What type of brush do you use? Plastic, Boar bristle brush...

[carries]

What type of brush do you use? Plastic, Boar bristle brush...

Do you know what kind I should be using for my hair type?

[Robi-Bird]

I use a Wet Brush if I need to bun it wet, and a boar bristle brush that has nylon bristles as well that I use when my poof needs convincing to go DOWN. Straight boar bristles can't get through all my hair, hence why I have a combo brush. Saying that, I try to use a wide tooth come more often to protect my waves, this is not necessarily something you need to be concerned about.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

I use a wide toothed comb to detangle, and get through all my hair, and a very soft boar bristle brush to smooth and polish the surface of my hair, and to spread the natural oils. The brush doesn't reach through to my scalp, but then it's not intended to, my comb does that for me.

[Aredhel]

I use all kinds; up until recently, I was using a Tangle Teezer (plastic) for a couple years. I currently use a wooden wide-tooth comb about 90% of the time now to detangle and style, I use a plastic wide-tooth comb in the shower, and I also use a pure BBB to condition my length and to massage my scalp (because BBBs without nylon bristles are not meant for detangling). Basically, I have different brushes/combs for different purposes.:)

Everyone's different though... what brush are you currently using, and is it not working for you? You may have to trial and error a bit to find your perfect hair tools... I'd recommend a wide-tooth comb for starters, and the TT works for a lot of people of all different hair types.:)

[Nique1202]

Nearly all of my detangling is done with a wide-tooth wooden comb. Some people prefer plastic or bakelite (sometimes marketed as horn though it's a kind of plastic and not actually animal horn) because you can get it wet without it warping, but I don't need a comb in the shower itself.

I also use a Goody detangling brush (the Tangle Teezer knockoff kind) for rare particularly tangly days, and on wash day to help remove as many sheds and small tangles as possible so I don't get as much tangling in the shower.

Finally, I use a regular plastic brush (a Goody Jewel paddle brush, specifically) to massage my scalp right before I wash my hair, because I get a lot of sebum buildup that likes to be loosened so it can wash away more easily.

I can't use bristle brushes, because they do absolutely nothing for my hair. My sebum is too waxy and thick to move down the hair shaft, and the Goody detangler is just as good for smoothing the hair down when I want a smooth style. I'm also concerned about the amount of friction that a bristle brush makes, since my sebum doesn't move down the hair shaft to protect it.

The right brush for your hair type is whatever kind of brush you enjoy using, and that causes minimal damage to your hair. So long as you don't use bad brushing habits (no ripping the brush through tangles) and you don't notice too many split ends (too much brushing with any kind of brush can cause damage over long periods of time, resulting in weak ends prone to splits), just do what feels right to you.

[marienbad]

I use a wet brush as well, as advised by a former stylist. I have major breakage that I am working to recover, and I just take baby steps combing it through my hair. I'm curious if there are brushes that are better than a wet brush. I love the philosophy of listening to your hair and changing up what doesn't work for you.

[Ophidian]

I fingercomb 95% of the time. Occasionally I will use a boar bristle brush (BBB), but this is becoming pretty rare.

[Dendra]

Up until around November last year I used a BBB, with a basic plastic comb for my fringe. I loooved my BBB and had used it since I was 15, but I've started finger combing exclusively and find that this works well for me.

If I had to go back to a brush it would definitely be my Mason Pearson (I haven't tried a different BBB so can't compare) and your hair type is similar to mine so I would wager that it'd work great for you too.

[SnowDancer]

Boar bristle currently, but I'm considering ditching the brush altogether. I've heard it's best for curly hair but my hair is pretty thick and easily tangled so we will see.

[Chamomile]

I finger comb to detangle, then use a plastic wide tooth comb for catching any little snarles from forming. I just recently got a boar bristle brush and I use that if I want to get really soft hair or I've put too much oil on a lock of hair and want to distribute it better. I also use it to do a gentle scalp massage. I might re-evaluate what I'm doing though, because it's currently taking me 30+ minutes to get through all my hip length hair. I don't know if that's normal or not for long hair; it seems a while to me.

[kinnyuu]

WET BRUSH.
Please try it. It's amazing and you'll never go back.

[kinnyuu]

The wet brush works wonders for me. I was dealing with some crappy damage and now my hair is in pretty decent shape after multiple trims and changing brushes.

[Cherriezzzzz]

I've almost identical hair type that you do: I love my wet brush. But it on Amazon. I hated my wood brush. I also use a boar bristle for scalp stimulation a few nights a week and on days I don't wash to spread oil from roots down some of my hair shaft.

