Brush strokes?

[Baby_doll]

I just recently got a boar bristle brush (my first!) and I absolutely love it, it took a few days for the shinyness to be able to reach the ends of my hair but now it does and it's amazing! But enough gushing about the lovely. I'm curious as to know if too much brushing will break off my poor delicate ends? So far I'm in love with brushing and I can't seem to stop, it feels so good ( if I were a cat I'd be purring)I brush for like 15 minutes when I do, starting bent over then spendin more time upright, I'm very gentle and don't do it on tangles and keep my wide tooth comb near by incase undesirables happen. But I'm curious to know how much anybody else can brush with a bbb and not have there hair crying tears of Broken strands and splits?

[Madora]

Congratulations on your boar bristle brush, Baby_doll.

However, you are using that brush Way too much!

Depending on how many strokes you prefer, and how thick your hair is, and what type of bbb you have, the time needed for boar bristle brushing can vary a lot.

Generally speaking, if in the past you have only brushed once in a while, then your hair follicles need to be "acclimatized" to the upside down brushing procedure because your follicles have only been used to being directed in one direction most of the time. When you brush in the bent at the waist position, you are going contrary to what the follicles are accustomed to..and they will have a hissy fit and your scalp will hurt like hell until the follicles learn the new direction.

You need to teach the follicles the new path by training them slowly to accept the new direction. You do this by brushing upside down for maybe 15 strokes (always, always, detangle with a wide tooth comb--SLOWLY, IN SMALL SECTIONS, before you start brushing! After the 15 strokes, center part your hair so that it is in 2 sections. Grab each section of hair with your corresponding hand..right hair in right hand, left hair in left. Now stand erect and bring the right hand hair over the right shoulder and let it drop. Do the same with the other side. The more control you have over your hair, the less opportunity for tangle city.

So, once you are accustomed to 15 strokes per day, try increasing the brushing to 25 strokes. If your scalp is comfortable with that amount, increase it again the next day, and the next, until you reach your target hair stroke brushing goal.

Now hair brushing is one of the best things you can do for your hair, PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that 1) you are using the right type of pure bbb and 2)you are brushing properly. Also, brushing is only as good as the detangling that proceeds it! You detangle poorly, your hair will be damaged and you will not be happy. There's a proper way to detangle too!

Since all of this is gonna take a heap of explaining, I'm attaching tutorials I have written to help you thru the entire detangling, brushing, and brushing tips:

DETANGLING:
it is best to use a wide tooth comb for detangling. As for the type (wood or horn) that depends. You cannot get wood wet w/o hurting the comb. If you drop a horn comb, there is a chance of it getting hurt (chipped or broken entirely).

The detangling process is one of gentle steps:

1) finger comb your hair first. Do it slowly
2) Take SMALL, THIN section of hair. About pinkie size. Start at the ends and slowly comb up the strands, little by little, until you reach the roots.
3) Use a small one piece clip (or a scrunchie) to keep the detangled hair separate from the undetangled hair.
4) Take another SMALL, THIN section of hair and do as before
5) Work you way around your head in this fashion. (Actually, it is easier to do if you first make a center part and divide your hair in two sections. Detangle all the hair on the right and confine it. Repeat for hair on the left.

Now you may think this is way too much effort and time consuming. If you want to have beautiful, healthy hair, you must TAKE THE TIME. Small, fine sections let you do a more thorough "search" of the strands.

6) Don't have the grip of death on your comb! you are not fighting your hair! Hold your comb gently and lightly, as if you were holding a living bird in your hand and you were afraid to crush it.

7) When you are detangling, go SLOWLY! If you feel a tangle, STOP IMMEDIATELY! Isolate the tangle and take it apart with your fingers (hold the tangle horizontally and take it apart with your fingers). If you hold the tangle vertically, it just tightens the tangle and makes it about impossible to save.

