Thick Hair Rule # 18

 If your hair is Natural, use wide tooth combs.

 

 

            My hair is so thick that I never dreamed of using anything but a wide tooth comb.  Even the thought of running one of those narrowly-spaced, rat-tailed combs through my hair makes me cringe.  I actually prefer finger combing.  I only use a tool (ie. comb) in my hair once a week during my wash routine. The school of thought is less combing, less breakage.  I look for combs that slip through my hair with the least amount of tension.  The space in between the teeth of my comb is important because it allows me to gently remove tangles without much breakage.  Essentially, the space gives my strands of hair room to separate, which improves detangling.

 
I’ve never had a problem with tangles (did you hear that knock on wood).  No matter what kind of comb I use, that snap-crackle-pop sound I hear when I detangle is just something I had to get use to. When I first went natural I hated losing any hair to breakage, but as my hair got longer I stopped sweating a single stand knot. Knots are a part of the natural lifestyle, so I embrace it.

 

These are the wide tooth combs I avoid:

 

·         Anything with metals ends. If it’s not gentle on my scalp it’s probably just as rough on my strands.

 

·         Cheaply made combs. If the handle breaks what’s the point. If I wanted a pick I would have bought a pick.
 
·         Combs where the seams are so thick they tear your hair strands. If I run my fingers along the inside of my comb and feel the seams – I’ll choose another comb.

 

I know a comb isn’t a big deal, but when you desire strong, healthy, envy producing hair every little thing counts.