Before I started the Curly Girl method, I brushed my hair a lot. After all, I was a huge fan of Little House on the Prairie. And Laura always brushed her hair with 100 strokes before she went to bed. It worked for her–but not for my hair! Brushing my hair would result in goofy, frizzy, dry-looking hair. In the spring of 2016, I started the Curly Girl Method, and I never brush my hair now. You might be wondering, “Why? What’s so bad about a brush?”

Here’s why curly girls never brush curly hair.

1. Brushing curly hair breaks the bonds in your curls.

What makes curly hair stay in nice, well defined curls? Curls need a product or emollient to bond into tight spirals. In order to have distinct curls and an obvious curl pattern, you’ll need one of the following.

• Healthy natural oils/sebum
• Products with emollients (curl cream, oil, etc.)
• Curly Girl approved gel with chemical bonding agents

Curly girls often use techniques such as plopping, diffusing their hair, or finger coiling to improve curl definition.

But, when you brush or comb curly hair, the brush breaks up all those beautiful curls you’ve worked so hard for.

For this photo, I actually used a comb to brush my hair and show you how crazy it can get! As you can see, it’s big, frizzy, and doesn’t have defined curls.

2. Brushing curly hair causes static.

When I used to brush my hair, it would get very staticky. I would have random strands sticking up and unruly cowlicks. My hair was not happy, and I honestly had a lot of “bad hair days.”

Brushing or combing curly hair produces opposite electrical charges (positive and negative). Because your dry hair doesn’t conduct electricity, the positive charges stay on your hair and cause static.

3. When you brush curly hair, you ruffle the hair cuticle.

Lots of brushing can damage your hair cuticle (the outer layer of hair). This causes a lot of frizz and makes your hair appear messy. For beautiful hair, you need a smooth, well hydrated cuticle. Just put that brush away!

So how do curly girls actually detangle their hair?

Because I don’t brush or comb my hair when dry, I always detangle it in the shower AFTER I apply lots of conditioner. This protects my hair from breakage and damage. When I wash my hair, I do lose a small handful of hair, but that is normal.

Here’s why… People who brush their hair lose hairs gradually and don’t notice it as much. Because my curly hair is locked into curls with gel, I lose very little hair between washes. That’s why I lose a chunk of hair when I detangle and wash it.

What about wet brushing?

Yes! Wet brushing is a great idea. I personally use a gifted Behairful Brush to detangle my curls after applying conditioner. It saves time and thoroughly distributes products. Some curly girls love to use Denman Brushes, Wet Brushes, and more. These brushes can be used in the shower on wet hair for best results. They help you detangle thick, curly hair.

Or, you can also use a brush on wet hair to distribute products.

You can check out Behairful Brushes here and use code CURLYGIRL to get 10% off your order!

Let’s Chat:

Curly girls, do you ever brush your hair? Or do you detangle in the shower, like I do? Have you ever tried a wet brush? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

p.s. Some of the items in this post are affiliate links. I only post about products that I love + think you’ll probably love, too! As an Amazon Associate or affiliate for other programs, I earn from qualifying purchases. When you purchase through my link, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you. Thank you SO much for your support!