Lets Settle this!

[shtow]

A lot of ladies on here rave about low mani. How many of u comb daily and have no problem retaining length? Its working good for me; however, my hair gets a lil tangled and when I moisturize I still notice some (but far less) broken and shed hairs. Is it really worth it, or do u feel u think the amount of hair loss is evened out: the same amount lost for not combing for a week as once/twice a day. Plus, when I don't comb everyday, my hair doesn't look as good when I'm going for the straight look. I see a lot of women with beautiful long hair who comb daily. So im on the fence, im just following it cuz it's "right".

 

[MissMusic]

I wear my hair in a flexi-8 french bun all day and a bun (elastic) to sleep, so combing really isn't necessary for me. I only moisturize my ends daily and my whole head only on wash day. I find that my hair loves this! I retain so much length this way.

 

[caribeandiva]

i usually comb everyday. the only time i don't comb my hair is if i'm staying home all day.

 

[aloof one]

I tried it, and decided it is not for me. Combs only thin your hair if you are steady tearing your hair out with them. Some peoples hair really thrives without combs, but that doesn't mean we should all throw ours down.

When I straighten my hair, the only thing afterwards that I do until the next wash (and this is for a week) is rub coconut oil on my scalp and hair every night before cross wrapping and putting a scarf over it. Then every morning I comb it with my Jibere shower comb, add a few drops of coconut oil and go. If I didn't have that comb... my shed hairs would be matting and tangling with the rest of my hair and my ends would tangle and catch and break or split.
Basically when I follow this regimen and use my comb, the only thing that comes out is shed hairs, no breakage, nothing.

Now when I go without a comb for long periods of time my shed hairs do get tangled, my ends wrap around eachother, my hair starts breaking from not being touched everyday... and I wind up with matted, mushy hair the next time I wash. Even if I don't straighten my hair it is particularly important for me to at least use my Jibere comb on my ends once or twice a day to keep them in check and from tangling. Low manipulation and not combing is cool if you're a 2 or 3 or something... but if you have 4a coils and 4b kinks and you're trying to keep your hair, it is probably not a good idea to just leave it alone everyday without detangling. Maybe not use a fine tooth comb, but something... and my jibere comb and coconut oil (for extra slip) is that something... IMHO

 

[shtow]

I tried it, and decided it is not for me. Combs only thin your hair if you are steady tearing your hair out with them. Some peoples hair really thrives without combs, but that doesn't mean we should all throw ours down.

When I straighten my hair, the only thing afterwards that I do until the next wash (and this is for a week) is rub coconut oil on my scalp and hair every night before cross wrapping and putting a scarf over it. Then every morning I comb it with my Jibere shower comb, add a few drops of coconut oil and go. If I didn't have that comb... my shed hairs would be matting and tangling with the rest of my hair and my ends would tangle and catch and break or split.
Basically when I follow this regimen and use my comb, the only thing that comes out is shed hairs, no breakage, nothing.

Now when I go without a comb for long periods of time my shed hairs do get tangled, my ends wrap around eachother, my hair starts breaking from not being touched everyday... and I wind up with matted, mushy hair the next time I wash. Even if I don't straighten my hair it is particularly important for me to at least use my Jibere comb on my ends once or twice a day to keep them in check and from tangling. Low manipulation and not combing is cool if you're a 2 or 3 or something... but if you have 4a coils and 4b kinks and you're trying to keep your hair, it is probably not a good idea to just leave it alone everyday without detangling. Maybe not use a fine tooth comb, but something... and my jibere comb and coconut oil (for extra slip) is that something... IMHO

I have heard good things about coconut oil but i was turned off when I heard it hardens in the cold weather.

 

[nappity]

I had to learn from my hairdresser that I didn't need to comb every day and that a regular comb was damaging to maintaining the thickness of my natural. It took a while unlearn combing daily- but when I saw it was helping instead of hurting- I eventually stopped. The only combs I possess now is a rattail comb and I use the rat tail part only to part my hair if I want my twists to be symmetrical or to make cornrows. And a wide tooth seamless shower comb for combing out my hair once a month - soaking wet with conditioner in the shower. Now when I was relaxed- I combed every time a hair was out of place.

 

[Cichelle]

For the most part of two years I cowashed and detangled my hair daily and it grew from shoulder to waist length. However, I didn't and still don't comb or brush my hair when it's dry. I only detangle in the shower with conditioner in my hair. Sometimes I will finger comb dry hair, but only when it is well oiled. I don't use a comb or brush for styling purposes.

