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The wavy hair dilemma: your hair knots faster than your friends with straight hair, but every time you try to brush it you end up with a huge, frizzy mess. In this article I’ll cover why you shouldn’t brush wavy hair while it’s dry, and how you can detangle it quickly and easily – without a brush.
Should You Brush Wavy Hair?
In general, you should never brush wavy hair. Pulling a hairbrush through wavy hair will damage your curl structure and lead to a frizzy mess. Instead, you should detangle your hair with your fingers or a wide tooth comb and only use a hair brush right before you wash your hair.
Can You Brush Wavy Hair When It’s Wet?
The general consensus is that brushing hair when it’s wet can cause breakage since hair is weaker when it’s wet. However, as long as you’re gentle and use a lot of product, I feel you can ignore this advice.
Brushing wavy hair when it’s wet will damage your curl structure, and some people will find their wavy hair will be frizzy and lifeless when it dries. However, others will find their hair dries into beautiful beach waves, even though it won’t be as curly as it would have been without brushing.
Caring for wavy hair requires a lot of trial and error. What works for you may not work for someone else, so I recommend experimenting with brushing your wavy hair while wet and seeing what works for you.
How Can You Detangle Wavy Hair Without a Hairbrush?
Of course, you may be wondering how you can detangle your wavy hair without causing frizz. While the following options may take longer than just pulling a hairbrush through your waves, they’re a lot safer and can be done with minimal frizz.
1. With Your Fingers
The easiest way to detangle your hair without causing frizz is to just use your fingers. As long as you do it often enough (I recommend every morning and evening) it shouldn’t be too much work each time.
2. With a Wide Tooth Comb
Hair care experts often recommend using a wide tooth comb as an alternative to brushing wet hair. However, if you’re gentle you can also get away with using one to detangle dry hair without the frizz you’d get by brushing it.
3. Use Product
Make sure you’re using enough product on your dry hair to make it slippery enough for your fingers or comb to glide through. I recommend a leave-in conditioner (my favourite is the Garnier Hair Food) since they’re designed to help smooth your hair without causing too much buildup.
How Can You Prevent Wavy Hair Getting Tangled if You Don’t Brush it?
1. Sleep in Braids
The easiest time for your hair to become tangled is while you sleep. It doesn’t take too long to put your wavy hair into braids at the end of each day, and it’s one of the most effective ways to prevent knots while you sleep.
2. Sleep on a Satin Pillowcase
Traditional pillowcases have a rough texture that can cause knots and frizz while you move around in your sleep. Try investing in a satin pillowcase to help prevent knots while you sleep. It can take some getting used to, but waking up to smooth hair will be totally worth it.
3. Keep Your Hair Trimmed
The healthier your hair is, the longer it will take to tangle. Make sure you trim your hair regularly to prevent annoying knots and tangles.
What Type of Hairbrush is Best for Wavy Hair?
Hair brushes are a useful tool for easy detangling, even though they can make wavy hair frizzy. I recommend using a detangling brush such as a Tangle Teezer before you hop in the shower. They’re incredibly gentle and allow you to brush your hair before you wash it with minimal breakage.
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Do you have wavy hair? Let us know in the comments what tricks you use to keep your hair knot free without causing frizz! If you liked this post then be sure to subscribe to The Violet Journal to keep up with all the latest updates.