing I do is coat my hair with either conditioner or a mix of olive oil and castor oil before combing.

* I section my hair off into about 10 sections with hair bands.

* I comb by starting with the ends first and working the knots out of my hair all the way to the root.

* Once I'm done with one section, I will usually twist it (it doesn't have to be neat) up so that I know I've finished combing it.

As my hair gets longer, I use the comb to detangle less and less. I mainly finger comb my hair in the shower. When my hair is loose I use a comb to detangle probably about once every 10-14 days. I do not manipulate my hair much, so don't feel the need for very regular combing. I always use a wide-tooth comb and no longer use the denman. I didn't feel like it was working that well and it made my hair fuzzier.

Although I've cut my hair back between SL & APL, when I was APL I found that if I was going to keep my hair loose I needed to put it into 3-4 braids at night to avoid tangling and matting. Imo, combing too regularly can hinder length retention.

that is excellent advice. I am just going to have to put more time in my hair by sectioning it off when I detangle and just stick to the finger combing for less manipulation. I totaly forgot about that. Thanks

 

[Nonie]

You sound like your hair is about as long as my hair was in these pics.

The secret was to plait my hair every night and baggy. I didn't use any other moisturizing/leave-in/styling product but S Curl spray. It gave me slip that made it easy to comb a small section and plait it. I then went to bed in a plastic cap. In the AM, I'd take the cap off, undo the plaits and comb and I'd have the fluffiest hair ever. These pics do not do it justice.

Plaiting my hair every night is a habit of a life time that was started by my mom when I was knee-high had hair just long enough to be put into plaits. It has never failed me. I get a lot of shrinkage and I would not be able to run a comb through my compact mass if I didn't plait it every night. Besides helping with making combing easy, it also keeps tangles at bay.

ETA, my comb of choice was a pick (the plastic fist with metal teef). Gives the best afro puffs ever.

 

[SherylsTresses]

Looks like we are having the same problem. Only difference is I'm relaxed and trying to stretch relaxers...

 

[MonPetite]

I'm 3c with some 4a patches. To keep those patches happy I always comb from ends to roots and ALWAYS when my hair is saturated with conditioner, using a wide toothed comb only or Goody's Jojoba Shine Brush.

My hair is thick in strand and density and this serves my looser 3c curls and tight 4a coils well.

The type of comb you use and whether or not your conditioner gives enough slip (and if you use enough of it) are the factor that effect whether it takes five minutes or fifty. As I detangle daily at 2-3"+ I make an effort to do it as efficiently and gently is possible. These techniques make daily detangling easy and gentle for me. This way I don't hurt my progress.

 

[Ganjababy]

I start off with the widest tooth comb - which is a denman comb that has extra wide teeth, I then use the jilbere shower comb and then a seamless smaller tooth comb then a denman brush if needed.

 

[BrownEyez22]

On wash days comb thru my hair under water with loads of conditioner in it. I use either a conair shower comb or jibere(sp?) brand. I recently started using by Denman brush after the shower comb (just trying something different).

In between wash days, I apply alot of moisturizer rub that in (breaking up the tangles) and then rub/finger comb thru it first. Followed by using the shower comb very slowly.

Everything is done in sections.

edited: I added a pic of me starting the process to organize, detangle and moisturize b4 bed on dry stretched hair.

 

[lexiwiththecurls]

I have3c/4a hair and I have the hardest time detangling to the point where I may only FULLY detangle once every two weeks (i know-that is bad)
When I fully detangle, I section my thick hair into 6 sections. I put globs of conditioner (cheap conditioner so I can use alot) in it to create slip. I usually finger comb it while im in the shower. When I get out- while its still dripping wet, I use a paddle brush to get those really detangled areas. It takes less time than using a shower comb or other. After I do each section, I put it in a braid or twist. It I do a braid/twist out after I fully detangle, it actually makes my next wash much easier to detangle...whereas if I do wash n gos---Its going to be super tangled again.

Also, try a steamer. Everytime I go to salons and they use a steamer, my hair is much easier to detangle. Im about to invest in my own because I need easily detangling at home since I don't go to salons much.

 

[SEMO]

I've found that pre-wetting my hair, adding a generous amount of conditioner, then detangling under the spray from the shower really helps. The water flowing through my hair really helps to loosen tangles. Usually I use my Jilbere shower comb, and occasionally follow it up with my Denman brush.

 

[Soliel185]

Since I BC'd I had a horrible flashback of me screaming/crying while running through the house wild eyed and my mother chasing behind with a giant comb.

I put my hair into 4 sections, and clip with a claw clip before I get into the shower. Once in. I run the water over my head, then go section by section adding conditioner. Once ea. section is saturated and re-clipped I go about my business and give it time to work.

After a few minutes, I it down section by section, and start pulling the clumps about gently, before finger combing. Then I comb with my shower comb, rinse and re-clip. Once I'm out of the shower, I won't be using a comb or brush again. If I want to detangle more thoroughly I'll finger comb, shower comb, detangling comb, and then denman, all while in the shower. If the slip starts to go. I add more conditioner until I am finished.