Comb vs. Brush Part 1

I have had several inquiries about my choice of using a vent brush. It got me thinking that maybe there are more of you out there similarly wondering about it as well and so I thought I would share my thoughts on the subject of comb vs. brush with everyone.

To begin, I would like to quickly overview the function of  combs and brushes. The purpose of any comb or brush is to help you;

1. Have control when styling
2. Help in the process of removing tangles and loose hairs
3. Aid in the distribution of product and/or natural oils throughout your hair.

Looking at the comb first, we find the pros and cons of the comb vary depending on what type of comb you choose to use. Combs like brushes span the gamete and, because of that, I believe that some should not be used on your curly hair. For the purposes of this article I will refer to 3 different types of combs. First is the handy dandy hair dressing comb/cutting comb.

Pros

1. The tightly packed teeth of this comb makes it excellent at grabbing,  gathering, and controlling hair.
2. Helps to make a nice smooth surface needed for cutting, making ponytails, braiding, etc. 
3. Aides well in back combing to provide lift at the root of the hair*
4. Can help pull out dirt and debris from hair

Cons

1. The tightly packed teeth can pull on curly hair and cause excessive pulling, discomfort and even breakage.

 

Some of the same reasons that this comb is a stylists best friend are the same reasons that you would want to steer clear of it in your own personal use, if your hair density ranges anywhere from a medium amount to thick and plentiful. Of course,  if you want a nice tight ponytail or braid (everything has a time and a place right?) this comb would make an excellent choice.  As a side note; if you have less than a medium amount of hair you may not run into any problems using this comb due to the mere fact that your hairs are not as densely packed.

The second comb is called a wide tooth comb or a vent comb.

Pros:

1. Multi purpose
2. One half of  the comb has wider teeth to better aid in picking out tangles from wet hair.
3. Opposite side of the comb is used for added control of hair when styling or cutting.

Cons:

1. Hairs could be pulled and or broken if care isn’t taken to keep them out of the tightly packed section of the comb.

This comb would be the perfect choice for someone looking to save some money. The wider teeth make it a good choice for those with a medium amount of hair that want to use it’s multi-purpose styling control benefits. However this is not the best choice for those with thick hair because the teeth on the wide end may still be too close and cause excessive pulling and damage. For those with thin hair this comb may be over kill, because the teeth on the wide end may be spaced too far apart to make it useful in accomplishing the job it is needed to do. Thus, making it a waste of your money.

Comb number three is a most commonly called a pik. There are many different versions of this comb but this picture provides an image of what is most commonly found and used.  

Pros:

1. Excellent at detangling hair
2. Few teeth that are widely spread apart
3. Nice big handle

Cons:

1. Widely spaced teeth
2. Gives little to no control when styling in ponytails or braids
3. Designed for only one purpose

Best choice for those who have medium to thick hair. The wide spacing of teeth make detangling a breeze. There are so many varieties that you can easily find one that is ergonomically correct in the handle area (which basically means it is comfortable to hold and put less stress on your body). While it will separate the hairs of those with fine to medium fine amounts of hair, it will not be as effective at removing loose hairs that can contribute to tangling (of course, that may not be as big of an issue for you as for those with thicker hair).

While I am aware that there are still more choices of combs available to the average consumer hopefully my review of these 3 different types will make it easier for you to pick the best one for your needs. Don't go rush off to the store yet though, because in my next article we will be discussing different types of brushes and you might decide you’d rather use a brush than a comb. 'Til next time…:).

*I try to stay clear of this practice unless I am doing an updo for a very special occasion. It causes too much damage and breakage to be used on a regular basis.

 

To protein or not to protein...

Previously, in my list of Do's and Don'ts I talked about what kind of ingredients to look for in a shampoo, conditioner, or gel. I have learned since writing that article that it is necessary to be somewhat more discriminating when picking out the right products for your hair. It is not enough to just simply find the right ingredients, but to know which ones work best for your hair texture.
   How do you find out your hair texture? Easy. Separate a single strand of hair from the rest and run your forefinger and thumb over the length of it from scalp to ends. If, when you run your fingers over the strand of hair and you feel hardly anything or nothing at all, you have fine textured hair; if your hair feels like a strand of quilting thread then you have coarse textured hair; if your hair feels like it is somewhere in between, you have "normal" textured hair. Be warned, it is possible to have two different textures coexisting on the same head of hair. For example I have both normal and coarse hair mixed throughout my hair.
   What does it mean? Well, it tells you more adequately what the composition of your hair is. Those with coarse hair produces an abundance of protein but lack an equal amount of moisture giving it the characteristic wiry, thick texture. On the other hand, those with fine hair are blessed with a healthy helping of moisture but have a scant amount of protein which gives the strand a light and thin feeling. Normal hair has a balanced amount of moisture and protein allowing it to be more versatile than the other two textures.
   Why does your hair texture effect what ingredients you should look for? To put it plainly, you want your hair to be balanced. When you naturally have too much protein in your hair you don't want to add more because it throws off the balance even more, vice versa for overly moisturized hair.
    In conclusion, those with fine hair should look for products that contain proteins and stay away from moisturizing ingredients such as oils. Coarse textured individuals should steer clear of any kind of protein* in their hair care diet, while adding a healthy dose of moisturizing ingredients. Both protein and moisturizing ingredients are tolerated well by those with "normal" texture, so these curly heads can be a little less picky when looking for their products. This statement should be tempered by the reality that even these individuals can find that they have a sensitivity to either protein or moisture.
    Unfortunately, what this all means is that reading labels will seem to others to be your new favorite past time. :) However, I promise you that the extra effort will be well worth your time. Happy hunting.....I mean shopping.;)

*The only exceptions to this is immediately following a chemical service.

