Real speak: your hairbrush might be overdue for a cleansing. Between lifeless pores and skin cells, oils, and leftover product, it’s a breeding floor for grime that may mess along with your scalp. However how usually must you be cleansing it? Spoiler alert: extra usually than you suppose. Right here’s the whole lot you want to know to maintain your brush—and your hair—contemporary and clear, together with when it’s time to commerce your trusty brush in for a more recent mannequin.
How usually to wash your hairbrush
As a normal rule, you must clear your hairbrush each one to 2 weeks, however it actually depends upon just a few issues, says Lindsey Marie Zubritsky, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist primarily based in Pittsburg, PA.
Clear your hairbrush extra usually if:
- You employ heavy styling merchandise
- You’ve got lengthy hair
- You take care of dandruff or an oily scalp
The best way to clear your hairbrush
The tactic for cleansing a hairbrush depends upon the kind, however regardless of the comb, all the time begin by pulling out the hair with tweezers, scissors, or simply your fingers, Dr. Zubritsky says.
Specialists In This Article
- Lindsay Zubritsky, MD, Dermatologist , Lindsay Zubritsky, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist specializing in medical dermatology at Premier Dermatology and Pores and skin Most cancers Middle in Ocean Springs, Mississippi.
If in case you have a brush with artificial plastic bristles (that are best to wash, BTW), observe these steps, per Dr. Zubritsky:
- Put some shampoo, dish cleaning soap, or physique wash in a big bowl of water and soak your brush for quarter-hour
- Rinse completely afterwards, shake or squeeze the comb to take away extra water, after which enable to air dry
- For additional cleansing, you may spray the comb with isopropyl alcohol for disinfecting.
If in case you have a brush with pure bristles and/or wood handles, you want to deal with them with a bit extra care. After eradicating all of the hair from the bristles, observe these steps, per Dr. Zubritsky:
- Add a mild, delicate shampoo or cleaning soap to a big bowl of water.
- Solely dip the bristles within the water (protecting the wood handles dry).
- Lather up the bristles (both along with your fingers or a toothbrush). You actually need to give these pure bristles a radical scrub since they’ve extra nooks and crannies.
- Soak for15 minutes (once more, protecting wood handles dry).
- Rinse completely afterwards, shake or squeeze the comb to take away extra water, after which enable to air dry.
What occurs if I do not clear my hairbrush?
When you’ve ever let a bunch of hair accumulate in your brush, you in all probability observed it doesn’t work as effectively. However that’s not the one downside. A unclean hairbrush also can have penalties on your scalp.
Associated Tales
1. It may possibly clog hair follicles
Hairbrushes usually gather lifeless pores and skin cells, oils, and product buildup, Dr. Zubritsky says. This mixture can clog pores and hurt your scalp, resulting in points like scalp zits or folliculitis (i.e., when your hair follicles are contaminated or infected), she says.
2. It may possibly result in dandruff
“Your hairbrush is a breeding floor for micro organism and fungus, together with Malassezia (a yeast identified to set off dandruff),” Dr. Zubritsky says. Even in the event you’re utilizing anti-dandruff shampoo, yeast can nonetheless construct up in your brush, and each time you employ it, you’re mainly placing that gunk proper again in your scalp, she says.
3. It may possibly irritate or harm your scalp
“Nothing good comes from utilizing a unclean hairbrush, particularly in case you have a delicate scalp,” Dr. Zubritsky says. “Grime, particles, micro organism, previous product, and lifeless pores and skin cells may be transferred again to you scalp by way of your brush, resulting in irritation and sensitivity points.”
When to exchange your hairbrush
We all know–it may be exhausting to let go of your go-to hairbrush. However the well being of your scalp depends upon it. On the whole, it’s a good suggestion to exchange your brush each six months. Listed here are some indicators that your brush wants an improve, per Dr. Zubrtisky:
- The bristles or handles are broken, bent, cracked, or lacking
- Your brush is not working as effectively (when your brush isn’t working proper, it creates extra friction and traction in your scalp and hair, which may result in harm)
- Your brush has a persistent odor (regardless of common cleansing)
- Your hair seems extra oily or greasy
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