BRUSHING:

Brushing with a boar bristle brush

Bend at the waist and bring all hair in front of you like a curtain
Finger comb gently down through the hair (I use 2 fingers)
Take a small, thin section of hair, and working from the ends, comb it out gently with your wide tooth comb. Go up the strands, little by little, until you reach the roots. You might want to scrunchie the hair you have already detangled to keep it separate from the other hair.

Continue until all the hair has been detangled

BRUSHING – Canopy hair:

Start at the nape and slowly brush down your hair to the very ends. Go slowly!

Follow each swipe of the brush with the palm of your other hand. Your brush is the (+) and your hand is the minus (-). This method helps calm the static made by the brushing.

Underneath the canopy:

Place the brush bristles on your forehead and slowly move the brush into your front scalp hair. Raise the brush up slightly (about 3 inches), then extend your brush directly out in front of you then down to the floor. The brushing motion should be fluid. Moving from the hairline, up, out and down..all one motion..no jerking. Do it slowly!

Continue brushing again down the nape (canopy hair) and the under canopy hair.

When hair has been fully brushed, part it from nape to forehead so that it is in two sections.

Hold the ends of the hair so that the left section is in the left hand and the right section is in the right hand.

Stand erect.

Take the hair in the right hand and gently place it over the right shoulder and let it fall.

Do the same with the left hand side.

Check for tangles once again, then style as desired.

Number of strokes: Is a matter of preference. Consistency is more important than quantity.

VERY IMPORTANT!

If you have never brushed your hair in the bent at the waist position (i.e. “upside down”, it is imperative that you start your brushing routine slowly...with a minimum of strokes.

Your hair follicles need time to adjust themselves to the way they are being brushed. If you brush too much, your scalp will HURT!

Thus, when starting out, start with 10 to 15 strokes to begin with. Then, over the next few weeks, add a stroke or two when you can do so comfortably. Keep adding strokes until you reach your goal.

About hair brushes:

Although I have no evidence to back this up, I think the shape of the brush has a lot to do with how well it interacts with your hair. My Goody brush is made of wood, measures 8.5 inches from top to bottom, is 1.4 inches wide, the handle measures 4 inches and it has 7 rows of moderately stiff, thin flexible black boar bristles. It is narrow and not oval. My hands are small and this type of brush is much more ergonomically friendly than a large, oval paddle brush.

About natural boar bristles:

They are the shed “hair” of the wild boar and as such, mesh well with going through human hair strands.

They can be of various lengths, thicknesses, colors. Stiffer, longer bristles are supposed to be able to handle thicker hair. Personally, a stiffer, thicker bristle didn't work for my very thick hair. I prefer a bristle that is still with a little flexibility to it.

The stiffness in your bbb will lessen with time...depending on how much you use it.

Be sure your brush has bristle clumps that are NOT packed closely together!
These types of bbbs do not go through hair easily. Also, stay away from bbbs that have a rubber base. Rubber generates friction.

Miscellaneous:

For best results, keep your brush (and comb) squeaky clean. Wash both weekly (preferably more) with a nail brush or toothbrush in warm soapy water. Rinse well with cold water, shake off water. Fan the bristles with your fingers to remove as much water as possible. Dry all wood parts on the brush. Place brush with bristles side down, on a lint free cloth, out of the way of direct sunlight. Store it in an airtight box to keep lint/dust from getting on it.

Your bbb should be flat on the bottom, not round! Why? Per Dr. George Michael in his "George Michael's Secrets for Beautiful Hair" (1981) "...because you brush your hair with a flip of the wrist, when you use a round brush this tangles long hair. So, if your hair is anything over 10 inches long, use a brush with a flat or elongated base and hold it with your thumb at the base to avoid a flipping motion, even though this flip of the wrist is okay for shorter hair."

