You’ve probably been told at least a hundred times not to brush your hair when it’s wet. But the minute you emerge from a shower, there you go, dragging a brush through your hair and undoubtedly breaking and fraying strands in the process. Javon Ford, a cosmetic chemist, tells us how to tend to our hair without losing our minds.
The science says that your hair is most vulnerable—no matter what your hair type—when it’s wet because the hydrogen bonds are temporarily broken. That’s why you’re not supposed to sleep with wet hair.
A couple of years ago, a study showed that hair is least damaged when you blow dry it—not high-heat blow drying, but diffusing it at a low temperature versus air drying. When hair is wet, it’s more likely to break and become damaged. I wouldn’t say, “Oh, you shouldn’t brush your hair when it’s wet,” because that isn’t practical. I can only brush my hair when it’s wet.
If your hair feels easier to brush when it’s wet, then brush it when it’s wet. But in general, be gentle. At the end of the day, your hair can break in any state, including when it’s dry.
If you feel like your hair is easier to brush when it’s wet, wet a little bit, and then just make sure you dry it as quickly as you can so you limit the amount of time those hydrogen bonds are in flux. Use a diffuser, low heat, and a heat-protecting spray instead of leaving it soaking wet.
Javon Ford is a Los Angeles–based cosmetic chemist. He posts highly informative lessons, reviews, and myth-busting content on TikTok and @instagram/javonford16
