How Often Should You Brush Your Hair? – Complete Guide
Brushing your hair is an essential step in a hair care routine, no matter your hair type.
Brushing your hair can produce numerous benefits, like increasing scalp circulation and detangling knots.
However, can brushing your hair cause damage?
How you brush your hair is dependent on factors like your hair type, texture, and density.
For example, someone with curly hair can end up with frizzy curls if they brush it dry, but brushing straight, wet hair can increase the risk of hair breakage.
It’s crucial not to overbrush your hair, as it can lead to consequences.
You should also use the correct technique to brush your hair to avoid hair loss and unnecessary damage, and to stimulate the scalp for new hair growth.
However, how often should you brush your hair?
A good rule of thumb is to brush your hair twice daily. This will allow you to distribute your scalp oils to your ends and eliminate knots or debris. Overbrushing can lead to hair damage down the road.
Likewise, if you choose not to brush your hair at all, you could be missing out on key benefits your hair needs to look and feel healthy.
Brushing your hair too little can lead to matting, which can be challenging to detangle and may need to be cut.
Benefits Of Brushing Your Hair
Brushing your hair regularly can provide various benefits for your strands, such as increased shine and scalp circulation, as well as detangling.
It clears the scalp of oil and debris to make way for healthy and new hair growth.
If you don’t brush your hair regularly, you may notice increased hair loss, breakage, and matting in severe cases.
These adverse effects can take months or even years to fully recover from. So, why should you brush your hair routinely?
Distributing Oils
Your scalp naturally produces oil that nourishes your roots and strands.
However, depending on your hair type or porosity, it can be difficult for those oils to reach the ends of your hair without brushing.
With a brush, you can evenly distribute your natural oils.
You’ll notice that regular brushing makes your hair look shinier and feel softer because your scalp oils are more easily nourishing your strands.
You don’t want to strip natural oils from the scalp because it can increase oil production or cause breakage.
Eliminating Knots
While it’s friendly and aesthetically pleasing to wake up with tousled bedhead, it can cause some stress on your strands.
Brushing your hair regularly will eliminate tangles and knots, helping you avoid tension and hair breakage.
Knots can be painful to remove if you don’t use the proper hair-brushing technique.
Knots or tangles can hinder your ability to create hairstyles or cause unnecessary tension towards the roots. They can also promote split ends.
Scalp Stimulation
The health of your hair largely depends on the health of your scalp.
Brushing your hair increases circulation and gently exfoliates the scalp.
You want to stimulate the scalp to promote strong, healthy hair growth.
However, even if you circulate the scalp, you still need to gently exfoliate it to remove build-up that can hinder hair growth.
Brushing your hair regularly will help keep your scalp stimulated and healthy.
Take Care Of Shedded Strands
Did you know it’s normal to shed?
Humans can shed anywhere between 40 and 100 strands of hair daily, on average.
Brushing your hair can gently remove these loose strands, leaving you with strong, intact inches that make way for new growth.
These loose or shed strands can easily get tangled into hair that’s still connected at the root, or they can hinder new hair from taking its place.
Eliminating hair that’s already shed will help you achieve a smooth, resilient outcome.
Avoid Matting
If you avoid brushing your hair altogether, this can lead to matting.
Matting results from loose or shed strands becoming tangled in your hair, creating large clumps.
In severe cases, these clumps can only be removed by completely cutting the hair.
Matted hair can quickly develop mould or other bacteria because it’s challenging to manage, and moisture can get trapped within it.
Brushing your hair regularly helps prevent matting by removing shed strands.
How Frequently Do You Need To Brush Your Hair?
Brushing your hair too often can also result in damage.
So, how often should you be brushing your hair? Once or twice daily is more than enough.
This will ensure you eliminate any knots or loose strands from the head while also distributing oil.
You can brush your hair once in the morning and once at night to detangle and stimulate your scalp.
Anything can cause damage or hair loss down the road, especially if you use an incorrect hair-brushing technique.
For example, if you brush your hair roughly and vigorously once a day, it can still cause damage. So, it’s crucial to be gentle and patient when you brush your hair.
When Should You Brush Your Hair?
We briefly mentioned that you could brush your hair once in the morning and once at night.
This may be before a shower to prepare your hair for washing or if you’re getting ready to style your strands. It’s also the most convenient time to eliminate knots.
However, your hair type and texture can also determine when you brush your hair.
For example, should you brush your hair wet or dry? Curly hair types can withstand wet-hair brushing in some situations, while you should avoid brushing straight, damp hair.
How To Brush Hair
Regardless of whether you’re brushing your hair wet or dry, it’s essential to have patience.
The last thing anyone should do is rip through their strands for a quick brush.
A good rule of thumb is to avoid brushing the hair at the top. Instead, start from your ends.
If the hair is already tangled, starting from the top won’t untangle it; it will only create more knots.
Dry
When brushing your hair dry, always start at the ends. If you want to prep your hair for brushing, lightly finger-comb your strands.
Once you can easily pass through your strands on the bottom without hitting knots, you can slowly work your way up.
A boar bristle brush or paddle brush will be helpful in this situation to gently eliminate tangles and eventually distribute oils down the hair shaft.
Wet
You’ll want to use the same method on wet hair. It’s crucial to note that damp hair is much more vulnerable to breakage.
So, you’ll want to start at the ends and slowly detangle, working your way up.
