Hello, I am new to your board. I have found much of your information to be useful and interesting.

I am not sure if this has already been discussed, but I was wonder how many of you brush with a boar brush.

I have read on many sights that it is beneficial to brush 100 strokes, or so, to  to distribute oil. However, I have also read that brushing should be kept to a minimum because it causes split ends and that the 100 strokes is outdated  ???.

Since you ladies are the gurus of hair I was wondering what you do and with what outcome.

Thank you in advance

Hi Joanne!

Welcome to Longlocks  ;D ;D

Many of us do brush with a boar bristle brush (BBB) but some of us have fragile hair that breaks with the use of one.... I have coarse hair but I don't use a BBB on the length, and definitely not 100 strokes. I think many of us agree in our day and age that 100 is overkill ;), especially because way back in the day they didn't have quality conditioners to protect the length.

So it really depends on your hair type. If you see some improvement with the use of a BBB, go for it. Likewise if you notice breakage then there are alternatives... like hardwood. (I'm gonna spring my hardwood comb sales pitch here) Ric Carpenter makes beautiful hardwood combs and I advertise for him for free! ;D ;) ;D ;) That's how wonderful the combs are: http://www.combmaker.com . This is one of the two I have and use every day:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v478/AnaisSatin/chechen3.jpg

Anais

Welcome!

Brushes can be quite beneficial to those who have coarse or thick hair.  Never use a brush on wet hair as it will stretch the hair and damage it.  There are 2 purposes for using a brush.  The first is to distribute the scalp oils along the length of the hair.  In days past, when people did not wash nearly as frequently as we do now, the oils would be distributed along the length of the hair to improve shine and reduce the appearance of the greasies on the scalp.  The second use for a brush is to smooth the top layer of hair.

Hope this information is useful.  Feel free to ask all the questions you want!

Many people try to use a brush to detangle.  Typically this is not the best method to detangle hair, however, there are brushes on the market that were designed for this purpose.  The bristles are usually quite far apart when the brush is to detangle.

I'm with Anais - I don't brush my hair - I use wooden combs to detangle and smooth my hair.  I also have 2 of Ric's combs and absolutely love them.  My hair is very fine and fragile.  The wide toothed wooden comb is much more gentle on my hair than most brushes would be.

I used to detangle with a brush all the time. I don't think it caused any problems, because I was really gentle. But the only thing I use a brush for now is to distribute the oil after I've oiled my hair.

Welcome Joanne to the board...
I also used a BBB for a long time, but did find a greater number of splits I had to contend with...

So ... I have opted for either wood or rounded synthetic combs.  

I use the polished synthetic for a brief, gentle detangle after putting in my leave in conditioner - But as I detangle thoroughly before washing, and never scrub the hair, it only takes 5-6 strokes to ensure no tangles are present in the wet hair.  

I use the wood comb once my hair is dry.  

I use my fingers to distribute Jojoba oil into my length.  I have found this to be the best procedure for my fine textured tailbone length hair.

again - Welcome!
Nightowl

Thank you all for the information. I think I will look into buying a hardwood comb.

I had to add a little post here, because I have just started using a boar bristle brush.  Like the other long-tressed ladies here, I only use a natural comb to detangle my hair, and once it's completely dry, I use the boar bristle brush to redisturbute the oils from my scalp through my hair.  I do this right before I put my hair up for bed, and I can't tell you how much it improves the quality and shine of my hair.  The 100 strokes can be a bit of overkill; I heard it was best to start with 5 strokes and add 5 every day until you reach something along the lines of 50.  Since using my boar bristle brush, I don't have to wash my hair as often (the oils are moved down the length and stay off my scalp), and I don't have to oil my hair as often either.  Just thought I'd share!  

Anais,

Is your comb from Ric  made of che chen?  ???

Because if it is, I have the exact same comb and I love it!  Well, not the exact same, being handmade and all... ::)

What can I say, you have impeccable taste, my dear! 8)

I don't brush much anymore. I have a natural bristle brush, but I only brush little after oiling to distribute the oil. Otherwise, I just comb my hair gently with a wide toothed comb. I don't keep my hair open (bun or braid at daytime, braid for night), this also decreases the need for brushing and combing.

I used to brush my hair much more, but I have found out, that my current practice is more friendly to my fine, thick hair.

where did you guys get your BBB brushes ???

I don't use a BBB myself, but here are some brands that others have mentioned:

Mason Pearson Brushes
Denman
Kent

i just bought mine in the local pharmacy and still wondering what the hell justifies the ridiculous price of MP brushes ... maybe they used "special" boars uh  ???   ::)

i have pure and mixed brushes, both with bristles implanted in this kind of rubber cushion with cherry wood handle.

wrote on Mar 15^th, 2005 at 9:50pm:

i just bought mine in the local pharmacy and still wondering what the hell justifies the ridiculous price of MP brushes ... maybe they used "special" boars uh  ???   ::)

i was wondering too cause i don't have alot of $$ to spend on a brush

I recently starting using a Boar Bristle Brush and it does a good job distributing oils on my hair.  It gives me a lot of static, though!  I have medium straight hair that's a little past shoulder length, and I'm growing it out.

I just have to say....I came upon this website a few weeks ago and it's absolutely fabulous.  You guys are really terrific.  I've made some changes with how I treat my hair. It's only been 2 weeks, but my hair already is doing great!

Some changes I made:

Went from shampooing daily to every 3rd day.

Went from weekly oiling (I'm South Asian, and learned about oiling from my family) to oiling before every washing

I use less shampoo and have been mixing shampoo and conditioner together (thanks Anais for the COW procedure)

No combing when wet!

And my hair looks great already.  

:)

Monu

I do use a BBB but only rarely when I want a polished finish on my straight hair.  My hair is short (just brushing the tops of my shoulders - sorry about the pun!) so I don't need to work on distributing oils too much yet.  Getting a good comb, which I finally did about a month ago-- didn't know what I was missing!  I got a MP comb, but I plan to go for one of Ric's when I get up the nerve to order hairtoys online again.  Hey, a birthday is coming up for me ;D ;D :D :D ;D ;D  I think I'll go shopping real soon......

oh, I did want to say I got my BBB at a drugstore - CVS I think.  Really, I'm a cheap person especially for things for me, so these combs are big deals to me ;)