Five Ways To Use A Tangle Teezer

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Above: Photo of my Tangle Teezer via Instagram

About a month ago, I embarked on my usual shopping trip to CVS, which included a mini hair haul–of course! Family-sized bottle of Hello Hydration—check! Latest hair accessory—check! However, this time I spotted the infamous Tangle Teezer. I’ve heard about this detangling brush/comb for a long while now but passed on trying it due to poor relations with the Denman Brush.

A little backstory: Years ago, I tried using the Denman D3 and the modified version of the Denman D3 (with rows removed), since many curlies were having great results. At first I fell in love with the way it clumped my hair, but I soon experienced A LOT of hair removal. Granted, my hair was still rehabbing and recovering from heat damage at the time. Still, it was too much hair loss for comfort.

After discussions at hair forums, I picked up the Denman D41, which has wider spaced bristles and is designed for afro textured hair. This worked much better, but I still lost a lot of hair, so I put it down. If you decide to try a Denman, I recommend the D41 or D31. For me, I’ll revisit this brush a little later.

No more teasing. Back to the Tangle Teezer! I stared at it, pondered what our relationship would amount to, gave it the side eye, and then … jumped in! This could either turn into a great love affair, or it can crash and burn. The only way to find out was to try. With curiosity holding onto this cat, I experimented for about two weeks and discovered five ways in which you can use the Tangle Teezer … or your Denman brush (both produced identical results on my curly mane). Oh, and as you may notice below, a little alliteration never hurt anyone!

1. Shed Shredder – Occasionally, my hair will have periods in which it will shed more than usual. This is accompanied by shed hair that catches my healthy strands, snags it, wrestles, produces knots … and has me in a fit! You too? Calm down curlie! While this requires gentle finger work and sometimes the assistance of scissors (sigh). Don’t rip those hairs out of your head!

Above: My Curly Mane styled through a wash ‘n go and Hair Rules Kinky Curling Cream (read my review). Shed hair removed via a Tangle Teezer.

Try This: Hop into the shower and apply a generous amount of conditioner to your hair. Detangle your hair with a wide tooth comb, beginning at the back of your head. I use a comb first because on its own, these bristles are a little rough on my delicate tresses. Your hair may be a little more gangsta and can stand up to all brushes on its own. The only way to find out is to experiment, as always.

When done, whip out the Tangle Teezer (try not to drop this little thing, like I do!) and detangle again. I advise that you gently work your way up your strands, as opposed to brushing your hair from the scalp downwards. This method will aid in removing shed hairs. Just remember to use lots of conditioner.

2.Scalp Survivor – I usually sleep on getting my nails done and focus on my hair instead, but I recently began exploring the wonderful world of gel nail polish. I like to preserve my polish to save money and the style. Hey, a gal’s gotta be thrifty! This is when I really like to use the Tangle Teezer instead of my nails to cleanse my scalp. Here’s what you can do. In the shower, as you’re applying shampoo (optional) and/or conditioner to your hair, take your brush and massage your scalp in circular motions. The Tangle Teezer will do the job of cleaning your scalp, without the assistance of nails. I know. I know. You’re supposed to use your fingertips to wash your scalp, but I haven’t quite weaned myself off of my nails!

3. Dope Detangler – As mentioned above, you can begin the detangling process by using a wide tooth comb first. For some curly girls with tighter textures, like my sister, these brushes work wonders on their own. The Tangle Teezer can tremendously help to simplify this process.

4. Curl Clumper – For some ladies, curls are optional. They prefer poofier, undefined styles. If you like this look, skip this tip. For curl seekers, the Tangle Teezer is your friend. This brush makes curls clump and pop. Unfortunately, it also makes my hair shrriiiink! You can combat this by stretching your hair, using a blow dryer.

5. Style Supporter – As you’re applying products onto your hair, use the Tangle Teezer to aid in the application and removal of excess product. This brush also smooths tresses, which is perfect when doing braid-outs or twist-outs. How so? The Tangle Teezer produces sleeker strands, which helps with manipulating and shaping your hair into styles.

As mentioned, the Tangle Teezer and/or Denman D41 Volumizing Brush don’t have to be used solely for brushing. They can come in handy in other ways. It just may take some play time before you find a technique that works for you.

Are you using a Tangle Teezer or Denman? How are you using it and what have been your results?