Combing Airdried Hair Without Breakage?

[Isis]

Is it possible? When I first came to LHCF I learned that combing airdried hair will cause breakage. I only comb my hair on wash days when wet, to comb conditioner through and to detangle under a shower (and after applying my leave-in). After it has airdried, no combing until next wash day. This allows for very little manipulation.

Have any of you ladies discovered a trick or method to combing airdried hair without any breakage?

 

[simplycee]

The only time I can comb my air dried hair without breakage I if I mist a little distilled water mixed with evoo. If I can get my hair a little damp and comb slowly working fro the tips up I can do it with little to no breakage. I have since just stopped trying all together. Now I do what you said I comb on wash days and that's it.

 

[Isis]

The only time I can comb my air dried hair without breakage I if I mist a little distilled water mixed with evoo. If I can get my hair a little damp and comb slowly working fro the tips up I can do it with little to no breakage. I have since just stopped trying all together. Now I do what you said I comb on wash days and that's it.

Thank you Simplycee, this is a great tip!
Hmm... it seems like our hair must be damp first. Any other tips?

 

[keylargo]

I noticed that my newgrowth needs extra attention if I want less breakage-especially when combing airdried hair. I usually don't comb it but if I have to, I need to oil my scalp/newgrowth first. Castor oil mixed with wildgrowth oil really softens my hair. If I'm parting my hair and combing it in sections, I get less breakage too. The smaller the sections, the less breakage I get.

 

[ballet_bun]

I don't comb that much anymore either, mainly on wash days. As she said above, if I do come my hair during the week, I have a mixture with distu\illed water and AO conditioner with a tiny bit of oil in it. That helps.

 

[Shatani]

generally, my hair just aint havin it....and i cant do it in sections cuz my roots are so dense that even after ive combed a section, if i go back to run the comb through it again, it just wont go....

 

[Dolapo]

I wait for it to dry. When I comb it while its damp....my hair snaps and breaks. So i either comb it with loads of conditioner or when its dry

 

[Boadicea]

I don't have any breakage at all. I use a (truly) seamless plastic comb. My hair sheds very little and I used to comb it when air-dried the day before. I never put anything extra on it.

Be very gentle and start from the bottom.

 

[Tracy]

Just my opinion...but I think it is THE WORST idea to COMB aridried hair....it's not damage you see right away, but some of the WORST damage (besides chemical) I've seen is encountered by doing this.

 

[Falon]

I don't have any breakage at all. I use a (truly) seamless plastic comb. My hair sheds very little and I used to comb it when air-dried the day before. I never put anything extra on it.

Be very gentle and start from the bottom.

I agree. I finally coughed up the money and bought a seamless comb and Denam brush from www.tenderheaded.com and it has been the best money I have ever spent on anything for my hair. The comb and brush you use DOES make a difference. Also as Bodicea said how you brush and comb is everything. Look up the crown and glory technique for tips on how to comb and brush w/o breaking your hair.

For every 10 hairs I use to lose with my old cheap comb I lose maybe one if that at all. And the wet comb out is even better. Hardly a hair is left in the comb or brush when I detangle.

Here is the link to the comb I bought: http://www.tenderheaded.com/creatc6widto.html

And this is for the brush: http://www.tenderheaded.com/denmanvent.html You may need something different depending on your length or hair type. But I truly that the person who put me on to this site.

 

[Britt]

This is pretty much the only way I have been drying my hair for the past few months. How do you guys airdry that u are getting breakage? When I airdry, I apply a LUST as a leave-in, part my hair in 4 with rubberbands. Roll the parted sections with mesh rollers and end papers. I also add something to the ends b4 I roll it. It takes a long time for my hair to dry this way which is why I do it on the weekend when I know I will be in the house the entire day. Anyway, my airdryed hair dries soft and pretty smooth this way.

 

[Angelicus]

it just isn't possible for me

 

[Shatani]

This is pretty much the only way I have been drying my hair for the past few months. How do you guys airdry that u are getting breakage? When I airdry, I apply a LUST as a leave-in, part my hair in 4 with rubberbands. Roll the parted sections with mesh rollers and end papers. I also add something to the ends b4 I roll it. It takes a long time for my hair to dry this way which is why I do it on the weekend when I know I will be in the house the entire day. Anyway, my airdryed hair dries soft and pretty smooth this way.

my hair is natural and i usually air dry in braids....i just dont think my hair was meant for a whole lotta combin'....

