Cel’s Ultimate Hair Brush Guide

Which Hair Brush Type Is Right For Me?

Estimated Read Time: 6 minutes

Summary: In this blog we detail and explore hair brush types. We’ll discuss the suggested hair brush for your hair type, the benefits of brushing hair, and how to clean your hair brushes. Read on for the ultimate guide to hair brushing….

With a saturated market of styling tools, combs, and different hair brush types, it’s a hard task to work out which one is for you, your lifestyle and your hair type. So, as ever, we’re here to help!

Benefits Of Brushing Hair

There are many benefits to brushing your hair. These benefits include:

Stimulating blood flow to the scalp and hair follicles
Redistributing oil naturally produced from the scalp down the hair shaft, which makes it sleek and shiny
Dislodging product build-up on the scalp
Detangling knots
Assistance with styling
Removing loose, “dead” hair

Does Brushing Your Hair Make It Grow?

Brushing your hair dislodges product build-up which can clog the hair follicles (where hair strands grow from). It also stimulates blood flow to the scalp. This means brushing can help draw essential vitamins, nutrients and minerals carried by the blood to the follicles. So, yes, brushing your hair can help optimize the hair growth environment and in turn encourage healthy hair growth.

How Often Should You Brush Your Hair?

According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), you should only be brushing your hair to style/tidy it, so no more than twice per day. This prevents over stimulating the oil producing glands on the scalp which can make it greasy and protects you from over-brushing and then damaging it.

Hair Brush Types

paddle brush

Best Brush For Fine Hair

Those with fine, straight or relaxed locks should look to a natural bristle brush which are super soft and delicate. They help distribute the scalp’s naturally produced oil evenly down the hair strands keeping it looking sleek, shiny and hydrated.

Best Hair Brush For Curly Hair

If you have curly hair, you should be turning your attention to a wide-toothed comb. Curly hair tends to be drier as it’s harder to get the oils produced on the scalp down the hair shaft’s twists and turns. Use a wide-toothed comb whilst you’re in the shower and when you have conditioner on your hair. This will help keep the hair hydrated, detangled and healthy.

Best Brush For Wavy Hair

If you have layered hair and like that to be obvious, a small round brush is great for creating lift at the roots and a more defined wave.

If you’re just looking to smooth out your waves with soft definition, opt for a larger sized round brush.

Best Brush For Thick Hair

A paddle brush is the best bet for thick hair. If you have thick hair, try to brush the ends of your hair first and slowly make your way up to the scalp – this can help prevent breakage occurring in thick locks. Paddle brushes also help flatten out frizz.

Best Detangling Brush For Natural Hair

There are specifically made brushes that are usually more oval in shape, that are designed to detangle your knots. Look out for these, which will be clearly labelled as such, on your search.

Best Brush For Wet Hair

Like for those with curly hair, if you brush your hair whilst wet you need to be looking to a wide-toothed comb to ensure you’re protecting it. Hair is at it’s most vulnerable when it’s wet, and brushes can easily break your weakened, wet strands. A wide-toothed comb will detangle your knots without ripping through the hair.

If you’re really anti using a comb, there are a few brushes out there that are specifically designed for wet hair, and will be clearly advertised as such.

Best Hair Brush For Blow Drying

If you’re looking to quickly dry your hair but aren’t too fussed about styling, try a vent brush which allows the air from the drier to pass right through.

If you’re looking to pop some bounce into your hair, opt for a ceramic round brush with synthetic bristles. This will not only help gently detangle, but mould the hair into a lively curl.

Best Brush For Frizzy Hair

If your hair is prone to static or frizz, seek out a cushion brush with nylon pins and a rubber pad. This is also a good brush to have for styling and for those with short, bob or pixie cuts.

Best Beard Brush

A compact, boar bristle hair brush (or a synthetic, vegan alternative) is perfect for tidying up your facial hair and increasing your beard’s shine.

How To Clean Your Hair Brush

round brush

You should be cleaning your hair brush once a month to rid it of old oil, dead skin cells and product residue it’s managed to remove from your scalp and hair. You should be removing any caught up hair in the brush, and disposing of it in the trash, after every use to help keep it clean.

There are different methods to adopt when cleaning your hair brush dependent on whether it’s made out of wood or plastic…

How To Clean Your Wooden Hair Brush

Remove the excess hair from your brush and place it in the trash
Wipe the handle of the brush down with a damp cloth
Fill a small bowl with warm water and a drop of mild shampoo
Use an unused tooth brush to dip into the water and scrub any grime that’s got caught in the bristles. It’s important not to submerge or soak a wooden brush in water as the wood will be affected
Quickly rinse your brush under warm water, and place it bristles down on a clean towel to dry over night

How To Clean Your Plastic Hair Brush

Remove the excess hair from the brush and place it in the trash
Add warm water and a squirt of mild shampoo to a bowl or a clean sink
Soak the hair brush for several minutes
You can then use an unused tooth brush to scrub any grime that’s got caught in the bristles. Don’t forget the handle which will be hosting any bacteria from your hands, so this needs cleaning too
Rinse your brush with clean warm water and then air dry it on a towel