It's time to take the angst out of detangling. (Amazon)(Amazon)
We always want what we can't have. In my case, that's thick, body-filled hair. My strands have always been fine, limp and pin-straight. In fourth grade, I tried to fight genetics with a perm, only to end up looking like I got in a fight with the world's least effective crimper. (That's what you get when your mom tries to save a few bucks by taking you to the local beauty school.)
I learned my lesson and made peace with my locks, but aging has brought a new indignity: thinning hair. I never quite recovered from two rounds of postpartum shedding, and now that I'm in my 40s, my ponytail feels smaller by the day. I'm taking a fancy multivitamin and using anti-shedding shampoo and conditioner, but one of my hair-preserving strategies is more affordable: I swapped out my old brushes in favor of the much gentler Tangle Teezer.
I'm not saying you should choose a brush because it comes in pretty colors (8 to be exact!), but I'm also not saying that you shouldn't. You can also find versions for thicker straight or curly hair and very curly or coily hair.
I used regular old hair elastics for an embarrassingly long time before I realized they were literally ripping strands from my scalp. D'oh. These are soft, stretchy and seamless, so I can put my hair up guilt- and pain-free. (Bonus: They also make fabulous cat toys.)
I used to grab any old hair brush. (Ah, the folly of youth!) Most had stiff ball-tipped bristles that weren't particularly gentle. But those brushes were cheap, and I had an abundance of strands, so it didn't particularly bug me when I lost some. Well, times they are a changin. Now, every time I shed, I make a beeline for the mirror to check the damage.
Post-Tangle Teezer, brushing my hair elicits fewer of those heart-stopping moments. The two-tiered bristles are soft and flexible, and they feel really good — like a gentle scalp massage. The longer bristles are designed to detangle while minimizing breakage, and the shorter ones help keep frizz at bay. The Tangle Teezer is gentle enough that I can use it when my hair is most fragile — that is, when it's wet. It does a great job distributing leave-in conditioner, mousse and thickeners like this one from Rusk. And because it's one piece, it's easy to clean and doesn't collect that gross, fuzzy mixture of hair, bits of scalp, dust, hair-product residue and who knows what else.
All that said, do I still lose hair to this brush? Yes! It's not magic. But there are fewer strands in between the bristles, and because it glides through my hair so effectively, I don't dislodge more by pulling and tugging. And unlike a boar bristle brush I recently tried, it really does detangle — that one just seemed to glide over my strands instead of in between them.
More than 2,600 Amazon reviewers agree with me, singing the praises of the Tangle Teezer.
"I have really long, fine hair that tangles and breaks easily. I was worried about the amount of hair I'd been losing," said this similarly tressed fan. "I got this hairbrush for my birthday, and it has really made a huge difference! I've seen less and less hair shedding, loss and breakage. This brush glides through and detangles my hair easily, whether it's wet or dry. ... Brushing my hair has gone from a really painful chore/torture that I dreaded ... to being just another part of my self-care."
"This brush ruined other nice brushes for me," wrote another buyer. "I have naturally straight hair, not very fine or thick, but I do bleach my hair quite regularly, so normal hair brushes can be pretty rough for me. My sister recommended this brush ... and now I will never be able to use any other brush again. I have had so much less unnecessary shedding ... I can even brush my hair while it's wet now and lose less than 10 strands — something I could never do before."
"I wish I had it as a kid," raved a third fan. "I have fine, straight, color-treated hair, and my pre-brushing routine is shampoo, conditioner and detangling spray. I actually use a Wet Brush comb for initial detangling, but I like to brush through after with a detangling brush. My problem with other brushes, though, is they're hard to clean and the little balls on the tips of the bristles fall off over time and the remaining end pieces kinda hurt. This brush has been the answer. The bristles are all one piece; nothing is going to fall out. These bristles look pointy, but they're quite comfortable."
"I like this brush so far with one exception," cautioned a shopper. "My old brush didn't cause static. I seem to have a bigger issue with that using this one. I am now just adding some water to it with each use." (Author's note: Beyond what you'd normally expect in the dry winter months, I haven't noticed excess static.)
"My hair is practically matted every time I wash it, and brushing it is always a dread," said this reviewer. "This brush helps so much! I can clean it easily, and I feel like I have less breakage and hair loss. My only complaint would be that I wish the handle was more comfortable." (Here, I agree — a little extra cushioning would be nice, but it's far from a deal-breaker.)
And how's this for an even more affordable thinning-hair-friendly upgrade?
If you have Amazon Prime, you'll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $35 or more.)
The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
