Ditch the brush?

[Periwinkle]

So I'm an obsessive brusher. Every twenty minutes, I'm reaching for the brush again...it drives people mad, I tell you.

So, having read of people on here stopping brushing their hair entirely, I thought I might give it a go for a wek or two, just to see if I can break the brushing habit. Hopefully, if I go without it, I'll be able to brush less when I start again.

Today's been the first brush-free day. I washed my hair yesterday and put it in a cinnabun, then plaited it overnight and wore it in a ponytail today. Now that I'm home, it's in a French braid. I've had no difficulty changing styles or fingercombing it or anything...so far, so good!

Anyway, I was wondering if it's worth trying to stay off the brush altogether, assuming that my trial goes okay. My hair isn't particularly long or damaged (only just BSL when dry, just past it when wet), but is it worth it as an 'investment' for when it gets longer? If you've stopped brushing, has it made an appreciable difference? Is it worth it?

[capelli lunghi]

Well I don't brush my hair often, probably about 2 times a week. I don't brush/comb unless I need to. I can't really tell any difference in my hair, however, as far as brushing vs. non brushing goes. What I CAN tell a difference through is HOW I brush.. I used to rip through my hair with a brush.. now that I know better, my condition has improved greatly.

[Islandgrrl]

I hardly ever brush my hair. When I do I use a wood bristled brush (a Widu) with long, smooth bamboo bristles that just melt right through my hair and massage my scalp in a wonderous way. I might brush once a month, maybe? If you can fingercomb your hair, why bother with a brush?

[heidi w.]

I brushed my hair up to classic length. It's now hitting the beginning of ankle zone. Switching was hard, but success I've had. I like how my hair is in great health. Of course, I wear my hair up all the time so there's no need to detangle throughout the day.


heidi w.

[Kiraela]

I'm something of an obsessive brusher too. I've been known to take my hair down from an updo, brush it, and put it back in the same updo! As Capelli Lunghi said though, it's all in the WAY you brush, I think. Once I started hanging out on hair forums, I stopped pulling the brush through roughly and it's definately helped. I don't like the way my hair looks when it's been combed only... it never lays quite right and ends up weird looking quickly.

[squiggyflop]

i cant seem to keep myself from my goody no snag brush.. the only time that i dont brush it 5 times a day is if i have my hair up.. a good detangler spray helps..

[Euphony]

Do you mean brush or detangle with a comb or a brush? I ditched my brush about a year and a half ago - that's when I finally started to get length, and when my hair finally quit looking so fried. But I also ran the brush through from top to bottom with the only goal is to get out tangles no matter the cost.

Now I comb my hair generally no less than twice per day, from the bottom to the top - gently. Sometimes I do go a day or two without combing when my hair is completely up. This might change when my hair gets longer.

Oh Islandgrrl I must look into that brush!

[Nevermore]

I don't think brushing is bad for your hair IF you have the right brush, which is a BBB or wood bristle brush or something alone those lines. Metal/nylon bristles are pretty mean to your hair especially if you use them often, but BBBs are much more gentle, you could use one very often without damage. Of course, hair does better when it's left alone and treated gently, but using gentler tools can make up for alot of manipulation. Have you tried replacing your easy to grab brush with say, a wooden comb? I use my wooden comb pretty often, though not as often as you use your brush, and it doesn't seem to do any damage at all. I believe the plastic ones did though, with the sharp seams (that I never filed because I broke the combs too often for it to matter).

[MissHair]

Maybe this is more psychological than physical? Maybe you should reach for something else in your hands when you feel like brusing your hair, maybe this is an old habit you have. Whenever you reach for your brush, reach for something else and play with it, stress ball maybe. I have ditched my brush, my hair feels so much better. I think its a bad habit.

[nomadhome]

My hair is bsl and i love not brushing because it makes my hair less frizzy-- but then we have different hair types.

[mommy101405]

I am an obsessive brusher. I haven't totally stopped brushing I just put the brush in a drawer so I have to think about it before I get it.

[LaurelSpring]

Where is a good place to buy a seamless wooden comb or BBB. I have a BBB but it is very old. I am not sure if I am using it correctly. It seems good to scratch my scalp but doesnt seem to really brush well. Im not exaclty sure what I should be doing but I have been using it to dsitribute oils. I am not quite sure right now if its helping or hurting. My hair looks very weird after I use it.

[lirael]

I'm kind of an obsessive brush too. I try to keep mine in a low braid when I'm not going out to keep it from getting caught on things as well as to keep myself from playing with it all the time.

