View Full Version : Does brushing clean your hair? Also wood comb question...
DarleneH
June 26th, 2011, 08:57 AM
I am trying to gravitate to less and less washing, so does brushing with a boar bristle brush contribute to cleaning your hair in any way? I know it distributes naturally occurring sebum to the ends of your hair, but it seems like it would help with cleaning too. Or is that wishful thinking on the part of someone who is having a hard time giving up her shampoo?
Unfortunately I may need to buy another boar bristle brush, because the bristles on mine aren't long enough to reach through my hair to my scalp. I guess my hair is thicker than the depth of the bristles. Any recommendations for a brush for thick hair?
Also is there any benefit to using a wooden comb over plastic or other materials? I was poking around in Sally Beauty and saw some cool, large, wood combs that led me to wondering if it would be worth getting one.
AshleyTheRed
June 26th, 2011, 09:06 AM
I don't know about the boar bristle brush, but I adore my wooden comb.
A friend of mine suggested I use it, and she used to have knee length hair. I bought one and was very happy with the results :D
IanB
June 26th, 2011, 09:17 AM
Wooden combs are great, they reduce static and the wide tooth variety are great for de-tangling
littlenvy
June 26th, 2011, 09:22 AM
I love my wooden comb too! Its the one tool I can not do without.
BBB sure does clean your hair of dust and it also helps to distribute oils down the hairshaft. :)
PS. When I did WO washes and needed lots of BBB brushing I would take two brushes and run my hair in between them. The bristles do not have to touch your scalp; most of the dirt and dust sticks to the top layer of your hair.
ladyfey
June 26th, 2011, 09:47 AM
If you use a plastic comb, just make sure that it is seamless. The seams can damage hair. I use a seamless plastic comb and my hair is knee length.
inertia
June 26th, 2011, 10:02 AM
I've also heard that brushing with a BBB is supposed to distribute sebum to the ends, and perhaps that's true in the sense that I have no need to put extra oil on my hair. It certainly doesn't get enough sebum away from my scalp to allow me to shampoo less! I have to wash frequently no matter what kind of brush or comb I use.
homeeduk8tor
June 26th, 2011, 10:04 AM
Hi DarleneH,
I've been doing No Water/Sebum Only cleaning as an experiment recently and I can attest that the BBB does clean your hair. I look forward to using my BBB at the end of the day! I would definitely make sure that you find one that has extra-long bristles so the brush can penetrate the hair and reach the scalp. My hair is thick so I am on a quest to find a new brush for this purpose. If you search the NW/SO thread you will find a user called "Frizzinator" and she highly recommends a specific brush from Mason/Pearson. I wish I had time to track down the thread for you but I'm already late for an appointment...uh-oh! Good luck.
GoatLady
June 26th, 2011, 10:07 AM
I know that my BBB removed a lot of lint from my hair when I was sleeping on a cotton pillowcase. So much lint. Now that I've switched to a satin pillowcase the amount of lint my brush removes is greatly reduced.
charalito
June 26th, 2011, 11:15 AM
Another testimony for BBB cleaning your hair. It removes dust and lint, distributes oils and aerates the hair so sometimes you can get rid of smoke smell too just by brushing. The only thing is that you will have to clean your BBB more often (twice a week maybe?).
silverjen
June 26th, 2011, 12:29 PM
Yup, my BBB is an indispensable tool when I'm doing WO. For me it helps remove excess sebum as well as lint. Mine won't reach all the way through my hair either, so I brush my hair in sections, starting from the bottom layer.
My BBB is a cheapie made by Bass, and the bristles are starting to bend in crazy directions. Does this happen with the more expensive brushes? Has anyone else had this experience?
Emmental
June 26th, 2011, 06:07 PM
Hi DarleneH,
I've been doing No Water/Sebum Only cleaning as an experiment recently and I can attest that the BBB does clean your hair. I look forward to using my BBB at the end of the day! I would definitely make sure that you find one that has extra-long bristles so the brush can penetrate the hair and reach the scalp. My hair is thick so I am on a quest to find a new brush for this purpose. If you search the NW/SO thread you will find a user called "Frizzinator" and she highly recommends a specific brush from Mason/Pearson. I wish I had time to track down the thread for you but I'm already late for an appointment...uh-oh! Good luck.
It's here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?p=1638572&highlight=brush#post1638572).
