Mane Event: Choosing The Right Brush For Your Hair

I’m writing this post on the heels of Chris Rock’s movie, Good Hair. I consider myself blessed because my mom taught me from an early age that my coarse hair neither falls into the good hair nor bad hair categories. I fall into the category called manageable hair because I’ve found the right products, hairbrushes & combs to keep my mane looking as beautiful as Amerie’s. Perhaps she uses the Mebco Tortoise Shower Detangler ($2.69, sallybeauty.com) to keep her free-free flowing locks tangle-free. It detangles thick, medium, long and natural hair like Sophie Okonedo’s. The best part: the rounded teeth don’t hurt your scalp while your combing through it. And if you share my pain of having a tender scalp, then this comb is precisley what you need.

The timing couldn’t be more perfect for an entry on hair because I was asked to offer my opinion on a hairbrush from a company called Hairfreé ($9.95, flat brush; $15.95, round brush). My biggest fear was that my hair wouldn’t like something new touching it because my coarse hair is fragile. Can you blame me? I’m a little stank with my choice of beauty products so I knew that I’d have to tread lightly. Hairfreé’s claim: you can use this brush if your hair is straight, curly, thick or fine. I really hoped that this was true so I jumped to the challenge. I had two concerns though. The first was that I wear my hair short, so I didn’t think I’d have enough hair to really form an opinion. But I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t. Secondly, I prayed that my hair wouldn’t fall out as a result of testing this hairbrush. You’ll be happy to know that after washing my hair and patting it dry, I started to blow-dry the longest section of my hair with the flat brush without the strands of my hair snapping off or becoming staticky. Hallelujah!

The good news continues. Hairfreé can be used as a flat/curling iron when the ceramic plates at the base of the bristles are heated for a few seconds with a hairdryer. Really? So I followed the directions and used the heated brush on the longest section of my hair and when I was done, my hair was indeed shiny and felt soft. But I still wanted another opinion about this brush from someone who didn’t have my type of hair, so I asked my Korean friend, Lisa to give it a try. Her hair is normally wavy, but she likes to wear it long & straight. Here’s what she said about the flat brush:

“It isn’t heavy and it gave me a nice shine after I heated up the plates.” The mere fact that you can style your hair while flat ironing it at the same time is a definite plus. Lisa also thought that it was great that there was no cord to fuss with and she was still able to get a “finished” look. The downside: she felt that the bristles were a little sharp and that it took more than a few seconds to heat up the plates. To be fair, it takes a while for any flat iron to heat up, so we’ll chalk that up to a little impatience. I understand. I hate to wait too. Overall, I think that this brush works. If I had given Lisa the round brush to use, she probably would’ve gotten the volume that Amerie has.

Writing this entry got me thinking about what other types of hairbrushes I’ve used over the years that produce really good results. I’m embarrassed to admit this, but I used to steal my sister’s Brush Strokes 7 Row Pure Boar Bristle Styling Brush ($4.99, sallybeauty.com) because I liked how the bristles controlled my “edges.” This is a good brush for normal and damaged hair.

For those of you wearing your natural texture like Sophie Okonedo, or just want to blow dry your relaxed hair, the Denman Classic Styling Brush D3 ($9.49, sallybeauty.com) is fantastic! My hairstylist Mom always used this brush on my sister and I for many years. It traps shedding hair in the brush while detangling your hair after a shampoo. The close set pattern of the nylon pins are great for getting that perfect controlled blow-dry. To get the best results, detangle your hair first with a comb before using the Denman.

Here are some tips to keep your beautiful mane in tact:

Tip 1: Clean your brushes and combs regularly.  I clean my brushes at least once a month (or more often depending on the amount of build-up) with shampoo or dishwashing liquid and warm water. First remove all of the hair, let everything soak for a few minutes and if you have more than one brush, hold one in each hand with the bristles facing each other and get to scrubbin’. It helps to get the bristles super clean. Rinse and let air dry.

Tip 2: Take your time. Never rush the process of combing your hair because you’re in a hurry, otherwise you’ll see more hair on the comb and in the sink than on your head. Not your goal, I’m sure.

Tip 3: Don’t brush too hard or too often if you have relaxed hair. Since you’ve used a chemical stratightener your strands are now in a weakend state. Treat your hair with kit gloves to prevent hair breakage and hair loss.

Hue Knew It? I did.

Photo Credit: Sophie Okonedo (blackboxoffice.com)