Benefits of regular, daily boar bristle brushing (in the bent position):
Distributes the hair's natural sebum down the strands
Exercises your hair follicles, which is necessary for good hair growth
Removes dead hair cells/lint/dust from your hair
Over time will leave your hair glossy and incredibly soft

How often to brush: - Every day...in the morning..when you get up. Per Dr. George Michael, this is the optimum time to brush.

Try and be consistent – do the same number of strokes per day.

Brush gently and always detangle with a wide tooth comb BEFORE brushing.

Try to wear something other than nylon or rayon when brushing as both fabrics can cause more static.

Never, EVER, toss/fling/throw your hair over your head when you are finished brushing. You want to keep the hair as free of tangles as possible.

NEVER, EVER, BRUSH YOUR HAIR WHEN IT IS WET OR DAMP!

Keep your brush free of shed hairs. Clean it out after each brushing session!

Brushing is good for your hair, provided you use a natural boar bristle brush and the proper technique. (However, it is not recommend for curlies since the structure of their hair does not lend itself to brushing).

Nearly everything I've learned about hair care came from Dr. George Michael, the Czar of Long Hair. I've never been disappointed with his advice!

Brushing does work – it all boils down to your brush and how you use it.

[Madora]

Congratulations on your boar bristle brush, Baby_doll.

However, you are using that brush Way too much!

Depending on how many strokes you prefer, and how thick your hair is, and what type of bbb you have, the time needed for boar bristle brushing can vary a lot.

Generally speaking, if in the past you have only brushed once in a while, then your hair follicles need to be "acclimatized" to the upside down brushing procedure because your follicles have only been used to being directed in one direction most of the time. When you brush in the bent at the waist position, you are going contrary to what the follicles are accustomed to..and they will have a hissy fit and your scalp will hurt like hell until the follicles learn the new direction.

You need to teach the follicles the new path by training them slowly to accept the new direction. You do this by brushing upside down for maybe 15 strokes (always, always, detangle with a wide tooth comb--SLOWLY, IN SMALL SECTIONS, before you start brushing! After the 15 strokes, center part your hair so that it is in 2 sections. Grab each section of hair with your corresponding hand..right hair in right hand, left hair in left. Now stand erect and bring the right hand hair over the right shoulder and let it drop. Do the same with the other side. The more control you have over your hair, the less opportunity for tangle city.

So, once you are accustomed to 15 strokes per day, try increasing the brushing to 25 strokes. If your scalp is comfortable with that amount, increase it again the next day, and the next, until you reach your target hair stroke brushing goal.

Now hair brushing is one of the best things you can do for your hair, PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that 1) you are using the right type of pure bbb and 2)you are brushing properly. Also, brushing is only as good as the detangling that proceeds it! You detangle poorly, your hair will be damaged and you will not be happy. There's a proper way to detangle too!

Since all of this is gonna take a heap of explaining, I'm attaching tutorials I have written to help you thru the entire detangling, brushing, and brushing tips:

DETANGLING:
it is best to use a wide tooth comb for detangling. As for the type (wood or horn) that depends. You cannot get wood wet w/o hurting the comb. If you drop a horn comb, there is a chance of it getting hurt (chipped or broken entirely).

The detangling process is one of gentle steps:

1) finger comb your hair first. Do it slowly
2) Take SMALL, THIN section of hair. About pinkie size. Start at the ends and slowly comb up the strands, little by little, until you reach the roots.
3) Use a small one piece clip (or a scrunchie) to keep the detangled hair separate from the undetangled hair.
4) Take another SMALL, THIN section of hair and do as before
5) Work you way around your head in this fashion. (Actually, it is easier to do if you first make a center part and divide your hair in two sections. Detangle all the hair on the right and confine it. Repeat for hair on the left.

Now you may think this is way too much effort and time consuming. If you want to have beautiful, healthy hair, you must TAKE THE TIME. Small, fine sections let you do a more thorough "search" of the strands.

6) Don't have the grip of death on your comb! you are not fighting your hair! Hold your comb gently and lightly, as if you were holding a living bird in your hand and you were afraid to crush it.

