Greasy hair with my bbb

[Bellechevelure]

Hi everyone! :)

I'm trying to strech washes but each time a brush my hair with my bbb, my hair become really oily. I bent to brush. I brush for a couple of minute. I just bought a new one but it does the same thing... The new one is more expensive -_-

Do you know what i'm doing wrong?

[lapushka]

My hair is oily in and of itself. If I were to have my hair brushed with a BBB like that - no *wonder* it would be oilier even faster! Right now my hair isn't combed or brushed for a week. Only right before a wash is it combed/brushed and that is partly why I can stretch to weekly washings. Don't overbrush your hair, it's not a good idea!

[sarahthegemini]

A BBB made my already grease-prone hair a mess. Honestly a boar bristle brush isn't for everyone.

[Larki]

Hm, I find that my BBB actually makes my hair look less oily because it spreads it out down the strands, so it's not concentrated by the roots.

[Ingrid]

Start with only a couple of strokes and build up gradually. Also make sure you wash your BBB frequently.

[Nadine <3]

I tried using a BBB...honestly it just made my hair look flat and greasy so I stopped. I don't think my hair liked it very much!

[Bellechevelure]

I wash it everyday and it does the same thing if i only do a couple of stroke.I guess it's not for me. I heard that for some people it help them stretch washes. Too bad...

[Annalouise]

Hi everyone! :)

I'm trying to strech washes but each time a brush my hair with my bbb, my hair become really oily. I bent to brush. I brush for a couple of minute. I just bought a new one but it does the same thing... The new one is more expensive -_-

Do you know what i'm doing wrong?

Hi, what is your hair type? Is it fine, medium or coarse? Do you have a little or a lot? Is it straight or curly and what color is it?
Is your hair normally oily? How often do you wash it and what do you wash it with? How long is it? Are the ends dry?

The reason I ask is because if you have fine, thin hair then yes, it might make your hair look more slick, and pasted to your head...lol.
It does for me because my hair is fine and I have an oily scalp.
But, my ends are dry and the bbb works for me because it helps move the oil down the length of the hair.

If you wash your hair frequently, and use a harsh shampoo, then your scalp might produce oil because its trying to 'recover' so to speak,
from the frequent washing.

There are a lot of variables. I will say that it works for me in moving the oil away from my scalp and to the ends. It does make my hair more flat.
But I wash my hair every 3 days so its not a big deal for me. If you are trying to wash your hair 1xweek or less often, then you'll have to get
used to having more flat hair until your hair adjusts to the brushing.
Personally, it has improved the quality of my hair.

[arr]

I have the same problem. In fact, i was thinking of starting a thread on this topic but you beat me to it! I too have heard that it can help clean the hair thus helping with stretching washes, but for me it makes my scalp produce so much oil that if i used the BBB every day, i would have to shampoo every day. The longest i can comfortably stretch washes is every three days, and only if I absolutely avoid any touching, massage or brushing of the scalp. However, ive heard that massaging the scalp promotes circulation and hair growth, so for me, my happy medium is shampooing every other day and brushing with the BBB and scalp massage on the day i shampoo.

[swearnsue]

Your age makes a difference in how oily your scalp is too. In my 20's and 30's I had to wash every day but now in my 60's I can stretch washes to once a week.

[AmberJewel]

The BBB makes my hair look greasy and stuck to my scalp on top, but my ends still look dry. I also feel terrible brushing the poor, fragile ends! Tried it a couple times after hearing about others' great results. Either I'm doing something wrong or it just doesn't work for me. My hair IS fine and fairly thin. Someone mentioned that above as being a negative factor in brushing...?

[winship2]

I've had this happen too. I find that the oily effect diminishes somewhat once I've "fluffed" it after brushing. But I would say this is the main thing that has discouraged my from BBB-ing, and yes, it's true for me even when I wash the brush every day. I do find it's the best possible tool for removing lint. Lots of people report that this happens, and lots of people feel the BBB damages their ends.

I have a theory that the BBB is best when it's used as it would have been in the Victorian and Edwardian eras, when people rarely washed and their hair was probably usually protected by sebum from root to end. When my hair is like this, it's already sebum-y, so that effect of the BBB doesn't matter, but lint is removed and the ends are strong and smooth because of the sebum so they don't seem to get damaged by the BBB. So I'm not really sure the 100 strokes with a BBB is good advice for our modern, frequently washed hair that has sebum-free ends.

[jacqueline101]

I'm glad I'm not the only one whose had this happen. I tried bbb in my hair a few years ago and it made mine flat and oily. I was oiling my scalp so I thought that was the cause. I might try it again some time to find out. I have fine hair if this helps.

[Ingrid]

We need Madora in this thread... :magic:

[winship2]

We need Madora in this thread... :magic:

Yes!! Hie thee hither, thou Goddess of the Boar-Bristled Brush!

[Madora]

Yes!! Hie thee hither, thou Goddess of the Boar-Bristled Brush!