[mommy101405]

Where is a good place to buy a seamless wooden comb or BBB. I have a BBB but it is very old. I am not sure if I am using it correctly. It seems good to scratch my scalp but doesnt seem to really brush well. Im not exaclty sure what I should be doing but I have been using it to dsitribute oils. I am not quite sure right now if its helping or hurting. My hair looks very weird after I use it.


I got a wooden comb from the Body Shop. Sephora has some nicer BBB in a reasonable price.

[littlebabywulf]

I haven't brushed my hair in probably a year. I guess I wear it up often enough that I don't really need to. I do shower on a daily basis for the most part, so I usually use a wide tooth comb after my shower to detangle it, though I've never gotten around to finding a seamless hair friendly one.

My biggest issue is that I use a rat tail comb when I pull my hair up to make it smoother. So, when I french braid, pull it half up or all the way up, I use the comb to collect the pieces. And I only do my hair when it's wet. So that's probably bad, all things considered.

But, my hair is also much happier since I stopped drying it (about a year ago) and stopped brushing it (also about a year ago) and have been doing nice things to it.

[harley mama]

I don't brush. I find it is too hard on my curly hair. When I detangle I use my fingers and then a wide tooth comb, if needed. My hair is much happier since I stopped brushing it.

[Jeni]

If my hair is down, I will brush it through out the day, I have too. My hair starts too look odd if I don't brush it. I always have a brush with me, always. If I leave my house without one (and my hair is down), I will turn around and go get one. I mostly use my BBB during the day. If my hair is really tangled or I need to put it up, I have to use my regular brush though. I just try and brush gently.

[Gutterfayrie]

I haven't touched a brush in ~ 6 months and my hair loves me for it

[Melisande]

I haven't used a brush in ages, and my hair has become much better. I think detangling with a brush can be stressful for the hair. Why brush when you can comb?

Of course, there are people who brush for other reasons, like people who WO. I didn't try it so I can't say anything about it.

But the way you tell it, I would say: try to get along without the brush. Detangle with your fingers and a gentle, smooth comb (check out which material you prefer). Just like you do now. Detangle in small areas, from bottom to top, never rip your comb through tangles. Take a look at your hair after a while and check whether it looks good.

Bravo for your efforts! It's so hard to break a habit.

[Periwinkle]

Maybe this is more psychological than physical? Maybe you should reach for something else in your hands when you feel like brusing your hair, maybe this is an old habit you have. Whenever you reach for your brush, reach for something else and play with it, stress ball maybe. I have ditched my brush, my hair feels so much better. I think its a bad habit.

You might have a point there. I constantly fiddle with things...one of my worst habits is cracking my knuckles every minute or two. You can only crack your knuckles about every 15 minutes because the CO2 has to get back into the joint, so most of the time I'm just bending them. Still, it's an infuriating habit.

[epiphanee]

Nah. Ditch the brush!

[FlowerHair]

I never brush or comb nowadays :D

I just finger comb my hair when it's wet and saturated with conditioner.

I've had a lot of success with this - my hair is thicker, especially the ends. There are no more split ends, no more broken hairs... :)

[Saldana]

I very seldom brush my hair......if I remember, I'll run the BBB through it a couple of times before I shampoo, but that's about it. If I'm on the 3rd day post shampoo, occasionally I'll brush in the morning before I put my hair up, just to distribute sebum a little. My hair is much happier not being brushed - it's prone to splits, and brushing seems to accelerate that process, even with the BBB.

[zule]

I used to rip through my hair with my BBB like a maniac. When I think of what I used to do to my hair before joining LHC, I cringe.

Really, I don't believe that brushing hurts hair if you use the right one and use it gently. However, I haven't used mine since joining here and have been very pleased with the results.

Do most of you brush to distribute the sebum? Do you find that your hair is better for doing that?

[allege]

I was so leery of the whole ditch the brush thing at first. Then I tried it. Haven't brushed in a couple years now. I invested in a really good seamless comb that I use only when there are tangles that finger combing won't take out. My hair is actually curlier now, and fuller, more body and bounce that I think brushing was stripping out of my hair.

[Nynaeve]

Well I don't brush my hair often, probably about 2 times a week. I don't brush/comb unless I need to. I can't really tell any difference in my hair, however, as far as brushing vs. non brushing goes. What I CAN tell a difference through is HOW I brush.. I used to rip through my hair with a brush.. now that I know better, my condition has improved greatly.

It's the same for me. I can tell a big difference in how my hair behaves and feels from when I used to brush in a much harsher manner, but I don't really brush enough (or really rather don't pay enough attention) to tell a difference between brushing and not brushing.

[Lady Godiva]

I haven't brushed my hair for almost a decade and don't plan to ever again. That last time I did was a test of sorts, as I hadn't brushed for ages before then, either. I confirmed my position that see no need for brushes.