All about BRUSHING: tell me what you've learned

[OleanderTime]

In my time here on TLHC, I've read a bit of conflicting advice on brushing hair. Yet, in my searching, I haven't found one place where this information and debate is concentrated (correct me if I'm wrong!). I've read that brushing is good for your scalp, good for your hair, bad for your hair, should be done often, should be done sparingly, etc. :confused:

I recently bought a really nice brush for myself :) (hoping, for the first time, for bristles that penetrate to my scalp), but I want to hear from you all before I jump in. I feel a little silly about not knowing how to approach something that seems to be simple, but if there is one thing I've learned at TLHC, it's that the simple things we grew up "knowing" can do damage, and I'm looking forward to hearing your alternative take on this.

Here are the big things I'm interested in:

* How often do you brush your hair, and for how long each session?
* What kind of brush do you use (material, brand, size)?
* Do you focus on just your scalp, or do you brush your entire length?
* Do you lean forward and brush from the nape of your neck forward?
* What's your best brushing technique?
* Does brushing make your hair weaker or more prone to breakage?
* What does brushing do to your hair?

I guess all of the things that I am wondering about boil down to just two things: HOW do you brush and WHY do you brush?

[Dars]

Okay well I don't even own a brush but you asked to hear from us in bold ;) Hehe.

* Does brushing make your hair weaker or more prone to breakage? Yes.
* What does brushing do to your hair? Ruins my curls.

[zule]

Don't use the brush to untangle your hair. Use a comb first. Don't use one on wet or damp hair. Don't yank it through.

I haven't used a brush in years. I use my super-wide toothed comb for getting through my hair after a cassia treatment, and a medium-wide one after a normal shampoo or combing through before putting up my hair. I also have a fine-toothed comb with a "rat tail" for lifting hair.

I trust Mason Pearson and have good luck with that brand. There are, however, cheaper alternatives. A brush just isn't a necessity. There are two brands of brushes recommended, but a Denman? is the best middle-cost one. It's just as good as more expensive ones, so why buy those?

[Debra83]

closest thing I get to a brush now is a "tangleteaser" (might be tangleteazer). Other than that I use a wide tooth comb in the shower with conditioner in my hair to detangle. Seldom do I comb when dry, and if I do it is with the tangleteaser.

[Teacherbear]

Hi, Oleander Time, I merged your 2 threads and cleaned up any duplicate posts. :flowers:

To answer your questions:



* How often do you brush your hair, and for how long each session?
I brush my hair in the morning when I'm fixing my hair for the day, and usually at night before I go to bed.

* What kind of brush do you use (material, brand, size)?
Denman D3 (or is it a D4?). I have several that I use. My favorite in the wooden handled one. I also use my black Diamante or my sparkly blue (Denim?).

* Do you focus on just your scalp, or do you brush your entire length?
It feel GREAT on my scalp, but I usually focus on just detangling.

* Do you lean forward and brush from the nape of your neck forward?
Oh dear Lord, no! Leaning forward just tangles my hair even worse. I stand upright and brush my hair over a shoulder.

* What's your best brushing technique?
Start detangling from the bottom, working my way up. Once the length is detangled, then I run the brush scalp to tips.

* Does brushing make your hair weaker or more prone to breakage?
I have no idea. I can't stand the length of time it takes to comb and the Denman is a good brush/comb combo for me.

* What does brushing do to your hair?
It detangles it and makes it look presentable. :gabigrin:

I guess all of the things that I am wondering about boil down to just two things: HOW do you brush and WHY do you brush?
One more thing, I brush wet or dry. With the Denman, because it is essentially a series of 5-9 rows of teeth, it is like brushing/combing with a 5-9 row comb.

[Deemeeuh]

* How often do you brush your hair, and for how long each session? When I remember (3 times a week) or when I'm blowdrying
* What kind of brush do you use (material, brand, size) 2 types: type 1- wood, Earth Therapeutics Natural Wooden Pin Massage Brush (http://www.drugstore.com:80/products/prod.asp?pid=189023&catid=83750), only comes in one size I believe; type 2- round boar bristle with ceramic core, from Sally's, barrel is a little over an inch
* Do you focus on just your scalp, or do you brush your entire length? Focus on scalp, try not to brush length unless blowdrying
* Do you lean forward and brush from the nape of your neck forward? No but good idea!
* What's your best brushing technique? I just do smallish strokes in different directions, pulling the brush away from my head after each stroke so it doesn't tangle my hair
* Does brushing make your hair weaker or more prone to breakage? Not that I've noticed, but it's reported that the more you manipulate your hair, the weaker it will get so I just concentrate on the scalp and use a seamless comb for the length
* What does brushing do to your hair? Have not been doing the brush scalp massage long enough or consistently enough to report yet

[B.T.Carolus]

* How often do you brush your hair, and for how long each session? Usually once a day in the morning, sometimes twice if I re-braid before bed. I don't know how long it takes, I just comb until it's detangled and then brush until all the hair looks under control if that makes sense.

* What kind of brush do you use (material, brand, size)? A large mason pearson with nylon and boar bristle. I also have a mason pearson detangling comb. (My daddy bought these for me for Christmas :D )

* Do you focus on just your scalp, or do you brush your entire length? I comb out first (starting from the bottom and working my way up). Then I brush the entire length. Every other day I use jojoba oil on the length (from ear down) and those days I will brush more thoroughly to even out the oil (usually this means brushing the underside as well).

* Do you lean forward and brush from the nape of your neck forward? I lean forward while I brush so that the strokes can be continuous and I'm not running into clothes.

* What's your best brushing technique? I guess as described above. I never brush when wet.

* Does brushing make your hair weaker or more prone to breakage? I think that brushing/combing (unless you have unusually curly hair or something similar) is good for your hair because it gets rid of knots and tangles. But too much brushing seems like a bad thing. It's in the balance, brushing your hair to keep it untangled, without brushing so much that you're causing damage.

* What does brushing do to your hair? Answered above.

Oh, and I should add that my scalp tends to build up a lot of oil (which of course never goes to my poor, dry length). Redistribution of oil is a big reason for the boar bristles and the long strokes.

* How often do you brush your hair, and for how long each session? Usually once a day in the morning, sometimes twice if I re-braid before bed. I don't know how long it takes, I just comb until it's detangled and then brush until all the hair looks under control if that makes sense.

* What kind of brush do you use (material, brand, size)? A large mason pearson with nylon and boar bristle. I also have a mason pearson detangling comb. (My daddy bought these for me for Christmas :D )

* Do you focus on just your scalp, or do you brush your entire length? I comb out first (starting from the bottom and working my way up). Then I brush the entire length. Every other day I use jojoba oil on the length (from ear down) and those days I will brush more thoroughly to even out the oil (usually this means brushing the underside as well).

* Do you lean forward and brush from the nape of your neck forward? I lean forward while I brush so that the strokes can be continuous and I'm not running into clothes.

* What's your best brushing technique? I guess as described above. I never brush when wet.

* Does brushing make your hair weaker or more prone to breakage? I think that brushing/combing (unless you have unusually curly hair or something similar) is good for your hair because it gets rid of knots and tangles. But too much brushing seems like a bad thing. It's in the balance, brushing your hair to keep it untangled, without brushing so much that you're causing damage.

* What does brushing do to your hair? Answered above.

[Konstifik]

I've found that brushing is totally unnecessary for my thin, fine hair. All I need is something that gets rid of the tangles, and a somewhat wide-toothed wooden comb does that work with no problems in just a minute. Or fingercombing.

I think that how and with what you brush/comb your hair, depends on your hairtype and length. So I'd say that you should try a bit of everything until you find what suits you and your hair. :)

[hanne jensen]

I threw most of my brushes out. My BBB I use on the dog. My hair just hates to be brushed with ANY kind of brush. No matter how careful I am, hairs are snapping and breaking. I can hear it happen. So, I use Snowy's massage method on my scalp every day and either finger comb or use a very wide toothed comb.