Present! OK, guys, there IS a reason for the OP's problem with brushing and oily hair. Here's what Dr. Michael says about it in his book:

"However, teens are inclined to overdo: they are overanxious young people who overwash their hair, overbrush their hair, overcondition their hair...just as they overdo everything else in their lives. If a teen-age girl plays tennis she MUSTwin. She doesn't simply play for enjoyment. If she brushes her hair, she'll think that maybe 200 strokes are twice as good as 100 strokes. Shewants to break a record for hair brushing. But with this furious regimen, all she'll do is break out with too much oil. Overbrushing stimulates the sebaceous glands and causes hair to become lank, dirty-looking. This become a problem which Mary-Anne, age seventeen, then treats with conditioners and by overshampooing. (The only teen-ager, or woman of any age, as a matter of fact, who benefits from overbrushing is the one with dry hair whose scalp is crying out for stimulation)."

I might also add, that if you are N0T a regular brush user (every day) and decide to break out the hairbrush and start brushing your hair, it will take your hair a while to become acclimatized to the brushing! Sometimes the hair will become greasy and unappealing, while you're doing the brushing. You just need to stay with it for a longer period of time to let your scalp follicles adjust to the brushing. And, of course, the type of brush you use, and HOW you use it, make all the difference. And always detangle with a wide tooth comb BEFORE the brush touches your hair!

[winship2]

I might also add, that if you are N0T a regular brush user (every day) and decide to break out the hairbrush and start brushing your hair, it will take your hair a while to become acclimatized to the brushing! Sometimes the hair will become greasy and unappealing, while you're doing the brushing. You just need to stay with it for a longer period of time to let your scalp follicles adjust to the brushing. And, of course, the type of brush you use, and HOW you use it, make all the difference. And always detangle with a wide tooth comb BEFORE the brush touches your hair!

Hmmmmm... So, what would you advise as a routine for someone with oily hair? What should they start with, and what should they aim for? How do you know if you're doing too much or not? Do you think there are types of hair not suited for the BBB?

Also, do you brush each stroke quite slowly?

I love the idea of these and wish I could avoid the greasies!

[squirrrel]

Mmmmm... My hair always looks extra greasy after I bbb - though once again I'm part of the fine haired crowd... I've been limiting myself to using it only at night before I go to bed - it never looks as bad in the morning. And yes, I could possibly be overdoing it with the brushing, though I'm also very aware that the ends of my hair are always calling out for more sebum (I'm using the NW/SO routine so eventually my hair will be fully coated with the stuff) so I then tend to use my fingers to preen a lot of that extra oil down to the places it's needed more... In the morning I spend less time on it usually, but if I've done enough the evening before it tends to seem softer anyway.

[Platzhalter]

Hm, I find that my BBB actually makes my hair look less oily because it spreads it out down the strands, so it's not concentrated by the roots.
Same here... think this may be related to having relatively straight hair.

My personal experience is that teens not only tend to have greasier hair because of their 'behaviour', but also because of hormonal changes. It's the same with strong acne and similar problems, you know?

[purplevickie]

Same here... think this may be related to having relatively straight hair.

My personal experience is that teens not only tend to have greasier hair because of their 'behaviour', but also because of hormonal changes. It's the same with strong acne and similar problems, you know?

I agree - teens tend to have much oilier skin and hair than adults because of puberty, not because they're over-brushing or over-washing. Over-stimulation does increase oiliness, but I find Dr Michael's advice rather patronising to teens! I remember going on a school trip aged about 13 and shower time was limited so I couldn't wash my hair every day. It was like an oil slick by day three, really revolting... now I'm in my 30s and can go at least five days before it even starts to look oily.

I wish this thread had appeared a couple of days earlier, as I just ordered a BBB yesterday and am now wondering if it was a good idea! Hopefully my hair isn't straight or fine enough for it to cause problems.

[purplevickie]

Double post.

[Wosie]

My hair is pretty coarse, and I still can't use a BB (even if I would like to). I bought a Mason Pearson brush ~a year ago and was really excited about it. It didn't work very well for me; my hair quickly got greasy and frizzy and dry looking. I kept on using it for a while, but the situation didn't improve. There was nylon in the brush, so I thought I should try a BB without any nylon, so I went and bought one. Sadly, things didn't change much, although the newer one creates less static I believe.

Even though my hair's not fine, it still starts looking greasy very quickly while using a BB (let me clarify: greasy on top and fly away and dry half way down >_<). I guess some hair types just really don't get along well with the BB, and mine is one of them.

winship2's theory about the BB being best used while washing seldom is a really good one, I have to agree! I wash my hair with shampoo every three days, and I'm guessing my hair never gets sebumy enough so that the BB covers the ends of my hair before I end up washing it again.

[lapushka]

Even though my hair's not fine, it still starts looking greasy very quickly while using a BB (let me clarify: greasy on top and fly away and dry half way down >_<). I guess some hair types just really don't get along well with the BB, and mine is one of them.

If your hair is oily, and wavy on top of that, I don't think a BBB is the best thing ever. I know that some people here believe in them no matter what (but you can't be blind, sorry), but it's just not for me.

[Bellechevelure]

Thank you all for all your replies! LHC is the best. :)
I have fine hair, 2a, ii. I washing every three to for days but i dont know why i start washing every day. I'm back et the start. One year in the trash -_- i wash with a gentle shampoo. Depending of the season i use cons.