 

[Leslie_C]

I have a question, how do u NOT comb your hair, especially with a lot of new growth? Mine looks rough enough when I comb it with lots of NG, but I can only imagine what it would look like if I didnt. how do u get around it and how do u style your hair? If u keep it bunned, how do u keep it looking smooth? one LITTLE trick Ive learned is to gently use the SIDE ONLY of a soft boar bristle brush to smooth the outside layer. that has helped some.

so if u dont comb your airdried hair, what DO u do to it? how about moisturizing,etc? how do u distribute it? I just cant grasp this concept but now I see maybe this has been my problem bc I always air dry but Ive always combed it after it was dry and usually every day or two after.

 

[Isis]

Just my opinion...but I think it is THE WORST idea to COMB aridried hair....it's not damage you see right away, but some of the WORST damage (besides chemical) I've seen is encountered by doing this.

This is what I've learned also since coming to LHCF and so far, I have not combed my airdried hair.

The purpose of this thread is to discover if there are any exceptions to this rule that some of us don't know about or if someone feels they must comb their airdried hair (like for a special occasion or style), what the safest ways to do so are without breakage.

 

[Isis]

I have a question, how do u NOT comb your hair, especially with a lot of new growth? Mine looks rough enough when I comb it with lots of NG, but I can only imagine what it would look like if I didnt. how do u get around it and how do u style your hair? If u keep it bunned, how do u keep it looking smooth? one LITTLE trick Ive learned is to gently use the SIDE ONLY of a soft boar bristle brush to smooth the outside layer. that has helped some.

so if u dont comb your airdried hair, what DO u do to it? how about moisturizing,etc? how do u distribute it? I just cant grasp this concept but now I see maybe this has been my problem bc I always air dry but Ive always combed it after it was dry and usually every day or two after.

This is one of the first things I learned here at LHCF, combing and styling my hair with my hands only. That's all I've done. For me, it was pretty automatic. I just did it and it worked. I use my hands to smooth and my fingers to style. I moisturize my ends working it in with my fingers. All of the styles I've worn so far have been the protective type styles and I found it easy to use my hands.

New growth (along with the rest of my hair) gets detangled gently under the showe with a wide tooth seamless comb while rinsing off my conditioner and after applying my leave-in conditioner. My combing is only done on wash day when my hair is wet.

 

[Isis]

This is pretty much the only way I have been drying my hair for the past few months. How do you guys airdry that u are getting breakage? When I airdry, I apply a LUST as a leave-in, part my hair in 4 with rubberbands. Roll the parted sections with mesh rollers and end papers. I also add something to the ends b4 I roll it. It takes a long time for my hair to dry this way which is why I do it on the weekend when I know I will be in the house the entire day. Anyway, my airdryed hair dries soft and pretty smooth this way.

Britt - I don't get breakage when airdrying unless I comb my airdried hair. My airdry rollersets are very nice and there is never any breakage, unless it's combed. I'm trying to find out if there are exceptions to this or not.
Thank you for sharing your regimen - I love the ponytail rollerset method too!

 

[tryn2growmyhair]

Britt - I don't get breakage when airdrying unless I comb my airdried hair. My airdry rollersets are very nice and there is never any breakage, unless it's combed. I'm trying to find out if there are exceptions to this or not.
Thank you for sharing your regimen - I love the ponytail rollerset method too!

Thanks for this information. Could you please tell me a little bit more about your airdry rollersets? I am thinking of trying them because I feel that I get split ends by sitting under the dryer.

Also, I have noticed a lot of breakage lately and I wonder if it is because I have been combing my airdried hair. How do you keep the hair from getting matted if you do not comb it? Also, when do you comb it then? Thanks.

 

[Allandra]

I don't have any breakage at all. I use a (truly) seamless plastic comb. My hair sheds very little and I used to comb it when air-dried the day before. I never put anything extra on it.

Be very gentle and start from the bottom.

Same with me (don't have any breakage at all and hair sheds very little). Being gentle and starting from the bottom works out well for me.

 

[tryn2growmyhair]

Same with me (don't have any breakage at all and hair sheds very little). Being gentle and starting from the bottom works out well for me.

Do you normally airdry your hair or do you blow it bry or rollerset with heat? Also, what type (1,2,3,4a/b) hair do you have? Thanks

 

[EssentialGrowth]

Hmmm interesting posts...

I comb my hair to detangle and I comb my hair after its airdried. If I don't, my roots would be really tough and it leads to more breakage for me. I agree with Boadecia and Allandra with this: the key is to be very gentle. To detangle my hair I use either KBB Hair Milk or Salerm 21 and a dab of Body Shop's Honey moisturizing conditioner. The honey is a charm. Detangling is a breeze and I lose about 3-4 hairs during the process.

