Ummm am I the only one?

[longhairedlady]

So I finally broke down and got a Boar bristle brush today and it SUCKS!!!! I mean the flimsy little thing was not doing anything to my hair other than smoothing the surface hairs. How in the world are some of you using this thing with all these great results I keep hearing about??? I was all excited about this thing and now that was just a huge letdown! I gave it to my niece to practice with on her hair. But seriously is there and alternative to this brush? Right now I am still using my paddle brush. :undecided:

Am I the only one that thinks these brushes suck bigtime? :shrug:

[Lianna]

With thick hair we gotta section it A LOT for it to work. It's annoying but possible. I don't use mine as much since I got the tangle teezer, which leaves my hair so soft and tangle free in a matter of seconds (it brushes and detangles).

[ssjhotau2]

I was disappointed with mine at first too. I figured I'd just gotten a cheap one or something. Maybe I did lol.

I flip my hair upside down every night and brush from the top down
(I get a stretch in while I do this, like reaching for my toes).

This has helped me stretch washing one more day because it moves the oil further down. Mostly though it makes my scalp feel better and keeps my hairs from settling in one place.

I flip my hair upside down use my Tangle Teezer to get all the tangles out. Then I use my BBB over the whole length and I do it 20 times on each section of my head from roots to length, then I stand up and use my TT to comb everything back- then I use the BBB to smooth it back into place before I braid or bun for bed.

My hair has tripled in shine since I started doing this and my ends no longer get dry/crunchy near wash day. It may be worth hanging onto a little longer.

[Cassie 123]

Not at all; the BBB haters are as numerous as the BBB lovers. The MP XL is the first I've found that really gets through my hair, but I'm not a fan of the fluffy look it creates, so I mainly stick with combing.

Also, there is a technique to BBBing properly. Madora explains it starting in the fourth post of this thread (http://www.longhaircommunity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=75076).

[teal]

I don't have thick hair but I do have a lot of hair. I have to section like crazy to get to all the roots. I picked up some alligator clips like the salon stylists use... that makes my BBB experience better.

[Madora]

So I finally broke down and got a Boar bristle brush today and it SUCKS!!!! I mean the flimsy little thing was not doing anything to my hair other than smoothing the surface hairs. How in the world are some of you using this thing with all these great results I keep hearing about??? I was all excited about this thing and now that was just a huge letdown! I gave it to my niece to practice with on her hair. But seriously is there and alternative to this brush? Right now I am still using my paddle brush. :undecided:

Am I the only one that thinks these brushes suck bigtime? :shrug:

I'm sorry you had such poor results with your "flimsy little thing". I've seen many bbbs in my day but never a flimsy one.

Although I have no scientific proof to back up my theory, I think the shape of the bbb has a lot to do with how successfully (or not) your brush deals with your hair. Of course hair thickness plays a role too. I had very thick hair back in the day and never had any problems using my brush. The bristles were as stiff as I could get (in the beginning) and I always detangled before I brushed my 100 strokes per day.

My Goody brush (circa 1970s) is long and narrow in shape and has six rows of bristles. My hair hated my very expensive Kent of London oval hairbrush so I went back to my reliable Goody brush.

[CaityBear]

I don't like mine too much. I like to use it just to smooth the surface hairs but otherwise I always use a comb with wide teeth. I rarely ever brush my hair.

[Panth]

Meh, the only benefit I've ever found for mine is it removes lint from my hair. However, it also turns it into a giant, poofy, static-filled mess (yes, even if I smooth it down after each brushstroke) ... and then the static often results in huge tangles, which results in having to cut/break them apart.

I'm really not sold on them.

