Xku:
I've spent most of my adult life battling my long (below butt), very thick (not any more), and curly hair. It has always been an agony to brush them, especially after a shower. I've learned a few tricks that made my my life easier and the brushing not too painfu. Apply a generoud amount of good condition to your hair, starting from your ears down to the ends. Gently work the conditioner into your hair, and comb with a wide comb starting from the ends and working your way up, strand by strand. Grab a thick strand and run comb through a couple of inches of the ends, then move up. It does not take long even if you work one strand at a time. Once you comb all your hair, then rinse off the conditioner. Don't rub your hair with a towel , just gently squeeze excess water, and pat it. Voala, no more tangels. I use this technique even now when my hair are not as thick as they used to be, and not as long either. If you ever used any chemical dyes or bleach on your hair, the hair shaft becomes hollow and this creates frizzy, dry and tangled hair. Another thing is to comb or brush your hair right before you wash them, and try to sort of "milk" the shampoo down your hair, instead of rubbing and piling it up to get more suds. You can also put some conditioner on the ends before shampooning, this will keep tangles and split ends at bay as well.
HTH,
Dina