Brushing your hair is probably the least complicated part of anyone’s beauty regime. With all the other mane issues you have to worry about, mainly getting it to behave and look half-presentable every morning, detangling your strands is something you don’t give a second thought. Well, maybe you should. Could the way you’re brushing your hair be the root cause of your hair woes? We give you the right way to brush your hair. Who knew you could be doing it wrong?
How Often Should You Really Brush Your Hair?
It’s important to brush your hair every single day, it stimulates blood circulation and relaxes your scalp. Which basically means your hair will be healthier, shinier and have plenty of volume.
For glossy, untangled hair, you should brush it twice a day – once in the morning and once at night before going to bed, for about a minute each time. This only holds true for straight and wavyish hair though. If you have curly hair you will know the frizzy mop your mane turns into every time you brush it. You should brush your hair at night before bed and before you wash it to detangle knots, or even during your shower while you have conditioner on.
How You Should Be Brushing Your Hair
1. From The Ends To The Roots
Running your brush from top to bottom is a huge no-no. It just causes hair fall and weakens your roots. You should actually be starting from the ends and working your way up. This is a gentle way of removing knots without pulling your hair out.
2. Dry Vs Wet
Never ever brush your hair when it’s wet. Your strands are at their weakest and can snap much more easily when they’re wet. You should use a wide tooth comb to gently untangle your hair after your shower. Use your brush on dry hair only.
POPxo Tip: The best tool to use on wet hair is a tangle teezer. It helps make the detangling process much easier without pulling at your strands. We love it so much, we even sometimes use it on dry hair.
3. If You Have Thick Hair…
If your hair is super thick, you would know how easily it gets tangled. The easiest and gentlest way to go about it is to separate your hair into sections and brush each section from the ends to the roots.
4. If You Have Curly Hair…
The best way to detangle your curls is with your fingers. It’s the safest way to avoid breakage and frizziness. Brush your hair section by section at night before you go to bed and run a wide-tooth comb through your mane in the shower when you have conditioner on.
What Type Of Brush Should You Be Using?
In terms of size, you should be using a wide, flat brush (a paddle brush) if you have mid-length, long or thick hair. For short or fine hair then a thinner brush works better.
A ceramic brush is a great tool to have if you style your hair often. It gets heated up under your blow dryer, which helps straighten, smoothen and set your hair as you style it.
When it comes to the bristles, a brush with a mix of nylon and boar bristles works wonders. Nylon bristles are flexible enough to bend through knots without snagging your strands and boar bristles help distribute your natural oils across your locks, which adds shine.
Do Not Over Brush…
We’ve all heard that saying about a hundred strokes every day, but that will definitely do more harm than good. Over brushing your strands will lead to hair fall and breakage. Three to four strokes to get rid of a knot is more than enough. Brushing your hair is healthy, but being over enthu could kill its positive effects.
Images: Shutterstock
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