Thick hair. I’ve got it, Nat’s got it, and I’m betting some of you have it too. And if you’ve got thick hair, you know what it’s like to try tons of different hair tools that work great for your friends with normal amounts of hair only to have them sit unused in a drawer because they just don’t work for you. That’s what I’ve done. I learned after a while that there were certain types of tools and accessories that work fantastically, some that only worked in combination with other tools, and some that I just had to stay away from.
Let’s get started with
what I consider to be the Holy Grail of thick hair tools; the Tangle Teezer. It’s
a brush with no handle that you just nestle into the palm your hand. My hair is
so thick that it tends to get tangled a lot, and when I’ve tried to use regular
wide tooth combs or brushes they just tend to get stuck. The different length
bristles of the Tangle Teezer are meant to detangle your hair gently and easily,
whether wet or dry. It’s the best thing I’ve found for getting through all of
my hair with little to no breakage.
The next thing you’ll want is a good boar’s bristle brush. I use this one from Conair. While it won’t really get through your hair like the Tangle Teezer, it does a great job at smoothing over your hair and spreading your scalp’s natural oil from root to tip. Ever wonder why your scalp looks like a greasy mess while the ends are dry? You’re not letting the oil do what it’s meant to do, which is keep your hair soft and protected. Plastic bristles can’t spread that oil, and when the oil doesn’t spread you end up washing your hair more than you need to because your roots look gnarly. With lots of hair, that’s a big waste of shampoo if you’re washing your hair when you shouldn’t need to. Plus all that washing is likely drying your hair out even more.
Another thing I always keep handy is a fine tooth comb. Nothing fancy, and I don’t use it for combing through my hair on a regular basis, because, let’s be honest, it just can’t do that. Mostly what I use it for is to smooth the surface of my hair when I’ve put it up.
I cut my own bangs so that I can stretch out my time between salon visits, but in order for them to not look too crazy I use these thinning scissors from Goody. You've probably seen something similar at your hair salon. They’re used to soften the ends of your hair so that they don’t look so blunt and harsh. The first time you use them is a bit scary, because that little part of your brain insists that you’re about to chop off all your hair, but it really only gets about a third. If you do any home trimming, these are a necessity.
Have you ever seen that first world problem meme about how your hair is too thick for the hair tie to go around three times, but the hair tie is too loose if you only wrap it around twice? Did it hit just a little too close to home? Well these hair ties from Scunci are the answer to your prayers. You can see that their diameter is noticeably bigger than normal hair ties and are strong enough to really hold your hair in place the way you’ve always dreamed a hair tie could.
Thin regular sized hair ties also have their place in your vanity. While they can’t hold up all of your hair at once, they are great for putting up half of your hair without having to use a clip that will snap your hairs. They’re also great for the ends of braids, or for helping hold up hairstyles like top knots and Gibson tucks.
Another thing you need are hair pins. Don’t get me wrong, bobby pins have their place, but if you’re trying to do something like a bun one hair pin can do the work of three or four bobby pins. They can really reach through and grab hold of your hair. I can do a top knot using only four of them!
Now really quick, let’s go through the things that aren’t really worth your money. Obviously, you don’t need a hair doughnut. They are for making your bun look fuller. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want my bun to be so big that it looks like an extra head. Regular sized hair ties are another thing not to waste your money on. They will just make you sad when they snap (though side note, snapped hair ties make great cat toys). You may also have found that most hair clips don’t work right for you. That’s because the amount of hair that will fit in them is usually not right proportionally on your head for the look that they are designed for. The quarter updo anyone? No, it’s not a thing, but that’s all you can fit in those clips meant for the standard half updo.
There are of course exceptions to everything that I’ve said. None of us have exactly the same hair, so some things that may work for me won’t work for you and vice versa. Be that as it may, I wanted to share with you what I’ve found in hopes that others of you might also find what I’ve had to say useful. If you have any thick hair tools that you can’t live without, let me know in the comments.
Cheers,
Julia
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