What type of brush is best for your hair

At the top of your list for beauty products I bet it's brushes. And the reason I know that is because you are reading this article. Otherwise you would be reading something else pertaining to beauty and not be interested in finding the best brush for your hair.

What type of brush is best for your hair: Is best answered by your hair type. Here is the quick answer. 

1. Fine hair - Boar brush
2. Curly hair - Mixed Boar and Nylon
3. Medium thick - Nylon brush
4. Natural curly - Nylon
5. Need to add body - Round brush
6. Short thick hair - Vent brush

First off keep in mind not all brushes are created equal. And not just any ole brush is going to work great out of the box. To get the maximum out of your brush you should match it to your hair type and your personal hair style. By doing this will give you the best possible results. Now let's take a deeper dive into each brush and explain why you should use one type of brush over another one.

Fine Hair Brush

Dovahlia Boar Brush

If you have fine hair then a boar bush is going to work best for you. Now, this is not to say that you should not use a boar brush on thick hair, you absolutely can. For fine hair the boar bristles will not snag or pull and will distribute your natural hair oils all along the hair shaft adding condition and shine.

This brush works best on dry hair. It's important to select a brush where the bristles are not too stiff. If they are too stiff you can condition them in hot water for 10 to 20 minutes and then work the bristles in the palm of your hand or hard surface softening them up. Sometimes they just need to be used and broken in before they get that nice softer feel. When purchasing a brush look for one that has softer bristles. You can feel the difference.

A good quality boar bristle brush usually gets much better with time and will generally last a life time with proper care. This is one reason I don't mind spending more for one because I know I'll have it for a long time.

Mason Pearson

One of my favorites is the Mason Pearson. It's highly recommended by many of the well know
professional stylist. There are other out there that are just as good. Look for a solid wooden handle. Wooden handles are not prone to breakage like their plastic counter parts are. I like the Mason brush because it has a flexible rubber backing or cushion that hold the bristles. It flexes as you brush. It's well suited for people who have short fine hair.

For long fine hair you can always go with a Dovahlia boar brush with plastic pins and boar bristles. This brush is also excellent for normal to thick hair. I like this brush because it easily penetrates through your hair and also provides the benefits of boar bristles. So you get the best of both worlds.

Curly Hair Brush

Conair Boar Bristle Porcupine Cushion Brush 8551

For those of you who have curly hair fear not I have not forgotten about you. I recommend a brush with a mixture of boar and nylon. This combination is going to give you the best of both worlds. A brush with a mixture of boar and nylon is going to penetrate deep enough plus give you the conditioning shine you are looking with every brush stroke. The boar bristles are going to provide enough tension and can also aid in giving you more volume. Also consider brushing in sections if your hair is really curly, thick and longer. And by longer I mean shoulder length or longer.

Another option is a boar brush with stiff bristles. They make boar brushes in soft and stiff bristles. The stiff bristles are going to penetrate like the nylon ones do plus will do a better job and distributing your hair's natural oils than nylon.

When brushing start at the roots and work you way down to the ends. Work in sections if you need to. Conair make a good everyday boar mixture nylon brush that is available at most stores at a good price. It's called their Boar Bristle Porcupine Cushion Brush 8551. It features a nice hardwood handle with a non slip grip.

Another favorite of mine is the Harry Josh oval boar brush. This is a mixture of boar and nylon bristles. It's a salon worthy hair brush and a professional quality hair tool many stylists use.

It's the perfect brush for your hair’s every need. Blending nylon and natural boar hair bristles together, it gently combs through wet and dry hair to tame tangles and leave your strands smooth and shiny. I do recommend for use on dry hair. Plus, the mix of quality bristles boost manageability and prevent breakage.

The brush utilizes a mix of the highest quality boar and nylon bristles. The natural boar bristles are soft and gentle on your scalp and help to enhance shine. Nylon bristles detangle and enhance manageability.

Comfort cushion pad adjusts to the contours of your head for better distribution of the hairs natural oils. The eye-catching mint green ergonomically designed durable wooden handle perfectly fits your hand.

At first glance because of the mint green color I thought the brush had a plastic handle but was pleasantly surprised when I found out it is actually wood. A flared bristle pattern helps to shape and style your hair with ease. It's approximately 9 long x 3 inches wide. Looks very nice. This one retails for about $50.00. Honestly it reminds me of mint chocolate for some strange reason. I just want to take a bite of it.

Brush review of what's covered so far

As you can see by reading the information provided thus far there are some important facts to consider before buying a brush. Pure boar bristles are great for fine to medium hair. There are soft or sensitive bristles available for very fine hair or even thinning hair. For normal to thick and even curly hair a mixture of boar and nylon are going to be the best. And finally, not covered so far, there is nylon only. This is going to be great for thick harder to manage hair.

Medium to Thick Brush

And as I just mentioned above nylon is going to work the best for people who have medium to thick hair. It's versatile and best for someone with medium to thick hair because of the flexibility of the nylon bristles makes it super easy to detangle hair.

Brush for Natural Curly Hair

Denman 9 row

Look for a nylon brush with rounded pins or bristle ends for good penetration but will not damage your scalp. I like the Denman traditional 9 row because of the rubber base. It has enough firmness but not too firm. It also does not promote static electricity and allows for a fast drying time and passes through thick hair easily.

Denman 7 row men

For men I recommend the all back version. It's the benchmark of British hairbrush design featuring sculpted pins for the ultimate in styling and natural curly definition. I love the rounded bristles. This is a 7 row half round brush that is great for creating tension when blow drying and styling.

Adding body

TYME 3-Inch

And for those of you who have have very straight hair you will be interested in adding bounce and volume. This can be accomplished by using a round brush. Used with a hairdryer, the barrel heats up like a curling iron and producing similar results. And, like curling irons, the barrel size defines the curl size.

You should be aware that metal brushes can get very hot and damage your hair if you are not careful. Always keep the hair dryer moving and use a thermal protectant like Art Naturals Thermal Hair Protector which contains 100% organic argan oil and made in the USA or Macadamia Professional Thermal Protectant Spray which is safe for color treated hair.

Short Thick Hair

Spornette 176 Nylon Ion Fusion Vent Brush

For short thick hair you just can't beat a vent brush. The biggest drawback is that these types of brushes are not going to give you a polished look. They are mainly good for quick drying and styling. The holes in the brush allow for the hair dryer to quickly pass through thus drying your hair quicker. These brushes to not provide much tension and quickly pass through even the thickest of hair.


Spornette, a family-owned and operated business, has been making fine hair brushes for three generations. They know what it takes to make a hairbrush of salon quality. Spornette's Ion Fusion Vent brush allows heat to pass through the brush's body and reduce the amount of time you spend drying and styling your hair. And not only will your blow-drying sessions be cut in half, this vent brush will help to reduce static, leaving you with soft, silky hair.