Think about the last hair product commercial you’ve seen and how you reacted to seeing the model’s hair flow on camera. Have you ever looked at a shampoo commercial and wondered how they managed to get the model’s hair to look so silky and shiny? Believe it or not, it probably doesn’t have much to do with the hair products the commercials are touting. In most cases, it’s the hair brush they use.
The Industry’s Little Secret
With all the lotions and potions people use on their hair, one would think that the key to a great head of hair deals with the right conditioner and shampoo—but that’s really not true at all. It’s actually a combination of things, with one of the most important ingredients to a healthy head of hair being the hair brush that you choose.
Not All Brushes Are Alike
Most people have, at one point or another, experienced the disaster that comes with having the wrong hair brush or comb in their arsenal. Most people know when they have a bad brush, simply because of how their hair feels afterwards. When you run a brush through your hair, only to have it snag on tangles or fray out your tresses, you can tell it’s a bad brush.
The ideal hair brush is one that will detangle, smooth out your hair, and also keep breakage at a minimum. Unfortunately, there’s no real universal hair brush. Every type of hair has its own needs, and this means that each type of hair will need a different type of hair brush.
You’re probably wondering what you need to do in order to find the right hair brush for your hair. Here are some tips from the pros:
- Always opt for detanglers unless you are using a specialty hair brush. Specialty brushes, such as the metal ones used in blowouts, are best left for professionals or their specially designated uses. For a good all-around hair brush, you are often best off working with a detangling brush.
- Choose a brush that works with your thickness. Thicker hair tends to require more widely spaced bristles, while thinner hair works best with brush bristles that are closer together.
- Avoid brushes that have all their bristles in a single row. Believe it or not, this doesn’t actually help you get the detangling power you want. In many cases, it actually will cause your hair to stay knotted.
- Find a brush that has gentle bristles. Not all brush bristles are made alike! A good rule of thumb is to work with a hair brush that is gentle enough to work with your hair. Ethnic hair, for example, works well with boar bristles. Thin hair works well with plastic bristles.
- When in doubt, try to find a hair brush that is designed for your hair. Believe it or not, there are companies out there that have brushes made specifically for certain hair types. One of the most well known is Kampalook, which creates brushes based on hair texture and thickness.
The best brush for you is the brush that makes your hair shine and stay tangle free. With a little searching and some serious research, you can find a brush that gives you commercial-worthy hair in no time flat.