[Avalin]

Debra, (or anyone else)...
Is the Tangle Teezer a good product? Why is it special?

[Dars]

Debra, (or anyone else)...
Is the Tangle Teezer a good product? Why is it special?
This thread (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=9334&highlight=Tangle+Teezer) has the answer :) Welcome to LHC!

[Elainehali]

* How often do you brush your hair, and for how long each session?
as many times as necessary. If I wear my hair down I've got a tiny travel brush in my purse. if it's up I've only brushed it once that morning.

* What kind of brush do you use (material, brand, size)?
The big plasic drug store kind.

* Do you focus on just your scalp, or do you brush your entire length?
I try to brush just the length. Running a brush over my scalp too much gives me oil.

* Do you lean forward and brush from the nape of your neck forward?
I hear that's how you're supposed to do it. I don't do it that way.

* What's your best brushing technique?
When I was little and just learning how to brush my hair my mom told me, "from the bottom up" and that's how I've always done it.

* Does brushing make your hair weaker or more prone to breakage?
Maybe, but leaving tangles can't be good for it either.

* What does brushing do to your hair?
gets the tangles out...haha.

the little balls at the end of brush brissles are hair eaters. I took all of them off with scissors and then sanded the brissles down.:D worth the time I think.

[Avalin]

Thank you very much DARS!

[Dars]

You're welcome! :D

[jojo]

Here are the big things I'm interested in:

* How often do you brush your hair, and for how long each session? about 2x a week, I love brushing but it can make my hair a little frizzy and never on wet hair
* What kind of brush do you use (material, brand, size)? I use a body shop one , the wooden massage one BBB do nothing for my hair!
* Do you focus on just your scalp, or do you brush your entire length? I mainly focus on my scalp but do the whole length
* Do you lean forward and brush from the nape of your neck forward? yes I bend my head down and brush from the scalp to the ends first I get the lugs out
* What's your best brushing technique? I de-lug from the ends first to get rid of any lugs which are there to prevent breakage
* Does brushing make your hair weaker or more prone to breakage? not really IMHO with any tekneque (sorry spelling) if your too rough even finger combing, it can cause damage if you rip through your hair
* What does brushing do to your hair? Its more a case of what it does for me, I find it very relaxing. However it does make it straighter.

[paintedmuse]

I brush it once a day, in the mornings, and I use a wooden massage brush. I don't brush the whole hair though, that would ruin my waves. So just a few strokes. I brush it more thoroughly before washing, I use it to massage my scalp too. I never use it on wet hair.
I don't think it is damaging to my hair, I don't rip it through.

[florenonite]

* How often do you brush your hair, and for how long each session?
I usually brush the evening before a shower and immediately before a shower, sometimes otherwise when my hair's tangled (I used a TangleTeezer, though; don't brush your hair to detangle if you're using something else).

* What kind of brush do you use (material, brand, size)?
TangleTeezer.

* Do you focus on just your scalp, or do you brush your entire length?
All of it; I brush chiefly to spread the oils from the scalp through the length, so only brushing the scalp would render this useless.

* Do you lean forward and brush from the nape of your neck forward?
I used to when my hair was about shoulder-length, but now that would cause tangles so I only do it if I'm doing an upside-down French braid.

* What's your best brushing technique?
Go slowly so if you encounter any knots you don't rip through them.

* Does brushing make your hair weaker or more prone to breakage?
Brushing with some brushes does, like BBBs and paddle brushes, but my TT doesn't make any difference.

* What does brushing do to your hair?
It spreads the oils down the length.

[GlassEyes]

Simple--don't do it. :D This is what I've learned.

The only brush I ever use is my Denman, and it's really more like a comb in brush form. :shrug:

[Deimos]

I used to brush my hair everyday to detangle, but for half a year now I have only used a wide-toothed wooden comb. I don't have much tangles because I have F/i hair, so brushing is not necessairy.

[Masara]

First off, I have to say that I never use combs. I keep buying them after reading suggestions here but they're never as effective as brushes for my hair. But the kind of brush I use is very wide spaced compared to a standard brush

* How often do you brush your hair, and for how long each session?
Every morning to detangle and then to put my hair up. Every night to detangle. For as long as it takes to get my hair smooth, which isn't very long

* What kind of brush do you use (material, brand, size)?
I use a kent maxi detangler. http://www.kentbrushes.com/shopexd.asp?id=31 I doesn't have bristles, it has really thick "pins" which go straight through my hair. I own a MP bristle/nylon which I use from time to time to smooth and a kent BBB which I never use because I can hear my hairs snapping when I use it. BBB's just aren't me.

* Do you focus on just your scalp, or do you brush your entire length?
The entire length. I don't brush for oil movement. I brush for detangling

* Do you lean forward and brush from the nape of your neck forward?
Not usually. If I want to use brushing as a massage technique I might, but then I have to be very careful coming up again and my hair will need rebrushing. I tend to lean my head to one side, that's all.

* What's your best brushing technique?
As so many people have said, work from the ends up.

* Does brushing make your hair weaker or more prone to breakage?
With a BBB, yes certainly. With a wider spaced brush, it doesn't seem to

* What does brushing do to your hair?
Detangles and makes it smooth. that's all I'm looking for

[Katze]

I brush to smooth out my hair, or down to the scalp for updos (I need to brush my hair flat in order for updos to look OK). I normally do the latter on 'dirty days' - days before a wash.

Lately I have been brushing more, hoping to stimulate my scalp a bit to grow in from all the hair I have lost. But I don't do anything like 100 strokes or upside down or anything, and I do only brush on dirty days or if I am going o wer my hair up. If I want to wear it down, then I only brush the surface to polish, as brushing kills my waves.

For detangling, I prefer a wide toothed comb or fingers.

[curlylocks85]

First off, I do not even use a brush. For me, a brush on my hair just creates more frizz and breakage. I use a wide tooth shower comb made of plastic. I use it on my hair when I shower which is once a week. I only use it on my hair when it is wet and covered with conditioner. I start at the ends and work up towards my scalp. I do not lean forward because I am good at getting the underneath while in an upright position. I think it depends on a person’s hair type and what their hair type will tolerate for instance my hair would break more if I tried combing and/or brushing while it was dry. Any form of brushing/combing/picking will cause some damage, but it depends on how you go about it and what works best with your hair. Hope this helps.

[Fiferstone]

Hi Oleander:

To answer your questions:
* How often do you brush your hair, and for how long each session?
At least once a day, mainly for detangling reasons, probably about 15-20 minutes

* What kind of brush do you use (material, brand, size)?
When I'm detangling I have one of those "evil" ball-tipped plastic bristled brushes (I'm gentle with it, really, I don't pull through snags and instead pick at them with the edge of the brush, from the bottom).

I also have a very old mixed BBB/nylon bristle brush that I use for cleaning (distributing oil from scalp through length).

* Do you focus on just your scalp, or do you brush your entire length?
I have to brush the entire length or I'll have a snarl/beginnings of a mat if I try to limit the brushing to scalp-only

* Do you lean forward and brush from the nape of your neck forward?
Only sometimes, mostly I brush with my head upright, starting at the scalp, working my way to about half-way down the length, and then working (gently) from the ends up to half-way up the length.
* What's your best brushing technique?

* Does brushing make your hair weaker or more prone to breakage?
I haven't really noticed that it's weakened or made my hair more prone to damage/breakage. I am a finey, so I'm already trying to be mindful of the fact that my hair gets damaged/broken more easily to begin with.

* What does brushing do to your hair?
1. It detangles it
2. It helps me to stretch time between washings, by giving me an interim, non-wet cleaning method
3. Helps me to style it

[Kristine]

* How often do you brush your hair, and for how long each session?
Usually twice a day, perhaps 5-10 minutes each time

* What kind of brush do you use (material, brand, size)?
I have three brushes and tend to use which ever is closest or cleanest. I like my nylon BBB, but it's hard to keep clean and tends to get full of dust (even if I wash it every day). My (hard) BBB is also good, but it does not penetrate my hair the same way as my nylon brush, so I need to section my hair in order to reach my scalp everywhere. Last, I have tangleteazer which I use when I'm in a hurry and don't have time to both comb and brush. It's pretty good, but does not distribute the sebum as well as the BBBs.

