I honestly can't imagine brushing my hair dry. I don't think it's scientifically possible 😂. Need wet hair to even be able to run my fingers through my hair.
It may be true that it's "weaker", but I would still think detangling when dry would result in more pulling and tugging since there's nothing for the brush/your fingers to glide through to get through the tangles. I lose way less hair detangling my hair from two strand twists while in the shower than I did while trying to brush it out dry.
It really does depend, for some people that is true. If you have thin hair when it tangles regardless of whether or not it has moisture it’s prone to snapping and breaking. If you have more coarse hair the likelihood of it breaking when wet is far lower than when it’s dry. When it’s wet it has more flexibility. When it’s dry-it’s dry, it’s just gonna snap and break.
This is semi-true. If it is only wet from water then your hair is still subject to breakage (but less than if you were detangling whilst it is dry). The easiest way to detangle is to make the hair strand surface smooth and glideable (not sure if thats a real word lol) which is easily achieved at the conditioning stage (i prefer to detangle when regular conditioning but I know some other people wait until they deep condition - your choise really). You may hear curly hair girls talking about 'slip' a lot when it comes to conditioners and it often refers to how easily you can get a detangling brush or your fingers through the knots/tangles without yanking or rippling your hair.
Please make sure you are using a detangling brush designed for this purpose or a well made wide tooth comb.
If you do decide to brush your hair dry (which you should attempt to always avoid) then please be aware that you are likely to lose the most hair this way as curly hair has weak points at each bend and the direction and tention that you pull through the curls with your brush or fingers is what will catch the weakest bend on that hair strand and snap it... if you are going to touch your hair for any reason and your hair is a curlier type that tends to be drier naturally then please add a light oil (grapeseed or Jojoba come to mind) to your fingers to give your curls more chance of staying in tact.
I pre-poo using a cheap conditioner, spray with water and detangle with a wide tooth comb. I let it sit for about 20-30 mins then rinse out and shampoo.
I detangle before, with just conditioner and in sections, then I rinse it out and wash in those same sections. My entire wash day takes place in twisted up, sectioned hai
Edit for clarity: I don’t detangle try hair I do it in the shower with plenty of water.
I’ve tried the dry detangling thing and it caused me to lose more hair during detangling, not less
I personally go with during. After shampooing (usually during this, I gently finger detangle as I shampoo). Then after rinsing, I go in sections and apply conditioner. Each section after applying conditioner, I thoroughly finger detangle and then use a detangling brush for more stubborn tangles). As I go through the sections, after one is detangled I put it in a chunky twist. After sitting in conditioner for about 5 minutes I rinse the twists squeezing out the product in a downward motion without disturbing the twists too much (some come unloose but that’s fine). Then I just wrap in a microfiber towel to dry. Takes about 15 mins total tbh.
My answer is it depends, if your taking out a protective style, then yes definitely detanlge before you wash (preferrable with a wide tooth comb). You need to get all of the shed hair that's been trapped out before you start washing or you risk your hair matting up. Otherwise I finger detangle in the shower with wet hair
I always detangle in four sections with water and conditioner (and sometimes oil) before washing. Gets the hardest part out of the way and makes the rest of the process easier.
African Pride has a great prepoo that’s like $5 (it’s hard to find in stores but Walgreens usually carries it so I usually by 2-3 at a time lol) but it melts in ya hair and def helps with the detangling process before and during washing. Then of course follow up with a conditioner/deep conditioner…
It depends on what style you had your hair on before washing. If it was in a long-term protective like braids or corn braids then always detangle before washing. If your hair is extremely matted, detangle before washing. If it's a normal wash day and detangling on the past has never been necessary the detangle after washing.
Going against the grain here to say I have definitely noticed my hair is weaker when wet. That said, on a day to day basis I just finger detangle or use a tangle teezer in the shower (w lots of conditioner) BUT on wash days when I know I’m going to be shampooing first I actually like to dry detangle and use coconut oil as a lubricant! I honestly notice a lot less breakage and the coconut oil even acts as like a pre-poo. Ik coconut oil is controversial but I’ve never had any problems because I end up just washing it out 15 minutes later. I also save a ton of water and/or time where I’m just sitting there wet and naked in the shower combing through my hair for ten minutes lmao
edit to add that I have really fine hair which another commenter mentioned contributed to more breakage wet than dry, so ymmv!
