Never use a brush on wet hair, and do not over-brush wet hair. Wet hair is more easily damaged than dry hair (when hair is wet, its hydrogen bonds have been broken and the hair is therefore in a more vulnerable state). On wet hair, it is best to use either a wide-toothed comb or a wide-bristled brush with rounded tips.

Don’t Go Shopping for Hair-Care Products Without Me by Paula Begoun

When I was younger, I used to use a fine-toothed comb to comb my wet hair. You know those sort of combs where you get for free from hotels? Or the god-awful orange combs boys love to slip into the back-pockets of their jeans? (Malaysian readers would know this very well) Yep, those. As I have really thick and coarse hair, it takes longer for it to detangle, so I would really force that comb down. It didn’t make my hair look any sleeker when it was dry, and the amount of split hair I had was crazy. I don’t even mean split ends; strands of my hair would tear, right in the middle. And my itchy fingers would break those strands just for the heck of it, leaving me with uneven, split-ended hair.

After I learned of this tip, I purchased a wide-toothed comb to see if it made any difference. I’m glad to say that although it didn’t lessen the split ends much, the amount of torn hair in the middle reduced significantly. It also helped to comb it less, especially when it’s wet.

So lay off that brush when your hair is wet 🙂