* Do you focus on just your scalp, or do you brush your entire length?
I brush from the scalp and down the entire length, in order to distribute the oils all the way.

* Do you lean forward and brush from the nape of your neck forward?
Some times, but I prefer not to. It feels good, but my hair gets really tangly afterwards, so that I have to comb it all over again to get it neat.

* Does brushing make your hair weaker or more prone to breakage?
I don't think so. Brushing makes my hair less dry, which makes it less likely to tangle.

* What does brushing do to your hair?
It cleans my hair in between washes (I try to wash my hair as seldom as possible atm) and makes my dry ends more moisturized. My hair feels so much better after brushing!

[SimplyViki]

Hello, I'll answer your questions too. :)

* How often do you brush your hair, and for how long each session?
I brush my hair when it's tangled, which varies in frequency depending on how careful I am to keep it from getting tangled - if it's up consistently, I don't get nearly as many tangles, and I can just brush at the end of the day before braiding for bed. Sometimes I'll comb instead, but it usually depends on what I have on hand (comb or brush). I just brush until it's untangled, which can take a very short time (1 minute or so) or a long time (maybe a good ten minutes, sometimes), depending on how tangled it was to start with.

* What kind of brush do you use (material, brand, size)?
I usually use a plastic paddle brush with the notorious little plastic balls on the ends of the bristles. Currently, I'm using a green, oval paddle brush from Goody. I can't remember which one it is, but I like it because the rubber bristle bed is so soft.

* Do you focus on just your scalp, or do you brush your entire length?
Since I use it for detangling, I just brush my length (always starting from the ends!)

* Do you lean forward and brush from the nape of your neck forward?
Nope, that would be counterproductive to my purpose - detangling.

* What's your best brushing technique?
For detangling, I always start at the very ends, and brush very gently. I brush about 3 inches of length at a time, and once I'm satisfied that the length I'm working on is free of tangles, I move up another few inches. That's repeated until I get to the top. My hair is rather tangle-prone, so sometimes I end up with tangles further down anyway, even though it was detangled before I moved up. If that happens, I just detangle them the same way, or if it's a small knot that's avoiding the brush, I just gently pull the strands free of one another until the knot is gone.

* Does brushing make your hair weaker or more prone to breakage?
Not as far as I can tell... if I'm impatient, sometimes I'll go a little too fast and hear a little snapping, which indicates that strands are breaking. Generally I avoid that, though. :shrug:

* What does brushing do to your hair?
Detangles it. :p

[Hiriel]

* How often do you brush your hair, and for how long each session? I use a brush to detangle in the morning and before bed, only takes a minute (my hair does not tangle very much). I also use my BBB to brush out dust and excess oil from my hair. This takes about five minutes, and I do it quite infrequently right now, but I should do it at least 2-3 times pr week.
* What kind of brush do you use (material, brand, size)? I have a small brush with wooden tines quite widely spaced (from The Body Shop) which I detangle with (I also have a wide comb for this, I can use either) and a Denman boar bristle brush for brushing out dust, gunk and grease.
* Do you focus on just your scalp, or do you brush your entire length? Entire length, start detangling from the ends of course.
* Do you lean forward and brush from the nape of your neck forward?I put my hair over one shoulder to detangle it. When I brush with the BBB I lean so that one side of my hair is hanging straight down at a time, and brush through the entire length at once.
* What's your best brushing technique? Hm, I guess I answered that above..
* Does brushing make your hair weaker or more prone to breakage? The BBB seems to be a little bit harsh on the ends, so I try to avoid the bottom few inches of hair with it, but otherwise - no.
* What does brushing do to your hair?Detangle it - I have quite straight hair, so it's totally possible for me to detangle with a brush, but it takes some wave out of it, if I want more wave I should detangle with the comb, or ideally, not at all. My BBB also cleans my hair, in brushing out dust and gunk. This is good since I'm (primarily) WO, otherwise it's probably not necessary at all. The BBB also smooths down the hair, and makes it much straighter. Would probably kill curly hair.

[Shanarana]

What's a brush? ;)

[Themyst]

* How often do you brush your hair, and for how long each session? I brush only as I blow dry my hair, about twice a week.


* What kind of brush do you use (material, brand, size)? I use a boar bristle brush.


* Do you focus on just your scalp, or do you brush your entire length? The entire length. But, I don't detangle with it, I use a wide-toothed comb for that.


* Do you lean forward and brush from the nape of your neck forward? No, I brush down from the scalp.


* What's your best brushing technique? I just brush normally from my scalp down the length. But again, I don't do it to detangle. I only brush my hair for it to be smooth and shiny.


* Does brushing make your hair weaker or more prone to breakage? I have no idea.


* What does brushing do to your hair? Makes it smooth and shiny.

[heidihug]

* How often do you brush your hair, and for how long each session? Thoroughly every other day (5 minutes, maybe) before washing to make sure there are no tangles. Lightly every morning to gather my hair into a bun or updo.

* What kind of brush do you use (material, brand, size)? I use a Denman vented brush, not one with bristles. I adore it.

* Do you focus on just your scalp, or do you brush your entire length? I try not to brush too much near my scalp - it releases oil whenever it is touched, and I definitely do not need that.

* Do you lean forward and brush from the nape of your neck forward? No, too many tangles are created that way.

* What's your best brushing technique? From the tips, very gently working my way up towards the scalp. It can take me a long time to detangle - if my hair has been in a braid left down all day, for instance - so I finger-comb first, then finish off the smoothing and separating with my brush.

* Does brushing make your hair weaker or more prone to breakage? Well, any kind of handling has the potential to cause breakage. On my hair type at my length, brushing is the best option. If I was forced to use a comb, I don't think I would keep my hair as long as I do.

* What does brushing do to your hair? Detangles it and makes it smooth and easy to put up.

[Crysta]

how often do I brush: only when i'm fixing my hair into a hair style so how long depends on the style - otherwise it's away in a dread kit or i'm using my fingers to untangle it.

The brush I use is what I call a pillow brush, it's flexible so it doens't pull as much on my hair. it's hairs are wide apart aswell.

It's usualy around the scalp, I don't brush to detangle :P FINGERS FTW.

I just seperate my hair into bits mostly.

* Does brushing make your hair weaker or more prone to breakage? YES. it does.
* What does brushing do to your hair? ^^ exactly that, aswell as breaking some hairs off.

[JamieLeigh]

Well....keep in mind that whatever is working for me might have to do with hairtype, water type, length, etc.

Honestly? Ever since I began oiling regularly, I found that there's no real need for me to brush. The only reason I would do it in the first place with my BBB is that I was trying to distribute the oils from my scalp through my length. And I would honestly probably have to stand there all day and brush to make that happen, as long as my hair is right now (about 1/4 of the way down the thigh). :( Right now, I just use my wide-toothed wooden comb when I'm trying to smooth it overall when it's dry, and my fingers to comb through when I find a tangle (which is rare, how awesome is that?? :D). I only use my BBB now when I have an updo that I need to smooth out at the scalp area.

Also, I was afraid of breakage issues, since some of the hairs at my canopy are so fine. It seems like raking down them with a brush (even softly) was causing a bit to break off, and it just wasn't for me.

[ChrissieM]

I have a boar bristle brush and a ball tipped end paddle brush that I can't bring myself to throw away. I never detangle with them, only use a comb for that. I use the boar bristle brush on the second day after a wash to bring sebum down to the ends of my hair. I use the ball tipped one once in a while (twice a month, maybe?) just because it feels so good on my scalp. I don't spend a lot of time brushing my hair, just a few strokes does it.

