Dear Ouidad: I am a 3a/3b with a slightly tighter curl on the crown of my head. I have found that the worst element of maintaining my hair is the comb out. I’ve gone through multiple products, and no matter what, the wide tooth comb ends up ripping through my hair. I don’t know what to do. If I continually combed my hair in the shower every day, I’d be a frizzball, but if I don’t, I can feel the difference in even grabbing all my hair at once. I try to start at the ends and go up to the roots, but it’s usually so difficult I dont see the point in being gentle. Any pointers?

A: For detangling tough curls, it’s all about the tools. I suggest using a heavier comb created for people with curly hair, like the Double Detangler. The weight of the comb prevents you from having to rip through your curls and pulling out extra hair. Another excellent way to prevent hair breakage and loss during detangling is to invest in an ultra-nourishing, leave-in conditioner. Having these two items will make a world of difference when going through your normal detangling routine. You also need to make sure that you’re detangling from the bottom up with conditioner in your hair to prevent stress and breakage. After detangling with conditioner in the hair you can add your styling gel.