Bristle Brushes...friend or foe?

[Flossiebell]

I have read so many posts saying that bristle brushes are great for long hair and distributing oils, protecting hair, etc, etc. However it doesn't work for me.

I detangle with a wide comb, then flip head upside down so top of my head isn't flattened, and comb again, then brush with my 100% natural bristle brush. But when I comb it afterwards (because it goes into one solid mass) it is full of knots all the way through which I then end up ripping my comb through because I am then running out of time and can't spare a further 20 mins+ of very careful (my hair tends to break easily) detangling :mad:

Maybe bristle brushes are not all they are made out to be, or maybe they are only for people with straight hair? I have w2b (I think) hair with layers so will probably have to stick to my tangle teaser and see how I go with that.

Anyone else have the same problem?

[Silverbrumby]

After reading up about this on the site I never 'flip' my hair now and it's made a huge difference. I also wait until my hair has settled down from being washed. I lean over and part my hair in two, gentle comb out tangles before brushing. Then when I straighten up I again part my hair in two and bring it back over my shoulder and comb again if I need to. I found the flip was a disaster for my 2a type dry, frizzy hair.

[Flossiebell]

Thanks for the tip. I'll give that a try, just worried that my hair will go greasy-looking on top is all. It would be nice if it didn't make it go into one big sheet :)

[Nedertane]

Hm, well it could be due to your texture. I've seen a fair amount of curlies/wavies on here who just prefer a comb or the Tangle Teezer. I have a friend with nearly hip-length wurly hair (I'd say 2b, perhaps), and he doesn't like BBB's as he says they hurt his scalp and don't detangle very efficiently.

I've never used the TT myself, but maybe it'd be worth a shot to you?

[Flossiebell]

Thanks Nedertane. I have a tangle teaser and the only reason I don't use it too often is because it when i use it it sounds like I am brushing a carpet! and i have noticed that I get hairs on it which is probably me overreacting as i used to suffer from major hair fall so as soon as i see hair on a brush or comb i freak out lol

[Nedertane]

Shedding as you brush is simply natural, unless you think you're getting large amounts of hair?

[Madora]

[quote=Flossiebell;2033264]I have read so many posts saying that bristle brushes are great for long hair and distributing oils, protecting hair, etc, etc. However it doesn't work for me.

I detangle with a wide comb, then flip head upside down so top of my head isn't flattened, and comb again, then brush with my 100% natural bristle brush. But when I comb it afterwards (because it goes into one solid mass) it is full of knots all the way through which I then end up ripping my comb through because I am then running out of time and can't spare a further 20 mins+ of very careful (my hair tends to break easily) detangling :mad:

Maybe bristle brushes are not all they are made out to be, or maybe they are only for people with straight hair? I have w2b (I think) hair with layers so will probably have to stick to my tangle teaser and see how I go with that.

I have long, moderately thick, slightly wavy hair and I love my bbb!

From your explanation, it would appear your detangling, brushing ritual needs a bit of tweaking in order to keep the tangling to a bare minimum.

You detangle first, in the bent at the waist position with all your hair in front of you like a curtain, using a wide tooth comb, working in small sections, from the bottom of the strands and up to the roots.

Once all the tangles have been removed, then you brush, from the nape on down to the ends. When you're finished brushing, part the hair from nape to forehead so that it is in two sections. Hold each section in either hand, then stand erect.

Take the hair in one hand and place it over the right shoulder and let it fall down your back. Repeat with the other side.
Check once more for tangles, then style as desired.

If you toss/fling/throw your hair over your head after brushing, you'll end up with a tangled mess.

The health and beauty of your hair depends on gentle detangling. It cannot be done in a hurry.

Not all boar bristle brushes are created equal. A great deal depends on the bristles themselves...some are very long and stiff, others shorter and very soft. Brushing is not for curlies.

The effectiveness of the brush depends on HOW you use it and by keeping it clean and free of shed hairs. If you're interested, I have detangling and how to brush with a bbb articles in the Articles section (see grey menu bar). I've been using boar bristle brushes since 1960.