[bumblebums]

I'll second that. I used to follow the advice here (http://www.longlocks.com/how-to-grow-long-hair.htm) and brutalized my hair with a BBB for months, but it always looked awful afterwards (frizzy and poofy on ends and slicked down at roots). I am also pretty sure that it made my already fragile hair thinner at the ends. BBBs work for some hair types, but not for my fine wavy hair.

These days I brush as infrequently as I can get away with, and I never brush it wet. I was told (http://mshanai.livejournal.com/2587.html) by a wood comb maker to brush from the nape up, so that's what I do--I don't mind as much if the hair on the underside breaks off, but I don't want the hair around my face to get any more punishment and wear than it does from daily life. Also, wooden combs only.

[Qamar]

I use a Mason Pearson all BBB but only after detangling with my boxwood comb. I brush when dry and brush from the scalp to the ends to distribute the oils down my length. I usually only brush once every other day or so, though I'll use the brush to smooth out the crown in an updo. I don't bend over at the waist to brush because when I flip back upright I get an ocean of tangles!I probably only brush about 5 min per session because more than that gives me a lot of split ends. I love the way my brush feels on my scalp though...its a heavenly massage.

[katha]

* How often do you brush your hair, and for how long each session?
In the morning, in the evening and if not included, before I shower. Only long enough to detangle properly.

* What kind of brush do you use (material, brand, size)?
Kent Woody Hog - its made of wood, and rather small. I love it.

* Do you focus on just your scalp, or do you brush your entire length?
Entire Lenght.

* Do you lean forward and brush from the nape of your neck forward?
?! Don't quite get this, sorry...

* What's your best brushing technique?
Start from the ends, work my way up. Takes patience, though, and sometimes I don't have enough of that ;)

* Does brushing make your hair weaker or more prone to breakage?
It might, I don't know. Haven't been going without brushing to be able to say..

* What does brushing do to your hair?
It gives shine, it detangles, it makes me feel "orderly" and clean. I can style my hair afterwards, and I don't feel complete if I don't brush.

One more thing is that I never brush my hair when wet.

[Medievalmaniac]

* How often do you brush your hair, and for how long each session?

I brush my hair about once every 2-3 days, for about 10 minutes; otherwise I use a comb to tease snarls/tangles.

* What kind of brush do you use (material, brand, size)?

Boar's Bristle paddle brush, fairly large, medium-firm bristles.

* Do you focus on just your scalp, or do you brush your entire length?

I kind of do a massage-y thing on my scalp and then follow it down the hair shaft. It feels soooooo good!!

* Do you lean forward and brush from the nape of your neck forward? Sometimes.

* What's your best brushing technique?

Jiggle the brush back and forth gently along your scalp, then gently follow down the hair length.

* Does brushing make your hair weaker or more prone to breakage? Not that I can tell.

* What does brushing do to your hair? I'll show you:

Just taken down from a bun, fluffed, no brushing:

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x45/simonebeauvoir2/025-2-1.jpg

Combed:

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x45/simonebeauvoir2/036-4.jpg

au naturel:

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x45/simonebeauvoir2/074-3.jpg

Brushed: (I'm sorry I don't have a better shot of my hair brushed...how embarrassing!!)

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x45/simonebeauvoir2/hairgrowthshotsAugust20091month003.jpg

So, it definitely changes the way my hair looks when I brush it versus combing or not brushing.

[kimannabella]

All I can tell you is that my bbb eats my length, I would be brushing my hair over the sink and find all of these little short hairs in it afterwards so I don't brush anymore.

[Islandgrrl]

* How often do you brush your hair, and for how long each session? Not often and not for detangling. I use my brush as an oil delivery tool.
* What kind of brush do you use (material, brand, size)? I use a Widu brush with 2" bamboo bristles.
* Do you focus on just your scalp, or do you brush your entire length? Length, mostly. Very gently and with a purpose.
* Do you lean forward and brush from the nape of your neck forward? No. I've never done that.
* What's your best brushing technique? I start by fingercombing my hair and getting all the tangles out. Then I oil the bristles of the brush and brush very gently through the length, starting at the bottom and working my way up to about my ears. I reapply oil as needed during the process.
* Does brushing make your hair weaker or more prone to breakage? I sure hope not!
* What does brushing do to your hair? Smooths it out a bit & helps to distribute oils through the length.

For detangling, I fingercomb. Seems to be the best process for me at this point.

[enfys]

* How often do you brush your hair, and for how long each session?
Most mornings for under a minute. Before washing usually.

* What kind of brush do you use (material, brand, size)?
Tangle Teezer, black.

* Do you focus on just your scalp, or do you brush your entire length?
Whole lot, no special focus on scalp unless smoothing for a pony.

* Do you lean forward and brush from the nape of your neck forward?
Direction depends on style; a high updo would have me brush the nape first then flip to the top side to brush. I flip my hair and brush from the underside when I wash. This is very rare, most people's hair does not take well to flipping. I'm just lucky.

* What's your best brushing technique?
...

* Does brushing make your hair weaker or more prone to breakage?
Nope. It's indifferent. I don't have weak hair or breakage.

* What does brushing do to your hair?
Makes it look neater. I don't have real waves just a bit of body so I've nothing to lose by brushing.

I guess all of the things that I am wondering about boil down to just two things: HOW do you brush and WHY do you brush?

How: Top to bottom, straight through usually. Again this is very unusual, not solely down to the Tangle Teezer. My hair rarely knots. If it does I will lightly tap the brush over the knot until it loosens.

Why: My hair hates combing but needs smoothing at least once a week. The other times I brush are preventative I guess.

[Messyhair]

* How often do you brush your hair, and for how long each session?
Never!!

* What kind of brush do you use (material, brand, size)?
I've tried boar bristle and various others.

* Do you focus on just your scalp, or do you brush your entire length?
I've tried both, since I have an oily scalp.

* Do you lean forward and brush from the nape of your neck forward?
Ugh, I've tried it with disastrous results.

* What's your best brushing technique? N/A

* Does brushing make your hair weaker or more prone to breakage?
Definitely.

* What does brushing do to your hair?
Makes it a terribly greasy, tangled mess (boar bristle) or a staticky, tangled mess (synthetics).

[Thinthondiel]

* How often do you brush your hair, and for how long each session?
It depends. If my hair looks good enough as it is when I get up, I don't brush. Otherwise I brush once a day, until my hair is smooth and tangle-free (I know you're not "supposed" to detangle with BBB's, but it's much more gentle on my hair than detangling with a comb or other types of brushes - they tend to tighten the knots in my hair instead of undoing them).

* What kind of brush do you use (material, brand, size)?
I have a round BBB with nylon and boar bristles, which is the one I use the most, because it detangles and penetrates my hair. It's kind of big, I suppose. I also have a medium-sized Denman BBB with only boar bristles.

* Do you focus on just your scalp, or do you brush your entire length?
The entire length.

* Do you lean forward and brush from the nape of your neck forward?
Nope.

* What's your best brushing technique?
I lean slightly to the side and brush from the underside of my hair. When I've done both sides, I brush the canopy to smooth it out.

* Does brushing make your hair weaker or more prone to breakage?
Since regular detangling doesn't work for me, combs and other brushes than BBB's tend to damage my hair since they'll just tighten the knots, whereas BBB's seem to undo the knots gently (for me). I haven't tried a Tangle Teezer, though... I guess it would be gentler on my hair than detangling with a BBB.

* What does brushing do to your hair?
[B]It distributes sebum along the hair shafts down to the ends. It also smooths my hair down and makes it look shinier. It makes my hair less wavy as well, but that's just something I'll have to live with - my hair looks better when I brush it than when I don't.

