Who would have thought that proper brushing is the secret for gorgeous hair. Forget about expensive and often toxic hair products. I admit, I often go about my day without brushing my hair at all. I think I subconsciously fell victim of the modern theory of brushing – less is better. In contrast, back in the old days, women were told to brush their hair 100 times a day. I remember being told by my grandmother and old school hairdressers to make sure to brush often. Turns out, brushing is the optimal way to rejuvenate your hair.
Why You Should Brush Your Hair Often
Did you know that combs are among the oldest tools found by archaeologists? These discoveries are dated back to 5000 years ago in Persia. Jane Austen’s heroines brushed their hair 100 strokes each day. During my grandmothers’ era, brushing was a very important and common nighttime ritual for women. As it turns out, daily brushing of the scalp and hair is much more important than using any hair products. Why?
- Daily Brushing cleanses your hair better than any hair product. It helps remove debris, dirt, and other impurities such as uric acid crystal deposits.
- Daily Brushing increases circulation to your scalp. All you need is 3 minutes of brushing at a time to achieve a healthy scalp.
- Daily Brushing also helps get rid of the dead cells from the scalp which helps reduce dandruff.
- Proper brushing helps release sebum which helps keep the scalp healthy and moisturized.
- Daily brushing makes hair grow faster. When your scalp is free of dirt, your hair will grow faster.
- Frequent hair brushing adds shine and volume to your hair.
According to Victorian Beauty Tips, “The hair should be brushed for at least twenty minutes in the morning, for ten minutes when it is dressed in the middle of the day, and for a like period at night. In brushing or combing, begin at extreme points, and in combing hold the portion of hair just above that through which the comb is passing firmly between the first and second fingers, so that if entangled it may drag from that point, and not from the roots.”
How to Brush Your Hair Properly
Step 1
Remove tangles, starting at the bottom of your hair first.
Step 2
Once all the tangles have been removed, brush out your hair with long strokes, beginning at the scalp and working your way down to the tips in order to spread the sebum.
Step 3
Brush in slow easy strokes for 3 – 5 minutes. For a stimulating scalp massage, bend forward from the waist so your hair hangs in front of your face and brush upside down. This brings the blood flow to your scalp carrying all your body’s nutrients.
Step 4
Wet hair is more vulnerable to damage, your elasticity makes hair weaker and leads to breakage or split ends. If you need to brush your hair when it’s wet, use a wide-toothed comb and be gentle to avoid causing hair to snap.
Step 5
When brushing clean hair using your plastic brushes, beware of static electricity. Dry conditions can lead to excessive electrons building up on the hair and plastic or synthetic material will produce more electricity than natural materials like wood or boar bristle. You can reduce this by using a conditioner in your hair and either spraying water on hair, or using a light oil on top like the new Miraculous Oil from Aveda to give a fine moisture and smoothing, plus it enhances shine by 194% as well as protect your hair from heated styling.