The secret to healthy, shiny hair is not how many products you use, but how you brush it, according to experts cited by BBC on Sunday. They say the old idea of brushing hair 100 times a night is a myth, and that excessive brushing can actually exhaust hair and cause it to break. The key is not quantity, but a method adapted to the individual hair type.
Hair salon owner Nikki Corzine says brushing cannot make hair grow faster, despite the belief held by 46% of people that frequent brushing helps growth. Professor David Taylor of Trinity College Dublin said too much brushing, especially with force, creates physical stress that leads to cracks in the hair fiber and speeds up split ends.
The advice varies by hair texture. For straight and wavy hair, experts recommend brushing once or twice a day to prevent large tangles that would later require harsher brushing. The most important rule is not to brush wet hair, because it looks thicker while the cuticle is open and the hair becomes much more vulnerable to snapping and tearing.
For curly and coily hair, the guidance is different. Chemist Prof. Michelle Gaines says textured hair has different physical properties, including tighter cuticles and more friction, so it should never be brushed dry. It should only be detangled in the shower, when the hair is saturated with moisture and conditioning products that let the brush glide through safely. The article adds that brushing is ancient, with natural brushes becoming common in the 19th century and synthetic brushes invented in 1898 by Lydia Newman. Today, experts say most hair damage comes from heat and chemical treatments, while choosing the right brush, from soft brushes for wet hair to hybrid brushes with bristles and plastic pins, helps preserve hair over time.
