Essential tips for proper hair brushing using a brush
Most women and men brush their hair after waking up. Brushing your hair daily (two to three times a day) promotes healthy hair and improves blood flow to the scalp. Brushing hair is agentle massagefor your scalp. In this section of hair and scalp health,SelMagzwe will discuss how to properlybrush your hairto make it shiny and important beauty tips that help you achieve your goals.
Gently brush your wet hair:
Wet hair is very vulnerable to damage. Elizabeth Malov, a fashion expert in New York City, advises: “Be patient and detangle your hair carefully.” To minimize tension, use a wide-tooth comb or a very flexible styling brush.
Brush from ends to roots:
Brush your hair from ends to roots, not in other ways. Goud Houskipping says, start from the bottom and work upward. Trying to detangle and brush from the roots puts too much stress on the strands, which can cause breakage.
Brushing excessively can damage your hair:
Melissa Pielyang, a hair loss specialist, says that the Marika Brady rule of brushing hair 100 times a day is not correct. Over-brushing can harm the hair cuticle and the protective outer layer. Moving the brush three to four times is usually enough to remove tangles or loose hair.
You should clean your brush more often:
Pielyang states that a brush maintains the outer layer of hair and helps regenerate scalp oils, but when the brush is full of hair or debris, it cannot work properly.
He recommends cleaning your brush weekly or increasing washing frequency if you have longer hair.
What are signs that your brush isn’t detoxifying properly?
When you start seeing hair residues on your brush.
Washing:
First, remove all hair from your brush. Then, put a tablespoon of shampoo in a bowl of water and soak the brush for a few minutes. Rinse thoroughly and dry with a blow dryer.
You should comb your hair before washing:
This initial step reduces dirt and increases product effectiveness (making it easier to wash out) and adds protective oils to the scalp, which needs the most nutrients for healthy hair. It also reduces frizz after shampooing.
Choose a suitable brush for brushing:
Finding the ideal and appropriate brush can save you a lot of time and money. Malov says, “Size, style, shape, ceramic properties, and so on, are surprising options.”
We attended a three-day beauty school camp to teach how to use different hairbrushes based on hair type and desired style.
Leather brushes make hair shiny:
Leather brushes are expensive, but their value lies in making hair shine beautifully.
Hairdresser Michel Donas explains:
Using these brushes while blow-drying can straighten frizzy, coarse, and curly hair, providing maximum control for resistant hair.
Plastic (thin) brushes are suitable for straightening hair:
Plastic brushes are ideal for straightening or whenever you want sleek hair. The brush heads are usually spaced further apart than leather ones and have medium to firm clips suitable for medium-thickness hair, especially for hair with medium strands.
Check your brush regularly:
Avoid brushes with metal tips or very sharp ends, as they can scratch the scalp and tear hair. Look for rounded-tipped brushes and test by dragging the brush on your forearm first to see how soft it is before buying.
The shape of a brush is very important:
In the previous sections about types of hair brushes and combs, we explained that brushes come in two types: round and flat. Choose the right shape based on your goal—whether to straighten hair or add volume. Fadi says, “Some prefer flat brushes for straightening and smoothing, especially for coarse, rough, dry, or thick hair to make it smooth and straight. Round brushes add volume and shape.”
Size and diameter of the brush matter:
Generally, longer hair needs a larger brush. While shorter hair can be easily detangled with a smaller brush, long hair tends to knot at certain points.
Fine, damaged (delicate) hair requires more TLC. Brushes with protective hairs reduce tension and pulling during brushing.
Should you wash hair before sleep?
Make sure you’re not making any of these nighttime mistakes that can harm your hair.
Using the wrong brush when drying:
Holding the hairdryer in your dominant hand and working with a brush in the weaker hand is very common.
However, it’s more natural to hold the larger, heavier tool with the stronger hand—so you can perform better with your dominant hand for the best results.
Some brushes can significantly speed up drying:
Less drying time means healthier hair, so keep your preferred brush in your dominant hand—that’s the real victory.
One option, especially during the initial stages of drying:
Use a brush with cutouts at its base. It allows the comb to open and air to circulate efficiently, speeding up drying from roots to tips.
Another popular choice is a ceramic-coated brush. Like ceramic cookware, it works best at low temperatures. Most ceramic brushes have holes along the handle (center) to help dry both sides of the hair more evenly.
If you use a hairdryer that emits negative ions to speed up drying, a ceramic brush will also have a high effect on ion release.
Brushes do not last forever:
When you see and love a brush, letting go can be hard. But it’s important to replace your brush when its pins start breaking or falling out, as damaged pins can harm your hair. A good brush can last at least three years.
Brush hygiene:
After each use, remove excess hair from your brush.
Wash your brush now and then with warm water andsoapto keep it clean.
Take your brush to the hairdresser periodically to prevent the transfer of scalp and hair diseases like fungi,liceor baldness.
Do not share your brush with others.