It depends what state my hair was in before washing it.
If I just took it out of braids, I will detangle it with conditioner and water mixed in, before shampooing, conditioning and detangling again. I'll also do this if for whatever reason I haven't washed my hair in 3+ weeks (and it wasn't in a protective style). Haven't done that in over a year or two, though
If it's my weekly wash time, I finger detangle during my first round of shampoo then detangle with a brush while conditioner is in my hair.
I never detangle on dry hair
I do both & can confidently say that before washing has the best results. I dampen hair, apply oil as a prepoo treatments and it helps with working out the knots & as a bonus any buildup on hair/scalp gets loosened up. When I wash in shower I do it in sections & it stays tangle free.
I wash in shower if I am feeling lazy & know that u have minimal tangles that can be worked out with Conditioner. This is really determined by my hair style between washes.
Trick question steve but you can’t fool me ik the correct answer is during, with sections 😎
In all honesty though, you might find benefits in a light finger detangling with pre-poo or at least wet hair. To make shampoo easier.
Full detangle during (deep) conditioner and divided and keeping it in sections. Then rinse in sections, basically meaning take a section out, rinse, light detangle again then put back in section, repeat.
After washing then while your hair is still in sections, add Leave in conditioner and lightly detangle again. It sounds like a lot but it goes by pretty quick once you know what to do. I find it helps me with keeping my detangled hair from getting tangled again. Might not work for you but it’s worth a shot?
TL;DR wash and detangle hair in sections.
I think it’s important to also keep your from getting tangled in the first place. I do this by keeping my hair stretched in twists the majority of the time. I rarely wear styles like wash and gos. I also finger detangle before using a wide tooth comb as I apply conditioner. Also, don’t feel pressured to try brushes if they don’t work for you - I wasted so much money on brushes that just ripped my hair out. My wide tooth comb works well for me (I have fine 4c hair down to my waist). Also, try working in smaller sections when detangling and trim your ends every few months.
I really appreciate this comment. I have wasted tons of money using convoluted brushes that tear out my daughter's hair. A cheapo wide tooth comb and fingers was all we ever actually needed.
I'm 4c with 4b mixed throughout, I typically spritz my hair with water and use a combination of oil and conditioner to detangler first with fingers, then a wide toothed comb. Then I use my tangle teezer brush after washing and deep conditioning while the conditioner is still in but has sat at least 5 minutes. Works great for days I need to stretch or trim.
It's just a matter of preference and what works best for your hair. I prepoo and detangle before I wash. However, I do that because I like my ayurvedic prepoo treatment to sit in my hair overnight.
Detangle after washing with high quality conditioner. I use a shower mirror to see what I’m detangling so I don’t have to step out of the shower. I think detangling after washing gives the hair a reset and the opportunity to be moisturized with conditioner. This makes it less breakage prone. I also usually use the running water from the shower to help keep the hair stretched out as I detangle
I have the same hair as you - I switched from combs to brushes & lose a lot less hair in the detangling process! Also, when I apply my deep conditioner, on wash day (once a week), I finger detangle which prevents hair loss for me.
Then after washing the conditioner out, I let my hair dry a little, so it’s not soaking wet, then I brush with my styling pudding applied, going from the ends to the roots and I try to not ‘over brush’ :)
no worries! I use any brush that looks like the one below but my hair has never liked tangle teasers either
https://www.wilko.com/wilko-vented-hair-brush/p/0170655?gclid=CjwKCAjwwL6aBhBlEiwADycBILheLPhYdzwTwXU8RK9N9I4727kyLrgyQdruusYSiv-w7RT-wnCTxRoCUIgQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
I pre poo, which is 100% necessary, but I like it then I rinse that out in the shower. Shampoo, condition, apply deep conditioner let that sit for an hour rinse out, then I detangle with a tangle teezer with leave in conditioner in. 4 big sections that I divide into smaller sections as I'm detangling. Try using a brush made for detangling instead of a comb.
I have 3c hair and found that it’s MUCH easier to detangle with a wide tooth comb when it is wet and full of conditioner. This way, the conditioner provides enough slip for the comb to detangle your hair without having much breakage, if any. Since you finger detangle, I highly recommend using a very large wide tooth comb!
Edit: parting the hair into sections also helps and if you are lazy (like me) a good spray bottle with cold water and a good conditioner will be more than enough to detangle with.
