Does brushing/combing wet hair cause split ends?

[cmw45]

Dear Dr. LHCF,

I am a natural who has worked very hard over the past year to take care of her hair. However, after having my hair pressed for the first time since I have been natural, I noticed that my ends need to be trimmed. While they have not been trimmed in a year (and need a good half inch taken off)...I was reading the post from several ladies hear on the forum (and on another hair board) talk about the GRAVE dangers of combing brusing wet hair.

I have committed myself to taking even better care of my hair this year (which means no more combing, only brushing ocassionally...I have a Denman brush). Does this also mean comitting to brushing dry hair?

Sincerly,

Wet Headed Denman

 

[FlawedBeauty]

bumping for replies

 

[Angelicus]

My personal experience: It broke all my hair off in the front.

 

[locabouthair]

i dont know if brushing wet hair causes split ends but i wouldnt reccommend brushing wet hair because your hair is in its most fragile state when wet. i read in a hair magazine that you should NEVER brush wet hair. as far as combing goes i would be very gentle but i dont think its damaging, a lot of women here prefer to comb wet hair than dry hair.

 

[Cichelle]

I don't comb my hair when it's dry because that is a recipe for disaster. I only comb my hair gently when wet and with conditioner in it. I only use a seamless comb. I occasionally gently brush my hair when wet too, but only after combing out the knots first and again, only in the shower when I am cowashing. Very rarely, I will brush my hair when it is dry but only after banding, when it is straighter and tangle-free. I've done that once or twice in the past two years.

My hair is free of split ends.

 

[Nice & Wavy]

I'm like Cichelle and have been using her technique for combing/brushing wet/dry hair.

 

[glamazon386]

Don't brush dry hair. Especially as a natural. It'll just lead to more breakage. I think it's okay to comb wet hair but not brush it. It depends on what kind of brush you're using. I use a brush on my wet hair when pulling it back and I haven't had any problems. I can't use the Denman though. Only comb/brush with conditioner in and under the stream of water if you can. You were probably just due for a trim since you said you hadn't had one in a whole year. Just because you wear your hair in it's curly state most of the time doesn't mean that ends don't get broken off from styling and detangling.

 

[bLackButtaFly]

Cosigning with NIce and Wavy and Cichelle. Since going natural I only comb when it's wet and coated with conditioner, and I use a very large toothed comb. I still shed, but I don't get the breakage , and I would if I combed it dry

 

[camellia]

I do the same as Cichelle and Nice and Wavy.

 

[imstush]

I am guilty for brushing when wet when I want a straight look. I usually brush my hair into wet wrap to get it straight. I also do tend to brush if my hair is soaking wet and I need to run out...I will brush into a ponytail or bun.

 

[cmw45]

Bumping for replies...I don't want to be killing my hair.

 

[whitneysimone]

from my experience brushing (especially frequent) = breakage

 

[cmw45]

from my experience brushing (especially frequent) = breakage

OT...I love your hair...I think I might go ahead and get myself a wig...seems like a great way to stay protected while looking cute.

 

[Cheleigh]

I detangle my hair with a denman when it's wet and full of conditioner. Every once in a while I'll put it into a ponytail after detangling when it's still wet.

Otherwise, I don't manipulate my hair until it's damp or dry. I have some splits, but I only trim my hair every six or seven months, so I expect them. Also, buttering my damp ends helps a lot.

 

[Poohbear]

So many things cause split ends...frequent brushing, combing, washing, styling, heat usage, accessories, the weather, and the list goes on! We can't really limit it to one factor.

Anyway, I comb wet and dry hair but not often. You just have to be gentle at all times when combing or brushing your hair. Treat it like silk or like a newborn baby.

I seldom brush my hair. Once, I tried a Goody Ouchless brush for a while, and even though it didn't cause splits, it was ripping the hair out of my head (pulling out hairs that didn't need to shed yet). So I stuck with combing with a Jilbere Shower comb or my fingers when my hair was wet.
When I comb dry hair, I make sure I gently comb it when it has been previously stretched out from braids or twists, never try to comb from it's shrunken state. I also hold the root of the the section of hair that I'm combing and proceed to comb from ends to root. I usually do this when I want to wear a big afro puff.

Hope that helps!

 

[lilanie]

brushes *cringe*

Brushes just conjur up images of people just yanking through (oh, it's not a memory - that's the only way I've seen people use a brush) tangles, hearing the hair tear and break. *shudder*

I use a medium width comb while wet/post shower and when I have enough hair for a bun; I'll use a fine toothed comb to slick my edges, but other than that - no manipulation.

I cant imagine a time when I will use a brush!

 

[Neith]

Combing/brushing dry hair isn't damage free either.

I doubt that brushing/combing wet causes SO much more damage than brushing/combing dry.

Any manipulation causes splits/damage. Exposure to the environment causes splits/damage. Everyone has splits and damage... the key is minimizing it. Detangling your hair wet is not going to cause extreme damage imo.

The thought of trying to get through my DENSE tightly compacted hair dry is laughable. Look at my hair... does it look like a comb is going through that dry?

