Why I Only Comb My Natural Hair Once A Week

Hey Curlies,

While chatting with someone one afternoon following a natural hair and skin care event, the topic of combing natural hair came up. During a presentation right before that conversation, I talked about how I only comb my hair once a week. It left some people with questions.

Yes, it’s true. I only comb my hair on wash days, which usually means every 7-10 days. I’ve been doing this for years. See my full hair regimen here.

Here is why…

1. I normally choose one style per week and roll with it. Unless I have an event or a special occasion, I upkeep only one style throughout the week.
2. Detangling natural hair is a serious battle – let’s be real. Though I’ve found some of my favorite detanglers to help, it still takes time that I seriously don’t have.

Here’s the real deal…

There is nothing wrong with combing your hair each day, but unnecessarily manipulating your hair by constantly styling and detangling can cause breakage.

I’ve found wearing only one style, and combing (detangling) my hair only once per week, my type 4 kinky curls have retained length and are less prone to breakage.

Listen to the full podcast episode on Curly Conversations below:

Here’s an example:

I may start off with a style like this:

I’ll probably wear that style for 3-4 days and do a twist out for days 5-10. That doesn’t require any combing.

Here’s another example:

I may start off with a style like this:

Once it gets old, I’ll turn it into a puff or similar style while using product, but without detangling.

 

 

 

What helps keep me on track are the types of styles I choose to wear. Outside of those special occasion styles, I usually start off with a protective style. I love wearing 2-n-1 styles that start off as one look but end as another. Twistouts and braidouts are great examples.

Check out my full hair regimen here.

When I do detangle my hair…

I usually end up with a ball of hair – but that’s OK. Our hair sheds about 100-150 hairs per day. Since I choose not to comb my hair each day, those hairs add up. If I don’t comb my hair for 7 days, that’s over 700 hairs that should have come out. Since I’m not combing, those hairs are still hanging out, and therefore come out once I do detangle my hair.

That’s one of the biggest tips I give people who like to wear protective styles like box braids and twists with weave. Don’t freak out when you see a ball of hair and you haven’t combed your hair in months. It’s a natural process.

A few tips…

I like to detangle with a paddle brush in sections. I start at the ends and work my way up to the roots. I use the one by Txture Pro.

Never detangle your hair while dry. You will cause yourself a huge headache and lots of breakage. Use water, a leave-in conditioner, styler, oil – whatever you have on hand before detangling.

 

How often do you comb and style your hair? Let me know in the comments below.

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