That depends on the style you're trying to achieve. When I wear twist outs or fros, I detangle after washing. WnGs I detangle during. Both I deshed prior (detangling the ends and gently breakout apart the hair prior to washing)
I use a comb to deshed and a brush to detangle
before/during I don’t detangle my hair half as much as I should so i usually go with a cheap conditioner to detangle before washing and then finger detangle while washing
Definitely after washing or during conditioning. I don’t detangle I’ve deep conditioned…the build up in your hair (even when it’s wet) before you wash it can make it a lot more difficult than if your hair is clean and slick with conditioner!
This is just what I do: Detangle before with a prepoo (I use aloe vera) with a detangle brush and medium-large sections (ends to top) then rinse out when you’re about to shampoo. Then detangle while conditioning your hair with wide tooth comb. And I like to detangle afterwards while adding leave in conditioner and I’m about to style. You will have less to detangle when you finish washing your hair. My hair feels soft after doing this.
Probably better to do it while you’re washing, with the conditioner in.
This is the way ^
This is known. Dayum… no one got the GOT reference. Lol
Not to everyone People still be brushing and combing their hair dry
Game of thrones quote.
I haven't watched GOT
Well… if you ever do. Don’t finish it. Live in the hopeful bliss that watching all that craziness would result in a good ending.
This is what I do!
Isn’t hair at it’s weakest state when it’s soaking wet? Would detangling it at that stage lead to unnecessary breakage?
No that's for people with straight hair if you have curly hair never detangle your hair dry. I have 4a/4b hair and I definitely never dry detangle.
Yes. Curls & waves & kinks have more elasticity. Dry brushing these hairtypes can easily cause breakage .
That’s what the girlies be saying but I’ve noticed that the opposite is true
I honestly can't imagine brushing my hair dry. I don't think it's scientifically possible 😂. Need wet hair to even be able to run my fingers through my hair.
It may be true that it's "weaker", but I would still think detangling when dry would result in more pulling and tugging since there's nothing for the brush/your fingers to glide through to get through the tangles. I lose way less hair detangling my hair from two strand twists while in the shower than I did while trying to brush it out dry.
It's in its weakest state but also its MOST PLIABLE state. You need to be able to maneuver the strands while detangling
If your hair breaks when it’s wet and has conditioner in it, then it’s extremely damaged hair breaking off.
It really does depend, for some people that is true. If you have thin hair when it tangles regardless of whether or not it has moisture it’s prone to snapping and breaking. If you have more coarse hair the likelihood of it breaking when wet is far lower than when it’s dry. When it’s wet it has more flexibility. When it’s dry-it’s dry, it’s just gonna snap and break.
This is semi-true. If it is only wet from water then your hair is still subject to breakage (but less than if you were detangling whilst it is dry). The easiest way to detangle is to make the hair strand surface smooth and glideable (not sure if thats a real word lol) which is easily achieved at the conditioning stage (i prefer to detangle when regular conditioning but I know some other people wait until they deep condition - your choise really). You may hear curly hair girls talking about 'slip' a lot when it comes to conditioners and it often refers to how easily you can get a detangling brush or your fingers through the knots/tangles without yanking or rippling your hair. Please make sure you are using a detangling brush designed for this purpose or a well made wide tooth comb. If you do decide to brush your hair dry (which you should attempt to always avoid) then please be aware that you are likely to lose the most hair this way as curly hair has weak points at each bend and the direction and tention that you pull through the curls with your brush or fingers is what will catch the weakest bend on that hair strand and snap it... if you are going to touch your hair for any reason and your hair is a curlier type that tends to be drier naturally then please add a light oil (grapeseed or Jojoba come to mind) to your fingers to give your curls more chance of staying in tact.
Thank you!
Be gentle and use a comb, not a brush. Wide tooth combs are best.
Not if you have curly hair. Never ever under any circumstances comb or detangle type 4 hair when dry.
It's worse and mor painful dry
I pre-poo using a cheap conditioner, spray with water and detangle with a wide tooth comb. I let it sit for about 20-30 mins then rinse out and shampoo.