[pepperminttea]

* How often do you brush your hair, and for how long each session?
Usually twice a day; doing my hair in the morning, then brushing it pre-braiding before bed.
* What kind of brush do you use (material, brand, size)?
I use a WoodyHog for detangling - it's a brush with wooden bristles made by Kent Brushes. I also have a BBB, made by the same company, though I only use that after oiling, so perhaps twice a week?
* Do you focus on just your scalp, or do you brush your entire length?
For detangling, I brush the entire length, starting from the bottom working up. For oil distribution, I focus on the scalp for a bit then work my way down the length.
* Do you lean forward and brush from the nape of your neck forward?
God no. I'd be working out the tangles for hours!
* What's your best brushing technique?
Bottom upwards. Fingercomb first. Be as gentle as possible.
* Does brushing make your hair weaker or more prone to breakage?
If you're not careful with it, yes.
* What does brushing do to your hair?
Mainly detangling, but with my BBB it's all about getting the oils evenly through the hair.

This is entirely reliant on my hairtype. If I had 3a hair for example, rather than 2A/2B (which after a few days looks more like 1C), I wouldn't go anywhere near it with a brush.

[ratgirldjh]

I only brush at night before bed and right before I wash my hair once a week.

I use my Mason Pearson Extra Boar Bristle Brush.

Since I stopped brushing my hair in the daytime - it is much happier and my waves are more pronounced :)

[Teakafrog]

* How often do you brush your hair, and for how long each session?
NEVER
* What kind of brush do you use (material, brand, size)?
NA
* Do you focus on just your scalp, or do you brush your entire length?
NA
* Do you lean forward and brush from the nape of your neck forward?
NA
* What's your best brushing technique
NA
* Does brushing make your hair weaker or more prone to breakage?
DEFINITELY!
* What does brushing do to your hair?
TANGLES IT INTO NASTY KNOTS THAT HAVE TO BE CUT OUT. :(

[coscass]

* How often do you brush your hair, and for how long each session? I never brush my hair. I comb it with a wide tooth comb while it's wet in the shower, and that's only on rare occasion.
* What kind of brush do you use (material, brand, size)? Wide-tooth comb.
* Do you focus on just your scalp, or do you brush your entire length? N/A
* Do you lean forward and brush from the nape of your neck forward? No, but I used to do that when I was younger.
* What's your best brushing technique? N/A
* Does brushing make your hair weaker or more prone to breakage? Yes
* What does brushing do to your hair? Ruins my curls and gives me hella frizz

[Poppy Seed]

I almost never brush - I use a horn comb for detangling.

I own a wooden handled natural boar bristle brush.

These are not generally much good for detangling, but used to give sleek and shine to hair - it works best on straight hair...most curlies don't use them because it removes the curl and leads to FRIZZ!!!

When I do brush, it's after I've put my hair in an updo (usually one without a parting), it's only on the scalp area & what it does for my hair is smooth down any stray hairs, bumps or uneven-ness.

[Keildra]

* How often do you brush your hair, and for how long each session?
-about 4-5 times a day, When I wake up, Before I take a shower (if its not when I wake up), I brush conditioner into my hair in the shower, after the shower, and before I go to bed, and if I need to change my style before the day is up I do it then to, the sessions are different lengths depending on how my hair is that day.

* What kind of brush do you use (material, brand, size)?
-I use a wide tooth comb, I don't know the brand, I got it from the dollar store, and I sanded down the seams (it broke in half in my hair so I use only half of it)

* Do you focus on just your scalp, or do you brush your entire length?
-I brush the entire length but I try to avoid the scalp because I tend to scratch my scalp with my comb and that's not good for anything.

* Do you lean forward and brush from the nape of your neck forward?
-I do that when I'm trying to do a smooth unparted style

* What's your best brushing technique?
-Start at the bottom inch and move upward till I reach the scalp same when I flip my hair upside down

* Does brushing make your hair weaker or more prone to breakage?
-Depending on how it is done, I think if you are gentle and caring to your hair it won't break or become weaker.

* What does brushing do to your hair?
-It detangles it and helps style, that's all I can think of for now

That's all i can think of related to brushing that I know

[JCFantasy23]

I love surveys

* How often do you brush your hair, and for how long each session? Well I just got a wooden comb finally for Christmas, so not sure how long it will be in the future since I will try to use the comb more than the brush. To answer your question on how I normally do it, I brushed my hair once a day typically - sometimes I skipped a day if it wasn't wash day and I'm around the house - and sometimes I brush more (Going out for the day, then later the night, changing styles, hair being unreasonable, etc.) Length of brushing is short, I don't count strokes and it never takes more than a few.


* What kind of brush do you use (material, brand, size)? I have a few brands so don't know, they're all cheapies so it doesn't really matter. All are small and they are padded regular brushes. I used to have a wooden one years ago and it was okay, but something happened to it. I never use boar bristle, round, etc.

* Do you focus on just your scalp, or do you brush your entire length? Entire length but mainly scalp. My ends get tangly a bit but they never fix. I can detangle them but they still feel rough and broken from damage over the years. I've trimmed twice the past couple of months and just plan to keep trimming monthly or every other month to get rid of them slowly. So mainly scalp after I have brushed through the entire length.


* Do you lean forward and brush from the nape of your neck forward? I can do that if I have no tangles. I rarely do. I remember the random times I think about it is usually when I'm wanting body and my hair seems flat. A few times that I've done this it's ended up so poofy and flyaway lol, and other times just normal.

* What's your best brushing technique?
I don't think I really have one, I'm pretty normal on brushing with the exception that I do brush my hair back all the time when brushing on the scalp. Never damages my hair and I couldn't stand my hair just brushing it straight down at the sides, yech. Now of days I try to brush slow. Before paying enough attention to this forum I would go quick and tear through tangles :(


* Does brushing make your hair weaker or more prone to breakage?
I'm not sure. Besides the ends of my hair, since I've started taking care of it, my hair is strong and doesn't break easily. Prior to taking care of it, it did which is why you can see some damage now, but it wasn't from brushing. Since I'm taking more care of my hair the brushing is going smoothly, I hardly ever get tangles, haven't been shedding much at all, and brushing seems fine with it. Since I got that wood comb I'll mainly be using it, and maybe the brush to finish up, just have to get used to how different it feels.

* What does brushing do to your hair?
Makes it softer, stick together, and gives it body

[Delila]

I very, very seldom brush my hair. I do have a BBB, and find that I enjoy using it on my scalp, as a kind of massage, but I don't brush down my length at all.

(For daily maintenance, I finger detangle and then use a large wide toothed comb, only on dry hair, working up from the hemline in small sections.)

[scrumtrulescent]

* How often do you brush your hair, and for how long each session?
Almost daily (night time)-- probably about 5-10 minutes.

* What kind of brush do you use (material, brand, size)?
Boar bristle brush with wooden handle. Exact model: BASS 876-SB (the more narrow and soft brush) as seen on this site: http://www.thehairdoccompany.com/products/wildBoar/

It's important to note that I use a detangling wooden comb (from Body Shop) first, and then I use a fine-toothed wooden comb (also from BASS) before I even THINK about brushing my hair. Since I use a rather soft bristle brush, I don't think it would lend itself well to detangling at all.

* Do you focus on just your scalp, or do you brush your entire length?
I try to cover the whole head, but I do pay special attention to my scalp, and back of my head... I try to move the oil down the length of my hair.

* Do you lean forward and brush from the nape of your neck forward?
nope

* What's your best brushing technique?
I don't really have one, other than combing my hair first, and then just brushing as I please. I move from the scalp, down the length.

* Does brushing make your hair weaker or more prone to breakage?
Not that I know of, but I guess it's a possibility.

* What does brushing do to your hair?
It makes it lie super-flat against my head if it's a little oily. I brush for the purpose of 'cleaning' my hair and loosening up the dirt/debris/oil before jumping in the shower. It's also meant to transport oil/sebum down the length of my hair. Since I do "no-poo" (currently using poo-bars and acidic rinse, only every 3 days), it's important for me to look at brushing as a cleaning method in a way. I don't do it for the look-- it doesn't make my hair look any better at all.