I used to be all about low manipulation before I transitioned and did the big chop. My hair would mat up like crazy and there was no easy way to get the huge knots and tangles out. No matter how gentle I was or how slowly I went, it would equal damage and all that was possibly saved from not combing (plus some) was gone by the time I was done. I have a serious suspicion that this kind of hair care was ONE of the reasons I didn't retain length back then. My hair seemed to stay the same length for years.

For scheduling reasons, I'm trying to stick to a twice a week wash/detangle schedule. I can tell you that my hair doesn't like it as much. But I am adjusting. When I comb daily with conditioner in my hair, I don't encounter many tangles. The comb basically glides through and it takes a very short amount of time. Now, with twice a week, it is a bigger deal. So, I'm just not sure about it. The issue is removing shed hair, which is what causes the major problems for me. If I regularly remove the shed hair by detangling with a comb, I have a lot less problems and don't see breakage.

 

[aloof one]

I have heard good things about coconut oil but i wasa turned off when I heard it harden in the cold weather.

It doesn't harden on your hair. All you have to do is scoop some out, let it soften for a second on your hand, rub it in and there you go, its melted. As far as keeping it from getting hard, you could keep it in a place that would be warm most of or all the time. In my dorm, I kept it under my sink-- after I brewed my tea in the morning I would do my hair and it would be melted from the heat.. If you want you can microwave it for a few seconds.

I have never had something that kept my hair soft and straight and shiny for so long after I straightened it. I don't have to wash until I want to, usually my hair would start breaking (thats how I would know) and splitting after 3 days or 2 days and I would have to wash and start over. Coconut oil sealed my ends, sealed in moisture, made the itchies on my scalp go away, and kept my edges soft everyday. No breakage at all! I haven't touched a water or oil based moisturizer at all- and I had thought I needed that crap! The only thing on my hair for an entire week was coconut oil. Its been amazing! You should try it if you're still interested!

 

[KAT25]

I always comb my hair, I recently stop brushing my hair but when I tried the no combing thing I thought I was going to pass out from the tangled mess that I had and I thought that it was not for me. I just perfer to comb my hair. When I find my brush I will be brushing to.

 

[aloof one]

I had to learn from my hairdresser that I didn't need to comb every day and that a regular comb was damaging to maintaining the thickness of my natural. It took a while unlearn combing daily- but when I saw it was helping instead of hurting- I eventually stopped. The only combs I possess now is a rattail comb and I use the rat tail part only to part my hair if I want my twists to be symmetrical or to make cornrows. And a wide tooth seamless shower comb for combing out my hair once a month - soaking wet with conditioner in the shower. Now when I was relaxed- I combed every time a hair was out of place.

I think when I'm all natural next year I'll cut back on combing, but since I'm still somewhat relaxed I agree that it doesn't hurt to comb everyday when my hair is straight. When its not straight I should mention that I do wet it with water or some kind of moisturizer before I detangle it everyday.

 

[AtlantaJJ]

I tried it, and decided it is not for me. Combs only thin your hair if you are steady tearing your hair out with them. Some peoples hair really thrives without combs, but that doesn't mean we should all throw ours down.

When I straighten my hair, the only thing afterwards that I do until the next wash (and this is for a week) is rub coconut oil on my scalp and hair every night before cross wrapping and putting a scarf over it. Then every morning I comb it with my Jibere shower comb, add a few drops of coconut oil and go. If I didn't have that comb... my shed hairs would be matting and tangling with the rest of my hair and my ends would tangle and catch and break or split.
Basically when I follow this regimen and use my comb, the only thing that comes out is shed hairs, no breakage, nothing.

Now when I go without a comb for long periods of time my shed hairs do get tangled, my ends wrap around eachother, my hair starts breaking from not being touched everyday... and I wind up with matted, mushy hair the next time I wash. Even if I don't straighten my hair it is particularly important for me to at least use my Jibere comb on my ends once or twice a day to keep them in check and from tangling. Low manipulation and not combing is cool if you're a 2 or 3 or something... but if you have 4a coils and 4b kinks and you're trying to keep your hair, it is probably not a good idea to just leave it alone everyday without detangling. Maybe not use a fine tooth comb, but something... and my jibere comb and coconut oil (for extra slip) is that something... IMHO

This makes perfect sense to me.

