Pick Your Perfect Hair Brush

Brushes, brushes and even more hair brushes everywhere!  As the selection of hair brushes continues to rise in stores across the country so does our confusion on which brush is the best for our hair, our style, and how much do we really need to spend on these tools of beauty.  First, brushing your hair is good for your scalp and works to evenly distribute sebum throughout your hair.  Over-brushing, however, can cause hair to be greasy, torn and damaged.  The right brush for your hair type and style can cut your style time down, create a better look and help keep your hair healthy looking.  Once you’ve combed through wet hair and are ready to start styling, you must decide how to move forward!  There are different brushes with different bristles available.  Once you have decided the style of brush which will work best for you, you can then decide which bristle type you should look for in that specific hair brush type.

Vent brushes are the simplest to use and have vents which air flow through.  This type of brush is best for simple styles, on all lengths of hair, for simple direction and volume.  Cushion hair brushes are popular with men due to their soft base and bristles on one side.  This brush will smooth short to medium hair without lifting or adding volume.  Theround hair brush works well to create curls but can be also used to smooth and straighten hair with tension applied while blow drying.  There are various barrel sizes in the round brushes.  Your hair should be long enough to wrap around the brush once.    The larger barrels will create larger curls, an increased wavy look and volume.   Smaller barrels will provide tighter curls and more definition in styles with sharp edges.  Paddle hair brushes are large and flat and are ideal for long hair.   Paddle brushes soften and smooth hair and therefore can be used on several hair types and styles as a touch-up or finishing touch.  Thermal brushes have a heat conductive material in the center which will get hot from a hair dryer.  Thermal brushes come in round, vent and styler types and are used to lessen drying time.  This brush can be a busy person’s best friend but use caution as it is very easy to scorch hair with this brush.

Boar bristles are good for providing shiny and sleek hair and work best on fine hair.  Nylon bristles are study and effective with thicker, curly or coarse hair.  Ionic bristles are designed to distribute negative ions creating a faster blow dry time while maintaining moisture, shine and softness. Brushes with mixed bristles offer a little of the best of everything and are great if you don’t want a collection of brushes crowding your vanity.  For added shine ceramic bristles are ideal and are gentle on the hair.  Ball-tipped bristles stimulate the scalp and assist in healthy hair growth.

In addition to the right brush and bristle for your hair type and style, there are a few other tips you should follow.   Never brush wet hair; use a wide-toothed comb to comb out wet hair.  They can be purchased for less than five dollars and work well to comb through a dry hair style as well.  Hair is three times weaker when wet so carefully comb hair from the bottom up.  Make sure all bristles on your brush are rounded and never use metal combs or brushes. Plastic brushes are cheap but will cause electrostatic. Clean your brushes weekly by removing hair with another comb or brush and by washing with soap and water.  Happy styling!