It's your choice whether you brush or not. I like to brush. It really smooths my hair and gets sheds (that would otherwise cause tangles) out. I see good growth, minimal splits (I have found TWO since I BC'd 2 months ago), minimal hair in my comb and brush and I'm happy with that.

 

[topnotch1010]

I only comb my hair while damp/wet and I only occasionally brush the edges.

 

[vkb247]

I forgot it was multiple choice...

I think it matters what you use and the technique. If you use a comb it should be seamless because seams will definitely rip your hair and cause unnecessary wear and tear. You have to take extra times when handling your ends. You should detangle with downward strokes yet shouldn't pull on the hair when you are brushing and combing. I only brush with my denman on soaking wet or damp hair - with water or product.

Wet hair is weaker because it is swollen with water but you can prevent some of this swelling (and the damage it causes) by applying coconut -and probably olive or avocado - oils to your hair before wetting. I think manipulating curly hair while wet is best either way because you need some to help the comb/brush slide through your hair and to help your strands slide over each other. This is why detangling underneath a showerhead can work so well because the water pressure pushes the hair downward encouraging the hair to fall properly and gives it something to slide down preventing tangles and preserving the proper alignment of your cuticles that can be disrupted by rough handling leading exposing the hair shaft which leads to all shorts of damage.

http://store.goldenmartbeautysupply.com/rocr10haruco.html

 

[MrsSmitty77]

Wow another lessoned learned so it's comb when wet and brush when dry.?

 

[BostonMaria]

I would imagine it depends on the brush/comb you're using and how gentle you comb your hair. I detangle with a large tooth comb and then once its free of knots I glide the denman over my hair to get rid of any hairs my comb didn't grab. I lose less hair that way.

Oh and if I combed on dried curls I'd break the damn comb LOL Trust me I know! I've done it!

 

[Neith]

I would imagine it depends on the brush/comb you're using and how gentle you comb your hair. I detangle with a large tooth comb and then once its free of knots I glide the denman over my hair to get rid of any hairs my comb didn't grab. I lose less hair that way.

Oh and if I combed on dried curls I'd break the damn comb LOL Trust me I know! I've done it!

Me too!

One time my mama broke a comb in my hair and the tooth stuck her in the finger and made her bleed.

I still remember that to this day.

 

[♦K.O♦]

When wet, I first detangle with a comb, and then I detangle with a seamless brush. I occasionally brush the front of my hair with my boar's hair brush.

All in all, I have to say that brushing while wet has minimized my split ends because it rids me of all of my shed hair (hair that can cause nasty little knots on my ends).

 

[LushLox]

I rollerset twice weekly, and obviously use a comb - a wide tooth and a fine tooth comb. I don't seem to suffer from split ends at all and I have minimal hair in the comb once done. I never brush wet hair and I've stopped combing my hair when it's dry; this seems to work well for me.

 

[beans4reezy]

I would never brush wet hair. I can just hear my fine strands go snap, crackle, and POP!

 

[Fine 4s]

One thing I do know is that I don't subscribe to the notion of detangling (wet or dry) from the ends moving upward. I prefer from the roots down...

 

[Jazala]

One thing I do know is that I don't subscribe to the notion of detangling (wet or dry) from the ends moving upward. I prefer from the roots down...

It doesn't mean backcoming. Just start combing closer to the ends first then comb from middle down then when you start combing from the root down you wont have as many tangles. This allows you to untangle your ends first.

 

[Tiye]

Dear Dr. LHCF,

I am a natural who has worked very hard over the past year to take care of her hair. However, after having my hair pressed for the first time since I have been natural, I noticed that my ends need to be trimmed. While they have not been trimmed in a year (and need a good half inch taken off)...I was reading the post from several ladies hear on the forum (and on another hair board) talk about the GRAVE dangers of combing brusing wet hair.

I have committed myself to taking even better care of my hair this year (which means no more combing, only brushing ocassionally...I have a Denman brush). Does this also mean comitting to brushing dry hair?

Sincerly,

Wet Headed Denman

Well it's normal to need a trim at least once/year. I know some people are hanging on to every 1/4 inch but imo scraggly, uneven ends aren't really attractive so the tools that you use on your wet hair don't relate to the trimming issue.

I would never brush wet hair. I can just hear my fine strands go snap, crackle, and POP!

Ditto and I don't have fine strands. But she might mean a rubber toothed denman type of brush rather than a bristle brush.

One thing I do know is that I don't subscribe to the notion of detangling (wet or dry) from the ends moving upward. I prefer from the roots down...

Interesting. Some of us don't have a choice we can't get up near the roots until we clear a pathway so to speak first.

 

[NikkiGirl]

I do the same as nice and wavy. I am transitioning and I don't brush or comb my dry hair. It works in the shower with loads of conditioner and then I finish by combing it out under running water before I get out of the shower.

 

[divachyk]

I detangle in the shower with a shower comb to get my hair in a very manageable state. When I'm out of the shower, I brush with a toothbrush to slick my hair down. I find that toothbrush is very gentle and doesn't rip my hair out like a regular brush.