[Stephanie]

Boar bristle brushes are totally hit or miss and not all are made the same. I have a beloved old Kent (I believe) that's so old I can't tell what brand it really was when my mother first bought it many, many years ago (think 40-50 years ago). I purchased a Mason Pearson and was so excited about it only to be thoroughly let down. It was too stiff. I now use it on my long-haired cats. :rolleyes:

Also, keep in mind, that brushes do "break in" after a period of use. The one that was handed down to me and I love so much...it very well may have been as tough as the Mason Pearson that I purchased, but I just couldn't deal with getting it through my hair everyday until it loosened up. I'm also a huge fan of the Paul Mitchell paddle brush, but it takes about a month of using it a couple of times a day to get that lovely used feel to it (on my scalp). If yours was too flimsy, it will probably only get softer with use. Going a little firmer is better than softer. Also, look for a brush that doesn't have bristles cut at the same length. To really get into the hair, your best bet is usually a pad filled with tips of slightly different lengths.

[mrs_coffee]

I don't feel like mine brushes very thoroughly either. I do have thick coarse hair, but like you said, the BBB just kind of smooths the top layer of hair.

[longhairedlady]

Okay ladies so I went back to Sally's and got some new supplies! I looked for a boar bristle with different lengths like Stephanie said. And I found one paddle shaped BBB with varying lengths and with a longer thick nylon bristle mixed in it. It felt alot stiffer so I decided to go for it and get it! I also got a wooden comb too! The newest BBB is better, but only works with my hair being sectioned. But it feels really nice on my scalp though. So I am gonna keep using it and see if it grows on me. I am LOVING the wooden comb though! It feels very gentle on my scalp and hair. :) Thank you ladies for all the tips! :)

[spidermom]

I decided that I didn't like mine (I had 2) much because it always sounded like they were shredding my hair. I always had to sandwich my hair between the palm of my hand and the brush to get any penetration.

I like my paddle brush.

[longhairedlady]

I decided that I didn't like mine (I had 2) much because it always sounded like they were shredding my hair. I always had to sandwich my hair between the palm of my hand and the brush to get any penetration.

I like my paddle brush.

See that is what I am having to do with this new I just got tonight. I have to take a small section of hair and sandwich it against my palm. I like the feel of it on my scalp but I just dont think I am gonna be able to use this, at least not for my everyday brush. I will probably give this one away too! :roll:

[Stephanie]

Don't worry about beating the brush up a bit. You can help things along by flexing the bristles with the palm of your hand. You don't want to break the bristles, but flexing them and the pad (if it's rubber) will help it out.

[adiapalic]

I've been using the extra large paddle-sized BBB from Morocco Method I got for Christmas 2007 (I think... may be off by a year). When I first got it, the bristles were really stiff, and the brush didn't seem to get down through my hair very well. Now it's a few years old and gets all the way through my hair. I don't use it to detangle, I use a cheap wooden Body Shop comb for that. I think the size and method of brushing with a BBB is important to get around in order for it to work well.

I use it to clean any lint my hair has picked up (which seems to be the culprit of most tangles... if you don't believe me, look closely and you'll see it too! I didn't realize this until someone pointed it out in a thread!) I also love that it makes my greasy scalp look and feel cleaner by distributing some of the oils down the length.

However, one thing I find that makes a BBB completely indispensable.... it smoothes the scalp for updos like nothing I've ever had before. I can french braid and put up buns without ever worrying about lumps and bumps, because in the end, my BBB smoothes them away perfectly without separating chunks of hair to expose my scalp or pull my hair out the way a plastic pronged brush would.

[longhairedlady]

WOW! I just used it on my niece's hair and it worked so well on her hair! She made me brush her hair for like thirty minutes because she liked it so much! Her hair looked like a sheet of glass it was so smooth when I finished! Is it wrong to be jealous of your 8 year old nieces hair?!! :p :D


Don't worry about beating the brush up a bit. You can help things along by flexing the bristles with the palm of your hand. You don't want to break the bristles, but flexing them and the pad (if it's rubber) will help it out.