[thelittleredfox]

How often do you brush your hair, and for how long each session?
I brush my hair once a day, sometimes twice

* What kind of brush do you use (material, brand, size)?
My favourite is a mason pearson popular in boar bristle and nylon, I also have knock-off versions of this from denman and boots. The denman one is softer, a bit too soft to get the tangles out, and the boots one is a little firmer, great for detangling. I HATE combs, and I have tried, really - they never get the tangles out and they snag my hair too much and break too many hairs. The only brushes I'll use are combo bristle/nylon because they detangle and they are gentle - the nylon bristles bend rather than break your hair.
* Do you focus on just your scalp, or do you brush your entire length?
Oh God, if I just focused on the scalp I'd have a matted birds' nest in a day or two. My hair is wavy and very thick and really tangles. I don't pay too much attention to the scalp most of the time, unless I'm just about to wash my hair, because it makes my hair too greasy. I brush the entire length.

* Do you lean forward and brush from the nape of your neck forward?
No, because by the time I have then parted my hair it is all tangled again. I part my hair in the middle and do it with my head upright.

* What's your best brushing technique?
I start from the very ends of the hair, section by section, and tease the knots out with the brush. I hold the hair in above where I'm brushing so I'm not pulling on the scalp. I use my fingers to detangle the worst knots, and work upwards to the root section by section around the head.

* Does brushing make your hair weaker or more prone to breakage?
TBH brushing has always suited my hair GREAT. It tangles a lot, but it is very thick so I'm not really prone to breakages at all. I do lose a fair amount of hair, but only from the root. Combs just don't work at all for me.

* What does brushing do to your hair?
Makes it nice and silky and knot free and shiny :)

[jaine]

I fully expect to get railed for this :) but I use my hairbrush like a "back scratcher" on my scalp (back and forth, up and down, side to side). My next growth milestone will be when I can't do that anymore because the brush will get stuck. :)

[missjessiecakes]

I fully expect to get railed for this :) but I use my hairbrush like a "back scratcher" on my scalp (back and forth, up and down, side to side). My next growth milestone will be when I can't do that anymore because the brush will get stuck. :)


Ooohhhh good I thought I was the only one. It feels terrific.
Probably bad for me but oh my fudge it feels good.

* How often do you brush your hair, and for how long each session?
Once a day. More if its windy or my hair gets messed up.

* What kind of brush do you use (material, brand, size)?
I have 2. One is the "evil" plastic paddle brush.
I also have a bbb double sided one side has soft bristles the other has mediumish bristles.

* Do you focus on just your scalp, or do you brush your entire length?
With the Paddle brush I usually do the above mentioned back scratching thing. Although I have a scrittching comb and it feels pretty similar. And super good.

* Do you lean forward and brush from the nape of your neck forward?
Now? Yes.
Later not in a million years my hair would become one big knot. But I can up until shoulder.

* What's your best brushing technique?
I just brush? Slowly, never when wet and if I hit a tangle I remove brush and detangle with a comb.

* Does brushing make your hair weaker or more prone to breakage?
Maybe? Okay so probably when I scratch my head with it but I never noticed damage when I take it slow and just be nice to my hair.

* What does brushing do to your hair?
Smooths it down makes it manageable. When I use to do updos and when I can do them again it makes it smooth on the scalp so they look nice.

I guess all of the things that I am wondering about boil down to just two things: HOW do you brush and WHY do you brush?


I answered the how. Why? Because my hair likes it. When I use the bbb it takes out the curl but it never removes the wave and not all of my hair curls so it makes it look better. It makes it shiny it tames my frizzys and flyaways. It just makes me look better.

[time_on_fire]

How often do you brush your hair, and for how long each session?
Depends - somedays not at all; some days, twice a day.

* What kind of brush do you use (material, brand, size)?
I use an evil goodie plastic brush with balled tips to find tangles, then untangle by hand. I also have an old BBB (I think!) that I bought as a kid - I didn't have a lot of money, and I walked to the store. It still feels so good.

* Do you focus on just your scalp, or do you brush your entire length?
A little of both.

* Do you lean forward and brush from the nape of your neck forward?
No.

* What's your best brushing technique?
I lean to one side, start at the ends. Then I lean to the other side, starting at the ends.


* Does brushing make your hair weaker or more prone to breakage?
I really don't know.

* What does brushing do to your hair?
It makes it smooth and soft. and it feels so good...

[Leneveu]

I think my BBB is an absolute marvel because it has completely eliminated my (long-term) dandruff - no more nasty chemical shampoos :) I've been using it for four months.

* I brush 2-5 times per week, more in the days leading up to a wash - brushing makes my hair "stringier" sooner. It takes about 5 minutes (after detangling).

* I use a hard-bristle BBB from Kostkamm.

* Usually I only brush my scalp. I think the BBB is too harsh for my delicate hair, though I use it occasionally on the length to distribute oil (if I apply too much), or to make a sleek updo.

* I detangle very thoroughly (EDIT: with a comb!), and then brush just the scalp, parting the hair in a few different places so that I can get to all areas. After each stroke I smooth my left hand over the hair to make sure that no hairs are caught in the brush.

* I don't flip my head over unless I want to spend 10 minutes afterwards detangling ;)

I'm also interested to see if brushing has an effect on growth (e.g. at the temples). No big changes yet, though it's only been 4 months :)

[Tabitha]

I have a similar hairtype to the OP and ... I don't brush my hair in its natural state at all, for fear of creating a frizzball.

If I blowdry for a straighter sleek look, I use a Denman or antistatic paddle brush just to style and smooth.

I tried a BBB in a salon/shop once and was very grateful that I didn't buy one first - hair plastered to the head for the first few inches then fluffing out into a frizzy pyramid.

I use fingers or a widetooth horn comb to detangle when necessary but my hair is best left alone. Before and during washing I use a widetoothed plastic shower comb or my TangleTeezer.

[Laylah]

I'm another "no brush" person, so these answers are what I used to do, pre-LHC - kind of like a guide of what NOT to do.

How often do you brush your hair, and for how long each session?
I used to brush once or twice a day.

What kind of brush do you use (material, brand, size)?
A big paddle brush.

Do you focus on just your scalp, or do you brush your entire length?
I would brush my hair the entire length.

Do you lean forward and brush from the nape of your neck forward?
brushing itself gave me enough tangles- this would only worsen it.

What's your best brushing technique?
not brushing, lol.

Does brushing make your hair weaker or more prone to breakage?
Definitely. Brushing caused the waves in my hair to tangle together somehow, and ripping through them broke many a hair :(

What does brushing do to your hair?
It tangles, breaks, and poofs my hair into a frizzball.

[Stormcast]

Usually, I run my hands through my hair after the shower. If I have to brush, I use a soft bristle brush and go from the ends up to my scalp.

[Holly9192]

* How often do you brush your hair, and for how long each session? once a day, before bed for about 5 minutes.
* What kind of brush do you use (material, brand, size): i use a 100% Boar's Bristles brush, round, from conair.
* Do you focus on just your scalp, or do you brush your entire length? I detangle the bottom then focus on my scalp.
* Do you lean forward and brush from the nape of your neck forward? i usually brush from the front of my head back or down.
* Does brushing make your hair weaker or more prone to breakage? I haven't noticed my hair become weaker or more broken.
* What does brushing do to your hair? It keeps my hair from knotting and the knots ripping. It also feels really good on my scalp :]

[Coriander]

I haven't brushed my hair in almost a year, but some of these questions apply anyways. :) I now use a Widu wooden comb, and totally love it.

* How often do you brush your hair, and for how long each session?

I used to brush my hair twice a day for as long as it took to get the tangles out. Sometimes my DBF would brush my hair for about half an hour, which put me into Yummyville.

* What kind of brush do you use (material, brand, size)?

I used an enormous BBB... It's a Conair.

* Do you focus on just your scalp, or do you brush your entire length?

I would focus on my scalp just because that's what felt the best. However I would of course detangle the rest.

