I put a little bit of oil on my comb to help them slide in and out w/o damage. I never see any of my hair in the ponytail comb. I stopped using the one in the back. Making sure that your ponytail isn't very tight also lets the comb slide in and out easier, reducing the chances for potential damage. If you want to avoid using the comb, you could use some hair pins but I tend to find those far more painful than the comb.