 

[PinkPeony]

I only comb my hair on washday when it's soaked in Condi.
Since I airdry my hair and wear it in a bun 90% of the time I don't need to worry about combing my hair either way.

 

[gymfreak336]

I can not NOT comb.

I have fine hair but I have alot of it. I am a 4b with a extremly tight compact hair texture. If I don't comb, the tangles and knots I develop rip my hair out since each strand isn't thick enough to let me detangle without breakage.

Also, since my hair grows in very tightly, if I don't comb, my newgrowth curls into my scalp, causing little scalp sores. Kinda like an ingrown hair. It is extremely painful. This is also another reason why I can't stretch forever and a day.

I use a showercomb to comb my hair. Up until I am 3 weeks post, I can use my fingers half of the time.

 

[Dposh167]

I comb EVERYDAY. i comb in the morning and before i go to bed.

I don't believe that my combing is gonna affect my length retention. I've been on track with the health of my hair as well as the moisture/protein balance. when this is all up to 'par', I HARDLY see any broken strands (unless it's shed hair).

my shower comb is my main comb too. i use it 2 weeks post all the way up to 12.

BUT there are those times (just to be on the safe side), that i will oil my comb and then comb my hair. this makes a difference sometimes as far as the dry strands snagging on the shower comb

 

[SimpleKomplexity]

I don't think my ends like it when I try low mani styles. When I don't comb it, the ends look frazzled and I have a LOT of breakage. I wear my hair in a rollerst though and just keep it wrap or comb it out and I still have breakage, but not much since I have started using moisturizer. I'm a newbie..sooo I'm on the fence too

 

[sunshinebeautiful]

I have heard good things about coconut oil but i was turned off when I heard it hardens in the cold weather.

Yeah it does harden in cold weather and I actually like it. If the temp drops really low the coconut oil hardens, but once you step back into the heat it softens right back up.

Back to the topic, I try not to comb my hair as much as possible. When I flat iron I don't have a problem with it, but if I rollerset and then try to comb, I can feel the hairs catching onto each other. So I mainly only comb to detangle post wash and then try to finger fluff my curls in between washes.

 

[DreadlockedLady0171]

When I was a relaxed head, waaayyy back when, I combed all the time.
With my 4a/b natural hair, I don't comb as much, I went 7 days without combing and that was a bit too long for me .
I co-wash or water rinse my hair every day and I find that detangling my hair in the shower every 2-3 days works for me . Just finger-combing my hair helps me maintain the curliness. Now, as my hair gets longer, that may change .
Lo-mani does not work for everyone. Some people have had much success with it, for others it will not work.

 

[KiniKakes]

I dont comb often, maybe 2-3 times a week (when i wear it out). The rest of the days i wear a bun.

My hair is not only very fine, but extremely soft, thin, and fragile. When i comb it, i find that it breaks from the comb.... no matter how gently i comb, no matter if i have adequate protein/moisture, etc, i will get a few broken hairs during one combing. Its just how my hair the nature of my hair. So ive found in the last few years that not combing as often has allowed me to retain more.

I comb when its wet and saturated with conditioner.... so for the most part, all thats coming out on wash day is an accumulation of shed hairs. But the hairs are long and not the short, broken ones that would result from daily combing.

I know this reggie isnt for everyone though. I think its really about learning your hair and what your hair needs.

 

[mzcris]

I comb my hair everyday...and I still obtain growth. Also I am not losing a lot of hair at all. I only brush my hair when I am wrapping it for bed...oh and I only comb my hair once a day and that is in the mornings when I wake up...

 

[tenjoy]

i dont comb my hair...only after i wash it and comb it out with conditioner using a wide tooth shampoo comb. I dont bush at all.

If I need to wrap my hair, which is very seldomly, since I dont wear my hair out a lot..I use the shampoo combe to wrap it, no brush

Lo mani is the single most reason i have retained length.

 

[tenjoy]

I only comb my hair on washday when it's soaked in Condi.
Since I airdry my hair and wear it in a bun 90% of the time I don't need to worry about combing my hair either way.

