How to Brush Your Hair - The Right Way!

Apr 30, 2021

What’s something we all have in common? We ALL brush our hair!

While brushing our hair remains as a staple in our everyday routines, we might not know why the process is so important or if we’re even doing it right. From the types of hair brushes to how often we should be brushing, look no further than hair expert and the founder of Twentyseven herself. Olivia Colacci is here to give us her best tips for the ultimate hair brushing experience to achieve beautiful, luscious locks.

So why is brushing our hair so important?

Brushing does many different things for our scalp/hair:

Brushing stimulates our scalp and promotes hair growth - if you wince when we brush your hair at the salon you are too sensitive and aren’t brushing your hair enough
Brushing your hair removes dust and dirt that may settle on your hair throughout the day, which is why it’s important to wash your hair brushes at least once a month
Using a boar bristle hair brush moves your natural oils down your hair shaft. With regular shampooing these oils don't end up reaching the ends so you need to help them along with regular brushing. Its the best hair treatment and it’s free!

Is there a right way to brush our hair?

Brush your hair from your ends and work your way up. We recommend brushing dry or at least 70% dry. Your hair stretches when it’s wet and your elasticity is weakened, especially if you have blonde hair, which can cause breakage if you are brushing through tangles quickly. The brush should feel like a massage on your scalp - if it doesn’t you are using the wrong hairbrush.

What’s the difference between the types of brushes? (Combs, Boar Bristle, Mixed Bristle, Nylon Bristles)

Combs help to detangle your hair or can be used to part your hair. Use a comb to detangle when wet, usually with a leave in conditioner or conditioner in the shower.

Boar bristle brushes are for someone with fine hair or a sensitive scalp.

Mixed bristle brushes are for someone with coarse hair that is prone to tangles. The nylon bristles help to detangle while the boar bristles move the natural oils down your hair shaft.

How do I choose the right hair brush for my hair?

What kind of hair do you have? (Fine, Medium, Coarse)
What is your texture? (Curly, Wavy, Straight)
Does it tangle easily? ( think about when you put on a scarf or jacket/ a wind storm)

Fine straight hair can get away with a boar bristle only brush. We recommend:

Altesse boar Bristle Hair brush

Isinis Gold Boar Bristle Hair Brush

Isinish Boar Bristle Hair Brush

Janenke Gold Comb

Curly thick hair needs a large nylon + boar bristle brush to detangle and move the natural oils.

Isinis Boar + Nylon Bristle Hair Brush

Mason Pearson Boar + Nylon Bristle Hair Brush

YS Park Wooden Oval Hair Brush

The Wet Brush

Metal Tail Comb

What makes a good hair brush?

Quality is key! You want to spend a little more on a hairbrush since you will be using it daily - hopefully twice a day! The worst thing is when a brush or comb is not heat resistant and you are using it to blow-dry your hair and the bristles start to melt and warp, YIKES! The bristles should be set in the brush to last you a lifetime, if they start to fall out or push into the cushion you aren’t getting an even brush/distribution of oils.

How much hair fall out is normal when you brush your hair?

50-150 hairs a day, sounds crazy right? Its completely normal. If you don’t wash or brush for a few days we usually freak out and think we are going bald. Breathe and if you are really nervous sit there and count your hairs, I promise it looks like a lot of hair but in actuality it’s just looks scarier than it really is.

Should you ever share your hairbrush?

We like to keep our hairbrushes to ourselves it’s like sharing a dry brush with someone, your scalp sheds skin and your hair collects dust. You don’t want to share someone else’s dirt. If you do share brushes be sure to wash yours afterwards and it will be good as new.

How often should I brush my hair?

Curly hair should be brushed thoroughly before the shower to get rid of tangles and possible dreadlocks and reset your curl pattern. It can also be brushed again in the shower with a wet brush ( plastic bristles on the wet brush glide thru hair with conditioner getting rid of any tangles.)

Does brushing your hair stimulate growth?

Yes! Brush and wash your hair with intention, massaging your scalp helps to promote hair growth by bringing blood circulation to your follicles.

How often should I clean my hairbrush?

How often do you wash your hair? And when do you wash your hair?

If you wash your hair once a week you will notice more dust sitting in your brush, don't be afraid to look at your hair brush. If you are brushing your clean hair with a dirty brush you aren’t doing yourself any favours.
Every 3-4 weeks is a good time to wash your brush. Take out all the hair using either another brush or a comb, use a mild shampoo and rub it in your bristles get a little lather going and rinse it out with tepid water.
Lay flat to dry with the bristles down and the back of the brush facing up. You don't want water to sit in the brush and have the glue that holds the bristles in to be sitting in water over night.

Do you have to brush your hair if you have short hair too?

Yes! Stimulate that hair follicle for hair growth! It's not necessary like longer hair to detangle however you want to get rid of any dirt and debris, as well as keep a clean health scalp!

What would happen if we never brushed our hair?

Your hair would form knots at the nape of of your head and there would be a buildup of oil on your scalp because you aren't distributing it. You will also find yourself using your fingers more to break apart knots which may lead to more breakage.

Is there a right time to brush your hair?

Depending on how you style your hair… if you wear your hair curly you should NEVER brush it before you style it, you will stretch out your curl and make for frizzy uneven curls - always brush before/in the shower.

If you wear your hair straight you can brush morning and night.

If it's wavy brush it at night and it will likely reset while you sleep. You could also use a light mist of water to bring your wave back in the morning.

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