[Wreckinbelle]

I've actually hardly been using a brush at all! I wash, air dry then a large wide tooth comb! When I oil I will use a BBB to distribute.

[akurah]

Boar bristle brush is not intended to detangle. It is for already detangled hair. It's used for oil distribution, smoothing, or trying to bring out shine. If you own one, unless you're finger combing and relatively good at getting out the tangles, you will need a second tool. I recommend Denman for brush and hairsense bone comb for comb, but honestly you probably can't go wrong with almost anything anyone here recommends

[hayheadsbird]

I rarely use my bb, sometimes before a wash. Mostly a wide tooth wooden comb to help detangle (or fingers) and a finer tooth horn comb for smoothing.

[vega]

These days I just use my body shop wooden comb its very gently for my curly hair, I was using wetbrush but my hair was getting ripped out by the pin tips ouch

[WavyWannabe]

I detangle my hair with a wide-toothed wooden comb (tek "afro comb"), although I only finger detangled until a few weeks ago.

[marvel-lover]

I only use wide-toothed combs. I use them to gently detangle my hair when it's wet, and then to detangle when it's dry (or I just use my fingers). I have 2b hair, so brushes ruin my wurls, which I'm trying to play up

[TatsuOni]

A wide toothed wodden comb and a BBB. For tangles, I use my fingers.

[Anje]

Tangle Teezer for most brushing/smoothing needs. Wide tooth comb from Eternally in Amber quickly became my favorite comb, or finger-combing. I only break out a boar brush on rare occasions when my hair is full of lint that's causing tangling.

[lithostoic]

Fingers- for huge tangles. I'm good at avoiding those now.
Ecotools paddle brush- for regular brushing of course.
Lice comb- scritching/preening and smoothing updos. Also a lint remover.
Conair shower comb- separating huge tangles on conditioner soaked hair.

Most of the time I just use the paddle brush and lice comb. I find wide toothed combs just rip out my hair, while the brush has more "give" and pulls apart tangles better. I only use the wide toothed comb very lightly in the shower if I feel my hair is tangled, and only with conditioner.

[lapushka]

First, always use a WT (wide tooth) comb to detangle the hair, brushes aren't meant for detangling, but for going through as a second pass and for smoothing the hair. I use a TT (Tangle Teezer) brush.

You'll just have to experiment a little and see what works for your hair.
What do you use now, BTW?

[BookishRay]

I have static issues (which are getting better as I learn what kind of moisturizers my hair actually likes) so I detangle with a wide tooth horn comb which I love because it glides through my hair better than any plastic comb I've ever tried. When I do brush, which isn't as often as I used to, I have bamboo brush. Occasionally I will use a tangle teaser or a boar bristle.

[laidy]

I use a wooden brush made by the company TEK. I really enjoy it.

[meteor]

A wooden wide-tooth comb, fingers and a large Afro pick for detangling. I don't use brushes.

[Kat-Rinnè Naido]

I use my fingers and a wooden wide toothed comb from the Body Shop to detangle, and get through all my hair, and a boar bristle brush in autumn to smooth and polish the surface of my hair, and to spread the natural oils. The brush doesn't reach through to my scalp, but then it's not intended to.

[Andthetalltrees]

Michel Mercier detangling brush and a denman. I use both to detangle on wet hair actually. I know, But I actually get damage from detangling dry hair and from combs :confused: So I stick with what works for my hair

[DweamGoiL]

I use 2 a boar bristle MP and a tangle teaser with a handle. I use the latter when I have freshly washed my hair, but it's still grabby to avoid breakage. The MP is used for styling and smoothing mostly. Every now and again, I'll brush to spread sebum down to the ends.

[EssentialJo]

Detangling wet for me is done with a rubber wide tooth comb; damp is done with a wide tooth horn comb. Tried out the tangle teaser/tamer, wood, bamboo, and denman brushes. Tried a BBB on my scalp a few times at the crown, since my hair is thinest there.

It seems that there are as many types of brushes as there are types of hair and you may very well find that it takes more than one brush for your hair type. Consider a search through old threads for impressions on different brushes and also reviews online can be very helpful. Then maybe narrow down, based on what you want the brush to accomplish on your hair, and try one out for several months noting any change in your hair.

Each of the brushes I've ever used had both pros and cons. You will surely develop a favorite that you reach for more than any other. :)

[abralash]

I use a mason pearson boar and nylon combo for dry hair. (Plain boar wouldn't go through my hair at all) And a detangler kent comb when wet. I really want to try the wood brush.