7) When you are detangling, go SLOWLY! If you feel a tangle, STOP IMMEDIATELY! Isolate the tangle and take it apart with your fingers (hold the tangle horizontally and take it apart with your fingers). If you hold the tangle vertically, it just tightens the tangle and makes it about impossible to save.

BRUSHING:

Brushing with a boar bristle brush

Bend at the waist and bring all hair in front of you like a curtain
Finger comb gently down through the hair (I use 2 fingers)
Take a small, thin section of hair, and working from the ends, comb it out gently with your wide tooth comb. Go up the strands, little by little, until you reach the roots. You might want to scrunchie the hair you have already detangled to keep it separate from the other hair.

Continue until all the hair has been detangled

BRUSHING – Canopy hair:

Start at the nape and slowly brush down your hair to the very ends. Go slowly!

Follow each swipe of the brush with the palm of your other hand. Your brush is the (+) and your hand is the minus (-). This method helps calm the static made by the brushing.

Underneath the canopy:

Place the brush bristles on your forehead and slowly move the brush into your front scalp hair. Raise the brush up slightly (about 3 inches), then extend your brush directly out in front of you then down to the floor. The brushing motion should be fluid. Moving from the hairline, up, out and down..all one motion..no jerking. Do it slowly!

Continue brushing again down the nape (canopy hair) and the under canopy hair.

When hair has been fully brushed, part it from nape to forehead so that it is in two sections.

Hold the ends of the hair so that the left section is in the left hand and the right section is in the right hand.

Stand erect.

Take the hair in the right hand and gently place it over the right shoulder and let it fall.

Do the same with the left hand side.

Check for tangles once again, then style as desired.

Number of strokes: Is a matter of preference. Consistency is more important than quantity.

VERY IMPORTANT!

If you have never brushed your hair in the bent at the waist position (i.e. “upside down”, it is imperative that you start your brushing routine slowly...with a minimum of strokes.

Your hair follicles need time to adjust themselves to the way they are being brushed. If you brush too much, your scalp will HURT!

Thus, when starting out, start with 10 to 15 strokes to begin with. Then, over the next few weeks, add a stroke or two when you can do so comfortably. Keep adding strokes until you reach your goal.

About hair brushes:

Although I have no evidence to back this up, I think the shape of the brush has a lot to do with how well it interacts with your hair. My Goody brush is made of wood, measures 8.5 inches from top to bottom, is 1.4 inches wide, the handle measures 4 inches and it has 7 rows of moderately stiff, thin flexible black boar bristles. It is narrow and not oval. My hands are small and this type of brush is much more ergonomically friendly than a large, oval paddle brush.

About natural boar bristles:

They are the shed “hair” of the wild boar and as such, mesh well with going through human hair strands.

They can be of various lengths, thicknesses, colors. Stiffer, longer bristles are supposed to be able to handle thicker hair. Personally, a stiffer, thicker bristle didn't work for my very thick hair. I prefer a bristle that is still with a little flexibility to it.

The stiffness in your bbb will lessen with time...depending on how much you use it.

Be sure your brush has bristle clumps that are NOT packed closely together!
These types of bbbs do not go through hair easily. Also, stay away from bbbs that have a rubber base. Rubber generates friction.

Miscellaneous:

For best results, keep your brush (and comb) squeaky clean. Wash both weekly (preferably more) with a nail brush or toothbrush in warm soapy water. Rinse well with cold water, shake off water. Fan the bristles with your fingers to remove as much water as possible. Dry all wood parts on the brush. Place brush with bristles side down, on a lint free cloth, out of the way of direct sunlight. Store it in an airtight box to keep lint/dust from getting on it.

