Ever wonder how to brush those luscious locks of yours the correct way? What about if you are using a type of brush that helps or harms your hair? To find out the answers to these questions and more, we went straight to the hair pros! What type of brush you use and how you approach keeping your mane tame is completely dependent on several characteristics that it holds. To determine what approach is best for you, take a second to examine your hair. Is your hair curly, straight, or wavy? How about course, fine or somewhere in the middle? Also, is it thick or thin? These factors all make a difference in the way we should care for our hair. Continue reading to find out what we discovered when we did some research. We have outlined what brush you should use, how you should brush, and more just for you!
To Brush or Not To Brush……THAT is the Question!
While brushing is generally beneficial to the health of your hair, it can also be very detrimental. Remember when you were young and you were told that brushing each strand 100 times would provide you with a silky, smooth look? This is what we call a HAIR MYTH! Over brushing can damage the strands, usually resulting in the hair lifting at the cuticle and causing the strands to break. Breakage affects the ability to reflect light which causes hair to give off a dull, flat look. So, contrary to what you learned from Marsha Brady, you really should only brush as much as necessary to remove tangles.
CURLS! CURLS! CURLS!
When maintaining your curly locks, the only tools you really need are attached to your body…..YOUR FINGERS! Only use a brush IF necessary. One other thing to remember about curly hair, raking and brushing are okay if done so in an appropriate manner and while wet. According to celebrity hairstylist Tippi Shorter, once your curly hair dries or starts to dry, PUT DOWN THE BRUSH!! Celebrity hairstylist, Matt Fugate says, “Those with curly hair should rake their fingertips through their curls to get rid of any tangles they might have.” Using your fingers also helps with distributing any product that you might use. If your hands aren’t cutting it when it comes to proper disbursement of product, feel free to snatch up that paddle brush, but do take it slow and steady. Shorter says that due to the lack of flexibility, curly headed ladies should just go ahead & stay away.
Let’s Get One Thing Straight…
Straight hair is insanely easy to maintain; there isn’t much to worry about when it comes to its maintenance. You can brush it whether it’s dry or wet and it’s totally safe! Always use some type of conditioner, whether you use the kind that you rinse out or the kind you leave in. Doing so keeps you from ripping through knots, which isn’t good for any hair type. Once you have conditioned your hair, let the brushing begin. Fugate recommends the use of a comb, so long as you aren’t just raking through your hair. Like stated before, ripping through hair isn’t good for it; it causes broken strands and damaged cuticles. He also recommends that you start at the bottom of your hair and work your way up. Doing this keeps you from cinching the knots in your hair, making them tighter and creating an even bigger mess than you had before.