I can't stop combing/brushing!

[DreamLife]

Ok I said it. This is the one habit that I have taken back up. I wear a bun or some type of protective style everyday and I already don't look too presentable with these styles. But then when I don't comb my hair the top looks semi-smooth if I wear a scarf at night, but underneath my hair is matted and tangled underneath. I can't stand it...so I comb/brush 10-20 strokes a day just to get the front of my hair to lay down. I'm six weeks post and I usually stretch for 12-16 weeks. Two weeks ago I started a thread saying I didn't have any new growth...well its here erplexed and in FULL EFFECT. Help! From reading other threads I've seen that people say that no combing/brushing has really helped them and therefore I think that its hindering my progress. I have been using a soft boar bristle brush and a wide tooth comb.

 

[wheezy807]

I see you said that you wear a scarf at night. I was going to ask have you tried the scarf method. When you moisturize at night (if @night), make a smooth ponytail, laying down your edges and tying a scarf around.

 

[aloof one]

I think the hardest thing you can do is give up combing/brushing when you don't have to. I would brush EVERYTIME I washed to detangle, EVERYTIME I straightened to detangle again, and EVERYTIME I styled. I also combed at least 3 times a day, if not more Now that I don't, I actually have ends worth holding on to, at least more so than what I had before (see siggy)

Its like giving up crack! You have to admit there is a problem and just accept that no matter how good it feels, or how good you think it looks after, you are WRONG! Lol at least thats what I told myself until I stopped. Tough love does work for hard-headed peolple like me though...

I have one of those paddle brushes with the beads on it, and I only use it maybe once every other week or so, and even then I change my mind and put it away most of the time. The main comb I use is my seamless shower comb (you know, with the little loop on the end) now, and if I need to really part or detangle on the small scale (only when straightening or right when Im detangling NG after washing) I use finer tooth seamless comb. If it gets messy during the day I only finger comb the ends and maybe just a little combing the top to get it back in place with the shower comb.

If you HAVE to come your hair on the top, etc. to get it back in order I suggest you add water or some kind of glycerin spray or water based moisturizer before you handle your hair, and use your fingers, because when I cut out brushing/excessive combing I realized my hair usually does what I want it to do when its wet, and starts actin up when it gets too dry, or covered in cones, etc. Especially if you're stretching/transitioning, the last thing you want to do is comb your hair after it gets dry or after you've put it up and finished styling it.

 

[Energee]

I rarely ever use a comb---unless I'm in the shower and detangling my hair. I do brush regularly but I have two or three great soft bristled boar brushes (one from Creative, one Mason Person and another from Earth Logics (something like that). I purchased the Creative and Earth Logics ones from salons. I never lose a hair with either of these brushes. They are so gentle on my hair.

I wear protective styles daily too--bun..updo...messy updo..etc...but I want to be presentable and have to be so I have to brush. I can't just finger comb and go. I've found that I do not need to comb at all though.

 

[imstush]

Combing was easy to give up for me because my hair is curly. Although when i wear it straight it's hard, but I either braid it at night or do bantu knots at night so that way I can let it out in the morning and it doesn't look tangled. For me brushing is near impossible to give up. I use a baby brush or boar bristle brush. Good luck.

 

[Soliel185]

I combed and brushed daily before I got my braids put in. I never combed through my new growth without dampening it though. Usually just through the length to get the tangles out, and a baby brush to smooth my edges. I have very coarse hair naturally, so I know my new growth would knot and tangle if I left it be. Id rather barely comb every day then end up with a crown full of dreads at the end of the week. Even with combing, my breakage and shedding was veeeery minimum. Less than 10 strands at a time. The trick is a good moisturizer, and very slow gentle combing. I think stiff brushes do more damage than anything else and that's why I don't use them anymore.

 

[DreamLife]

What's worse....combing or brushing? Because now that I've seen what you all do, I realize that I can stop combing and brush the top with a soft boar bristle.

 

[aloof one]

I combed and brushed daily before I got my braids put in. I never combed through my new growth without dampening it though. Usually just through the length to get the tangles out, and a baby brush to smooth my edges. I have very coarse hair naturally, so I know my new growth would knot and tangle if I left it be. Id rather barely comb every day then end up with a crown full of dreads at the end of the week. Even with combing, my breakage and shedding was veeeery minimum. Less than 10 strands at a time. The trick is a good moisturizer, and very slow gentle combing. I think stiff brushes do more damage than anything else and that's why I don't use them anymore.

i agree, none of my NG has broken (as far as I can see) b/c I only comb it when it is wet/damp

OT: you are so pretty! I love your hair!
are you natural now or transitioning or what?

 

[kbfluff]

I ONLY use my comb, which is actually like a rake on wash days. I use a 100% boar bristle round brush to blow dry...I rarely see any hair in the brush after my blow dry. Other than that...NO COMB OR BRUSH....
Right now, I'm in cornrows so it feels good to not have a comb in my bag.
I have to say, before i started actually trying to grow my hair out. i usto comb just for the sake of combing. Shoulder length hair was so long to me and I was proud of combing it all the time. Now that I am inching on APL and have been on LHCF I no longer think my soon to be APL hair is long, nor do i want to comb or brush my hair outside of wash days.
Actually, i don't even want to see my hair until BSL...but that's a whole other topic...

I say, stop combing AND brushing if u can. But if u must, use a 100% boar bristle brush.
Hey, i'm a poet and i didn't even know it!

 

[DreamLife]

I ONLY use my comb, which is actually like a rake on wash days. I use a 100% boar bristle round brush to blow dry...I rarely see any hair in the brush after my blow dry. Other than that...NO COMB OR BRUSH....
Right now, I'm in cornrows so it feels good to not have a comb in my bag.
I have to say, before i started actually trying to grow my hair out. i usto comb just for the sake of combing. Shoulder length hair was so long to me and I was proud of combing it all the time. Now that I am inching on APL and have been on LHCF I no longer think my soon to be APL hair is long, nor do i want to comb or brush my hair outside of wash days.
Actually, i don't even want to see my hair until BSL...but that's a whole other topic...

I say, stop combing AND brushing if u can. But if u must, use a 100% boar bristle brush.
Hey, i'm a poet and i didn't even know it!

That was me when I had between SL and APL in middle/high school. I thought my hair was swanging.....little did I know about the world of LHCF. I'm gon ween myself down from boar bristle to nothing.

 

[Kawaii1]

Try to just brush and comb when wet. Also when I comb my hair back a just kind of slid the tips over my hair, I don't actually comb my hair. It's just a way of laying the hair down without dragging it through my hair. Try to refrain, think about all the little hairs that are hurt while combing