Your bbb should be flat on the bottom, not round! Why? Per Dr. George Michael in his "George Michael's Secrets for Beautiful Hair" (1981) "...because you brush your hair with a flip of the wrist, when you use a round brush this tangles long hair. So, if your hair is anything over 10 inches long, use a brush with a flat or elongated base and hold it with your thumb at the base to avoid a flipping motion, even though this flip of the wrist is okay for shorter hair."

Benefits of regular, daily boar bristle brushing (in the bent position):
Distributes the hair's natural sebum down the strands
Exercises your hair follicles, which is necessary for good hair growth
Removes dead hair cells/lint/dust from your hair
Over time will leave your hair glossy and incredibly soft

How often to brush: - Every day...in the morning..when you get up. Per Dr. George Michael, this is the optimum time to brush.

Try and be consistent – do the same number of strokes per day.

Brush gently and always detangle with a wide tooth comb BEFORE brushing.

Try to wear something other than nylon or rayon when brushing as both fabrics can cause more static.

Never, EVER, toss/fling/throw your hair over your head when you are finished brushing. You want to keep the hair as free of tangles as possible.

NEVER, EVER, BRUSH YOUR HAIR WHEN IT IS WET OR DAMP!

Keep your brush free of shed hairs. Clean it out after each brushing session!

Brushing is good for your hair, provided you use a natural boar bristle brush and the proper technique. (However, it is not recommend for curlies since the structure of their hair does not lend itself to brushing).

Nearly everything I've learned about hair care came from Dr. George Michael, the Czar of Long Hair. I've never been disappointed with his advice!

Brushing does work – it all boils down to your brush and how you use it.

[Madora]

More on brushing:

HOW TO CHOOSE THE PROPER BBB:
First of all, if you are not a regular brush user, you are going to need to "acclimatize" your scalp to brushing.A little at a time.

Start slowly, in the head down position. Detangle all your hair FIRST (with a wide tooth comb). Then take the boar bristle brush and brush SLOWLY from the nape to the ends of the hair. After each pass with the brush, slide your other hand down the hair you just brushed. The brush creates static. The palm of your hand helps tame it.

Number of strokes: start out slowly..with 10 strokes, and see how your scalp reacts. If you get dizzy or dislike brushing "upside down" then stand erect and brush (center part your hair first).

If your scalp doesn't hurt, increase the number of strokes by five. The next day, increase by 5 again, until you reach your goal.

The boar bristle brush...the best type of brush because it is made from wild boar "hair" which is the closest thing in nature that mimics human hair.

Not all bbbs are created equal! It all boils down to:

1) length of bristle
2) thickness/thinesss of bristle
3) how bristle clumps are place on the brush
4) stiffness or softness of the bristles

Other important considerations:

1) Size of brush and shape of brush. You want brushing to be a pleasant thing to do. You don't want a big brush that is too heavy.
2) The handle of the brush: should be ergonomically suited to your hand. The place at the neck of the brush should allow your thumb enough "wiggle room" to get a good purchase on it when you brush your hair
3) I found the most reliable brush is a brush that is elongated in shape
4) Number of rows of bristles: at least 5, preferably six rows of bristles, well placed apart! Bristles packed too closely together are hard to get through hair

Softness/Hardness of bristles:

Pretty much a matter of personal preference. The stiffness will eventually fade, depending on how much you use the brush.I prefer a moderately stiff bristle, with a little bit of flexibility.
If you are looking for soft bristles, then perhaps a baby brush might be more your style. But be warned, baby brushes don't really work on adult hair. Soft bristles can't really do much (at least they never worked for me).

Remember: A brush is only as good as HOW you use it! There's a proper way to brush that is hair friendly and it does not take that much time to do. Always detangle your hair with a comb before you start brushing!

For the sake of your hair: keep your brush and comb squeaky clean. It is a waste of time to put a dirty, hair filled brush on clean hair. Remove the hairs stuck in your brush every time you use it. There are "hair rakes" available on line that work perfectly for this task.