* Do you lean forward and brush from the nape of your neck forward?

No way. That would rat my hair like no tomorrow. :lol:

* What's your best brushing technique?

Not to. ;)

* Does brushing make your hair weaker or more prone to breakage?

Yes it did. I could hear snapping no matter how gentle I was.

* What does brushing do to your hair?

Makes the ends poof out and tangle easily. Also my scalp became super greasy.

[Dracontiar]

* How often do you brush your hair, and for how long each session? Usually once or twice a day. I don't like to go without brushing because my hair tangles really easy, and my underlayer is pretty thin and fragile, so it mats up, and that makes the problem worse.
* What kind of brush do you use (material, brand, size)? A hard-bristled brush
* Do you focus on just your scalp, or do you brush your entire length? Brush the entire length. I have to.
* Do you lean forward and brush from the nape of your neck forward? I've never been able to do that. It just gets tangled again as soon as I flip it back over. And fluffy on top of that. xD
* What's your best brushing technique? Start from the bottom, and work my way up. I'm not exactly gentle with it ><
* Does brushing make your hair weaker or more prone to breakage? Yes. :-\ I've heard in many places that I should use a comb, but my hair is way too thick for that. I'd have to spend half an hour just on daily detangling, and I simply don't have that time.
* What does brushing do to your hair? Makes it pretty and manageable, and helps spread out the oils. But it also aggravates my already brittle hair, so I have some serious split ends, and my underlayer basically sucks... I don't suppose someone has any alternatives that WON'T take an hour a day?

[emi77]

* How often do you brush your hair, and for how long each session? Well, most days I will brush in the morning to get out tangles, and I'll brush before I put it in an updo (sometimes these steps merge together!). Then I'll usually leave it until evening, unless I have a concert or am going out, at which point it'll be brushed again!

* What kind of brush do you use (material, brand, size)?Mason Pearson, boar bristle and nylon brush (BBB on its own doesn't work for me- makes me too oily too quickly) The size I use is the little pocket one- I tried bigger sizes but this is the one which sits best in my little hand and gives the most control!

* Do you focus on just your scalp, or do you brush your entire length? Entire length for detangling purposes. But it feels super good on my scalp too!

* Do you lean forward and brush from the nape of your neck forward? NO!!! lol- you've probably heard this creates volume, but I tried it once and if volume means knots and tangles then I'd rather go without! :)

* What's your best brushing technique? Start at the bottom to tease out major tangles, then pull through hair starting from the scalp bit near one ear and progress till you reach the other ear. Then, to finish, I gather hair in one hand, lift up and brush through underneath hair, to get any tangles there, though there are usually none!

* Does brushing make your hair weaker or more prone to breakage? Nope- I have pretty resilient hair to brushing- it loves it!

* What does brushing do to your hair?Makes the tangles go quicker than if I used a comb. Makes it shine and makes it look pretty!

[Sissy]

yes, I do brush because I LOVE the feeling! I have also seen postings on how brushing can help regrow hair and help with thinning hair because it stimulates the scalp, helps distribute natural oils, etc.

So, I do brush daily (in the morning and nighttime). That being said, I have tried to make changes in how I brush since joining the LHC. I almost always try to finger comb and use a seamless detangling comb before brushing. If I just take a brush to my tangly hair the result will be a lot of ripped and pulled hairs resulting in damage. I have tried to brush only when my hair is dry or almost dry. I don't brush on wet hair nearly as often anymore, I use a seamless comb to detangle my wet hair. I do use a brush when I blow dry my hair occasionally.

Most importantly, I have changed the type of brush I use. I used to use any old cheapie plastic brush with balls on the ends or even a metal plate at the base. Now, I use wooden brushes. I have the Urban Spa Massaging Hairbrush (http://well.ca/products/urban-spa-massaging-hairbrush_17617.html) and the Earth Therapeutics Natural Wooden Pin Massage Brush (http://www.amazon.com/Earth-Therapeutics-Natural-Wooden-Massage/dp/B001G7Q0IM/ref=sr_1_27?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1262101374&sr=8-27). These brushes have wooden pins with no balls on the ends. I believe these are a much better brush for my hair.

I also own this Umberto Boar and Nylon Bristle Brush (http://www.target.com/Umberto-Oval-Brush-302/dp/B00149HI06/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&searchView=grid5&frombrowse=0&node=1038576&keywords=umberto%20brush&field_browse=1038576&searchSize=30&id=Umberto%20Oval%20Brush%20302&field_availability=-2&refinementHistory=subjectbin%2Ctarget_com_age%2Cta rget_com_gender-bin%2Ctarget_com_character-bin%2Cprice%2Ctarget_com_primary_color-bin%2Ctarget_com_size-bin%2Ctarget_com_brand-bin&searchNodeID=1038576&field_launch-date=-1y&searchRank=target104545&searchPage=1&field_keywords=umberto%20brush)from Target but I don't use it on my length often as I am worried about damage. This brush would do very well to pull oils through hair though and there are people who swear by BBB brushes. I'm just not sure if they're OK for my hair type.

[Arkady]

I think the reason you'll get conflicting advice on whether to brush or not is because it really depends on your hair type. If your hair is naturally curly/wavy and/or prone to frizz, then brushing is a big no-no - it's just not suited to that kind of hair. Brushing is only really suited to straight hair. You also shouldn't be using a brush to detangle; all it will do is rip the tangles out and break the hair as it does so - much as trying to comb from the top down without fingercombing out the tangles first will do.



How often do you brush your hair, and for how long each session? I brush twice a day - for about 2 minutes each time, after combing; first thing in the morning, and last thing at night before braiding my hair for bed.
What kind of brush do you use (material, brand, size)? I actually use two brushes; the first one I use is a nylon paddle brush I bought in an antique shop with a matching mirror; it's one of the few brushes I've ever found that has long, firm enough bristles to actually penetrate my hair enough to stimulate my scalp. I also have a boar bristle brush which I use for smoothing any stray hairs and final "polish".
Do you focus on just your scalp, or do you brush your entire length? The entire length, so that it distributes the oils from my head evenly along the length of my hair.
Do you lean forward and brush from the nape of your neck forward? No; I do lift the hair and brush out from the nape though before smoothing down from the top.
What's your best brushing technique? I carefully detangle with my fingers first then gently work through my hair with a smooth-tined metal comb (it's actually a professional cat-grooming comb!), starting at the ends and working up. Then I use the nylon-bristled paddle brush, brushing right through to the scalp then down along the length, about 4-5 strokes each side of the head, then a couple of sweeps up from the nape up and back to catch the underside before smoothing down again. Then I do a once-over with the BBB to smooth down any flyaways before putting my hair up.
Does brushing make your hair weaker or more prone to breakage? Quite the opposite, I find; with brushing, I don't need to oil my hair because it distributes the scalp's natural oils through my hair. I've experimented with only combing for a couple of months, and my hair needed far more oiling and conditioning - and was far more prone to breaking.
What does brushing do to your hair? It's two-fold; it stimulates the scalp, increasing bloodflow and improving circulation (which leads to better growth rate), and it distributes the scalp's natural oils along the hair shafts more evenly and better than combing alone would do.
So basically brushing works for me and my straight hair, but YMMV - it's really down to your hair type.

[Brat]

From a curly:

* How often do you brush your hair, and for how long each session? I only brush after showering, when it's soaking wet, for probably 10 minutes or so, until it's detangled.

* What kind of brush do you use (material, brand, size)? Cheap plastic wide brush with the widely spaced bristles, the bristles have those little bubbles at the end, and the base is soft and flexible, so if I get a few hairs stuck, it will flex a little bit. Just enough to let my hand know to stop.

* Do you focus on just your scalp, or do you brush your entire length? My scalp gets very sore if I brush it, I just brush the hair, the entire length.

* What's your best brushing technique? I part it down the middle, with half over each shoulder. Start from the bottom and GENTLY and gradually work my way up to the scalp. I brush several times, until I can get it through with no tangles. Then, I put it all behind me and brush once or twice more. Lastly, I run my fingers through once to separate the curls a bit.

