Some products work better with our hair than others. Part of the puzzle is just figuring out which ones they are:

The absolute best thing to comb and set your curls with is a Denman Brush (or a brush like the Denman). They are usually available in beauty supply stores like Sally's (or click on the picture of the brush to buy). They cost more than a regular brush, but are worth it. This is a UK company. If you go to the Denman Site:, it opens to a page that lists where you can find more shops that sell the brush in the US (when you click on the "US visitors Click Here" button at the top left), as well as more purchasing information in the UK.

I recommend using the "Classic Styling" type brushes (such as the D4).

These come in different colors. Often they are sold with a white or blue handle. Cheap drugstore brushes fall apart.

• They last for years and years of hard labor
• The rubber base absorbs much of the pull that comes from combing, so your hair doesn't have to
• The teeth are perfectly spaced to enhance your natural curls

Avoid any comb or brush with balls on the ends of the teeth. Your hair will tangle in them in no time.

The best things to use when styling your hair are the simplest. Try to get smooth items with few moving parts, and as simple looking as possible. My hair snags on anything, so the big issue is just finding things that it doesn’t catch in. Since our hair is curly, we don’t need lots of little things to hold in strays, we usually need fewer, bigger items just to hold the bulk in place.

Here are some of my favorite items:

Scunci makes some great hair products for curly hair. They can be found in just about every drugstore. Here is the link for more information: www.scunci.com

The best hair pins I have ever found are the three shown in the bottom of this picture. They're called "Magic-Grip Hairpins". They don't catch in my hair, yet hold it very firmly. They come in packs of 10. You can find them at beauty supply stores and at: www.goodhairdays.com