This is me alll the way

 

[HoneyA]

It's only very recently that I started low manipulation. I stopped brushing about a year ago and stopped combing often about three months ago when I signed up for Sareca's low manipulation challenge. I adopted a simple regimen patterned on regimens of ladies with my hair type who are BSL+ and practise low manipulation (whether not combing for two days or three weeks). That type of regimen (combing and detangling every 2 weeks) is working for me. In three months my hair did get noticeably thicker and stronger. I get no breakage, no tangles, no matting and this is with washing 2x a week. I only have to deal with shed hair when detangling. But like everything else, at the end of the day, you have to find a regimen to suit you and your hair. If you have tried the technique and are satisfied that you have given it your best shot and a fair chance but that it is causing you stress, giving you tangles, matting, breakage or whatever and causing you to lose more hair that you retain, don't do it. You are always gonna find ladies like me who rave about it and others who think it sucks. Find what works for you.

 

[BrownSkin2]

I adopted a low mani about 4 months ago. I only comb on wash day with my hair full of conditioner, which is about once every 1 or 2 weeks, and my hair is noticably thicker. The lo mani and no combing is working for me. At the end of the day, it's what works for an individual.

 

[Braided~Beauty]

I would never dream of leaving my natural hair more than 2-3 days without combing it. I would have a nightmare on my hands. When I wear it straight I can go all week without a comb, it's like a whole different head of hair. But I wear it curly 98% of the time so I usually wash and comb in the shower w/conditioner everyday or every other day. Anything longer than that is trouble. No manipulation is def. not for me

 

[Softresses]

I comb my hair as I get ready to put it up each morning, and before I put it up for the night. Nothing comes out in my comb but naturally shed hair. I only use wide toothed seamless combs or bone combs so I get no breakage.

I tried going without combing one time for a week and got a huge dreadlock on the right side of my head! I ended up having to cut it out.

ETA: I stopped brushing about 5yrs ago, and have not used heat in over a year. I don't rollerset, or pincurl, so I guess I am lo-mani too.



Softresses

 

[HoneyDew]

I comb when I wear my hair down which is most of the time. I comb simply because my hair looks better when I do. I do retain length and I keep my hair strong and moist so that it can handle a little combing. I do feel like my deep conditioning and giving my hair TLC allows me a little room to comb my hair a bit. It is not that serious to me.

 

[ajoyfuljoy]

I have heard good things about coconut oil but i was turned off when I heard it hardens in the cold weather.[/quote]

Yes it does and that's why I barely use mine. It's kind of a hassle to heat it up everytime I'm gonna use it.

 

[ItsyBitsy]

I comb when I wear my hair down which is most of the time. I comb simply because my hair looks better when I do. I do retain length and I keep my hair strong and moist so that it can handle a little combing. I do feel like my deep conditioning and giving my hair TLC allows me a little room to comb my hair a bit. It is not that serious to me.

ITA with everything in your post.

 

[kbfluff]

I dont comb often, maybe 2-3 times a week (when i wear it out). The rest of the days i wear a bun.

My hair is not only very fine, but extremely soft, thin, and fragile. When i comb it, i find that it breaks from the comb.... no matter how gently i comb, no matter if i have adequate protein/moisture, etc, i will get a few broken hairs during one combing. Its just how my hair the nature of my hair. So ive found in the last few years that not combing as often has allowed me to retain more.

I comb when its wet and saturated with conditioner.... so for the most part, all thats coming out on wash day is an accumulation of shed hairs. But the hairs are long and not the short, broken ones that would result from daily combing.
I know this reggie isnt for everyone though. I think its really about learning your hair and what your hair needs.

Yes, my hair is the exact same way. It looks good, strong and healthy...but if i comb it...big wide tooth comb or finger comb I will get a few broken bits. I have found that my hair is just that way and I have to work around it. I only comb on wash days for the most part and i do comb when I wear it down..which is rare.
In order to settle this, I think only the individual can settle this issue for themselves. As for me...no combing or at least close to no combing is key for me to maintain fullness...over time constant combing can make my hair less full. If your one of the strong tough haired sistas that can comb there hair with a thin rat tail comb and break the comb before the comb breaks you...then you can comb regularly. But if you are like me with fine baby like hair that looks strong and healthy, but can't withstand constant combing than you know you can't comb every five minutes.

Combing can be an addiction. When you start to or if you already have some real serious hangtime, you love the feel of running a comb through it. I can't do this.

 

[Blkprincess]

I guess it really depends on how I'm wearing my hair. I massage my scalp almost every night so I have to comb, even if it's just a finger combing to put it back into the bun from whence it came. but I don't do a traditional bun, I put on my Profectiv, especially on the ends, and then I kind of create a bun with a big flexirod. I'm a constant shedder so the less mani the better. but I still haven't quite found that right balance for my hair yet.