Outside forces can affect how your hair grows, but could the type of brush or comb that you’re using every day, be causing you to lose hair?

We’ve talked about all different types of things that could be causing your hair loss on our blog, but we’ve found that people are generally more concerned over outside objects and situations that might cause them to lose hair. Maybe because we feel better about things we can control, unlike our genetics which are out of our control.

The most common cause of hair loss is genetics along with aging. As our bodies age our cells can’t replicate as well as they used to, we see a decrease in certain levels of hormones and vitamins that our bodies and cells require to stay youthful, and genetics start to come into play.

Rumors have been circulating for years that things like certain shampoos, hats or head coverings, and other outside elements have been thought to cause hair loss. Hats and head coverings do not cause hair loss, but since we lose between 50-100 hairs a day, on average, wearing a hat can catch those falling hairs and make it appear as though you’re losing your hair. And while shampoos themselves don’t cause hair loss, improperly rinsing them, or having a dry scalp that’s not treated, can lead to inflammation  which can cause hair not to grow as well.

So, is there any evidence that the type of brush or comb that you use to style your hair every day be causing you to lose your hair?

Brushing or Combing Your Hair Properly Does Not Cause Hair Loss

The question of whether brushing or combing your hair can cause hair loss is actually a little more complicated than yes or no, but at the surface level, as long as you’re brushing or combing your hair correctly, with the tool designed for your type of hair, it will not cause hair loss.

You want to be very careful as to not pull your hair too hard when you brush or comb. Pulling on the hair can lead to breakage along the shaft or possibly even removal of the entire hair from the root.  Doing this for a long period of time can lead to noticeable thinning of your hair and even traction alopecia.

While the act of brushing or combing your hair, in itself, does not cause hair loss, doing it incorrectly or too aggressively can absolutely lead to hair damage, and overtime the damage can lead to hair thinning if continued. There was a old wives tale that a woman must brush each section of her hair 100 strokes to keep it silky and healthy. This is absolutely not true. Excessive brushing would only cause damage and breakage leading to dull, lusterless hair.

Thankfully, in most cases, these types of hair loss are only temporary and will slow down and reverse if you stop brushing aggressively or with the wrong type of brush.

Does the Type of Brush Matter?

Using the wrong type of brush for your hair type, or brushing incorrectly, can cause your hair to be damaged and break off creating split ends. It can also possibly cause you to pull your hair out as your brushing if you’re too rough or not using the right brush for your hair type.

Curly hair people should not use the same type of brush as people with straight hair would use. Curly hair requires less bristles than straight hair due to the way the hair lays on the scalp. A brush made for curly hair will have the bristles spaced out a bit more and possibly allow you to remove bristles in order to prevent pulling when brushing. Sometimes a comb or a pick with even fewer teeth is best for curly hair.

Straight hair is often best brushed with a wide oval or cushion brush depending on how fine your hair is. This type of brush will help ensure that you’re not pulling the hair as opposed to brushing through it.

Another thing you want to make sure of when using a brush or a comb is that the bristles are free from any imperfections and are clean.

Having broken bristles or teeth can cause the brush or comb to pull your hair instead of moving smoothly through it. The jaggedness of the broken bristles or teeth on a comb will act as grips and grab the hair, pulling it as it brushes which can be painful as well as lead to damaged hair.

Natural bristles vs. Synthetic? Is there a Better Type for Certain Hair Types?

In addition to choosing the right number of bristles in a brush, it’s also important to choose the right type of bristles. There are a number of different options when it comes to bristle type, but natural bristles, plastic bristles, and metal bristles are the most common.

Each bristle type has its own strengths and weaknesses and choosing the right one can help your hair, but choosing the wrong one could hurt it.

Natural bristles, such as boars hair, tend to be a lot easier on your hair than synthetic bristles and work much better on thinner hair. The softness of the natural bristles won’t tear through the hair or pull it out like some of the synthetic brushes may do to thinner hair. These types of bristles also help redistribute the natural oils on your hair which can help boost shine and help to prevent dry scalp.