[_fred_]

Depends where I am and when I'm brushing. I'm only just reaching shoulder, and for a long time my hair was so short I only needed to brush it once a day, if that, and it never tangled (the joys of short hair!). Now I use a Body Shop paddle brush with plastic bristles for detangling - works on my hair wet or dry - and I carry a travel Tangle Teaser in my bag in case I need to brush at work. I've also recently bought a BBB (Kent), and I'm liking it.

I find the Tangle Teaser flattens my hair, which is useful when I want to tame the floof, but not at other times. The paddle brush is great for getting the volume back, and general detangling, and the BBB is really great for smoothing.

I did have a wide toothed comb that I use sometimes to spread conditioner or detangle with a leave-in, but it's gone walkabouts. Good excuse to buy a new and better one!

[ghanima]

I have a Mason Pearson nylon and BBB combo, which I seldom use because I haven't found a way to use it that works with my texture, but I so wish to. Brushing with that brush is such a delight once I start I have a hard time stopping. And it makes the hair so shiny! It's also really good massage for the scalp. So if you have the right texture, and you have a birthday in view (brush is costly) put together as many people as necessary and put your hands on one. I'm very biased, so take this opinion lightly lol.
I have also a wooden brush (Tek), which is more indicated for my texture, and has been unofficially stolen by my shoulder haired son, with straight hair, so I'd say that's an all encompassing brush, but I've never loved it as much as my MP. Maybe it just costed too little, ha ha!
Also, I have a Tangle Teezer, which I never use because I can't get to the scalp with my thickness, and then I feel I am not really brushing anything. Besides, I don't really love plastic, I can be ok with it but not love it.
My favorite thing to use is a wide toothed buffalo horn comb. I use it for wet combing, don't know if that's a bad idea for the comb's sake. Dry hair I only finger comb, but I love the idea of the wooden african comb, I think I will look for it, or maybe look for one with more slip than wood, if it exists.

[olivetime]

My fingers and a sandalwood comb.

[Reyn127]

Lately I have been pretty much only fingercombing. I will still use a comb maybe once every week or two, if my hair just isn't cooperating and going smooth. I currently only have plastic combs, and I mostly use a super wide tooth one, but sometimes I'll use a regular old comb to make my ends lay flatter for length photos. I really want to get myself a comb or two made of horn.

I personally do not use a boar bristle brush because unless my hair has zero tangles, it just tugs right over and pulls at my finer hairs.

[embee]

Wide tooth comb for detangle and Denman (or a knock-off) brush for scalp stimulation. Love my Denman! :)

[beneaththetrees]

I'm seconding the use of a wooden comb with a BBB for smoothing.

Although I need to pick up a BBB without nylon in it, just to see how my hair likes it.

[pandabarrier]

I use:
- Generic plastic rat tail comb (fine-toothed, for my bangs and trimming bangs)
- Hercule Sägemann wide tooth comb (it's burr-free, very smooth, for detangling)
- Conair BBB/nylon brush (I rarely use it unless I need to distribute the sebum from scalp, I think it's a bit rough, but it's the only brush that reaches my scalp)
- Conair BBB brush (for smoothing hair after detangling)
- Generic nylon baby brush (for smoothing hair)
I used to use:
- BBB round brush (for curling bangs, use rollers nowadays)
- Generic tangle teezer (too rough, don't use it anymore)
- Conair wide tooth comb (has a lot of rough edges on the seams)

[Kitty-Zen]

Really love wet brushes. I was having some difficulty with mine a few weeks ago, but after asking LHC found the cause of snag was likely that my lush conditioner wasn't giving me enough slip. So after changing to Shea moisture, it's gotten a lot less tangles and snags.
Right now I'm trying to finger combing and smooth with BBB. I've been spending too much on products lately but yesterday I was at rite aid and I saw wet makes a combination BB and plastic tooth brush! Ugh! I want to try it so bad but I just bought a folding travel wet brush last month so I need to chill for now lol

[Shanawavy]

I have a Body Shop wooden comb or a Mason Pearson plastic comb for detangling dry hair. Sometimes I also use a Kent fine tooth comb on my hair at the front as my hair is very fine here and tends to separate.
I brush with a Kent BBB which makes my hair shiny.

[Liminally]

Tangle Teezer.
So gentle, doesn't cause breaks or snags. Love it.

[triumphator!]

I have three combs from Eternally in Amber - wide toothed, shampoo, and fine toothed.

[Dandelion6]

I use a Denman brush. It has straight, plastic bristles with no balls on the ends. I have 2b wavy hair and it puffs out when I brush. So it's mostly for a nice scalp massage right before I shower/shampoo that I use it.