I am hoping that between me and my niece using it that it will get broken in fairly quickly. I just spent about fifteen minutes playing with it on a section of my hair, I am hoping it grows on me! :)


I've been using the extra large paddle-sized BBB from Morocco Method I got for Christmas 2007 (I think... may be off by a year). When I first got it, the bristles were really stiff, and the brush didn't seem to get down through my hair very well. Now it's a few years old and gets all the way through my hair. I don't use it to detangle, I use a cheap wooden Body Shop comb for that. I think the size and method of brushing with a BBB is important to get around in order for it to work well.

I use it to clean any lint my hair has picked up (which seems to be the culprit of most tangles... if you don't believe me, look closely and you'll see it too! I didn't realize this until someone pointed it out in a thread!) I also love that it makes my greasy scalp look and feel cleaner by distributing some of the oils down the length.

However, one thing I find that makes a BBB completely indispensable.... it smoothes the scalp for updos like nothing I've ever had before. I can french braid and put up buns without ever worrying about lumps and bumps, because in the end, my BBB smoothes them away perfectly without separating chunks of hair to expose my scalp or pull my hair out the way a plastic pronged brush would.

You are so right about it smoothing your hair nicely! If it doesnt work well in other areas I am definitely gonna keep it just for that very reason!

[NotInPortland]

I don't like my BBB either, used it a few times and that was it. It causes my hair to frizz up like nothing else and I can do a better job with my own fingers of getting the oil down the length.

[Rybe]

Some of these posts are making me feel hasty for throwing out my fiance's BBB. It was sitting around being mostly ignored by both of us for a couple years when one day we had an important social even to go to and the fiance decided to use it on his perfectly clean looking hair to smooth his frizzies...and it suddenly looked like he'd spread lard all over his head. When we were done laughing at it he had to take an emergency shower and got to go to the function with wet hair. I know they spread the oils but yeesh, that was just wrong! But after reading this I'm curious to get one again!

[longhairedlady]

Some of these posts are making me feel hasty for throwing out my fiance's BBB. It was sitting around being mostly ignored by both of us for a couple years when one day we had an important social even to go to and the fiance decided to use it on his perfectly clean looking hair to smooth his frizzies...and it suddenly looked like he'd spread lard all over his head. When we were done laughing at it he had to take an emergency shower and got to go to the function with wet hair. I know they spread the oils but yeesh, that was just wrong! But after reading this I'm curious to get one again!

I was for sure doubting it until I used it on my niece tonight and it did the same thing! Her hair was like sheet of glass it was so smooth! I am gonna try it for a while and see if it works on me like that.

[Mairéad]

I'm still working with my BBB. I got it in hopes to help distribute what little oil my scalp produces. I think, perhaps, I'm not brushing right. Or, that my scalp just makes that little oil.

[archel]

BBBs can be soooooo different. I have spent the last couple of months searching for the perfect one and I am still undecided. I got a soft one at Sally's that sucked so much, it's now a cat brush (luckily, Bella LOOOOVES it). I got the Sonia Kashuk mixed bristle brush and I like it a lot, but I felt it was not really distributing my oils down the length (though it really gives a GREAT scalp massage). (I still have a mini SK for my purse.) I got a Kent Airhedz Pro BBB (the white paddle brush), which is a less expensive version by Kent and I love it for spreading oils down my hair shaft, but it doesn't penetrate well enough to give a very good scalp massage. I just got my new Large Extra MP BBB and it is REALLY stiff but it gets through ALL of my hair and doesn't pull or snag, so it may be The One Brush. I can't bear to get rid of the nice dense Kent brush yet, though. I may swap the SK ones...

[archel]

Oh - one last thing - make sure you wash your BBB every couple of days with something very mild (never soak a brush that has a wood handle) and let it air dry bristles down. If you just keep using it, it will get filled with dirt and oil and leave your hair all gross. I wash mine at least once a week when I wash all my makeup brushes (usually Sunday), but I try to do it more like 2-3 times a week.

