Thread: Brush suggestions for baby-fine, wavy hair?

My beloved paddle brush broke when I was traveling. I guess I dropped it one too many times. Now I am in the market for a brush. I know I probably shouldn't use a brush because my hair is baby-fine, wavy, and prone to breakage...but I have yet to be able to get rid of it completely. I have extremely thick hair (as in A LOT of it) and it tangles like crazy. No matter how much I condition it or comb it out in the shower, it gets knotty when it dries. It sucks. So anyway, any brush suggestions? Thanks!

Please clear my confusion, how can you have baby fine and thick hair at the same time?

I have fine wavy hair also and it tangles up like crazy. I am only using a comb. I will be following this thread. when I use gel or hairspray it tangles up even more. Any suggestion for non tangle products?

I have thick, coarse, wavy hair (*Georgine - fine vs coarse is the thickness of an individual strand of hair; thin vs thick is how many hairs you have) so your mileage may vary, but I love my Tangle Teezer. My ends are fragile, because my hair is down past my tailbone, and the Tangle Teezer is the only thing that really seems to detangle my hair without causing damage.

I have finally begun investing in my hair...I am on a mission to grow my hair out! I have just begun using my favorite brush so far..its called the tangle teaser and I got it online...hardly in hair in my brush=less damage and breakage

Originally Posted by andalee-oriental

I know I probably shouldn't use a brush because my hair is baby-fine, wavy, and prone to breakage...but I have yet to be able to get rid of it completely. I have extremely thick hair (as in A LOT of it) and it tangles like crazy.

Another person here with baby fine, thick hair. I can't suggest a brush since I gave mine up years ago and now it is much healthier, maybe the brush breaking is a sign? I use a large pick instead and I have way less breakage now.

I have fine, thin, wavy hair, so I know I'm coming from a slightly different perspective, but I gave up my brush, too. I use a shower comb or my fingers if I need to, but that usually only after washing my hair and maybe one other time during the day. It breaks up the wave pattern and causes less frizz than brushing. Getting an extremely good conditioner and laying off the sulfates was the key for me, and protein treatments. Fine hair *in general* needs more protein than normal/coarse hair to be manageable and soft. I use Spiral Solutions (although I think her shop is closed right now), and Curl Junkie (Curl Assurance Gentle Cleansing Shampoo, Beauticurls Strengthening Conditioner, and Repair Me! Reconstructive Hair Treatment). I know you kind of went out of your way to say you just wanted brush suggestions, but this routine has made such a difference for my hair, I couldn't help but share.

Just wanted to point out some forums that will have tons of brush suggestions:

Home Some very useful up-do styles beyond the bun or basic braid.

Long Hair Care Forum

The Long Hair Community


Personal perspective:
I have long (mid-butt) fine, straight hair. I am currently using a comb only, but I am about to switch back to using my nylon/BB (boar bristle) brush because my hair seems to respond better to brushing. Especially if you have lots of hair, consider a combination nylon/BB brush in order to reach your scalp and get through your hair. Pure BBB are often too soft and can only be used as a finishing brush. Goody makes a cheap one (usually 8 USD or less), Denman makes a good mid-range (15-35 USD), and of course there's Mason Pearson if you have someone whose wallet loves you dearly. I've heard good things about Tangle Teezers.

Do not buy brushes with plastic 'teeth' with balls on the ends.

If you switch to comb only, make sure that you are using a seamless comb. Doesn't have to be expensive, but check to make sure that there are not rough seams that will catch on your hair and cause breakage.

Be careful with wet hair. Lots of people say to leave wet hair alone, or comb it in the shower while the conditioner is in. For everyday wear, I can't be bothered with shower combing (too much water wastage!), and I don't blow dry my hair (heat damage!), so I just treat it carefully and style it wet (stays up better without products!). I always start with a comb. I can use my combo nylon/BB brush on damp hair if it's mostly tangle-free. It doesn't pull or snag, and I loves it very much.

'Cause I haven't blathered enough yet....

Tangles: have you tried a vinegar or lemon juice rinse? Dilute vinegar in water and pour it through your hair, rinse. Works a treat, particularly if you've got a lot of build-up on your hair. Too much acid can lighten hair eventually, so go easy if you're using plain white vinegar (don't do it every day). Some people use a spray bottle with extremely dilute apple cider vinegar as a spray-on detangler.

Chamomile is also considered to be a conditioner, though I don't find the results quite as striking. Supposed to lighten blonde hair gradually, too. Just brew strong chamomile tea.

Generally, damaged hair tangles more readily than healthy hair. Make sure that your ends are healthy, if not get a trim and start fresh -- it hurts to cut it, yes, but it'll be better in the long run to start off healthy. Then treat it nicely, and consider using a light oil (olive, almond, etc.) on the ends occasionally if they get dry.

