Hi Folks

Recently I switched from natural boar bristle to hardwood combs... and started using my BB to remove lint from sweaters. However a comb doesn't seem practical for distributing hair oils.

I know that hardwood combs are supposed to distribute hair oils the way boar bristle does, and that they do so with less damage.  
Despite what wonderful things I've heard about hardwood combs, I still feel paranoid about using them exclusively without using boar bristle on occasion.

(1) Boar bristle doesn't seem to hurt my hair... or does it? Is there a softer alternative? does the BB soften as I use it? Has anyone tried anything else natural?

(2) Bikerbraid, I know you have hardwood combs too...
Do you find that they substitute well for BB purposes? I kind of miss my boar bristle. is it really that bad?

any and all help is appreciated
Thanks,
Anais

I never had any luck with boar bristle brushes - they tended to break my hair.  I use my hardwood combs to detangle and style my hair. I don't use a brush to distribute oils.  My hair is not oily (it is very dry), so I don't really have the same need for a brush as others might.  I oil my hair with my hands and use only my hands to distribute that oil.

If your boar bristle brush was not damaging your hair, and you liked how it distributed the oil on your hair, I'd recommend going back to using it - at least for distributing the oils on your hair.

I have heard some people talk of a brush that has both boar and synthetic bristles.  This type of brush will have the bristles a bit farther apart, allowing the brush to work through the hair more than with just the boar bristles.  I don't think this brush is softer, however.

Thanks Bikerbraid;
My coarse hair just happens to like boar bristle (I have it back in my hair routine, used once in awhile). Like everything else, I guess brushes and combs are also relative to hair type and an area for experimentation.