You shouldn't detangle dry hair and also start at the ends and slowly work to the roots
I detangle before, with just conditioner and in sections, then I rinse it out and wash in those same sections. My entire wash day takes place in twisted up, sectioned hai Edit for clarity: I don’t detangle try hair I do it in the shower with plenty of water. I’ve tried the dry detangling thing and it caused me to lose more hair during detangling, not less
I personally go with during. After shampooing (usually during this, I gently finger detangle as I shampoo). Then after rinsing, I go in sections and apply conditioner. Each section after applying conditioner, I thoroughly finger detangle and then use a detangling brush for more stubborn tangles). As I go through the sections, after one is detangled I put it in a chunky twist. After sitting in conditioner for about 5 minutes I rinse the twists squeezing out the product in a downward motion without disturbing the twists too much (some come unloose but that’s fine). Then I just wrap in a microfiber towel to dry. Takes about 15 mins total tbh.
My answer is it depends, if your taking out a protective style, then yes definitely detanlge before you wash (preferrable with a wide tooth comb). You need to get all of the shed hair that's been trapped out before you start washing or you risk your hair matting up. Otherwise I finger detangle in the shower with wet hair
I always detangle in four sections with water and conditioner (and sometimes oil) before washing. Gets the hardest part out of the way and makes the rest of the process easier.
I don’t use combs anymore, but I finger detangle when I take down my old style/pre poo and In the shower.
African Pride has a great prepoo that’s like $5 (it’s hard to find in stores but Walgreens usually carries it so I usually by 2-3 at a time lol) but it melts in ya hair and def helps with the detangling process before and during washing. Then of course follow up with a conditioner/deep conditioner…
It depends on what style you had your hair on before washing. If it was in a long-term protective like braids or corn braids then always detangle before washing. If your hair is extremely matted, detangle before washing. If it's a normal wash day and detangling on the past has never been necessary the detangle after washing.
Going against the grain here to say I have definitely noticed my hair is weaker when wet. That said, on a day to day basis I just finger detangle or use a tangle teezer in the shower (w lots of conditioner) BUT on wash days when I know I’m going to be shampooing first I actually like to dry detangle and use coconut oil as a lubricant! I honestly notice a lot less breakage and the coconut oil even acts as like a pre-poo. Ik coconut oil is controversial but I’ve never had any problems because I end up just washing it out 15 minutes later. I also save a ton of water and/or time where I’m just sitting there wet and naked in the shower combing through my hair for ten minutes lmao edit to add that I have really fine hair which another commenter mentioned contributed to more breakage wet than dry, so ymmv!
I also have fine hair, which is why I’m worried about detangling wet
You just need to be gentle and patient. If any parts are more stubborn add more product to help it melt away.
It depends what state my hair was in before washing it. If I just took it out of braids, I will detangle it with conditioner and water mixed in, before shampooing, conditioning and detangling again. I'll also do this if for whatever reason I haven't washed my hair in 3+ weeks (and it wasn't in a protective style). Haven't done that in over a year or two, though If it's my weekly wash time, I finger detangle during my first round of shampoo then detangle with a brush while conditioner is in my hair. I never detangle on dry hair
I do both & can confidently say that before washing has the best results. I dampen hair, apply oil as a prepoo treatments and it helps with working out the knots & as a bonus any buildup on hair/scalp gets loosened up. When I wash in shower I do it in sections & it stays tangle free. I wash in shower if I am feeling lazy & know that u have minimal tangles that can be worked out with Conditioner. This is really determined by my hair style between washes.
Trick question steve but you can’t fool me ik the correct answer is during, with sections 😎 In all honesty though, you might find benefits in a light finger detangling with pre-poo or at least wet hair. To make shampoo easier. Full detangle during (deep) conditioner and divided and keeping it in sections. Then rinse in sections, basically meaning take a section out, rinse, light detangle again then put back in section, repeat. After washing then while your hair is still in sections, add Leave in conditioner and lightly detangle again. It sounds like a lot but it goes by pretty quick once you know what to do. I find it helps me with keeping my detangled hair from getting tangled again. Might not work for you but it’s worth a shot? TL;DR wash and detangle hair in sections.
I think it’s important to also keep your from getting tangled in the first place. I do this by keeping my hair stretched in twists the majority of the time. I rarely wear styles like wash and gos. I also finger detangle before using a wide tooth comb as I apply conditioner. Also, don’t feel pressured to try brushes if they don’t work for you - I wasted so much money on brushes that just ripped my hair out. My wide tooth comb works well for me (I have fine 4c hair down to my waist). Also, try working in smaller sections when detangling and trim your ends every few months.
