Does Brushing Damage Hair? Does Using a Hairbrush Cause Split Ends? Haircare Without a Brush.
The tradition of brushing hair "100 strokes a night", long associated with good haircare, comes from a time when women washed their hair infrequently and did not use products as aggressively cleansing as commercial shampoo and conditioner. In such circumstances hair brushing helped remove dust and dirt from the hair, and was thus necessary to good hair hygiene.
Today, many women continue to use hairbrushes despite using commercial haircare products. This is not inherently a problem: the feel of bristles against scalp can be luxurious! However, using a hairbrush wrongly – namely, to detangle the hair – can lead to damaged, split and broken tresses.
Why Brushing Can Damage Hair
Most hairbrushes, including plastic bobble-tipped brushes and boar bristle brushes, cause damage and split ends when used to detangle hair. This is not the fault of the brushes per se; rather, the brushes are not being used correctly. Hairbrushes have bristles placed too densely to sweep through tangled hair without ripping hairs out. The correct way to use brushes is not for detangling, but for polishing, distributing the hair's natural oils and smoothing the hair after detangling.
Why Brushing Can Damage Hair
Most hairbrushes, including plastic bobble-tipped brushes and boar bristle brushes, cause damage and split ends when used to detangle hair. This is not the fault of the brushes per se; rather, the brushes are not being used correctly. Hairbrushes have bristles placed too densely to sweep through tangled hair without ripping hairs out. The correct way to use brushes is not for detangling, but for polishing, distributing the hair's natural oils and smoothing the hair after detangling.
How to Detangle Hair Gently
The best way to detangle hair is to use your fingers or a wide-toothed comb. Start gently combing at the tips of the hair and work your way gradually up the length with longer and longer strokes. Work from the bottom of any tangles: attacking them from the top simply compresses the knots and makes them harder to undo.
How to Correctly Use a Hairbrush
Only once your hair is detangled should you pick up a brush! If you are practicing some form of natural haircare such as water-only washing, start by brushing any dirt and dust out of the length of your hair. Then work from the scalp in long, even strokes to catch the sebum (natural scalp oils) and distribute it down the length of the hair, where it will condition the hair shafts instead of remaining clumpy and greasy-looking at the roots.
Non-Damaging Types of Hairbrushes
Boar bristle brushes are excellent for spreading sebum and giving the scalp a therapeutic massage at the same time. Vegan alternatives, quill brushes or any kind of synthetic brushes can also be used. However, cheaply-made bobble-headed brushes should be avoided. The bobbles serve no purpose and in poorly-made brushes tend to split and crack away from the bristles, leaving cracks which catch and tear hair. Soft-bristled brushes are available for those who do not like the feel of harder bristles.
Is Using a Hairbrush Necessary?
Wielding a hairbrush is by no means an essential component of haircare! Many people with curly or frizzy hair find hairbrushes add unwanted volume to their hair, destroy the definition of their curls and result in 'poofy' unmanageable hair. Using a wide-toothed comb, fingers or a pic to comb hair is a preferable option in this case. Even straight-haired people often prefer to avoid using a hairbrush. This is fine, although it may make some forms of natural haircare such as water-only washing more difficult.
Along with other gentle hair care techniques, judicious brushing – or not brushing! – will help your hair stay strong and healthy.
The best way to detangle hair is to use your fingers or a wide-toothed comb. Start gently combing at the tips of the hair and work your way gradually up the length with longer and longer strokes. Work from the bottom of any tangles: attacking them from the top simply compresses the knots and makes them harder to undo.
How to Correctly Use a Hairbrush
Only once your hair is detangled should you pick up a brush! If you are practicing some form of natural haircare such as water-only washing, start by brushing any dirt and dust out of the length of your hair. Then work from the scalp in long, even strokes to catch the sebum (natural scalp oils) and distribute it down the length of the hair, where it will condition the hair shafts instead of remaining clumpy and greasy-looking at the roots.
Non-Damaging Types of Hairbrushes
Boar bristle brushes are excellent for spreading sebum and giving the scalp a therapeutic massage at the same time. Vegan alternatives, quill brushes or any kind of synthetic brushes can also be used. However, cheaply-made bobble-headed brushes should be avoided. The bobbles serve no purpose and in poorly-made brushes tend to split and crack away from the bristles, leaving cracks which catch and tear hair. Soft-bristled brushes are available for those who do not like the feel of harder bristles.
Is Using a Hairbrush Necessary?
Wielding a hairbrush is by no means an essential component of haircare! Many people with curly or frizzy hair find hairbrushes add unwanted volume to their hair, destroy the definition of their curls and result in 'poofy' unmanageable hair. Using a wide-toothed comb, fingers or a pic to comb hair is a preferable option in this case. Even straight-haired people often prefer to avoid using a hairbrush. This is fine, although it may make some forms of natural haircare such as water-only washing more difficult.
Along with other gentle hair care techniques, judicious brushing – or not brushing! – will help your hair stay strong and healthy.
MARCH, 16 / 2018
