If you are experiencing hair thinning or hair loss, you should not expect a hairbrush to be able to reverse or stop the shedding process. And, it would be unlikely that a poor hairbrush choice would cause hair loss.
But, a good hairbrush with certain features may be able to be a little more gentle on your hair, provide less tugging on already compromised hairs, and may help you see less hair in your hairbrush from being too rough.
Below, are 8 good features to look for when selecting a good brush for you, whether you are dealing with shedding or not at the moment.
Nylon or synthetic bristles may be the cheapest price point for many brushes, but they may not always be the best option for your hair.
Boar bristles are a common choice for hair brushes. And, while using bristles from an actual boar may seem like a strange choice, they are actually really good at mimicking human hair. This means that they work pretty well for distributing healthy scalp oils down your strands with each brush. If you are dealing with dry or brittle hair, this could give you an extra shine and silkiness boost.
Sometimes you can also find boar bristles paired with synthetic bristles, which may also work fine for some people.
When your hair is undergoing shedding, it may be easier to pull out of your scalp. In order to help reduce the tension on your hair when brushing it, you want to select bristles that are spaced a little further apart.
A lot of brushes will have a little bouncy rubber or fabric pad that the bristles are connected to. This isn’t just a random design element, but it can actually make the brushing process more gentle as opposed to brushes that are secured to a more static base.
A cushioned pad will give a little bit with each brushing, helping to reduce excess pulled-out hairs.
Even the material that the rest of the brush is made out of can matter when your hair is fragile.
Ceramic and metal brushes can heat up very hot when you use them along with a blow dryer, and could singe or dry your hair too much.
Opt for brushes that are made out of wood to help prevent excess heat transfer to your strands.
Some people prefer to use a brush in the shower or bath. And, that is perfectly fine as long as you choose a brush that is made to be used on wet hair.
Your hair is the most fragile when it is wet, so going to town on wet hair with any old brush can lead to excess pulled-out hairs or more breakage.
Read the brush’s packaging or do a little research to find a brush for you that states it is specifically meant for wet brushing.
This tip should go without saying, but think about how the brush feels when you use it. If it is really tugging at your scalp, or you hear little hair snaps, that is not a gentle brush.
Try out a few different brushed to get a feel for what feels more comfortable and seems to put the least amount of tension on your scalp.
If you already have straight, fine, and silky hair, you likely do not need to do a whole lot of brushing or detangling to get the job done. In order to get a gentle brush out for you stick-straight-haired people, a wide-toothed comb may be all that you need.
Since wide-toothed combs have a good amount of space between each tine, your hairs are clumped together while combing, putting less pressure on each individual strand.
If you have very curly hair, you may find yourself having to brush a lot to help untangle those curls. For this situation, choosing a brush that is specifically a detangling brush, or meant for curly hair may help you get to the brushing finish line sooner, and put less overall stress on your hair.
For these types of brushes, starting from the bottom of the strand and working your way up can help reduce the overall tension on your scalp and potentially reduce pull-outs.
Choosing a gentle brush that suits your hair is a good step in hair care when you are dealing with hair thinning or excess shedding. But, it is unlikely that even the most well-chosen brush will fix your hair loss problems.
You may want to pair these gentle brushing techniques with prescription hair loss medications for a well-rounded approach to hair thinning.
At Strut, we formulate medications to help slow the progression of male and female pattern hair loss. This type of hair loss is the most common form of hair loss in adults, and has a genetic and hormonal component. While it is impossible to stop hereditary hair loss in its tracks, you may be able to help slow it down with treatment.
If you are interested in seeing if a prescription hair loss medication is a good fit for you, simply choose your desired formula, and complete a free online questionnaire and image-based telemedicine consultation. Our U.S. licensed doctors will review your information and issue a prescription, if appropriate. Then, your customized formulation will be put together at a U.S. compounding pharmacy and shipped to your front door with our free shipping.
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