Start being gentle with your hair now, or you'll wish you had later on. When you force your way through a snag, you damage the hair. Part or all of it is warped into erratic curls . Do it often enough, and the damage will be obvious. If you were using heavy gell before, stop as soon as it's long enough to behave well enough with mousse instead.
Conditioner goes a long way toward preventing damage.
It also makes it easier to get through snags, as it makes the hair more slippery. It even makes your hair easier to control. I use it every day. Some men actually do that. Wear a hat.