Women have been brushing their hair for a very long time. More than 30,000 years ago, humans were painting eaves with brushes and probably adapted them as grooming instruments to remove bugs and dirt. In those times, brushes were created with many steps executed by hand and then became a fool proof tool for managing hair. Since then, the hair brush has become an integral part of grooming in every day life.
In those times, since everything was created from Mother Nature, the hair brush must have been created using natural bristles and wood. Unlike the synthetic bristles and plastic handle brushes that we see today, the natural bristle brushes helped in prevention of hair loss.
Due to lack of education and technology, people in ancient times used to suffer from various germs and infection, head lice being one of them. And since brushing had proved to remove the head lice, the search for a better hair brush was always on! Later, when other advantages of hair brushes were discovered they were designed to maximize the health and appearance of the hair and scalp.
Benefits of Brushing:
1. Increases manageability of hair
2. Improves blood circulation- resulting in better hair growth
3. It stimulates the sebaceous glands of the scalp encouraging the growth to be, of thicker & healthier hair.
Due to the fact that human hair varies enormously and that our hair is exposed to increased environmental stresses, such as intense sunlight, air pollutants, dryers, chlorine in shower and pool water, hair dyes, and styling products, good brushing is necessary to help our hairs be healthy, shiny, and smooth. Different people have hair that differs in color, in length, in diameter, and in its distribution on the body. So selecting the right kind of styling tool is very important.
BEING CHOOSY about the hair brushes can go a long way to improving your hair's look and condition. In general, brushes should have bristles that are smooth, ball-tipped, coarse and bendable. And when choosing a comb, look for one made of a flexible plastic with smooth, rounded, coarse teeth that easily slip through the hair.
Today the market is filled with a variety of Hair brushes having natural and synthetic bristles, creating confusion for the buyer. Hence to decide better, let’s have an insight of the same:
Natural Bristles (Wooden Handle):
Pros’:
1. Made from renewable resources (bristles are usually vegetable fibers or boar hair, which the animals shed naturally).
2. It Biodegrades more quickly than synthetic.
3. Natural bristles distribute scalp oils through hair.
Cons’:
1. Brushes with pure boar bristles can be too soft to manage extremely thick hair.
2. Wooden handles may be made of exotic materials (such as rosewood), which should be avoided because they may come from old-growth forests.
Examples: (Hairbrush - Beech Club), (Hairbrush - Beech Oval), (Hairbrush - Military)
Synthetic Bristles (Plastic Handle):
Pros’:
1. It is usually less expensive than natural brushes.
2. Nylon bristles are better at grabbing and lifting the hair and are the best option for extremely thick hair.
Cons’:
1. Made from petroleum, a nonrenewable resource.
2. Unlike natural bristles and wooden handles, the materials won't biodegrade.
Examples: (Hairbrush - Nylon 1/2 Round), (Hairbrush - Acrylic 1/2 Round), (Hairbrush - Acrylic Professional)
So next time when go shopping, remember that the only tool you need for healthy shiny hair is right within your reach!