And, speaking from bitter experience (to the tune of $80!), try to choose your brush IN PERSON so that you can heft the brush and feel the bristles (test them on the inside of your wrist).

I believe in the power of brushing with a pure bbb..and have been doing so for over 40 years, with great results!
In conclusion: daily brushing gives you so many benefits: distributes your hair's natural sebum down the strands, removes dust/lint trapped in your hair/ leaves your hair silky and shiny. If you brush in the bent at the waist position, you'll reap even greater benefit because brushing helps stimulate your follicles, promoting better growth.

Properly detangling wet hair:
As far as detangling in the shower I always part my hair in two sections before getting it wet..and try and keep those 2 sectioms separate throughout the entire process. Not always successful, but I've found that the more you can control your hair, the less the chance for tangles.

As for the actual detangling itself, just be sure your hair is full of conditioner. Oh, you might want to fill the tub/shower with warm/hot water so you're not standing there freezing your tootsies off! Detangling properly takes time!

Now, working on one side of the hair at a time, take a SMALL, pencil sized thin section of your hair, and gently work up it, from the ends to the scalp.

Take another section of hair and do the same.

To keep the detangled sections free from the undetangled sections, tie with a scrunchie.
Continue to detangle until half of the hair has been detangled. Band all the detangled hair together with a scrunchie.

Repeat with other side of head.

Rinsing: Keep one side of detangled hair in the scrunchie while you rinse the other side of detangled hair

Finish with as cold a rinse as you can stand.

I wash in the head down position myself (more access to the hair that way) and use a shower jet attachment (hand held type).

[Madora]

And to answer your question.. But I'm curious to know how much anybody else can brush with a bbb and not have there hair crying tears of Broken strands and splits. That all depends on how thorough, and gentle and S L O W you do your detangling with a wide tooth comb! That's half the battle right there...doing it slowly, gently and thoroughly. If you don't do the best detangling that you can, when you brush your hair with the hairbrush, it will catch...and possibly rip and break off your hair, damaging it badly.

Therefore, detangling is EVERYTHING if you want long, lusterous, silky, shiny hair! Detangling takes time but you reap the rewards later! You can limit the time you need to detangle by wearing your hair UP in protective styles as much as possible...or keeping it in braids...anything that keeps it safely confined and not floating all over the place and becoming a holy mess of snarls and mats. You have to be proactive when you grow hair to greater lengths!

[Madora]

And to answer your question.. But I'm curious to know how much anybody else can brush with a bbb and not have there hair crying tears of Broken strands and splits. That all depends on how thorough, and gentle and S L O W you do your detangling with a wide tooth comb! That's half the battle right there...doing it slowly, gently and thoroughly. If you don't do the best detangling that you can, when you brush your hair with the hairbrush, it will catch...and possibly rip and break off your hair, damaging it badly.

Therefore, detangling is EVERYTHING if you want long, lusterous, silky, shiny hair! Detangling takes time but you reap the rewards later! You can limit the time you need to detangle by wearing your hair UP in protective styles as much as possible...or keeping it in braids...anything that keeps it safely confined and not floating all over the place and becoming a holy mess of snarls and mats. You have to be proactive when you grow hair to greater lengths!

[cat11]

^WOW! What a wealth of advice. I think it would be so, so wonderful to have a video of you doing this and explaining it. Like, showing the small sections and the motions for using the BBB. I detangle in a very similar way but I use a wooden brush, which I love the effect of, but I have been increasingly interested in trying a BBB brush too. A close freind of mine when I was younger had a Mason Pearson BBB and I noticed that it worked really well and made my hair shiny. I was afraid recently that my fine, wavy/curly hair (its in between...) would be damaged by it even after detangling. But maybe that is paranoia because so many people with beautiful hair use them succesfully.

[ZeppHead]

Madora is the Queen of these things. Take her advice. I know I will! I was definitely brushing with my bbb and simply flipping it back over and getting a massive tangle I know better now.