For most of us, the best thing we can do for our hair is brush it. Yes, of course, there are lots—well, several—of wonderful products that will address, and remedy, specific concerns. But the fact remains, the best thing of all is brushing it. This applies whether you have normal hair, thick hair, fine hair or even thinning hair. (If you have thinning hair and are scared of brushing it, hold it halfway down its length and brush the lower half first, then proceed gently to the scalp. Also, please read on because the brush you use is highly relevant.)
The reasons I say this about brushing are twofold. One, brushing conditions your hair with its own natural oils, from scalp to root. I try not to harp on about ye olden days, but I remember the time before conditioner existed, let alone decent hair products. We all had really healthy, shiny hair anyway. Why? Because we brushed it faithfully, quickly in the morning and at length at night, which distributed the sebum that the scalp produces all the way down the length of the hair, and thereby glossed and conditioned it. It also meant the sebum didn’t sit there clogging up our scalps. Honestly, I can’t emphasize this enough: brushing makes such a huge difference.
Reason two is that brushing conditions your scalp. The bristles get right in there, get the blood circulating and dislodge any product that is sitting there blocking things up. By all means use a scalp mask—there are some good ones around—but unless you use a ton of product and don’t wash your hair very often, it shouldn’t really be necessary: brushing will sort you out.
A third reason is, obviously, detangling, but I don’t feel I have to explain that to you. I’ll just add, though, that brushing is essential if you have extensions. Without brushing they can very quickly become a disaster because they get tangled up in each other and in your natural hair and before you know it you have to nee-naw nee-naw back to the salon, feeling like an idiot.
You need a really good brush, and the brush needs to match your hair type—if you can possibly avoid it, try not to buy a generic brush off the shelf. My mother and both grandmothers always used Mason Pearson, and I did too, since forever.
But it recently needed replacing, and I had been sent a brush I was quite intrigued by some months ago. People I know raved about this brush from La Bonne Brosse, so I thought I’d try it for a few weeks before shelling out. (No disrespect to Mason Pearson—they’re brilliant brushes.)
Long story short: instant convert. I love this brush. It’s a universal model, which is called No. 01 The Shine & Care Hair Brush The Universal. It’s made of boar bristles, which are keratin, the stuff hair itself is made of. Since I can’t otherwise satisfactorily explain why this brush feels so miraculous, I’m going to put it down to this—you’re brushing your hair with the stuff hair is made from, and it has an amazing effect. (I think these bristles are the best idea if you have wavy or curly hair, though use it on dry hair only—use something like a Tangle Teezer or a Wet Brush out of the shower.)
Anyway: it’s everything I want in a brush. I love using it and, more to the point, my really tricky and problematic hair loves it too: it is in visibly better nick since using this brush.
La Bonne Brosse does various different brush heads, from all-boar to half-boar/half-nylon to all-nylon, with various additional permutations to assist with things like scalp sensitivity. I would imagine that brush No. 01, the one I use, would suit pretty much everyone, but there’s a brush diagnostic tool on the website if you feel unsure. There are handbag sizes too, plus they come in lots of lovely colors. The body and handle are made from biodegradable cellulose acetate, not petrochemicals.
India Knight is a U.K.-based journalist and the author of India Knight’s Beauty Edit: What Works When You’re Older
