The invention relates to uses of comb polymers of acryloyldimethyltaurine and/or acryloyldimethyltaurates in cosmetic, pharmaceutical and dermatological applications as thickeners, dispersing agents, suspending agents, emulsifiers, stabilizers, solubilizers, conditioning agents, consistency-giving agents, lubricants, bonding agents and/or conditioners. The comb polymers of the present invention comprise at least one copolymer. The copolymer is obtained by free-radical copolymerization of A) acryloyldimethyltaurine and/or acryloyldimethyltaurates, and B) optionally, one or more further olefinically unsaturated, noncationic comonomers, C) optionally, one or more olefinically unsaturated, cationic comonomers, D) optionally, one or more silicon-containing component(s), E) optionally, one or more fluorine-containing component(s), F) optionally, one or more macromonomers, G) optionally, the copolymerization taking place in the presence of at least one polymeric additive, H) with the proviso that component A) is copolymerized with at least one component selected from one of the groups D) to G).