Nothing about a fine tail helps you when your hair is wet and knotted. For that, you want wide teeth, and a little patience. I start at the ends, work my way up, and only then move to the roots, which keeps the tugging low.

Tangle Teezer's Wide Tooth Dual Sided Comb is the most familiar of the four, and the brand describes it as a dual-sided comb made for curly, textured hair. Mane's Knot Ur Avg is a wide-tooth comb with a name that made me smile, and it does what the name says. Pattern Beauty's Wide Tooth Comb is the one I would pick for curly and coily hair, since the brand designed it to detangle and section curls, coils and tight textures, and it is where I would start on wash day with conditioner still in.

Crown Affair's The Comb No. 002 is the one I would leave by the sink, so it gets used before I get dressed.

One test helps: if you hear or feel resistance, stop, hold the hair above the knot with your other hand, and work the knot out slowly. That small habit does more for your hair than any product. If your hair is very fine, hold the comb a little looser still, and finish by sliding it through once more from the mid-lengths down.

Some days the finish is the point. A smooth edge, a slicked-back pony, a lifted crown: these are small details, and they are the ones people notice. This is where the brush and the tool do more than a comb can.

Bounce Curl's Volume EdgeLift Brush is made for curl definition, lift and styling control, and its Define EdgeLift Brush is the sibling focused on definition. I would keep one of each if you wear your curls in different ways through the week. Fenty Beauty's Sidestick is a 3-in-1 edge styling tool, which is a lot to ask of one handle, so it is the one I would check the label for. Pattern Beauty's Edge Tool is the simplest name of the group, and a good one to learn on. Practice in front of a mirror on a calm morning, not in the five minutes before you leave, and keep a clean cotton pad nearby to wipe the tool between strokes.

What I would skip: pressing hard. Edges are fragile, and a firm hand with any tool is how you end up with a sore hairline. Use light strokes, and use them only where you need them. I would also skip doing a tight style every day, because constant tension on the same spot is not kind to hair. Give it a rest on the weekend.

Here is the comb drawer I would build. One tail comb for parting, one wide-tooth for wet hair, and one edge tool for the finish. That covers almost everything I do in a normal week.

Clean them. A comb that has been in a bag for a month picks up product, lint and loose hairs, and a quick wash with mild soap and warm water fixes that. Let them dry flat. Store the pointed ones with the tail covered or upright in a cup, so the tip stays straight and nobody gets poked when they reach into the drawer.

When you choose, think about your hair before you think about the look of the tool. Fine hair wants fine teeth, thick or curly hair wants width, and anything with a sharp point should be handled with care near the scalp. If a scalp feels sore, scraped or itchy after combing, ease up, and see a doctor if it does not settle.