[mistythebandit]

Wide tooth comb to detangle, boar bristle brush after that. It's great to distribute hair oil too.

[Wannabenymph]

I use a small wooden brush, I heard that wooden brushes/combs help distribute you scalp's natural oil better throughout your hair so I'm falling for that 🙈 Also it feels much softer on my head as a plastic brush usually feels more aggressive and kinda scratchy when i run it from the top of my head.

[mermaid lullaby]

First, I use a serum to make my hair detangle easier. Then, I fingercomb first to get tangles out. Finally, I use the softest bristled hairbrush I can find to separate the hair out.

[ArienEllariel]

Tangle Teaser for now. I dream of a Mason Pierson brush for distributing natural oils though.

[catabear]

A plastic wide tooth comb. Nothing fancy.

[Fia]

Madora wide tooth comb for detangling. No-name fine tooth comb for smoothing into updos. GM BBB for scalp stimulation and distributing sebum to the length.

[Groovy Granny]

I love my Vented Speed Dy Wet Brushes....I have one plain for use in the shower, and one with BBB.
The BBB version is great in Winter for detangling, because it also distributes the natural oils to avoid static.

I also have a BBB that I use to blend in new growth (used with a spritz of hairspray).
It is also used twice daily in Winter to work the natural oils down the shaft and prevents static; my fine wispy silver is naturally dry and even more so in cold/dry air.

And I have sandalwood bristle brushes I use any time of year.

[Zindell]

A compact Tangle Teezer.

[lisamt]

I rarely use a brush because i feel like it makes my hair frizzier (it probably doesn't I just think it does). instead, I use a plastic wide toothed comb when wet and a sandalwood wide toothed comb when dry. I usually comb through from the end to the roots and if I catch any tangles I can't get through I put down the comb and use my fingers to get it out before combing again.

[Larki]

I mainly use a wide tooth and fine tooth comb, but I also use a boar bristle brush before bed or before using a deep conditioner pre-wash. I have a tangle teezer type brush as well but I mostly use that for travel so I only have to bring one thing instead of three.

[Joyful Mystery]

I have three combs from Hairsense and a Spornette DeVille 100% BBB that I love. I also have a Tangle Teezer that I use occasionally.

[eshta]

When my hair was longer I always used a Tangle Teezer first, it works wonders on tangle prone hair! But it also gave me a lot of static especially in Winter. Now with shorter hair I just finger comb and use a wooden wide tooth comb. I splurged on a mason pearson bbb today so hopefully I will get on well with that too. I hope it will eliminate poof, distribute oils, give a nice scalp massage and add shine. A tall order but hey so was the price tag ;)

[tseh]

I use tangle teezer on dry hair and finger comb or plastic wide tooth comb in the shower.

[Fantine]

A toothed comb.

[cm006j]

I have three brushes. A wide-toothed comb for detangling after shower, a regular plastic one for brushing before styling, and a boar bristle one for distributing oils before I put my nightcap on in the evening

[Prism]

A Mason Pearson brush that has boar bristles combined with nylon. I find that BBB by themselves are never enough to get through the thickness of my hair.

[trinkets]

A (plastic? very smooth, though, almost no seams) wide-toothed comb for daily/detangling use, and a BBB for smoothing and neatening. I'm looking at wooden combs and brushes online. They seem neat and I've never tried one before.

[FantasyBoudicca]

A wide-toothed plastic comb for daily detangling, and a wood-bristle brush for smoothing and most oil redistribution. I have a BBB but I find it difficult to get it to work for me so I rarely use it 😣

[Moonleila]

I use a wood natural brush. I really like it. Doesn't damage my hair like plastic brushes I used before.

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

None. I finger detangle only.

[twill]

BBB, which is a new acquisition of mine. It's a good detangler for me (dry or only very slightly damp hair only - I don't brush wet hair... it turns into elastic bungee tangles). I wouldn't rave about how fantastic it is at this point, but it's pretty nice so far. Tends to get more of the surface though, so I use a plastic wide toothed comb to make it neater sometimes.

[Moonleila]

Sounds interessting to use only your fingers. Maybe I should try this too! ^.^

[Cg]

After finger detangling and then wide-tooth wooden comb, I most often use a bbb for fine/thinning hair. Once a week I use also a regular bbb before the softer one.

[jera]

I haven't used a brush in several years, just a wide tooth comb for combing. Or my fingers.

[Emma Rose]

I mainly use a wide tooth comb for detanglong then a boar bristle brush to distribute oil.