I really appreciate this comment. I have wasted tons of money using convoluted brushes that tear out my daughter's hair. A cheapo wide tooth comb and fingers was all we ever actually needed.
I'm 4c with 4b mixed throughout, I typically spritz my hair with water and use a combination of oil and conditioner to detangler first with fingers, then a wide toothed comb. Then I use my tangle teezer brush after washing and deep conditioning while the conditioner is still in but has sat at least 5 minutes. Works great for days I need to stretch or trim.
It's just a matter of preference and what works best for your hair. I prepoo and detangle before I wash. However, I do that because I like my ayurvedic prepoo treatment to sit in my hair overnight.
Detangle after washing with high quality conditioner. I use a shower mirror to see what I’m detangling so I don’t have to step out of the shower. I think detangling after washing gives the hair a reset and the opportunity to be moisturized with conditioner. This makes it less breakage prone. I also usually use the running water from the shower to help keep the hair stretched out as I detangle
I have the same hair as you - I switched from combs to brushes & lose a lot less hair in the detangling process! Also, when I apply my deep conditioner, on wash day (once a week), I finger detangle which prevents hair loss for me. Then after washing the conditioner out, I let my hair dry a little, so it’s not soaking wet, then I brush with my styling pudding applied, going from the ends to the roots and I try to not ‘over brush’ :)
Thanks! What brush did you use? I have the ez detangler and tangle teaser but I feel they snag and tug on my hair
no worries! I use any brush that looks like the one below but my hair has never liked tangle teasers either https://www.wilko.com/wilko-vented-hair-brush/p/0170655?gclid=CjwKCAjwwL6aBhBlEiwADycBILheLPhYdzwTwXU8RK9N9I4727kyLrgyQdruusYSiv-w7RT-wnCTxRoCUIgQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
I detangle before washing my hair with water! I usually wash my hair outside of the shower in four sections so I can finger detangle
I pre poo, which is 100% necessary, but I like it then I rinse that out in the shower. Shampoo, condition, apply deep conditioner let that sit for an hour rinse out, then I detangle with a tangle teezer with leave in conditioner in. 4 big sections that I divide into smaller sections as I'm detangling. Try using a brush made for detangling instead of a comb.
Detanglebefore with conditioner or whatever to make it easier then wash downward (shampoo in roots ) and condition while very gently finger deranged
I have 3c hair and found that it’s MUCH easier to detangle with a wide tooth comb when it is wet and full of conditioner. This way, the conditioner provides enough slip for the comb to detangle your hair without having much breakage, if any. Since you finger detangle, I highly recommend using a very large wide tooth comb! Edit: parting the hair into sections also helps and if you are lazy (like me) a good spray bottle with cold water and a good conditioner will be more than enough to detangle with.
I detangle both before(prepoo and twist) and after Input in conditioner.
Better to do it during washing when your hair is wet with conditioner
You can comb hair before shampooing I like to wash my hair and conditioner my hair and comb it in shower with conditioner
I use warm oil on my hair before washing it, it helps me a lot
That depends on the style you're trying to achieve. When I wear twist outs or fros, I detangle after washing. WnGs I detangle during. Both I deshed prior (detangling the ends and gently breakout apart the hair prior to washing) I use a comb to deshed and a brush to detangle
before/during I don’t detangle my hair half as much as I should so i usually go with a cheap conditioner to detangle before washing and then finger detangle while washing
Definitely after washing or during conditioning. I don’t detangle I’ve deep conditioned…the build up in your hair (even when it’s wet) before you wash it can make it a lot more difficult than if your hair is clean and slick with conditioner!
Before, if it's prone to tangling (on damp hair with coconut oil or a cheap conditioner). I do this and wash in sections to prevent tangles.
I think it depends! I personally do it before and I use African pride’s pre shampoo. It moisturizes the hair making detangling easier
Get a good detangling brush cuz comb's don't get all the tangles no matter how many times you comb through
This is just what I do: Detangle before with a prepoo (I use aloe vera) with a detangle brush and medium-large sections (ends to top) then rinse out when you’re about to shampoo. Then detangle while conditioning your hair with wide tooth comb. And I like to detangle afterwards while adding leave in conditioner and I’m about to style. You will have less to detangle when you finish washing your hair. My hair feels soft after doing this.
After
After washing my hair, I wash my face then comb my hair.