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Are You Cleaning Your Hairbrush Correctly?

If you’re like most people you probably think that you’re cleaning your hairbrush properly, but if you’re like most people you’re probably wrong. Most folks clean their brush by pulling out some of the loose hairs and tossing them in the trash. That’s it. But that is far from what is needed to maintain a clean hairbrush, and a clean hairbrush is crucial to maintaining a healthy scalp and healthy hair. If this is how you’ve been cleaning your hairbrush go get it right now and take a really close look down at the bristles. It’s pretty gross, isn’t it? And that’s only what you can see. There’s plenty more that you can’t see. Now let’s talk about why cleaning is necessary and how to do it the right way.

Why You Should Wash Your Hairbrush

Every time you brush passes through your hair it picks up a small amount of sweat, oil, sebum, shed hair and skin cells, dirt, dust, and debris. All of this builds up over time and becomes a happy home for fungi and bacteria. Have you ever had an itchy or irritated scalp? That could be because you’re distributing all of that yuck all over your hair and scalp every time you brush your hair. And you thought your hair was clean. Don’t worry, you’re not alone, and there is a simple solution.

When Should You Wash Clean Your Hairbrush

Every time you use your brush you should remove the loose hairs as soon as you’re finished brushing. Hairs trapped in the bristles can snag and tug on your hair as you brush and cause friction and breakage. Once a week you should also give your brush a good wash to remove all of the buildups. It’s a quick and easy process and you should already have everything that you need.

How To Clean Your Hairbrush Correctly

The entire cleaning process shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes once per week. The process varies only slightly for different types of brushes. You’ll first remove all of the shed hair from the bristles using your fingers or a wide-toothed comb. You can use a tweezer to get out any stubborn hairs that have been tightly woven into the bristles. Plastic brushes with synthetic bristles should have a good soak. Right before you get in the shower fill the sink with warm water, add a few drops of shampoo, and place your hairbrush in to soak. Wooden brushes with natural bristles shouldn’t be soaked. It can damage natural materials and loosen the bristles. Instead, just run it under warm water and add a few drops of shampoo. From here the process is the same. Use a toothbrush or small, stiff paintbrush to scrub in between the bristles and loosen any stuck-on gunk. Give the brush a good rinse and turn its bristles down on a clean dry cloth or towel to air dry.

That’s all there is to it! And you thought it was going to be a hassle, didn’t you? It’s a simple and easy task that will quickly become part of your regular hair care routine now that you know how to do it. If you’re finding that there’s stuff stuck in the bristles that you just can’t get out of if the bristles are damaged or falling out it’s time to replace your hairbrush. A dirty and damaged brush will lead to dirty and damaged hair.

At  209 Salon it’s our job and our passion to help you have a healthy scalp and beautiful, healthy hair. If your mane is looking a little rough around the edges come see us for a trim and a salon deep conditioning treatment to restore its softness and shine. Give us a call at 972.548.2815 to schedule your appointment today. You can also book an appointment online or download our free mobile app from iTunes or Google Play to book your appointments, get appointment reminders, specials, and more. You can find us at 5801 Virginia Parkway, Suite #204 in McKinney.