Brushing or combing your hair in a wrong way can be one of the biggest reasons for damaged hair and breakage. An important aspect of the right detangling method is the material of your brush or comb. I personally am a big fan of wooden hair tools, so today I want to present the benefits of using a wooden hair brush or comb.
Disclosure: Some of the links below are so-called provision links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I can earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
Related: 5 must-have Hair-friendly hair tools
1. Less damage
So why are wooden brushes good for your hair?
Wood is a so-called “hair-friendly” material. If you use a high-quality wooden brush or comb, they will be smoothened to perfection. This again means fewer chances for your hair to get caught up in the brush, tangle, and break.
When I changed from my plastic brush to my beloved wooden horn comb, I saw a decrease in hair breakage very quickly.
Related: How to make your hair grow faster – the no BS guide
2. The wooden bristles massage your scalp
Are you someone who enjoys scalp massages? (Seriously, does anyone NOT?)
Well, a massage is another one of the benefits of wooden hair brush. Using a wooden hair instrument literally feels like you are getting a gentle massage. And what’s even better is that it’s in your hand which spots get massaged longer.
Because the bristles of wooden brushes and combs will usually have rounded tips, the impact on the scalp is much nicer than that of a plastic brush. Which brings me to my next benefit of using a wooden brush or comb.
3. No scalp scratching
Unlike plastic bristles, wooden ones have rounded tips and are more scalp-friendly. When you use a wooden brush, you don’t need to worry about scratching your scalp. This is especially important if you are dealing with a dry scalp or some other kind of irritation.
4. No more static hair
Do you know that feeling when you try to smoothen your hair out with a brush and instead you end up having enough static to charge a football stadium? Yeah, I’ve been there.
This is not going to happen to you with wooden brushes. Honestly, as someone who used to get static every day, this alone was reason enough to change to a wooden comb.
5. Distribution of sebum
Does anyone remember that ad with “oily scalp and dry tips”? That phenomenon comes from your sebum not being distributed properly but instead staying on your scalp. And the tips, at the same time, lack some of that natural hair care oil your body is producing.
Brushing or combing your hair with a wooden hair tool will help a great deal with this. It will gently distribute the sebum and thereby naturally nourish your hair.
Related: How to stop your hair from getting greasy so fast
6. Eco-friendly material
We all know that plastic is one of the worst things for our environment. It’s not biodegradable and adds significantly to pollution.
Wood, on the other hand, is a natural material. Make sure that it’s sustainably sourced, like this one* and you can use it with an absolutely clean, green conscience.
7. Works for all hair types
Like I said above, wood is a hair-friendly material. No matter if you have straight, curly, thick or thinning hair.
The only thing you want to consider depending on hair type is the shape. For curly hair, I don’t recommend a wooden hairbrush. Instead, use a comb, ideally a wide-toothed one, like this one*.
If you have straight hair that tends to get oily fast, you will benefit more from a wooden bristle brush like this one*.
8. Low maintenance
Lastly, one of the wooden brush benefits is how low maintenance they are.
Okay, I am a little biased regarding this reason for using a wooden hairbrush or comb. Wooden hair tools can be very low maintenance. But only if you are using a natural hair care regimen and healthy hair products, like hair oils.
Related: What is the best argan oil for hair? 10 tips!
As wood has many shared properties with hair, your hair care products can help maintain your wooden brush or comb as well. I need to remember oiling my wooden table every few months. My wooden comb gets oiled automatically when I comb my freshly oiled hair. No extra effort needed.
How to clean your wooden brush or comb
Cleaning your hair tools can be a difficult thing, no matter the material. If you are using a wooden brush or comb, dropping them in hot water and scrubbing doesn’t work. It will damage the material. So how can you clean them?
Cleaning a wooden comb
First, let’s look at how to clean wooden combs.
To clean your wooden comb, you can simply wet some kitchen towel. Fold it, so that it fits between the teeth and slide it along them. The dirt will stick to the paper, leaving you with an all shiny, clean comb.
Another option is to use Q-tips. For my wooden comb, they fit exactly between the teeth. As if someone made them for wooden comb cleaning!
Cleaning a wooden brush
For a wooden brush, this paper trick will probably not work so well. So instead you could use an old toothbrush. (Yes, I admit, I have a toothbrush only for cleaning hair tools.)
First, pull out all the loose hairs that are tangled in the brush. And then slightly wet the toothbrush and start scrubbing the wooden bristles.
You could even use a little of the shampoo you usually use for your hair. Just make sure the water you use for rinsing it off is not too hot. And properly dry the wooden brush afterward.
Related: How to get a clean Tangle Teezer easily
Are you convinced by my benefits of using a wooden brush?
So now, after reading through all of this, are you convinced? Will you be using a wooden brush or comb in the future? Or have you been doing that all along and know of even more benefits? Let me know in the comments!
*These links are so-called provision links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I can earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
I bought your recommended no 6. Sharca hairbrush on Amazon. This is the best brush that I ever bought. It is so gentle for my hair I recommend it!
I am glad you like it, Samantha!
I never knew any of this about wooden hair brushes. I need to get one!
never thought of Q-Tips for cleaning my brushes! great tip. Thanks.
Joy