Messyhair
June 26th, 2011, 06:19 PM
BBBs just plaster my hair to my scalp, making it look dirtier and requiring a washing. Am I in the minority on this? I only use a wooden wide-toothed comb to detangle and never brush because it just doesn't work for me. I stick to wood because that's the only kind of seamless comb I can get.
Schmoomunitions
June 26th, 2011, 06:27 PM
Yes I also do not bbb except right before shampooing because my hair is thin and it makes it too flat. I use the tangle teaser for brushing .
Fairlight63
June 26th, 2011, 06:34 PM
Yes, I think that brushing with a BBB helps clean the hair. I used a detangler once on my hair that left it feeling "gunky" and in a day or so after brushing my hair the "gunky" feeling was gone on my hair. The brush catches lint & stuff in my hair & makes it feel soft.
Don't know about a wooden comb, I have a horn comb that I like.
Madora
June 26th, 2011, 06:36 PM
Pure boar bristle brushes are ideal for keeping your hair clean between shampoos!
But be sure the brush is 100% boar bristle..not a mixture of boar bristles and nylon. Nylon generates heat and heat is not good for your tresses!
The boar bristles not only clean your scalp of lint and stuff from the atmosphere, it also exercises your hair follicles, distributes the natural sebum down your strands, and imparts a lovely shine and softness over time.
Ideally, your boar bristle brush should be kept immaculately clean. Wash it every other day by soaking it in a tall plastic cup filled with 8 oz of warm water and a dab of your favorite shampoo. Let it soak for 7 minutes, then rinse thoroughly with cold water. Shake it dry and run your fingers over the bristles to get rid of excess water. Dry all wooden parts thoroughly, then place the brush - bristles side down - on a lint free cloth.
You can find boar bristle brushes at Walgreens, Target, Walmart and Sally's Beauty Supply.
BBBs come in different stiffnesses..so best feel the bristles of the brush before you purchase it. This stiffness will disappate with time.
Also, the length and thickness of the bristle depends on the brush. Some of the higher end models have thicker and longer bristles. My thick, long hair hated those and I so I returned to my favorite Goody bbbs with thinner, shorter bristles.
Also, while the common complaint is that the bristles don't penetrate your scalp while brushing, you CAN get them to penetrate your scalp by "scritching" gently.
Detangle hair thoroughly and have it hanging down in front of you. Take your bbb -- one hand on the handle and the other hand on the top of the brush. Press down firmly into the scalp.
Move the brush SLOWLY up and down...UP an inch and DOWN an inch . Pick up the brush and lift it away from the place where you just "scritched". Place it down an inch or so from where you just were, and "scritch" again.
It is best to "scritch" in one direction first (forehead to crown), then crown to nape, and then down one side and then the other side. "Scritch" each area about 5 times..then move on to another section. It makes no difference when you scritch. Scritching leaves your scalp feeling terrific!
Lastly, HOW you brush your hair will ultimate determine your overall success with brushing. Brushing offers so many benefits and the results are well worth it! I've been brushing 100 strokes for decades and love my Goody boar bristle brushes!
Jeni
June 26th, 2011, 09:01 PM
BBBs just plaster my hair to my scalp, making it look dirtier and requiring a washing. Am I in the minority on this? I only use a wooden wide-toothed comb to detangle and never brush because it just doesn't work for me. I stick to wood because that's the only kind of seamless comb I can get.
Nope BBB do this to my hair too.
JadeTigress
June 26th, 2011, 11:40 PM
BBBs just plaster my hair to my scalp, making it look dirtier and requiring a washing. Am I in the minority on this? I only use a wooden wide-toothed comb to detangle and never brush because it just doesn't work for me. I stick to wood because that's the only kind of seamless comb I can get.
The same thing happens to me if I use the BBB with my head upright. But if I hang my head upside down and brush that way, I end up with a huge poof of hair when I flip it back over (if it was any poofier I think I could call it an afro), and it doesn't look quite as greasy.
DarleneH
July 2nd, 2011, 01:11 PM
I picked up this wood comb today, because it looked like the best option my Sally Beauty had in the store:
http://www.sallybeauty.com/dressing-comb/SBS-431231,default,pd.html?cgid=Hair10
Is this a good choice as long as I stick to the end with the bigger, wider spaced teeth? I see a detangling comb on the site that I'd have bought if they'd had it in the store.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.3 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.