DETANGLING +
BRUSHING CURLY HAIR 101

IT IS OKAY TO BRUSH CURLY HAIR.

But on that same note;

BRUSHES ARE NOT ONE SIZE FITS ALL.

There is a time and a place, and this guide will help you pick the right tools for you! 

While brushing textured hair is often frowned upon, and there are mixed feelings on whether to brush hair wet or dry, plus the whole styling with a brush bit seems to be counter-intuitive. (why would you brush out the curls to define them??). I’ll explain each of these theories as we go along and when/why you would want to use any type of brush on your hair. From comb, to brushes, to picks, this is your complete guide and all of my tried and true go-to tools. We are going to dive into how to detangle different hair types for the quickest and easiest damage-free method, including the best brushes to use and the difference they make for each hair type.

DRY DETANGLING

WHAT IS IT?

This includes brushing the hair while it is dry, before a shower and in between wash days.

WHO SHOULD DO IT?

  • Straight-Wavy hair textures, bonus if the hair and scalp is oily because it will help distribute your natural oils through your strands to protect them and add shine.
  • Curly & Coily hairs can also brush their hair dry, but with an extra step to prevent breakage called a PRE POO (aka pre-shampoo treatment using oils).

BEWARE!  Don’t do this on hair with LOW elasticity. If your hair is dry and brittle, brushing when dry will cause breakage. And if your hair is curly, prepare for pain because your scalp may scream.

TIPS:

1. Always brush starting at the tips of your ends and work the brush up the hair shaft to detangle scalp to ends.

2. Tight textures, hair that is extremely tangled, matted, can start with a pre-poo. Hair should be saturated with an emollient product to help smooth and lubricate strands to prepare for the process.

Tools:

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  1. Good for straight-wavy hair. Oily hair 
  2. Benefits: this will distribute natural oils, stimulate scalp & help with exfoliation for flaky scalp

WET DETANGLING

WHAT IS IT?

This includes brushing hair while it is wet, both in the shower or out, with or without product.

WHO SHOULD DO IT?

Great for most hair types BUT BEWARE!

It’s not advised for extremely damaged hair (grade 5 porosity) with no elasticity.

Benefits: It helps to thoroughly distribute product throughout the hair. Hair has better elasticity when it is wet and hydrated, it can be much easier to detangle the hair while it is wet and wild.

TIP:

Always good to use a brush when there is some product in the hair that adds moisture to support the elasticity like: conditioners, leave in conditioners, detangling aids, and/or serums.

Tools:

Great for all:

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Great for Kids:

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Great for coarse, thick hair:

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Great for tight textures:

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Great for travel:

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SHAMPOO BRUSHES

WHAT ARE THEY?

A small handheld brush to massage your scalp with, while shampooing, conditioning, or dry in between washes.

WHO SHOULD USE THEM?

All hair and scalp types. Beware if you have scalp conditions such as eczema or psoriasis, proceed gently.

Benefits: Feels amazing, distributes product for an all over clean, stimulates scalp, exfoliates dead, flaky skin.

Tangle Teezer The Scalp Exfoliator & Massager

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BRUSH STYLING FOR CURLY HAIR

WHAT IS IT?

Using a brush to style curls. These are brushes best used not for detangling hair, but defining curls. They can help distribute product along your hair shaft and wet set your curls in place for gorgeous frizz-free styles that last.

WHO SHOULD DO IT?

All curl types (wavy 2b-coily 4c and in between) can get gorgeous curls using the right brush and products. Benefits: Great for defining textured hair to achieve clumped curls + smooth frizz.

BEWARE! Don’t do it if your hair is damaged and breaks easily. Always test your elasticity & Porosity and use the right products to nourish & protect your hair. 

Tip: Make sure you check out tutorials for how-to do it correctly here. 

Tools: 

GREAT FOR ALL:

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Option to remove bristle rows for less tension, which is beneficial for finer hair types and looser curl textures.

GREAT FOR THICK/COARSE:

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Creates more tension on the hair for more control. Option to remove bristle rows for less tension and customization.

GREAT FOR SHORT HAIR/TRAVEL:

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SMOOTHING BRUSHES

WHAT IS IT?

A tool designed to stretch and set the hair, smoothing out curl and frizz. These are to be used with or without heat, and work by creating tension to stretch the hair straight and by removing kinks. 

WHO SHOULD USE THEM?

Any hair type looking to set their hair in a style. Benefits: works well in combination with heat from blow dryer, can prevent the need for using excessive heat with hot tools like flat iron and result in a more full, fluffy looking style.

BEWARE: that some of these brushes, including a round brush, can easily get tangled and stuck in the hair if used incorrectly. Heat protection should always be used when applying heat. Only use tools with heat if they are marketed to be used with heat  or you run the risk of it melting in your hair.

Tips:

  1. Always make sure the hair is prepped with a leave-in product and detangled prior to using smoothing brushes on wet hair.
  2. These brushes are not made to detangle hair!
  3. For blow-out hairstyles, first use a paddle brush to dry the hair to 85% dry before reaching for a round brush.

TOOLS:

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PICKS/COMBS

WHAT ARE THEY?

These little tools are great for finishing your style with extra volume. They can be thrown in your bag to keep with you on the go!

WHO SHOULD USE IT?

Anyone looking to fluff up and add volume to their look.

Benefits: Helps achieve volume in textured hair.

BEWARE: PICK/TEASE ON DRY HAIR

Tips for Curly-Coily Hair:

Pick out from the root. Don’t pick from the ends if you want to maintain the clumps, instead focus on the roots for volume

Tips For Straight/Wavy Hair:

Backcomb/tease to add volume

 

TOOLS: 

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HOW TO CLEAN YOUR BRUSHES

Use a comb/pick to remove hair from the brush. hairdressers/ people sharing their brushes should clean and sanitize with a spritz of alcohol after each use, and for at home Fill a bowl or your sink with warm water + a drop of shampoo, let them soak and swish around in the water, rinse and dry. Good to go!

If you’ve gotten this far, I’m sure by now you have an idea of what tools you may want to use for your hair. Bottom line is: brushing curly hair isn’t bad, it’s all about how you do it. For more tips and demonstrations, watch my youtube video for tutorials using these tools below!

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