Have you tried a deep treatment? Don't feel that you have to buy expensive products, there are at-home options like how to make home made deep hair conditioner | Petit Elefant.

Originally Posted by Teophania

Personal perspective:
I have long (mid-butt) fine, straight hair. I am currently using a comb only, but I am about to switch back to using my nylon/BB (boar bristle) brush because my hair seems to respond better to brushing. Especially if you have lots of hair, consider a combination nylon/BB brush in order to reach your scalp and get through your hair. Pure BBB are often too soft and can only be used as a finishing brush. Goody makes a cheap one (usually 8 USD or less), Denman makes a good mid-range (15-35 USD), and of course there's Mason Pearson if you have someone whose wallet loves you dearly. I've heard good things about Tangle Teezers.

Do not buy brushes with plastic 'teeth' with balls on the ends.

If you switch to comb only, make sure that you are using a seamless comb. Doesn't have to be expensive, but check to make sure that there are not rough seams that will catch on your hair and cause breakage.

Be careful with wet hair. Lots of people say to leave wet hair alone, or comb it in the shower while the conditioner is in. For everyday wear, I can't be bothered with shower combing (too much water wastage!), and I don't blow dry my hair (heat damage!), so I just treat it carefully and style it wet (stays up better without products!). I always start with a comb. I can use my combo nylon/BB brush on damp hair if it's mostly tangle-free. It doesn't pull or snag, and I loves it very much.

Thanks for all of this detail!

1) I bought a Boar Bristle brush once and it did absolutely nothing for me. It didn't detangle or get to my scalp. I think my hair is too thick for it (It was Goody brand).

2) My hair stylist told me that it is better to brush my hair when it is wet/damp than dry, so I've been using her advice.

I'll keep looking for more information...Thanks again.

Originally Posted by Alexa

I have fine, thin, wavy hair, so I know I'm coming from a slightly different perspective, but I gave up my brush, too. I use a shower comb or my fingers if I need to, but that usually only after washing my hair and maybe one other time during the day. It breaks up the wave pattern and causes less frizz than brushing. Getting an extremely good conditioner and laying off the sulfates was the key for me, and protein treatments. Fine hair *in general* needs more protein than normal/coarse hair to be manageable and soft. I use Spiral Solutions (although I think her shop is closed right now), and Curl Junkie (Curl Assurance Gentle Cleansing Shampoo, Beauticurls Strengthening Conditioner, and Repair Me! Reconstructive Hair Treatment). I know you kind of went out of your way to say you just wanted brush suggestions, but this routine has made such a difference for my hair, I couldn't help but share.

Thank you! The thicker comb just doesn't get all of the knots. There is no way I can comb my hair with my fingers either (and have it look good). I use sulfate free shampoo and conditioner and on the days I don't shampoo, I still use a deep conditioner. (It's actually called deep-deep-deep conditioner by RenPure).

Originally Posted by andalee-oriental

1) I bought a Boar Bristle brush once and it did absolutely nothing for me. It didn't detangle or get to my scalp. I think my hair is too thick for it (It was Goody brand).
.

Yep, they're not all the same. The first BBB I bought, the bristles were so soft that I can squish them by pressing the brush fairly gently against my hand. I thought BBB fanatics were just insane. :) Then I discovered the stiffer nylon/BB combos.

Originally Posted by andalee-oriental

2) My hair stylist told me that it is better to brush my hair when it is wet/damp than dry, so I've been using her advice.

Eee! I've always heard the opposite. In fact, my hair just frizzes when brushed, so the only time I do it is to detangle and remove dead hair right *before* washing it, since I don't want to do it while it's wet.

The acidic rinses Teophania mentioned are a great idea - I use a vinegar rinse on my own hair after washing to smooth down the cuticle - it really does cut down on tangles.

Thank you for clearing my confusion and for all the tips. my hair is damaged at the ends form years of bleaching. I hate to cut a lot of it off, but it is growing out slowly. I also use the conditioner vinegar method, and only min. amount of gels right now. result is my hair is really static. Still searching for the right product to keep the waves in place, without the tangled mess. Basically a non sticky hair spray?

Originally Posted by Alexa

Fine hair *in general* needs more protein than normal/coarse hair to be manageable and soft.

I'm always open to suggestions for protein treatments that have worked for others if it wouldn't be a threadjack.

Originally Posted by Teophania

Pure BBB are often too soft and can only be used as a finishing brush. Goody makes a cheap one (usually 8 USD or less),

I do NOT recommend the Goody bristle brushes for long hair. In my experience they work fine for a week or two but they are so cheap and the bristles break easily so that in a very short time they will start damaging your hair.

Can anyone comment on the Italian made Widu brushes? I love my wooden-bristle brush, but need to replace it and am considering investing in a Widu. Seems like the reviews are very positive.

UPDATE: I used a plastic wide-toothed comb today instead of a brush and I have to say my hair was really stringy. I do not like.

I bought the tangle teezer today. We'll see how it does.

Update 2! I got the Tangle Teezer in the mail yesterday and I used it today. I really like it. It detangles my hair without yanking it like my old paddle brush did. Based on what I have learned it was my brush more than any other thing that was causing the damage. Thanks for everyone's help! I'll continue to experiment with the Tangle Teezer and update y'all if anything else changes.

I also have baby fine, but overall very thick hair. If it was shorter it would be slightly wavy, but its too long and heavy for that now.

When its wet- I use a comb with 2 different size teeth- first combing it with the wide tooth and then the narrow to get out any remaining tangles. The only problem I've had with this is the number of combs I've broken at the mid-point when the fine side gets caught in the tangles....I don't pull straight through the whole length of hair, but I comb it in sections down the length of it....I'm not sure how to word that so it makes sense....when I hit knots I stop and work the knot out before continuing.

When its dry- I have a brush that is a combo of boar bristles and teeth. My hairdresser recommended that I use the boar bristle brushes to help with distributing the oils the scalp makes along the length of the hair. I agree that it makes my hair shinier, but I agree with you completely that the boar bristles alone don't get rid of the tangles. The combo seems to help get the tangles out and still give the smoothness of the boar bristle...I can't recall who the manufacturer is, but I'm sure there are several varieties on the market.

I started using Moroccan Oil a few weeks ago and so far I really like it. I put it in when my hair is still wet, I use only a small amount (er, well, small relative to the quantity of hair), and I've been playing around with rinsing my hair lightly afterwords to get rid of any "excess" so it isn't weighed down with oil. It really seems to help condition it. In between washings I rinse my hair with water to rinse out sweat, etc, but I don't re-condition unless my hair seems really dry.

Other than that, I agree with the earlier statement about hair health vs amount of tangles. When my ends are split the number of tangles I get goes up rapidly.

I'll be curious to find out what you think of the tangle teaser!

Originally Posted by andalee-oriental

Thanks for all of this detail!

2) My hair stylist told me that it is better to brush my hair when it is wet/damp than dry, so I've been using her advice.

I totally disagree with her!

And honestly, I've seen hair dressers do so many horrendous things and say so many horrendous things that I think they are the worst source of information. These are the people who make everyone think they need a hair style that requires monthly trims, and hair colors and highlights that enslave people into constant touchups. They are the ones who think a woman over 30 shouldn't have long hair. THink about it, it is to their economic advantage the more you have to go to them. They gain nothing from helping you to have healthy hair that requires infrequent care, and they gain nothing from having you become more satisfied with your hair in its natural condition. Everything they say is suspect in my book.

Way better advice at the Long Hair Community, if you ask me, even if some people err to the conservative side in terms of hair care.

When your hair is wet/damp it is in its most fragile condition. Tugging and ripping a brush through it will cause hair strands to stretch, and when that happens, the hair proteins have been permanently damaged (in nerd talk, the quaternary structure of the proteins has been disrupted and can't be put back in place).

I don't think that all brushing is bad. But certainly, a brush should NOT be used to detangle. Detangle with a comb, and then use a brush to style.

Also, detangle starting with short strokes near the ends of your hair, and gradually work upward into longer strokes. That way, all the tangles don't push down into one impossible knot.

It occurred to me that maybe I should mention I have a drawer full of various tools. Two round boar bristle brushes for styling, wood combs (love that they are less static-y), rubber tipped pick, and a paddle brush with wood tines (those never last, when they break the whole tine has to be pulled out and after awhile they start looking 'mangy'). I'm going with ssipes and the others about not brushing your hair when wet. The pick is for teasing out any knots after washing and the combs and brushes are only used when my hair is dry (I've had wood combs break using them on wet hair). Those and a great hairdresser and my hair doesn't break anything like it used to. In fact it's the longest it's ever been.

Maybe I need to pick up one of these 'Tangle Teezers' and add it to my collection.

Originally Posted by Teophania

Do not buy brushes with plastic 'teeth' with balls on the ends.

Uh oh! I think that may be what I have... is this the kind you mean: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_2ZaIYA5MyS...ddle+brush.jpg ?

She probably meant one like this where the balls are a separate material from the 'teeth'. The balls come off and the 'teeth' can really damage your hair.

I've had past-my-shoulders, fine, straight hair for about twenty years. When it's wet, I use a very wide-toothed comb. Dry, I use an all-wood brush (just got a new bamboo one from The Body Shop). Gentle (no sodium lauryl sulfate) shampoo of the scalp every 2-3 days, and squeeze it through the rest of the hair. I've recently been using Argan oil on occasion, just a few drops in my hands, rub them together, and work it through the lower half of the hair, focusing on the ends.

There are lots of brands for hair products , you can use any of good brand brush for your hairs ,its tooth should be wide . Or there are also lots of brushes available in the market according your hair type .