[pepperminttea]

They don't work for me either; a recipe for flat oily scalp hair and giant bushy length. I always detangled with a comb first, but even going gently and slowly, it always felt like it was rough on my hair. I persevered for a while with advice here, but didn't notice an improvement; I was relieved to give up to be honest. My hair's happier just being combed. :shrug:


he doesn't like BBB's as he says they [...] don't detangle very efficiently.

To be fair, they're not meant to be used to detangle. More of a polishing tool. :)

[einna]

I think the BBB is good for my scalp, and also for my hair because it spreads oils and sebum, but I am also careful, because the coarse bristles feels rough on my fine/medium hair.
As for knots, it helps to not flip the hair.

[jeanniet]

I never brush with my head upside down, ever. This method works well for some people, but not all, especially if you have very tangle-prone hair. Because I have a mix of textures from very fine to thick hairs, any movement encourages the fine hairs to tangle in the other hairs, so moving my hair over and then back, no matter how carefully, causes problems. I divide my hair into two (extending my part all the way back, more or less) and brush each side from the top and then from underneath. Just make sure you detangle first, and if you're a true curly, brushing isn't a good idea because your hairs are too fragile. I'm borderline wavy/curly and I can get away with brushing very carefully a few times a week.

[Nedertane]

They don't work for me either; a recipe for flat oily scalp hair and giant bushy length. I always detangled with a comb first, but even going gently and slowly, it always felt like it was rough on my hair. I persevered for a while with advice here, but didn't notice an improvement; I was relieved to give up to be honest. My hair's happier just being combed. :shrug:



To be fair, they're not meant to be used to detangle. More of a polishing tool. :)

Ah, yeah, you are right about that.

[Kinkycurlygurl]

I'm a 4a/b and BB is too rough for my hair. It snagged my fine strands and snapped them.

I'm doing water/sebum only and I use a soft goat hair brush to distribute my sebum down the length of my hair. I detangle with a smooth, wide-toothed comb before brushing.



I have read so many posts saying that bristle brushes are great for long hair and distributing oils, protecting hair, etc, etc. However it doesn't work for me.

I detangle with a wide comb, then flip head upside down so top of my head isn't flattened, and comb again, then brush with my 100% natural bristle brush. But when I comb it afterwards (because it goes into one solid mass) it is full of knots all the way through which I then end up ripping my comb through because I am then running out of time and can't spare a further 20 mins+ of very careful (my hair tends to break easily) detangling :mad:

Maybe bristle brushes are not all they are made out to be, or maybe they are only for people with straight hair? I have w2b (I think) hair with layers so will probably have to stick to my tangle teaser and see how I go with that.

Anyone else have the same problem?

[88Marisa]

I have been doing water only washing for a little over 9 months now and my BBB is my best tool. I used to hate brushes because my hair would break and get bushy, but now that I have a lot less frizz from the WO method, this is not really an issue.

My routine is to finger comb out any tangles, then brush, starting at the bottom and work my way up. I usually spend at least 5 minutes brushing my hair to distribute sebum from my scalp down to the ends. I do this every night before going to bed, and before I leave the house in the morning. On the days I do wash my hair (though I mostly just focus on the scalp) I brush it out well first so that the ends are moisturized and there isn't a lot of excess sebum/oil on the scalp. I usually plop my hair when I wash it so I can wear it out curly, then I'll usually brush it out into waves that night and put it up and wear it wavy for the next few days. If I want to wear it curlier without washing first, I brush it out with the BBB so it's smooth and then finger comb some water into the top layers and scrunch it. That's usually enough to give me some nice spirals.

I used to get massive amounts of split ends and had very dry, crunchy feeling hair that would fly everywhere. Now my hair is very shiny all the time and it feels soft and flexible and doesn't frizz all over the place. Also, I have had a huge reduction in split ends and less shedding now too. So in a nutshell, I really like this routine, and having a BBB is a very useful tool to distribute my natural sebum quickly and efficiently.

[Venefica]

I have a bristle and nylon brush. It do give shine but I do not use it that much, for my hair a tangle teaser works better, it do not exactly tangle my hair but I have to spend allot of time getting it though my hair as the BB brush constantly get stuck. It is as if my hair is trying to eat it.

[Annalouise]

I vote "friend". If for no other reason than it is good for the scalp.