* Does brushing make your hair weaker or more prone to breakage? No, if I leave it tangled it will be. I have curls, and would not enjoy dreadlocks. I get way too many tangles to ever think of using a comb or just my fingers. Anything but brushing takes way too long or is just totally frustrating.

* What does brushing do to your hair? It takes away the tangles.

[Rivanariko]

I haven't regularly brushed my hair since joining TLHC and the difference in the amount of damage is astounding. It all depends on your hair type though. I have fairly thin, very fine hair that is very very fragile and easily offended. By keeping it braided, I've seriously cut down on the number of tangles I get, and I just finger-comb those out very gently. I know a lot of people with coarser hair don't have any problem with brushing as long as they detangle first so it's not ripping the hair to shreds. I usually carefully run a brush through it before trimming to make sure it's all laying right, and every once in a while I'll use it to help with styling for a special occasion, but for the most part, it doesn't even occur to me anymore.

[AgnesONutter]

* How often do you brush your hair, and for how long each session?
I tend to be rather lax with my brushing. I do detangle and brush before washing it, and if I am leaving home of course taking my time until I can feel no more tangles. Some days, this takes a LOT of time, some days they are gone in a minute or two.

* What kind of brush do you use (material, brand, size)?
I use a wide, seemless wooden tooth from Bodyshop to detangle, then I follow either with my wooden paddle brush, also from Bodyshop or my Mason Pearson Popular nylon/boar bristlle brush depending on what I want from my hair. If I want well behaved hair for plaiting, and brushing is secondary I use my paddle brush since it is quick, effective and leaves the hair non static. If I want hair that looks soft and inviting, and keeps the natural wave, I use my Mason Pearson. I just ordered a new Mason Pearson, since the old one after more than 20 years of use have become unusable.

* Do you focus on just your scalp, or do you brush your entire length?
Entire length then scalp, since I have sebboreah this is a must to dislodge flakes etc.

* Do you lean forward and brush from the nape of your neck forward?
No. My hair tangles HORRIBLY if I try that.


* What's your best brushing technique?
Start at the bottom, with a wide tooth comb and work your way up. Then take a slightly finer comb or a sparse brush, and repeat. Take it in steps, simply, and don't rush it. If you encounter a tangle, don't tackle it straight on. Dislodge your comb or brush, and begin at the bottom, slowly until it is gone or take your fingers.


* Does brushing make your hair weaker or more prone to breakage?
Every time I brush I do loose a few strands, yes. But my hair does not become weaker or more prone to breakage as such. If I don't brush for a while, the tangles do become worse and the hair thus breaks easier. So for me it is a question of brushing and keeping the hair detangled, putting a little strain on it almost every day or putting a lot of strain on it once I do brush properly. Choose the best of two evils to keep it healthy and soft looking.

* What does brushing do to your hair?
It makes the tangles disappear, some brushes straightens my natural wave out, some just manages to snag it. It depends on the brush. :)

[renarok]

HOW do you brush? I use a wood bristle brush first thing in the morning, I use it fairly aggressively on the scalp to stimulate it. I am gentle with the canopy, and will oil at this time.

WHY do you brush? I like to do a very thorough brushing first thing in the am to try and get all the shed hairs out and wake up my scalp. I will then bun, braid, or use caruso steam rollers. I have found that I have a lot less sheds during the day if I do this.

[YoginiCelestial]

After joining LHC, I've read posts that recommend not to brush your hair when it's wet. So I bought a wood comb from The Body Shop, and love it! I use it after every shower to detangle. I only brush when my hair is totally dry. It has little plastic bristles, with rubber balls on the ends and a flexible soft pad underneath for cushioning. I think it's made by Conair. I brush all over starting at the ends, and work my way up, to gently detangle. I love the feeling of the bristles on my scalp, it feels good. I also will flip my hair over and brush from the underside. Then flip back and brush all over again. Usually, it's right before bedtime.

[Kris Dove]

* How often do you brush your hair, and for how long each session?
I brush 1-2 times a day (morning, then later if my hair's looking untidy) and it takes under 5 minutes. At night before going to bed I just comb.
* What kind of brush do you use (material, brand, size)?
I detangle first using a large wide tooth plastic Boots' comb, then I brush using a Lee Stafford Doggy Style Brush (plastic, medium size, no balls on ends)
* Do you focus on just your scalp, or do you brush your entire length? I don't touch my scalp, I just brush the length
* Do you lean forward and brush from the nape of your neck forward?I brush from the bottom up, similar to combing
* What's your best brushing technique? see above
* Does brushing make your hair weaker or more prone to breakage? Possibly, I minimise this by detangling it with a comb first though
* What does brushing do to your hair? Makes it sit nicely, and look sleek. It's fine and thin so combing alone leaves it looking stringy.

[StrongWall]

I just part my hair with a comb, let it airdry, and then finger comb

[Deemeeuh]

Earth Therapeutics Natural Wooden Pin Massage Brush (http://www.amazon.com/Earth-Therapeutics-Natural-Wooden-Massage/dp/B001G7Q0IM/ref=sr_1_27?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1262101374&sr=8-27)

Yay for the Earth Therapeutics Natural Wooden Pin Massage Brush! Feels sooo good and is non-damaging!

[Qamar]

I've learned that my expensive Mason Pearson gives my oily roots, a shiny canopy and a zillion split ends, but my very reasonably priced Tangle Teezer zips through my hair in no time flat, leaves it almost as shiny as the MP, and doesn't give me split ends. Now the MP is destined to be a gift for my son since his hair is much thicker than mine and far less prone to split ends.

[florenonite]

I've learned that my expensive Mason Pearson gives my oily roots, a shiny canopy and a zillion split ends, but my very reasonably priced Tangle Teezer zips through my hair in no time flat, leaves it almost as shiny as the MP, and doesn't give me split ends. Now the MP is destined to be a gift for my son since his hair is much thicker than mine and far less prone to split ends.

Wait, if TTs are "reasonably priced", how expensive are Mason Pearsons? The TT is the only hairbrush I've ever spent £10, and the only I'm likely to; normally I'd spend £2-3!

[Qamar]

I paid $156 for my Mason Pearson and $16 for my Tangle Teezer. Both prices include postage and shipping. I'm bummed about the MP because I had one as a child and it did wonderful things for my hair. Now it just doesn't work even though I have the same hair texture.

[Pixna]

* How often do you brush your hair, and for how long each session?
I brush my hair in the morning and in the evening, about 50-60 strokes overall each time.

* What kind of brush do you use (material, brand, size)?
I use a Denman D5 brush (http://www.ballbeauty.com/dentrad.htm).

* Do you focus on just your scalp, or do you brush your entire length?
I brush the entire length.

* Do you lean forward and brush from the nape of your neck forward?
Yes. However, I thoroughly detangle with a smooth, wide-tooth comb first. Then, after I lean forward, I detangle yet again. Only then, once my hair is thoroughly detangled, do I begin brushing.

* What's your best brushing technique?
Brush very, very slowly and gently, head down (with hair flipped over and thoroughly detangled), from nape to the ends of the hair, smoothing with my other hand after each stroke. When I flip my hair back over, after I stand up, I detangle with my fingers and then with my wide-tooth comb again.

* Does brushing make your hair weaker or more prone to breakage?
As long as I am very, very gentle with brushing, it has no damaging effects whatsoever.

* What does brushing do to your hair?
It makes my hair softer, smoother, and sleeker. It stimulates my scalp (and, when brushing leaned over, increases the circulation in the scalp). It makes my hair happy (yes, I see it smiling!).

I guess all of the things that I am wondering about boil down to just two things: HOW do you brush and WHY do you brush?
HOW is covered above. WHY? Because it feels great and makes my hair feel loved and appreciated. And, hopefully, feeling loved will make it grow stronger and longer! :redgrin: