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for post.)
When choosing a hair brush it is important to get the right one for your hair type as it can have an impact on its look and feel as well as its general health.
In need of a good round brush to smooth out my fine, yet plentiful locks when blow-drying, I started my search. I looked at several.
So many had bristles that were so hard that they scratched my hand. What would they do to my hair and scalp?
Kent (kentbrushes.com), which holds a Royal Warrant, has one of the best ranges so I called customer services and spoke to an extremely helpful and knowledgeable lady.
Kent ladies finest beechwood pure black bristle round brush
“Pure boar bristles are best for fine hair”, she said. “They will never damage human hair, as they are made of the same protein.”
She explained that good quality boar bristles have a natural stiffness to brush through hair and yet “give” as they “draw” through it.”
They are renowned for strength and resilience. They help to distribute natural oils which make hair look shiny. They do not tend to make your locks frizzy. The one recommended for my hair type was the Kent ladies finest beechwood 65mm pure black bristle round brush LBR2 (£28).
Boar bristles are softer than nylon bristles. Opt for the latter if you have long, thick hair. Avoid spiky, pointy ones as they can damage hair.
Kent Bristle Nylon Mix Round Brush
A combination of nylon and bristle such as Kent 60mm Bristle Nylon Mix Round Brush (£12) is good for medium to thick textures.
I tried this on my fine hair and found it great for smoothing out the frizzier bits. It has slightly more tension than the bristle brush. The Kent 45mm bristle nylon mix round brush PF04 (£11) is ideal for fringes.
Ceramic brushes such as Kent PF12 Ceramic Round Brush (£13, kentbrushes.com). (GHD ceramic vented radial brush size 3, £20.95, ghdhair.com is another good one.) speed up your blow-dry. However, you have to be careful with them as they heat up quickly and, if not used correctly, can burn the hair.
Kent Ceramic Round Brush
They glide through easily helping to smooth your hair. They provide less tension than bristle brushes. If your hair is coarse or/and frizzy a natural bristle one maybe a better option. Or, like me, use both.
When blow-drying, start with hair that is almost dry before using the brush. Work in sections. Place the brush in under the root and point the nozzle downwards as you move the brush downwards through the hair.
Do not hold the dryer too close to your locks. You should not place the nozzle of the hairdryer on top of the brush as some hairdressers do. Keep it at least 2.5 cm away.
I find with a ceramic brush turning my wrist slightly creates more tension to give me that smoother finish. I do not wrap my hair round the brush as I do not want volume or to get my locks tangled in the brush.
What type and size of brush you use will be down to personal preference. The general rule is the bigger the brush, the straighter your hair will be.
By Daralyn Danns