A wide-tooth comb is helpful for detangling wet hair because it minimizes the risk of breakage and can distribute products for curly or thick hair types.
Using a detangler or leave-in treatment can also make the hair easier to brush.
Brushing Your Hair Depending On Your Hair Type
Wavy, Curly, And Coily
Curly hair is often brushed while wet to keep the curls frizz-free and defined.
Wavy, curly, and coarse hair types can withstand being brushed while wet, but only if you use the proper technique.
In this scenario, you can brush curls after the shower when they’re wet.
However, it’s essential to remember hair is fragile while wet, so seek advice from a hairstylist if you want to learn to care for your curls.
Also, brushing your curls completely dry can result in frizzy or undefined curls.
Straight
If you have straight hair, you’ll want to avoid brushing your hair wet at all costs. Instead, brush and detangle your hair when it’s dry right before a shower.
This will ensure your products remain evenly dispersed without causing extra tension.
If you must brush your hair while wet, use a wide-tooth comb or wet brush to minimise damage and always start at the ends.
Signs Of Over Brushing
You’ll want to avoid brushing your hair excessively.
Over-brushing your strands can lead to various hair complications that can take a while to recover.
For example, your scalp can become tender or form abrasions, which can lead to hair loss.
How do you know if you’re brushing your hair too often?
Scalp Sensitivity
Your scalp determines the overall health of your hair.
If you don’t properly care for your scalp, it can create lacklustre strands.
Vigorously brushing the scalp can cause scratches or abrasions that are uncomfortable.
In minor situations, you may notice your roots feeling sore, like they’ve been up all day, or that you’re more tender-headed.
Excessive Hair Loss
While it’s normal to shed 40–100 strands a day, you shouldn’t be losing hair excessively.
Overbrushing the hair can increase tension at the roots and even cause strands to break off altogether. Losing large clumps can be a bad sign.
Breakage or Split Ends
Overbrushing can also result in breakage or split ends.
This is especially true if you consistently brush your hair from the roots rather than the ends.
Instead of gently brushing your hair, you could be ripping more of it out.
How To Avoid Damaging Your Hair While Brushing
You can damage your hair by brushing too often or not at all.
However, an essential factor to consider is how you brush your hair.
The technique is just as important as how often you brush your hair. How else can you avoid damage while brushing?
As mentioned earlier, you’ll want to avoid brushing at the root, and you’ll want to work in manageable sections.
Another important factor most people fail to consider is washing their hair brushes!
Start From The Ends
Brushing your hair from the bottom up to the scalp is the least damaging method.
You’ll slowly be able to untangle any knots without creating unnecessary tension.
You’ll need patience while detangling.
Starting at the root can create more tension or even larger clusters.
Work In Sections
Working in sections can make brushing a breeze if you have dense, thick, or coarse hair.
Creating workable sections will allow you to brush the hair thoroughly without missing any surprise tangles.
It may even shorten the time it takes to brush your hair.
For extra help, you can always apply a detangler to nourish your strands.
Wash Your Brush Regularly
Surprisingly, it’s best to wash your hairbrush regularly. Wash your hairbrush once a week or whenever you wash your hair.
A dirty brush or comb can also cause breakage or scalp conditions, especially if you use them to apply hair products.
A clean hairbrush won’t have any build-up to disperse into the strands, and it’s a clean canvas to detangle knots.
You won’t be spreading or forming bacteria from leftover hair products. Your scalp will thank you for using a clean brush.
Your brush can easily be washed with shampoo, warm water, or dish soap.
Tools To Brush Hair
The tools you use can also improve the state of your hair. For example, you won’t want to use a thin, fine-tooth comb on longer or thicker hair.
Thankfully, there are a few hair tools that benefit all hair types and make brushing effortless.
Some of the most popular tools for brushing and detangling hair include paddle brushes, wide-tooth combs, and wet brushes.
Boar Bristle or Paddle Brush
Boar bristle and paddle brushes are ideal for daily brushing on dry hair.
They can efficiently distribute oil from roots to ends and increase shine.
They will detangle the hair and create a soft, silky, and smooth finish.
Paddle and boar bristle brushes can also cover a larger surface area and quickly eliminate knots and loose strands.
However, remember to wash them regularly to maintain healthy hair.
Wet Brush
A wet brush is a brush designed to detangle damp hair specifically.
This tool is ideal for wavy, curly, and coily hair, as it brushes the strands while wet.
It is a safer alternative than using a regular brush on damp hair.
It can also complete numerous tasks, such as detangling and distributing hair products.
Wide Tooth Comb
Wide-tooth combs are excellent for detangling, especially for thick, curly, or straight hair. They are designed to reduce breakage and damage by setting the teeth apart.
A wide-tooth comb can effortlessly glide through the hair, and you can use it on wet or dry hair.
Hair Detangler or Leave-In Conditioner
For extreme cases, you can add a hair detangling product or leave-in conditioner to aid in the brushing process.
A detangler can be used on wet or dry hair, while a leave-in conditioner is best for damp hair.
These products will nourish your strands and add extra slip so that you can brush your hair painlessly.
Final Thoughts
Overall, you should brush your hair at least once or twice daily.
This will ensure you eliminate knots, distribute hair oils, stimulate the scalp, and avoid matting.
Overbrushing or underbrushing can both cause damage to your hair and scalp.
It’s crucial to use the proper technique when brushing your hair and to adjust it to your hair type and texture.
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