Hair Brush Guide: Which Brush Is Right for Your Hair Type?

Most of us have been using the same hair brush for years without ever asking whether it suits our hair. Then we wonder where the frizz, the snapped ends and the painful tangles come from.

The fix is simpler than it sounds: match the tool to the job. A detangling brush handles knots and damp hair. A paddle brush smooths long, straight or wavy hair. A round brush gives volume while blow-drying. A cushion or bristle brush is for gentle everyday smoothing. And for curls and wet hair, a wide-tooth comb often beats every brush.

The brushes, one by one

Detangling brush

Its bristles are flexible, so they bend around knots instead of ripping through them. Brilliant for tangle-prone hair and for kids who dread hair-brushing time.

Paddle brush

Wide and flat, it gets through a lot of hair quickly. Ideal for smoothing long, straight or wavy hair.

Round brush

Your hair wraps around it as you blow-dry, which creates volume and soft bends at the ends.

Cushion and natural-bristle brushes

The everyday smoothers. Bristle brushes help spread your hair’s natural oils and add shine, and they’re especially nice on fine to medium hair.

Vent and teasing brushes

Vent brushes let air through for faster blow-drying. Teasing brushes have tight, narrow bristles for adding height at the crown before an updo.

Matching a brush to your hair

Should you brush wet hair?

Carefully, if at all. Wet hair stretches and breaks more easily. The American Academy of Dermatology lists rough brushing of wet hair among the everyday habits that can damage hair and suggests a wide-tooth comb instead. If you do use a brush on damp hair, pick a flexible detangling one and start from the ends.

How to brush without breakage

1. Start at the ends and work your way up in small sections.
2. Hold your hair above a knot so you’re not tugging at your scalp.
3. Skip the “100 strokes a night”. It’s an old myth and only causes wear.
4. Use a comb on wet hair.
5. Keep your brush clean, otherwise you’re brushing old oil and product back in.

Brush or comb?

You’ll probably want both. Combs are precise and gentle, perfect for wet hair, parting and curls. Brushes are faster for smoothing and styling. Our comb sets, like the 6-Piece Professional Hair Comb Set and the Hair Comb Set – Pack of 6, give you several comb types in one go.

When to replace your brush

There’s no fixed timeline. Replace it when bristles are bent, missing or have lost their little protective tips, or when the cushion has cracked. Damaged bristles snag and break hair.

Cleaning it

1. Pull out trapped hair with your fingers or the end of a comb.
2. Swish the bristles in warm water with a drop of shampoo.
3. Rinse, shake off the water and leave it bristles-down on a towel to dry.

Wooden brushes shouldn’t be soaked. Just wipe them with a damp cloth.

Questions people often ask

Source: American Academy of Dermatology, 10 hair care habits that can damage your hair.