BEAUTY
Brush Vs. Comb: Which Is Actually Right For Your Hair?
By MELANIE MCCRARY
The Importance Of Brushes
Brushing detangles knots, removes stray hairs, stimulates the scalp, and distributes your skin's natural oils down the hair shaft, adding shine and preventing dryness. But using the incorrect brush or comb can harm your hair, causing breakage, frizz, split ends, and more, so you must choose the proper brush based on the type of your hair.
Type 1
Type 1 hair is completely straight from root to tip and is oily and flat. For daily use, a wide paddle brush is a great option because of this brush shape's ability to handle large sections of hair at once and evenly distribute your hair's natural oils throughout the length of the shaft, toning down the oils that collect on the upper part of the shaft.
Type 2
Type 2 hair has 3 categories: 2A has soft, undefined waves, 2B has more defined waves, and 2C verging on light curls. Vented and round brushes—with soft bristles for thin hair and stiff bristles for thick hair—are ideal for daily use because they lift the roots, add volume, and enhance your hair's natural waves.
Type 3
Type 3 hair is defined by the strength and shape of the hair's curls, with three subtypes ranging from looser to tighter curls. Type 3 hair needs moisture to prevent breakage and frizz, and should be groomed with a wide-toothed comb or special detangling brush to maintain a natural definition.
Type 4
Type 4 hair is coily, with subtype 4C having the tightest coils, and is very prone to frizz and breakage. Similar to type 3 hair, avoid brushing type 4 hair, but if you must, use a gentle boar bristle brush; otherwise a wide-toothed comb or your fingers are the best options, working to detangle and distribute oils while also minimizing breakage.