Have you ever heard of wet brushes before? Or maybe you’ve been told that wet hair is sensitive and that you should avoid brushing it when it’s wet? This piece of advice is perhaps a bit dated, because nowadays there are actually some incredibly good, gentle brushes that you can use in both dry and wet hair, the so-called wet brush. The market for hair brushes has changed a lot and in this post, I’ll tell you all about it.
Read on as I go through the most common brushes on the market, how to use them, and how they differ.
Index
Why is it important to use a proper and right hair brush?
Can the wrong brush be responsible for bad hair days? Can it cause direct damage to your hair? Unfortunately, the short answer is yes. Using the wrong hairbrush can cause bad hair days, but what’s worse is that the wrong brush (and brushing) can damage both hair and scalp. We recommend choosing your hairbrush carefully, whether you intend to use it for styling or brushing your hair. Note that you’ll need to use a wet brush in wet hair and a completely different type of brush in dry hair. Read on to learn more.
Understand hair structure
Each strand of hair consists of two different layers. The outer layer is called the cuticle and gives the hair its shine and softness. It is composed of cells that overlap and protect the inner part of the hair from external factors such as weather, heaters, styling products, and moisture deficiency. When you wash your hair, the heat from the water causes the outer layer to open, allowing the good nutrients in your shampoo, hair mask, and conditioner can penetrate deep into the hair strands and care for the hair from the inside. A good hairbrush, e.g. a wet brush for wet hair, then ensures that the outermost layer of the hair strands is not damaged when you brush your hair while it is wet.
That’s why you are less likely to damage the outer layer when using a gentle and good hairbrush. This is important because you can’t just rebuild the cuticle, and it is incredibly difficult to make already damaged hair healthy again. If you break the cuticle of your hair, it becomes dry, dull, and lifeless, as well as much more susceptible to becoming damaged and frizzy and, in the worst case, of breaking.
If you use the wrong hair brush or use the brush incorrectly, you put your hair through a lot of wear and tear. That’s why it is extremely important that in order to maintain a healthy and beautiful hair, you need to use a good hair brush that does cause the hair unnecessarily wear and tear. Read on as I explain a lot more about how to find the best hair brush for your hair and how to use it properly.
How should I brush my hair?
If you think coincidence somehow plays the major role in getting healthy hair, think again. In fact, the way you brush your hair can be crucial role to the health of your hair. That’s why I recommend you carefully read and follow these steps:
1. Choose your hair brush carefully
If your hair is prone to getting frizzy, then you shouldn’t choose a wild boar bristle hair brush. Rather, you should consider using a paddle brush because it has less dense brush spikes (bristles) and gently untangles any hair.
2. Brush your hair before showering
Most people assume that they should only brush their hair after showering, but if you want to prevent tangled hair, make sure to brush your hair well before showering. This way, you get rid of most of the tangled knots while the hair is dry and not as fragile.
3. Use a wet brush for wet hair
As mentioned earlier, it’s a bad idea to brush your hair when it’s wet, and there’s a special reason for that. Wet hair is much more elastic than dry hair, which means the hair stretches more when you brush it, and that’s the reason why it’s also far more fragile than dry hair. Dry hair is twice as strong and resistant. So you risk tugging or pulling too much on your hair or even breaking the hair strands if you are too hard on your hair when it’s wet, if you forget to use a wet brush, brush your hair incorrectly or you towel-dry it too harshly.
4. Work your way up
Brushing your hair from the top down might seem more natural, but starting from the bottom of your hair and then working the brush up the strands is beneficial for your hair. No matter if you use a wet brush or a paddle brush this technique is gentler on the hair and doesn’t pull at it. So try to start out slightly above the your ends and slowly brush downwards, and only move upwards and closer to your scalp when you’ve dealt with all the tangles in the section of hair you are working with.
5. Give your scalp some TLC
Healthy hair starts with a healthy scalp. So keep your scalp in mind as you brush your hair. Besides getting rid of tangled knots, the aim of brushing your hair is to distribute the natural oils from your scalp to the rest of your hair. Does this sound like the sure-fire way to get oily hair? It’s not. The oils in your scalp are “healthy oils” that actually strengthen your hair and act as a natural moisturizer. An easy way to incorporate some scalp love into your haircare routine is to finish off with an invigorating scalp massage when you brush your hair. Consider buying yourself a good hairbrush that does the job for you. This Hairlust Scalp massage Brush has three-dimensional bristles, which actually provide a decent scalp massage when using the hairbrush.
Which hair brush should I choose for wet hair?
I’ll say it again: remember, remember, remember to use a wet brush for wet hair. A wet brush is especially good for and specifically designed for wet hair. Below I’ll take an in-depth look at the benefits of a wet brush:
Why wet brush?
A wet brush is designed to be used in both wet and dry hair, which is why it is an excellent and particularly gentle brush that does not cause unnecessary wear and tear to the hair. A wet brush, such as the Hairlust Wet Hair Detangler Brush, has soft, elastic bristles that gently detangle the hair locks without tearing or breaking the hair strands. The bristles are close together, which allows the brush to remove hair knots and sort out hair strands without pulling or tearing the fragile hair, no matter if it’s wet or dry. Another advantage of this wet brush is that it’s perfectly pocket-sized, which makes it easy to carry around or bring on vacation. However, a wet brush is not just designed to protect the fragile, wet hair locks. The hairbrush is also made specifically to increase blood circulation of the scalp and the hair follicles as it gently massages the scalp during brushing. As blood circulation increases, it is easier for nutrients to flow to the hair follicles, which can promote hair growth and strengthen hair from the inside.