Synthetic bristles, like plastic and metal, are better if your hair is very tangled or if you have thicker hair. The strength of these bristles will help pull apart the hair and will move through the thicker hair without bending and moving as much. This will allow you to work through those tangles more efficiently. There are also mixed bristle brushes that combine the detangling power of synthetic bristles and the gentleness and sheen that natural bristles can deliver. These types of brushes are good for people with longer, thinner hair that want to ensure that their hair doesn’t break from the roughness of a synthetic brush, but also have to deal with detangling their hair regularly.

Brushing While Wet vs. Dry? Is One More Damaging?

In addition to the brush itself, and the bristles, one thing to consider when trying to keep your hair as healthy as possible while brushing, is whether you’re brushing your hair when it’s wet or when it’s dry.

You might think that brushing your hair right when you get out of the shower would be the best time do it. Your hair is smooth, it’s wet, so the brush slides through easier, your hair lays flat as you brush it, it seems like the perfect combination, but depending on your hair type, you might be wrong.

The thing most people don’t realize is that when your hair is wet it’s at its most vulnerable. Wet hair is more sensitive to breakage as you can overstretch the hair and cause your hair to pull further than it should. This can lead to damaged hair and can lead to temporary hair loss as well, but there is an exception.

People with long straight hair will get the best results, with the least amount of breakage, by brushing their hair when it’s dry, however people with curly, textured, hair can attest to how difficult brushing their dry hair can be.

Thick and curly hair will benefit from brushing while wet as the hair already has more natural elasticity and stretchiness than straight hair does, so the possibility of breakage is less. We would still recommend trying not to tangle your hair in the shower and using your fingers to detangle as much as possible before using a brush, but for naturally curly or textured hair, it’s actually better to brush when its wet.

Should You Brush With Hair Spray or Product In Your Hair?

The goal of brushing your hair is to keep it healthy, strong, free from tangles, and looking great. Hair spray and hair product is a great way to keep your hair in the style that you want it without having to worry about outside forces ruining your hard work. But while these products are great for styling your hair, you should never brush or comb through these products if they have dried on your scalp.

Dry hair spray or product can be extremely tough to brush through and can cause major tangles and trauma in your hair. Think about it, if you have used hair spray to stick your hair in place, do you think a brush is going to be able to move freely through your hair? The answer is no.

Hair spray purposely makes the strands stick together to keep your hair in place, so trying to force a brush through the hair is going to be difficult and lead to breakage. For the healthiest hair, it’s best to rinse your hair thoroughly of all products with water, a little conditioner or gently shampoo and start over with fresh hair rather than brushing out the sticky or dried out residue of gel and other grooming products.

Hair Loss From Brushing

Of course you will see some hair fall out as your brush your hair.  Telogen hairs are naturally dislodged while you wash or brush your hair. These are the hairs that have been growing for a year or more and are ready to shed. So, seeing some hair in your brush or in the sink after grooming is natural.

If you’re concerned about losing your hair, or hair thinning, then be sure you are brushing or combing your hair properly. The act of brushing your hair alone is not going to cause you to shed any hair but doing it wrong can cause you to pull out hair or put strain on your hair follicles which can lead to different types of hair loss.

Thankfully these types of hair loss are usually temporary and can be reversed by adjusting your hair brushing methods, but the best way to prevent it is to brush correctly from the start.

Hair loss is a valid concern as we begin to get older. Understanding what is causing your hair loss and what you can do to help prevent or minimize it, is the first step in ensuring that you have a great head of hair as you age. Genetics will always play a part in hair loss as you age, so it’s important to make sure to talk to a hair loss specialist to determine the root cause of your hair issues.

Contact us today at the Dr. Limmer Hair Transplant Center in San Antonio, TX to setup a consultation with our incredible doctor. She’ll be able to determine the cause of your hair loss and develop a treatment plan for you!