[longhairedlady]

Oh - one last thing - make sure you wash your BBB every couple of days with something very mild (never soak a brush that has a wood handle) and let it air dry bristles down. If you just keep using it, it will get filled with dirt and oil and leave your hair all gross. I wash mine at least once a week when I wash all my makeup brushes (usually Sunday), but I try to do it more like 2-3 times a week.

Oh I didnt know this! Thanks for telling me :)

[Stephanie]

Oh - one last thing - make sure you wash your BBB every couple of days with something very mild (never soak a brush that has a wood handle) and let it air dry bristles down. If you just keep using it, it will get filled with dirt and oil and leave your hair all gross. I wash mine at least once a week when I wash all my makeup brushes (usually Sunday), but I try to do it more like 2-3 times a week.
You don't want to dry the bristles out with repeated washing, they'll break. Hair isn't generally very dirty...but then, I guess that's all relative to what you think dirty is. ;)

[heynormy]

I've also noticed this issue with BBBs. I have two, one from Sally's and the other is a Conair one. I must say, I love the Conair one because it has stiffer bristles which can get through my think hair. On the other hand, the one from Sally's has softer bristles and is only good for helping with surface frizz.

[pink.sara]

I'll never use a BBB for many reasons :( they don't penetrate unless I section tiny bits off and push against my palm. It makes my hair poof like nothing else, and mainly I think it causes breakage. Even with detangling before and sectioning I still feel like there's alot of snapping going on.
My hair is thick, but the individual strands are only just M (I think you only see them because they are so dark!) and goody and Kent brushes tend to stretch them.

Denman paddle brush it is!

[alwayssmiling]

I was a bit disappointed too. I only use mine for smooth updo's now which it does an excellent job.

My favourite brush is a bamboo one from bodyshop, I use that all the time.

[Rosetta]

I was quite disappointed too, for the same reasons as OP. It just doesn't do anything for my hair, and I don't even have thick hair...
Luckily I could give mine to DD, 9, who only lets anyone brush her hair with soft brushes like this, as she says brushing with any others hurts. So it wasn't a wasted purchase :)

I myself haven't been a fan of brushes since childhood anyway, so it's combs for me all the way!

[tigereye]

I have two BBB. One is black boar bristle, and the bristles are quite soft and the bundles are closely spaced, and don't go through my hair. I primarily just use it for smoothing down bits that are sticking up when I am about to do a reasonably tidy updo.

My other one is the same make, different model, and about 15 years older, which I found recently in the attic (Yay for hoarding old stuff). It is a whitish bristle, which I origonally thought was plastic, but it is truly actually boar bristle. It is a kind of half-round brush, with one flat side, and the bristle bunches being on the curved side. They're quite packed, and spaced reasonably evenly, and far apart so my hair has space to go into. It works like a charm because the bristles are much stiffer than any of the newer BBBs my local store had in stock.

So I think it depends on the brush really.

[swetiepeti]

After looking at the picture of Madora's BBB I can see why she likes it. It looks like my favorite BBB as well. I have found the more rows, the softer the bristle, the less deeply will the brush go. I avoid "paddle brushes" with lots of rows like the plague as I can't even get them through my canopy.
I had one of the Goody brushes she had but gave it to one of my sisters because I assumed I could easily find one just like it. Not so much. I finally found a BBB with less rows and stiffer bristles in the ethnic section at Walmart. Mine was touted "for scalp stimulation". Her brush and mine could be sisters.

[MissDeliza]

Thanks goodness it's not just me! I feel like it is, the way people praise the BBB.

I've fallen into the trap of buying a BBB twice now; I never learn. I'm sure they work well for some people, but my hair is damn thick, and neither brush could get below the surface.

Perhaps if I was a little more patient I could deal with brushing my hair in tiny segments. For now I'm stuck with the nasty plastic bristles of old faithful.

[CherrySilver]

I love my Kent LS1 BBB -- it has nice stiff bristles which are great for getting thru my thick hair down to the scalp. I mainly use it for scalp stimulation these days because my hair is getting so long that the hair easily get tangled up in it. Still, I wouldn't part from it.