9 reasons for using a wet brush
There are a lot of good reasons for using a good hair brush designed specifically for wet hair, and I must admit, I'm a little surprised at how much of a difference it has made for my hair to change to a wet brush. Below I mention 9 good reasons why I use a wet brush:
- It gently brushes the hair and removes tangled knots without causing damage or wear and tear to the hair.
- It is super easy to clean and bacteria and grime does not build up between the bristles.
- Suitable for all types of hair.
- A wet brush has soft bristles that effectively massage the scalp and increase blood circulation.
- The brush is often shaped to fit snugly in the palm of your hand – at least the Hairlust Wet Hair Detangler Brush is.
- Can help make hair healthier, longer and, shinier than a regular hair brush can.
- The brush is ideal for using with a hair mask, because you can distribute the hair cure in the hair with a wet brush, which increases the effect of your hair masks and provides a better result.
- Compared to other good hair brushes on the market, the price is often lower.
- A wet brush is an incredibly good hair brush that can be used in both wet and dry hair.
How to use a wet brush?
By now, I hope you have a better understanding of why it might be a good idea to use a good hair brush, such as a wet brush for wet hair. But to get the best results with your wet brush, read on below where I’ll go into details with my recommendations for how to use your wet brush.
Remove excess water from the hair
First, use a towel to remove excess water from the hair. Instead of brushing through the wet hair, use a gentle towel to remove as much excess water as possible. I recommend using a bamboo fibre towel, because it dries your hair much faster and more gently than most cotton towels on the market.
Try to use balms, hair oil or leave-in mist
If your hair is thick, curly or damaged, then I recommend that you always finish your hair wash with a conditioner. Conditioner, hair oil or a leave-in conditioning hair mist is a great way to handle tangled hair and will make it much easier for you to get rid of even the worst knots. I always use a conditioner as the final part of my hair wash, and afterwards I love to add a good, organic hair oil to my hair just before I brush my hair with my wet brush.
Using the hair brush in this way is guaranteed to make a difference for your hair. You stimulate the scalp and hair follicles to enhance hair growth, and you reduce hair damage and brush out a lot fewer hairs. This will help you avoid getting dry, dull, and thin hair just by investing in a good quality hair brush.
Which hair brush should I choose for dry hair?
Long and/or thick hair?
The large paddle brush is an excellent hair brush for long and/or thick hair. Due to the large surface of the brush, the brush distributes the natural oils in the hair, from root to tip.
Curly hair?
In general, it’s not recommended to brush curly, dry hair too much, but when you occasionally do need to brush your hair, choose a smaller hair brush or a wide-tooth comb with slightly more rigid bristles. That way you prevent brushing out the curls out of the hair, but rather provide the curls with the lift they need
Short to medium hair or fine hair?
I recommend a medium size paddle brush. This type of brush works for virtually all hair types, and provides good assistance for even shorter hair. Choose a brush with long, multi-sized bristles – and avoid wooden bristles. Bristles made of plastic are smoother and a lot more suitable for fine hair, while natural hair bristles or wooden bristles may be sharp or contain shavings, cracks or splinters that can damage the hair. But above all, avoid brushes with metal rails because they pull on your hair and break it.
How to clean your hair brush
Hair brushes get dirty very easily, so be sure to clean them regularly. The best way to clean a comb, wet brush or hair brush is to massage a bit of shampoo and water to the comb or brush. Then rinse thoroughly with warm water. Be sure to place the hairbrush with the bristles facing down to prevent excess water inside the brush head (especially if the brush shaft is made of wood or bamboo).
For a step by step guide read this article about how to clean hair brushes.
More great advice for proper, gentle hair care
I hope this answered all your questions about how to choose a hair brush and why it might be a good idea to invest in a quality hair brush. There are lots of ways to protect your hair and optimize conditions to grow a healthy and long hair. My recommendations for healthy hair are:
Healthy hair comes from within
It might be a good idea to think about how you can incorporate inner hair care into your everyday life. You are what you eat, and the same goes for your hair. A diet supplement for hair is a good way to ensure that you get the vitamins and minerals you need for your hair to grow healthy. I recommend using Hairlust Hair Growth Formula, which comes as both wine gums and tablets for men as well as and women. See before and after pictures below:
Before and after Hairlust
*Results may vary from person to person.
See all reviewsIndividual results may vary. Visible results usually appear after 2-4 months of usage.
Use a Scalp Scrub
Have you tried exfoliating your scalp? I’d honestly never heard of this before, until I caught sight of this product, Scalp Delight™ Detox Scrub, which is an ecological scalp scrub. Just like you use a face scrub, the scalp also benefits from being scrubbed every once in a while. This treatment can really get the blood circulation going while removing grime, dead skin cells and excess sebum from the scalp.