How to Make a T-shirt Towel

Before                        
    
After
     
Traditional terri cloth towels rough up your hair’s cuticle causing damage, tangles and frizz. The flat surface of the t-shirt helps keep the cuticle of the hair closed thus minimizing frizz, tangles and damage.
Items needed:

• Old large or x-large t-shirt
• Scissors 
• Pen
• Needle and thread or a sewing machine already threaded.
• Minimal sewing knowledge

Directions:

1. Lie the t-shirt flat on the ground or table.
2. Cut off arms

    3.   Cut along the side seams on both sides.
      4.  Open it up and lie it flat on the table. If the sides are cut choppy that’s ok you can fix it at the end.
     5.  On what was the front side of the t-shirt draw a straight line across the width of the shirt about 1 in. below the bottom of the collar.
      6.  Repeat on what used to be the back side of the shirt.   

      7.  Using scissors, cut along the front line. Repeat on the back line.

       8.  Place both halves with right sides together. Matching up the “collar” edges together and the bottom edges.

       9.  1 in. below the “collar” area sew a straight line across the width of the t-shirt. If you are sewing by hand, sew back over the line three times. Reinforcing the line will  help to ensure that it will remain tight through many washings.

       10.  Enjoy the look of your frizz free curls or straight hair with the help of your newly made t-shirt towel .
 
*After sewing the t-shirt back together I decided to straighten up the sides by re-cutting them so the finished product looked nice and neat.

How to Plop Your Hair With a Flour Sack

Yet another video for your educational viewing pleasure. Enjoy and please feel free to leave feedback.

My Story

Looking through my posts, I saw that I never really shared how I came to be where I am now, in terms of my curly hair. Here is my Reader’s Digest history. 

When I was but a wee baby….. j.k. :)  I won’t go that far back, but when I was a child everyone loved my hair. It  was soft, bouncy, and had beautiful loose ringlets, somewhere along the way that changed.  Honestly, as I grew up I was a bit of a tom boy. After about 2nd grade, when I needed the most help, I wouldn’t let  my Mom touch my hair. My hair became a long thick mess of waves and curls. I was a kid though and to an extent I didn’t care. Although, all the taunting and teasing did make me very self conscience about my hair over time. 

Through my preteen and teen years my hair was a series of bad haircuts that either grew out ugly or (when I was lucky) grew out well.  In 8th grade I began “straightening” my hair (I used the big barrel curling iron technique). When I became annoyed with dealing with my hair I  turned to perms to try to achieve “ the perfect curl”. The hairdressers never listened to me, and I almost always ended up looking like a poodle, or exactly the same but with trashed hair from the chemical process. Needless to say, I dreaded going to the hairdresser. It is ironic that as my career of choice  I choose be a cosmetologist. I was drawn to it admittedly for selfish reasons. I wanted to know how to style my hair; to know how to keep my crazy bush in check.


Amongst all the useful tips, tricks, tools and techniques I was introduced to, the  flat iron quickly became my favorite. My hair looked gorgeous, only it was straight. :( I continued to fight my curl for years. There were a few tricks that I was taught that helped me wear my hair “naturally” curly, but only if I wanted to devote 1- 1 1/2 hrs to making the curls look presentable. They never looked good the next day, so I rarely justified taking the time from my family to style it curly. My straightened hairstyle was always good for about 2-3days, so it seemed worth the effort to me.  A big draw back to straightening my hair was that I was always in fear of sweating or the weather. There was one special occasion that I spent 2 hours straightening my hair, but because the weather was very humid and misty by the end of the night my hair was in loose ringlets (that did not look good). 

By the time I had my 3rd child I was done. I was tired, my time was stretched thin, and I wanted to have a more “wash and wear style”. It was then that I finally began to find answers to my questions in a book. Three years later and I am still digging to find out more on curly hair but the results thus far have been extraordinary to me. My hair is curlier than it has ever been, I don’t spend hours on my hair and, most importantly, I have embraced me.  I wouldn’t go back and make the slightest change to my story, because it has made me who I am today.

Holiday Greetings

After my long absence from blogging I am itching to “get back to it”.  Some of you may be wondering where I went and I wish I could give you a really good answer but I can’t.  My life outside of blogging and hair just simply took over.  Here I am though ready to share valuable knowledge and information to those of you who care to read. During my absence I frequently pondered on what I would write about.  I have decided to keep it simple for this entry, so I declare a be-lated  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.  I pray this new year/decade will bring blessings to all  as they work to achieve their goals.

Back from big trip to Florida

Sorry I didn't write more this past week, but I have been recuperating from my trip to Florida. First, I would like to give a big thanks to all those who made my stay enjoyable and memorable. There is a certain group of curlies, you know who you are, that made me feel right at home and taught me so much more about the joys of being curly. I reserve my biggest thanks to Tiffany, the genius behind the website Live Curly Live Free, for teaching me her techniques for cutting curly hair. Tiffany truly has the heart of a teacher and is most inspiring in her passion and drive for helping curly heads everywhere learn how to take better care of their hair. I am excited to use my new found knowledge to help those in my area achieve beautiful results for their curls. Via La Curls!!