BEFORE I comb my hair after I have been airdried, I moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! I use some hair butter and QP mango butter on my scalp and throughout the hair. After this, I just braid it or bun it and tie my hair down, again with little breakage.


I NEED to comb my hair everyday (for styling and before bedtime) and with every wash. If I don,t I'll be doing my hair a disfavor and actually be losing more hair strands.


Question: What about when you have alot of new growth?? Personally, if I don't gently comb through it, my hair would be a matted mess!!

 

[Allandra]

Do you normally airdry your hair or do you blow it bry or rollerset with heat? Also, what type (1,2,3,4a/b) hair do you have? Thanks

I airdry my hair 99.99% of the time. My hair type is naturally wavy and thick. I'm relaxed, but my hair is not relaxed bone straight.

 

[moneychaser]

The only time I comb my hair is while water is running through it in the shower. I had to cut my relaxer lady off because she made it a point to comb through my hair air dried to section it before relaxing
I agree with Tracy, unless you have a technique that smooths the cuticle while air drying I don't recommend it... I mean air drying already leaves the cuticle ragged and thats what causes the breakage. IMO

 

[tryn2growmyhair]

The only time I comb my hair is while water is running through it in the shower. I had to cut my relaxer lady off because she made it a point to comb through my hair air dried to section it before relaxing
I agree with Tracy, unless you have a technique that smooths the cuticle while air drying I don't recommend it... I mean air drying already leaves the cuticle ragged and thats what causes the breakage. IMO

You have beautiful hair. What type hair do you have and what is your regimen? How often do you airdry your hair. I am amazed that you have been able to grow your hair while coloring it. Please share your secrets with us. TIA.

 

[Britt]

Same with me (don't have any breakage at all and hair sheds very little). Being gentle and starting from the bottom works out well for me.

I don't have any breakage either when I airdry with ponytails. I comb my hair w/no problems from root to tip.

 

[Isis]

The only time I comb my hair is while water is running through it in the shower. I had to cut my relaxer lady off because she made it a point to comb through my hair air dried to section it before relaxing
I agree with Tracy, unless you have a technique that smooths the cuticle while air drying I don't recommend it... I mean air drying already leaves the cuticle ragged and thats what causes the breakage. IMO

Now that's interesting. I didn't know airdrying leaves the cuticle ragged. I wonder if airdrying with hair hanging out versus airdrying while in a rollerset with or without being under the dryer makes a difference with the cuticle, therefore with combing afterwards. I would think rollersets smooth the cuticle, even when airdrying.

 

[Isis]

Thanks for this information. Could you please tell me a little bit more about your airdry rollersets? I am thinking of trying them because I feel that I get split ends by sitting under the dryer.

Also, I have noticed a lot of breakage lately and I wonder if it is because I have been combing my airdried hair. How do you keep the hair from getting matted if you do not comb it? Also, when do you comb it then? Thanks.

As I mentioned previously, I comb only when wet under the shower to detangle, while rinsing my conditioner off. I also comb my leave-in through, which detangles also. I wash and condition every three days so my hair gets combed every three days.

I use my hands and fingers. My hair has never been matted from not using a comb.

About getting splits under the dryer, that is probably because it's too hot. When I used to use a blow dryer, I had split ends. I airdry after rollersetting my hair using the ponytail method (for ease) and either airdry overnight or sit under a dryer using the cool setting only (no heat).

 

[Isis]

I am so intrigued Allandra, Boadicea, Britt and others who comb airdried hair. Thank you for sharing your techniques on combing airdried air. I take it that your cuticles were already be lying flat before combing?

Since this is day 3 and my wash/combing hair anyway, I may try this, combing very carefully from the ends up, just to see what happens.
I'm learning so much.

 

[Isis]

Well, I combed my hair in sections, very carefully from the ends up and there was more hair in my comb than I've seen in a very long time. I did this before washing on my 3rd day, so I don't know if that's a factor or not.

I guess for my hair, I'll have to stick to not combing airdried hair.

 

[brickhouse]

Isis the same thing happened to me last night. I wish I knew you could not comb airdried hair. This is the first time I tried it and got so much breakage because I have this really thick coarse hair. I am scared I am going to have a set back. I will be washing and conditioning tommorrow and will never do that again. Thanks for the thread. I feel better knowing I am not the only one.