Let's Talk About

Well Brushed

9 years ago by

Well Brushed

Anyone who knows me now is going to say this sounds crazy, but I used to think it was kind of uncool to brush your hair. Maybe a hangover from my punk days? It just didn’t seem effortless, only something Marcia from The Brady Bunch would do — trying too hard (but I think maybe I was just being too harsh)…

But, after years of crazy birds nest hair, and battling the concept of a beautifully brushed, polished head of hair, I’m eating my words. And vigorously brushing my hair.

I went to get my hair done by Jay at Spoke & Weal last week (super cool new salon that’s right by the Studio), and I asked him what are the best ways to deal with the dreaded oily roots / dead dry ends combo that I’ve been battling with forever. Of course there are the standard techniques that I already follow; conditioning only the ends (current obsession: Aveda’s Damage Remedy), using Argan or coconut oil on damp ends, banning myself from any kind of hair drying or heated hair styling tool. BUT the one idea that he suggested, which I hadn’t thought about was brushing.

Brushing morning and night, to pull the natural oils from the roots down to the ends just like Marcia.
It’s so simple and something you can easily throw into your daily routine, if you too have the same kind of combination hair. Plus, no extra product needed — just brush it from scalp to tip; the dryer the ends, the more frequently you brush…

11 comments

Add yours
  • Speaking of Aveda, I bought their hair brush two years ago and really love it. I brush my hair at least once a day.

  • I wonder if there is a way to brush for the benefits without making the hair look all combed in ( 80s hair ). For girls who like unkempt messy bouncy hair.

  • Magpie July, 15 2015, 6:16

    Just use two brushes! I love my Mason Pearson mixed bristle for this kind of “therapeutic brushing”, but it makes my hair (coarse, thick, volumey) lie flat against my head, which I too hate. So I follow with a wide toothed, vented brush (I have about five of the Conair version linked below…) and some dry shampoo if needed. Brush to the side (and back from the head), then to side-and-front. Etc. Unless you have naturally flat/fine hair that sits close to the scalp, this should restore the bounce!

    My favorite vented brush (and dishwashable, in case you’re wondering): http://bit.ly/1SnUgbK

  • How about naturally curly hairs? I thought the advise is not too brush curly hair

  • I’ve definitely gone through that phase of not wanting to brush my hair — unless my hair is blown out I can’t brush it

    giveaway on my blog!

    http://hashtagliz.com

  • Well, my problem is I have quite curly/wavy hair so brushing it makes it go frizzy! I’m still on the fence about whether brushing is recommended for curly/wavy hair. :(

  • Si nos grand meres conseillaient 100 coups de brosse par jour, c’etait exactement pour cette raison… j’ai des cheveux longs, nombreux, fins et colores, et toujours une brosse dans mon sac…

  • I often forget about this simple thing to improve hair health. Good reminder!

    – Kaitlyn | http://www.TheCrownFox.com

  • My hair gets oily really fast, and my ends are quite damaged. I don’t brush wet hair and not the first day after washing, but only on second and after, in the morning and at night. If I want my hair to look more voluminous, I’d use some sea salt spray or baby powder at the roots after brushing and then just tousle the hair with my fingers.

  • I find brushing with boar bristle very damaging – my hair is only healthy since I switched to shikakai and a wide-tooth comb, nothing more!

  • michelle July, 20 2015, 9:38 / Reply

    did your hairdresser suggest CO washing occasionally? this works great for me and my daughter as well, same principle as cleansing your face with a cleansing oil or cream cleanser instead of harsh soap, which encourages over-production of oil. I suggest looking into it or experimenting with a cheap conditioner like suave clarifying conditioner or v05 kiwi, or any silicone free conditioner, really, it is a great way to gently refresh and balance your scalp without stripping your hair of moisture, also avoid sulfates when you do use shampoo, as they begin a vicious cycle of stripping the scalp which leads to oil over production. Even sweat i find only needs a hot shower, or COwash, to rinse out, not harsh shampoo. Good luck

From the Archives

This or That
  • This or That
  • Holiday Gifting
  • DORÉ x THE OUTNET
  • Happy Holidays!
  • #AtelierDoreDoes
  • How To...
atelier dore this or that summer sandals chunky sandals vs. delicate sandals

This or That / Sandal Edition

This or That: American or Française?

This or That: American or Française?

atelier dore this or that lingerie lace or cotton sex month

This or That / Lingerie Edition

This or That / Blush vs. Bronzer

This or That / Blush vs. Bronzer

This or That: The Beanie

This or That: The Beanie

This or That: Nails

This or That: Nails

This or That

This or That

This Or That

This Or That

Silja Danielsen Photo

This Or That: Low Knot or Top Knot